SHIPS OF THE STARFLEET - · PDF fileSHIPS OF THE STARFLEET!!!!! Ryland Pike Liam Bacco Ryland Pike, Star Admiral Liam Bacco

SHIPS OF THE STARFLEET

2300-2365 The Standard Reference Guide To The Vessels of Starfleet

Ships of the Starfleet By The Red Admiral Starfleet Operations/Advanced Starship Design Bureau

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SHIPS OF THE STARFLEET

Ryland Pike Liam Bacco

Ryland Pike, Star Admiral Liam Bacco Commander-in-Chief, Starfleet Command President, United Federation of Planets

Table of Contents State of the Fleet—7

Destroyers Defender Class—10 Freedom Class—12 Challenger Class—14

Frigates Merced Class—18 Niagara Class—20 Springfield Class—22

Cruisers Renaissance Class—25 Ambassador Class—27 Apollo Class—30 Steamrunner Class—33 Korolev Class—35 Cheyenne Class—37 Rigel Class—39

Patrol Combatants Montana Class—42

Fleet Auxiliaries Olympic Class—46 Editors Annotations—49 Bibliography—50

STATE OF THE FLEET Overview The turn of the century, to the period immediately preceding the signing of the Federation-Cardassian Armistice, better known as the ‘Lost Era’ was very much an intermediary period where the design and engineering of Starfleet’s ship classes were concerned. It saw the end of the ‘Linear Warp Era’ and the beginning of the ‘Renaissance’ as the ASDB struggled to stay abrest of a technological and engineering landscape that was evolving at warp speed. This was also perhaps the first period in the history of the Federation and Starfleet where astro-political events and relations did not have a direct impact on shipbuilding strategy. The Khitomer Accords, signed in 2293 ushered in an era of peace—however uneasy—between the Federation and Klingon Empire while the Romulans had remained reclusive as ever, withdrawing behind their borders completely after 2311. Relations with other races, including the Tholians, Gorn, Tzenkethi and Talarians, while hostile at times, did not warrant a major strategy shift—existing vessels and slated designs expected to be more than enough of a match for ships from the 4 minor, technologically inferior powers. This new ‘Renaissance’ could be divided into 4 separate parts; 2300-2325, 2335-2342, 2345-2352 and 2365. During those periods, a record 15 classes ranging from Destroyers to Strike Cruisers to Hospital Ships were launched. The Fleet Cruisers Since the early days of the vaunted ‘Class I’ era, Cruisers were held in high regard for their ability to balance a multitude of mission-specific requirements and objectives while also keeping external dimensions at efficient, sensible levels. They remained the centerpiece of Starfleet’s shipbuilding strategy with a total of 7 classes being introduced during this period. The most notable were the Renaissance (CA 9778) and Ambassador (CH 10521) classes, introducing and refining numerous notable technologies including modern ASRVs (lifeboats) and phaser emitters as well as featuring operating ranges and endurance far surpassing trailblazers such as Enterprise and Excelsior. The Apollo (CS 11570) and Korolev (CH 41050) classes were more militaristic in concept and design, performing patrol, escort and surveillance missions in many conflict-prone regions as well as serving in actions against the Cardassian Guard

and Borg Collective. The Rigel (CL 62090) class was developed nearly 5 decades after Renaissance as a replacement that would better compliment Ambassador and Apollo while Steamrunner (CL 52130) and Cheyenne (CL 73610) classes were highly experimental, developed to evaluate both specific technological advances and alternative or otherwise unconventional designs/design techniques. Frigates An equally valued fleet component, frigates entered the 24th century with an uncertain future. The bulk of Starfleet’s assets in this category comprised starships of the Miranda (FH 1800) and Okinawa (FF 1500) classes that both entered service in the early-mid 2270’s. Augmenting them were the Merced (FF 37120) and Centaur (FF 42043) classes in 2311 and 2325 respectively. Despite being easier to produce and generally regarded as having more endurance than the similarly sized Renaissance class cruiser, Merced never fully realized its potential thanks to an exotic warp engine design that was too ahead of its time. Centaur on the other hand used conventional Excelsior class engines and other components and being equally easy to produce, became the de facto production frigate for much of the century. An attempt was made to bolster this capability with the Springfield (FF 57300) class beginning in 2352, but with a negligible increase in operating range over destroyer classes then in service and a limited top speed of warp 7, Springfield did not see serious production. Destroyers A necessary, but neglected part of the fleet, destroyers began a slow slide towards irrelevance with the end of the Linear Warp era—though, given the recent changes in the astro-political landscape, this could hardly be considered surprising. Continuing the design lineage that began with the Saladin (DD 500) class, the Defender (DD 22012) class entered service in 2325. In addition to helping disseminate new technologies throughout the fleet, the class gained notoriety (or infamy, some say) during the Federation-Cardassian war—Commodore Edward Sherman leading a full squadron of these ships on a ‘scorched earth’ campaign across a 52 light year stretch of Cardassian space. Seeking more technological flexibility, designers attempted to update that lineage in 2335 with the Freedom class, however, as with the Springfield class—Freedom’s operating range and top speed were limited compared to Defender and other contemporaries, contributing to an extended production run of an older class yet again.

Undeterred by this setback, the ASDB attempted to rectify the situation once more by introducing the Challenger (DH 57530) class in 2350. An update of the Akula/Akula II design, this proved moderately more successful in service and often competed for production with the Norway in the late 2360s.

Patrol Combatants An anarchism that clashed directly with the more ‘enlightened’ astro-political mindset that the Federation Council had become keen to adopt, the larger concept of a ‘patrol

combatant’ remained alive and well thanks in no small part to the belligerence of numerous minor powers. Along with certain cruiser classes, the Montana (DN 18520) class Dreadnought provided Starfleet an ‘insurance policy’ of sorts against this aggression, bolstering its tactical superiority and deterrence factor during a largely quiet period.

Fleet Auxiliaries A highly important, yet overlooked development late in this period was the development of the Olympic (AH 58920) class Hospital Ship. The first all new hospital ship developed

since the Barton (AH 2200) class of 2279, Olympic’s development was accorded the same level of secrecy as Defiant—many of the systems and advances it incorporated equally as advanced, if not moreso.

DESTROYERS

DEFENDER CLASS DESTROYER

The intended successor to the venerable Saladin and Saladin II destroyer classes, the Defender class brought Starfleet’s destroyer line into the 24th Century, incorporating technological advances first employed aboard the larger Renaissance (CA 9770) and Ambassador (CH 10521) cruiser classes.

At the dawn of the 24th century, Starfleet placed generally little emphasis on the

design, engineering and deployment of destroyers in general—considering them utilitarian tools to be used and deployed in areas too dangerous (or too ‘mundane’) for larger, more valuable capital ships. This left frigates to gradually assume these roles, the development and deployment of the Okinawa (FF 1500) and Centaur (FF 42043) classes bearing witness to this shift, as well as the continued deployment of and reliance on ships of the Miranda (FH 1800) class.

Based on the proven single-nacelle design that connected a primary hull saucer with

a single warp nacelle via a standard connecting dorsal or ‘neck’ section, the ASDB created the Defender (DD 22012) class. Utilizing Ambassador class components, Starfleet’s newest destroyer incorporated acclaimed advances such as phaser emitters (also referred to as phaser ‘arrays’) and ASRV-type lifeboats. In a nod to the earlier Abbe (DH 5300) and Miranda classes, Defender also featured a dorsally mounted weapons pod.

Featuring a self-contained torpedo launch system supporting two MK I launchers (1

fore/aft), the slender, triangular-shaped pod also housed long range sensors and targeting systems. The design and implementation here, as well as on the larger Apollo, would play heavily in the development of a similar pod for the later Nebula (CA 64510).

Further armed with 7 Type IX Phaser Emitters and equipped with a standard deflector

shield system, Defender was a quite credible fleet combatant. Early in the design stage, a proposal had been made to modify Defender’s saucer to include a dorsally located small craft bay on the starboard side. Similar in concept to the bays

aboard the Moncrief (TT 3800) class, the proposal had destroyers so equipped

embarking a pair of Valkyrie class interceptors. Given the tactical superiority that the new phaser emitter technology had given Starfleet however, this proposal was shelved.

Commissioned beginning in 2325, plans called for Defender to equip 10 squadrons—

the 2nd, 3rd and 5th receiving their ships by the end of 2331. Initially stationed along the Cardassian and Romulan borders operating in patrol and surveillance roles, they also found a home in various frontier and ‘backwater’ systems, undertaking law enforcement and interdiction missions to combat the spread of the illegal narcotic ‘Red Ice’ which was a major source of income for both the Asfar Qatala and Orion Syndicate crime organizations.

The class also formed the backbone of Starfleet’s operations against the Cardassian

Guard during the Federation-Cardassian War. In retaliation for the Guard’s operation in the Hugora Nebula which clamed the destroyer Olympia (DH 64911) and severely damaged the Denmark (DH 64908), the 12th Fleet’s 5th Destroyer Squadron—including the Defender class Bainbridge (DD 22018), Southampton (DD 22019), Andrea Doria (DD 22020), Algonquin (DD 22021), Cristobal Colon (DD 22022) and Inazuma (DD 22023)—undertook a ‘scorched earth’ campaign. Led by Commodore Edward T. Sherman, the 5th Squadron (which had been outfitted with generous stores of Tri-Cobalt torpedoes at his personal request) detached from the 12th fleet and for almost a month, rampaged across Cardassian space, destroying both civilian and military targets alike across a span of 52 light years—stretching from the Omekla to the Salva star systems.

