User:McGig/Sandbox/Anchorage
Anchorage-class stations are among the most common stations in the Federation. Based on the same rough planform as the much smaller Regula-class research station, the Anchorage-class is intended as a consistent and steady presence of the Federation, acting as a hub for local trade, starship servicing, navigational assistance and static defence. The class serves either as a standalone starbase or as the orbital component of larger planetside bases for smaller colony worlds with underdeveloped space-based infrastructure.
History
Coming out of the same program that gave rise to the Vision-class starbases, the Anchorage-class is the largest design that originated from the Regula-class stations. With a commonality of components, design language and a majority of prefabricated components, the ability for the Federation to assemble an Anchorage-class station in a timely fashion allowed for the replacement of strategic and economically important older K-class stations during the middle of the 2300s.
At the time of its original development and deployment, the Anchorage-class was a top-of-the-line facility built with a broad mission scope and with spare capacity to meet the needs of the coming decades. With multiple external hardpoints, the original designers envisioned the class of starbase to be able to be expanded upon and grown until such time as the starbase had organically become the basis of a unique facility, or deemed important enough to warrant replacement with a full-scale Spacedock-class starbase.
For many starships venturing forth past Federation borders during the 2300s an Anchorage-class station would have been their last port of call before departing into the unknown and their first sign they were safe and home again on their homeward leg. Many a trader would know them as the undeniable customs and inspection posts as they cross the border and in quite a few local markets have popped up and taken root. These stations were the face of permanent Federation space-based presences in almost every sector during the later half of the 24th century.
Lessons learned from the design, development, deployment and decades of experience with the Anchorage-class stations ultimately have given rise to the station's replacement in terms of mission scope - the Narendra-class station. The prefabricated design, commonality of parts and systems with other contemporary designs and ability to be assembled in a speedy fashion are lessons learned that have carried over into the newer breed of border outposts. With the oldest Anchorage-class stations approaching mid-life currently and the last one constructed just prior to the outbreak of hostilities of the Dominion, Anchorage-class stations will be a sight across the Federation for decades, if not centuries to come as these venerable and capable facilities continue in their roles.
Layout
Resembling the smaller and older Regula-class research station, the majority of Anchorage-class stations have eschewed the bunkerage silos in favour of internalised facilities within the greatly expanded station. From a distance it is easy to visually mistake an Anchorage with a Regula, but as one nears the increased scale of the station quickly distinguishes the two designs.
Using the same planoform as the Regula-class, the station features similar concepts such as the centralised core with its hanger, power generation facilities and then expanding out to the station's primary framework for module installation. While the Regula featured either an arboretum, office space or expanded habitation ring directly under the station, due to their mission profile, Anchorage-class stations feature a secondary shield emitter ring that also houses a number of the station's ventral weapons systems.
Modules that can be fitted to the Anchorage-class vary in purpose and number as dependent on the station's location. While these modules are typically manufactured elsewhere and transported for installation, bespoke modules have been constructed, sometimes on-site, for stations as required.
Station Life
Anchorage-class Stations In-play
- Anchorage-class stations are the older border outposts and guard stations of the Federation, not the mighty floating cities like Guardian-class stations. With a crew of a thousand aboard they are still respectable-sized stations and continue in their original purpose for the foreseeable future.
- Due to their size limitations and the considerations of the era they were designed in, Anchorage-class stations are decent staging posts for fleet actions but are ill-equipped for large-scale repairs and refits, more likely leaning into making ships ready to continue to dedicated repair facilities than undertaking work themselves.
- With a crew of 1000 personnel and nearly half of that again in civilian population, work-life aboard these stations is comparable to the larger explorer class starships, just in a static location. These are border towns along the Federation's flanks, minor hubs for trade and transit. You're just as likely to meet an alien trader, a university research team or a Starfleet task force as you are to find absolutely nothing.