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The research for the Defiant Class started just before the [[Dominion War]] in an alternate universe. After a while of research [[Starfleet]] didn't think they needed the Defiant Class so they stopped the research. When the Dominion War began, Starfleet ordered to go on with the Defiant Class research. About half a year later the research was done and the USS Defiant was built. The Defiant was assigned to Captain Benjamin Sisko for the test-flight. After a few tests the Defiant passed and Captain Sisko asked Starfleet to build more Defiant Class [[starship]]s because he found it a great ship to fly on. Starfleet agreed. This was the birth of the Defiant Class. After the Dominion War the Defiant Class was modified to fight against the [[Borg]] because of the Borg invasion. A few days after the Borg invasion the 52nd fleet found a Defiant Class starship, it was brought to Earth for investigation because there was still no Defiant Class in the universe of the 52nd fleet. After a few tests on the her, they found out that it was accidentally sent to this universe by Borg technology. Starfleet in this universe thought it was a good ship so they started to build them their own, the blueprints of its Class were stored in the main computer of the Defiant Class they found. Today's Defiant in this universe is armed with two forward-firing phasers on their bow, allowing them to unleash a barrage of firing power at any opponent they face. They are also armed with [[Quantum Torpedoes]] they fire from the front and the aft of the ship at the sides. The aft part now also has normal phasers.  


The research for the Defiant Class started just before the [[Dominion War]]. After a while of research [[Starfleet]] didn't think they needed the Defiant Class so they stopted the research. When the Dominion War begun, Starfleet ordered to go on with the Defiant Class research. About half a year later the research was done the USS Defiant was built. The Defiant was assigned to Captain Benjamin Sisko for the test-flight. After a few tests the Defiant past and Captain Sisko asked Starfleet to build more Defiant Class [[starships because he found it a great ship to fly on. Starfleet agread. This was the birth of the Defiant Class. After the Dominion War the Defiant Class was modified to fight against the [[Borg]] because of the Borg invasion. Todays Defiant is armed with two forward-firing phasers on their bow, allowing them to unleash a barrage of firing power at any opponent they face. They are also armed with [[Quantum Torpedoes]] they fire from the front of the ship at sides.   


{| class="wiki-sidebar" align="right" border="2" style="background:black;" bordercolor="white" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
|-
| colspan="2" style="color: #FFCC00; background-color: #000033; border: 1px outset #000033; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | '''''Defiant''-class'''
|-
| colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:defcl.jpg |200px]]
|-
| class="odd" | '''Accommodation:'''
| class="even" | 40 Officers and Crew. {Evacuation Limit 150}
|-
| class="odd" | '''Classification:'''
| class="even" | Escort [Defensive/Patrol/Reconnaissance]
|-
| class="odd" | '''Development Project Started:'''
| class="even" | 2366
|-
| class="odd" | '''Production Start Date:'''
| class="even" | 2372
|-
| class="odd" | '''Production End Date:'''
| class="even" | Still in Production
|-
| class="odd" | '''Length:'''
| class="even" | 119.5 meters
|-
| class="odd" | '''Width:'''
| class="even" | 90.3 meters
|-
| class="odd" width="100pt" | '''Height:'''
| class="even" | 25.5 meters
|-
| class="odd" width="100pt" | '''Weight:'''
| class="even" width="200pt" | 355,000 metric tons
|-
| class="odd" | '''Cargo Capacity:'''
| class="even" | 10,477 metric tons
|-
| class="odd" | '''Hull Composition:'''
| class="even" | Ablative armor overlaying a duranium/tritanium composite hull,
augmented by synthetic castrodium alloy structural members.
|-
| class="odd" | '''Number of Decks:'''
| class="even" | 4 Total.
|-
|}


==Locations of Defiant Class Construction:==


Antares Fleet Yard, Antares IV and Utopia Planitia Fleet Yard, Mars.


[[Category:Database]][[Category:Engineering]]
==Defiant Class Mission Profile==
 
The Defiant Class was intended for use to ensure Federation security through rapid response to threat forces. Serve as the first-line of defense in military combat operations and lend support to larger Federation starships. Provide autonomous capability for full execution of Federation defense policy options in outlying territories and border areas. Take on the burden of border patrol and threat-response operations from other starship classes currently, and projected to be, in use. Provide a mobile platform for testing and implementation of mission-specific or new technology, specifically in the areas of covert and tactical operations. Serve as a platform capable of rapid deployment for special and covert operations deemed necessary by the Federation.
 
==GENERAL INFORMATION:==
 
A Defiant-class starship is a heavily armored, limited-role Starfleet vessel developed at the Antares Fleet Yards in response to the Borg threat to the worlds of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.  The project was officially begun in 2366 by Starfleet's Advanced Starship Design Bureau (ASDB) under less then ideal conditions, as far as the accepted normal sequence of research, development, testing, and evaluation was concerned.  Fortunately, a number of hardware innovations and design adaptations were already in the inventory and allowed for an acceptable level of reliability versus speed of systems integration and vehicle construction.
 
Defiant-class vessels are constructed of standard tritanium and duranium alloys and composites. The bridge has been submerged within a larger Deck 1 than was envisioned for the pathfinder vehicle, and the entire vessel has been shortened to four decks plus allowances for crawlways and cable trunks. The notched forward hull has been equipped with a detachable pod consisting of the vehicle's main sensor and navigational deflector, airlock module, and a last-resort matter-antimatter warhead. The warp nacelles have been brought inboard to a minimum safe distance for field EM, and all EPS weapon-power conduits have been truncated to provide a nearly zero lag time between activation signal and beam launch.
 
All protected internal systems that require access to the vessel exterior are equipped with articulated or jettisonable hull plates, so that most of the familiar structures are hidden from view, including shuttlebay doors, docking ports, lifeboats, impulse vents, and consumables resupply connectors. An integral set of ventral docking clamps and landing pads has been designed into Defiant for possible ditching operations as well as for recoverable planetary landings. No practical demonstration has been attempted, though simulations indicate that if the impulse and reaction control thrusters are fully operational, a successful liftoff to orbital velocity is likely.
 
