*** Disclaimer ***
This is in no way to be possed as an argument for or against the federation having or recieving a carrier class vessal in Star Trek online. it is however ment to prove the existance of carriers in the service of the federation. If anyone feels like stepping up to the task, there are several fields that are incomplete. i was not able to find much information on several of the different classes.
*** Disclaimer ***
Akira-class
This was a Federation heavy cruiser that came into service with Starfleet during the latter half of the 24th century. One of Starfleet's more combat oriented vessels the Akira saw extensive service in the 2370s against the Borg and the Dominion.
the Akira Class had unusual feature of the through-deck shuttlebay located in the saucer section. The large bay had access points at the bow of the ship as well as at the rear of the saucer, located between the engineering hulls. This large bay allowed the Akira to act as a carrier for smaller craft such as shuttles and attack fighters.
Known ships of this Class: USS Thunderchild (NCC-63549), USS York (NCC-1407-D), USS Rabin (NCC-62392), USS Geronimo, USS Devore, USS Jupiter, USS Fury (NCC-64952)
The USS Thunderchild fights at the Battle of Sector 001 in Star Trek: First Contact.
Ariel-class
A type of shuttlecarrier (sometimes called supercarriers) were a class of United Federation of Planets Starfleet vessels on active duty beginning in 2278. (Heavy Cruiser Evolution Blueprints, Ships of the Star Fleet)
Because of the size and expense of this class, only four were ever built.
Canberra-class
This was a type of carrier fielded by the Federation Starfleet during the 24th century
Ships of this class: USS Barton (NCC-67310)
Clemenceau-class
This was a through-deck cruiser that was a type of Federation starship on active duty during at least the late 23rd century. Construction of the class was authorized in early 2288 and the first ships of the class were commissioned probably ca. 2290. (Jackill's Starfleet Reference Manual: Ships of the Fleet, vol. 3)
The design lineage of the Clemenceaus was derived from the Excelsior-class heavy cruisers. Like the Curnows, the Clemenceaus the port and starboard warp nacelles of type LN-72 or similar on downward curving pylons connected to an extended impulse deck aft of the primary hull. Standard crew complement was 987 officers and crew plus 65 surface action specialists.
The secondary hull consisted of six interconnected hangar decks. Clemenceaus were capable of carrying as many as 129 auxiliary craft including six complete fighter wings. There up to 18 assault shuttles embarked.
Curry-class/Shelley-class
This was a type of Federation starship in use during the 24th century. The Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 1: The Ships of Starfleet refer to this class as a cruiser.
The Shelley-class shared many design features with the Excelsior-class namely the saucer section and engineering hull designs. The saucer section is mounted around the centre of the engineering hull such that the forward part of the engineering hull is the forward most part of the vessel.
The nacelles are similar to those used on the older Constitution-class. They are mounted on pylons that travel under the saucer section and swoop down so that the nacelles are in line with the engineering section.
The vessel has extensive shuttlebay facilities. This allowed the vessel to act as a fighter carrier or as an assault ship. (LUG RPG: Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 1: The Ships of Starfleet)
There are two variants of this class recognisable by the orientation of the nacelles. One variant has the nacelles mounted in the traditional fashion while the other has the nacelles mounted sideways. The vessels with the nacelles mounted sideways also have a second set of pylons connecting to the nacelles near the rear of the vessel.
Fredrikstad-class
These shuttlecarriers (sometimes called supercarriers) were a class of Federation Starfleet vessel on active duty beginning in the early 2290s.
Fredrikstads were similar in appearance and purpose to the Ariel-class shuttlecarriers first commissioned in 2278 (Heavy Cruiser Evolution Blueprints, Ships of the Star Fleet, Volume 1 (Revised)). This class, introduced in 2286, was grouped as a dreadnought.
At least six vessels of this class entered service: USS Fredrikstad (Ships of the Star Fleet, Volume 1 (Revised)), USS Malverne, USS Ranger, USS Zhukov, USS Julius Caesar and USS George Washington.
Gabriel-class
These carriers were a Federation starship that saw service in the 24th century.
Helepolis-class
These strike carriers were a type of starship on active duty in Starfleet during the 24th century
Hornet Class
This was a type of fighter carrier starship in service to Starfleet in the late 23rd century. The main purpose of the Hornet-class was to help quell the rising outlaw activity in the Orion star system and the Deneb/Rigel commerce zones.
This class was designed to be manned by a 50% Rigellian crew, meaning that they were equipped with higher deck height and increased oxygen atmosphere. The design of the Hornet's was also revolutionary in the early 2270s as they were not equipped with a secondary hull, but a sensor/deflector platform which was attached to the primary hull. This style would later be replicated on the Akyazi-class perimeter action ships which entered service in the 2280s.
Primarily the Hornet-class was a fighter carrier, which meant that she was designed to deploy 10 Hornet-class fast attack craft, which proved excellent in tracking down Orion smugglers into asteroid fields. As well as the attack craft, the Hornet was also equipped with 10 phaser emplacements and 2 photon torpedo tubes.
Ships of this class: USS Amos (NCC-66541), USS Bonapart (NCC-63474), USS Knight (NCC-79001), USS Odin (NCC-79001), USS Richard (NCC-98701), USS Salem (NCC-84632), USS Shoemaker (NCC-81479)
Nimitz-class
These strike carriers were a type of United Federation of Planets starship on active duty in Starfleet during at least the late 23rd century. Outwardly similar in appearance on Constitution-class heavy cruisers, the Nimitzes were built during the General War (in the Star Fleet Battles timeline) in 2278. The larger rear hull holds a full squadron of attack fighters. As mainline combat vessels, carriers did not have Prime Teams assigned on a regular basis. The standard crew complement of a Nimitz was 395 plus 64 surface action specialists.
