Starfleet is made up of five primary branches: Exploration, Military, Transport, Resource, and Intelligence. There are also a number of sub-branches reporting to each of the five major ones. Each branch uses different styles of vessels for its needs, and even similar vessels used by different branches may differ in configuration.

Transport, easily the largest branch of Starfleet in terms of ship tonnage, operates some 9,500 inter- and intrasystem transports, runabouts, and shuttles between Federation member worlds. The vast majority of these ships operate on standard routes between planets and Starbases. A typical Federation member system might support between 20 and 25 of these ships on intrasystem work between the primary planets in the system, and another dozen operating as regularly scheduled flights to nearby systems.

The majority of Transport's intersystem work is handled by Yellowstone class Runabouts. These small ships carry a crew of two, and up to a dozen passengers at speeds exceeding warp 5. A typical Danube class ship route is the Earth-Mars-Vulcan run, which has been operating without interruption for more than 200 years, handled by various small ship classes. At any given time, there are three Danube class ships on this route. Within systems, Transport generally uses type seven and ten shuttlecraft, as well as type nine cargoshuttles. These are known as "packets," and comprise the bulk of intrasystem Federation traffic.

Typical of the missions assigned to these vessels is the so-called "Jovian Run" in the Sol system. Handled by a single type seven shuttlecraft, the Jovian Run is the standard passenger service running from Mimas and Titan, orbiting Saturn, to Europa and Ganymede, orbiting Jupiter. Because of the large number of Starfleet facilities operating near these two planets (such as the Starfleet Academy Flight Range, near Mimas), a commissioned Starfleet vessel is made available on this route.

The Transport branch also operates a smaller number of tugs, freighters, and "Captain's Yacht" style vessels for intersystem work. In addition, however, Transport also possesses a number of the Norway class starships, commissioned in the 2370s. Obstensibly a multi-mission ship, the Norway class is built primarily for speed and survivability. Norways are only lightly armed and carry a crew of less than 100 people on most missions. Part blockade runner, part ambassadorial transport, the Norway class vessels are intended as the solution for systems under seige, high-speed transport, and transport to areas that are difficult to reach. The commanding officers of these high-speed transports have a "daredevil" reputation -- a reputation that they very much deserve.

Next largest in terms of starship tonnage is the Resource branch of Starfleet. Primarily devoted to maintaining stability within Federation systems, Resource is the branch of Starfleet tasked with maintaining Starbases, subspace communications relays, tankers, and 'fleet matériel. Some 4,500 warp-capable vessels are part of this branch of the fleet. Resource is also charged with the maintenance of Starfleet scientific facilities such as the Remmler Array, the Amagosa Observatory, and the Mutara One Space Station.

Easily the largest and most impressive of the Resource facilites are the large spaceborne Ournal class Starbases. Able to accomodate dozens of Starfleet starships at a time, the Ournal class Starbase is a strong sign of Starfleet interest and protection in a system, as well as a safe haven and a place to repair for starships in the other branches of Starfleet. They also provide staging areas for the Transport branch. Resource also maintains smaller K-7 and Regula class space stations, Outpost class facilities along the Romulan Neutral Zone, and alien starbases under Starfleet control or administration, such as Deep Space Five, Deep Space Nine, and Farpoint Station.

The largest of the Ournal class facilities is the Superstation, located in the Triangle, equidistant from the Romulan and Klingon borders. Established in the late 2370s as a show of Federation strength and unity following the Dominion War, the Superstation is a haven for starships from all three powers.

It is the Resource branch, rather than Transport, that provides colonization matériel and regular deliveries of trade goods to outlying systems. For this reason, Resource ships are generally armed with defensive weapons. For these roles, the Miranda class starship is a typical choice for its interchangeable components, small crew requirements, and large storage capacity. A Miranda operating under the Resource banner will typically have a crew of 12. Though more than 100 years old, the Miranda class design is simple to maintain and can be built in less than a year, making it ideal for Resource duties.

