The San Francisco Class fusion powered frigate was considered out of date when the Romulan war began. However they soon proved invaluable as system defence and patrol vessels. A number of these ships subsequently saw service in the Federation Starfleet after 2161
| Class: | III | Year: | 2154 | |
| Ship Source: | The Starfleet Museum | Ship Datasheet: | Download PDF | |
4x Scale Image
The Chandley Class prototypes were ordered in the aftermath of the Four Years War to provide an effective fleet combatant that could also deliver a sizeable marine force.
Genesis of the Chandley Class – The FFT-X programme
After the conclusion of the Four Years War, Star Fleet Command initiated the Strategic Forces Survey to evaluate every major operation of the war, from its conception to its final outcome. All aspects of these operations, starting with the initial planning stages, to the deployment of forces, their use during the operation, and the after-action requirements of those forces, were evaluated. The results of this survey have directly influenced plans made by Star Fleet Command ever since.
One of the weaknesses identified by the survey was that Star Fleet needed combat vessels carrying boarding parties or prize crews so that it could follow up a successful campaign with rapid and decisive blows against a retreating or routed enemy. Star Fleet warships did not carry marine assault teams, and, therefore, they were unable to board and capture enemy vessels or outposts. In many operations, Star Fleet vessels were held back so that their combined boarding groups could take control of disabled enemy vessels or outposts; this caused lengthy delays in follow-up operations and allowed the enemy to recover. To take enemy outposts, assault ships were called in, frequently a poor choice because they were slow, vulnerable, and usually carried too many troops for small operations. To solve this problem, Star Fleet began developing the frigate class of ships to carry marines trained to board hostile vessels and complexes.
The story of the Chandley Class actually predates the commissioning of the USS Chandley (NCC 2301) by some eleven years. In 2258, in direct response to the Strategic Forces Survey, Chandley Works proposed the ‘Fleet Frigate – Troop’ (FFT). The design was a radical move away from the compact Frigates of the Loknar Class, and was more closely related to the Heavy Frigates of the Surya and Coventry Classes.
The Sketch Design proposed to Star Fleet Command featured the new phaser and photon torpedo weapons, coupled to the FWC-1 warp drive and FSO shields. Elements within Starfleet Command were sceptical that the design could combine both the combat mission of a Frigate and the required troop carrying mission, however the design was supported by the Commandant of the Star Fleet Marines and the influence he bought to bear was considerable, and resulted in an experimental program being written around the design. Such was the uncertainty about the final design was that ships were considered ranging between classes XI and XIV.
The experimental program was dubbed FFT-X (Fleet Frigate – Troop Experimental), and as a result it was decided that all the ships would be given names beginning with ‘T’ . As an experimental program, the plan was to evaluate a number of ships of similar basic design, but that each stressed different possible permutations of the Frigate design, one would maximise troops (Tempest), another would maximise speed (Trident), a third would maximise firepower (Tiger) and the fourth would be a compromise solution (Trafalgar). The plan was to order eight ships in total, altough initially it was felt that the mix would favour the Tiger class, as that was seen to be the best solution by Military Operations Command.
The Starfleet Corps of Engineers, and the designers at Chandley Works, felt that the balance of the Tiger class was problematic, the increase in firepower was bought at the expense of speed and troop capacity, they argued that the design’s slow speed would be a major liability, tragically they were later proved correct. As such they argued for just two of each design to be built.
The FFT-X ships are ordered
Eight ships were ordered in 2258, consisting of two each of four slightly different variations on the basic design theme. The baseline design supported by the Star Fleet Marines was ordered as the Tempest sub class, the ship was viewed as the optimal mix between combat and troop carrying capability, in that it could carry 250 troops, and was still more combat efficient and as fast as a Loknar Class Frigate.
The second version was named the Trafalgar sub class, this version was the version originally designed by Chandley Works, compared to the Tempest sub class, it sacrificed billets for 50 marines, along with two combat transporters in order to allow the fitment of three aft firing phasers in single mounts. The designers favoured this option to maximise combat persistence, given the finite number of photon torpedo warheads that a ship could carry.
The third version was intended to mount a far heavier armanent, reflect the more traditional Frigate role; this sub class, named Tiger mounted the lighter and more powerful FWD-2 warp drive system. This version of the design was supported by Military Operations Command for use as a Picket Ship in border areas. The intention was to have a ship that could carry a force of Marines, yet still have one on one superiority over any ship it encountered. The price paid for this greater weapon load and power was two fold, the marine contingent was cut back to 150, as a result of the need to install the three twin mount rear firing phasers, and also as a result of the need to incorporate a second M-4 computer in the design to provide fire control. The most significant impact was on speed though, maximum speed fell to warp 6.56 compared to warp 9 in the Tempest (or 8.91 in the Trafalgar). In lightspeed terms the ship could achieve only 38% of the speed that the Tempest could (282.14c compared to 730.14c).