==PHASER ARRAY==
 
A total of four pulse Phaser cannon assemblies are located in forward-facing locations onboard Defiant-class vessels.  The cannons are located above and below the nacelle root attachments on the main body on both port and starboard sides of the ship. Due to the ship’s extreme maneuverability, yard engineers deemed it unnecessary to mount aft-facing cannons. Computer simulations also indicated an unacceptable loss in Phaser power performance due to increased strains on the power systems from the proposed aft-mounted cannons.
 
Pulse Phaser cannons store up their charge between 1.7 and 2.1 nanoseconds, resulting in an energy pulse more powerful then standard Type-X Phaser emitters.  Rapid fire of multiple bursts is accomplished through a direct EPS shunt from the warp reactor. If situations warrant, power can be routed from the impulse engines through a secondary plasma tap. For maximum effectiveness, all four cannons fire several bursts at the same time, resulting in a large amount of energy impacting a relatively small location. This tactic has been proven to pierce the shields of threat vessels without having to collapse the entire grid.  Maximum energy output of a pulse Phaser cannon is classified at this time.
The Maximum affective range of pulse Phaser Cannons is 150,000 kilometers.
 
==TORPEDO LAUNCHERS==
 
In the earlier production line, Defiant-class vessels had a total of four torpedo launchers, two forward and two aft. During the Dominion War however, it was found that Defiant-class starships were better suited to engage in hostile encounters with their Phaser cannons, and the extensive number of torpedo launchers only served to use up the relatively small stockpile that the ship could handle. As a result, the second and current production line of Defiants makes use of a total of three torpedo launchers, using a location underneath the bridge originally intended for tactical systems for a third shuttlebay. 
 
On both variants, the aft launchers can be found just behind the aft landing struts and Shuttlebay’s one and two. The first production line vessel's two launchers were located in the space between the warp engine housing and the detachable Warhead. The Defiant (UPRTD) retains the aft torpedo launchers and replaces the other two launchers with additional tactical and scientific sensor packages.  The removal of the stockpile space and older targeting systems allowed for the addition of a third shuttlebay in this variant. The new single forward-facing launcher is located just below the main deflector at the fore of the ship in a location originally used for a variable-setting beam emitter.
 
Along with the Sovereign-class, Defiant-class vessels were the only starships in the fleet initially outfitted with the Mark Q-II Quantum Torpedoes. But like all Starfleet ships, the launchers onboard a Defiant are capable of firing standard photon torpedoes as well.
 
Typically armed with the Mark XXV photon torpedo and/or the Mark Q-II Quantum Torpedoes, capable of pattern firing, spread firing, as well as independent launch. Independent targeting once launched from the ship, detonation on contact unless otherwise directed by the Chief Tactical Officer.
 
Payload: The upgraded design is capable of carrying a maximum of 64 torpedoes, while the original design had a standard load-out of 96.
 
Range: Maximum effective range is 3,000,000 kilometers.
 
[[Image:defiant_class.jpg|thumb|right|The Defiant Class, now one of the most heavily armed vessels in Starfleet.]]
 
==DEFLECTOR SHIELDS==
 
The Defiant Class is equipped with standard graviton polarity source generators, the design of which has not changed much in the past 70 years. Designed in response to the oncoming Borg threat in the 2270’s, all ships of this class make use of automatically rotating shield nutations. 
 
A Defiant makes use of a total of four shield generators located throughout the vehicle space frame. The forward-most generator is located along the vehicle centerline within the Warhead section, and is responsible for keeping it shielded in the event that it must separate from the ship. Two additional generators are located further within the hull from the warp nacelles, port and starboard, while the final generator is located on the centerline just above the main impulse engines and forward of the deuterium storage tanks on Deck 1. 
 
Standard flight operations require that at least two generators be operational at any given moment. To simplify field manipulation, it is desired for two corresponding units to be online, meaning that the forward and aft units should be used in sync, or the port and starboard units. During high-impulse and warp flight, the generators are kept at their minimum output to deflect stray particles in the interstellar medium from impacting the ship and degrading the hull. Should conditions warrant, one generator is capable of protecting the entire space frame. At high levels of alert, all generators are brought online and create a multilayered graviton field around the ship. In combat situations, the field is typically within several meters of the hull, creating an oval shape. If required, the field can be extended outward to protect another vessel or object at the sacrifice of some protection.
 
==ABLATIVE ARMOR==
 
Originally developed in 2367 with the Defiant Class Development Project, ablative armor is still considered to be a significant breakthrough in starship defense by effectively creating a beam-retardant layer that greatly increases a ship's life expectancy in battle. Originally deployed only on ships of the Defiant class, ablative armor showed remarkable dispersion properties against various beam-type energy weapons, including the various types of Phaser, disruptor, polaron, and focused-plasma beams employed by nearly all threat races. The armor works by first dispersing incoming beam energy across the hull of the ship where, after reaching an undisclosed threshold, causes part of the armor to boil away, taking with it a large fraction of that energy. The effect also creates a modest vapor cloud, which effectively disperses the incoming beam further, causing it to do less direct damage to the hull. It should be noted, however, that the armor is not a hull replacement, but a supplement and must be replaced over time due to the boiling away process. 
 
Because of the tactical nature of the Defiant Class, Starfleet Command requested that the ablative armor be used to supplement the defenses of its new flagship class. Initially considered to supplement the majority of starship classes, production complications and long fabrication time makes the usage of the armor limited to warships and high-risk classes, resulting in only limited usage around vulnerable areas of standard Galaxy and Akira-class starships and almost-total body coverage of the Defiant, Galaxy Dreadnaught and Sovereign.  Encounters with the Borg had already proven their ability to penetrate Federation shielding on, at that point, two occasions - the U.S.S. Enterprise-D's encounter at system J-25 and again at Wolf 359. It was then only natural that the design team saw the need to outfit the Defiant Class with this additional layer of defense should the Borg or other threat races find a means of penetrating the regenerative shielding.
 