With some 3,500 starships reporting, the Military branch of Starfleet is the next largest. The Military branch, which is concerned with the defense of Federation borders, as well as Starfleet and Federation facilities, both on member and non-member worlds, is easily the most controversial branch of Starfleet. Many feel that an organization primarily devoted to exploration should not require the services of such a large, heavily-armed force. However, Federation space is vast -- 172 systems spread across 9,000 light-years in Alpha and Beta quadrants, plus a significant foothold in Gamma quadrant. Unfortunately, the Federation does not control every system within its borders, allowing small single races (such as the Tamarians) and even multi-system unions (such as the First Federation and the Tholian Assembly) within its borders. For that reason, defense of Federation systems and borders is a vital consideration.

The Military branch's most common ship is the Vigilant class scout. A relatively new class heavy on speed and agility, a Vigilant will sport a crew of 36, and generally operates in flights of three ships. Such a flight, sometimes referred to as a "wing" is assigned to each sector of Federation space which adjoins a Neutral or Threat force border. Currently, there are some 350 wings of such ships, some modified for unique mission profiles, such as pursuit, intelligence gathering, electronic countermeasures, and armed supply. Designed following the Dominion War, Vigilants are virtually all engine and are incredibly quick and agile. While not the most comfortable ships, they are quite survivable and one of the mainstays of Federation space.

On Threat force borders, the Vigilant scout wings are generally supported by a single Artemis class destroyer. The Artemis is one of the newest designs in Starfleet, and has proven to be both resilient and survivable. It is the replacement for the Excelsior class ships which have been recently retired, and is an admirable successor.

Artemis class ships are fast, maneuverable, well-armed, and almost endlessly upgradable. The Military branch of Starfleet makes use of some 200 Artemis class starships, and more are being produced every month. Crew sizes on Artemis class ships range from 48 to 70, depending on mission profile. Artemis class ships are also noteworthy for their crew comforts, which are comprable to much larger ships. For that reason among others, duty on these vessels is much sought-after.

Supplementing the Starfleet Military branch is the Starfleet Marine Corps. Tasked with the protection of Federation and Starfleet facilities on member and non-member worlds, as well as ground defense of potential military targets, the Marines are an outstanding asset to the 'fleet. They are also the primary force coordinating capture and holding of enemy starships and facilities. Established during the Federation/Klingon Four Years War, the Marines and the Frigate class that carries them into combat were an outgrowth of a discovery following first year of that conflict.

After large-scale battles resulting in Starfleet victories, there was a necessary period of consolidation before an advance could be pressed, and advantage taken of the enemy's weakened state. During this period, Klingon starships were often disabled on the battlefield and had to be captured. This resulted in a lengthy delay, as the Security forces of several starships had to be consolidated to take the ship with acceptable tactical losses.

The Starfleet Marine Corps was established with this primary mission in mind. Following such a large scale battle, armed frigates would enter the battlefield and secure enemy starships and facilities while the main bulk of the 'fleet pressed on toward the objective. This denies the enemy a chance to recover following a loss. For this reason, since that time, frigates of one design or another have been an integral part of Starfleet. Today's premiere frigate design is the Katana class. Carrying a crew of just over 240, as well as 120 Marines, the Katana class is supremely equipped to her mission of capture of enemy facilities and starships. Though relatively lightly armed, the Katana class is also fast -- most are also equipped with the latest propulsion technologies, making them "quick response" ships to trouble spots.

An extremely effective addition to the Military branch's arsenal has been the Defiant class escort. The Defiant class is a radical departure from traditional Starfleet designs. Extremely maneuverable, and mounting a pulse phaser cannon, ablative armor, heavy shields, and quantum torpedoes, the Defiant class was intended as an anti-Borg weapons system. However, its effectiveness against Jem'Hadar and Cardassian ships and tactics in the Dominion War is the stuff of legend.

Though difficult to construct and maintain, the Defiants can withstand a stunning amount of punishment and remain operational and battle-worthy. They carry a crew between 40 and 60, and along with the Artemis class, have been an effective replacement for the 'fleet's Excelsior and Miranda class ships in the Military branch.