The Star Fleet Corps of Engineers, having recognised the likely shortcomings of the Tiger sub class, proposed the fourth variation, Trident. Trident reverted to the FWC-1 warp drive, but added a third nacelle to the design. The third nacelle reduced range by 50%, making the design unsuitable for use on patrol duties, but increased maximum speed to warp 10.04, (1012.8c) making the ship one of the fastest in known space. The twin M-4 installation of the Tiger was retained, as was the enhanced weapons fit. The net result of this, coupled with the power conduits for the third engine, was to further reduce the number of marines carried to just 100, and cut the number of shuttles carried in half to just six.
The second ship of the Trident sub class, USS Triad was experimentally modified, at the request of the Starfleet Marines, while under construction to carry the weapons fit of the Tempest sub class. This modification was made to increase the number of marines that could be carried up to 150, this also had the side effect of a marginal speed increase. However, it was felt that the ship that resulted offered only speed as an improvement on the basic Tempest design, and as such the USS Triad was modified to the standard Trident design in 2265.
The first FFT-X ships commision
The first four ships commissioned in late 2258, a superb achievement seeing as they had been ordered only 10 months previously. This was made possible by the reuse of primary hulls originally intended for Ptolemy class ships. This four consisted of one ship of each of the four sub classes.
All four ships were allocated to the Klingon Frontier in order to gain experience of the concept in action in an area that was still hostile. Initially the ships saw little serious action as the Klingons were still licking their wounds. The larger troop capacity of the Tempest sub class had proved to be valuable on a number of occasions when boarding and inspecting Orion cargo ships travelling in groups, but Military Operations Command felt that the greater firepower of the Tiger sub class was still the preferred solution.
The FFT-X Ships in service
In early 2260 the utility of the Trident design was proven, the USS Trident answered a distress signal from the newly refitted Larson Class Destroyer, USS Justinian (NCC 4362). The Justinian had experienced a complete failure of its power systems, and was in a decaying orbit, The Trident, responding to the signal managed to maintain speeds in excess of warp 10 for two hours and reached the crippled Larson class ship in time to save it from burning up in the atmosphere. Damage to the Trident was remarkably minor, any other class of ship in the fleet would have been severely damaged by travel at such a speed for a prolonged period.
2262 saw the worst fears of many confirmed, the USS Tiger was on solo patrol when she was ambushed by 6 D-10 Cruisers. Normally the best course of action in such an ambush would be to flee as the odds against surviving such an engagement would be slim in the extreme. The Tiger attempted to flee the combat, but the superior speed of the Klingon vessels meant that the Tiger was outclassed. Forced to fight, Tiger fought valiantly, despatching two of the Cruisers before she succumbed. When a relief force, led by the USS Triad, reached the scene no survivors were found from the over 500 souls aboard the ship. The responsible ships were disclaimed as renegades by the Klingon Empire, but most in Star Fleet doubted this, and tensions on the Frontier rose accordingly.
In 2263, The USS Tempest fell into a similar ambush, this time against four D-10s (the four which survived the attack on Tiger) and a pair of D-7s. This time Tempest made use of her superior speed to evade combat, and made use of the rear torpedos to harass the enemy while they pursued her, these torpedoes destroyed one of the D-7s and crippled a D-10. The Tempest’s commander then lured the Klingons straight into a Federation trap, knowing that Klingons would not give up a chase he lured them straight into the arms of a battle group of perimeter action ships and Loknar Class frigates. All four remaining Klingon ships were destroyed, for the loss of no Federation vessels. The Tempest then returned to the crippled D-10 and used her marine force to board her, they found the crew consisted of a mixture of Klingons and Orions, the ships were indeed renegades. This discovery led to a temporary reduction in tension on the Klingon Border.
The success of the Tempest led to the ordering of a third vessel of the sub class (USS Tornado) to replace the lost Tiger. The failure of the Tiger, also led to the refitting of the Talon to Trident specification in 2263. Since that time no ship of the Chandley family has been powered by an engine other than the FWC-1. The failure of the Tiger sub class meant that the competition was down to a three horse race between the Tempest, Trafalgar and Trident designs. The Triad variation already been eliminated, as it offered too small an improvement in combat efficiency over the Tempest design, and the ship was refitted to Trident configuration in 2265.
