Difference between pages "Avalon Fleet Yards" and "Akira Class"

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{{workinprogress}}{{Starbase
{{icons|bfc}}
| name = Avalon Fleet Yards
{{Specification
| image = [[File:USS_Enterprise-E_in_drydock_2.png]]
| image = [[Image:Akiraclass.png]]
| registry = AFY
| displayName = '''''Akira'' Class'''
| class = Fleet Yard
| name = Akira
| commission = 2365
| affiliation = [[United Federation of Planets]]
| decommission =
| operator = [[Starfleet]]
| taskforce =
| status =
| quadrant = [[Alpha Quadrant]]
| role = *Heavy Cruiser
| role = Fourth Fleet Construction & Repair
*Light Carrier
| affiliation = *[[United Federation of Planets]]
| type = Heavy Cruiser
*[[Starfleet]]
| precedingClass =
*[[Fourth Fleet]]
| succeedingClass =
| sector = [[Grazer Sector]]
| dateEntered = 2363
| system = [[Avalon System]]
| productionEnd =
| co = Admiral TBD
| retired =
| crew =
| expectedDuration = 80 Years
| dedication =  
| expectedRefit = 10 Years
}}'''Avalon Fleet Yards''' is the primary shipyard that services the Fourth Fleet. Located in the Grazer Sector within the trailing rimward section of the Alpha Quadrant, this base has long served as a production facility for starships of all kinds. While other starbases, such as Starbase Bravo provide support for the Fourth Fleet, this shipyard handles the most difficult and time-consuming refits that can't be accomplished at a standard starbase.  
| timeResupply = 1 Year
| crewComplement = 550
| emergencyCap = 4,500
| civilians =
| populationCap =
| flightCrew =
| passengers =
| length = 464 meters
| width = 317  meters
| diameter =
| height = 87 meters
| decks = 17
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 7
| maxSpeed = Warp 9
| emergencySpeed = Warp 9.8 (12 hours)
| energyWeapons = *3x Type-X Phaser Arrays
| torpLaunchers = *2 (primary hull), 4 forward (weapons pod)
* 1 starboard (primary hull), 3 starbard aft (weapons pod)
* 1 port (primary hull), 3 port aft (weapons pod)
| torpPayload = *225 Photon Torpedoes
*225 Quantum Torpedoes
| shields = Multi-Layered Shielding System  
| dockingfacilities =
| shuttleBays = 2
| shuttles = 12
| runabouts = 2
| fighters =
| aux =  
| msd =  
| playable = yes
}}
The '''''Akira''-class heavy cruiser''' is a medium-sized starship designed originally immediately following the Wolf 359 attack by the Borg., While she has substantial exploratory capabilities, the ''Akira'' has always been more aligned with Starfleet’s defensive aims than its exploratory ones. With extensive torpedo armament and dedicated facilities to hold combat-capable small craft, the ''Akira''-class heavy cruiser serves ably as both direct combatant and as a carrier. Units of this class served with distinction in the Dominion War and Battle of Sector 001.


== History ==
=== Exploration and Science ===
The Avalon System was first surveyed in the 2290s. It was immediately recognized as an important energy production site, as it was home to both substantial dilithium and deuterium reserves. Facilities were constructed on Avalon II and its largest moon, Avalon Prime, in the years that followed to obtain these valuable substances. In the 2350s, Starfleet decided to expand the facility into a fleet yard to expand production capabilities in the rimward region of Federation space. An ''Anchorage''-class station was towed into position above Avalon II to coordinate the efforts of several dry dock facilities.
During peacetime, the ''Akira''-class’s large hangar bays allow it to carry scouts and runabouts on long-range missions, which expand its exploratory capabilities significantly. Her extensive torpedo magazines can also be configured to store probes instead. This allows them to survey an entire star system quickly, even if they are not equipped to do so in as great depth as a ''Nova''-class surveyor might be. Science labs on this class are essentially equivalent to those aboard any light cruiser built in the 2370s, as her greater size has been used for hanger facilities. This makes them capable of independent exploratory missions, though they are more often assigned to patrol Federation space.


