Bravo Fleet
Difference between pages "Aquarius Class" and "Starfleet Auxiliary"

Difference between pages "Aquarius Class" and "Starfleet Auxiliary"

From Bravo Fleet
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{{icons|bfc}}{{Specification
{{Icons|bfc|sf|fed}}
| image = [[File:Aquarius1.jpg]]
{{Organisation
| displayName = '''''Aquarius'' Class'''
|name= Starfleet Auxiliary
| name = Aquarius
|image=
| affiliation = [[United Federation of Planets]]
[[File:StarfleetAuxiliary.png|none]]
| operator = [[Starfleet]]
|founded= 2161
| status = Active
|affiliation= *United Federation of Planets
| role = Patrol Vessel
*Starfleet
| type = Escort
|headquarters= Tellar Prime
| precedingClass =
|primary mission= Logistical Support
| succeedingClass =
|location=
| dateEntered = 2385
|leadership= Admiral Lashnov Zagh (Tellarite Male)
| productionEnd =
|flagship=
| retired =
|motto=
| expectedDuration = 100 Years
|status= Active
| expectedRefit = 5 Years
}}'''Starfleet Auxiliary''' is a component of Starfleet that operates passenger liners, tankers, freighters, transports, and some research vessels in support of the starships and capital starships in mainline Starfleet service. Without the Auxiliary, the critical movement of fuel, passengers, and freight throughout Federation space would be impossible. The personnel in this service are subject to Starfleet's regulations (including the Prime Directive) but have more specialized training focusing on the core responsibilities of operating a starship and performing their job functions.
| timeResupply = 1 Month
| crewComplement = 52
| emergencyCap = 72
| civilians =
| populationCap =  
| flightCrew =  
| passengers =  
| length = 90 meters
| width = *75 meters (nacelles extended)
*60 meters (nacelles retracted)
| diameter =  
| height = 20 meters
| decks = 4
| propulsionSystem = Class 6 M/AM Warp Drive
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 6
| maxSpeed = Warp 8
| emergencySpeed = Warp 8.75 (12 hours)
| energyWeapons = *6x Type-X phaser arrays
*2x Type-X pulse phaser cannons
| torpLaunchers = *2 Forward
*3 Aft
| torpPayload = *60 Photon Torpedoes
*180 Quantum Torpedoes
| shields = Multi-Layered Shielding System
| dockingfacilities =
| shuttleBays = 1
| shuttles = 1
| runabouts =
| fighters =
| aux =
| msd =
| playable = yes
}}
The '''''Aquarius''-class escort''' is a small, versatile vessel designed to bring escort-type tactical capabilities into the field with greater scientific facilities and enhanced range compared to the [[Defiant Class|''Defiant''-class escort]]. First envisioned following the Dominion War, the Aquarius did not enter production until the 2380s. Notably, the class was integrated into the design of the Odyssey-class heavy explorer, which includes a dedicated docking facility for an Aquarius. Since the 2380s, these ships have proven to be an excellent complement to the Defiant, as their enhanced range and larger size allow them to complete exploratory and humanitarian missions while retaining significant armaments.  


==Science and Exploration==
== History ==
Though not meant for independent exploratory missions, ''Aquarius''-class starships do have onboard science labs and well-tuned sensor suites that allow them to conduct scientific missions near to their home port or mothership. With larger cargo holds than the ''Defiant'', they can also carry mission-specific equipment for surveys. Generally, these ships are better at sample and data collection than they are at independent analysis, as they rely on larger labs back home.  
When Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets were founded in 2161, a subordinate service to handle logistical support for Starfleet's exploratory, defensive, diplomatic, and humanitarian mandate was envisioned. While each of the founding members had their own merchant marine services, the Starfleet Auxiliary was created to create a common set of regulations and training standards and a unified dispatching system to turn these disparate systems into a working whole, just as the early Starfleet needed to combine aspects of the founders'  scientific and defensive arms.


As an example of a typical scientific task for this class, an ''Aquarius'' may be tasked with collecting biological samples from one planet while the mothership explores another planet in the same system. Because she is capable of landing on planetary bodies of almost any size, she is also capable of serving as a field headquarters for away teams operating on the surface, especially when conditions are hostile to transporters. She is also an ideal support vessel for a small scientific outpost, as she can carry out general utility duties and carry out microgravity experiments that must be conducted out of a star system without needing to task a larger vessel.
With ships from the Human, Vulcan, Andorian, and Tellarite merchant fleets to start with and ships from less powerful worlds joining as negotiations continued, Starfleet Auxiliary's growth was rapid in the first few decades of its existence as starbases and interstellar shipping lanes were developed. The Federation Council decided to base the Starfleet Auxiliary on Tellar Prime rather than on Earth because of the Tellarites' great experience in mining, construction, and other logistics projects. Even in the 2390s, the upper echelons of the organization continue to be dominated by Tellarites in the same way that Starfleet is by Humans.


===Diplomacy===
By the 2230s, there were several hundred purpose-built ships in the auxiliary, including passenger ships, tankers, and freighters. By the 2260s, the fleet included surveyors following up on non-biological and non-cultural surveys (generally looking for minerals and other resources) and hospital ships as well. As time went on, the Starfleet Auxiliary has entered a steady pattern of assimilating retired Starfleet vessels into its inventory, as well as operating ships purpose-built for civilian and auxiliary service. In the mid-24th century, there were just as many ''Oberth'' and ''Miranda''-class ships in auxiliary service as in mainline service, the older units of this class living on with less rigorous duties.  
An ''Aquarius''-class starship would be a poor choice for any diplomatic duty. Like the ''Defiant'', the ''Aquarius'' is a utilitarian vessel with few luxuries. Should a large diplomatic party need to be transported from a planetary body to the mothership, they could be accommodated in the mess hall for a short time. Still, most ambassadorial delegations would likely chafe at the close quarters and complete lack of even a single frill.  


