Light cruisers are designed to provide the same research, exploration and scientific multi-phenomenon capability as their larger brethren. Light cruisers often sacrifice range and onboard amenities to create sufficient room for research equipment. Light cruisers are often better at focusing all their resources on a single project, due to their smaller size and more analogous crew. Light Cruisers do not have the speed associated with other cruiser classes, but are often more manoeuvrable.

During military operations, Light Cruisers are used in conjunction with Destroyers and Escorts to target a single enemy vessel and engage it with fire support from larger vessels, such as Heavy Cruiser or Dreadnoughts.

• 2158 – Comet
• 2160 – Daedalus
• 2174 – Wasp I
• 2175 – Wasp II
• 2179 – Moskva
• 2184 – Gagarin
• 2196 – Paris
• 2200 – Tritium
• 2201 – Modified Tritium
• 2208 – Mann
• 2211 – Eclipse
• 2222 – Detroit
• 2223 – Kestrel
• 2230 – Texas
• 2239 – Capella Class (Configuration I)
• 2239 – Capella Class (Configuration II)
• 2243 – Texas Refit
• 2250 – Kearsage
• 2250 – Pyotr Velilkiy
• 2253 – Shanks
• 2268 – Durrett Prototype