In the late 2360s, the facility was expanded significantly to bolster the fleet following Wolf 359. In the 2370s, it was an important facility for the fleet's Dominion War efforts because of its position far behind Federation lines. It was during the 2370s that it became the primary fleet yard for the Fourth Fleet, a role that it retains in the 25th century. By the late 2370s, the original ''Anchorage''-class station was found to be too small for the volume of work faced by the fleet yards, so a new ''Probert''-class spacedock was built there.
With her large cargo bays and hanger bays, the ''Akira''-class is well-suited to resupplying outlying scientific outposts or setting up field camps for research expeditions. Otherwise, these ships don’t often find themselves venturing too far beyond Federation space.


As of the 25th century, Avalon Fleet Yards is one of the largest starship production facilities in the Federation, and its importance has only increased following the destruction of Utopia Planitia in 2385.  
=== Diplomacy ===
The Akira-class is not meant as a diplomatic platform, especially given that she was designed alongside the ''Norway'', which was specifically designed for this purpose. The class is equipped with adequate guest quarters, but its relatively modest top speed limits its utility as a courier. Its place in Federation diplomacy is in being extremely adept at taking down raiders and other threats to potential allies, and so its presence in a star system can be deeply reassuring during negotiations, or it can serve as a reminder of the Federation’s strength to hostile powers.


== Organization ==
=== Engineering ===
Avalon Fleet Yards is a major command, responsible to both Fourth Fleet Command and Starfleet Engineering. With a total crew of over 100,000, Avalon is under the command of a Vice Admiral, who is assisted by one commodore or fleet captain each for the shipyard's planetary, orbital, and mobile assets.
While the hull shape of this vessel is radically different from most other Federation ships of the time, its actual engines and other systems are fairly conventional. The primary and secondary hulls have been integrated into a monohull, with the nacelle pylons integrated into sweeping catamarans and connected by a small pod. Engine and computer systems are borrowed heavily from the ''Nebula''-class, though the class has simplified warp nacelles.  
== Facilities ==
Avalon Fleet Yards is a massive installation with orbital and planet-side facilities. The yard's headquarters and the living quarters for many of its staff are located on Avalon II. The primary orbital facility is Brahms Station, a [[Probert Class|''Probert''-class spacedock]] orbiting between Avalon II and its largest moon, which has been mined extensively for dilithium and has nearly been hollowed out to provide additional space for fabrication and assembly facilities. There are dozens of dry docks around the spacedock and the moon. Additional orbital stations provide research and design, storage, and additional accommodations.


=== Avalon II Facilities ===
There is a single forward shuttle bay which connects through the hull to two aft bays, allowing for small craft to fly straight through the ship, which aids in the launch and recovery of fighters in combat situations, as they can leave through the forward bay and return under the protection of the ship’s catamaran structures aft.
Avalon II is a Class-O pelagic world with 95% of its surface covered in oceans. Highly unusual for a life-supporting planet, the seas of this world are almost entirely composed of heavy water, that is to say water that contains deuterium rather than hydrogen. While toxic to most carbon-based biologies, it is an important source of fuel for anti-matter reactors, and so Avalon II was initially colonized as a refining station. Floating deuterium refineries bob on the waves around one of the planet's only land masses, which also plays host to the fleet yard's shore facilities. Additional research stations are spread around the planet, both on and under the ocean's surface. There are several dry docks built in shallow areas that allow for the construction and repair of smaller starships capable of planetary landings.


==== Sato City ====
=== Tactical ===
[[File:SatoCity.jpg|alt=Sato City to the right, with newer floating facilities to the left.|thumb|Sato City to the right, with newer floating facilities to the left.]]
The ''Akira''-class is heavily armed, with more torpedo launchers than any other Federation starship currently in service. The primary hull has two forward torpedo launchers, one dorsal and one ventral, as well as two pairs of launchers firing directly starboard and directly port, which is a unique feature for Starfleet vessels. In addition to these launchers, the tactical pod contains four forward torpedo launchers, a single aft torpedo launcher, and two pairs of launchers firing aft-starboard and aft-port. This all-around torpedo coverage allows the ''Akira'' to lay down continual barrages of torpedo fire even while maneuvering around an enemy vessel, or to lob torpedoes at multiple threats at the same time.  
Named for early explorer Hoshi Sato, Sato City has a permanent population of 20,000, with housing space for up to 20,000 more transient personnel. Small by Federation standards, this town has all of the comforts one would expect from a Federation colony. Most of the fleet yards' long-term staff live here and take shuttles or transporters into orbit. The landmass here is narrow and rocky, snaking and branching in a way that creates deep fjords between its many peninsulas. This means that most of the structures are narrow and tall, including most of the housing—mainly single-family townhouses. There are a few parks created in the larger flatter areas, and in recent decades floating platforms have been placed in the small coves to provide additional space. The fleet yard's administrative headquarters are in the center of Sato City, which is home to the admiral—though in practice, the admiral is in space more than they are on the ground.


