User:CrimsonTacit/Sandbox/Miranda Class Refit

The Miranda-class refit frigate was one of the most widely-produced starship designs of the 23rd and 24th century, serving as a light cruiser, frigate, science vessel, and supply vessel at various points during its long career. Prized for its balance of capabilities across all of Starfleet's main mission parameters, this class of ship was built en masse and served as the backbone of the fleet from the 2290s through the 2370s. Originally designated as a light cruiser, this class was redesignated as a frigate in the 2350s during the Federation-Cardassian War. Their numbers were decimated during the Borg and Dominion conflicts, but the spirit behind the design and her aesthetic signature lives on in the Reliant-class frigate. While the class is no longer in mainline Starfleet service, a handful of these vessels continue on in Starfleet Auxiliary service as transports and surveyors.

Exploration and Science

For decades, Miranda-class ships were considered front-line explorers, serving alongside Excelsior-class and Constellation-class heavy cruisers. By the 2330s and 2340s, there were a sufficient number of these other classes in addition to the even larger Ambassador-class heavy cruisers to push the Miranda to second-line surveys and scientific missions, but they remained a valuable part of the exploratory fleet into the 2360s. As a fully-equipped light cruiser, they carry comprehensive science labs and a full science department, with specialized labs for most fields found aboard. The planetary sensor dome they share with other ships of their era is a powerful tool for examining planets closely, and they have two forward-facing sensor pods, but a weakness of this class has always been a lack of specialized sensor arrays. As a frigate, Miranda-class ships retained their scientific facilities but with greatly reduced scientific staff aboard. What staff remained were typically tasked with long-range monitoring of threat vessels and coordinating with Starfleet Stellar Cartography to plot optimal patrol routes. The small number of Miranda-class ships operated by Starfleet Auxiliary as surveyors can carry scientific teams of 40 to 80, depending on the specific project. With increased automation and lacking the weapons found aboard the frigate or light cruiser versions of the ship, they are given spacious facilities that take up a great deal of the primary hull and are ideal for long-term projects where a vessel will stay in one area for a long period of time, as they are too slow for much else.