NB: is there any reason why the Vasudans couldn't have adopted a 'swarm' type tactic ala the Red Army (or perhaps Japanese Imperial Armies 'Banzai' style culture) in WW2 for their lighter classes, anyways? The Vasudans are described as, IIRC, a race of artists and engineers rather than warriors, but I don't think it makes it impossible for them to take the massed-forces approach; particularly as it appears Terran weapons were superior, so they'd need to accept losses anyways (especially given the ****ness of the Anubis, for example).
(at the same time, it could explain having something like the Typhon being 'king'; fighters and cruisers could be disposable, but the fighter and bomber base not)
In any case, it might be that the Aten is **** because **** is cheaper to make.