Sato City is also home to the Avalon branch of the Fourth Fleet Academy, which specializes in providing advanced training to third and fourth-year cadets in engineering. Approximately two-hundred students attend this program at any given time. They live and study in an interconnected dormitory and classroom complex overlooking the ocean.  
Phaser coverage is provided by three Type-X phaser arrays, all on the forward end of the ship. This gives the ship blind spots on the aft quarter that are unusual for a Starfleet ship, but she makes up for this by carrying enough small craft to provide cover. On a typical tactical deployment, the ''Akira'' two squadrons of twelve ''Valkyrie''-class fighters, or a mix of fighters and bombers. In her standard exploratory loadout, this is reduced to twelve fighters, with a half-dozen runabouts.


'''In-Play'''
=== Shipboard Life ===
Akira-class ships are fairly standard Federation ships of the line, and so they employ diverse, well-balanced crews. These ships spend most of their time on the frontier and supporting frontline colonies, so deployment times tend to be longer than other ships of their size, with more time in between starbase stops.


* On a tiny landmass in an otherwise never-ending ocean, Sato City resembles a mediterranean city like Palermo or Malta, with narrow, winding streets. By and large, it is a sleepy residential community, and an excellent place to raise a family. Many of the fleet yards crew have spent a decade or more living and working here, and so the community bonds are tight-knit.
Like other ships of her era, she has comparatively fewer windows than other ships of the same size, and her accommodations are much less luxurious than those found aboard the ''Nebula'' and ''Galaxy''-class starships. Four holodecks complement an assortment of lounges, gymnasiums, and other recreational facilities. By the 2390s, the ''Akira'' is considered a second-tier vessel, but the class has a number of unique features that keep her an important part of the Federation’s defensive arsenal, most notably her carrier abilities. Because of this, she is a favored assignment for flight control officers. Unlike the ''Argonaut''-class, the ''Akira''-class typically maintains a set small craft arrangement for extended periods of time, generally a mix of both runabouts and fighters, and so there is more cohesion between the flight crews and the ship’s main crew.
* For those cadets interested in Engineering, this is a coveted place to finish one's third and fourth years, especially given that one will gain the opportunity to serve one's midshipman cruise aboard the technology testbed USS ''Edwin H. Armstrong.'' It's easy to imagine a cruise like this being significantly more exciting than some others—if your idea of excitement is matching wits with an experimental piece of prototype technology!


==== Deuterium Refineries ====
== Class History ==
The planet's deuterium refineries are largely automated. Clusters of these refineries are connected by flexible but tough piping to bunkers on the ocean's floor. It takes many months for the refineries to fill up each bunker, at which point tankers transfer the deuterium to orbital storage facilities. Smaller quantities of deuterium can also placed in cargo shuttles fitted out as tankers from small landing pads at each refinery, and this is often done when ships in orbit need a top-off.
The Battle of Wolf 359 in 2367 led to a radical redesign program for the fleet’s construction projects. Four starship projects, the ''Akira'', ''Norway'', ''Steamrunner'', and ''Saber-''class, which were slated to come into service later in the century were pushed up and their designs were made more suitable for combat, with an immediate halt to production of the ''Challenger'', ''Springfield'', and ''Cheyenne'' classes. While the ''New Orleans''-class was the most successful of all of these four classes, it was still decided to cancel its production run in favor of more heavy cruisers–and so the ''Akira''-class is not a direct replacement, but it did take the place of most of these smaller ships’ production orders.