===Engineering===
The logistical complexity of operating hundreds of starbases and thousands of lesser stations and starships necessitated similar growth in the Starfleet Auxiliary, and by the beginning of the 25th century, ships belonging to the Auxiliary can be found in all corners of the Federation.
The Aquarius class was designed using components from several other classes, notably the ''Defiant'' and ''Nova'', emphasizing ease of maintenance and miniaturization. The power-use problems associated with the ''Defiant'' class have been solved by installing software limits on the ship's raw power output. The warp engine coils are borrowed from the ''Nova'', which are mounted similar variable-geometry pylons that pull them in against the hull for docking and for landing and which can optimize the position of the nacelles for warp travel. The ship’s bridge is identical to that of the standard ''Defiant''-class configuration.
==Organization==
Somewhat ironically, the Commander, Starfleet Auxiliary is not actually a member of the Starfleet Auxiliary but is a commissioned Starfleet officer reporting to the Chief of Starfleet Operations and holding the rank of admiral. Indeed, there are no members of the Starfleet Auxiliary with ranks higher than captain; officers wishing to advance beyond this stage must go through additional training such as Command School, and then be commissioned in Starfleet instead.


The ship’s hull is comprised of two flattened cylinders, which combine to give it roughly a shovel-shaped profile. The narrower two-deck upper section consists of the bridge, officers’ quarters, the science lab, the cargo hold, the brig, the aft torpedo launchers and magazine, and deuterium tankage, while the more expansive third deck contains the crew quarters, main engineering, and the forward weapons, and the narrow fourth deck is a strip between the nacelles (when retracted) that includes the computer core, antimatter storage pods, and a tiny shuttle bay, which is capable of supporting a single shuttle; deck four has the highest deck height of the ship, as it extends down into the sub-structure of the hull. The upper three decks are accessible by a lift and stairwell, while the fourth deck is accessible only by stairwells.
Each type of vessel has its own commander under this level. For example, the Commander, Starfleet Transports, and the Commander, Starfleet Surveyors are each Rear or Vice Admirals overseeing all of the vessels of those two designations. These type commanders assign vessels either to specific sectors, where they fall under the jurisdiction of that sector's commander or to various Starfleet offices and bureaus, where they fall under the jurisdiction of that office's director.  


There are several umbilical connection ports across the ship to interface with the ''Odyssey''’s docking cradle: two primary power, fuel, and consumables hardpoints as well as torpedo loading ports forward on Deck 2, two torpedo loading ports port and starboard, aft on Deck 1, and two magnetic docking latch receptacles forward on deck three. Crew access is provided by extendable docking tunnels port and starboard, forward on Deck 3, and the cargo bay doors port and starboard, aft on Deck 1 allow access to cargo receiving bays on the ''Odyssey''. When landed, the crew can enter and exit the starship through a ramp extended from the shuttle bay.
For example, a ''Sydney''-class passenger liner might be assigned to regular service between Starbase 4 and a smaller station in the same sector, thus falling under the jurisdiction of Starbase 4's commanding officer, the flag officer in command of Sector 4. As another example, an ''Aerie''-class surveyor might be specially equipped to transport mineralogical samples and so would be assigned to the Bureau of Minerology under Starfleet Science and would be under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Bureau of Mineralogy.


The engineering crew is generally an officer and five maintenance technicians, as it is never away from port or from its mothership long enough to need a full engineering team, especially given the use of automation and hardened components.  
The effect of this allows the Starfleet Auxiliary to operate without a parallel chain of command to Starfleet itself. By regulation, in combat or emergency situations, the captain of any Starfleet Auxiliary vessel would be subordinate to the captain of any mainline Starfleet vessel, even if their equivalent rank was higher. For example, a Starfleet lieutenant commander in command of a ''Saber''-class scout responding to a distress call from an ''Olympic''-class transport under the command of a Starfleet Auxiliary captain would be legally capable of ordering the nominally more senior officer to withdraw. In non-emergency situations, this regulation does not apply.


=== Tactical===
== Personnel ==
As her classification suggests, the ''Aquarius''-class is meant to escort her mothership in combat situations, providing nimble fire support and scouting capabilities that the massive ''Odyssey''-class lacks. Independently, she is often used to escort civilian vessels or patrol areas of space. A compromise between the armament philosophies of the ''Defiant'' and ''Rhode Island''-classes, the ship is equipped with two forward-firing pulse phaser cannons, as well as eight short phaser strips, four ventral and four dorsal, as well as two forward and two aft photon torpedo launchers. This provides comprehensive coverage, but the ''Aquarius'' is most effective when getting behind a target to use its phaser cannons.
[[File:Charliexhd008.jpg|alt=Two members of the Starfleet Auxiliary in the 2260s, wearing the distinctive Spacecraft Duty Insignia and an older uniform than their Starfleet counterparts of that time period.|thumb|Two members of the Starfleet Auxiliary in the 2260s, wearing the distinctive Spacecraft Duty Insignia and an older uniform than their Starfleet counterparts of that time period.]]One of the original branches of Starfleet, the Starfleet Auxiliary has been in operation since the founding of the Federation in 2161. The personnel in this branch are highly trained in starship navigation and operations, engineering, and/or other related duties but don't have the exploratory and tactical training that is given to members of Starfleet itself. These personnel are commissioned through a number of different means, including several academies, training centers, and direct commissioning programs that take into account life experience and aptitude tests.  