Each Defiant Class is equipped with an average depth of 10 centimeters of armor hull-wide, which can be replaced as wear permits at select fleet yards. Due to the supply demands, repairs made to the hull of a starship in the field will lack the extra layer of armor until the vessel is able to dock at a facility with spare plating.
 
==THE WARHEAD==
 
With the addition of the warhead component aboard the Defiant-class, yet another radical departure has been made from Starfleet's standard policy concerning tactical operations.  Designed as a single-use last-ditch explosive component, usage of the warhead weighs as heavily upon a ship's commanding officer as the possible order to initiate self-destruct. 
 
Housed at the forward-most portion of the ship, the warhead contains the ship's main navigational deflector, forward torpedo launcher and magazine, forward airlocks, and dedicated impulse engines for independent powered flight.  Access to this area is provided by two walkways on Decks 2 and 3 where miniaturized versions of the standard airlock provided sealable entry between the main vehicle and the warhead.  Interior movement within the pod is provided by two ladders that run between decks.  A dedicated control room is located on Deck 2 and allows for both user operated and automatic control of the Warhead.
 
Typically used when the vessel is totally disabled, it should be noted that once the warhead is launched it cannot be reattached to its parent craft without the assistance of a space station equipped to handle small starships.  Once the order is given, the Warhead section is detached from the parent spaceframe by means of four explosive bolts that serve to provide the initial forward momentum for the pod to leave the ship before engaging its own engines. EPS power distribution lines and ODN hard lines between the two craft are designed to break apart at key points during the separation, and the EPS flow is cut off upstream to prevent spill-off. Once free from its parent, the warhead is capable of achieving .8 c and automatically arms all remaining torpedoes present in the launcher storage area. Computer projections indicate that the entire warhead vehicle will be destroyed in the resulting collision between it and its target. Due to space restrictions, no escape pods are present in the warhead section, meaning any crewmembers aboard tending to the vehicle will perish in the resulting explosion
 
Without its main deflector dish, the Defiant-class vessel is unable to engage at high warp.  However, the three remaining defensive shield generators, under computer simulations, have been shown to be able to sufficiently shield the vessel at low warp speeds in the event of an escape after the warhead has been separated.  These generators are also capable of shielding the ship after the forward generator is lost once the warhead separates.
 
[[image:uglysight.jpg|thumb|left|'''Now that’s an ugly sight to have coming for you!''']]
 
==COMPUTER CORE==
 
The Defiant Class is equipped with twin Isolinear processing cores which are situated just aft of the bridge on Decks two and three. The total computer core possesses 675 banks of chromopolymer processing and storage sheets, for a total capacity of 246.97 megaquads. The system is normally powered by an EPS shunt from the aft impulse reactors, but can be powered by a smaller regulated EPS conduit from the warp core.  The typical mission requirements for the main computer involve only 45 percent of the processing and storage capacity; the other 55 percent is reserved for intelligence-gathering or tactical operations, or taking over for a damaged core. Defiant-class vessels can operate on a single core and can even retain some critical data from a damaged area through compression and scattered storage methods.
 
A network of 48 quadritronic optical sub processors is distributed throughout the volume of the vehicle spaceframe.  The main bridge has a total of 18 dedicated and shared sub processors, which permit operations even in the event of main computer core failure.
 
In addition to its obvious defensive capabilities, the Defiant-class was also designed to perform fast-paced reconnaissance missions. In stealth mode, the EM output of the vessel blends in with the natural emissions of the surrounding space while sensors attempt to scan the area with the highest detail. This raw information is dumped into the computer core, and after returning to friendly space, the twin computer cores are easily removed from the ship through hull plates just behind Shuttlebay 3 on Deck three. This is done so that a fresh core can be swapped in, and the ship can return to its reconnaissance operations while the data from its previous mission is analyzed from the safety of Federation space.
==WARP PROPULSION SYSTEM==
 
The Defiant Class is equipped with a Class-7 Matter-Antimatter Reaction Assembly (M/ARA). The Class-7 warp reactor is extremely powerful for a ship of this size, and as such, Defiant-class vessels put out a warp signature equivalent to much larger starships. Advances in variable warp field geometry ensure that all ships of this class will not cause harmful subspace damage.
Normal Cruising Speed: Warp 7
 
Maximum Speed: Warp 9.982 for 12 hours
 
==IMPULSE PROPULSION SYSTEM==
 
The primary impulse system consists of three pairs of redundant fusion reactors, space-time driver coils, and vectored exhaust directors. The exhaust products may be held temporarily in the impulse nozzle cowling, to minimize the ship's ion or EM signature, or they can be vented through electroporous plates along the trailing surface of the cowling. All three main impulse engines are located on both Decks two and three. An experimental in-line impulse system further augments the standard engines, allowing for fuel conservation.
 
Standard operational procedures limit impulse speeds to .25c (Full Impulse) due to time dilation problems that occur once an object travels close to the speed of light. Each individual engine is capable of propelling the ship to a speed of .75c.  Together, a speed of .994c (Maximum Impulse) can be reached but is only used during extreme circumstances due to relativistic time displacement accompanying objects traveling close to the speed of light.
 
A pair of smaller impulse engines are located on Deck three and provide propulsion and power to the Warhead section during separated flight mode. 
 
==NAVIGATION DEFLECTOR==
 
Defiant-class starships have a forward-facing twin-deflector system located on Deck four in the Warhead. Situated on both sides of the forward torpedo launcher on the upgraded version, the main deflector also houses key elements of the long-range sensor system. Like most features on ships of this class, the deflector is reinforced with multiple tritanium struts, but its internal design is characteristic of most Starfleet deflector systems. Each dish is composed of several molybdenum/duranium mesh panels over a tritanium framework. It should be noted, that at speeds exceeding Warp 5 one deflector is unable to sufficiently clear the ship's path and may result in impacts with micrometeoroids and stray interstellar particles since the deflector field is unable to compensate for the added subspace distortion. 
 