Normandy-class
supercarrier was a type of starship on active duty in Starfleet during the 24th century. The lead ship and prototype for its class, USS Normandy (NCC 36000), was commissioned in 2310 and was under the command of Admiral Rickard, it was on the front lines during the Tomed Incident
Quetzlcoatl-class
These starships, the so-called "semidreadnoughts", were a type of Starfleet vessel active in the early 23rd century.
Known ships of the Quetzlcoatl Class: USS Quetzalcoatl (NCC-1280), USS Marduk (NCC-1281), USS Osiris (NCC-1282), USS Viracocha (NCC-1283), USS Huascar (NCC-1284)
Ronin-class
Carrier ment to be a type of explorer that saw service with the Federation Starfleet during the 24th century. The Ronin entered service during the 2370s to serve as a smaller counterpart to the larger Sovereign-class. Many of its components mirrored that of its larger cousin. The Ronin was designed with a focus towards scientific exploration rather then combat operations. The ship's rear pod was changeable allowing for mission specific pods to be used such as a weapons' pod, sensor pod or colony pod.
Yorktown-class
Carrier in service first to the Earth Starfleet and then the newly-formed United Federation of Planets Starfleet in the 22nd century. Vessels of this class were first on active duty during the Earth-Romulan War. Aboard them were embarked Minotaur-class fightercraft.
Ships known to be of the Yorktown Class: USS Valley Forge (NCC-07), USS Akagi (NCC-08), USS Hood (NCC-09), USS Potemkin (NCC-10), USS Repulse (NCC-11), USS Rabin (NCC-12)
Vikrant Class
During the Dominion War, the Normandy Class Carriers had proven themselves to be highly effective Combat vessels, however during peacetime, Starfleet began to have major problems fitting them into the fleet in any kind of concerted way. They were not really suited for any specific task and it began to show, with a number of the fleets Normandy class vessels being mothballed in case of a future conflict, it was much less demanding on Starfleet resources to do so. However in 2380, around thirty years after the keel of the first Normandy Class vessel a competition was opened to create the next generation carrier for Starfleet.
The design brief for the Future Carrier project was a highly demanding one. Starfleet wanted a starship capable of being both an effective combat carrier and functioning as an integral part of the peacetime fleet. Of the nine designs submitted, most attempted to achieve the design brief by laying down specifications for some of the largest and most complicated starships ever seen, dwarfing even the Normandy in terms of size. One design however stood out, the design, termed the Vikrant was not much larger than a Sovereign Class Explorer and stood much smaller than the Normandy. The Vikrant also boasted a more impressive array of fighters aboard her large Fighter bays and she also featured a decent complement of shuttles and runabout as well as good science and medical facilities. The designers had elected to create a vessel with a stripped down Marine complement and a basic armaments loadout in order to maximise both the vessels evacuation capacity and fighter loadout, making her more of a true carrier than the Normandy ever was. The Vikrant class also carried an impressive array of Medical facilities, providing her with the ability to provide fast reaction to medical emergencies and the level of science labs capable for the Vikrant class to serve as a second line explorer, following up upon and consolidating on the ground previously explored by fronline exploration vessels such as the Luna Class and the Sovereign Class.
Needless to say the design was highly popular with Starfleet and when combined with a group of new Starfleet auxiliary craft advanced development was begun. Some changes were made from the initial design, including the removal of one of the tabled warp cores, meaning that the Vikrant functioned on a double-core system as opposed to the proposed triple core, which was deemed to be far too complex to be practical. In addition one of the proposed new Runabouts was dropped in favour of the much older Danube Class, which despite its comparative age was still a highly effective ship, also dropped was a separation capacity which would have been given to the upper seven decks, since this too was seen to be far too complicated for a vessel the size of the Vikrant. The design however soon passed into her initial prototype construction.
Construction of the prototype, the NX-80243, Vikrant began in early 2382 at Jupiter Stations Drydock number four, one of the largest. Construction was not exactly easy, whilst the Normandy class and Sovereign Class had been constructed recently, the Jupiter Station crews were more used to constructing experimental frigates and propulsion sleds than full size Carriers, this coupled with the fact that the Vikrant featured a number of revolutionary technologies and some highly complex computing and power distribution systems lead to an extended period of construction. The first Vikrant class vessel took until mid-2385 to complete, wherein her Trials began.
The Space Trials for the Vikrant class were unusually successful, presumably because the construction teams at Jupiter Station had been so conscientious. All of the regular systems functioned correctly, as did every single holoprojector on every single one of the twenty decks and the vessel was returned to Jupiter Station and then was begun to be fitted with the numerous auxiliary craft and crewed. The first Vikrant Class vessel, the USS Vikrant was subsequently launched in late 2385 and her intial production run was tabled at a total of eight vessels.
Except only two-to-three of those classes (akira, curry, shelly) were ever seen on screen and none were ever (again on screen) mentioned to be carriers in any capacity. So in hard canon carriers do not actually exist for the federation. soft canon yes, but then soft canon is a take it or leave it deal.
One of the larger 'down sides' to that list is the sourcing. The bulk of those ships come from the tabletop game systems. The hurdle this adds is that it makes a whole buncha more paperwork for getting rights to any of the designs. This next bit is my own opinion, but frankly I wouldn't want most of the designs from the tabletop games because they are quite unpleasant to look at.