Surprisingly, the Intelligence branch of Starfleet is the next largest in terms of ship tonnage. Sporting some 2,500 warp-capable starships, the Intelligence branch's charter is extremely broadly defined to include research and scientific intelligence as well as political and military intelligence. The Department of Temporal Investigations is another important subsection of this branch of Starfleet.

Chief among current Intelligence branch designs is the Prometheus class cruiser. Boasting an extremely high top speed and a unique "Multi-Vector Assault Mode," the Prometheus class fills the important scout role for many Starfleet task forces and fleets. Its extremely powerful sensor array is also an effective tool in its missions. It can also act as a targetting platform for a number of other Starfleet vessels in the vicinity, allowing them to remain relatively masked while only the Prometheus exposes itself. The biometric systems associated with its multi-vector assault mode also allow it to coordinate attacks from many Starfleet vessels, multiplying their effectiveness.

In its role as a provider of military intelligence, the Intelligence branch of Starfleet also uses many Odin class interceptors. Tasked with high-speed intelligence gathering, intercept of incoming Threat force fleets, and reconnaissance, the Odin class has proved to be highly successful. Its unusual design is geared toward one thing: pure speed. The Odin class ships are some of the fastest in the fleet; the Military branch uses a few of these ships as well, primarily for intercept duties along the border.

When considering the roles of Starfleet Intelligence, very few in Federation circles remember that this branch's mission also includes follow up missions on unusual phenomenon discovered by the Exploration branch. Pure science vessels are an important part of Intel's work, and should be for many years to come.

Recently updated for the 2390s, the beautiful Oberth class scout is still a popular design in Starfleet Intelligence. Requiring only a minimal crew, the Oberth class is one of the most common in Starfleet, with more than 500 of these vessels in service. These ships are only lightly armed, but are fast and feature an excellent sensor and electronic countermeasures suite. Oberth class ships are also commonly used as test platforms for new technologies.

During a design study conducted in the 2370s, the Intelligence branch reviewed all of the major classes in Starfleet and attempted to look for common elements used in all five branches. The ultimate goal would be to produce a class of starship that could be used effectively to complete the primary missions of all five branches of the fleet without significant modifications. This would greatly reduce the number of class specialists and unique design characteristics of the various classes of Starfleet vessels.

The result was the Akira class starship. Fast, easy to maintain, maneuverable, and sporting both a sophisticated weapons system and an advanced sensor array, the Akira is a true jack-of-all-trades. Unfortunately, this sometimes comes at the expense of being "the master of none." Due to their relatively simple design and tight cross section, many of these ships were produced in the 2370s and 80s and are still in use.

Finally, with some 2,000 starships, the Exploration branch is the smallest but easily the most prestigious branch in Starfleet. Tasked with the mission "to boldly go where no one has gone before," the Exploration branch is at the forefront of research and scientific endeavor.

Leading the way among current Exploration branch designs are the massive Galaxy class starships. One of the largest ships in Starfleet, the Galaxy class is nevertheless fast, magnificently equipped, survivable, and easy to maintain. Unfortunately, due to the extreme expense of construction of this class, only a limited number are commissioned at any given time. In addition, their crew requirements (over 1000) and the limited number of Starbases that can accept a ship of this size limit their usefulness. Nevertheless, Galaxy class explorers have come to symbolize the true spirit of exploration in the 'fleet. As much a floating community as a starship, the Galaxy class ships are the new ambassadors to prospective Federation members, representing the best in all of us.

Their sheer size and weapons component make their presense a notable one, and the abilities of this class make them incredibly survivable in the final frontier. Finally, their science and research facilities are some of the best ever put into space, by anyone. Their crew comforts make the Galaxy class the single most requested type of ship by Starfleet Academy graduates. Though few in number, the Galaxy class explorers make an impression out of all proportion to their numbers!

More common in the Exploration branch are the Nebula class explorers. Nearly as impressive as the Galaxy class, Nebula class ships have much lower crew and refurbishment requirements, and require fewer resources to construct. The Nebula class features the same components and research facilites as its larger twin.

