SALADIN CLASS LINEAR WARP UPGRADE PROJECT SALADIN II – DAYTONA – JENGHIZ

One of the three original ship configurations that formed the foundation of the famed ‘Class I’ shipbuilding program (the others being the Constitution/CH 1700 and Ptolemny/TT 3800), the Saladin (DD 500) class was the second most recognizable class (after Constitution) throughout the 23rd and well into the 24th Centuries. Not only did it form the foundation of what would eventually become a diverse and formidable Destroyer force, it established a design lineage that lasted for nearly two centuries. 56 of these ships were originally built, in three groups, over a period of 30 years. Though the class as a whole accrued an impressive service record and more than proved itself in combat, its reputation was marred in 2270 when Vice Admiral Vaughan Rittenhouse used his ship, Pompeii (DD 424), in an attempted coup against Starfleet. The ship was lost with all hands, destroyed by the Enterprise (CH 1701) while attempting to ram the Dreadnought Star Empire (DN 2116). It was widely assumed that this incident was what kept Saladin from becoming the first starship class to undergo Linear Warp conversion, however in actuality, given the difficulties Starfleet faced with single-nacelle designs, extra time was needed to make sure any such difficulties did not reappear. The Belknap (CS 2500) class therefore gained that distinction, entering service in 2267. By 2270, engineers with the ASDB believed that they had successfully overcome what challenges they had experienced initially and set to work updating the original Saladin design. As with its original incarnation, the update—designated Saladin II—made use of fleet-standard components in a traditional configuration. The saucer remained unmodified, featuring the

same bridge module, lower sensor dome and 6 Type VII Phaser Banks that other classes featured or would soon feature. Below the saucer sat the connecting dorsal, attached at the end of which was the torpedo launcher housing and then the single LN-64 series Warp Nacelle. All of these components were specially reinforced to maintain above-average structural integrity. Bolstering this attribute were inertial dampers customized specifically for the design and that were hardened against power spikes and other forms of interference. Upgrade of existing Saladin class ships to the new Saladin II standard began late in the year, with the first ships entering service in mid 2271. Depending on the specific mission and taking the deployment area into consideration, Saladin II was well suited to independent and collaborative operations with other vessels just as with her Class I forbearer. Her maneuverability combined with near-Heavy Cruiser firepower made her extremely well suited to the role of convoy escort, where she presented a strong, credible deterrent to pirates, smugglers and other unsavory actors. When not functioning in this role, these Destroyers were often deployed in groups of 3, or paired with larger/heavier vessels such as the Enterprise (CH 1701) and Abbe (DH 5300) classes—standard deployment doctrine for both Saladin II and her chief contemporary, the Larson II (DD 4300) class. Similar to the Loknar class Linear Warp Upgrade Project, Saladin II expanded beyond the single baseline upgrade with improved and more specialized variants. After the first 20 of the existing 56 Destroyers were upgraded to the Saladin II standard, the next 10 were selected for upgrade to the specialized Daytona class standard beginning in 2275. Daytona was the 2nd attempt by the ASDB to leverage next generation Phaser Cannon technology (after the Kearsarge II/CL 1500 class) and the first/only to do so with a Destroyer type vessel. As with Saladin II, Daytona used a fleet standard saucer section, featuring two key differences—the first being a slightly older bridge module borrowed from the cancelled Constitution II class and the installation of a pulse phaser turret in place of the navigational sensor dome. Unlike that used on Kearsarge II, Daytona’s turret featured 4 cannons—2 on either side of a centrally placed torpedo launcher. A third, less-noticeable difference was the enlarged connecting dorsal. A design attribute borrowed from the Belknap (CS 2500) class, it benefitted both structural integrity and warp field stability. A final change involved the addition of a dorsally mounted shuttlebay on the starboard side. Comparatively small, it had room to embark just 2 craft—nominally, a pair of Wasp class Attack Fighters, but more often, a heavier Hornet class Space Superiority Fighter together with a Type IV Shuttlecraft. Along with similar vessels such as Kearsarge II and Valley Forge, Daytona class Destroyers served in the Perimeter Action role and made up several specialized attack units formed to handle rapid response and anti-piracy tasks along with special operations assignments. In larger formations of Battle Group size or larger, Daytona often flew as escort to heavier Soyuz (FA 1921) or Miranda (FH 1830) class Frigates—such as during the mobilization along the Klingon Neutral Zone in 2281. The final and ‘ultimate’ iteration of Saladin in its Linear Warp form involved the final 26 ships of the original Class I production lot. Codenamed Jenghiz, the design borrowed attributes from both preceding classes. The saucer retained the fleet-standard appearance of Saladin II, save for the presence of the same small hangar introduced on Daytona while the latter’s enlarged connecting dorsal and modified impulse engine placement were also featured. The twin torpedo launcher housing—prominently featured on Saladin II and becoming a design hallmark of many other classes of the day—occupied its traditional spot, situated snugly between the connection dorsal and specially reinforced warp nacelle. Entering service in 2280, these ships along with those of her two sister classes constituted the bulk of Starfleet’s defensive assets. They provided a firm, surprisingly flexible foundation upon which Starfleet’s expansion could continue unfettered. Without these classes in service, many analysts have since casted doubt on Starfleet’s ability to field later, more notable classes such as the Akyazi/Arbiter/Akula family of Perimeter Action ships. All three classes were withdrawn from service by 2320—Saladin II and Daytona being assigned to Starfleet’s Reserve Forces Command. Surviving Daytona class ships were called up in 2353 during the Federation-Tholian War and fought a hard, bitter campaign against forces of the Tholian Navy. The only ship to survive the destructive conflict, Mars (DD 525) was present at the Battle of Surata in 2360—singlehandedly running a screen for the formation lead by the Hood (CH 42296) and Nautilus (FH 31910). During the Dominion War, the entire contingent of Saladin II class ships were reactivated in the aftermath of the Dominion’s capture of Deep Space Nine. Despite the massed firepower present in the vicinity of the station, Starfleet Command sent these 20 ships into the Bajoran system alone and unescorted—their front line forces occupied with a diversionary assault on the Torros III Shipyards. Despite the strident objections of Reserve Forces Commander Admiral Tomas D’Ambrosia, who advocated for a fighter escort at the very least, the ships and the approximately 2,300 personnel aboard were lost with all hands—though not before claiming nearly half of the Dominion’s initial occupying force. The legacy of these vessels would live on in both the Defender (DD 22012) and Freedom (DD 68170) classes of the 24th Century, but where design was concerned, Freedom’s failure spelled the end to single nacelle designs in favor of ones that were more compact and tightly integrated. From a firepower standpoint though, they left an indelible mark and fundamentally changed perceptions of what Destroyers could and should do, even as the type itself would go on to languish in the shadows for a number of decades.