This is not to say it cannot be pursued, just that its potentially more complex then what it takes to get ships now. Plus I imagine even if you get permission you still need CBS to OK it.
What Castmodean said. I recognized those names. And a note: Even in Starfleet Command 3, the Akira was a Heavy Crusier not a carrier as they removed all carriers from the game by that point.
I love the SFC games but 3 hurt me badly. Ah well, there's always mods.
What Castmodean said. I recognized those names. And a note: Even in Starfleet Command 3, the Akira was a Heavy Crusier not a carrier as they removed all carriers from the game by that point.
I love the SFC games but 3 hurt me badly. Ah well, there's always mods.
the Akira class while it was a Heavy Cruiser, it had a through deck hanger wich enabled it to function as carrier. Even though StarFleet Command 3 removed this ability, it is still an aspect of the class found in the Fluff.
One of the larger 'down sides' to that list is the sourcing. The bulk of those ships come from the tabletop game systems. The hurdle this adds is that it makes a whole buncha more paperwork for getting rights to any of the designs. This next bit is my own opinion, but frankly I wouldn't want most of the designs from the tabletop games because they are quite unpleasant to look at.
This is not to say it cannot be pursued, just that its potentially more complex then what it takes to get ships now. Plus I imagine even if you get permission you still need CBS to OK it.
while the treky in me would love to see th rights for these ship classes to be obtained, the more practical side of me understands exactly what you are saying and mean.
But this isn't to say that this wouldn't be a chance for a Cryptic designed ship that would fill the role, instead of shoehorning another ship type in. There have been issues with even the Akira in the fanbase, as I recall one spec sheet listed something over 20 torpedo launchers on the Akira.
I think though I would rather see a special ability added that lets you use part of your crew(kinda like boarding party) to launch shuttles for a limited combat role. IT sould be nifty if you could have a 'fighter screen' to maybe absorbe/remove some torpedo damage sent your way, but I'm just speculating on ability and stuff here.
Except only two-to-three of those classes (akira, curry, shelly) were ever seen on screen and none were ever (again on screen) mentioned to be carriers in any capacity. So in hard canon carriers do not actually exist for the federation. soft canon yes, but then soft canon is a take it or leave it deal.
This.
Almost all of the ships the OP mentioned don't exist in canon ST, and the rest have never been used in a carrier capacity. The words of the ships designer don't count as canon. He ment it one way, and the producers and the directors used it a different way.
taking the fluff into account for the Akira class, this is compelling evidence for 'onscreen' suport of th Akira Class being able to function as a carrier.
the following clip is the federation atempt to run the blockade of 1200 dominion ships with only 600 of their own ships. this is by no means a complete clip from the episode. the Episode name is 'Sacrifice of Angels' from the series Deep Space Nine.
the fighters you see onscreen are Minotaur class fighters.
at aproximately index 0:29 Benjamin Sisco orders 'Attack Fighters' to use Tactical Pattern Theta, and to focus fire on the cardassian ships in the dominion fleet then 'run like hell'
at aproximately 0:56 Ensign Nog confirms Sisco's orders for the fighters.
fast forward through the clip a bit.
at aproximately index 5:49, when the Klingon vor'cha cruisers enter the fight, if you look in the lower right hand corner of the screen you will see clearly an Akira Class Heavy Cruiser.
********************
Keeping the fluff for the Akira Class firmly in mind. Given this 'evidence', and the very CLEAR presence of federation fighters onscreen and attacking i have one question to ask.
where are the fighters being based out of that they are able to reach that far into space?
onscreen you see old Constitution Class, Relient Class, Excelcior Class, and a number of Galaxey Class, as well as at least two instances of Akira Class.
Federation fighters are warp capable, they don't need a carrier.
This same arguement has been used before. It didn't work then either.
please cite your source. there is onscreen refrences for the Danube class runabout being warp capable, and asorted shuttle craft being warp capable, but to my knowledge NO refence for the Miniotaur Class fighter being able to go to warp.
How many shuttles can a Federation ship fit anyway?
Personally, I WANT a Fed Carrier, but it doesn't make sense. The problem is that Starfleet never really and probably never will build anything massive enough to carry ships on the scale of BoPs etc.
Instead, I would ask for maybe a ship device option perhaps based on the missions Drake is giving us.
"Section 31 Shuttle Bay Upgrade"
Green: Combat modification of ships shuttle craft and bay. May spawn one shuttle per class of ship. (Escort: 1, Science: 2, Cruiser: 3) Each "type" of shuttle would be manned by 5 live crew and it's stats/abilities would be closely tied to the type of the parent ship. i.e. not giving cruisers a huge DPS increase just because they get three, but instead giving those shuttles more durability.
Available after "X" missions
Blue: Combat modification of ships shuttle bay. Ship retains one shuttle while dedicating the rest of the space to storage and support of drone craft.(Escort: 1, Science: 2, Cruiser: 3) Drone "type" determined only at a starbase (Fire support, shield support, ECM, Structural support) No more than one craft may be fire support.
Available after "X" plus "Y" more missions
Purple: Combat modification of ships shuttle bay. Ship retains one shuttle while dedicating the rest of the space to storage and support of drone craft.(Escort: 2, Science: 4, Cruiser: 6) Drone "type" determined only at a starbase (Fire support, shield support, ECM, Structural support) No more than two craft may be fire support.