In addition, it also features a removable module which makes this class highly configurable for multiple mission profiles. The Nebula class has proven extremely successful, not only in the Exploration branch, but in the Transport and Intelligence branches as well. Its lower crew requirements -- about 500, depending on mission profile -- make it much easier to staff, and Nebula class ships have proven extremely effective in first-tier exploration endeavors.

One of the last new designs developed prior to the Dominion War, the Intrepid class starships are proving to be an incredibly valuable asset to the Exploration branch of Starfleet. One of Starfleet's most advanced designs, the Intrepid class starship offers nearly the same capabilities as a Nebula class explorer -- but at one quarter the required crew size. Its small size makes it relatively easy to construct despite its high level of technology. In addition, Intrepid class ships have proven to be the single easiest class to repair and maintain in Starfleet history. The amount of punishment one of these ships can take and still remain operational is simply stunning.

Impressively quick, manueverable, and survivable, the Intrepid class ships are also making quite a splash with the Military and Intelligence branches of Starfleet, which have also ordered this ship. They also offer an incredibly high top speed -- warp 9.975 -- without the complex multi-warp-core engineering requirements of the Prometheus class. The Intrepid class is sure to be an important contributor to Starfleet for many years to come!

One of Starfleet's newest designs, as well as the single largest design currently fielded by Starfleet is the massive Magellan class explorer. As much floating community as starship, the Magellan class vessels are tasked with very long range, very long duration exploration on the rim of Federation space. While these massive ships are not particularly effective combatants, they are heavily armed with defensive weapons and are more than capable of repulsing attacks. Where the Magellans truly show their strength, however, is in long-term scientific research, study, and exploration. A single Magellan class ship can sweep fifty sectors of space in two years, the minimum cruise lengths on these enormous flying starbases.

The Magellan was a controversial class -- the expense in constructing the prototype was nearly three times expected, which itself was the same amount of materials needed for a pair of Galaxy class explorers. There are many in the Admiralty who doubt the utility of these vessels, and it remains to be seen whether they will prove themselves over the long term. Currently, there is only one other Magellan class ship in Starfleet other than the prototype.

Finally, and most impressively, the Sovereign class explorer is the premiere Starfleet vessel. Combining everything learned up to this point about starship design, fitting, refurbishing, maintenance, and survivability, the Sovereign class is an outstanding example of Starfleet technology at its finest. It is simply an incredible vessel, doing nearly everything well. It is an outstanding first-tier explorer, with the finest sensor array and science and research capability ever designed into a Starfleet vessel.

Sovereigns are also relatively simple to construct and easy to maintain. Its weapons array and defenses include very high power phasers, quantum torpedoes, extremely advanced shields, and ablative armor. It is maneuverable out of all proportion to its size. Its crew requirement -- 700 -- while large, is acceptable for the Exploration branch that is its primary contractor. Sovereigns have also been considered by the Military branch of Starfleet.

The Sovereign's size is smaller along the critical ventral/dorsal line than virtually any other cruiser-size starship designed by Starfleet in the last century. This allows ease of maintenance in standard Starfleet facilities. Though still very few in number in Starfleet, the Sovereign class has been very successful, and have borne out the expectations of her designers. Not only have the initial tests of this beautiful vessel proven out, but her interior appointments make contemplation of a long exploratory cruise aboard her a pleasurable one. Threat forces will think twice before taking one on, and she is able to respond to trouble quickly. As effective an explorer as a Galaxy, as effecient a combatant as a Defiant, as fast as an Intrepid... the Sovereign class stands ready to carry the dreams of Starfleet into her third century.

Thank you for reviewing this informational file on the United Federation of Planets Starfleet! We hope you have found this document interesting and enlightening. If you have any questions about your Starfleet, please feel free to contact the Starfleet Field Office in your area. The officers at these stations can answer any questions you have about Starfleet vessel provisioning, potential civilian contracts, ships in your area, local "Fleet Weeks," and of course, recruitment. Starfleet also welcomes Federation citizens to contact their Council member about Starfleet appropriations!

Thanks again for your time; see you in the final frontier!

Once you're done here, tap Back to return to the Coronado Setting information index or the Return key at the bottom of your PADD, and you will be returned to the main index.