America Class

Design by Jason Abbadon

Type: Support vessel
Length: 240m
Width: 188m
Crew: 40 ( 3 command officers, 100 passengers)
Engine Data: 2 warp nacelles, 1 impulse engine system, one warp core
Shields and defensive systems: seven Type-VI phaser arrays covering all arcs, standard shields
Embarked craft: four Type-7, four Type-15 shuttles
Number constructed: eighty-seven total with sixty in active service and five in reserve status, seven destroyed and six decommissioned

The USS Eagle is an America-class variant of the Miranda class and is a support vessel for Federation colonies. The torpedo systems of the Miranda have been removed and their EPS systems are now used to power added labs and sensor equipment. Part planetary surveyor, part science platform and part patrol and resupply ship, the America class is found in colonized systems through the Federation frontier and are often the lifeline of supplies and equipment for newly established colonies.

Bristol Class

Design by Jason, ASDB Member

Type: Cargo ship
Length: 264.2m
Beam: 181.8m
Height: 181.8m

The Bristol Class Starship has been Starfleet's primary container carrier for several decades. Less a successor to the venerable Ptolemy Class than a next generation of design - Ptolemys were fine for their day, but with an increase of traffic amid the continually burgeoning Federation, a much more versatile ship was required - one which could also haul more containers at once.

Bristols are capable of carrying numerous types of containers (FJs, SCaTs, and Tridents, etc.), one feature which made them clearly rise above the competition in the years following the retirement of Ptolemy. Another system, the impulse rails, was one that Starfleet had been experimenting with on and off for nearly half a century. These units are able to vary their positions on the pylons (collectively known as "impulse wings"), thereby allowing for unusual payloads, specifically asymmetrical weight distribution. Several starships, having each lost a nacelle, have been towed out of hazardous areas, simply by adjusting the impulse engines' positions.

Though heavily shielded, and able to withstand several direct hits, Bristols are obviously not intended for combat. Defensive phasers are standard, while a handful were recently refit to include photon torpedo launchers and an upgrade to type VIII arrays. Several dozen Bristols served as mobile hospitals during the Dominion War; as with in previous conflicts, they were simply equipped with hospital and supply containers.

The quad-nacelle approach also provides heavy redundancy - one advantage being sustained periods of warp flight, quite necessary for the distances these ships must traverse to deliver their goods.  It has also been proven possible to enter warp with only three nacelles, should one happen to be destroyed, damaged, or jettisoned - the impulse engines merely alter their configuration to restore a balance of thrust.

An additional option is the end pod, which magnetically attaches itself to the aftmost container. It holds an auxiliary 3-deck-high bay, storing mostly workbees for loading / unloading. Also included are options for additional quarters, recreational facilities, sensor suites, etc... It is joined to the main hull across the container's surface by three telescoping gangways - one on top, and one on either side. The main length of gangway is stored in the main hull.

The main hull's shuttlebays are located ventrally, as a split hangar to allow the impulse system to operate normally through the ship's centerline, vertically. There is a cross-over in the fore area, to allow greater mobility between sides. Extendable decks permit an increase in "parking space" in high traffic situations, as well as more room for emergency landings.

The SCaT containers (Starfleet Container Transport), were developed in the late 23rd century as an easier-to-manage option compared to the old-style 235m FJ containers, in use for nearly a century prior to that point. Some of the old ones remain in service, especially in civilian fleets, but the newer SCaT types have built-in shield grids, the better to operate independently. They also are only 156m in overall length, and are easier to manage in close quarters.

Note: This is a previous design of the Deneva class being developed at the ASDB.

Claymore Class

Design by Alex

Type: Destroyer
In service: since 2332
Length: 413m (total)
Width: 320 m (saucer)
Height: 103m (total)
Decks: 31
Speed: Warp 6 (cruise), Warp 8.7 (max.)
Mass: 3,060,000t
Crew complement: 45 officers, 290 crew

The ship is conceived as a step between the Soyuz and Ambassador classes.