However, even before Sherman’s infamous campaign, the Defender class had

begun to loose its luster within the fleet. It had successfully integrated various technological advances, helping to promote their adoption throughout the fleet and helping Starfleet retain overall tactical supremacy, though this all came at a cost. Starship design and engineering during the early decades of the 24th century hadn’t yet caught up with rapidly evolving mission requirements, which were expanding at an unforeseen pace—encompassing widely varying ‘multi-mission’ objectives. The inherent inflexibility that was therefore present, played a direct role in the development of the Challenger and Norway classes that entered service in 2350 and 2363 respectively, eventually supplanting Defender as Starfleet’s front line destroyer.

Unlike the larger Ambassador and Apollo classes that were still utilized alongside their newer Nebula and Galaxy (CH 70637) classes, the Defender class was formally retired from service in 2369.

Class Classification Service Number Active Length Beam Height Decks

Defender Destroyer 2325-2369 0 299m 182m 71m 20

Mass Compliment

1,335,227 metric tons 168

Armament Defense Systems

7 Type IX Phaser Emitters 2 MK I Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 857,500 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

FREEDOM CLASS DESTROYER A member of the much lauded Galaxy/Nebula class family, the Freedom class was Starfleet’s attempt at producing a destroyer that could finally accomplish the impossible—successfully coupling various technological and engineering advances with true multi-mission capability (the term intended to encompass the widely varying and evolving missions a ship was expected to be able to perform) and thus, succeeding the Defender (DD 22012) class as Starfleet’s front-line destroyer class. Defender, which had already been in service for a decade, was quite capable in the routine roles for which it was originally developed, but was proving to be increasingly unreliable or otherwise incapable for the expanding roster of predominantly scientific/exploratory missions for which Starfleet Command had begun using them. This marked one of the rare occasions where the ASDB was in fundamental disagreement with Starfleet Command on the need for a new starship class. While he was not opposed to the fleet’s shift away from the militarism of the 2270’s and 2280’s, towards a more peaceful, idyllic posture that was typical of the 2250’s and 60’s, Admiral Edas Hagann was a strident critic of the policy’s pacifistic backers—who held the view that all ships should have the capability to fulfill all missions. In strict naval parlance, destroyers are fast and maneuverable ships of extended range and endurance, intended primarily to protect larger capital ships from smaller, short-range attackers. In peacetime, Starfleet had deployed its destroyer classes on missions of general support typified by convoy escort, border patrol, interdiction and reconnaissance, while larger frigate, cruiser and patrol combatant classes gradually assumed responsibility for exploratory and scientific endeavors.

It was hoped that, despite blurring the lines between ship types (if not eliminating them altogether), successful integration of multi-mission capability would greatly expand

the fleet’s overall capabilities and enhance its flexibility—eliminating size, speed and

other attributes as determining factors where ship deployment decisions werez concerned. So despite the ASDB chief’s resistance and skepticism, the bureau was ordered to proceed with work on a next generation destroyer along these lines.

Building on Defender, this new design was codenamed Freedom and like its

progenitor, continued the design lineage begun with the famed Saladin (DD 500) class. Featuring next to no cohesion in the design, its highlights included an atypical saucer design, modified Constellation class components (connecting dorsal/’neck’ and torpedo launcher housing) and a highly experimental next-generation warp engine nacelle.

As single-nacelle destroyers like Freedom had the burden of not only housing crew

accommodations and support facilities, but critical engineering and propulsion systems as well, the redesign of saucer section wasn’t something that was taken lightly. Nicknamed ‘the pancake’, it was smaller in overall height than the fleet standard section used for Defender, but was wider by some 50 meters allowing for a corresponding increase in interior volume. This increase in volume not only made the installation of the warp reactor core, impulse fusion reactors and design of the utilities (ODN, EPS etc) network easier, but also permitted more flexibility in the interior layout—flexibility being critical for multi-mission applications.

The sourcing of components from the Constellation (CA 1974) class can be traced

back to the warp field instability problems experienced by Saladin and her various single-nacelle compatriots. Though these problems had been largely erased with the emergence of linear drive, engineers were on the verge of another promising breakthrough in warp propulsion technology. With this next-generation technology being untested as of yet, designers and engineers elected to use components that had been thoroughly tested and evaluated to avoid the same problems with Freedom.

Despite assurances from engineers at Yoyodyne Propulsion and multiple simulations all focused on the prototype LF-30 warp nacelle from Leeding Engines Ltd., actual shakedown trials of the prototype (DDX 68710) were quite underwhelming. With the projected power costs of other shipboard systems factored in, Freedom’s highest nominal cruise speed was rated at warp 5.7 with her maximum being a relatively slow warp 7.5—speeds easily exceeded by Defender and other relatives of the Ambassador family.

Additionally, not only did the warp propulsion system prove underwhelming, but surprisingly, the tactical systems did as well. Compared to Defender, Freedom mounted Type VIII

Phaser Emitters and Standard Torpedo Launchers (as opposed to Type IX Phasers and MK I Launchers) and also featured a deflector shield system that was only marginally more powerful—to the tune of just 25,000 TerraJoules.

Despite these results, an initial build group of 10 vessels entered service between 2335 and 2340 before production was quietly terminated in favor of expanded production for

Defender. All surviving ships were retired by the end of 2365.


Freedom Destroyer 2335-2365 0 453m 232m 119m 30

Mass Compliment



6 Type VIII Phaser Emitters 2 Standard Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 513,000 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

CHALLENGER CLASS HEAVY DESTROYER The spiritual successor to the Akula/Akula II classes of the mid-late 23rd Century, the Challenger class represented the second attempt by Starfleet to replace the venerable Defender class with a modern destroyer that incorporated at least, a semblance of multi-mission capability. Disregarding traditional naval doctrine, which had destroyers positioned as small, highly-maneuverable ships that protected larger vessels during times of conflict and performed general support missions during peacetime, Starfleet’s new ‘multi-mission’ policy attempted to build in additional flexibility to these vessels. Going further, it was hoped that by doing so, the fleet itself would be transformed into a more nimble force with greater responsiveness and adaptability to changing astro-political conditions. Defender’s first intended replacement was the Freedom (DD 68710) class. Following in the footsteps of Defender, Freedom was the final iteration of the original Saladin class single-nacelle design. It held promise with a large, relatively spacious saucer section and propelled by an experimental next-generation engine design, but was quite underwhelming in actual service—ending up slower, underpowered and tactically weaker than anticipated. With expansion of Defender class production partly compensating for this embarrassing failure, Starfleet elected to not revisit the subject for another 13 years. By the late 2340’s, a number of issues were emerging that forced the Admiralty’s hand—most notably the dramatic escalation in hostilities with the Cardassian Union and encounters with the Romulan Imperial Navy’s V’Melak class Warbird. In 2348, Starfleet issued a design brief for a heavy destroyer that would take on these threats and more, while retaining the best qualities of past classes and incorporating capabilities that would enhance the ship’s operational flexibility—interoperability with upcoming classes (most notably Nebula and Galaxy) being a highlight.

Revisiting the unique design of Akula/Akula II, the ASDB elected to break with the single-nacelle design and update the dual-nacelle, over-under design of the aforementioned classes. Codenamed Challenger, after a space vehicle (NASA OV-099) of late 20th century Earth, designers vowed to produce a worthy successor to Defender and erase the stigma of Freedom. Like Freedom however, Challenger did make use of an atypical saucer design—one that would go on to influence the design of those featured and perfected as part of both Nebula and Galaxy. Major features included a new, low-profile bridge module, a split-impulse drive arrangement, with engines to port and starboard (instead of a single, centrally-located engine) and dorsal/ventral phaser emitters that encircled 95% of the saucer. Another unique feature, though one that was intended to be utilized only in emergencies, were the large, centrally located landing pads located on the ventral surface designed for emergency planetary landfalls. The nacelles, instead of being mounted directly to the saucer surface as on Akula, were mounted to a flat, elongated hull section extending aft via large, reinforced pylons. The same LF-30 engines that had made their debut on Freedom (albeit, in experimental form) were used with Challenger—this time with improved and strengthened driver coils and modified control system software—erasing the speed limitations experienced with Freedom and nullifying any potential imbalance or instability issues that had plagued Akula in its early years. Most importantly, where expanded capabilities were concerned, where Freedom was ambitiously overthought, Challenger was considerably more restrained. Establishing a pattern that would be continued with later destroyers, designers went back to the Exeter (CB 2200) class for inspiration.