These weapons systems have lower overall power output than either of the two classes they were borrowed from, though more significant than any runabout, making the ''Aquarius'' adept at taking down lightly-armed and shielded raiders. However, she is still easily outmatched by larger warship designs. When engaging larger starships with her mothership, a common tactic is to allow the ''Odyssey''-class to weather down their opponent’s shields to allow the ''Aquarius'' to employ torpedoes at close range.
=== Onboard Departments ===
Compared to a Starfleet vessel, a vessel in the Starfleet Auxiliary has a much simpler command structure and a smaller number of departments, given that their crews are generally also significantly smaller. The smallest ships generally only have a deck department and engineering department, while passenger ships will also have a steward's department and surveyors will have a surveyor's department. A member's department here is tied more closely to their career path with fewer opportunities to move laterally because of the amount of on-the-job training involved.


The hull is covered with a thinner layer of the same ablative armor found aboard the ''Defiant''-class, which allows it to shrug off glancing blows, an essential quality, given that its shields are not particularly strong. What the ship does have is speed and maneuverability, which are its greatest defensive assets.
==== Deck Department ====
Combining the duties of command, flight control, and operations aboard a Starfleet vessel, the deck department is responsible for navigation, safety, cargo management, and other things related to getting the vessel where it needs to be and making sure its contents (passengers or cargo) arrive safely.


As a patrol cutter, this class is more useful for customs enforcement and star lane patrol missions than border defense. However, some starbases deploy them as leaders for squadrons of runabouts, which allows for firepower multiplication.
==== Engineering Department ====
As on any other starship, the engineering department is responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of the ship's engines and structural systems. Having smaller crews means having fewer specialists, especially at senior levels, so over time, members of this department learn to operate, maintain, and monitor every system on their ship.  


===Mission Configurable Space===
==== Steward's Department ====
The cargo hold on Deck 1 has been equipped with EPS taps and direct links to the main computer core, which allows it to be reconfigured to serve other purposes for a particular mission. For example, it could be equipped with extra computer banks and stellar cartography viewing systems for celestial observation missions. On humanitarian missions, additional sickbay beds could be deployed here as well. For larger-scale tasks, it could also be used as a space to coordinate the actions of her mothership’s shuttles and runabouts. With the use of the cargo doors, this can even be used to install external sensor modules or other such equipment. Any reconfiguration of this space would be faster than building something from scratch but would be much slower than hot-swapping a module from a runabout.
Found on ships carrying passengers, the steward's department is responsible for the safety and comfort of passengers, with duties ranging from assigning cabins and arranging meals to passenger recreation on larger liners.


===Shipboard Life===
==== Surveyor's Department ====
While some ''Aquarius''-class starships, especially those not assigned directly to a starbase or ''Odyssey''-class explorer, have a permanent crew, their crews are much more likely to be drawn from their home command based on the particular mission profile. For instance, a science officer might be selected to command one during a survey mission, while the mothership’s first or second officer usually takes command during combat missions. During typical situations, while docked with an ''Odyssey'', a skeleton crew remains aboard to allow for quick deployment, with a designated commanding officer for each shift.
[[File:Antares.jpg|alt=Antares-class scout|thumb|While not as capable as Starfleet science vessels, survey ships perform an indispensable mineral  prospecting and colonial support function.]]
Found only on surveyors, this department is related to the science department found on a Starfleet ship but much more specialized in handling sample collection and basic mineralogical analysis tasks to identify resource-rich planetary bodies to meet Starfleet's need for dilithium, duranium, magnesite, and other minerals necessary for the construction of starships but which either can't be replicated or can't be replicated efficiently.  


Given the very temporary nature of assignments to this ship, crew members tend to identify more as being a part of their home command than the ''Aquarius'', though as crew members cycle through assignments on the support ship, some will inevitably develop an attachment to the romance of serving on a scrappy little vessel. While crew members aboard the ''Aquarius'' might never interact while among the large crew of a starbase or ''Odyssey''-class ship, the much smaller environment of the ''Aquarius'' lends itself to either making new friendships or letting minor annoyances foment rivalries.
==== Other Personnel ====


These rotating crew assignments help offset the fact that the Aquarius-class has even more spartan accommodations than the ''Defiant''-class, as it’s meant to be an even lower endurance platform. While there are four single-occupancy cabins (usually for the captain, first officer, engineering officer, and medical officer), other officers are in cramped double-berth cabins, and enlisted personnel share one four-person cabin and four bunk rooms with ten to twelve bunks each. The standard crew complement is 40, but the ship can operate for limited periods with just a bridge crew, or with hot-bunking can accommodate up to 72 in terms of life support and escape pod capacity.
* The smallest ships do not have an onboard physician but rely instead on an EMH for any necessary treatment while they are between ports of call.
* On ships with 30 or more crewmembers who will be between ports for 30 or more days, a medical team detached from Starfleet will be assigned to the ship; the Auxiliary does not have physicians of its own.
* On research vessels operated by the Starfleet Auxiliary on behalf of a civilian or Starfleet research agency, the research crew reports to whatever agency is organizing the mission. The mission leader can make requests of the captain when it comes to destinations and other operations, but the captain has the final say when it comes to the vessel's safety.
* Similarly, on medical vessels operated by the Starfleet Auxiliary, the ship's command and engineering crew are part of the Starfleet Auxiliary, subordinate to the medical commanding officer, except in matters of the vessel's safety.