Choosing the winner
The performance of the remaining designs was assessed in 2265. It was felt that although the additional firepower provided by the Trafalgar and Trident subclasses was welcome (and the speed of the Trident), the price paid in Marine complement was a problem, and that the twin computer arrangement was a potential weak point in the design, as a result it was decided to use the Tempest design as a basis for a production class
Finalising the Chandley Design
The design created in 2266, was known as Chandley 2265, and featured the engines and computers of the Tempest coupled to the new FP-6 torpedo and FH-9 phasers, however the decision was made, given the progress in linear warp drives to delay production pending the introduction of new technologies.
The Chandley 2266 design added the FIF-2 impulse drive to the notional design, and the next version Chandley 2267 adopted the experimental M-5 computer. The Chandley 2268 design changed the phasers to the FH-11 phasers. The USS Chandley, NCC 2301, was laid down in 2268 and was intended to be fitted with the M-5 as per the 2268 design, the failure of that computer meant that the construction had to be delayed while an alternative was sought. The alternative adopted was the M-6 in 2269, in the final version of the Mk-1 design, which was codenamed Chandley 2269.
In 2269, the USS Chandley, the first production ship of this prestigious line of vessels, was commissioned. The Chandley not only met the requirements of being a deep-space fighting vessel but also could beam its 250 marines in less than four minutes. With this vessel, Star Fleet had the ability to follow up combat more efficiently. The large, wing-like assembly houses the company of marines, their equipment, training areas, shuttlebay, and the combat transporters needed. The marines are billeted by platoons, with each platoon having its own spacious training, mess, dormitory, and recreation areas. The training areas, located in the central core of the wing structures, are made up of modules that may be positioned to resemble the interior of enemy ships and installations, allowing assault teams to familiarize themselves with their intended operation area; this training technique is largely responsible for the high success rate in boarding actions. The training areas are also used for physical training and firing ranges. Each platoon has a recreation area containing a swimming pool, gymnasium, gravball chamber, and complete health facilities; these facilities are largely responsible for the notable successes enjoyed by marine sports teams.
Fate of the FFT-X ships
The entry of the definitive Chandley class into service meant that the days of the Tempest and Trafalgar subclasses were numbered, Tempest was decomissioned in 2272 and put on display in the Starfleet museum; Typhoon, Trafalgar and Tally Ho were refitted to Chandley Mk1 configuration; Tornado became the Marines training ship in 2270 in support of the Chandley class deployment. The three ships of the Trident subclass remained in service unchanged until 2280, when they were taken in hand for a major refit to become the Trident II class.
On reflection the importance of the FFT-X ships in the evolution of the modern Star Fleet Frigate in general, and the Chandley class in particular cannot be overstated. These nine ships were instrumental in refining the concept and defining the requirements for all troop carrying frigates.
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| Class: | XI | Year: | 2258 | |
| Ship Source: | Based on FASA Design | Ship Datasheet: | Download PDF | |
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“The Portsmith class was a small cheap destroyer designed for mass production. During the four years war vast numbers were built to act in numerous roles. Despite its size and low cost, the class was amongst the more powerful destroyers in service during the war. Post war the class was not fitted with phasers as the cost of conversion would have exceeded the cost of construction.”
The Mk1 Portsmith Class entered service in 2246 as a cheap simple customs cutter, and was produced at numerous merchant and military shipyards throughout the Federation. The design had no weapons save for four lasers, and was powered by the heavy but effective FWH-1 warp drive system, In all some 300 were built between 2246 and 2252.
The growing hostilities prior to the advent of the Four Years war in 2252 found the Federation desperately short of effective escorts. A program was instituted to design a new escort destroyer class for mass production. It was realised that designing a new class from scratch would take a number of years. It was suggested that the existing Portsmith class could form the basis for a very capable Light Destroyer.
The FWH-1 engines of the Mk1 were replaced by the new FWA-2, and the ship had three accelerator cannons crammed into the former cargo hold. The resultant ship was a revelation to Starfleet Commanders, the more efficient Warp Drive, coupled to the heavy weapon load (for the size of vessel) meant that the Mk2 had a combat efficiency better than full size destroyers, and indeed better than some cruisers.
The price paid for this efficiency was two fold, the range of the Portsmith could not compare to that of the larger destroyers, and the superstructure, although reinforced compared to the Mk1 was not as resilient as that of the larger destroyers. However when deployed in groups escorting convoys the capabilities of the Portsmith meant that they were a force to be reckoned with. Some 360 Mk2s were built, and a large number of Mk1s were upgraded.
Postwar, the Portsmith class had no real role, although a large number were retained in reserve fleets until the 2270’s. A large number of these ships were sold onto planetary defence forces, or onto the civil sector after being disarmed.
| Class: | IV | Year: | 2252 | |
| Ship Source: | Spaceflight Chronology | Ship Datasheet: | Download PDF | |
The Loknar Class frigates were built during “The Great Awakening”, a period of expansion by the Federation. During this time, many research and exploration vessels were designed and built to aid in the efforts to solidify an enlarged and growing United Federation of Planets. Also during this period, a smaller number of warships were built. The Loknar, the most noted of these warships, is still in service to this day, a tribute to the quality of the Andorian design.