==== Research Stations ====
Unlike the ''Saber'', the ''Akira'' had to be designed completely from scratch, as the ''Nebula''-class heavy cruiser had just entered service and there were no plans for its successor yet. In the end, even though both designs were designated as heavy cruisers, there was a substantial performance and size difference between the ''Akira'' and ''Nebula'', which led to them being produced in tandem. Indeed, both classes continue in production to the current day.
[[File:AvalonUnderwaterScience.jpg|alt=A Starfleet Marine Biology station built into the side of an underwater cliff to study pelagic life.|thumb|A Starfleet Marine Biology station built into the side of an underwater cliff to study pelagic life.]]
There are multiple research stations on Avalon II, studying the planet's unique ecosphere, mineral deposits, and other areas of interest. The higher density of heavy water means that those on the ocean floor must be specially reinforced. These facilities are run by a mix of Starfleet Science offices and civilian Federation agencies.  


{{Clear}}
The ''Akira'' herself launched in 2371, thanks to extensive borrowing of technology from other starship classes–notably the engines and computer systems–even though the hull shape itself was radically different. While still rare at the beginning of the Dominion War, they were produced in large numbers to replace the ''Excelsior'' and ''Miranda''-class ships that were suffering high attrition rates in the first year of the war. By 2375, the ''Akira'' was a major part of the Federation’s combat fleet.


==== Ocean Dry Docks ====
Post-war, the class continued in production as it was a capable platform that required a smaller crew than the ''Nebula'' but which also offered extensive tactical options to Starfleet Command. Like the later ''Atlantia''-class, the ''Akira'' participated extensively in the Romulan evacuation in the middle of the 2380s because of her large hanger.  
[[File:AvalonOceanDrydock.jpg|alt=These sunken drydocks reclaim a small portion of the planet's surface for use in construction projects.|thumb|These sunken dry docks reclaim a small portion of the planet's surface for use in construction projects.]]
Made out of concrete reinforced with titanium, several hexagonal caisson structures were built in the shallows near to Sato City. These facilities provide stable, flat surfaces for maintaining and constructing starships capable of planetary landings. Capable of being sealed with forcefields, these large structures can also be used for general storage when necessary. Starfleet has considered creating facilities large enough to construct explorer-type starships, but the resource outlay required to do so would be significant, as the walls of the caissons need to be thicker and thicker as they get wider to compensate for the pressure of the water.  


{{Clear}}
By 2399, production of this class continues in limited numbers, though it has largely been supplanted by the ''Inquiry''-class.


=== Orbital Facilities ===
== In Play ==
In addition to planetary facilities, Avalon Fleet Yards has a substantial orbital presence, anchored by a new ''Probert''-class station constructed in the 2380s, in addition to free-floating orbital dry docks and smaller subsidiary stations.


==== Brahms Station ====
* While combat-oriented, the ''Akira'' isn’t as hopeless when it comes to exploring as the ''Defiant'' or the ''Saber''. It can handle run-of-the-mill scientific and exploratory missions, and given its age, it’s more likely to be handed these minor tasks within Federation space. Still, it’s more likely to be on patrol somewhere than hunting down subspace anomalies.
[[File:ProbertClass.jpg|alt=Capable of hosting ships of all sizes, Brahms Station is the primary facility for Avalon Fleet Yards.|thumb|Capable of hosting ships of all sizes, Brahms Station is the primary facility for Avalon Fleet Yards.]]
* Fighters aren’t that useful against major threat vessels, but they’re great against raiders and small attackers, which is why this ship excels at frontier defense duties.
The centerpiece of Avalon Fleet Yards is Brahms Station, a ''Probert''-class spacedock built in the 2380s to replace the [[Anchorage Class|''Anchorage''-class station]] that had originally been located there. Named for Dr. Leah Brahms, Brahms Station is capable of producing and maintaining starships of all classes and is the primary orbital habitat for personnel who do not live on Avalon II. In practice, this station most often builds frigate and cruiser-sized starships, while larger explorers are built and maintained at dedicated dry docks. It is also where visiting starships in need of only minor maintenance are serviced, to keep the dry docks free for more intensive construction tasks. It is also the primary defensive facility for the Avalon System, using its own substantial arsenal as well as a network of defense platforms to keep the fleet yard safe. The station itself is commanded by a Starfleet commodore or fleet captain in charge of all of the orbital facilities, who reports to the admiral in command of the fleet yards.
* By 2399, this is a relatively common ship, but it’s also potent as a ship of the line. Captains of these vessels would be more experienced than those of smaller ships, but this is no longer a particularly prestigious posting.
{{Clear}}