The only dedicated recreational space is the mess hall. Each cabin and bunk room have a table and chairs and a replicator, but the crew tends to congregate together for meals, cards, drinks, and games. When not full of cargo and equipment, the cargo hold and shuttle bay can be secondary recreational spaces, especially for athletic activities.
=== Rank Structure and Career Paths ===
The rank structure in the Starfleet Auxiliary is simplified from Starfleet itself, based on merchant traditions that informed such services as the [[ma:Earth Cargo Service|Earth Cargo Service]], which itself is derived from Merchant Marine traditions on Earth, combined with structures used by the Imperial Andorian Logistics Corps, the Tellarite Merchant Navy, and the [[ma:Vulcan National Merchant Fleet|Vulcan National Merchant Fleet]]. The line between officers and enlisted is much blurrier in an auxiliary context, and it is possible for someone to work their way up directly from Crewman to Captain over an extended period of time through on-the-job training in a way that's much easier than it would be in Starfleet itself. On the flip side, the licensing and time-in-grade requirements for each level are inflexible.  
{| class="wikitable"
|+Starfleet Auxiliary Rank Structure
!Insignia
!Deck Department
!Engineering Department
!Steward's Department
!Surveyor's Department
!Time in Previous Grade
|-
|⚫⚫⚫⚫
|Captain
|N/A
|N/A
|N/A
|10 Years
|-
|⚫⚫⚫
|Master
|Chief Engineer
|Chief Steward
|Chief Surveyor
|5 Years
|-
|⚫⚫
|Lieutenant
|Lieutenant
|Lieutenant
|Lieutenant
|4 Years
|-
|⚫
|Ensign
|Ensign
|Ensign
|Ensign
|1 Year
|-
|◯◯
|Acting Ensign
|Acting Ensign
|Acting Ensign
|Acting Ensign
|4 Years
|-
|◯
|Petty Officer
|Petty Officer
|Petty Officer
|Petty Officer
|1 Year
|-
|N/A
|Crewman
|Crewman
|Crewman
|Crewman
|N/A
|}


The ''Aquarius'' class has an oversized sickbay for its size, with four standard biobeds and a combination exam-surgical bed. This increases the ship’s utility for search-and-rescue operations, which are common assignments for vessels of this class assigned as patrol cutters. It also obviates the need to return to the home command for minor to moderate medical problems. The ship is equipped with an EMH and typically embarks a medical officer and an enlisted medic. The transporter room aboard the Aquarius class is similar in design to those found aboard the ''Nova''-class, with a standard seven-place platform.


== History==
Even during the Dominion War, the minimal exploratory capabilities of the ''Defiant'' were seen as a major weakness even with its excellent suite of armament. Starfleet began a project to create a new class of escort that would solve this gap between tactical and scientific performance without increasing the ship's size significantly.


The ''Aquarius'' class was designed along with the ''Odyssey''-class explorer as an integrated escort, a feature that was added to the design following the successful introduction of the ''Prometheus'' class in the late 2370s. The ''Aquarius'' would both be able to provide combat support against small, fast targets, but also to land on planetary bodies when a runabout or shuttle wasn’t enough for a particular mission.
Direct enlistment as a crewman includes six weeks of training before spending the remainder of the first year learning on the job on a ship, becoming a petty officer upon the satisfactory completion of several training programs at the end of that probationary period. After five total years of enlistment, members can apply to become acting ensigns, taking additional training and apprenticing under more challenging jobs. Alternatively, if an individual goes through a service academy (usually a three-year program), they would start in service as an acting ensign. After one year of continuing to learn on the job, the member is then promoted to ensign or discharged.


While integrated support craft such as captain’s yachts, aeroshuttles, and waveriders were not a new idea in Starfleet, this would be the first time that an entire starship would be carried aboard another. The ''Aquarius'' was launched at the same time as the ''Odyssey'', and her trials were uneventful. For several years, the only two members of this class produced were assigned to the ''Odyssey'' and ''Verity'', which were launched significantly earlier than planned to participate in the Romulan Evacuation.  
After four years as an ensign, a member is eligible for promotion to lieutenant, which is the requisite rank for most department head roles on smaller ships. After five more years, they are eligible to advance to the senior rank in their particular department, where the titles vary. Finally, members of the deck department who have been masters for at least ten years are eligible for promotion to the rank of Captain and are therefore eligible to command the largest ships in auxiliary service.  


With the other ''Odysseys'' several years away, Starfleet decided to continue producing ''Aquarius''-class ships to serve different purposes, as they had carved out a niche for themselves that was distinct from other small starships: they were far less maintenance-intensive than the ''Defiant'' and crew-intensive than the ''Diligent'' or ''Nova''. This made them suitable for the sorts of minor missions that had long been carried out by the ancient ''Oberth''-class starships still in service like courier runs, search and rescue, and specimen collection, which would be wasteful for a more capable ship to perform but too complex for a runabout to do. As such, units of this class began to be built and assigned to starbases as support ships.
There are no flag ranks in the Starfleet Auxiliary, but senior members of the auxiliary are often eligible for promotion and direct commission into a Starfleet flag rank to be able to lead offices and bureaus within Starfleet Auxiliary Command. It has been a point of contention for decades that the Commander, Starfleet Auxiliary ''must'' be a Starfleet Admiral, a rank that is nearly impossible for a Starfleet Auxiliarist to obtain, and so since the 2330s, the Deputy Commander, a Vice Admiral, is by convention now an officer selected from within the Auxiliary.