==TRACTOR BEAM==
 
Equipped with a Multiphase subspace graviton beam, used for direct manipulation of objects from a submicron to a macroscopic level at any relative bearing to the starship. Each emitter is directly mounted to the primary members of the ship's framework, to lessen the effects of isopiestic subspace shearing, potential inertial imbalance, and mechanical stress.
Each tractor beam emitter is built around three multiphase 15 MW graviton polarity sources, feeding two 475 millicochrane subspace field amplifiers. Phase accuracy is within 1.3 arc-seconds per microsecond, which gives superior interference pattern control. Each emitter can gain extra power from the SIF by means of molybdenum-jacketed waveguides. The subspace fields generated around the beam (when the beam is used) can envelop objects up to 920 meters, lowering the local gravitational constant of the universe for the region inside the field and making the object much easier to manipulate.
 
The effective tractor beam range varies with payload mass and desired delta-v. Assuming a nominal 15 m/sec-squared delta-v, the multiphase tractor emitters can be used with a payload approaching 116,380,000,000 metric tons at less than 2,000 meters. Conversely, the same delta-v can be imparted to an object massing about one metric ton at ranges approaching 30,000 kilometers.
 
==TRANSPORTER SYSTEMS==
 
The Defiant Class is equipped with a total of two personnel transporters capable of a maximum payload mass of 900kg (1,763 lbs) at a maximum range: 40,000 km. The maximum beam Up/Out Rate is approximately one hundred persons per hour per Transporter
 
The Defiant also has a cargo transporter capable of a maximum payload Mass of 800 metric tons.
 
==COMMUNICATIONS==
 
Standard Communications Range of 42,000 to 100,000 kilometers with a standard data transmission speed of 18.5 kiloquads per second.  The subspace communications speed is Warp 9.9997.
 
==SENSOR SYSTEMS==
 
Defiant Class vessels are equipped to perform highly detailed scientific missions, especially those concerned with defensive operations. While not outfitted for extended scanning and analysis tasks, the suite of onboard systems is well suited for 82 percent of the standard astrophysical, biological, and planetological sweeps and accompanying data reduction. A load out of ten mixed class-1, -3, and -5 probes is normally provided at nearby starbase layovers and can be supplemented with class 9 and 9 quantum or photon torpedo-derived probes. 
 
The external long- and short-range sensors are adapted from standard sensor pallets and set behind selectively EM opaque hull plating. All sensor inputs are recorded and analyzed within the computer core and displayed at the science panels on the bridge, or on PADDs, tricorders, or other displays around the ship.  Most sensor systems have been optimized for reconnaissance and spacecraft combat maneuvers.
 
Long range and navigation sensors are located behind the main deflector dish, to avoid sensor "ghosts" and other detrimental effects consistent with main deflector dish millicochrane static field output.
 
==TACTICAL SENSORS==
 
Tactical Sensors on a Defiant Class are a suite of dedicated tactical sensors located in triangular packages between the warp nacelles and Warhead section.  Originally, torpedo launchers were located in this position but field testing aboard the U.S.S. Defiant and information recovered from the sensor logs in the escape pods of the U.S.S. Valiant indicated that dedicated tactical sensors would prove more effective in long term battles, allowing for the pulse Phaser cannons to more accurately lock onto threat vessels.
 
==SCIENCE LABS==
 
Two dedicated Medical/Science labs are located just behind the Warhead on Deck 2.
 
==MEDICAL SYSTEMS==
 
The main sickbay is located on Deck 2 between the mess hall and science labs.  Containing four biobeds, this room serves as the primary crew support facility during emergency situations. The room is equipped with limited surgical facilities and is primarily intended to stabilize patients until they can be delivered to a nearby friendly starbase medical facility. Six stasis pods are located just across the main corridor from the sickbay facilities, allowing for patients to be stabilized in the event that their ailment cannot be cured aboard the ship. 
 
In its limited role as a reconnaissance starship, the Defiant-class is equipped with two dedicated science/medical labs for field testing and investigations. These rooms mirror their counterparts on larger Federation starships by making use of scaled down devices that would commonly be found on those ships.
 
==CREW QUARTERS==
 
The primary crew-support systems include twenty-two main cabins and ten contingency cabins, each equipped with a minimum of two bunks. These cabins can be outfitted with as many as six bunks, allowing for a potential total crew of 192. Each cabin is equipped with one replicator port and one standard computer terminal. Crew quarters aboard Defiant-class vessels are the most Spartan when compared to other ships in the fleet. Obviously, due to the nature of the ship's missions and the lack of facilities, families are not allowed onboard. 
 
A normal class-M environment is maintained throughout the vessel, but can be adapted in three of the crew living quarters for life-forms from class-H, -K, or -L worlds. All atmospheric conditions, heating, and humidity are controllable by deck and by section. All storable gases and fluids, as well as transfer and manipulation hardware, are distributed among all four decks and engineering spaces.
 
With emphasis towards the tactical systems being the foremost priority in the vessel designers' minds, crewmembers must be prepared to share their quarters with at least one other crewmate during normal times of operation.  Only the ship's Captain is given his own room on Deck 1, which doubles as an informal Ready Room.
 
==SHIPS MESS HALL==
 
Defiant Class vessels lack any sort of recreational facilities, and the only place for informal gathering is the two mess hall areas located on the port side of Deck two. Like all the equipment and materials aboard the ship, the mess hall is Spartan and compact. At the head of the room are three open slots that served as dispensers for the replicators. A counter extends from the underside and is used for the placement of trays, mugs and eating utensils. Seating inside the mess hall is provided by four metallic tables arranged in a semicircle at the wider end of the room.  These tables are approximately one meter square, and each has four stools connected to its legs.  In addition, the mess hall doubles as a makeshift meeting area that could be used to conduct crew briefings and mission profiles.  A tall screen panel located on one of the walls can be used as a visual aid to display tactical graphics. 
 
