History of Starfleet Ship Design
 |
Starfleet shipbuilding has gone through a number of distinct eras as new technologies and construction practices have emerged.
Early Federation (2161-2210s)
At the founding of the Federation in 2161, Starfleet inherited the bulk of Earth's Starfleet, consisting mainly of Daedalus and NX-class starships left over from the Earth-Romulan War.
Classes Introduced:
- NX-class cruiser
- Intrepid-class light cruiser
- Daedalus-class surveyor
- Columbia-class cruiser
- Bonaventure-class cruiser
Golden Age of Exploration (2210s-2260s)
Classes Introduced:
- Walker-class light cruiser
- Shepard-class frigate
- Cardenas-class heavy cruiser
- Magee-class surveyor
- Nimitz-class heavy cruiser
- Malachowski-class light cruiser
- Engle-class scout
- Constitution-class heavy cruiser
- Hernandez-class surveyor
- Hoover-class light cruiser
- Crossfield-class science vessel
Standardization and Consolidation (2260s-2270s)
Classes Introduced:
- Miranda-class light cruiser
- Hermes-class scout
- Saladin-class frigate
- Antares-class surveyor
- Ptolemy-class tug
- Federation-class dreadnought
Refinement & The Great Experiment (2270s-2330s)
Classes Introduced:
- Constitution-class refit heavy cruiser
- Miranda-class refit light cruiser
- Akula-class frigate
- Oberth-class surveyor
- Excelsior-class heavy cruiser
- Constellation-class heavy cruiser
- Centaur-class scout
The Ambassador Era (2330s-2350s)
Classes Introduced:
- Ambassador-class heavy cruiser
- Freedom-class scout
Fleet Modernization Program (2350s-2368)
Main Article: Fleet Modernization Program
By the 2350s, Starfleet was largely comprised of starships that were designed in the middle of the previous century, with the preference having been to continue large-scale production of the Miranda-class and Constellation-class designs which had their roots in the Constitution-class refit of the 2270s. The Fleet Modernization Program was a concerted and centralized initiative, implemented to replace these aging vessels with new designs that incorporated the latest in defensive, scientific, and propulsion advances. This program was cut short following the Battle of Wolf 359, when it was realized that even these advances weren't enough in the face of an enemy like the Borg.
Classes Introduced:
- Springfield-class science vessel
- Cheyenne-class light cruiser
- Challenger-class scout/courier
- New Orleans-class frigate
- Olympic-class cruiser
- Nebula-class heavy cruiser
- Galaxy-class explorer
- California-class utility cruiser
The Borg and Dominion conflicts (2368-2375)
Following the disastrous encounter with the Borg in 2367, Starfleet began a massive rebuilding and upgrade campaign to create a large number of combat-capable designs that could also fulfill Starfleet's primary exploratory and humanitarian missions. Unlike the previous shipbuilding campaign, these design programs were executed in a number of different initiatives.
Classes introduced:
- Saber-class scout
- Norway-class light cruiser
- Steamrunner-class light cruiser
- Akira-class heavy cruiser
- Nova-class surveyor
- Intrepid-class light explorer
- Defiant-class escort
- Sovereign-class explorer
- Prometheus-class heavy escort
- Galaxy-class Refit (Dreadnought-type) dreadnought
- Typhon-class carrier
Post-War Renaissance (2375-2385)
Classes introduced:
- Rhode Island-class scout
- Luna-class light explorer
- Argonaut-class light cruiser
- Atlantia-class light cruiser
- Diligent-class frigate
- Parliament-class utility cruiser
- Century-class explorer
- Odyssey-class explorer
The New Normal (2385-2399)
Classes introduced:
- Inquiry-class heavy cruiser
- Manticore-class heavy escort
- Vesta-class explorer
- Reliant-class light cruiser
- Resolute-class heavy cruiser