By the early 2390s, the class has been given a generous production run and is becoming increasingly common in Starfleet service in lightly populated and low-threat areas.
=== Uniforms ===
The duty uniform of the Starfleet Auxiliary is the same as that used aboard Starfleet vessels, but with an altered combadge (black, in the shape of the Starfleet Auxiliary's logo) and rank insignia (for officers, black rather than silver; for acting ensigns and petty officers, open black rings). All members of the Starfleet Auxiliary exclusively wear services gold rather than command red or sciences blue. Dress uniforms follow the same pattern.  


==The ''Aquarius'' class in Play ==
In actual practice, duty uniforms are only worn in the most formal of regular operations. Especially aboard vessels without passengers, crewmembers tend to wear utility coveralls, and the uniform code is more forgiving for the Auxiliary than it is for the fleet itself. Aboard transports carrying passengers, members of the steward's department, at the discretion of the captain, have an alternative white uniform that sets them apart from their passengers--many of whom are also Starfleet officers.


*The ''Aquarius'' and ''Odyssey'' have the same relationship as the ''Defiant'' and Deep Space Nine do: this light escort is meant to defend the mothership and take small parts of the crew on away missions. It’s not as powerful as the Defiant, but it’s quick and maneuverable. It’s also more useful than the Defiant for exploratory missions because of its mission configurable bay.
==Vessels==
*Accommodations on the ''Aquarius'' are comparable to the ''Defiant'', with bunk rooms for the bulk of the crew, a handful of double cabins, and just a few single cabins for the senior-most officers.
Starfleet Auxiliary operates a wide variety of vessels, including classes that are operated by either Starfleet or civilians (or both). This table is not all-inclusive, as there are many one-off designs or converted versions of other types in limited use, but represents a broad overview of the types of vessels in service with this branch. Many designs operate in multiple roles, such as the ''Aerie''. Commissioned vessels of the Starfleet Auxiliary use the same USS designation as other Starfleet ships do. Many of them also have NCC registry prefixes, but this is more variable. When ships move between Starfleet and the Starfleet Auxiliary or are taken into service from civilian ownership, they don't normally change registry numbers.  
* As a starbase support ship, this class would be used for all sorts of utility purposes and station defense, especially on bases that are too small to justify a larger support ship or which don’t have a large complement of runabouts.
* As an independent vessel, this ship would still have a home base that it would come back to every month or travel between starbases. This would be a good platform for a specialized science team, a customs enforcement or search and rescue team, or even an elite engineering detachment.
*While docked to an ''Odyssey'', there are direct EPS and computer connections to the mothership. While the ''Aquarius'' certainly couldn’t power the larger ship completely, a clever ''Odyssey'' captain or chief engineer might find a use for that little extra boost of power from her warp core. Her aft torpedo launchers are also free to fire while docked, which could surprise an unsuspecting enemy.


{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable"
[[Category:Federation Starship Classes (2375–2385)]]
|+
Starfleet Auxiliary Starship Inventory
!Type Command
!General Duties
!Exemplar Classes
!Corresponding Starfleet/Federation Office
|-
|Starfleet Transports
|Movement of passengers and cargo between starbases, space stations, member worlds, and colonies.
 
* Packet service between starbases and outlying stations
* Liner service between major starbases or Federation worlds
* Colonist transport
* Courier duties for Federation officials
|
* ''[[Sydney Class|Sydney]]''
* ''[[Olympic Class|Olympic]]''
* [[Miranda II Class|''Miranda'' ''II'']]
* ''[[Constellation Class|Constellation]]''
* ''[[Oberth Class|Oberth]]''
* ''[[Aerie Class|Aerie]]''
* ''[[Ambassador Class|Ambassador]]''
|
* Starfleet Transport Command
* Federation Department of Colonial Affairs
|-
|Starfleet Supply Vessels
|Resupply of starships, starbases, space stations, and colonies.
 
* Underway replenishment
* Colony establishment and settlement
* Non-emergency engineering support
|
* [[Miranda II Class|''Miranda'' ''II'']]
* [[Constellation Class|''Constellation'']]
* [[Oberth Class|''Oberth'']]
* [[Aerie Class|''Aerie'']]
* ''[[Merchantman Class|Merchantman]]''
* ''[[Antares Class (Freighter)|Antares]]''
|
* Starfleet Materiel Supply Command
* Federation Department of Colonial Affairs
|-
|Starfleet Tankers
|Transportation of bulk gasses and liquids, including deuterium and anti-deuterium fuels and refueling of starships.
 
* Refinery to starbase fuel transport
* Refinery or starbase to underway starship transport
|
* [[Monarch Class|Monarch]]
|
* Starfleet Transport Command
* Starfleet Refueling Command
|-
|Starfleet Tugs & Salvage Vessels
|Long-range towing of cargo and passenger containers, starships, space stations, and their components, and salvage and recovery operations.
 
* Transport, tanker, or supply service w/ relevant modules
* Colonial transport and settlement w/ relevant modules
* Mass-scale evacuations w/ relevant modules
* Starship towing and salvage
* Transport of stations, in whole or in part
|
* ''[[Ptolemy II Class|Ptolemy II]]''
* ''[[Wallenberg Class|Wallenberg]]''
|
* Starfleet Transport Command
* Starfleet Corps of Engineers
* Federation Department of Colonial Affairs
|-
|Starfleet Surveyors
|Tertiary non-biological and non-cultural surveys for prospecting and resourcing purposes.
 