Council Class

Design by Jeff Robb

Type: Cruiser
First commissioned: 2329
Length: 529m
Width: 278m
Height: 94m
Decks: 26
Displacement: 2284000t
Complement: 197 officers + 485 crew
Speed: Warp 7 (cruise), Warp 9 (max.), Warp 9.2 (max. emergency)
Armament: 10 Type-IX phaser emitters; 6 standard photon torpedo tubes
Defense: Standard elliptical shields
Embarked craft: Typically 7 workbees, 7 shuttlepods, and 10 shuttles

In the tradition of the Constitution and Excelsior classes of Starfleet’s first-line heavy cruisers, the Council class brought greater levels of operational capabilities to the fleet. They were designed and built about five years after the introduction of the Ambassador class, and were commissioned in order to compensate for some of that class's initial shortcomings. The fundamental features and components built into every cruiser of the Council class typically provided greater power and flexibility for their crews, in missions ranging from galactic exploration to diplomatic functions to all-out combat. Sensible exterior and interior designs, along with the advanced systems within, helped to earn this class of eighteen another exemplary service record for Starfleet. None have been lost or destroyed in combat as of Stardate 48980, but one -- the U.S.S. Zeitraum -- was slowly disintegrated by the effects of a previously unknown cosmic phenomenon; all but two of the crew were rescued, however. Another Council, the U.S.S. Tora Gana, was disassembled down to its sub-assemblies and then reassembled during a fleet-wide experiment intended to examine and improve starship reconstruction techniques. Originally, the Council class was intended to replace the entire Excelsior line, but due to the popularity of the older ships, the Councils have supplanted only a few of their predecessors while supplementing the rest. The class ship was named in honor of the Federation Council itself, and some others in this class are likewise named after historically notable councils or conferences.

Due to their similarities, this class has also been continuously compared to the Ambassadors. Each new heavy cruiser line brought different component innovations to the fleet; interestingly, the Ambassadors placed vertical viewports and numerous small lifepod hatches upon a bulky Constitution-style hull, while the Councils kept horizontal viewports and internal lifeboats within a more streamlined hull. The Ambassador's impulse engine was placed in the ship's midsection and necessitated the integration of a driver coil assembly, whereas the Council's version did not, and remained in the traditional location for use by the saucer section after an emergency separation. Yet perhaps most interestingly, new experimental approaches were taken with each cruiser's phaser banks: the Ambassador featured phaser array tracks placed to cover forward, port, starboard, and aft directions, while the Council placed twenty enlarged ball-turret emitters within coves upon two large rotating rings. Sections of the rings were interchangeable, allowing various arrangements of emitters, although this involved extra-vehicular activity. The standard arrangement favored a dense forward concentration, and a Council could fire any eight of the emitters at full power. The rings rotated quickly for their size, enabled instant multiple phaser strikes in nearly any direction, and could fully maintain their fire while rotating. So equipped, a Council's phaser firepower was superior to both Excelsior's and Ambassador's, and served the class well during the Cardassian hostilities. Despite these advantages, the additional power requirement to move the rings led to occasional electromagnetic glitches with the system, so Starfleet eventually opted to refine the phaser track approach, which culminated with the large elliptical phaser tracks of the Galaxy / Nebula starships. The photon torpedo tubes of a Council were more conventional, though, and were similar to an Excelsior's, aside from two additional forward tubes that normally served as probe launchers. Whereas a Council was also typically faster at both sublight and warp speed, and were more easily built and maintained, the Ambassador line ultimately enjoyed greater success in scientific and diplomatic missions. Occasionally, ships of each class served together on the same missions, and always subordinated any "friendly rivalry". Even though it never disrupted routine fleet operations, this rivalry did come to a head when the fleet’s most famous starship name became available.

Both of the competing shipbuilding firms behind the Council and Ambassador lines had anticipated the possibility of having one of their ships christened as the next starship Enterprise; so, when the opportunity arose, both were quick to advocate their particular class, prompting Starfleet Command to consider each. Proponents of the Council class in Starfleet also sought to end the alphabetizing of the registry number NCC-1701, offering instead the number 41701, which was already scheduled to be part of the class in any case. It was apt, they argued, to include the original number (1701) and the number 4, which of course would represent the fourth starship Enterprise. This, along with the Council’s particular style and substance, impressed the deciding board enough to grant the class the initial recommendation, along with the new number; however, the final decision reversed the Council’s fortune and officially reserved the name of Enterprise to an Ambassador-class vessel then beginning construction. The Council-class cruiser that was to be named Enterprise was renamed as the Elesca, number 41701, while the alphabetized number of 1701-C was assigned to the fourth starship Enterprise after all. That final decision did not demoralize the Council class’s proponents and crews for long; nor was it the last time that the class had something to do with a starship named Enterprise.

