Editing New Orleans Class (section)

==OPERATIONS==

Defensive Operations: With the ability to be equipped with increased firepower, the New Orleans class is capable of being deployed alone on border patrols or supplement larger taskforces in large operations. 

Ongoing Scientific Investigation: Even without the benefit of sensor pods, the New Orleans-class starship is equipped with a versatile array of scientific equipment to aide in increasing the knowledge bank of the Federation and her allies. 

Federation Policy and Diplomacy: A New Orleans-class starship may also serve a role in diplomatic operations on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. These missions may include transport of delegates, hosting of negotiations or conferences, courier for important people and/or items, and first contact scenarios. 

Contact with Alien Life forms: Pursuant to Starfleet policy regarding the discovery of new life, facilities onboard include a variety of exobiology and xenobiological suites, and a small cultural anthropology staff, allowing for limited deep-space life form study and interaction. 

Emergency/Search and Rescue: Typical missions include answering standard Federation emergency beacons, extraction of Federation or Non-Federation citizens in distress, retrieval of Federation or Non-Federation spacecraft in distress, and small-scale planetary evacuations - medium or large scale planetary evacuation is not feasible. 

Deep-space Exploration: The New Orleans is an ideal platform for deep-space exploration and long-term missions. Several vessels have already returned from three-year deep-space missions with great success. 
The ability given to the New Orleans-class by the mission-specific pods allows for the ship to perform many different mission types required by Starfleet Command.