Soon after the Federation Appropriations Committee granted Starfleet the funds necessary to construct fleets to expand and patrol the limits of the UFP, Andorian factions began pushing for warship construction. The basic Andorian philosophy was that, in expanding, the Federation might come upon races as hostile as the Romulans and Klingons, leading to another protracted war for which the Federation and Starfleet were unprepared. The Andorians argued that, were this to happen or were the Klingons or Romulans to escalate hostilities, Starfleet needed to be better prepared and would need ships to protect the new borders and colonies. The Andorian arguments were successful, and Starfleet began a limited build- up of warships. Several ship building facilities were constructed by Andorian firms to design and manufacture these warships, the most notable of these on Sol IV and Salazaar, the largest and most productive in the Federation.
Introduced in October of 2247 (1/90), the Loknar class frigate mounted the new, but already proven, FWE-1 warp drive, in Starfleet’s inventory for only two years. The FIC-2 impulse engine was introduced on the Loknar and has since proven itself to be one of the most reliable of all production. The Loknar Mk I was considered a ‘muscle’ ship because of its four heavy lasers and single accelerator cannon, making it equal to all but the largest Klingon vessels and more powerful than any ship in the Romulan navy. In addition, the Loknar mounted FSH shield generators, more efficient than any used by the enemies of the Federation.
During the Four Years War, the Loknar saw more action than any other vessel in Starfleet. As the war dragged on however, Starfleet realized the need for vessels with more firepower. When they could be spared, Loknars began being refitted at forward supply and repair stations. The Mk Ib Loknar mounted two additional laser cannons and an aft accelerator cannon. The lasers were banked to provide more flexibility in combat. Late in the war, the Mk Ic was introduced. This version of the Loknar mounted a curious blend of old and new technologies; it retained the lasers of its predecessors, but replaced the accelerator cannons with FP-1 photon torpedoes.
Although it was considered to be successful, the Andorian designers felt a need to improve the Loknar. The FWE-2 warp drive systems, still being tested, would produce 60% more power than the FWE-1 and would increase the ship’s overall performance. The Mk II was commissioned into service in January of 2256 (1/98) mounting the FWE-2, even though this engine was not officially adopted by Starfleet until February of 2259 (2/00).
The most significant advance in starship technology came with the phaser and photon torpedo. The phaser delivered more firepower at longer ranges, weighed less, and required less structural reinforcing than the laser. The newly developed photon torpedo delivered the same explosive power at 75% less power requirement, was considerably lighter and required less structural reinforcement than the accelerator cannon. Eight FH-5 phasers and new photon torpedo technology were incorporated into the Mk II, making it more powerful than anything in the Klingon fleet with the exception of the D-10. The Mk II also mounted an upgraded binary shield generator, the FSK, giving 33% more protection at the same output level as the earlier system. The Mk IIa Loknars were refits from surviving Mk Ic’s- no new builds occurred of this version. The Mk IIb mounted 3 FP-3 photon torpedoes forward and 1 aft (the FP-3 was experimental when first mounted to the Loknar). This arrangement favored redundancy: during the Four Years War, several Loknars were placed at a severe disadvantage when their single forward missile weapon was damaged during combat. The Mk IIa’s were refitted to Mk IIb standard by 2260 (2/03). Both versions saw limited action in the Four Years War.
The next major change in the Loknar’s design came with the introduction of the FWD-2 warp drive to the Mk IV. Along with the FIC-3 impulse drive, this increased the power output and overall performance by 40%. Furthermore, this model replaced the 4 FP-3 photon launchers with the FP-1. The Mk V is the latest model of the Loknar class and is armed with FP-6 torpedoes.
Loknar class frigates have served Starfleet faithfully for over 40 years and will remain in the inventory for many years to come. A major push was begun by the Andorians to create the next generation of Loknar- the Mk VI. However, with four newer frigate designs already being produced, Starfleet Appropriations did not accept the proposal. The final Loknar was constructed in May of 2288 (2/24). Loknars were produced at the Salazaar and Sol IV facilities at a rate of 2 ships per year, including refits. At the behest of the Andorian government, all Loknars are to be refitted to Mk V standard and retained in active service.
Historical Notes:
The Loknar class frigates are named after cities and provinces of the Federation. More than half of these vessels are crewed by Andorians and the majority of these are assigned to the ‘Blue Fleet’, ships whose officer contingent and crew are entirely Andorian. The USS Loknar was the first ship commissioned into the Blue Fleet, serving as the flagship for many years.
