I don't think that's true, at least when programs play it. Key to victory was making sure that you have enough of forces to capture the planet you are sending your forces to. It was always about having the right sized fleet ready and sending right sized fleet sometimes from multiple sources to capture the planet and increase your production as a result.
It's true that the game had perfect information, instant communication and no randomness in battle outcome. Are those necessary elements for something to be operations game or are those just elements that particularly interest you?