A sort of all-encompassing replacement for Starfleet’s dreadnought classes—which held little relative value outside of their primary power-projection role—Exeter was not only comprehensively armed, but comprehensively equipped as well. While on the surface, her laboratories and medical facilities may have seemed quite ordinary, their true value lay beneath the surface—being designed with an extreme emphasis on flexibility, almost every included system having a high degree of modularity and adaptability about it. With Challenger, designers highlighted this fact, including a basic suite of scientific and medical facilities and taking great pains to highlight their in-service practicality. Going back to the traditional role of a destroyer, where tactical capability was concerned, there was no doubt that Challenger was an improvement not only over Defender, but its ill-fated Freedom class cousin. The vessel mounted 6 Phaser Emitters—the two primary emitters encircling the dorsal and ventral saucer surfaces with 4 more smaller emitters mounted dorsally & ventrally, covering the aft firing arcs. As opposed to its two immediate predecessors that utilized Type VIII and Type IX weapons, Challenger was the first class to mount the new, more powerful Type X emitters that would become a staple of starships new and old in the decades to come. These were augmented by two MK II Torpedo Launchers. An improvement over the MK I launchers fitted to Defender and her ilk, the MK II was capable of launching eight torpedoes every five seconds. The prototype (DHX 57530) successfully completed shakedown trials in early March of 2350, with Starfleet Command rushing the class into production not long after—primarily from production bases along the Romulan and Cardassian borders. Bolstering existing destroyer squadrons stationed in these volatile regions, they received acclaim from their crews for their spaciousness and accommodations relative to other similar classes. Compared to her contemporaries that saw the majority of their action against major, known powers, Challenger class ships were used extensively against forces of smaller, lesser known powers—most notably, the Talarians and Tzenkethi. During the Galen Border Conflicts, the Blackstar (DH 57539) and Monarch (DH 57542) were responsible for both repelling an attack on Starbase 133 and leading a Federation advance into the Castal sector, culminating in a pitched battle of attrition that decimated the Talarian Navy. The Waterloo (DH 57547) on the other hand, survived at least four ambushes by numerically superior Tzenkethi forces, going on to rack up the most impressive combat record of that conflict. In 2367, the Buran (DH 57580) was on Neutral Zone patrol near the Draken system when she was hastily recalled to the Wolf system, where she took up formation with a number of other Starfleet vessels that had assembled to head off a marauding Borg Cube. It, along with 38 other ships were subsequently destroyed with all hands. By this time, Starfleet had introduced a second heavy destroyer class—Norway (DH 62341). Smaller, faster and more maneuverable, it, like Challenger was an unconventional design. It featured a lighter armament, but was vastly easier to produce in quantity and by 2369, had completely supplanted Challenger in service.


Challenger Heavy Destroyer 2350-2369 0 394m 264m 115m 29

Mass Compliment



6 Type X Phaser Emitters 2 MK II Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 882,500 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

FRIGATES

MERCED CLASS FRIGATE The first modern frigate to be produced after the turn of the century, the Merced class was the replacement for the venerable Knox (FF 1940) class and was intended to eventually supplant the Okinawa (FF 1500) class as well—ensuring Starfleet stayed well ahead of the modernization curve as well as maintaining parity with other major powers. The Linear Warp era was the single most notable achievement in starship design and construction during the 23rd century, representing a tremendous technological advance and ushering in a new era of idyllic optimism. The engineering and construction methods used with and technologies employed on starship classes of this period became tried, tested and proven against adversaries big and small and on missions that would have been all but impossible for older vessels. The introduction of the Renaissance (CA 9778) class cruiser in 2305 was another veritable watershed moment, bringing with it advances that promised to have an identical impact to those that materialized just three decades prior. Those advances though, were relatively slow in coming and their complexity contributed to equally slow and spotty implementation. Where starship design and construction was concerned, technologies and advancements of the old-school were in no danger of falling by the wayside and would continue to be utilized for quite some time to come. The Merced class could therefore be considered a hybrid of sorts—not entirely ‘old-school’ like Okinawa, but not the revolutionary departure that one might expect to accompany a technological shift of this magnitude. The class’ development, having begun in 2309, proceeded in a similar fashion—closely following the traditional tenets that guided frigate development and design. From a design standpoint, Merced struck a compact, tightly integrated profile that bore a remarkable resemblance to Okinawa—the saucer itself being directly attached to

the secondary hull without any connecting dorsal and the warp nacelles kept close in to the main body, contributing to an smaller overall sensor profile. Her armament remained typical for a ship with her mission profile—6 Type VIII Phaser Banks and 2 Standard Torpedo Launchers. The latter, an improvement over the 2nd Class launchers featured on contemporaries like Miranda and Okinawa allowed for the launch of 1 torpedo every 2 seconds. Additionally, the lower maintenance requirements simplified construction and helped contribute towards a lower overall compliment due to the need for fewer support personnel. On the other hand, Merced did make use of experimental warp engines. A hybrid design, they attempted to combine advancements present in the LN-80 models from the Midway (CV 2200) with those from the widely used FTWA-1 models introduced with Excelsior (CH 2000), in an attempt to pave the way forward with a definitive ‘next-generation’ engine design. Though efficient and relatively easy to construct, these new models were plagued with an abnormally high-level of defects, necessitating the implementation of extremely stringent maintenance protocols that constrained the class’ utility overall. Predictably then, class production was limited to an initial run of just 5 examples—Merced (FF 37120), Calypso (FF 37121), Oberon (FF 37122), Pumori (FF 37123) and Trieste (FF 37124)—that served alongside older types. This would be the smallest production run of a major starship class until the advent of the Vesta (CA 82600) class—which also produced just 5 examples. Unlike many of her troubled contemporaries, the Merced class did not have any ships present at the infamous Battle of Wolf 359, nor did any of the 5 frigates play a major part in the Federation-Cardassian War. The Trieste however, was part of the Federation armada that played a major role in preventing external interference in the Klingon Civil War of 2367-68. As one would expect, the class was quietly retired from service in 2370.


Merced Frigate 2311-2370 0 336m 160m 58m 15

Mass Compliment

852,791 metric tons 190


6 Type VIII Phaser Emitters 2 Standard Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,034,836 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

NIAGARA CLASS HEAVY FRIGATE The original proposed design for a new dreadnought based on the Ambassador class, the Niagara class holds the ignomious distinction of being the smallest class to serve in modern times—with just three examples produced. The underlying astro-political developments prompting Niagara’s development—namely Starfleet Intelligence assessments on the Romulans (specifically the ascension of the unstable Dralath to the praetorate), a cooling of relations with the Klingons and the rapid deterioration of those with both the Cardassians and Tzenkethi—were sound and possessed all the urgency one would expect for a project of this importance, especially given Starfleet’s shift away from starship designs of this sort around the turn of the century. The design was slightly unconventional—combining a modified Freedom type saucer and prototype LF-30 warp nacelles with an Ambassaor type secondary hull. Also, unlike past dreadnoughts—which featured three warp nacelles and placed all three on the same plane—Niagara featured its third nacelle mounted ventrally, on a heavily reinforced support strut below the hangar bay. Armament was slightly less than Ambassador, comprising 10 Type IX Phaser Emitters and 2 MK I Torpedo Launchers. This was a puzzling move, given that armament was one of the main factors (the others being speed and shielding/armor) differentiating dreadnoughts from battleships, but not at all surprising however given the direction that Starfleet’s shipbuilding was headed in. Just two examples were produced before the Starfleet Admiralty vetoed the program and directed the ASDB to submit a second proposal. The Princeton (FH 59804) served along the Tzenkethi frontier and was later lost with all hands at Wolf 359, while the Wellington (FH 28473) took station along the Romulan Neutral Zone. During the Dominion War, she served with the 2nd fleet and was destroyed during Operation Return.

The class enduring legacy, moreso than its unique design, has been controversy over its classification. The original intention was for Niagara to become a dreadnought, however in analyzing its capabilities during Wellington’s shakedown trials, it was downgraded to ‘fast cruiser’ and reclassified again—as a heavy frigate—upon entering service, considering the likely positioning that was to befall the 2 ships. All was not lost however—Niagara’s unique design would go on to form the basis for the much more successful Rigel (CL 62090) class light cruiser.