Available after "X" plus "Y" plus "Z" more missions
How many shuttles can a Federation ship fit anyway?
we do know exactl how big a shuttlebay is on a galaxey class. large enough for perhaps 8-10 shuttle craft. there is no 'through saucer' bay like the Akira is suposed to have. it would be very cumbersome for fighters to embark, but doable. likely it would be a one way trip for said fighters. given the number of fighters seen on screen, that would be ALOT more than the galaxey class ships seen in 'Sacrifice of Angels'.
until i can find, or someone can present that the minotaur class fighters seen on screen are warp capable. this remains in my view and opinion as compelling evidence that the Akira class has the through saucer flight bay that fighter craft would need.
please cite your source. there is onscreen refrences for the Danube class runabout being warp capable, and asorted shuttle craft being warp capable, but to my knowledge NO refence for the Miniotaur Class fighter being able to go to warp.
The Marquis Fighter seen in the First episode of Voyager. It was capable of warp travel and was held in the Voyager shuttle bay until it was used against the Kazon...and then destroyed.
How do we know it was capable of warp travel? The first opening scene with the ship.
The Marquis Fighter seen in the First episode of Voyager. It was capable of warp travel and was held in the Voyager shuttle bay until it was used against the Kazon...and then destroyed.
How do we know it was capable of warp travel? The first opening scene with the ship.
can you verify that it is th same class of fighter as the ones seen in the DS9 episode 'Sacrifice of Angels' ?
... but to my knowledge NO refence for the Miniotaur Class fighter being able to go to warp.
Uh which fighter would this be then. By my recollection aside form the various shuttles the only 'fighter' we've seen the federation use is the Peregrine and that was warp capable (hint, its the same design as the marquis fighter)
The Marquis Fighter seen in the First episode of Voyager. It was capable of warp travel and was held in the Voyager shuttle bay until it was used against the Kazon...and then destroyed.
How do we know it was capable of warp travel? The first opening scene with the ship.
Well, most Federation shuttles carried by a starship are capable of 'short' distance warp travel. I don't see where this would require 'because they can warp a carrier isn't needed.' You still have considerations of logistical supply lines. If you were using smaller crewed vessels, having a mobile base of operations as a refueling/resupply point is strategically advantageous. All starfleet vessels require fuel of some sort, a small shuttle/fighter can only carry so much of a reserve before it has to top off. in a sustained combat environment, I don't want to be hopping from a front line supply base to a combat area all the time. Now I dont see personally why the Federation needs parity on all fronts, but this is a reality of small vessel combat that it makes more sense to deploy from the front.
Here is the problem with all those ships non of them have been in any movie or show.
This is what Cryptic has to work with. If they ever made a Carrier it would be from scratch. they can't use ships from books or comics or fanmade. This is why everyone says Feds have no carriers.
Well, most Federation shuttles carried by a starship are capable of 'short' distance warp travel. I don't see where this would require 'because they can warp a carrier isn't needed.' You still have considerations of logistical supply lines. If you were using smaller crewed vessels, having a mobile base of operations as a refueling/resupply point is strategically advantageous. All starfleet vessels require fuel of some sort, a small shuttle/fighter can only carry so much of a reserve before it has to top off. in a sustained combat environment, I don't want to be hopping from a front line supply base to a combat area all the time. Now I dont see personally why the Federation needs parity on all fronts, but this is a reality of small vessel combat that it makes more sense to deploy from the front.
I don't recall ever mentioning a carrier wasn't needed in my sentence. I simply do not like half truths in order to try and get ones way.
I'm not against fed carriers, I'm simply stating that by on screen accounts Federation Fighters DO have warp capability.
the opening few minutes gives a very clear view of the shape and design of the Maqui's 'fighter'. it has a nose section, and the wings are angular with sharp edges.
the opening few minutes gives a very clear view of the shape and design of the Maqui's 'fighter'. it has a nose section, and the wings are angular with sharp edges.
in the clip from 'Sacrifice of Angels' we clearly see a 'roll bar' type fin, and the wings are very curved and rounded. also it lacks a nose.
i do not believe these to be the same craft.
Yeah, they are only roughly the same size, and apart from some differences, the same general configuration....I mean you might as well say an F-14 isn't the same type of ship as an F-22 because they have different designs.
If they are different it isn't by very much and I can't see the two having drastically different engine configurations such as...missing a warp drive.
Yeah, they are only roughly the same size, and apart from some differences, the same general configuration....I mean you might as well say an F-14 isn't the same type of ship as an F-22 because they have different designs.
If they are different it isn't by very much and I can't see the two having drastically different engine configurations such as...missing a warp drive.
actuly, THANK YOU for citing those two air craft specificly.
the F-14 is VERY much a larger air craft when compaired to the F-22. also, the F14 is two engine, variable geometry (swing wing for the layman), and functioned as a fighter or in a limited bomber role. the F-22 is a smaller, single pilot fighter with limited stealth capability. also, the F-22 carries ALL of it's weapons inside it's fusalage, while the F-14 carries all of it's weapons on racks outside the fusalage.
the two are NOT the same type of craft, wich is what i was atempting to point out with the marquis ship, and the fighter craft in 'sacrifice of angels'. the number iof diferences and the size are factors.
if you watch the scale of the fighters in 'sacrifice of angels' the are quite small compared to the cardasian ships, where as the marqui's 'fighter' scale wise looks to be about 1/3 the side of the cardasian ship chasing it.
please cite your source. there is onscreen refrences for the Danube class runabout being warp capable, and asorted shuttle craft being warp capable, but to my knowledge NO refence for the Miniotaur Class fighter being able to go to warp.