Class Classification Service Number Active Length Beam Height Decks

Saladin II Destroyer 2271-2320; 2373 0 256m 118m 57m 14

Mass Compliment

520,393 metric tons 115

Armament Defense Systems

6 Type VII Phaser Banks 2 2nd Class Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 589,219 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

Class Classification Service Number Active Length Beam Height Decks

Daytona Destroyer 2275-2320; 2353-60 0 265m 118m 58m 14

Mass Compliment

526,481 metric tons 115

Armament Defense Systems

6 Type VII Phaser Banks 4 Pulse Phaser Cannons 1 2nd Class Torpedo Launcher Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 591,327 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

Class Classification Service Number Active Length Beam Height Decks

Jenghiz Destroyer 2280-2320 0 265m 118m 57m 14

Mass Compliment

523,224 metric tons 115

Armament Defense Systems

6 Type VII Phaser Banks 2 2nd Class Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 590,650 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

Editor’s Annotations The Saladin class is another one of those classic designs that couldn’t be ignored, though the impact its Linear Warp incarnation had is debatable given how Starfleet’s ship design had proliferated during this period. Like Loknar, Saladin had more than just a simple ‘II’ upgrade—other/specialized variants on the design were out there. Daytona is purely original—simply Neale “Vance” Davidson’s Lassiter with a different name. Jenghiz though, comes from Eric “Jackill” Kristiansen. I could swear one of the first times I saw it, it had that extended connecting dorsal, but going back and checking my sources again, it appears I’m either mistaken or got the name wrong. Ahh well. For the history buffs out there, Daytona doesn’t carry any special meaning (at least outside of the automotive world), but both Saladin and Jenghiz have deep roots going back centuries. The former comes from Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (1137/38 – 1193), a Kurdish Muslim who became the first Sultan of Egypt & Syria and was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Among other things, he was noted for his noble and chivalrous behavior by many Christian chroniclers of the day, even winning the respect of Richard I of England (‘Richard the Lionheart’). Jenghiz on the other hand is simply an alternate spelling of ‘Genghis’ Khan (1162? – 1227) – the founder of the Mogolian Empire (which became the largest contiguous empire in recorded history following his death).

Bibliography Logos—Kristian “Reverend” Trigwell (Gallery @ Star Trek Minutiae) Viperaviator (DeviantART) Blueprints—Neale “Vance” Davidson (Jaynz Institute of Technology)