Niagara Heavy Frigate 2336-2372 0 443m 260m 130m 33

Mass Compliment



10 Type IX Phaser Emitters 2 MK I Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,687,316 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

SPRINGFIELD CLASS FRIGATE The spiritual successor to the Loknar and Valley Forge/Loknar II frigate classes that served throughout the 23rd Century, the Springfield class represented the third attempt to produce a viable successor to the now legendary Miranda class. Not that there was anything wrong with Miranda—the examples then in service had proven themselves tough, reliable and supremely capable in a wide variety of mission scenarios. The sticking point was age. By 2350, the class itself was nearly 80 years old and the last vessel of the type to be produced—the Sitak/FH 33921—was nearing 20 years of age herself. As with her initial successor, Centaur (FF 42043), Miranda wasn’t exactly impossible to upgrade, though the effort expended made it clear that a modern successor would be needed in the near-term. The ASDB was already hard at work in the opening stages of both the Nebula and Galaxy class development projects. With the promise held by both classes, the decision to create a frigate type counterpart seemed only logical—especially given the fact that engineering flexibility and reduced maintenance had become paramount issues. Getting underway in 2350, development of this new frigate—codenamed Springfield—was characterized by steady adherence to traditional design & engineering practices with one of the principal tenets being that all components used and systems included be in use already. The goal here was to avoid the same kind of problems which had plagued the Merced class—equipped with experimental engines that had a notoriously high failure rate, so much so that class production was terminated after only 5 examples. As mentioned, Springfield’s design drew heavily upon the original Loknar class and its linear-warp successor, Valley Forge. The centerpiece was a refined saucer design, a scaled-down version of that which was designed for Galaxy and Nebula, combined with elements of that developed and employed on Freedom. Unlike the older classes however

which featured U-shaped, catamaran-style hull elements to which the warp nacelles were attached. Springfield made use of a single hull section that extended aftwards from the saucer together with a smaller ‘T’ shaped section that extended aft from the saucer centerline and provided mounting points for the warp nacelles. At 325 meters in length and displacing 730,968 metric tons, it was slightly smaller than Challenger class Heavy Destroyer and was no better armed— mounting 4 Type X Phaser Emitters and 4 MK II Torpedo Launchers. Entering service in 2352, it did not experience any of the troubles that affected Merced and handily outclassed the larger, but older Centaur. Along with the aforementioned Challenger class, it saw heavy use against the Cardassian Guard in the deep strike role, despite not being nearly as well protected as the larger Apollo (CS 10570) class strike cruiser. Class production was halted in 2367 and all vessels were gradually phased out of service over a 3-year period. The advent of the Defiant class—smaller, but faster and much more heavily armed—combined with the unforeseen difficulties in upgrading these ships verses older frigates such as Miranda, Okinawa and Centaur (which definitely aroused the consternation of the Admiralty), led to the move which unfortunately would remain a problem throughout the rest of this generation of starships.


Springfield Frigate 2352-2370 0 325m 210m 85m 21

Mass Compliment



4 Type X Phaser Emitters 4 MK II Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,163,742 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Single Hull

CRUISERS

RENAISSANCE CLASS CRUISER A milestone in starship design, the Renaissance class was the first starship class to be designed and constructed in the 24th Century—effectively marking the end of the storied ‘Linear Warp Era’. Featuring extremely few commonalities with existing starship classes in service at the time, the Renaissance was developed as a multi-mission vessel designed to supplant the Enterprise (CH 1701) and compliment the Excelsior (CH 2000) as Starfleet’s primary deep space explorer. The design maintained a traditional primary/secondary hull layout, with an extended landing deck platform extending out from the hangar bay, being a notable design characteristic. Aesthetically, Renaissance is an example of the ‘intermediary’ design language that characterized Federation Starship design between approximately 2305 until the late 2340’s when the Nebula and Galaxy classes began development. Almost as important as its intended role as a deep-space explorer was the class’ use as a testbed for revolutionary technological advances which would prove integral to future starship designs and help Starfleet maintain technological superiority over other major galactic powers. Two of the most notable were Phaser Emitters and ASRV-type escape pods. From the time Phaser technology was introduced, it generally took one of two forms—single mounts, banks (dual mounts) and batteries (triple/quad mounts)—that could fire either proximity blasts or sustained beams—or cannons that fired highly concentrated bursts of energy at vastly higher energy levels, thus achieving significantly greater damage effects. However, each type had drawbacks that hampered starships tactically. Phaser cannons were extremely power intensive and as such, generally suited for use only on dedicated combat vessels. Phaser mounts, banks and batteries didn’t draw nearly as much power, but had a relatively narrow targeting radius, thus requiring a large number of

these to be installed in order to achieve optimum coverage—an unfeasible option for most ship classes. In 2312, engineers began experimenting with ways to link these weapons into single, cohesive units. A breakthrough wasn’t achieve until 2318, when force couplings were shown to be successful in achieving this goal. Resulting weapons took the form of gently raised ‘strips’ on a starship’s hull that varied in size and could be designed to provide as much or as little coverage as was deemed necessary. The first ship to be equipped with these weapons was the USS Aries (CA 45167), commissioned in 2319. As with Phaser Emitters, ASRV-type escape pods were evolutionary developments of a standardized design that had been featured aboard every Federation Starship class going back to the NX of the 22nd century. ASRVs incorporated a number of advances designed to provide a tremendous leap forward in terms of survivability including redundant life support systems, comm beacons with greatly extended range and emergency ECM equipment that was powered by self-contained, regenerative power cells. Only one starship was equipped with these units, the USS Hokkaido (CA 45238)—coincidentally, the last ship of the class to be launched. Produced over a 32-year period from 2305 to 2337, the class had a generally unremarkable service history, but would go on to directly influence future ship classes including Ambassador (2320) and Rigel (2348). Despite their age, some vessels continued to service well into the latter half of the century. In 2373, the Maryland (CA 45109) mysteriously disappeared in an unexplored region of the Gamma Quadrant, presumably at the hands of the Dominion. A year later in 2374, the Hornet participated in the First Battle of Chin’toka, operating in formation with the Hood (CH 42296), Nautilus (FH 31910) and Tian An Men (FH 21382) and destroying several Cardassian orbital weapons platforms. In 2378, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway assigned the

Aries to Battle Group Omega, a Starfleet armada assembled to intercept the Reman warship Scimitar in Sector 1045. All Renaissance class ships were formally retired from service by 2380.

Renaissance Class, Original Configuration (2305-2319)

Renaissance Class, Refit Configuration (2319-2337)


Renaissance Cruiser 2305-2380 0 330m 213m 86m 22

Mass Compliment



6 Type VIII Phaser Banks (2305-19) 9 Type VIII Phaser Emitters (2319-80) 2 Standard Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,250,756 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull

AMBASSADOR CLASS HEAVY CRUISER The largest and most advanced starship class launched in the early half of the 24th century, the Ambassador was conceived as a replacement for the trailblazing Renaissance (CA 9778) class as well as a spiritual successor to it and the earlier Enterprise, Excelsior and Constellation classes—a well rounded vessel designed for extended deep space exploration and other advanced scientific missions as well as diplomatic assignments and extended tactical operations. The design drew heavily on the Enterprise, Excelsior and Renaissance classes, incorporating many of the same revolutionary technologies as the latter—such as Phaser Emitters and ASRV-type lifeboats—and introducing some of its own, most notably isolinear computer systems and burst fire torpedo launchers. Thanks to the Ambassador’s larger mass, some three times of an Excelsior class ship, new standards of shipboard luxury were established—with larger, more expansive living quarters and the complete elimination of cramped rack-berthing layouts. To support Ambassador and make it viable for a variety of diplomatic assignments, elaborate conference facilities were installed. Additionally, these facilities as well as the guest quarters could be configured to support species with diverse environmental requirements. To avoid the appearance that they were creating a glorified star liner, the ASDB also concentrated a great deal of their efforts on the tactical systems. Phaser emitters were prominently arranged across the ship, 15 in all. Thanks to the larger, more advanced warp reactor core installed, total power output was increased so much so that Starfleet designated these as Type IX models. Two torpedo launchers were also installed, covering both the fore and aft firing arcs. While this might seem like an inconsequential number compared to older ships like Miranda and Excelsior or when considering the number of launchers typically included on more modern ships, those aboard Ambassador were of an entirely new, revolutionary design. The Burst Fire, MK I could load and fire a cluster of four torpedoes every 2.85 second approximately. Though it was nearly three times as bulky as

the standard launcher which preceeded it, it was the first design to allow for the targeting and engagement of multiple hostiles without overly sophisticated targeting software (which had been the case with many prior ship classes). By 2332 after the first 8 ships had been launched, Starfleet requested a number of changes be made to the original design. Most were minor, the only notable one being the addition of a third, smaller hangar bay just below the centerline at the rear of the secondary hull. Starting with the Yamaguchi (CH 26510) and continuing to the end of production in 2347, all subsequent Ambassador class ships were built to this modified standard. The class itself gained an illustrious reputation in service and compared favorably with the classes that it supplanted. During this period, it also spawned three major offshoots—the Apollo (CS 10570) class strike cruiser, Defender (DD 22012) and Montana (DN 18520) class dreadnought. In 2344, the Enterprise (CH 1701-C) responded to a distress call from a Klingon outpost at Narendra III. Upon arrival, she was ambushed by and subsequently engaged 4 V’Melak class Warbirds of the Romulan Imperial Navy. Despite her crew’s tenacious efforts, the ship was eventually destroyed. The Excalibur (CH 26517) had the distinction of transporting Federation Ambassadors to the Babel Conference of 2352 while the Adelphi (CH 26849) and Zhukov (CH 26198) served during the Federation-Cardassian War, helping to defeat a Cardassian task force at Beta Antares III in 2358. The Horatio (CH 12934) was destroyed in orbit of Dytallix B in 2364 under mysterious circumstances that remain classified to this day while the Yamaguchi was one of the 39 Federation Starships destroyed by the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 in 2367.