==SHUTTLEBAYs==
 
The current version of the Defiant-class vessel is equipped with one main shuttlebay and two auxiliary bays that double as exterior access hatches for Cargo Bays 1 and 4.
 
Shuttlebay 3 is a recent addition that has now become standard on the Upgraded version of the Defiant, and houses a single Type-10 Shuttlecraft and the facilities to maintain it. This two-story bay is located on Decks 2 and 3 directly beneath the main bridge in an area originally intended to house future weapons stores and computer upgrades. Two horizontal sliding hatches on the ventral side of the ship allow access to space while a ceiling-mounted tractor beam holds the shuttle in position for launch as the doors open. The Deck two portion of the bay features a flight control booth that serves as the nerve center for shuttle operations. This room also controls the doors of the other Shuttlebay as well as having direct control of the main tractor emitters should a damaged shuttle need to be towed in.  Force field emitters throughout the bay ensure that atmospheric integrity will not be lost, even when the bay doors are open.
 
Shuttlebays 1 and 2 are located on Decks three and four and are each capable of housing two Type-18 Shuttlepods that, like the Type-10, were specifically designed for the Defiant before being put to use elsewhere in the fleet. The Deck three portion serves as the main bay and contains an interior door that connects to a Work Bee storage area, as well as access to nearby cargo bays located throughout the deck.  The back of the bay contains an area for servicing the Shuttlepods and Work Bees, and a connecting elevator lowers the craft to the Deck 4 portion.  The lower portion contains the elevator mechanism, as well as the exterior doors for the bay, which are mounted facing the center of the ship.  These Shuttlebays also act as an exterior platform from which to conduct repair operations.
 
==OPERATIONS==
 
As the Defiant-class is a spaceframe designed primarily for tactical and defensive operations, its primary mission types are rather one-sided when compared to most other ships that serve in the Federation fleet.
 
Tactical and Defensive Operations are typical missions including protection of Federation assets in the form of colonies and space stations from anticipated threat forces.
 
Patrol and Interdiction missions include the patrol of established neutral zones, shipping lanes and recognized regions of dispute and/or conflict.
 
Reconnaissance missions include scouting of areas deemed worthy of note by Starfleet Intelligence.
 
Emergency/Search and Rescue 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, small-scale planetary evacuation - medium or large scale planetary evacuation is not feasible.
 
Secondary Scientific Investigations:  In some cases, a Defiant is found to be the most suitable platform from which to perform certain scientific applications.  They include experiments and research that requires increased shielding to observe certain phenomena, or a weapons platform from which to test new technologies.
 
==LIFEBOATS==
 
Aside from the escape options of shuttlecraft, fighter, or transporters, the primary survival craft of the Akira class is the escape pod or lifeboat.  Each Akira carries a total of 100 of the 8-person variants, which measures 5.6 meters tall and 6.2 meters along the edge of the triangle.  Each Lifeboat can support a full compliment for 6 months, longer if the lifeboats connect together.  All are equipped with navigational sensors, micro thrusters, plus emergency subspace communication equipment.
 
==LANDING==
 
In extreme circumstances, a Defiant is capable of landing on a planetary surface by making use of four retractable struts built into Deck 4. Originally designed to allow a ship to set down in a large landing bay within a starbase,  field testing has shown that with all its engines in working order, a Defiant is capable of reaching escape velocity on planets with a mass less then 1.2 Earths. With all available power routed to both the SIF and IDF, the ship is capable of making a controlled landing, preferable on a flat and stable surface. Automated computer algorithms have been preprogrammed to allow greater ease of control for the flight control officer.
 
Taking off from a planetary body requires much more effort then landing. All secondary and most primary systems must be taken offline to provide further power to the impulse engines and RCS thrusters. The already overrated engines of the Defiant-class require that the ship be launched in a near-vertical manner.  SIF, IDF and gravity systems are brought to full enable while all other systems, including life support, are taken offline for the duration of the launch. Seeing as the process typically takes only a few minutes, there is sufficient breathable air still in the system during the entire process. 
 
==DECK CONFIGURATION==
 
Deck 1:  Main Bridge, Captain’s Ready Room, Transporter Room 1, Pulse Phaser Cannons (2), Upper Main Engineering, Plasma Exhaust Vents, Upper Sensor Array, Officer and Crew Quarters, Deuterium Storage
 
Deck 2:  Lower Main Engineering, Main Impulse Engines, Computer Core, Targeting Sensors, Mess Hall, Warp Coils, Med/Science Lab, Sickbay, Transporter Room 2, Officer and Crew Quarters, Warhead Control Room
 
Deck 3:  Main Impulse Engines, Warhead Impulse Engines, Shuttlebay 1-2, Shuttlebay 3, Antimatter Storage, Cargo Bay 1-4, Airlocks (2), Aft Torpedo Magazine, Warp Coils, Shuttle and Work Bee Maintenance
 
Deck 4:  Landing Struts, Navigational Deflector, Pulse Phaser Cannons (2), Forward and Aft Torpedo Magazines, Aft Torpedo Launchers (2), Forward Torpedo Launcher (1), Lower Senor Array, Shuttlebay 1-2 Exterior Doors and Elevator System, Main Tractor Emitter
 
 
[[image:defi3.jpg|thumb|left|'''Defiant Class''']]
 
 
[[Category: Federation Starship Classes]]