The infamous IKSV Staav’e Mara (Slave Of Justice), was originally the USS Morgan City, a Loknar Class frigate captured by Admiral Kamato’s forces during the Four Years War and later used in Kamato’s abortive coup attempt on the Klingon throne. After failing, Kamato retreated into the Triangle, taking the Loknar class frigate with him. From their location in the Triangle, the Klingon rebels began attacking unprotected convoys and merchant vessels by using the Staav’e Mara to lure them in. This ruse lasted for several years, then a general recall of all Loknar class vessels made it difficult for the Klingon vessel to operate as though it were from Starfleet. The IKS Admiralty then decided to have the vessel painted in the standard steel-gray color of their Navy. The Staav’e Mara still operates with the IKS Navy and has been seen as recently as January 2287 (2/23).
| Class: | VIII | Year: | 2243 | |
| Ship Source: | FASA | Ship Datasheet: | Download PDF | |
The Daring was designed as a destroyer leader, but improvements in sensor technology in the Four Years War rendered this type of ship obsolete. It was then proposed to be re-roled as an exploration cruiser (Derf class), but the decision to produce further ships of the Constitution and Anton classes meant that it could not fulfill that role either. Finally the USS Derf was borrowed for a demonstration of the buoy tender concept. This demonstration was so successful that serial production of the Derf was ordered immediately and eventually totaled 600 vessels over a period of 35 years. Few vessels in Starfleet history have achieved either that level or longevity of production and it is certain that had the class been adopted in either of the other two intended roles it would not have gotten anywhere near either figure.
Of the 26 Daring Class hulls laid down, only five commissioned (Daring, Diamond, Diomede, Derwent and Daedalus) in their intended role. USS Derf commissioned in the exploration cruiser configuration before being converted for trials as a tender in 2255. The other five were also subsequently converted to the tender configuration in 2256, and the other 20 were commissioned in that configuration
| Class: | IX | Year: | 2255 | |
| Ship Source: | FASA Original/ Additional material by Lee Wood/Steve Bacon | Ship Datasheet: | ||
The Siva class destroyer mounted the best in Federation technology for its size at the time it was built. First commissioned in 2243, it mounted the M-1 computer, FWB-1 warp engine, FIC-1 impulse engine and FSA shield generator. A controversial military design due to its accelerator cannon arrangement, the Siva was unique in that it possessed only one laser cannon mounted aft purely for defensive purposes.
The Siva was assigned to Military Operations as a light missile destroyer to be used offensively with fleet support. The ships were designed to work together in groups of three. In these squadrons, they were to attack an enemy vessel while it was engaged in combat with a larger friendly vessel.
Until the Four Years War, the Siva class did not see any combat action. However, at the outbreak of the war, Sivas were some of the first vessels deployed in combat. Starfleet was conscious of the limited combat mission the Siva could perform and did not dispatch Sivas alone. Starfleet deployed them as designed when suitable capital vessels could be mustered (which proved quite a chore in the early days of the war).
As the war stabilized and the urgency of ship allocation lessened, the Siva class came into its own. Working mainly with Coventry class frigates and Heston class cruisers, a squadron of Sivas would be assigned to a single larger vessel. After a space battle had occurred in which a Klingon task force had been splintered or largely destroyed, a single Heston or Coventry would engage any lone, surviving Klingon capital ships. Staying well away from the larger Starfleet vessel so as not to be detected, the Sivas would lie in wait until the capital vessels engaged in combat. The Sivas would fly in a perpendicular path to the enemy vessel, avoiding any hostile forward weapons. The Sivas would fire their forward accelerator cannons at optimum range and then fly-by their target. Then, they would release their aft cannons and keep on going until out of range of the enemy vessel. Here they would turn around and line up for another attack. It took great skill and power management to perform the maneuver safely and effectively.
Usually captained by young Lieutenant Commanders, these ships and their crews were especially noted for their “e’sprit de corp”. This was especially the case with the Siva crews, since the entire complement of ten vessels were always assigned to the same fleet. Since their combat duties were limited by their design, they often served as scouts, pairing up with one another for safety.
It was no secret that the Siva was severely under-powered. Due to the limitations of its design and the technology of the era, no additional models of the ship were constructed and no other builds took place. The power limitations also left Sivas vulnerable, especially to Klingon gunboats and escorts that protected capital ships. Of the ten Siva class destroyers built, four were destroyed in the Four Years War. Two were damaged beyond repair and scrapped. The surviving four were assigned to Starfleet Training Command after the war where they served until being scrapped in 2269. One vessel, the USS William Howe, NCC 3216, participated in the evacuation of the Alerian homeworld in 2268 (2/11).