During the early stages of the Galaxy Class Starship Development Project, several operational ship classes were examined by project engineers in search of top-rated components and inventive integrations. Since this project was intended to culminate in a class of the largest and most sophisticated of Federation starships, the parameters were as extensive as the efforts spent to reach or exceed them. Of all the starship classes examined, though, it was the Council class that received the most attention from the project engineers. Its particular lines and features provided a remarkable basis that, when maximized, could well result in just the kind of explorer/heavy cruiser the Project was interested in creating. Many years later, after an exhaustive design and construction process, ships of the Galaxy class joined Starfleet; and among them was the fifth starship to bear the name of Enterprise. Intriguingly, reports continue to persist that a sculpted profile of the Council class was present in place of the Ambassador class on a wall of the Enterprise-D’s top-deck conference room. If so, it was an unusual occurrence in that long rivalry between the two pre-Galaxy cruiser lines, and perhaps a small measure of compensation to those who felt cheated by the Enterprise-C decision many years ago. Even though the Enterprise-D recently fell to enemy fire, after only seven years of service, the performance of the ship itself was excellent up to that point. The Galaxy class, for the time being, still represents the pinnacle of explorer-ship development within the Federation, thanks in part to the inspiration of the Council class. As of Stardate 49001, Starfleet is currently reviewing upgrade plans for the remaining Councils as part of the effort to rebuild and reconfigure the fleet.

Designer's notes: This speculative design and the Ambassador Prototype described at Ex Astris Scientia both refer to the original design for the 1701-C. A detailed, color-blueprint cross section of the Council class (approx. 564k JPEG) is also available via email, as is a similar cross section of the Excelsior in its initial experimental (transwarp) configuration.

Firefly Class

Design by voron

Type: Light freighter
First commissioned: 2316
Length: 154m
Width: 55m
Height: m
Decks: 7
Complement: 18 officers + 55 crew, evacuation limit: 500
Speed: Warp 7.5 (cruise), Warp 8.7 (max.), Warp 9 (max. emergency)
Armament: 6 Type-VI phasers in two twin mountings and 4 single mountings
Defense: Standard shields
Embarked craft: Three Class-2 personnel shuttles or a single Class-3 cargo shuttle

Originally commissioned in 2316, the Firefly class freighter has become a common sight on the colonial trades routes of the Federation and is known as one of the most reliable small-sized freighters ever. At the end of the 23rd Century, the Federation faced a turning point in its history. With the decades' long dispute with the Klingon Empire finally coming to a peaceful resolution and encounters with the Romulans enemy becoming increasingly sporadic. The new century would herald a new era of peace, expansion and colonisation. As they moved further out into the recently surveyed depths of the Alpha Quadrant, a new wave of colonists found themselves increasingly isolated and the Federation's supply and logistics agencies became overwhelmed and struggled to keep up with the burgeoning pace of colonial expansion. This was due in part to the neglected status of the freighter fleet, which at that time consisted mainly of antiquated Merchantmen, or old robotic drones.

It was in 2295, just a year after the First Khitomer Conference had changed the Federation's political and economical landscape. The Federation Council charged the Federation design companies with the development of a small to medium range cargo carrier that could make rapid cargo runs between a logistical centre and a sector-wide area of settlements and outposts. The design was to be robust and adaptable to a number of support service mission types, and a cargo shuttle facility sufficiently large for it to handle up to three Class-2 personnel shuttles or a single Class-3 cargo shuttle. The Firefly class freighter is 154 meters in length, has a beam of 55m. Normal cruising speed is Warp Factor 7.5 but the Firefly can achieve a maximum of Warp 8.7 for a period of up to 22 hours. Given ideal conditions, a emergency speed of Warp 9.00 is possible for up to three hours. Cargo is carried in large pods that are affixed to the lower aft engineering hull. There are three types of pod four Single cubes or double or one long pod. These can be modified for many purposes. The Star Fleet Marines had 12 converted to emergency actions ships with drops shps and a complement of of 120 Marines or a hospital pod designed for use in extreme emergencies.