Latest revision as of 12:29, 13 December 2011

The research for the Defiant Class started just before the Dominion War in an alternate universe. After a while of research Starfleet didn't think they needed the Defiant Class so they stopped the research. When the Dominion War began, Starfleet ordered to go on with the Defiant Class research. About half a year later the research was done and the USS Defiant was built. The Defiant was assigned to Captain Benjamin Sisko for the test-flight. After a few tests the Defiant passed and Captain Sisko asked Starfleet to build more Defiant Class starships because he found it a great ship to fly on. Starfleet agreed. This was the birth of the Defiant Class. After the Dominion War the Defiant Class was modified to fight against the Borg because of the Borg invasion. A few days after the Borg invasion the 52nd fleet found a Defiant Class starship, it was brought to Earth for investigation because there was still no Defiant Class in the universe of the 52nd fleet. After a few tests on the her, they found out that it was accidentally sent to this universe by Borg technology. Starfleet in this universe thought it was a good ship so they started to build them their own, the blueprints of its Class were stored in the main computer of the Defiant Class they found. Today's Defiant in this universe is armed with two forward-firing phasers on their bow, allowing them to unleash a barrage of firing power at any opponent they face. They are also armed with Quantum Torpedoes they fire from the front and the aft of the ship at the sides. The aft part now also has normal phasers.


Defiant-class
Defcl.jpg
Accommodation: 40 Officers and Crew. {Evacuation Limit 150}
Classification: Escort [Defensive/Patrol/Reconnaissance]
Development Project Started: 2366
Production Start Date: 2372
Production End Date: Still in Production
Length: 119.5 meters
Width: 90.3 meters
Height: 25.5 meters
Weight: 355,000 metric tons
Cargo Capacity: 10,477 metric tons
Hull Composition: Ablative armor overlaying a duranium/tritanium composite hull,

augmented by synthetic castrodium alloy structural members.

Number of Decks: 4 Total.

Locations of Defiant Class Construction:[edit]

Antares Fleet Yard, Antares IV and Utopia Planitia Fleet Yard, Mars.

Defiant Class Mission Profile[edit]

The Defiant Class was intended for use to ensure Federation security through rapid response to threat forces. Serve as the first-line of defense in military combat operations and lend support to larger Federation starships. Provide autonomous capability for full execution of Federation defense policy options in outlying territories and border areas. Take on the burden of border patrol and threat-response operations from other starship classes currently, and projected to be, in use. Provide a mobile platform for testing and implementation of mission-specific or new technology, specifically in the areas of covert and tactical operations. Serve as a platform capable of rapid deployment for special and covert operations deemed necessary by the Federation.

GENERAL INFORMATION:[edit]

A Defiant-class starship is a heavily armored, limited-role Starfleet vessel developed at the Antares Fleet Yards in response to the Borg threat to the worlds of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The project was officially begun in 2366 by Starfleet's Advanced Starship Design Bureau (ASDB) under less then ideal conditions, as far as the accepted normal sequence of research, development, testing, and evaluation was concerned. Fortunately, a number of hardware innovations and design adaptations were already in the inventory and allowed for an acceptable level of reliability versus speed of systems integration and vehicle construction.

Defiant-class vessels are constructed of standard tritanium and duranium alloys and composites. The bridge has been submerged within a larger Deck 1 than was envisioned for the pathfinder vehicle, and the entire vessel has been shortened to four decks plus allowances for crawlways and cable trunks. The notched forward hull has been equipped with a detachable pod consisting of the vehicle's main sensor and navigational deflector, airlock module, and a last-resort matter-antimatter warhead. The warp nacelles have been brought inboard to a minimum safe distance for field EM, and all EPS weapon-power conduits have been truncated to provide a nearly zero lag time between activation signal and beam launch.

All protected internal systems that require access to the vessel exterior are equipped with articulated or jettisonable hull plates, so that most of the familiar structures are hidden from view, including shuttlebay doors, docking ports, lifeboats, impulse vents, and consumables resupply connectors. An integral set of ventral docking clamps and landing pads has been designed into Defiant for possible ditching operations as well as for recoverable planetary landings. No practical demonstration has been attempted, though simulations indicate that if the impulse and reaction control thrusters are fully operational, a successful liftoff to orbital velocity is likely.

PHASER ARRAY[edit]

A total of four pulse Phaser cannon assemblies are located in forward-facing locations onboard Defiant-class vessels. The cannons are located above and below the nacelle root attachments on the main body on both port and starboard sides of the ship. Due to the ship’s extreme maneuverability, yard engineers deemed it unnecessary to mount aft-facing cannons. Computer simulations also indicated an unacceptable loss in Phaser power performance due to increased strains on the power systems from the proposed aft-mounted cannons.

Pulse Phaser cannons store up their charge between 1.7 and 2.1 nanoseconds, resulting in an energy pulse more powerful then standard Type-X Phaser emitters. Rapid fire of multiple bursts is accomplished through a direct EPS shunt from the warp reactor. If situations warrant, power can be routed from the impulse engines through a secondary plasma tap. For maximum effectiveness, all four cannons fire several bursts at the same time, resulting in a large amount of energy impacting a relatively small location. This tactic has been proven to pierce the shields of threat vessels without having to collapse the entire grid. Maximum energy output of a pulse Phaser cannon is classified at this time. The Maximum affective range of pulse Phaser Cannons is 150,000 kilometers.

TORPEDO LAUNCHERS[edit]

In the earlier production line, Defiant-class vessels had a total of four torpedo launchers, two forward and two aft. During the Dominion War however, it was found that Defiant-class starships were better suited to engage in hostile encounters with their Phaser cannons, and the extensive number of torpedo launchers only served to use up the relatively small stockpile that the ship could handle. As a result, the second and current production line of Defiants makes use of a total of three torpedo launchers, using a location underneath the bridge originally intended for tactical systems for a third shuttlebay.

On both variants, the aft launchers can be found just behind the aft landing struts and Shuttlebay’s one and two. The first production line vessel's two launchers were located in the space between the warp engine housing and the detachable Warhead. The Defiant (UPRTD) retains the aft torpedo launchers and replaces the other two launchers with additional tactical and scientific sensor packages. The removal of the stockpile space and older targeting systems allowed for the addition of a third shuttlebay in this variant. The new single forward-facing launcher is located just below the main deflector at the fore of the ship in a location originally used for a variable-setting beam emitter.