* Mineralogical surveys within Federation space
* Gas density analyses within Federation space
* Deployment of research probes
|
* ''[[Aerie Class|Aerie]]''
* ''[[Oberth Class|Oberth]]''
* ''[[Miranda II Class|Miranda II]]''
* ''[[Phoenix Class|Phoenix]]''
|
* Starfleet Science Bureaus
* Federation Civilian Science Agencies
|-
|Starfleet Research Vessels
|Scientific expeditions within Federation space
 
* Specialized scientific missions with a particular focus area
* Transport of scientists and supplies to surface or station research facilities
* Support of surface or station research facilities
* Deployment of research probes
|
* ''[[Olympic Class|Olympic]]<sup>1</sup>''
* ''[[Miranda II Class|Miranda II]]''
* ''[[Constellation Class|Constellation]]''
*''[[Oberth Class|Oberth]]''
*''[[Aerie Class|Aerie]]''
*''[[Phoenix Class|Phoenix]]''
|
* Starfleet Science Bureaus
* Federation Civilian Science Agencies
|-
|Starfleet Hospital Ships
|Long-term or otherwise non-emergency medical support missions and pre-positioning of medical assets within Federation space.
 
* Deployment of field hospitals at refugee staging points
* Long-term orbital medical support
* Movement of hospital ships to strategic locations when not in use
 
|
*[[Olympic Class|''Olympic<sup>2</sup>'']]
* [[Miranda II Class|''Miranda II'']]
* [[Constellation Class|''Constellation'']]
* ''[[Ambassador Class|Ambassador]]''
|
* Starfleet Medical
* Federation Civilian Medical Agencies
|}
<sup>1</sup>The ''Olympic''-class research vessels assigned to Federation civilian entities are operated by the Starfleet Auxiliary but registered as civilian ships with an SS rather than USS designation, while the majority of the ones that Starfleet owns are in mainline Starfleet service.
 
<sup>2</sup> When not deployed to a specific fleet for fast response duties, ''Olympic''-class hospital ships are operated with reduced crews and held in reserve at strategic points within the Federation. During this reserve period, they are crewed with minimal non-medical crews from Starfleet Auxiliary. Upon activation, they transition to a full Starfleet crew ''en route'' or before departure, with the goal of full operational capacity and arrival within one month anywhere within the Federation. They are also crewed by auxiliary personnel when stationed for long-term hospital service in orbit of a planet.

Latest revision as of 16:34, 9 March 2024

This article is official Bravo Fleet canon.

Starfleet Federation Faction








StarfleetAuxiliary.png
Starfleet Auxiliary
Founded

2161

Affiliation
  • United Federation of Planets
  • Starfleet
Headquarters

Tellar Prime

Primary Mission

Logistical Support

Leadership

Admiral Lashnov Zagh (Tellarite Male)

Status

Active

Template:Organisation

Starfleet Auxiliary is a component of Starfleet that operates passenger liners, tankers, freighters, transports, and some research vessels in support of the starships and capital starships in mainline Starfleet service. Without the Auxiliary, the critical movement of fuel, passengers, and freight throughout Federation space would be impossible. The personnel in this service are subject to Starfleet's regulations (including the Prime Directive) but have more specialized training focusing on the core responsibilities of operating a starship and performing their job functions.

History

When Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets were founded in 2161, a subordinate service to handle logistical support for Starfleet's exploratory, defensive, diplomatic, and humanitarian mandate was envisioned. While each of the founding members had their own merchant marine services, the Starfleet Auxiliary was created to create a common set of regulations and training standards and a unified dispatching system to turn these disparate systems into a working whole, just as the early Starfleet needed to combine aspects of the founders' scientific and defensive arms.

With ships from the Human, Vulcan, Andorian, and Tellarite merchant fleets to start with and ships from less powerful worlds joining as negotiations continued, Starfleet Auxiliary's growth was rapid in the first few decades of its existence as starbases and interstellar shipping lanes were developed. The Federation Council decided to base the Starfleet Auxiliary on Tellar Prime rather than on Earth because of the Tellarites' great experience in mining, construction, and other logistics projects. Even in the 2390s, the upper echelons of the organization continue to be dominated by Tellarites in the same way that Starfleet is by Humans.

By the 2230s, there were several hundred purpose-built ships in the auxiliary, including passenger ships, tankers, and freighters. By the 2260s, the fleet included surveyors following up on non-biological and non-cultural surveys (generally looking for minerals and other resources) and hospital ships as well. As time went on, the Starfleet Auxiliary has entered a steady pattern of assimilating retired Starfleet vessels into its inventory, as well as operating ships purpose-built for civilian and auxiliary service. In the mid-24th century, there were just as many Oberth and Miranda-class ships in auxiliary service as in mainline service, the older units of this class living on with less rigorous duties.

The logistical complexity of operating hundreds of starbases and thousands of lesser stations and starships necessitated similar growth in the Starfleet Auxiliary, and by the beginning of the 25th century, ships belonging to the Auxiliary can be found in all corners of the Federation.

Organization

Somewhat ironically, the Commander, Starfleet Auxiliary is not actually a member of the Starfleet Auxiliary but is a commissioned Starfleet officer reporting to the Chief of Starfleet Operations and holding the rank of admiral. Indeed, there are no members of the Starfleet Auxiliary with ranks higher than captain; officers wishing to advance beyond this stage must go through additional training such as Command School, and then be commissioned in Starfleet instead.

Each type of vessel has its own commander under this level. For example, the Commander, Starfleet Transports, and the Commander, Starfleet Surveyors are each Rear or Vice Admirals overseeing all of the vessels of those two designations. These type commanders assign vessels either to specific sectors, where they fall under the jurisdiction of that sector's commander or to various Starfleet offices and bureaus, where they fall under the jurisdiction of that office's director.