The USS Siva was amongst amongst those severely damaged, and the hulk was used as the prototype for the more conventional Siva subclass of the Saladin class in 2248. Upon the recommissioning of the Siva in this new configuration the former class was renamed the William Howe class.
From Star Trek Expanded Universe:
The USS Ares (NCC-1650) was the prototype of the Ares-class. It was commanded by Garth of Izar during the Four Years War. (Star Trek: Axanar)
During the first two years of the four years war, Starfleet was experiencing near constant defeat at the hands of the Imperial Klingon Navy’s D-6 battlecruiser. Whole systems were being seized, with the populations slaughtered at their hands. Changes needed to be made to save the Federation. The Starfleet Commander in Chief, Admiral Conrad Slater, was replaced by Admiral Marcus Ramirez. Ramirez’s first action was ordering the design and production of the Ares-class. The simulations showed promise, but its first real test would be on the battlefield. The Vulcans restricted their involvement to environmental, propulsion, and defensive sytems, though there were voices that demanded Vulcan remove their participation completely. In the words of Admiral Samuel Trask, “A Vulcan’s gonna do what a Vulcan’s gonna do. But the Andorians… they were happy to supply us the phasers.” The first ship in the class, the USS Ares, would be assigned to the Captain of the Destroyer Xenophon: Captain Kelvar Garth. There were over a dozen other member worlds waiting on the Ares class. Operation Pegasus would be the proving ground.
On stardate 2244.1, the Ares took part in its first combat engagement near the planet Cygnus III during Operation Pegasus. (“Prelude to Axanar”). In the words of the Supreme Warlord of the Imperial Klingon Navy (“Kharn the Undying”), “The new class Starfleet vessels were… unexpected.” Kelvar Garth, pushing his vessel’s capabilities to the maximum, surprised the Klingons and delivered a victory to Starfleet at Cygnus III. Following those events, Starfleet would go on to regain much of their lost territory. The USS Ares was faster, more agile, more heavily-armed than any operation Klingon vessel. With the new Ares-class and with the hard-won experience of their battle-tested commanders, three systems were retaken within 30 days. The Klingon ship captains began to give the Federation their due as a worthy adversary, primarily taking notice of Garth of Izar. The Captain of the USS Hercules, Samuel Trask, was quoted as saying, “That mad Izarian son of a bitch – that was his day.” Captain Sonya Alexander of the USS Ajax added, “Garth likes to play down what he did. Don’t you believe it. What he did that day no Starfleet Captain had ever done.”
In total 12 Ares class ships were built, production was curtailed in favour of additional ships of the Constitution class and related designs. The Constitution class was marginally cheaper and quicker to build, was more combat efficient, and it was recognised it would be a more a versatile design to retain postwar.
9 of the Ares class ships survived the war, and post war they served as guard ships for key installations before being mothballed in 2262. All were recalled for service in 2267 when the fleet was put on a war footing prior to the Organian conflict, after the imposition of the treaty the ships returned to reserve.
| Class: | IX | Year: | 2254 | |
| Ship Source: | Star Trek Axanar | Ship Datasheet: | Coming Soon | |
| NB The write up of the Ares creates an issue in that it clearly states that the design is a product of the four years war, but at the same time places the first Constitution class ships under construction (which is 9 years too late). I have chosen to keep the wartime date and ignore the Constitution reference. | ||||
The Marklin class, despite some limitations, gained an impressive combat record. This is largely due to the Actions of Captain Garth of Izar aboard his command the USS Xenophon. The lightest of the 2240-50 Destroyers, the Marklin was used extensively in an independent role as the twin engine design was deemed to be more survivable than the single engine design of most of its contemporaries.
For its time, the Marklin class destroyer was one of Starfleet’s most capable light offensive vessels. Having good power output and excellent maneuverability, it was a favorite with Military Operations. However, the design was also a victim of politics and only 20 were built.
The Marklin, an Andorian design, was first proposed to Starfleet by Chiokis Starship Construction in 2239 (1/82). Chiokis believed it could construct a light vessel which could serve in a military role, but also double as a solid platform for routine scientific study, much like the role of Starfleet’s cruisers. Impressed with the possibility of having a capable combat vessel and modest research vessel for the cost of a destroyer, Starfleet ordered 20 Marklins for immediate production.
Although the design had been approved, the controversy was just beginning. One week after the USS Marklin began construction, a lawsuit was filed against Chiokis Starship Construction and Starfleet Procurement by M’Yengh Yards for corporate conspiracy. M’Yengh Yards accused Starfleet Procurement (mainly one member in particular who had financial interests in Chiokis) with accepting Chiokis’ design without competition or bidding for the purpose of individual and corporate financial gain. This created a firestorm within Starfleet and the corporate world and the case was fast-tracked through the Federation Judiciary.