Despite Ambassador’s age at the advent of the Dominion War, the class was still in front-line use, with the Exeter (CH 26531) and Valdemar (CH 26198) both gaining impressive combat records and the Seattle (CH 26231) and Hickok (CH 26278) among the Allied ships lost at the Battle of Rashanar in 2375. During this period, the Excalibur became a legend in its own right. She sustained massive damage against the Borg during the Battle of Sector 001 in 2372 and her Captain, Morgon Korsmo, was among the personnel that were killed. Following an extensive refit, command of the ship passed to Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and was assigned to assist and offer humanitarian aid to the residents of Sector 221-G following the collapse of the Thallonian Empire. Being in somewhat close proximity to the Romulan Neutral Zone, the Excalibur had infrequent contact with the Romulans, engaging 3 D’Deridex class warbirds that had just ambushed and destroyed her sister ship Independence (CH 41452). The Excalibur was later destroyed in early 2376 and succeeded in service by the Galaxy class Excalibur (CH 26517-A). The class continued on in service and was heavily involved during the Borg Invasion of 2381—the Exeter assigned to the contingent that was stationed at Vulcan and one of only four ships to survive when the planet was attacked. In the aftermath of the invasion, despite the severe damage wrought against Starfleet and its infrastructure, the Ambassador class was retired from active service in favor of the Galaxy, Sovereign and Eagle classes.

Ambassador Class, Original Configuration (2320-2332)

Ambassador Class, Refit Configuration (2332-82)


Ambassador Heavy Cruiser 2320-2382 0 526m 320m 125m 31

Mass Compliment



15 Type IX Phaser Emitters 2 MK I Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 2,025,000 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull plus 35cm High Density Armor

APOLLO CLASS STRIKE CRUISER One of three major offshoots based on the successful Ambassador class, the Apollo class was positioned as a more ‘militarized’ variant, an eventual replacement for the Exeter (CB 2200) and Dahlgren (CS 2567) classes that would both pacify the hawks on the Federation Council and in Starfleet’s Admiralty. These powerful political elements were concerned both with developments from their traditional rivals—the Klingon Defense Force and the Romulan Imperial Navy—and that current and upcoming projects such as Ambassador would be inadequate to fully deter more shadowy threats—particularly from the Cardassian Guard and Tzenkethi Defense Force. The early days of the 24th century did not see a marked change by any power in terms of shipbuilding trends. While Starfleet began gradual retirement of its dreadnoughts from service, it maintained a sizeable force of the smaller, but more flexible Exeter class battlecruiser and Dahlgren class strike cruiser. Combined with various other cruiser & frigate programs, Starfleet remained confident for a period in its ability to field a tactically superior force.

Developments within the Klingon Defense Force focused on size—maintaining a force of extremely formidable B-12 and B-14 class battleships, the largest in Imperial Service, as well as a larger force of nimble G-1 and G-6 class gunboats. Recent intelligence though, pointed to the KDF introducing a new battleship within a short period (3-5 years), similar in size to the B-12 and B-14, but completely modernized with improved maneuverability and electronic warfare capabilities.

Where the Romulans were concerned, the developments Starfleet were concerned

with were primarily political in nature. Though their Imperial Navy was highly diverse—their ‘Hawk’ series of starships combining power, capability and elegance in a manner similar to Starfleet—internal instability was a persistent and more dangerous problem. Admiral Aventeer Vokar’s vicious and unprovoked assault on Federation Neutral Zone outposts in

the Foxtrot system in 2311, coupled with the ascension of the extremely violent,

unstable Dralath to the praetorate in 2319 necessitated not only strong and calculated diplomatic posturing, but a continued show of military strength.

These two factors also extended to the Federation’s relations with other minor

powers—the Tholian Assembly, with which the Federation’s relationship had been highly acrimonious since the former’s destruction of Starbase 47 in 2270, the Cardassian Union, whose unchecked and unprovoked belligerence put the Federation on the course towards open conflict and the Tzenkethi Coalition, who rivaled the Tholians where militancy and xenophobia were concerned. With the Federation and Starfleet’s slow, but gradual shift towards more adaptable multi-mission platforms that were optimized for peacetime applications—most notably, scientific exploration—the need to maintain tactical and technological superiority remained essential, if only to ensure these activities continued unabated and unaffected by external factors. The ASDB began work on a starship to address these matters in 2321. Codenamed Apollo, it took now standardized Ambassador class components and rearranged them in a completely new configuration. The saucer was attached directly to the secondary hull—which was modified slightly, moving the main deflector dish to a more optimum position. Built out around the saucer and connecting directly with the secondary hull was a reinforced superstructure. Extending aft from the bridge module and continuing down to the saucer centerline, its most notable features were the large hangar bay aft, externally mounted impulse engines and dual docking ports. Equally notable were the dual pods mounted at an angle, above the superstructure. Similar in concept to the pods used on the Miranda class heavy frigate and the Abbe class heavy destroyer, designers and engineers expended a considerable amount of time and

effort here. Strike Cruisers, in traditional naval parlance, were designed to carry out deep interdiction and precision attack missions without requiring either escort or jamming. The pods developed for Apollo were intended to help the class accomplish just that. Not only did they incorporate one forward-firing MK I torpedo launcher a piece, but they included highly sophisticated sensor pallets and classified electronic warfare equipment as well. Apollo’s armament was on par with Ambassador—equipped with just 10 Type IX Phaser Emitters compared to Ambassador’s 15, but with 2 more MK I Torpedo Launchers for a total of 4—the 2 aft firing launchers located just underneath the hangar bay. Befitting her role though, Apollo featured thicker high-density armor plating—50cm—and a more powerful deflector shield system with improved redundancy. The class entered service beginning in 2323, rated for a compliment of 490, with the capacity to embark up to a full battalion (600) of marines. Predictably, they were immediately deployed to various frontier regions—operating in and around the Gemworld, Caitian and Oneamisu star systems along the Tholian Border; Starbase 621 between Federation and Tzenkethi space and the Syrma, Ohniaka and Draken star systems along the Romulan Neutral Zone. Following the destruction of the Starship Enterprise (CH 1701-C) at Narendra III in 2344, the Ajax (CS 11574), Agamemnon (CS 11638) and Shiloh (CS 12479) were diverted to Starbase 234 that was just across the border, near the region known as the ‘Triangle’. Along with numerous ships of the related Montana class, Apollo was a key player in the Tholian, Tzenkethi and Cardassian wars that took place concurrently during the 2350’s and early 2360’s. The Gage (CS 11672) was one of 39 Federation starships lost during the Battle at Wolf 359, while the Agamemnon was assigned to Task Force Three that was tasked with dealing with the rogue Borg controlled by the android Lore in 2369. The Ajax and Clement (CS 12537) extended their wartime records with the former’s service as part of the Starfleet blockade during the Klingon Civil War in 2368-9 while the latter served with the 12th Fleet and sustained heavy damage just prior to the Battle of Betazed in 2374, during the Dominion War. Unlike their larger, Ambassador class cousins, surviving ships of the Apollo class were retired from active service in 2379.


Apollo Strike Cruiser 2323-2379 0 489m 297m 116m 29

Mass Compliment



10 Type IX Phaser Emitters 4 MK I Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 2,178,220 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull plus 50cm High Density Armor

STEAMRUNNER CLASS LIGHT CRUISER One of four total starship designs conceived as part of an effort to further modernize Starfleet’s forces and bolster its deterrent factor, the Steamrunner (CL 52130) class light cruiser ran middle of the pack, larger and more capable than its Saber and Norway class companions but less so compared to the clear leader Akira. During the early 24th century, Starfleet ship design generally proceeded in a somewhat linear manner, while being influenced to a degree by astro-political conditions of the day. However, with conflict arising on numerous fronts—between the Federation and a total of 3-4 minor powers—there were signs that traditional shipbuilding doctrine might fall short of providing the response that Starfleet needed, let alone wanted to formulate. One of the approaches the Admiralty felt was worth investigating was the creation of a ‘sub-fleet’ of ships that were designed and built first and foremost for tactical operations, with scientific and other such capabilities minimized. Comprising scout, destroyer, light cruiser and battlecruiser classes, they were to feature prominently in tactical assignments and those that carried a high degree of risk as well as serve as R&D testbeds. The first to be developed was the light cruiser. Codenamed Steamrunner, it was rather large for a light cruiser (375 meters long; 576,331 metric tons displacement), but had arguably the most unconventional design of the group. The single hull section was roughly ovoid in shape. Angular, low-profile and featuring comparatively sharp lines next to its more numerous contemporaries, it reflected a surprising amount of both active and passive sensor emissions, giving it a sort of ‘stealth-like’ quality. Establishing a peculiar design trait that would go on to be shared with the Saber (ST 79221) class, the warp nacelles—particularly the ramscoops—were partially embedded within the hull. Connecting them was a reinforced cross member that also supported a ‘deflector pod’ that hung down just below the primary hull.

