Challenger Squadron

Challenger Squadron is a formation centered around the starship Challenger, an Odyssey-class heavy explorer. Formed in 2401 under the command of Fleet Captain Thomas Forrester, Challenger Squadron was assigned to explore regions of the Gamma Quadrant that were previously occupied by the Dominion. Instead of being assigned to one of the Fourth Fleet's task forces, Challenger Squadron was assigned directly to Fourth Fleet Operations.

History

Formation (2401)

In 2397, the Dominion withdrew from the Riada Sector. Eager to explore this previously inaccessible region of the Gamma Quadrant, Starfleet Science requested ships be assigned to this task only to be repeatedly rebuffed by Starfleet Command.

Challenger Squadron was formed in January 2401 at the direction of Fourth Fleet Operations with the intention of exploring the Riada Sector. Previously only able to study the region by long range sensors and telescopes, Challenger Squadron's mission would finally allow Starfleet to conduct an in-depth study of the sector while also building relations with the civilisations there who, for the first time in centuries, are no longer living under Dominion occupation and providing whatever support they can. The squadron originally consisted of three starships, the Challenger, Inverness and Higgs.

However, on the eve of the Squadron's departure from Starbase Bravo, Starfleet Command postponed their mission to the Gamma Quadrant for two weeks, instead assigning them to mundane tasks in Federation space. The mission was postponed again, this time indefinitely in late January. No reason was given for this and Fleet Captain Forrester was unable to find out through his contacts at Starfleet Command. In February 2401, the USS Inverness was removed from Challenger Squadron and reassigned to the Federation/Romulan Republic border with no ship immediately assigned to replace her.

Leadership

2401 - 2401

Fleet Captain Thomas Forrester - Commander
Captain Everett Ashford - Deputy Commander

2401 - Present

Fleet Captain Thomas Forrester - Commander
Captain Anastasia Matheson - Deputy Commander

Current Composition

Challenger Squadron is currently composed of two starships.

USS Challenger - Odyssey-class heavy explorer - Challenger is the flagship, tasked with the bulk of the diplomatic work the squadron will take on. For this reason it's diplomatic detachment has recently been beefed up under the command of Commander Matthias Bentley. With it's extensive medical facilities and the presence of an SCE detachment onboard, the Challenger provides medical, counselling and engineering support to the entire squadron. In addition to commanding Challenger Squadron, Fleet Captain Forrester has also commanded the Challenger herself since January 2401.
USS Higgs - Nova-class surveyor - The primary role of the Higgs is to undertake long term, in-depth surveys of the star systems in the Riada Sector. It's envisaged that the Higgs will spend several months studying the systems that, until now, Starfleet has only been able to study on long-range sensors or through telescopes. Captain Anastasia Matheson has commanded the Higgs since December 2400 and was promoted to Deputy Squadron Commander in February 2401