Mino... what? There is no such thing. Not in hard canon, anyways.
What we do know is that the Peregrine-class Couriers that were hastly converted into "attack fighters" for Operation Return are civilian long range shuttlecraft which were also employed by the Maquis, and the Maquis sure as hell didn't need a carrier (nor have the means to build or buy one) to deploy them for their attacks on Cardassian colonies. Watch the TNG and DS9 episodes about the Maquis. You actually get to see a dogfight between Runabouts and Peregrines where Sisko says that their Runabouts are faster so they should have no problems intercepting them.
The Marquis Fighter seen in the First episode of Voyager.
Naw, that wasn't a Peregrine, that was a Ju'day-Raider. The two are often confused with each other because they look somewhat similar, but the Ju'day is much larger and has a different aft section.
the Akira class while it was a Heavy Cruiser, it had a through deck hanger wich enabled it to function as carrier. Even though StarFleet Command 3 removed this ability, it is still an aspect of the class found in the Fluff.
That depends on the fluff you look at. Of course this is mentioned in the games and books where this ship is presented as a carrier, just as it isn't where it's presented as just another cruiser. The fact remains that the original designer's over-exaggerated vision was shot down by the studio and the Akira ended up on-screen in a much different way. It got sized down to a length of 260 meters (source: FX guys who put the ship into the movie/show), which renders the front launch bay - if it actually still is a launch bay and not just an observation deck - much too small for shuttles/fighters. If the Akira can still launch anything, it'd be probes and maybe work bees.
Gladly! (tbh I didn't expect such a positive reaction - all the other carrier threads are way less productive as people argue on the basis of "fun > canon")
By the way, I posted a (sort of) canon alternative to dedicated carriers here (rough draft!), which would allow a number of pets for Feds whilst maintaining faction uniqueness. I suppose you could make Peregrines fit in there, too? They already are in the game, just only as NPC spawns.
That music was awful - this marks the 1st time I stopped watching those battle scenes. And yeah, not a "Miniotaur" Class. In fact, the only thing that I found in a google search labelled as such looks like a mini-sub.
*** Disclaimer ***
This is in no way to be possed as an argument for or against the federation having or recieving a carrier class vessal in Star Trek online. it is however ment to prove the existance of carriers in the service of the federation. If anyone feels like stepping up to the task, there are several fields that are incomplete. i was not able to find much information on several of the different classes.
*** Disclaimer ***
Akira-class
This was a Federation heavy cruiser that came into service with Starfleet during the latter half of the 24th century. One of Starfleet's more combat oriented vessels the Akira saw extensive service in the 2370s against the Borg and the Dominion.
the Akira Class had unusual feature of the through-deck shuttlebay located in the saucer section. The large bay had access points at the bow of the ship as well as at the rear of the saucer, located between the engineering hulls. This large bay allowed the Akira to act as a carrier for smaller craft such as shuttles and attack fighters.
Known ships of this Class: USS Thunderchild (NCC-63549), USS York (NCC-1407-D), USS Rabin (NCC-62392), USS Geronimo, USS Devore, USS Jupiter, USS Fury (NCC-64952)
The USS Thunderchild fights at the Battle of Sector 001 in Star Trek: First Contact.
Ariel-class
A type of shuttlecarrier (sometimes called supercarriers) were a class of United Federation of Planets Starfleet vessels on active duty beginning in 2278. (Heavy Cruiser Evolution Blueprints, Ships of the Star Fleet)
Because of the size and expense of this class, only four were ever built.
Canberra-class
This was a type of carrier fielded by the Federation Starfleet during the 24th century
Ships of this class: USS Barton (NCC-67310)
Clemenceau-class
This was a through-deck cruiser that was a type of Federation starship on active duty during at least the late 23rd century. Construction of the class was authorized in early 2288 and the first ships of the class were commissioned probably ca. 2290. (Jackill's Starfleet Reference Manual: Ships of the Fleet, vol. 3)
The design lineage of the Clemenceaus was derived from the Excelsior-class heavy cruisers. Like the Curnows, the Clemenceaus the port and starboard warp nacelles of type LN-72 or similar on downward curving pylons connected to an extended impulse deck aft of the primary hull. Standard crew complement was 987 officers and crew plus 65 surface action specialists.
The secondary hull consisted of six interconnected hangar decks. Clemenceaus were capable of carrying as many as 129 auxiliary craft including six complete fighter wings. There up to 18 assault shuttles embarked.
Curry-class/Shelley-class
This was a type of Federation starship in use during the 24th century. The Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 1: The Ships of Starfleet refer to this class as a cruiser.
The Shelley-class shared many design features with the Excelsior-class namely the saucer section and engineering hull designs. The saucer section is mounted around the centre of the engineering hull such that the forward part of the engineering hull is the forward most part of the vessel.
The nacelles are similar to those used on the older Constitution-class. They are mounted on pylons that travel under the saucer section and swoop down so that the nacelles are in line with the engineering section.
The vessel has extensive shuttlebay facilities. This allowed the vessel to act as a fighter carrier or as an assault ship. (LUG RPG: Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 1: The Ships of Starfleet)
There are two variants of this class recognisable by the orientation of the nacelles. One variant has the nacelles mounted in the traditional fashion while the other has the nacelles mounted sideways. The vessels with the nacelles mounted sideways also have a second set of pylons connecting to the nacelles near the rear of the vessel.