A total of 300 of these vessels were constructed over a ten-year production run from 2316 to 2326, encompassing 17 shipyards across the Federation. Of these 300 only 23 have been lost and only 8 to hostile actions.

Design by Steve Justice

Type: Destroyer
First commissioned: 2312
Length: 273.5m
Width: 142.1m
Height: 59.6m
Decks: 12
Displacement: 500000t
Complement: 20 officers + 210 crew, evacuation limit: 390
Speed: Warp 7.0 (cruise), Warp 8.2 (max.), Warp 8.8 (max. emergency)
Sublight speed: 0.75c (max.)
Armament: RIM-16C twin mount phasers (8), Mk 70 torpedo tubes (4)
Defense: EMD-6 primary deflector shield, CSCS-13E countermeasures system
Embarked craft: 2

As Star Fleet entered the 24th century, destroyer development was at it lowest level in the history of the Federation. Improving relations with the Klingon Empire and the abundance of "Constitution style" destroyers, frigates, and other escorts combined to place new destroyer development at a low priority. Beginning in 2290, destroyer development was limited to several twin-nacelle fast destroyer prototypes with an average production of less than one ship per year.

However, by 2310 many older destroyers were reaching their design lives. The majority of the single nacelle destroyers were thoroughly worn-out as they were originally launched prior to 2250 and were later modified with linear warp drives in the 2270's. In spite of expanded SLEP, the total number of available escorts began to rapidly decrease until the total number of available destroyers numbered less than 50 in 2310. In response, Star Fleet transferred frigates into the traditional destroyer roles of fleet escort and border patrol, which reduced the number of ships available for exploration.

In 2311, the Tomed incident between the Romulan Empire and the Federation highlighted the need for a strong destroyer force as a border 'trip-wire'. The forward Romulan attack force of destroyers were able to use their superior acceleration, maneuverability and numbers to quickly neutralize the frigate border patrol force to allow a rapid Romulan thrust into Federation space. A strong destroyer force, while not able to defeat the stronger attack force, could have slowed the attackers enough to allow the Federation Rapid Response Force to intercept the Romulan attack force short of Federation space lanes. The lack of destroyers also caused some difficulties for the Federation task force in the final battle.

After the Tomed incident, Star Fleet set out on a 'crash' program to add 50 new destroyers and heavy destroyers to the fleet in a ten year period. In light of limited credits, and to reduce development time, the new designs developed in the program used a maximum of existing, in-production, and replacement starship components and systems.

New destroyer, the Fletcher class, and heavy destroyer, the Sheffield class, designs were developed to augment the Excelsior and Constellation class cruisers then in production. The designs utilized "Constitution style" main hull, which was still in production, combined with refurbished warp nacelles and subsystems salvaged from replacement stocks and retired cruisers, frigates, and destroyers. The Fletchers and Sheffields represented a rebirth in destroyer development after a lull of over 20 years.

Fletcher class overview The lead ship of the class, the USS Fletcher, was designed by the Star Fleet Division - Office of Naval Construction and constructed in 2312 at the Star Fleet Division Singapore Yards. Production contracts for subsequent ships were evenly split between Star Fleet Division Singapore Yards and Avondale Group Saturn Yards. Production was initially planned for 25 units, but production was cancelled after only 14 units to allow Starfleet to move forward with new technology designs using Ambassador class technology. 

In service, the Fletcher class filled a gap In the Star Fleet destroyer force until the fielding of new designs. While not outstanding in any single respect, the Fletcher class demonstrated good all-around capabilities which well suited them to extended border patrol duties. Their toughness was demonstrated when two Fletchers intercepted and defeated a Cardassian battle cruiser attacking Federation border settlements. All Fletchers were retied by 2340.