==== Orbital Dry Docks ====
{{clear}}
As with all Starfleet fleet yards, Avalon has many stand-alone dry dock facilities. These support frameworks provide a starship with power and life support while it is being constructed or repaired. They are generally used when a ship needs substantial work done, such as replacing its warp engines or other tasks which must be done with substantial clearance around the ship for maintenance vessels to manuever. Most of these facilities can only handle a single starship at a time, but the larger ones are sometimes used to service more than one smaller ship, especially when the work being conducted is not intensive. <gallery>
[[Category:Federation Starship Classes (2368-2375)]]
File:ESMDrydock.jpg
File:Class9Drydock.jpg
File:Class8Drydock.jpg
File:Drydock.jpg
</gallery>{{Clear}}
 
==== Subsidiary Stations ====
In addition to Brahms Station, there are a number of smaller stations at Avalon that provide additional engineering support capabilities, storage, and research and development facilities, especially for projects that are too volatile to be conducted on the main station. Depending on their size, they are each commanded by a commander or captain who reports to the commodore on Brahms Station. As of 2401, this group of stations includes 3 [[Presidium Class|''Presidium''-class facilities]], 1 [[Jupiter Class|''Jupiter''-class facility]], and the Yard's original [[Anchorage Class|''Anchorage''-class station]].<gallery>
File:Presidioclass.jpg
File:Jupiterstation.jpg
File:Regulusclass.png
</gallery>
 
=== Avalon Prime Facilities ===
[[File:RegulaOnMoon.jpg|alt=This station controls the mostly-automated facilities on Avalon Prime.|thumb|This station controls the mostly-automated facilities on Avalon Prime.]]
Avalon Prime, formally Avalon IIB, is the largest of Avalon II's three moons, and the only one large enough to achieve a roughly spherical shape. This moon is home to dilithium deposits and was mined extensively throughout the 24th century to the point where these have largely been reduced to just traces. Much of the moon has been excavated and is now home to large scale power generators, fabricators, and storage facilities. Some of these storage bays are large enough to hold mothballed starships, even, and the planetoid now relies on powerful structural integrity field generators to remain intact. The majority of the equipment on Avalon Prime is automated, though there is substantial shuttle traffic in and out to move goods between the moon and the various starship construction projects around the system. Avalon Prime is just outside of transporter range from Brahms Station. These facilities are all controlled by a control center in a ''Regula''-type station body on the moon's equator under the command of the yard's orbital commodore.
 
{{Clear}}
 
== Mobile Assets ==
In addition to the many space stations, Avalon Fleet Yards is supported by a significant number of shuttles, runabouts, and starships. These assets, collectively Task Group Avalon, support the Yards' construction and maintenance mission and provide security. This group is under the command of a fleet captain or commodore, and is divided into three squadrons commanded by captains or fleet captains.
 
=== USS ''Edwin H. Armstrong'' ===
The USS ''Edwin H. Armstrong'' is the only remaining ''Ambassador''-class starship in Starfleet mainline service. Saved from the mothball yards or disarmament for Auxiliary Service by Admiral [NAME], the ''Armstrong'' is the ex-USS ''Adelphi'' renamed for the first recipient of the Medal of Honor from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for his invention of Frequency Modulation and the superheterodyne receiver system. The ''Armstrong'' serves as an experimental testbed vessel for new starship technologies and as a training ship for the Avalon branch of the Fourth Fleet Academy.
 
=== Avalon Security Squadron ===
At any given time, there are at least four ''Inquiry''-class heavy cruisers and an equal number of frigates or escorts on patrol in the Avalon System. Typically, this is an assignment that these ships perform for a few weeks or months at a time after having rotated off of a deep space assignment. In addition, there is a full division of starfighters, consisting of 48 [[Starfighters#Valkyrie-class fighter|''Valkyrie''-class craft]].
 
