Achilles Class
The Achilles-class destroyer is a well-armed tactical vessel designed during the Dominion War. Though the war ended before the class could have a meaningful impact, a cadre of these vessels was built and held in reserve in anticipation of future conflicts. Beginning in 2401, the members of this class held in reserve at Avalon Fleet Yards were modernized, reactivated, and assigned to the Fourth Fleet, entering service in 2402, as part of a larger return to service of Dominion War-era designs including the Dreadnought and Typhon. While slower at warp and less versatile than the newer Manticore, the Achilles has excellent firepower and solid defenses.
Science and Exploration
When first built, Achilles-class destroyers had no scientific or exploratory features at all. When the class was prepared to return to service over the course of 2401, some of the volume left open for future expansion and some cargo bays were replaced with a set of standard science labs, offering one each in life sciences, space sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences, as well as two generalist labs. The ship’s tactical sensors have also been given software updates that allow them to perform exploratory sensor scans. These systems are meant to be used in a pinch when an Achilles is the only ship in range, or when it has free time on a patrol. Given their low overall endurance, a ship like this having time for scientific missions would be a rarity, but they can at least perform initial assessments while a more specialized vessel is sent to investigate.
In the early months of their return to service, Starfleet has noted that the advanced tactical sensors on these ships have also been quite effective at locating potential systems with unknown civilizations, as the same technology that picks up on warp core resonance traces and subspace fields generated by threat vessels can also be used to find new allies. It is anticipated that ships of this class will be deployed in exploratory squadrons where additional firepower could be desirable.
Diplomacy
Achilles-class vessels are not intended for diplomatic functions, except when absolutely necessary. Their heavy armament and spartan interiors make them simultaneously likely to intimidate and to offend potential new friends. In situations where tensions are already high, they do make excellent escorts for emissary cruisers, as their tactical systems leave no question that Starfleet is willing to defend its diplomats, should it become necessary. Interestingly, Fourth Fleet Diplomatic Operations is considering using these vessels to liaise with the Klingons and other races for whom a show of strength might be a better olive branch than a well-furnished conference room.
Engineering
During the initial design phase, the team behind the Achilles started with an Intrepid-class space frame and essentially shrunk its vertical profile and stretched its horizontal one, to create a long, thin, dagger-shaped starship that blends the primary and secondary hulls to the point of essentially being a monohull design. It is an engineering miracle that the engines designed for the Intrepid could be tuned to move a starship of significantly greater mass. While there are standard impulse engines on the saucer, the ship’s primary sublight power comes from impulse engines on the stern that are directly integrated into the class-nine warp drive through an old-style deflection crystal on the underside of the ship, making them glow blue. A set of six warp field stabilizers between the nacelles helps the ship maintain its speed.
As designed, the Achilles could achieve a top speed of Warp 9.96, slower than the Intrepid. During the class’s return to service, this was pushed to 9.975, but this was judged to be the highest safe and sustainable speed the class could reach without significant reworking of the warp drive. Cruise speeds are limited to warp 6. While not “slow,” this does lag behind modern standards. In addition, the warp-impulse assembly requires a lot of maintenance, which keeps her crews very busy.
A single shuttle bay on the stern allows for a modest complement of personnel shuttles.
Tactical
Achilles-class starships were designed to go toe-to-toe with Dominion Battlecruisers. As such, they are optimized for hit-and-run attacks that utilize high impulse speeds and devastating alpha strikes. The ship’s forward weapons are impressive: six heavy pulse phaser cannons, two burst-fire torpedo launchers identical to those found aboard the Galaxy, and two standard single-fire launchers. Aft coverage is limited to two single-fire launchers. Lateral coverage is rounded out by four dorsal and six ventral phaser arrays. What is unique about this class is a set of six rotary quantum microtorpedo launchers on the ship’s spine. This system allows the Achilles to get directly under a target, and then launch volley after volley of quantum warheads up at it. Unlike standard torpedoes which rely on guidance systems, these microtorpedoes are essentially just the warhead in a protective covering, meaning they are only effective at extremely close range. A standard attack for this class is to approach at top speed while bombarding it with its pulse phasers and primary torpedo launchers, and then diving under it to pepper it with microtorpedoes. If the target is still intact, it will be sufficiently weakened to let the Achilles swing around for another pass with impunity.