Design The requirements for the Fletcher design included a design range and speed to match Excelsior and Constellation cruisers, and improved phaser and torpedo firepower. The requirements for the warp power, fuel storage, and torpedo capability forced the designers to adopt several features not previously seen on destroyer class ships. 

In order to meet the power and warp speed requirements, a cruiser type matter/antimatter reaction assembly (M/ARA) was required along with warp engines capable of generating a 70% greater warp field density than in previous destroyers. Since no production warp engine existed to meet the requirement using two nacelles, and funding was not available for development of a new warp engine, the designers adopted the four nacelle configuration first used in the Constellation class. The engine pairs were located aft of the main hull on dorsal and ventral support hulls. The M/ARA was contained in the support hull along the Z-axis of the ship

Previous destroyer designs accommodated the matter/antimatter storage in the ventral support hull or the aft portion of the main hull (saucer). The increased fuel storage of the Fletcher required a different approach; separate storage pods carried external to the main hull. The pods, one each for matter and antimatter, are located between the warp nacelle pairs to minimize structural weight and warp field interference. This arrangement had the added advantage of placing the matter and antimatter containment in close proximity to the appropriate injectors at the ends of the M/ARA.

The matter/antimatter storage pods also served as the supports for torpedo/phaser/navigation deflector modules. These modules could be replaced at any forward depot for maintenance, damage repair, or to match ship weapon/sensor capabilities to upcoming mission requirements.

The Fletchers utilized a "Constitution style" main hull design taken from the Belknap strike cruiser class with replaceable computer core and bridge modules. A new destroyer class bridge module was developed for the Fletchers to fully interface with the Excelsior and Constellation class ships.

Engineering systems The Fletcher design utilized LN-64 series linear warp engines in a four nacelle configuration pioneered in the Constellation class exploratory cruiser. The ventral and dorsal engine pairs were partially cross-linked to dampen warp harmonic effects between each engine pair. The maximum warp field output was limited by M/ARC input to 80% of the Constellation class.

Impulse engines were standard Belknap strike cruiser units to compensate for the increased ship mass and to provide superlative sub-light acceleration required in a destroyer. The expanded energy requirements of the propulsion and weapon systems were supplied by an America class heavy cruiser derived M/ARC. Life support and other auxiliary systems are derived from earlier Belknap systems.

Command, communication & control systems Command, Communication and Control (C3) systems on the Fletchers were a mix of explorer and battle cruiser systems to meet long range patrol and tactical requirements. The design team utilized modified Constellation and Excelsior class to meet the severe development time and cost requirements for the new destroyer design with those systems coordinated by a Daystrom library computer system specifically modified for the destroyer mission.

Weapon systems The Fletchers were the first class to use the Standard Mission Module (SMM) in place of fixed torpedo tubes and phaser cannon. The original design featured fore and aft torpedo modules on the dorsal strut and one aft torpedo module on the ventral strut. Later production ships employed a combination torpedo and phaser cannon module to provide a more versatile armament. Operational experience revealed that the proximity to the warp nacelles adversely effected phaser aiming due to strong warp field/phaser interaction. For this reason, the phaser cannons were useful only during sublight engagements.

In addition to being the first class to use SMMs, the Fletchers, along with the Sheffields, were the last major combatants to user phaser turrets as main armament. The phaser turrets and shielding systems represented a version improvement over their Excelsior class predecessors. 

Due to the high probability of engagement with multiple opponents, the shielding capabilities of the Fletchers were designed to exceed that of other contemporary class one ships. Total shield energy rejection capability exceeded the Excelsior class by 15%.

Orion Class

Design by Nixon's Head

Type: Surveyor
First commissioned: 2331
Length: 190m
Width: 125m
Height: 36m
Decks: 12
Complement: 20 officers + 90 crew
Speed: Warp 5.0 (cruise), Warp 8.2 (max.), Warp 8.6 (max. emergency)
Armament: 5x phaser strips, 1x photon torpedo launcher

Pre-Galaxy Class

Design by T. Junk

No specs available

This is an early project stage of the Galaxy class.