Along with the Sovereign-class, Defiant-class vessels were the only starships in the fleet initially outfitted with the Mark Q-II Quantum Torpedoes. But like all Starfleet ships, the launchers onboard a Defiant are capable of firing standard photon torpedoes as well.

Typically armed with the Mark XXV photon torpedo and/or the Mark Q-II Quantum Torpedoes, capable of pattern firing, spread firing, as well as independent launch. Independent targeting once launched from the ship, detonation on contact unless otherwise directed by the Chief Tactical Officer.

Payload: The upgraded design is capable of carrying a maximum of 64 torpedoes, while the original design had a standard load-out of 96.

Range: Maximum effective range is 3,000,000 kilometers.

The Defiant Class, now one of the most heavily armed vessels in Starfleet.

DEFLECTOR SHIELDS[edit]

The Defiant Class is equipped with standard graviton polarity source generators, the design of which has not changed much in the past 70 years. Designed in response to the oncoming Borg threat in the 2270’s, all ships of this class make use of automatically rotating shield nutations.

A Defiant makes use of a total of four shield generators located throughout the vehicle space frame. The forward-most generator is located along the vehicle centerline within the Warhead section, and is responsible for keeping it shielded in the event that it must separate from the ship. Two additional generators are located further within the hull from the warp nacelles, port and starboard, while the final generator is located on the centerline just above the main impulse engines and forward of the deuterium storage tanks on Deck 1.

Standard flight operations require that at least two generators be operational at any given moment. To simplify field manipulation, it is desired for two corresponding units to be online, meaning that the forward and aft units should be used in sync, or the port and starboard units. During high-impulse and warp flight, the generators are kept at their minimum output to deflect stray particles in the interstellar medium from impacting the ship and degrading the hull. Should conditions warrant, one generator is capable of protecting the entire space frame. At high levels of alert, all generators are brought online and create a multilayered graviton field around the ship. In combat situations, the field is typically within several meters of the hull, creating an oval shape. If required, the field can be extended outward to protect another vessel or object at the sacrifice of some protection.

ABLATIVE ARMOR[edit]

Originally developed in 2367 with the Defiant Class Development Project, ablative armor is still considered to be a significant breakthrough in starship defense by effectively creating a beam-retardant layer that greatly increases a ship's life expectancy in battle. Originally deployed only on ships of the Defiant class, ablative armor showed remarkable dispersion properties against various beam-type energy weapons, including the various types of Phaser, disruptor, polaron, and focused-plasma beams employed by nearly all threat races. The armor works by first dispersing incoming beam energy across the hull of the ship where, after reaching an undisclosed threshold, causes part of the armor to boil away, taking with it a large fraction of that energy. The effect also creates a modest vapor cloud, which effectively disperses the incoming beam further, causing it to do less direct damage to the hull. It should be noted, however, that the armor is not a hull replacement, but a supplement and must be replaced over time due to the boiling away process.

Because of the tactical nature of the Defiant Class, Starfleet Command requested that the ablative armor be used to supplement the defenses of its new flagship class. Initially considered to supplement the majority of starship classes, production complications and long fabrication time makes the usage of the armor limited to warships and high-risk classes, resulting in only limited usage around vulnerable areas of standard Galaxy and Akira-class starships and almost-total body coverage of the Defiant, Galaxy Dreadnaught and Sovereign. Encounters with the Borg had already proven their ability to penetrate Federation shielding on, at that point, two occasions - the U.S.S. Enterprise-D's encounter at system J-25 and again at Wolf 359. It was then only natural that the design team saw the need to outfit the Defiant Class with this additional layer of defense should the Borg or other threat races find a means of penetrating the regenerative shielding.

Each Defiant Class is equipped with an average depth of 10 centimeters of armor hull-wide, which can be replaced as wear permits at select fleet yards. Due to the supply demands, repairs made to the hull of a starship in the field will lack the extra layer of armor until the vessel is able to dock at a facility with spare plating.

THE WARHEAD[edit]

With the addition of the warhead component aboard the Defiant-class, yet another radical departure has been made from Starfleet's standard policy concerning tactical operations. Designed as a single-use last-ditch explosive component, usage of the warhead weighs as heavily upon a ship's commanding officer as the possible order to initiate self-destruct.

Housed at the forward-most portion of the ship, the warhead contains the ship's main navigational deflector, forward torpedo launcher and magazine, forward airlocks, and dedicated impulse engines for independent powered flight. Access to this area is provided by two walkways on Decks 2 and 3 where miniaturized versions of the standard airlock provided sealable entry between the main vehicle and the warhead. Interior movement within the pod is provided by two ladders that run between decks. A dedicated control room is located on Deck 2 and allows for both user operated and automatic control of the Warhead.

Typically used when the vessel is totally disabled, it should be noted that once the warhead is launched it cannot be reattached to its parent craft without the assistance of a space station equipped to handle small starships. Once the order is given, the Warhead section is detached from the parent spaceframe by means of four explosive bolts that serve to provide the initial forward momentum for the pod to leave the ship before engaging its own engines. EPS power distribution lines and ODN hard lines between the two craft are designed to break apart at key points during the separation, and the EPS flow is cut off upstream to prevent spill-off. Once free from its parent, the warhead is capable of achieving .8 c and automatically arms all remaining torpedoes present in the launcher storage area. Computer projections indicate that the entire warhead vehicle will be destroyed in the resulting collision between it and its target. Due to space restrictions, no escape pods are present in the warhead section, meaning any crewmembers aboard tending to the vehicle will perish in the resulting explosion

Without its main deflector dish, the Defiant-class vessel is unable to engage at high warp. However, the three remaining defensive shield generators, under computer simulations, have been shown to be able to sufficiently shield the vessel at low warp speeds in the event of an escape after the warhead has been separated. These generators are also capable of shielding the ship after the forward generator is lost once the warhead separates.