Though its design and portions of its engineering may have been highly unconventional, Steamrunner’s armament was not. Comprising 5 Type IX Phaser Emitters, she was the first to be fitted with new MK II Torpedo Launchers—which could fire a burst of eight torpedoes every five seconds. An initial batch of 10 was procured in 2342 and another 5 in 2347. Due to the conditions in which they were expected to operate, these light cruisers were evaluated in the field—deployed with ships of the popular Ambassador, Apollo and Montana classes as well as the Defender class Destroyer and older contemporaries like the Miranda and Centaur classes—the latter quickly becoming the most widely deployed frigate class in service. They proved extremely able in this initial sphere—supporting deep strike operations with Apollo while protecting larger ships such as Ambassador and Korolev during larger, combined engagements. Supporting roles such as border patrol, interdiction, rapid response etc. were traditionally the province of frigates and destroyers. Here, Steamrunner proved equally adept, the only differentiating factor being larger various capacity figures (for cargo, passengers etc) as well as its endurance—which, as a cruiser, was naturally longer and more robust. Starfleet was naturally less than forthcoming about the deployment of these ships once they entered service—Steamrunner becoming the go-to class for SFMC’s Special Operations Group (SOG). It has been rumored that a number of these vessels were active in Klingon territory, operating outside Starfleet authority, during their short-lived civil war in 2367-68—though this has never been confirmed. The only Steamrunner class ship for which data has been made publicly available is Appalachia (CL 52136). Commanded by Ahmed al-Rashid (a descendent of former UFP President Haroun al-Rashid), the ship was one of the first to return to Sector 001 in 2372 to

defend against a second Borg Invasion, sustaining severe damage. The ship was later repaired and was a heavy participant in the Dominion War, fighting with the 7th fleet. In 2375, the Appalachia along with the Sloane (CL 52144) provided cover for the USS Da Vinci (ST 81623) that was attempting to repair a communications relay in the Phicus star system when the system was overrun by an advancing Dominion force. The Da Vinci successfully escaped, however both the Appalachia and Sloane were lost with all hands in the encounter. The class was quietly retired at the war’s end in 2376 in favor of the larger Eagle (CC 94350) and Prometheus (CT 74913) classes


Steamrunner Light Cruiser 2342-2376 0 375m 271m 80m 20

Mass Compliment



5 Type IX Phaser Emitters 2 MK II Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,443,678 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull plus 25cm High Density Armor

KOROLEV CLASS HEAVY CRUISER As opposed to many of its contemporaries in the early half of the 24th Century, the Korolev class was not conceived to fill any specific role, rather it was the product of an ASDB design study aimed at producing a worthy successor to the venerable Excelsior (CH 2000) class. Guiding the study was a general outline calling for a rugged, capable cruiser with enhanced survivability that was able to operate independently with little to no outside contact for a period of 5 years minimum. Starfleet’s cruiser lineup during this period was not as developed as we know it today. The Excelsior class along with the Exeter (CB 2200), Dahlgren (CS 2567), Star League (DN 2101), Ascension (DN 2520) and Conquest (DN 2589) classes constituted the bulk of the fleet’s deep-space exploratory assets, though the latter 4 were designed from a more defensive/offensive oriented standpoint. From 2326 on, only Excelsior, Exeter, Conquest and Dahlgren remained in service. When the Renaissance (CL 9778) class entered service in 2305 and the Ambassador class in 2320 respectively, a gap was thus created—Starfleet deploying the majority of its newest, most sophisticated ships on missions that were predominantly scientific or exploratory in nature, in regions on the fringes of charted Federation territory. Older vessels were left to serve as ‘workhorses’—capable in all areas, yet not relied on to a serious degree for their scientific and exploratory attributes as with Renaissance and Ambassador. The resulting design that emerged in 2343 eschewed traditional Federation design aesthetics in favor of one that was more tightly integrated. The saucer section itself was ‘built in’ to the secondary hull—the design of which was based heavily on the Excelsior. An elongated connecting dorsal linked the two hull sections, with the main bridge/command module centered at the top.

A unique feature of the class was its quad-hangar bay arrangement that gave Korolev the small craft capacity of larger through-deck cruisers or shuttle carriers—up to 2 fully equipped squadrons (24 craft) worth. The bays were arranged in a side-by-side fashion with two at the end of the connecting dorsal at the rear of the primary hull and two more just below the centerline at the secondary hull’s aft end. This expanded the utility of these ships a great deal, allowing them to participate in missions as diverse as transporting troops and various starfighters to conflict areas or serving as a comprehensive base of operations for medevac shuttles during disaster response/humanitarian relief efforts.

Befitting the call for enhanced survivability, Korolev came well armed—7 Type IX

Phaser Emitters were spread out across the primary and secondary hulls, backed up by 3 MK II Torpedo Launchers, 2 fore, 1 aft. A correspondingly powerful deflector shield system (capable of absorbing up to 1,879,590 TerraJoules of energy) supported by 25cm of high density armor plating provided comprehensive protection.

Entering service in 2345, these Heavy Cruisers took the burden of certain

defensive/offensive oriented taskes—such as convoy escort, system defense and border patrol—off of the Ambassador class and became heavily utilized along with the Centaur (FR 42043), Exeter (CB 2200) and Midway (CV 2200) in front line combat against forces of the Cardassian Guard during the Federation-Cardassian War.

During the later Dominion War, the Korolev class was initially assigned many of the

same duties, though with the heavy losses incurred upon the Excelsior and Miranda (FH 1860) classes, ships gradually front their way into many front-line units. In 2375, the Independence (CH 41072) and Agamemnon (CH 41064) led a battle group sent to reinforce the Allied force charged with strengthening Starfleet’s hold on the Chin’toka star system. Unbeknownst to them though, that task force (led by the Starship Defiant/DDX 74205) along with the 2nd & 3rd Starfighter Divisions had been obliterated. The battle group

was subsequently routed, sustaining severe losses, though the Independence and Agamemnon were credited with rescuing many survivors (including General Lance Deveraux).

Despite Korolev’s capabilities and her well-regarded reputation as a tough, reliable

class, these ships were retired from service in 2377 in favor of the Akira (CB 62497) and Sovereign (CH 73811) classes. Following the Borg Invasion of 2381, the Independence and Agamemnon along with the Korolev (CH 41050), Cochrane (CH 41059) and Sagan (CH 41062) were reactivated by Rear Admiral Robert DeSoto and assigned to Starfleet Transport Command—used as convoy escorts and also to augment the Mediterranean (TS 43830) class supply tender. In 2385, with the Federation Alliance once again embroiled in conflict—this time with the Typhon Pact—Starfleet was hard pressed to maintain front line force levels while also continuing relief efforts at their present pace and so the 5 ships soldiered on, finally being retired in 2388.


Korolev Heavy Cruiser 2345-2388 0 417m 190m 84m 21

Mass Compliment




CHEYENNE CLASS LIGHT CRUISER The one-time successor to the Constellation (CA 1974) class, the Cheyenne class was created from a slightly different standpoint—intended to serve as a smaller, high-speed scout counterpart to the larger Nebula and Galaxy classes. The destruction of the Ingram class prototype and several mysterious ‘incidents’ involving the USS Excelsior in the early 2280’s ultimately led to the end of Starfleet’s infamous Transwarp Development Project and thus, seemed to spell the end to ultra high-speed travel for front line starships. Going back to the 2260’s though, the ASDB had limited success with tri-nacelle designs both big (the Federation class/DN 2100) and small (the Ortega class/DH 700). Revisiting such designs, further experimentation and study eventually led to more exotic quad-nacelle arrangements employed aboard Constellation and the Midway (CV 2200) class carrier. Though Midway was an obvious exception, Constellation was intended to be widely produced, serving well outside charted territory for long durations. As equipped, the class was rated for a nominal cruise speed of warp 7, maximum burst speed of warp 10 and emergency speed of warp 12 (4 hrs max). Despite the incredible rates at which technology, design and engineering were all advancing, Constellation remained the fastest ship in the fleet well into the 2340s. With the seemingly utopian promise that swept through the fleet as the Nebula (CA 60147) and especially, Galaxy (CH 70637) class development projects got underway, it was inevitable that Constellation would be replaced by a similar starship designed and constructed in the same idiom. Codenamed Cheyenne, development for Constellation’s presumed successor got underway in 2343. Despite being larger and using more advanced technology than its spiritual forebearer, Cheyenne was intended to serve moreso as a scout—leaving the ultra long-range exploration to its larger counterparts. With propulsion being the emphasis with this light cruiser, the ASDB selected the newest ‘off-the-shelf’ engines, Koeller Technologies’ UTL-54 series. Highly controversial, due

to the performance of Koeller’s earlier UTI-27 series during the Transwarp Development Project—this spectacular failure of these engines resulting in the destruction of the USS Ingram (BBX 2600)—simulations performed together with an experimental mockup of an improved ‘H’-shaped intermix design were extremely promising. However, as is often the case, a gulf emerged between what engineers were able to accomplish in simulations and in actuality. Anxious to avoid the problems experienced during Constellation’s early days, the ASDB fitted the Cheyenne class prototype (CLX 71615) with a powerful reactor core, however they experienced an unusual deal of difficulty in programming and calibrating the control systems to maintain steady power flows above Warp 9.1. Though her maximum rated burst speed ended up slower than the projected figures for her larger compatriots (Warp 9.1 vs 9.4 for Nebula and 9.6 for Galaxy), her nominal cruise speed was still faster than either—at Warp 7.4. Starfleet accepted this tradeoff and authorized a limited production run of 5 ships beginning in 2345. The Ahwahnee (CL 71620) was the only ship of the class to achieve notoriety. In 2367 she engaged the Borg along with 39 other starships at Wolf 359, sustaining massive damage and subsequently left adrift until her discovery by the Starship Enterprise (CH 1701-D). She was subsequently recovered and taken to the Antares Starship Yards for extensive repairs. Later the following year, she participated in the blockade organized by the Enterprise, to prevent Romulan interference in the short-lived Klingon Civil War. Cheyenne’s ultimate failure to live up to its potential lead Starfleet to quietly retire the ships in 2370 in favor of a number of other ‘Borg Busting’ projects currently in development.