Skipjack Class

Design by Lt.Carter

Type: Patrol frigate
First commissioned: 2307
Length: 314m
Width: 178m
Height: 103m
Decks: 25
Complement: 10 officers + 140 crew, evacuation limit: 150
Speed: Warp 7.8 (cruise), Warp 8.5 (max.), Warp 9.1 (max. emergency)
Sublight speed: 0.99c (max.)
Armament: 10 standard phaser banks, 4 photon tubes (2 fore 2 aft)
Defense: standard shield grid
Embarked craft: 6 standard shuttlecraft, 2 aqua shuttles, 4 shuttle pods, 2 work bees.

By the 24th century Starfleet realized the need for a new vessel capable of filling the roll of both patrol ship and frigate. Looking at the Oberth class vessel, a sturdy design, engineers set about building a larger more capable vessel. The skipjack class was the result of 2 years of design and warp dynamic tests at the DSM test facility. Construction of the first vessel was finished in 2307 with 6 other ships proposed. The skipjack NCC-2141 currently patrols 3 star systems along the Romulan neutral zone with the recently built Sculpin NCC-2142, patrolling the Earth-Vulcan route. Both ships being equipped with heavy tractor emitters and a very early form of tachyon sensor palettes.

Inspiration: Beagle NGC-7293 (basic design concept) "abandoned", Dumont by Medjai = (bridge-other details), Oberth by David Carson, Excelsior by Bill George (sensors, warp drive), Ent-B by John Eaves and Herman Zimmerman (warp drive), Schmidt by Robert J. Willson aka xfozzboute (tractor emitter), Chariot by Howard Day (interior textures), Vanguard by Vektors domain (impulse engines, honeycomb pattern), Rick King's modification tips

Spartan Class (1)

Design by voron

Type: General purpose cruiser/explorer
First commissioned: 2309
Length: 320m
Width: 180m
Height: 40m
Decks: 12
Complement: officers + 220 crew
Speed: Warp 8.3 (cruise), Warp 8.9 (max.), Warp 8.9 (max. emergency)
Armament: 8 Type VI Phasers (Twin banks)
Defense: 4 Photon Torpedo Tubes (2 fore, 2 Aft)
Embarked craft: 6 type 3 mid-range Shuttles

The Spartan class was designed to fill a fleet request for a sub 400-metre cruiser with the abilities of an Excelsior class and the as yet unnamed Ambassador class with a full exploration capabilities, offensive and defensive of the larger ships. The ship was required to be very cheap to maintain, compared to the Excelsior class. The design borrows heavily from its bigger brother the Excelsior class and from the Ambassador class. Designed for mid to long range exploration missions of 3 to 5 years the Spartan included the latest generation of sensors based on the Excelsior's class standard sensors but upgraded to a much higher standard these sensors where linked to the latest computer core and science facilities. This allows the Spartan to perform the job of Excelsior for the expense of deploying a destroyer. The Spartans main drive systems are two of the most powerful that could be fitted. The impulse system is a large unit designed to be efficient and easily repaired in the field. The warp engines are also of a new design. They where construed using new materials and in accordance with new Subspace theory and warp dynamics. This allowed the ships to have a shorter nacelle than other class at this time without losing any performance. The warp core is a new design that though compacted to 9 decks it gives the output of the original Excelsior's core with 15% increases in efficiency and life compared to the Excelsior. The Spartan's weapons systems consist of 8 Type VI in twin mounts and 2 forward and 2 aft torpedo tubes. The Phasers are of the Type VI Block 2 these versions have a greater power output compared to the block 0 and block 1 version. The main reason for the installation of these units is that though they are powerful weapons they are highly efficient in tears of power consumption and accuracy. The torpedo tubes are of the standard single fire version with both fore and aft areas covered 120 torpedoes are carried with space for 40 probes. The crew of 220 enjoys a high standard of luxury compared to Constitution and Oberth crews of a few years previous with only junior crew having to share with a bunkmate and a large recreation deck provided to elevate the boredom of shipboard life. Most of the crew enjoys use of either a shared lounge on there quarters, with senior officers having use of a lounge and the captain and XO having a small dinning area for dignitaries. The Spartan class was involved with many first contacts and scientific firsts including the first recorded sighting of a Breen ship. Production ran from 2309 to 2312 with the first batch of 60 Starships and 2314 to 2316 with the second batch 30 starships.