Excalibur Class

Excalibur-class
Class Information
Role:	Explorer
Status:	Active
Date Entered Service:	2374
Basic Stats
Decks:	32
Cruising Speed:	Warp 7
Total Compliment:	1155
Tactical Systems
Energy Weapons:	5x Type-XII phaser arrays
Torpedo Launchers:	5 Launchers
Shields:	Multi-Layered Shielding System
Template:Shipclass

Class Description

The Excalibur Class was a design born from the vastly improving technologies since the launch of the Galaxy Class. With the improvements in computer system technologies, increasing accuracy, range and overall ability of sensor technologies, advancements in phaser arrays, and new forms of offensive weapon technologies the Galaxy Class was becoming out of date for the role of deep space, long range explorer. The Excalibur Class was originally a proposed design for the Sovereign Class, which was rejected in favor of a more tactical design. With the Galaxy Class still the only large scale dedicated explorer, the Excalibur design was reevaluated as a possible candidate to incorporate all of the newest technologies into a larger ship capable of deep space exploration, to serve along side the Galaxy Class. Although with the swaying tides of the battle against the Borg Collective, the development of the Excalibur was considerably slowed in favor of more combat-oriented designs.

Rear View of an Excalibur-Class

The Excalibur was considered to be the next step in the evolution of deep space explorers; not to replace the Galaxy Class, but supplement it. The Galaxy was still years more advanced than most other vessels of exploration, but Starfleet Command dictated the need to incorporate the newest and considerably more advanced computer systems, namely the bio-neural computer systems, into a new generation of explorers. The general idea was to make the starship able to still pack a punch if needed in combat because of the largely unknown nature of long range, deep space exploration, but able to shed away the multiple torpedo launchers and redundant phaser arrays that the Sovereign boasted.

In place of those systems were to be more science labs, extra crew quarters, more deep space oriented departments like multiple hydroponics bays, holographic emitters in all major areas of the ship, shuttle and torpedo/probe manufacturing labs, and an extra shuttlebay. Another design aspect of the Excalibur, which would mirror its Galaxy sister and stray away from its Sovereign cousin, was the addition of even more crew luxury systems like extra holodecks, an extra arboretum, more gymnasium rooms and redundant medical facilities, which gave it the ability like the Galaxy to make large scale evacuations in emergency situations. With such a large vessel, it was also designed to allow a majority of the crew to access their own personal quarters, including junior officers and enlisted personnel. It was found that avoiding cramped conditions improved crew morale. The design was made as much for crew comfort as it was for exploring deep space.

An Excalibur-Class starship escaping an explosion.

The design was finished in 2372. However, with the quickly escalating conflict with the Dominion the construction of the prototype and shakedown cruise wasn't a top priority, with ships like the Sovereign, Defiant and Steamrunner taking precedence because of their combative natures. A prototype was completed in very late 2374 though and given a shakedown within the core Federation territories. The shakedown cruise of the Excalibur was a farcical exercise and the ship was barely tested before it was ordered to the front lines against the Dominion. The Excalibur was able to take quite a beating and hand one out too, but in large scale battles it was clearly no Sovereign.

The Excalibur was thrust to the Vulcan front on the possibility that the Dominion were going to start a risky campaign to take the core Federation world. After Starfleet was certain that Vulcan was in no immediate danger the Excalibur was reassigned to help attack the Dominion foothold in the Chin'toka system. During the battle the Excalibur was able to successfully take the crew of three separate heavily crippled ships on board and treat them accordingly. The combined might of the Dominion forces were too much for the Excalibur, though, and she fell victim to enemy fire. Most of the crew were able to be evacuated and the Allied fleet went on to obtain a victory.

After the end of the war two Excalibur Class hulls, which were in dock pending completion, were finally finished and Starfleet was overall happy with the success of the Excalibur in battle. How she would perform in deep space assignments was the true test, however, and after a year of shakedown for the two Excaliburs in circulation the design performed well above expectations.

The largest drawback of the Excalibur Class is its requirement of resources to build. Literally one of the largest designs Starfleet has ever employed, it requires even more resources than the Galaxy Class to construct. The construction time for the Excalibur is also nearly a third longer than that of the Galaxy. However, the class is a diamond gem when it comes to long term deep space assignments. The Excalibur Class has since been put into production in very limited numbers and it remains one of the most sought after commands in all of Starfleet.