Eighteen months later, the Federation Tribunal overturned Quadrant One’s Appellate Court verdict and ruled against M’Yengh Yards in principle. The court determined that Starfleet could entertain solicitations from firms in confidence, without announcing the details of the proposal. Chiokis was, the court determined, acting in the best interests of its shareholders and company when it proposed the Marklin to Starfleet.
The court also determined that Starfleet could not, however, enter into an exclusive contract with Chiokis, meaning that most of the components used to build the Marklin would have to be open to bid. In addition, the court recommended that members of the board at Starfleet Procurement should relinquish any financial interests or other possible conflicts of interests when serving on the board. This policy was accepted and is still in place today.
In 2245, Starfleet announced that it would not order any more Marklins over the initial 20. Starfleet cited lower than expected performance for the decision, but those involved with the Marklin project were shocked. Many still believe that Starfleet decided to cut the Marklin project to repair its public image after the M’Yengh lawsuit.
Although tarnished by politics, the Marklin would serve with distinction throughout the Four Years War. It was one of her number, the USS Xenophon commanded by Captain Garth of Izar, which played the crucial role in the First and Second Battles of Axanar. All surviving Marklin class vessels were decommissioned shortly after the Four Years War.
| Class: | V | Year: | 2247 | |
| Ship Source: | Based on FASA Image | Ship Datasheet: | Download PDF | |
The Larson Class was one of the large numbers of Destroyers that commissioned in the 2240s. Although not as powerful as the Saladin class it was still built in large numbers. It was generally employed as an escort vessel for larger fleets.
Designed at the same time as the Nelson class scouts and the Constitution class cruisers, Larson class destroyers shared many of the same physical features of these ships. An efficient ship that served well, it was intended to perform the same tasks as other dual-function vessels, namely both research and defense. Even so, most of the existing Larsons in service were employed by Starfleet’s Military Operations Command, with several serving in the Galaxy Exploration Command.
Destroyers such as the Larson frequently were employed on patrol duty along the frontier areas. In time of war or other military emergencies, such destroyers were assigned to escort convoys or used as scouts by squadrons or small fleets. This methodology is still practiced today with Starfleet’s modern destroyers. With its array of weapons, the Larson was a fine combat vessel, though not as powerful as a cruiser or larger ship.
As can be seen by reviewing the statistics, the Larson Mk I was introduced into service in January 2245 (1/8801), remaining unchanged until the outbreak of the Four Years War in 2253 (1/95). After several fierce battles with Klingon forces, it was evident that the Larson was weaker than their Klingon counterparts. As quickly as possible, all Larsons were scheduled to be upgraded to Mk Ib standard. This provided the Larson with more efficient shielding, allowing more power for its new FL-3 lasers and existing FAC-1 accelerator cannons.
Finally in early 2256 (1/98), the first Mk II Larsons were produced. The production schedule was split into two lines: the Mk IIa and the Mk IIb. All Mk Ia Larsons upgraded during the conflict were upgraded to Mk IIa standard and all Mk Ibs became Mk IIbs. This helped speed up the turn around time for upgrades because only the weaponry and single warp engine, now upgraded to the FWC-2, changed on the vessels.
The Mk IIa mounted the FP-2 photon torpedo system, still in its prototype stage. The Mk IIb mounted the powerful FP-1 system. Starfleet was split on this issue, however: Larsons were seeing heavy action, but they were vulnerable ships. If mounted with the FP-1, the Larson’s firepower would increase, but at the sake of exposing the FP-1 photon technology to the Klingons if a Larson were captured in battle. In addition and unforeseen in static tests, the superstructure of the relatively light Larson was not strong enough to absorb the shock of repeated firings of the two FP-1 launchers. In rare cases, some firings caused structural damage to the starship. This problem was never fully resolved and in the later Mks, all Larsons mounted the smaller FP-2. All Mk I vessels were refitted with new weapons by September of 2258 (2/0109). Several small interior changes were also made, but these did not affect the combat performance of the vessel until the introduction of the Mk VI.
The Mk VI mounted improved phaser weapons and the more efficient FSD shield generators. The Mk VII, introduced in March of 2269 (2/1403), mounted the newer style engine nacelle and a more powerful impulse drive system. This increased the overall power output by 25% and extended the service life of the Larson class by several years. By May 2285 (2/2205), all Larsons in active service at that time had been upgraded to the Mk VI, and several had been modified to
Mk VIIs.