Fredrikstad-class
These shuttlecarriers (sometimes called supercarriers) were a class of Federation Starfleet vessel on active duty beginning in the early 2290s.
Fredrikstads were similar in appearance and purpose to the Ariel-class shuttlecarriers first commissioned in 2278 (Heavy Cruiser Evolution Blueprints, Ships of the Star Fleet, Volume 1 (Revised)). This class, introduced in 2286, was grouped as a dreadnought.
At least six vessels of this class entered service: USS Fredrikstad (Ships of the Star Fleet, Volume 1 (Revised)), USS Malverne, USS Ranger, USS Zhukov, USS Julius Caesar and USS George Washington.
Gabriel-class
These carriers were a Federation starship that saw service in the 24th century.
Helepolis-class
These strike carriers were a type of starship on active duty in Starfleet during the 24th century
Hornet Class
This was a type of fighter carrier starship in service to Starfleet in the late 23rd century. The main purpose of the Hornet-class was to help quell the rising outlaw activity in the Orion star system and the Deneb/Rigel commerce zones.
This class was designed to be manned by a 50% Rigellian crew, meaning that they were equipped with higher deck height and increased oxygen atmosphere. The design of the Hornet's was also revolutionary in the early 2270s as they were not equipped with a secondary hull, but a sensor/deflector platform which was attached to the primary hull. This style would later be replicated on the Akyazi-class perimeter action ships which entered service in the 2280s.
Primarily the Hornet-class was a fighter carrier, which meant that she was designed to deploy 10 Hornet-class fast attack craft, which proved excellent in tracking down Orion smugglers into asteroid fields. As well as the attack craft, the Hornet was also equipped with 10 phaser emplacements and 2 photon torpedo tubes.
Ships of this class: USS Amos (NCC-66541), USS Bonapart (NCC-63474), USS Knight (NCC-79001), USS Odin (NCC-79001), USS Richard (NCC-98701), USS Salem (NCC-84632), USS Shoemaker (NCC-81479)
Nimitz-class
These strike carriers were a type of United Federation of Planets starship on active duty in Starfleet during at least the late 23rd century. Outwardly similar in appearance on Constitution-class heavy cruisers, the Nimitzes were built during the General War (in the Star Fleet Battles timeline) in 2278. The larger rear hull holds a full squadron of attack fighters. As mainline combat vessels, carriers did not have Prime Teams assigned on a regular basis. The standard crew complement of a Nimitz was 395 plus 64 surface action specialists.
Normandy-class
supercarrier was a type of starship on active duty in Starfleet during the 24th century. The lead ship and prototype for its class, USS Normandy (NCC 36000), was commissioned in 2310 and was under the command of Admiral Rickard, it was on the front lines during the Tomed Incident
Quetzlcoatl-class
These starships, the so-called "semidreadnoughts", were a type of Starfleet vessel active in the early 23rd century.
Known ships of the Quetzlcoatl Class: USS Quetzalcoatl (NCC-1280), USS Marduk (NCC-1281), USS Osiris (NCC-1282), USS Viracocha (NCC-1283), USS Huascar (NCC-1284)
Ronin-class
Carrier ment to be a type of explorer that saw service with the Federation Starfleet during the 24th century. The Ronin entered service during the 2370s to serve as a smaller counterpart to the larger Sovereign-class. Many of its components mirrored that of its larger cousin. The Ronin was designed with a focus towards scientific exploration rather then combat operations. The ship's rear pod was changeable allowing for mission specific pods to be used such as a weapons' pod, sensor pod or colony pod.
Yorktown-class
Carrier in service first to the Earth Starfleet and then the newly-formed United Federation of Planets Starfleet in the 22nd century. Vessels of this class were first on active duty during the Earth-Romulan War. Aboard them were embarked Minotaur-class fightercraft.
Ships known to be of the Yorktown Class: USS Valley Forge (NCC-07), USS Akagi (NCC-08), USS Hood (NCC-09), USS Potemkin (NCC-10), USS Repulse (NCC-11), USS Rabin (NCC-12)
I defenately agree with this post 100% im for one im glad im not the only one that knows that fed carriers do exist
Comments
During the Dominion War, the Normandy Class Carriers had proven themselves to be highly effective Combat vessels, however during peacetime, Starfleet began to have major problems fitting them into the fleet in any kind of concerted way. They were not really suited for any specific task and it began to show, with a number of the fleets Normandy class vessels being mothballed in case of a future conflict, it was much less demanding on Starfleet resources to do so. However in 2380, around thirty years after the keel of the first Normandy Class vessel a competition was opened to create the next generation carrier for Starfleet.
The design brief for the Future Carrier project was a highly demanding one. Starfleet wanted a starship capable of being both an effective combat carrier and functioning as an integral part of the peacetime fleet. Of the nine designs submitted, most attempted to achieve the design brief by laying down specifications for some of the largest and most complicated starships ever seen, dwarfing even the Normandy in terms of size. One design however stood out, the design, termed the Vikrant was not much larger than a Sovereign Class Explorer and stood much smaller than the Normandy. The Vikrant also boasted a more impressive array of fighters aboard her large Fighter bays and she also featured a decent complement of shuttles and runabout as well as good science and medical facilities. The designers had elected to create a vessel with a stripped down Marine complement and a basic armaments loadout in order to maximise both the vessels evacuation capacity and fighter loadout, making her more of a true carrier than the Normandy ever was. The Vikrant class also carried an impressive array of Medical facilities, providing her with the ability to provide fast reaction to medical emergencies and the level of science labs capable for the Vikrant class to serve as a second line explorer, following up upon and consolidating on the ground previously explored by fronline exploration vessels such as the Luna Class and the Sovereign Class.
