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Star Ship Classes Below is info on Starship Class. |
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Olympic Class: 2341 - Still in Service The Pasteur is acknowledged on the list above, though it was only portrayed in the anti-time future in 'All Good Things'. But one can assume by its registry number that it has indeed been constructed, and is in active service... -The USS Britannic I thought was a fitting vessel to insert here, for as many will know there was an actual 'HMHS Britannic' *, that for a while served as a hospital ship during the 1st World War. She was eventually torpedoed whilst on a mission of mercy by a German U-Boat in the Mediterranean in 1916. She herself was of the real Olympic Class, and was constructed as one of three 'super-vessels' at Haarland and Wolff ship yards in Belfast during the early 20th century. These three ships were part of the White Star line, and other than the 'Olympic', the prototype, Britannic's sister was the doomed liner RMS Titanic.. |
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Excelsior Class: 2267 - Still in Service
Nearly 17 years in development the Excelsior Class was a huge success - eventually, and managed to spawn nearly nearly two hundred vessels (in several variations) over a period of some 50 years. Though the class' initiation into the field wasn't finalized until 2284 the Excelsior project had been on the table for almost two decades, and its many years of experimental trials was less than smooth. But when transwarp technology was finally withdrawn after the eventual failure of its application on the first prototype Excelsior, the Excelsior Class heralded a new era in fast, powerful long range cruisers. Being the largest vessel constructed (at the time), it was Starfleet's principal class ship, indeed The Excelsior held the title of flagship for some time. The class' overall success is demonstrated by how many were built over this period, and a second, slightly enhanced variation was introduced in around 2293 with the USS Enterprise-B. |
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Constitution Class: 2244 - 2308 First built in the mid 23rd century, construction was stepped up by 2270 as the fleet steadily grew. This class was the first deep space, high-warp vessel having the original classification of Starship at the time, which was soon replaced by more a specific system, and became a Heavy Cruiser. The Constitution Class achieved legendary status during its time in service, and became one of the most famous classes of ship Starfleet ever produced. |
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Galaxy Class: 2357 - Still in Service According to stats I've gathered from various written sources, the above specs of the Galaxy Class are official and correct (shield strength and various upgrades are of my own speculation). The Galaxy Class was the highest apex of Starship design for nearly a century, being the boldest step forward in starship construction and engineering so far. Widely regarded at the time to be the most advanced machine ever built, the Galaxy Class soon proved the label correct as it dominated exploration and the fleet in general for more than a decade, defending the Federation and winning many crucial battles, including playing a vital part in thwarting the Borg invasion of 2367. Indeed, a vessel in this class, the Enterprise, the second to be built in the class, and a now famous name, was heralded the flagship of the Federation after her construction, relieving the ageing USS Ambassador of that honour. As much as a pleasure cruiser, as a military vehicle, this class saw the first introduction of holographic recreation centres, or 'holodecks' on a Federation Starship. This allowed a far greater range of leisurely pursuits not previously available to a fleet officer. It was hoped it would boost morale as well as supplement the crew's needs on long assignments when leave isn't normally possible. During the more settled, renaissance period of the mid 24th century (excluding the Cardassian War ;) crew's families became a regular occurrence on the longer range ships, and Galaxy Class was a forerunner in this area, accommodating more than a thousand persons -another first. With cutting edge sensors, weapons, propulsion systems and research facilities, ie not specialising in any particular area such as science or defence, but all areas, Galaxy Class was the complete starship. |
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Ambassador Class: 2302 - Still in Service This large long range Ambassador Class cruiser was a direct yard replacement for the Excelsior Class in capital ship construction. Many of the systems on Ambassador Class ships were prototype for the Galaxy Class. In fact, this class was a primary predecessor to Galaxy, and successor to Excelsior as Starfleet's primary trailblazer. The USS Ambassador, and her sister vessels, could best be described as an overall patrol and exploration vessel -those being the principal missions for a fleet vessel, ones perhaps analogous to the famous Constitution Class of the previous century, but this class' Hardware designation would fall into the Heavy Cruiser bracket (the Explorer designation wouldn't appear for some time). Other than exploration they'd patrol the home sectors, accommodate dignitaries, and sometimes oversee first contact missions. Now though, many would be undergoing field tests after major refits, due to their considerable age (about 70 years at least for the early batch vessels). Although all ships are regularly updated with the latest technologies, a lot of Ambassadors would've in all likelihood needed weapons and sensor tweaks to be more efficient in the recent war effort against the Dominion. |
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Constitution Class: 2244 - 2308 (Refit 2271 ) First built in the mid 23rd century, construction was stepped up by 2270 as the fleet steadily grew. This class was the first deep space, high-warp vessel having the original classification of Starship at the time, which was soon replaced by more a specific system, and became a Heavy Cruiser. The Constitution Class achieved legendary status during its time in service, and became one of the most famous classes of ship Starfleet ever produced. |
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Steamrunner Class: 2345 - Still in Service Another bold breed of Destroyer-Type, built in limited numbers, and a few decades old now. This doesn't stop it from packing an awesome punch. Many of the prototype systems on this were a direct inspiration for the later classes, such as a new high yield Photon Torpedo, which were not introduced to mainstream starships for another five years. These new weapons systems alone demonstrate its offensive capabilities. Originally labeled a Destroyer, it was called in to supplement and protect supply convoys to the front line in the Cardassian Wars, so served unofficially as a kind of Heavy Escort vessel. Later, Steamrunners went on to excel with the new upgraded Quantum Torpedoes specifically installed for use in the Dominion war effort, and became a valued addition to any taskforce. One should also take note that at the time of its inception it was one of the fastest ships in the fleet, with a safe sustainable cruise velocity of warp 9.188. Yes, I know, another set of riddles considering the registry irregularities conflicting with the 'expected' class age. This can be simply (but reluctantly) explained by the apparent registry number of the Appalachia, meaning they must be from the 2340's - 2350's. |