The ship carries substantial amounts of ablative armor over sensitive areas, but it is not entirely clad. Her redundant shielding systems are the highest grade of regenerative shielding available. Starfleet is configuring a multiphasic shield upgrade for this class, but the preference was to get them into service quickly. Even still, an Achilles can shrug off multiple direct hits from most threat vessels.
Though their top speed lags behind other starships, the Achilles is suited for search-and-desroy missions of single targets in deep space. She is also well-suited to accompany a squadron to provide tactical support. They are also capable of general border patrol duties.
Shipboard Life
A unique mix of old and new, the majority of the onboard systems of the Achilles date back to the 2370s, including the crew quarters and other non-critical systems. It’s like stepping back into a time capsule, though the interfaces have been brought to the latest standards. Crew members who came of age in the 2390s might find some of her operations quaint—or tedious. Things they are used to being automated might require manual intervention. This means there is comparatively less downtime than on newer ships. The crew count is also relatively high for a ship of this size, meaning cramped quarters for some. Unlike the Defiant, at least, there are windows, though they are few and far between. Recreation facilities are limited, as this ship was not intended for long-duration voyages. As such, an Achilles is best deployed close to home, or sent out into the field with a larger mothership such as an Odyssey.
The crews that have been placed aboard these ships are a combination of veterans from the Dominion War who have returned to service and green junior officers, which gives them a unique intergenerational atmosphere. Universally, there is a sense of pride among the crews that have been granted the privilege to bring this nearly forgotten class back into service.
History
The Achilles-class starship was designed at the height of the Dominion War to take the principles of the Defiant-class further to a much larger design that would pack the same proportional punch. All of the voices at Starfleet Command that had opposed deploying true warships were at this point unable to continue to resist the push, and so the project was authorized. Even with teams working around the clock, the first Achilles-class ship wasn’t launched until the last months of the war. As the war came to a conclusion, though, it was decided to complete the dozen vessels of this class that had been ordered and hold them in reserve. Starfleet would not be caught flat-footed again.
Twelve of these ships and a further twelve unassembled space frames were held in storage at Avalon Fleet Yards, where they lay dormant for the next 20 years. In 2401, Starfleet suffered setback after setback, from enemies ranging from the Borg to the Dominion themselves. Fourth Fleet command authorized AFY to begin refurbishing and reactivating the ships of the Achilles class. As they were kept in large-scale stasis fields, their systems were easy enough to reactivate. The phaser arrays were upgraded to the latest Type-XIV standards, though there was little that could be done to improve her top speed to modern standards without a full redesign. The class entered service in an era of uncertainty at the beginning of 2402, providing essential tactical support to the Fourth Fleet and complementing their Manticore-class successors in the field.
The Achilles Class In-Play
- Like the Dreadnought and the Typhon, the Achilles is a Dominion War-era vessel that has been brought back into service after spending roughly twenty years in storage. The crews at Avalon Fleet Yards have brought them to operational status, but they're going to feel dated to many younger members of Starfleet. As with the other two classes brought back in this manner, they are a great opportunity for storytelling that mixes older veterans with young up-and-coming officers.
- The Achilles is an excellent tactical platform that brings a surprising amount of firepower to bear in its relatively compact package. (Some sources have the ship at approximately twice the length we have it, but an independent review of the scale and some math show that it can't be as big as fanon has it.)
- While not slow by any real definition of that word, it is not as fast as some of the most modern starships in the fleet. It's also something of a hanger queen so you'll usually see ships like this either sent out on a specific tactical mission, or patrolling within several days' journey of a starbase. It does have a year of supplies, though, so it's not quite as beholden to support as an escort would be, but it's als not the most luxurious ship, so that limits crew endurance.
- With a modicum of scientific facilities, it could be an interesting story to explore an Achilles having to deal with a scientific problem that strength of arms alone cannot solve.