Needless to say the design was highly popular with Starfleet and when combined with a group of new Starfleet auxiliary craft advanced development was begun. Some changes were made from the initial design, including the removal of one of the tabled warp cores, meaning that the Vikrant functioned on a double-core system as opposed to the proposed triple core, which was deemed to be far too complex to be practical. In addition one of the proposed new Runabouts was dropped in favour of the much older Danube Class, which despite its comparative age was still a highly effective ship, also dropped was a separation capacity which would have been given to the upper seven decks, since this too was seen to be far too complicated for a vessel the size of the Vikrant. The design however soon passed into her initial prototype construction.
Construction of the prototype, the NX-80243, Vikrant began in early 2382 at Jupiter Stations Drydock number four, one of the largest. Construction was not exactly easy, whilst the Normandy class and Sovereign Class had been constructed recently, the Jupiter Station crews were more used to constructing experimental frigates and propulsion sleds than full size Carriers, this coupled with the fact that the Vikrant featured a number of revolutionary technologies and some highly complex computing and power distribution systems lead to an extended period of construction. The first Vikrant class vessel took until mid-2385 to complete, wherein her Trials began.
The Space Trials for the Vikrant class were unusually successful, presumably because the construction teams at Jupiter Station had been so conscientious. All of the regular systems functioned correctly, as did every single holoprojector on every single one of the twenty decks and the vessel was returned to Jupiter Station and then was begun to be fitted with the numerous auxiliary craft and crewed. The first Vikrant Class vessel, the USS Vikrant was subsequently launched in late 2385 and her intial production run was tabled at a total of eight vessels.
This is not to say it cannot be pursued, just that its potentially more complex then what it takes to get ships now. Plus I imagine even if you get permission you still need CBS to OK it.
I love the SFC games but 3 hurt me badly. Ah well, there's always mods.
the Akira class while it was a Heavy Cruiser, it had a through deck hanger wich enabled it to function as carrier. Even though StarFleet Command 3 removed this ability, it is still an aspect of the class found in the Fluff.
while the treky in me would love to see th rights for these ship classes to be obtained, the more practical side of me understands exactly what you are saying and mean.
I think though I would rather see a special ability added that lets you use part of your crew(kinda like boarding party) to launch shuttles for a limited combat role. IT sould be nifty if you could have a 'fighter screen' to maybe absorbe/remove some torpedo damage sent your way, but I'm just speculating on ability and stuff here.
This.
Almost all of the ships the OP mentioned don't exist in canon ST, and the rest have never been used in a carrier capacity. The words of the ships designer don't count as canon. He ment it one way, and the producers and the directors used it a different way.
the following clip is the federation atempt to run the blockade of 1200 dominion ships with only 600 of their own ships. this is by no means a complete clip from the episode. the Episode name is 'Sacrifice of Angels' from the series Deep Space Nine.
the fighters you see onscreen are Minotaur class fighters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SArkbW6nthg
at aproximately index 0:29 Benjamin Sisco orders 'Attack Fighters' to use Tactical Pattern Theta, and to focus fire on the cardassian ships in the dominion fleet then 'run like hell'
at aproximately 0:56 Ensign Nog confirms Sisco's orders for the fighters.
fast forward through the clip a bit.
at aproximately index 5:49, when the Klingon vor'cha cruisers enter the fight, if you look in the lower right hand corner of the screen you will see clearly an Akira Class Heavy Cruiser.
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Keeping the fluff for the Akira Class firmly in mind. Given this 'evidence', and the very CLEAR presence of federation fighters onscreen and attacking i have one question to ask.
where are the fighters being based out of that they are able to reach that far into space?
onscreen you see old Constitution Class, Relient Class, Excelcior Class, and a number of Galaxey Class, as well as at least two instances of Akira Class.
This same arguement has been used before. It didn't work then either.
please cite your source. there is onscreen refrences for the Danube class runabout being warp capable, and asorted shuttle craft being warp capable, but to my knowledge NO refence for the Miniotaur Class fighter being able to go to warp.
Personally, I WANT a Fed Carrier, but it doesn't make sense. The problem is that Starfleet never really and probably never will build anything massive enough to carry ships on the scale of BoPs etc.
Instead, I would ask for maybe a ship device option perhaps based on the missions Drake is giving us.
"Section 31 Shuttle Bay Upgrade"
Green: Combat modification of ships shuttle craft and bay. May spawn one shuttle per class of ship. (Escort: 1, Science: 2, Cruiser: 3) Each "type" of shuttle would be manned by 5 live crew and it's stats/abilities would be closely tied to the type of the parent ship. i.e. not giving cruisers a huge DPS increase just because they get three, but instead giving those shuttles more durability.
Available after "X" missions
Blue: Combat modification of ships shuttle bay. Ship retains one shuttle while dedicating the rest of the space to storage and support of drone craft.(Escort: 1, Science: 2, Cruiser: 3) Drone "type" determined only at a starbase (Fire support, shield support, ECM, Structural support) No more than one craft may be fire support.
Available after "X" plus "Y" more missions
Purple: Combat modification of ships shuttle bay. Ship retains one shuttle while dedicating the rest of the space to storage and support of drone craft.(Escort: 2, Science: 4, Cruiser: 6) Drone "type" determined only at a starbase (Fire support, shield support, ECM, Structural support) No more than two craft may be fire support.