Production of the Larson class was halted in August of 2281 (2/1808) with the commissioning of the USS Juno. In October 2291 (2/2710), the last Larson class destroyer in service, the USS Tana Re, returned from its duty station and moored at Starbase 24. With this, the end of the Larson class era fell upon Starfleet Destroyer Command and all Larsons were placed in reserve fleets. As a part of Starfleet’s reserve fleet budget, a project has been underway since 2293 (2/29) to slowly upgrade all remaining Mk VI Larsons to Mk VII standard.
No ships sold to the private sector have been refit, and most retain the characteristics they had at the time of sale. All vessels sold were disarmed by Starfleet, though the weapon-mounting hardpoints usually were left intact.
Larsons were named for military leaders and battles of Terran origin. The class vessel is named for Admiral William G. Larson, hero of the battle at Gamma Hydra during the Romulan War. The only exception to this naming convention is NCC 4305, the USS Thelenth, which is named after an Andorian admiral who defeated the Klingons in a pitched battle at Donovan’s Star at the cost of his own ship and crew.
Historical Notes:
The ships Hammurabi and Troy were both destroyed while escorting a convoy of merchant ships bound for a frontier area. During this battle, seventeen freighters were destroyed and an additional four were taken as prizes by the Klingons. Of the five ships that survived the encounter, all reported that the Hammurabi destroyed two Klingon D-7 cruisers and crippled two others before being destroyed itself. The Troy apparently was disabled in the initial exchange of fire and left for dead. When a Klingon cruiser ventured too close to the derelict, however, it opened fire and destroyed the enemy vessel in a single volley. Of course, without maneuvering power, the Troy was later easily dispatched.
In August 2259 (2/0208), the Bolivar led a small detachment consisting of the Normandy, Alesia, Babur, and Tecumseh into an uncontrolled area near the Romulan Neutral Zone. The task force maintained radio silence and failed to report back at its scheduled time. When extensive communications attempts were made unsuccessfully, a rescue group was dispatched to the last reported position of the task force. Upon arrival, nothing was to be found, and an extensive search was begun, ultimately discovering the engine nacelle of the Alesia adrift in an unknown asteroid cluster. At the time no determination was made as to what had caused the loss of the ships, but it was suspected by many that the Romulans had ambushed the group and successfully destroyed them before they were able to send a call for aid. This theory was never proved, and no action was ever taken against the Romulans, largely because it was felt that the Romulans could not have crossed the Neutral Zone unnoticed. Since the discovery of the Romulan cloaking capability, the theory has been given new weight.
In February 2270 (2/1502), the USS Richtofen was recalled for an engine refit and scheduled maintenance to shipboard systems. As the ship’s refit and maintenance checks neared completion, spirited Ensigns and sympathetic workers painted it bright red in honor of its namesake. Starfleet Command decided to leave the ship this color despite the breach of regulations, though all Ensigns were mildly disciplined. The vessel was assigned to the Klingon sector.
On its maiden flight, the USS Sheridan experienced a critical overload in its warp drive system. All backup systems failed to correct the problem. It was decided to jettison the engine pod because an uncontrolled matter anti-matter mix was underway and could not be stopped. The systems used to eject the engine also failed, and the ship was totally destroyed in the subsequent explosion. Three crewmembers who had taken refuge in a shuttle survived.
The Larson class destroyers were produced at the Sol V and Proxima shipyards.
| Class: | VII | Year: | 2243 | |
| Ship Source: | FASA | Ship Datasheet: | Download PDF | |
The Agilis (PA-820) Class was the most common Perimeter action class in Starfleet between the 2250’s and 2280’s. A simple twin engine design, the Agilis was notable in mounting a pair of high powered accelerator cannons in a ventral pod, giving the vessel impressive firepower both fore and aft. A third accelerator cannon was mounted separately in the primary hull, to ensure that it was not possible to knock out the bulk of the ship’s firepower with a single hit.
The Agilis used the simple and tested FWH-1 warp drive, although many felt an engine such as FWA-1 was a better choice, it was felt that the load carrying capability of the FWH-1 would allow the carriage of the maximum possible weapon load. The engines as fitted to the Agilis varied from the standard FWH-1, in that top line speed was massively boosted, at the expense of 50% poor fuel efficiency, however this was felt to be acceptable given the mission profile of the Agilis. In service the Mk1 was a revelation in that it outperformed both of the larger PA classes, and in total 155 Mk1 ships entered service, and saw considerable combat during the four years war.
The class was refiited postwar with phasers and photon torpedoes, but the lighter weights of these systems meant that the Kiaga could finally carry a full weapon load, while the computer system of the Agilis meant that the already large weapon load could not be increased by a similar amount. As such the Mk2 Agilis, was slightly less combat efficient than the Mk2 Kiaga. Throughout its career, he Agilis was cramped and uncomfortable for crews, but the rugged simplicity and toughness of the craft endeared it to the crews who served aboard.
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