=== Avalon Utility Squadron ===
The Avalon Utility Squadron consists of a dozen or so tugs, transports, and engineering support vessels, including one ''California''-class utility cruiser. The vessels in this squadron perform countless tasks across the yards, ranging from moving cargo containers and towing inactive starships, to refueling, to performing repairs on stations and equipment in the system.
 
=== Avalon Trial Squadron ===
The Avalon Trial Squadron consists of any starships that are undergoing shakedown cruises or space trials under the auspices of Avalon Fleet Yards. This is always a temporary posting for the ships in question, and the purpose of this squadron is to coordinate their operations to ensure that each ship undergoing its trials is adequately supported.
[[Category:Starfleet Facilities]]

Revision as of 00:51, 15 October 2023

This article is official Bravo Fleet canon.









Akiraclass.png
Akira Class
Information
Affiliation

United Federation of Planets

Type

Heavy Cruiser

Role
  • Heavy Cruiser
  • Light Carrier
Service
Operator

Starfleet

Entered Service

2363

Endurance
Expected Design Life

80 Years

Expected Refit Cycle

10 Years

Expected Resupply Cycle

1 Year

Crew Capacity
Standard Complement

550

Emergency Capacity

4,500

Dimensions
Length

464 meters

Width

317 meters

Height

87 meters

Decks

17

Propulsion
Propulsion Systems

Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive

Cruise Speed

Warp 7

Maximum Speed

Warp 9

Emergency Speed

Warp 9.8 (12 hours)

Armaments
Energy Weapons
  • 3x Type-X Phaser Arrays
Torpedo Launchers
  • 2 (primary hull), 4 forward (weapons pod)
  • 1 starboard (primary hull), 3 starbard aft (weapons pod)
  • 1 port (primary hull), 3 port aft (weapons pod)
Torpedo Payload
  • 225 Photon Torpedoes
  • 225 Quantum Torpedoes
Shields

Multi-Layered Shielding System

Small Craft
Shuttlebays

2

Shuttles

12

Runabouts

2

Template:Specification

The Akira-class heavy cruiser is a medium-sized starship designed originally immediately following the Wolf 359 attack by the Borg., While she has substantial exploratory capabilities, the Akira has always been more aligned with Starfleet’s defensive aims than its exploratory ones. With extensive torpedo armament and dedicated facilities to hold combat-capable small craft, the Akira-class heavy cruiser serves ably as both direct combatant and as a carrier. Units of this class served with distinction in the Dominion War and Battle of Sector 001.

Exploration and Science

During peacetime, the Akira-class’s large hangar bays allow it to carry scouts and runabouts on long-range missions, which expand its exploratory capabilities significantly. Her extensive torpedo magazines can also be configured to store probes instead. This allows them to survey an entire star system quickly, even if they are not equipped to do so in as great depth as a Nova-class surveyor might be. Science labs on this class are essentially equivalent to those aboard any light cruiser built in the 2370s, as her greater size has been used for hanger facilities. This makes them capable of independent exploratory missions, though they are more often assigned to patrol Federation space.

With her large cargo bays and hanger bays, the Akira-class is well-suited to resupplying outlying scientific outposts or setting up field camps for research expeditions. Otherwise, these ships don’t often find themselves venturing too far beyond Federation space.

Diplomacy

The Akira-class is not meant as a diplomatic platform, especially given that she was designed alongside the Norway, which was specifically designed for this purpose. The class is equipped with adequate guest quarters, but its relatively modest top speed limits its utility as a courier. Its place in Federation diplomacy is in being extremely adept at taking down raiders and other threats to potential allies, and so its presence in a star system can be deeply reassuring during negotiations, or it can serve as a reminder of the Federation’s strength to hostile powers.

Engineering

While the hull shape of this vessel is radically different from most other Federation ships of the time, its actual engines and other systems are fairly conventional. The primary and secondary hulls have been integrated into a monohull, with the nacelle pylons integrated into sweeping catamarans and connected by a small pod. Engine and computer systems are borrowed heavily from the Nebula-class, though the class has simplified warp nacelles.

There is a single forward shuttle bay which connects through the hull to two aft bays, allowing for small craft to fly straight through the ship, which aids in the launch and recovery of fighters in combat situations, as they can leave through the forward bay and return under the protection of the ship’s catamaran structures aft.