Available after "X" plus "Y" plus "Z" more missions
Anyways, just a thought.
we do know exactl how big a shuttlebay is on a galaxey class. large enough for perhaps 8-10 shuttle craft. there is no 'through saucer' bay like the Akira is suposed to have. it would be very cumbersome for fighters to embark, but doable. likely it would be a one way trip for said fighters. given the number of fighters seen on screen, that would be ALOT more than the galaxey class ships seen in 'Sacrifice of Angels'.
until i can find, or someone can present that the minotaur class fighters seen on screen are warp capable. this remains in my view and opinion as compelling evidence that the Akira class has the through saucer flight bay that fighter craft would need.
The Marquis Fighter seen in the First episode of Voyager. It was capable of warp travel and was held in the Voyager shuttle bay until it was used against the Kazon...and then destroyed.
How do we know it was capable of warp travel? The first opening scene with the ship.
can you verify that it is th same class of fighter as the ones seen in the DS9 episode 'Sacrifice of Angels' ?
By comparison on screen, it appears to be the same model.
Why haven't you used the search forum feature? If you would've used it, you wouldn't've had to make this thread.
Uh which fighter would this be then. By my recollection aside form the various shuttles the only 'fighter' we've seen the federation use is the Peregrine and that was warp capable (hint, its the same design as the marquis fighter)
Well, most Federation shuttles carried by a starship are capable of 'short' distance warp travel. I don't see where this would require 'because they can warp a carrier isn't needed.' You still have considerations of logistical supply lines. If you were using smaller crewed vessels, having a mobile base of operations as a refueling/resupply point is strategically advantageous. All starfleet vessels require fuel of some sort, a small shuttle/fighter can only carry so much of a reserve before it has to top off. in a sustained combat environment, I don't want to be hopping from a front line supply base to a combat area all the time. Now I dont see personally why the Federation needs parity on all fronts, but this is a reality of small vessel combat that it makes more sense to deploy from the front.
This is what Cryptic has to work with. If they ever made a Carrier it would be from scratch. they can't use ships from books or comics or fanmade. This is why everyone says Feds have no carriers.
I don't recall ever mentioning a carrier wasn't needed in my sentence. I simply do not like half truths in order to try and get ones way.
I'm not against fed carriers, I'm simply stating that by on screen accounts Federation Fighters DO have warp capability.
i will have to dispute your claim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlKwUAmVvCI
the opening few minutes gives a very clear view of the shape and design of the Maqui's 'fighter'. it has a nose section, and the wings are angular with sharp edges.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SArkbW6nthg
in the clip from 'Sacrifice of Angels' we clearly see a 'roll bar' type fin, and the wings are very curved and rounded. also it lacks a nose.
i do not believe these to be the same craft.
Yeah, they are only roughly the same size, and apart from some differences, the same general configuration....I mean you might as well say an F-14 isn't the same type of ship as an F-22 because they have different designs.
If they are different it isn't by very much and I can't see the two having drastically different engine configurations such as...missing a warp drive.
actuly, THANK YOU for citing those two air craft specificly.
the F-14 is VERY much a larger air craft when compaired to the F-22. also, the F14 is two engine, variable geometry (swing wing for the layman), and functioned as a fighter or in a limited bomber role. the F-22 is a smaller, single pilot fighter with limited stealth capability. also, the F-22 carries ALL of it's weapons inside it's fusalage, while the F-14 carries all of it's weapons on racks outside the fusalage.
the two are NOT the same type of craft, wich is what i was atempting to point out with the marquis ship, and the fighter craft in 'sacrifice of angels'. the number iof diferences and the size are factors.
if you watch the scale of the fighters in 'sacrifice of angels' the are quite small compared to the cardasian ships, where as the marqui's 'fighter' scale wise looks to be about 1/3 the side of the cardasian ship chasing it.
What we do know is that the Peregrine-class Couriers that were hastly converted into "attack fighters" for Operation Return are civilian long range shuttlecraft which were also employed by the Maquis, and the Maquis sure as hell didn't need a carrier (nor have the means to build or buy one) to deploy them for their attacks on Cardassian colonies. Watch the TNG and DS9 episodes about the Maquis. You actually get to see a dogfight between Runabouts and Peregrines where Sisko says that their Runabouts are faster so they should have no problems intercepting them.
Naw, that wasn't a Peregrine, that was a Ju'day-Raider. The two are often confused with each other because they look somewhat similar, but the Ju'day is much larger and has a different aft section.
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Maquis_raider
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Federation_attack_fighter
That depends on the fluff you look at. Of course this is mentioned in the games and books where this ship is presented as a carrier, just as it isn't where it's presented as just another cruiser. The fact remains that the original designer's over-exaggerated vision was shot down by the studio and the Akira ended up on-screen in a much different way. It got sized down to a length of 260 meters (source: FX guys who put the ship into the movie/show), which renders the front launch bay - if it actually still is a launch bay and not just an observation deck - much too small for shuttles/fighters. If the Akira can still launch anything, it'd be probes and maybe work bees.
By the way, I posted a (sort of) canon alternative to dedicated carriers here (rough draft!), which would allow a number of pets for Feds whilst maintaining faction uniqueness. I suppose you could make Peregrines fit in there, too? They already are in the game, just only as NPC spawns.
I defenately agree with this post 100% im for one im glad im not the only one that knows that fed carriers do exist