Cheyenne Light Cruiser 2345-2370 0 394m 250m 113m 28

Mass Compliment



6 Type IX Phaser Emitters 2 MK II Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,260,123 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull

RIGEL CLASS LIGHT CRUISER The spiritual progenitor of the now legendary Intrepid (CL 74600) class, the Rigel class expanded Starfleet’s scientific & exploratory capabilities at a time when conflict plagued the Federation and shipbuilding policy was beginning to favor larger, more complex designs—the Galaxy class being a clear example. By 2345, Starfleet already had a number of cruiser classes operational; Renaissance, Ambassador, Apollo and Korolev. The latter 3 were large vessels with a relatively heavy level of capability, designed for long-range mission of extended duration. Aside from classes such as Excelsior that were still in service, Renaissance provided the sole ‘light’ support platform that was produced in serious quantity. As time marched on, this segment of the cruiser bracket received little to no attention. Destroyers & frigates, though smaller and easier to produce, simply did not have the flexibility needed to make up for this omission. What Starfleet sought was a cruiser that was <400m in length, optimized for all manner of exploratory, tactical and support operations along similar lines to Ambassador. Development of the ASDB’s answer to this challenge—codenamed Rigel—was begun in 2345 and stuck close to tradtion. Designers aped the classic lines of the Enterprise class even closer than they had with Ambassador. While the secondary hull was little changed from the original Ambassador class design (lengthened slightly to accommodate a revised hangar bay), the other main components—the primary hull/saucer section and warp nacelles—were of evolutionary designs that clearly showed the influence of the upcoming Nebula & Galaxy classes. Rigel’s armament was carefully balanced as with her Enterprise class ancestor as well. 4 Type IX Phaser Emitters lined the saucer with 2 more atop the nacelles and 2 on the nacelle pylons. 2 MK II Torpedo Launchers provided additional firepower, 1 each located forward and aft.

In a move that further validated the Light Cruiser segment, Rigel’s compliment was close, if not lower than comparable destroyers—180 officers & crew—and could embark up to a full battalion (600) of marines or evacuate a maximum of 1,900 people.

Production began in earnest in mid 2347. These ships could soon be found

performing varied duties such as convoy escort, colony support, border patrol, planetary survey and even short range VIP transport.

Along with destroyer & frigate units, the Rigel class was utilized quite heavily during

the various conflicts with minor powers. In 2354, the Polaris (CL 62093) was ambushed by Tholian Naval forces near the Makus star system, but managed to destroy all of the attackers before subsequently locating and destroying a borderspace shipyard facility. 2357 saw Rigel (CL 62090) drive off forces of the Talarian Navy after the latter’s assault in Galen IV. She subsequently remained on station, coordinating relief efforts and evacuating wounded.

The Tolstoy (CL 62095), commanded by Captain Christine Parsons, was one of the 40

Starfleet vessels assembled (and one of the 39 lost) by Admiral John Patrick Hanson to meet the marauding Borg cube at Wolf 359 in 2367 while the Akagi (CL 62158) even heavier combat—serving during the Klingon Civil War of 2367-68 and against the Dominion in 2374-75 as part of the 9th fleet.

By this time though, the Intrepid class had entered fleet service, causing Starfleet

Command to begin retirement of the Rigel class on a ship-by-ship basis. The Akagi herself was the last to be retired in early 2376, returning to Earth and taking her place in the fleet museum.


Rigel Light Cruiser 2347-2376 0 394m 250m 113m 28

Mass Compliment



8 Type IX Phaser Emitters 2 MK II Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,260,123 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull

PATROL COMBATANTS

MONTANA CLASS DREADNOUGHT The third and last major variant of the Ambassador (CH 10521) class to be produced, the Montana class Dreadnought represented a solid middle ground, strengthening both Starfleet’s deterrence factor and its tactical superiority in a volatile and uncertain astropolitical environment. The advent of the Ambassador class in 2320 saw Starfleet finally abandon the last vestiges of Linear Warp era technology & engineering as it shifted from a predominantly militaristic posture towards one that was more flexible—emphasizing the more peaceful endeavors of scientific exploration & study. A number of factors though, ranging from terrorism (the Tomed Incident of 2311), to occasional acts of unprovoked belligerence (with the Cardassian Guard), to failing diplomatic efforts which harkened towards conflict (with the Tzenkethi & Tholians), necessitated the development of new starship classes which were thoroughly capable of carrying out a full spectrum of operations in such environments. To that end, the Defender (DD 22010) and Apollo (CS 10570) classes were developed from the basic Ambassador design. Defender was a single-nacelle Destroyer built in the tradition of the old Saladin (DD 500) class and was the smallest ship to mount MK I torpedo launchers. Apollo on the other hand was the heaviest Ambassador variant. The first strike cruiser built since the Dahlgren (CS 2567) class, Apollo was designed and equipped for interdiction and precision strike missions deep in enemy territory with no accompanying support. Montana then, blended the best of both. It was Starfleet’s attempt to build and deploy a new dreadnought that could be used for more than just defensive/offensive applications.

Development, which began in 2335, followed both Ambassador and Apollo. Like Apollo, the saucer was attached directly to the secondary hull, however Ambassador’s secondary hull design remained unchanged (with the hangar bay in its customary location). The key distinction between Dreadnoughts and Battleships involved the former sacrificing armor and shield protection for the sake of increased speed and agility. As with past Dreadnoughts then, Montana added a third warp nacelle on a reinforced pylon atop the secondary hull just forward of the hangar bay.

True to tradition, the addition of the third nacelle produced impressive acceleration and overall top speed—figures very close to those of the LN-80 equipped Midway (CV 2200) class.

Armament remained similar to Apollo, comprising 10 Type IX Phaser Emitters and 5 MK I Torpedo Launchers—installed in twin launcher ‘packs’ mounted on the underside of the secondary hull (the aft module simply replacing the one launcher of Ambassador with two). Sensors, electronic warfare equipment and computer systems were also upgraded in—kind, though with more flexibility/adaptability in mind.

With Montana’s design being little changed from Ambassador, the interior arrangement stayed surprisingly similar as well—the only substantive changes being an enlarged engineering section and the deletion of three science labs to make room for the increased compliment (585 vs. 550).

Produced beginning in 2337, Montana class Dreadnoughts served alongside their Ambassador and especially their Defender and Apollo class cousins. Notable among these were Montana (DN 18520), Belmont (DN 18521) and Waterloo (DN 18522). Despite the advent of more heavily armed classes such as Korolev (CH 41050 – armed with MK II Torpedo Launchers), these three dreadnoughts provided valuable battlefield reconnaissance and fire support capabilities against the Tzenkethi, who were especially vicious in their attacks, even compared to the Cardassians.

In 2365, these three ships were placed on detached duty, joining the 12th Fleet’s 5th Destroyer Squadron under Commodore Edward Sherman, to provide the same functions.

As time matched on, the introduction of larger ships and more powerful weapons gradually eroded Montana’s offensive potency and all but Belmont (placed on reserve status) were removed from active duty by 2371. In late 2375 Belmont was reactivated, joining the USS Defiant as part of the Allied armada sent to reinforce the captured Chin’toka star system. Despite the fierce tenacity of her crew, the ship was one of many vessels lost during the battle.

The class’ legacy however, lives on today with the Olympus class namesake—the only ‘traditional’ dreadnought still in service.


Montana Dreadnought 2337-2371 0 526m 320m 112m 28

Mass Compliment




FLEET AUXILLARIES

OLYMPIC CLASS HOSPITAL SHIP

The only starship class from this era still actively produced, the Olympic class is widely regarded as being the linchpin of Starfleet’s Class II force structure—providing the kind of dedicated support capabilities unmatched by any other class since the dawn of the 24th century.

The very concept of a Hospital Ship did not come into being until well after the ‘Class I’ era had taken hold and established a direction for Federation starship design & engineering. Various incidents along the Federation-Klingon Border, the infamous Tarsus IV Massacre of 2246 (which saw the deaths of 4000 colonists) and the Four Years War all punctuated the need for specially designed and outfitted ships to deliver medical aid and care—above and beyond what cruisers and other ships of the line were capable of.

However, Starfleet’s efforts in this sphere were largely inconsistent and unconventional. The Consolation and Consolation II involved pairing fleet standard components (mainly, saucer and warp nacelles) to a medical container/pod while Hope was little more than a variant on the existing London class troop transport. As the years marched on, more conventional designs (such as Barton and Angueira) were introduced to varying degrees of success, however a conventional solution still remained elusive.