For example, a Sydney-class passenger liner might be assigned to regular service between Starbase 4 and a smaller station in the same sector, thus falling under the jurisdiction of Starbase 4's commanding officer, the flag officer in command of Sector 4. As another example, an Aerie-class surveyor might be specially equipped to transport mineralogical samples and so would be assigned to the Bureau of Minerology under Starfleet Science and would be under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Bureau of Mineralogy.

The effect of this allows the Starfleet Auxiliary to operate without a parallel chain of command to Starfleet itself. By regulation, in combat or emergency situations, the captain of any Starfleet Auxiliary vessel would be subordinate to the captain of any mainline Starfleet vessel, even if their equivalent rank was higher. For example, a Starfleet lieutenant commander in command of a Saber-class scout responding to a distress call from an Olympic-class transport under the command of a Starfleet Auxiliary captain would be legally capable of ordering the nominally more senior officer to withdraw. In non-emergency situations, this regulation does not apply.

Personnel

Two members of the Starfleet Auxiliary in the 2260s, wearing the distinctive Spacecraft Duty Insignia and an older uniform than their Starfleet counterparts of that time period.
Two members of the Starfleet Auxiliary in the 2260s, wearing the distinctive Spacecraft Duty Insignia and an older uniform than their Starfleet counterparts of that time period.

One of the original branches of Starfleet, the Starfleet Auxiliary has been in operation since the founding of the Federation in 2161. The personnel in this branch are highly trained in starship navigation and operations, engineering, and/or other related duties but don't have the exploratory and tactical training that is given to members of Starfleet itself. These personnel are commissioned through a number of different means, including several academies, training centers, and direct commissioning programs that take into account life experience and aptitude tests.

Onboard Departments

Compared to a Starfleet vessel, a vessel in the Starfleet Auxiliary has a much simpler command structure and a smaller number of departments, given that their crews are generally also significantly smaller. The smallest ships generally only have a deck department and engineering department, while passenger ships will also have a steward's department and surveyors will have a surveyor's department. A member's department here is tied more closely to their career path with fewer opportunities to move laterally because of the amount of on-the-job training involved.

Deck Department

Combining the duties of command, flight control, and operations aboard a Starfleet vessel, the deck department is responsible for navigation, safety, cargo management, and other things related to getting the vessel where it needs to be and making sure its contents (passengers or cargo) arrive safely.

Engineering Department

As on any other starship, the engineering department is responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of the ship's engines and structural systems. Having smaller crews means having fewer specialists, especially at senior levels, so over time, members of this department learn to operate, maintain, and monitor every system on their ship.

Steward's Department

Found on ships carrying passengers, the steward's department is responsible for the safety and comfort of passengers, with duties ranging from assigning cabins and arranging meals to passenger recreation on larger liners.

Surveyor's Department

Antares-class scout
While not as capable as Starfleet science vessels, survey ships perform an indispensable mineral prospecting and colonial support function.

Found only on surveyors, this department is related to the science department found on a Starfleet ship but much more specialized in handling sample collection and basic mineralogical analysis tasks to identify resource-rich planetary bodies to meet Starfleet's need for dilithium, duranium, magnesite, and other minerals necessary for the construction of starships but which either can't be replicated or can't be replicated efficiently.

Other Personnel

  • The smallest ships do not have an onboard physician but rely instead on an EMH for any necessary treatment while they are between ports of call.
  • On ships with 30 or more crewmembers who will be between ports for 30 or more days, a medical team detached from Starfleet will be assigned to the ship; the Auxiliary does not have physicians of its own.
  • On research vessels operated by the Starfleet Auxiliary on behalf of a civilian or Starfleet research agency, the research crew reports to whatever agency is organizing the mission. The mission leader can make requests of the captain when it comes to destinations and other operations, but the captain has the final say when it comes to the vessel's safety.
  • Similarly, on medical vessels operated by the Starfleet Auxiliary, the ship's command and engineering crew are part of the Starfleet Auxiliary, subordinate to the medical commanding officer, except in matters of the vessel's safety.

Rank Structure and Career Paths

The rank structure in the Starfleet Auxiliary is simplified from Starfleet itself, based on merchant traditions that informed such services as the Earth Cargo Service, which itself is derived from Merchant Marine traditions on Earth, combined with structures used by the Imperial Andorian Logistics Corps, the Tellarite Merchant Navy, and the Vulcan National Merchant Fleet. The line between officers and enlisted is much blurrier in an auxiliary context, and it is possible for someone to work their way up directly from Crewman to Captain over an extended period of time through on-the-job training in a way that's much easier than it would be in Starfleet itself. On the flip side, the licensing and time-in-grade requirements for each level are inflexible.

Starfleet Auxiliary Rank Structure
Insignia Deck Department Engineering Department Steward's Department Surveyor's Department Time in Previous Grade
⚫⚫⚫⚫ Captain N/A N/A N/A 10 Years
⚫⚫⚫ Master Chief Engineer Chief Steward Chief Surveyor 5 Years
⚫⚫ Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant 4 Years
⚫ Ensign Ensign Ensign Ensign 1 Year
◯◯ Acting Ensign Acting Ensign Acting Ensign Acting Ensign 4 Years
◯ Petty Officer Petty Officer Petty Officer Petty Officer 1 Year
N/A Crewman Crewman Crewman Crewman N/A


Direct enlistment as a crewman includes six weeks of training before spending the remainder of the first year learning on the job on a ship, becoming a petty officer upon the satisfactory completion of several training programs at the end of that probationary period. After five total years of enlistment, members can apply to become acting ensigns, taking additional training and apprenticing under more challenging jobs. Alternatively, if an individual goes through a service academy (usually a three-year program), they would start in service as an acting ensign. After one year of continuing to learn on the job, the member is then promoted to ensign or discharged.

