Sekrit blueprints

I have a contact who knows a guy that works for someone with an aunt that makes the tea in one of the Republic Fleet R&D labs. Got some news along the grapevine of their latest project - a new battleship! The Maelstrom class vessel doesn't seem much like an minmatar machine (I wonder why they're so desperate to copy everyone else's) being bulky and sporting fewer movement verniers than normal. I have been told however that it takes the Cyclone's unique recursive shield amplification systems a notch higher.

I wonder if they got hold of an old Hawk-class assault frigate and thought 'We can make this bigger and better'?