Ship Specifications

Specifications
Basic Information	Role: Explorer Dimensions: 920 meters (L) x 361 meters (W) x 129 meters (H) Decks: 32 Expected Duration: 100 years Time Between Resupply: 5 years Expected Refit Cycle: 10 years
Crew Compliment	Total Crew: 1,350 200 Officers 750 Enlisted 200 Marines Number of Civilians: 200 Emergency Capacity: 2,500
Propulsion	Thrusters: RCS Thrusters Sublight Speed: 0.25c Warp Speed Cruising Speed: Warp 7 Maximum Warp: Warp 9.7 Emergency Warp: Warp 9.95 (for 12 hours)
Offensive Systems	ENERGY WEAPONS 5x Type-XII Phaser Arrays TORPEDO LAUNCHERS 2 Forward 1 Forward Turret 2 Aft PAYLOAD 600 Quantum Torpedoes 400 Photon Torpedoes 20 Tricobalt Torpedoes
Defensive Systems	Shields: Regenerative Shielding System
Primary Systems	Computer Systems: Isolinear Computer Systems Transporters: 4 six-man transporters Transporter Range: 45,000 Kilometers Sensor Range: 20 light years Communications Range: 20 light years
Auxiliary Craft	SHUTTLEBAYS: 2 SUPPORT CRAFT: Shuttles: 14 Workbees: 8 Runabouts: 5 Fighters: 6
Other Notes	CREW AMENITIES: Holodecks STARSHIP FEATURES: 264 Escape Pods Duranium/Tritanium Double Hull 10cm Ablative Armor Enhanced Level Structural Integrity Field

Deck Listing

Deck	Details/Specifications of Deck
Deck 1	Bridge Captains ready room Main conference lounge
Deck 2	XO’s Office VIP quarters Chief operations officer’s office
Deck 3	VIP Quarters VIP conference lounge Executive officer’s quarters
Deck 4	Shuttle bays 1 and 2 control rooms Shuttle bays 1 and 2 upper levels Officers’ quarters
Deck 5	Shuttle bays 1 and 2 mid-levels Shuttle bay observation galleries Computer cores 1 and 2 upper level 1 Officers quarters, holo decks 1 and 2
Deck 6	Shuttle bays 1 and 2 main level Transporter rooms 1 and 2 Computer cores 1 and 2 upper level 2 Officers’ quarters Officers’ mess Senior enlisted officers’ quarters
Deck 7	Shuttle storage and maintenance Transporter machinery rooms 1 and 2 Computer cores 1 and 2 mid-level Enlisted officers’ quarters
Deck 8	Computer cores 1 and 2 lower level 1 Enlisted officers’ quarters Enlisted mess Holo decks 3 and 4
Deck 9	Computer cores 1 and 2 lower level 2 Forward torpedo launcher 1 Forward torpedo storage 1 Aft torpedo launcher 1 Aft torpedo storage 1
Deck 10	Main Sick bay Chief medical officer’s office Medical support labs Computer core 3 upper level 1 Steller cartography upper level Forward observation lounge upper level
Deck 11	Impulse engine bays upper level 1 (port and starboard) Computer core upper level 2 Steller cartography mid-level Forward observation lounge lower level Main hull waste recycling Main hull life support system
Deck 12	Impulse engine bays upper level 2 (port and starboard) Computer core mid-level Steller Cartography lower level Chief science officer office Primary science labs
Deck 13	Impulse engine bays mid-level 1 (port and starboard) Computer core 3 lower level 1
Deck 14	Impulse engine bay mid-level 2(port and starboard) Computer core 3 lower level 2 Secondary science labs
Deck 15	Impulse engine bay mid-level 3(port and starboard) Deuterium storage tanks upper level Secondary medical labs Impulse engines monitoring and maintenance (port and starboard)
Deck 16	Impulse engine bays lower level 1 (port and starboard) Deuterium storage tanks lower level
Deck 17	Impulse engine bays lower level 2 (port and starboard) Deuterium injectors Spare impulse reactor storage and maintenance bay
Deck 18	Impulse engine bays lower level 3 (port and starboard), After torpedo launcher 2 After torpedo storage 2
Deck 19	Brig Chief security/tactical officer’s office Security briefing room Forward torpedo storage 2
Deck 20	Transporter rooms 3 and 4 Forward torpedo launcher 2
Deck 21	Cargo bays 1 and 2 upper level Transporter machinery rooms 3 and 4
Deck 22	Cargo bays 1 and 2 lower level Cargo transporters
Deck 23	Main engineering upper level Cargo bays 3 and 4 upper level Forward torpedo launcher 3 Forward torpedo storage 3
Deck 24	Main engineering mid-level Cargo Bays 3 and 4 lower level Deflector dish bay upper level 1
Deck25	Main engineer main level Chief engineer’s office Shuttle bay 3 upper level Shuttle bay control room, Deflector dish upper level 2
Deck 26	Shuttle bay 3 mid-level Engineering support labs Deflector dish bay mid-level Deflector control
Deck 27	Shuttle bay 3 lower level Deflector dish bay lower level 1
Deck 28	Shuttle bay 3 shuttle storage and maintenance Replicator consumables storage Deflector dish bay lower level 2
Deck 29	Engineering section waste recycling and life support systems
Deck30	Parts storage and Industrial replicators
Deck 31	Anitmatter pods Antimatter injectors
Deck 32	Warp core ejection Hatch Anitmatter pods Anitmatter pod ejection hatch