After four years as an ensign, a member is eligible for promotion to lieutenant, which is the requisite rank for most department head roles on smaller ships. After five more years, they are eligible to advance to the senior rank in their particular department, where the titles vary. Finally, members of the deck department who have been masters for at least ten years are eligible for promotion to the rank of Captain and are therefore eligible to command the largest ships in auxiliary service.

There are no flag ranks in the Starfleet Auxiliary, but senior members of the auxiliary are often eligible for promotion and direct commission into a Starfleet flag rank to be able to lead offices and bureaus within Starfleet Auxiliary Command. It has been a point of contention for decades that the Commander, Starfleet Auxiliary must be a Starfleet Admiral, a rank that is nearly impossible for a Starfleet Auxiliarist to obtain, and so since the 2330s, the Deputy Commander, a Vice Admiral, is by convention now an officer selected from within the Auxiliary.

Uniforms

The duty uniform of the Starfleet Auxiliary is the same as that used aboard Starfleet vessels, but with an altered combadge (black, in the shape of the Starfleet Auxiliary's logo) and rank insignia (for officers, black rather than silver; for acting ensigns and petty officers, open black rings). All members of the Starfleet Auxiliary exclusively wear services gold rather than command red or sciences blue. Dress uniforms follow the same pattern.

In actual practice, duty uniforms are only worn in the most formal of regular operations. Especially aboard vessels without passengers, crewmembers tend to wear utility coveralls, and the uniform code is more forgiving for the Auxiliary than it is for the fleet itself. Aboard transports carrying passengers, members of the steward's department, at the discretion of the captain, have an alternative white uniform that sets them apart from their passengers--many of whom are also Starfleet officers.

Vessels

Starfleet Auxiliary operates a wide variety of vessels, including classes that are operated by either Starfleet or civilians (or both). This table is not all-inclusive, as there are many one-off designs or converted versions of other types in limited use, but represents a broad overview of the types of vessels in service with this branch. Many designs operate in multiple roles, such as the Aerie. Commissioned vessels of the Starfleet Auxiliary use the same USS designation as other Starfleet ships do. Many of them also have NCC registry prefixes, but this is more variable. When ships move between Starfleet and the Starfleet Auxiliary or are taken into service from civilian ownership, they don't normally change registry numbers.

Starfleet Auxiliary Starship Inventory
Type Command General Duties Exemplar Classes Corresponding Starfleet/Federation Office
Starfleet Transports Movement of passengers and cargo between starbases, space stations, member worlds, and colonies.
  • Packet service between starbases and outlying stations
  • Liner service between major starbases or Federation worlds
  • Colonist transport
  • Courier duties for Federation officials
  • Starfleet Transport Command
  • Federation Department of Colonial Affairs
Starfleet Supply Vessels Resupply of starships, starbases, space stations, and colonies.
  • Underway replenishment
  • Colony establishment and settlement
  • Non-emergency engineering support
  • Starfleet Materiel Supply Command
  • Federation Department of Colonial Affairs
Starfleet Tankers Transportation of bulk gasses and liquids, including deuterium and anti-deuterium fuels and refueling of starships.
  • Refinery to starbase fuel transport
  • Refinery or starbase to underway starship transport
  • Starfleet Transport Command
  • Starfleet Refueling Command
Starfleet Tugs & Salvage Vessels Long-range towing of cargo and passenger containers, starships, space stations, and their components, and salvage and recovery operations.
  • Transport, tanker, or supply service w/ relevant modules
  • Colonial transport and settlement w/ relevant modules
  • Mass-scale evacuations w/ relevant modules
  • Starship towing and salvage
  • Transport of stations, in whole or in part
  • Starfleet Transport Command
  • Starfleet Corps of Engineers
  • Federation Department of Colonial Affairs
Starfleet Surveyors Tertiary non-biological and non-cultural surveys for prospecting and resourcing purposes.
  • Mineralogical surveys within Federation space
  • Gas density analyses within Federation space
  • Deployment of research probes
  • Starfleet Science Bureaus
  • Federation Civilian Science Agencies
Starfleet Research Vessels Scientific expeditions within Federation space
  • Specialized scientific missions with a particular focus area
  • Transport of scientists and supplies to surface or station research facilities
  • Support of surface or station research facilities
  • Deployment of research probes
  • Starfleet Science Bureaus
  • Federation Civilian Science Agencies
Starfleet Hospital Ships Long-term or otherwise non-emergency medical support missions and pre-positioning of medical assets within Federation space.
  • Deployment of field hospitals at refugee staging points
  • Long-term orbital medical support
  • Movement of hospital ships to strategic locations when not in use
  • Starfleet Medical
  • Federation Civilian Medical Agencies

1The Olympic-class research vessels assigned to Federation civilian entities are operated by the Starfleet Auxiliary but registered as civilian ships with an SS rather than USS designation, while the majority of the ones that Starfleet owns are in mainline Starfleet service.

2 When not deployed to a specific fleet for fast response duties, Olympic-class hospital ships are operated with reduced crews and held in reserve at strategic points within the Federation. During this reserve period, they are crewed with minimal non-medical crews from Starfleet Auxiliary. Upon activation, they transition to a full Starfleet crew en route or before departure, with the goal of full operational capacity and arrival within one month anywhere within the Federation. They are also crewed by auxiliary personnel when stationed for long-term hospital service in orbit of a planet.

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