Tactical

The Akira-class is heavily armed, with more torpedo launchers than any other Federation starship currently in service. The primary hull has two forward torpedo launchers, one dorsal and one ventral, as well as two pairs of launchers firing directly starboard and directly port, which is a unique feature for Starfleet vessels. In addition to these launchers, the tactical pod contains four forward torpedo launchers, a single aft torpedo launcher, and two pairs of launchers firing aft-starboard and aft-port. This all-around torpedo coverage allows the Akira to lay down continual barrages of torpedo fire even while maneuvering around an enemy vessel, or to lob torpedoes at multiple threats at the same time.

Phaser coverage is provided by three Type-X phaser arrays, all on the forward end of the ship. This gives the ship blind spots on the aft quarter that are unusual for a Starfleet ship, but she makes up for this by carrying enough small craft to provide cover. On a typical tactical deployment, the Akira two squadrons of twelve Valkyrie-class fighters, or a mix of fighters and bombers. In her standard exploratory loadout, this is reduced to twelve fighters, with a half-dozen runabouts.

Shipboard Life

Akira-class ships are fairly standard Federation ships of the line, and so they employ diverse, well-balanced crews. These ships spend most of their time on the frontier and supporting frontline colonies, so deployment times tend to be longer than other ships of their size, with more time in between starbase stops.

Like other ships of her era, she has comparatively fewer windows than other ships of the same size, and her accommodations are much less luxurious than those found aboard the Nebula and Galaxy-class starships. Four holodecks complement an assortment of lounges, gymnasiums, and other recreational facilities. By the 2390s, the Akira is considered a second-tier vessel, but the class has a number of unique features that keep her an important part of the Federation’s defensive arsenal, most notably her carrier abilities. Because of this, she is a favored assignment for flight control officers. Unlike the Argonaut-class, the Akira-class typically maintains a set small craft arrangement for extended periods of time, generally a mix of both runabouts and fighters, and so there is more cohesion between the flight crews and the ship’s main crew.

Class History

The Battle of Wolf 359 in 2367 led to a radical redesign program for the fleet’s construction projects. Four starship projects, the Akira, Norway, Steamrunner, and Saber-class, which were slated to come into service later in the century were pushed up and their designs were made more suitable for combat, with an immediate halt to production of the Challenger, Springfield, and Cheyenne classes. While the New Orleans-class was the most successful of all of these four classes, it was still decided to cancel its production run in favor of more heavy cruisers–and so the Akira-class is not a direct replacement, but it did take the place of most of these smaller ships’ production orders.

Unlike the Saber, the Akira had to be designed completely from scratch, as the Nebula-class heavy cruiser had just entered service and there were no plans for its successor yet. In the end, even though both designs were designated as heavy cruisers, there was a substantial performance and size difference between the Akira and Nebula, which led to them being produced in tandem. Indeed, both classes continue in production to the current day.

The Akira herself launched in 2371, thanks to extensive borrowing of technology from other starship classes–notably the engines and computer systems–even though the hull shape itself was radically different. While still rare at the beginning of the Dominion War, they were produced in large numbers to replace the Excelsior and Miranda-class ships that were suffering high attrition rates in the first year of the war. By 2375, the Akira was a major part of the Federation’s combat fleet.

Post-war, the class continued in production as it was a capable platform that required a smaller crew than the Nebula but which also offered extensive tactical options to Starfleet Command. Like the later Atlantia-class, the Akira participated extensively in the Romulan evacuation in the middle of the 2380s because of her large hanger.  

By 2399, production of this class continues in limited numbers, though it has largely been supplanted by the Inquiry-class.

In Play

  • While combat-oriented, the Akira isn’t as hopeless when it comes to exploring as the Defiant or the Saber. It can handle run-of-the-mill scientific and exploratory missions, and given its age, it’s more likely to be handed these minor tasks within Federation space. Still, it’s more likely to be on patrol somewhere than hunting down subspace anomalies.
  • Fighters aren’t that useful against major threat vessels, but they’re great against raiders and small attackers, which is why this ship excels at frontier defense duties.
  • By 2399, this is a relatively common ship, but it’s also potent as a ship of the line. Captains of these vessels would be more experienced than those of smaller ships, but this is no longer a particularly prestigious posting.