Oh yes, there will be lots of opportunity for combat! You will still design ships and create mighty fleets of war, just more abstracted. You will be able to designate a heavy task force, say, and give your war Prime general parameters on how to outfit such. You will also be able to request and require that certain types of ships be researched and designed, depending on how you think a war should be fought. I'm a Honorverse aficionado so trust me when I say that military will be a big part of the package!!
-Steve
I was not expecting tactical combat as we know it, perhaps just a way to somehow influence it with your emperor if you want to risk your life doing it.
I still hope that the abstraction at least include some interesting combat mechanics so there are some choices in what ship types you need and in what proportions. Anyway, it probably are some of the less important stuff in a game like this.