The period of rapid technological advancement that typified the early years of the 24th century was of tremendous benefit to Starfleet, though the nagging problem of technological inflexibility lived on (most notably with the Defender class). With the issue of a new Hospital Ship being one of paramount importance, the ASDB continued to bide their time here until both technology and engineering became flexible & adaptive enough to suit their intended purpose.

That time came in 2359. By then, the Nebula (CA 60147) class had entered service and the Galaxy class development project was nearing critical mass. Both proved to be the most advanced vessels Starfleet had introduced in a generation, their engineering sophistication and employed technologies all beyond reproach.

With the stage now set, the ASDB immediately set to work. Befitting the project’s importance, not only were issues of design and technology critical, but security was as well. Development took place under a shroud of secrecy so extreme, it would later be used with development of more militarily-oriented classes such as Defiant, Sovereign and Prometheus.

Codenamed Olympic, the ASDB’s design was guided by three main objectives handed down from Starfleet Command and Starfleet Medical—a 3,000 bed capacity, bleeding edge research and treatment facilities and the ability to operate independently over long ranges.

The design itself stuck to the traditional primary hull-secondary hull-warp nacelle arrangement, but aesthetically, broke with convention—taking on the appearance of prototypes designed by the visionary W.M. Jeffries over a century before. The primary hull took the form of a large sphere. 25 decks thick, it was home to multiple examination & triage areas, intensive care and patient recovery wards, a laboratory complex and a physical therapy section. The secondary hull was devoted to more critical and specialized functions. Housed here were a large stasis complex, isolation wards (for patients whose conditions posed a direct threat to the health of others, but did not warrant or would not be otherwise helped by stasis) and more laboratories.

Crew requirements were maintained at an absolute minimum—125—giving over more space to medical and various support personnel.

As with the Istanbul class transport, Olympic was equipped with numerous long-range transporters and multiple (2) hangar bays that could facilitate patient transfer as well as emergency/disaster response and evacuations.

Tactically, Olympic was somewhat unremarkable—armed with only a pair of Type IX Phaser Emitters (dorsally/ventrally on the primary hull) and 2 MK II Torpedo Launchers (1 fore/aft), but did feature a high-capacity Deflector Shield System adapted from the Nebula class.

The design was finalized in late 2360 and fleet production began midway through the following year—none too soon, given the various challenges that would confront the Federation within the next decade. Olympic’s first decade—until approximately 2371—was fairly uneventful, consisting of colony support and specialized training. Notable during this period was the involvement of the Olympic (AH 58920) and Nightingale (AH 58927) in the recovery efforts at Wolf 359 in 2367 and the Fleming’s (AH 58929) mission to Bajor in 2369 (as part of Starfleet’s takeover of the station Terok Nor).

Ships of the class held the distinction of serving as testbeds for Dr. Lewis Zimmerman’s revolutionary Emergency Medical Hologram, the various incarnations serving (fleet-wide) as follows—Mark I from 2370-73; Mark II from 2373-74; Mark III from 2375-76. The Mark IV through Mark X model served for very limited amounts of time from 2376-2380 and thus, were not widely deployed. The Mark XI model was considered the definitive EMH incarnation and served for nearly three decades, from 2381 to 2406 before being supplanted by the Mark XII that continues in service to this day.

A boost in class production in 2375—as the Dominion War’s momentum shifted back towards the Federation Alliance—proved to be very beneficial, not only in the war’s aftermath, but moreso following the Borg Invasion of 2381, where the Federation and Starfleet faced their greatest humanitarian crisis yet.

Despite superior Starfleet numbers during the protracted conflict with the Typhon Pact (2385-87), a number of Olympic class ships were destroyed—being favorite targets for vicious & bloodthirsty Tzenkethi and Kinshaya commanders.

In 2389, a massive refit program was developed for all existing builds, the changes also incorporated into the basic Olympic design. The highlights of the program included Quantum Slipstream propulsion (along with required computer and sensor upgrades), regenerative shielding and more powerful weapons (Type X Phasers and MK III Torpedo Launchers). The new Type 12/M shuttlecraft (a specially designed/equipped medical variant based on the std. Type 12) also made its debut on Olympic class ships, replacing smaller Type 7 and 8 shuttles as well as Danube class runabouts.

Currently, these ships serve with both Starfleet Command itself as well as Starfleet Transport Command. The Admiralty refuses to disclose the deployment plans for these ships, but they are known to operate in Federation space as well as that of major allies.


Olympic Hospital Ship 2361- 212 320m 121m 126m 32

Mass Compliment



2 Type X Phaser Emitters 2 MK III Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 2,565,000 TerraJoules Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull

Editor’s Annotations

Well, its finally finished. This has been one of the more difficult projects I’ve undertaken—not due to the ship classes I’ve chosen necessarily, but moreso due to the artificial limits I unknowingly established. My first combined volume included all ship classes currently fielded. I could’ve just as easily adjusted the history of one or more classes here to include them in the current fleet loadout—if, in the first volume, I didn’t include a table that tallied up the total number of ships in operation currently.

Continuing along those lines then, this publication could be considered more of a ‘necessary evil’ than anything—filling in the gap between the TMP and TNG/DS9/VOY eras. Additionally, out of the 15 classes included here, the ‘Wolf 359 Kitbashes’ (‘filler classes’ IMO) make up 8 of them. If the powers that be would’ve given one or more of those 8 more initial screen exposure—instead of using tired old warhorses from the TMP era—their increased legitimacy would translate into increased relevance in ‘fanon’ works such as this.

With this being said, lets start off with Niagara. I’m not going to bash Greg Jein, but man alive………this thing is so hideous in execution, that it ranks up there with many of the DS9 Kitbashes. Many sources call it a ‘fast cruiser’ or something along those lines and if that really held any credence, than most if not all of the 23rd Century Dreadnoughts could be considered ‘fast cruisers’. Taking both the design and implementation of such into consideration as well as the fact that (according to me) these ships weren’t widely produced, the heavy frigate classification makes the most sense.

Despite that, I honestly have grown to like a few of these designs—Springfield the most probably. It suffers from the same conundrum as Oberth in that in its more accepted depiction, it features a secondary hull with no visible connecting dorsal. If it wasn’t for that, it could’ve possibly made a halfway decent replacement for Miranda.

Freedom’s problems are twofold. First, the scale of the saucer relative to the warp nacelle is completely off—the saucer is just too small in my opinion, compared to the nacelle, giving the ship a slightly unwieldy look. Secondly, the rather ‘primitive’ look of the saucer would suggest a starship that is somewhat old, however the use of the nacelle from Galaxy/Nebula quashes that, bringing into question the overall age of the ship. I tried to compromise, going down a well-traveled road—making the ship older, but utilizing ‘experimental’ engines.

Likewise, Steamrunner suffers from a similar problem. It’s a thoroughly modern design, but the registry of the Appalachia (NCC-52136) would suggest otherwise. So I further developed the backstory that tied it together with Akira, Sabre and Norway—making it a sort of military experiment, something roughly akin to the F-117 ‘Nighthawk’.

As opposed to the others, I have no real qualms with Apollo’s design. The class name though has been spread around to at least two other classes that I know of. I plan to discuss this further when I get to this TMP class I have in mind.

Astute readers/gamers will also take note of the three-nacelled Ambassador variant. Originally called ‘Belmont’ by its creator—the modeler Cpt. LC Amaral—I renamed it Montana after the planned Montana class Battleship of the US Navy (check it out).

Aside from all that, I don’t really have much else to say. With Olympic though, where the EMH models are concerned, I based my text there on the EMH history presented at Memory Beta (check it out). The signatures on the title page may seem a little random, but they are a test on my part to try and add a more ‘authentic’ touch (in the absence of a traditional preface).

Bibliography Logos—Kristian “Reverend” Trigwell (Gallery @ Star Trek Minutiae) Defender Design/Schematic—Eric “Jackill” Kristiansen Freedom Schematic—Bernd Schneider (Ex-Astris-Scientia) Challenger Schematic—Bernd Schneider (Ex-Astris-Scientia) Merced Design/Schematic—Advanced Starship Design Bureau Niagara Schematic—Bernd Schneider (Ex-Astris-Scientia) Springfield Schematic—ASDB.net Renaissance Schematics—Advanced Starship Design Bureau Ambassador Design/Schematics—Bernd Schneider (Ex-Astris-Scientia) Apollo Design/Schematics—Eric Petersen Steamrunner Schematic—Doug Drexler (Drex Files) Korolev Design/Schematic—Kristian “Reverend” Trigwell (Advanced Starship Design Bureau) Cheyenne Schematic—Bernd Schneider (Ex-Astris-Scientia) Rigel Design/Schematic—Tim “Suricata” Davies (SuricataFX) Montana Design—Cpt. LC Amaral Visual—‘darkdrone’ (Star Trek: Starfleet Command III Model)

Olympic Schematic—Bernd Schneider (Ex-Astris-Scientia)

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SHIPS OF THE STARFLEET - · PDF fileSHIPS OF THE STARFLEET!!!!! Ryland Pike Liam Bacco Ryland Pike, Star Admiral Liam Bacco