Now that’s an ugly sight to have coming for you!

COMPUTER CORE[edit]

The Defiant Class is equipped with twin Isolinear processing cores which are situated just aft of the bridge on Decks two and three. The total computer core possesses 675 banks of chromopolymer processing and storage sheets, for a total capacity of 246.97 megaquads. The system is normally powered by an EPS shunt from the aft impulse reactors, but can be powered by a smaller regulated EPS conduit from the warp core. The typical mission requirements for the main computer involve only 45 percent of the processing and storage capacity; the other 55 percent is reserved for intelligence-gathering or tactical operations, or taking over for a damaged core. Defiant-class vessels can operate on a single core and can even retain some critical data from a damaged area through compression and scattered storage methods.

A network of 48 quadritronic optical sub processors is distributed throughout the volume of the vehicle spaceframe. The main bridge has a total of 18 dedicated and shared sub processors, which permit operations even in the event of main computer core failure.

In addition to its obvious defensive capabilities, the Defiant-class was also designed to perform fast-paced reconnaissance missions. In stealth mode, the EM output of the vessel blends in with the natural emissions of the surrounding space while sensors attempt to scan the area with the highest detail. This raw information is dumped into the computer core, and after returning to friendly space, the twin computer cores are easily removed from the ship through hull plates just behind Shuttlebay 3 on Deck three. This is done so that a fresh core can be swapped in, and the ship can return to its reconnaissance operations while the data from its previous mission is analyzed from the safety of Federation space.

WARP PROPULSION SYSTEM[edit]

The Defiant Class is equipped with a Class-7 Matter-Antimatter Reaction Assembly (M/ARA). The Class-7 warp reactor is extremely powerful for a ship of this size, and as such, Defiant-class vessels put out a warp signature equivalent to much larger starships. Advances in variable warp field geometry ensure that all ships of this class will not cause harmful subspace damage. Normal Cruising Speed: Warp 7

Maximum Speed: Warp 9.982 for 12 hours

IMPULSE PROPULSION SYSTEM[edit]

The primary impulse system consists of three pairs of redundant fusion reactors, space-time driver coils, and vectored exhaust directors. The exhaust products may be held temporarily in the impulse nozzle cowling, to minimize the ship's ion or EM signature, or they can be vented through electroporous plates along the trailing surface of the cowling. All three main impulse engines are located on both Decks two and three. An experimental in-line impulse system further augments the standard engines, allowing for fuel conservation.

Standard operational procedures limit impulse speeds to .25c (Full Impulse) due to time dilation problems that occur once an object travels close to the speed of light. Each individual engine is capable of propelling the ship to a speed of .75c. Together, a speed of .994c (Maximum Impulse) can be reached but is only used during extreme circumstances due to relativistic time displacement accompanying objects traveling close to the speed of light.

A pair of smaller impulse engines are located on Deck three and provide propulsion and power to the Warhead section during separated flight mode.

NAVIGATION DEFLECTOR[edit]

Defiant-class starships have a forward-facing twin-deflector system located on Deck four in the Warhead. Situated on both sides of the forward torpedo launcher on the upgraded version, the main deflector also houses key elements of the long-range sensor system. Like most features on ships of this class, the deflector is reinforced with multiple tritanium struts, but its internal design is characteristic of most Starfleet deflector systems. Each dish is composed of several molybdenum/duranium mesh panels over a tritanium framework. It should be noted, that at speeds exceeding Warp 5 one deflector is unable to sufficiently clear the ship's path and may result in impacts with micrometeoroids and stray interstellar particles since the deflector field is unable to compensate for the added subspace distortion.

TRACTOR BEAM[edit]

Equipped with a Multiphase subspace graviton beam, used for direct manipulation of objects from a submicron to a macroscopic level at any relative bearing to the starship. Each emitter is directly mounted to the primary members of the ship's framework, to lessen the effects of isopiestic subspace shearing, potential inertial imbalance, and mechanical stress. Each tractor beam emitter is built around three multiphase 15 MW graviton polarity sources, feeding two 475 millicochrane subspace field amplifiers. Phase accuracy is within 1.3 arc-seconds per microsecond, which gives superior interference pattern control. Each emitter can gain extra power from the SIF by means of molybdenum-jacketed waveguides. The subspace fields generated around the beam (when the beam is used) can envelop objects up to 920 meters, lowering the local gravitational constant of the universe for the region inside the field and making the object much easier to manipulate.

The effective tractor beam range varies with payload mass and desired delta-v. Assuming a nominal 15 m/sec-squared delta-v, the multiphase tractor emitters can be used with a payload approaching 116,380,000,000 metric tons at less than 2,000 meters. Conversely, the same delta-v can be imparted to an object massing about one metric ton at ranges approaching 30,000 kilometers.

TRANSPORTER SYSTEMS[edit]

The Defiant Class is equipped with a total of two personnel transporters capable of a maximum payload mass of 900kg (1,763 lbs) at a maximum range: 40,000 km. The maximum beam Up/Out Rate is approximately one hundred persons per hour per Transporter

The Defiant also has a cargo transporter capable of a maximum payload Mass of 800 metric tons.

COMMUNICATIONS[edit]

Standard Communications Range of 42,000 to 100,000 kilometers with a standard data transmission speed of 18.5 kiloquads per second. The subspace communications speed is Warp 9.9997.

SENSOR SYSTEMS[edit]

Defiant Class vessels are equipped to perform highly detailed scientific missions, especially those concerned with defensive operations. While not outfitted for extended scanning and analysis tasks, the suite of onboard systems is well suited for 82 percent of the standard astrophysical, biological, and planetological sweeps and accompanying data reduction. A load out of ten mixed class-1, -3, and -5 probes is normally provided at nearby starbase layovers and can be supplemented with class 9 and 9 quantum or photon torpedo-derived probes.

The external long- and short-range sensors are adapted from standard sensor pallets and set behind selectively EM opaque hull plating. All sensor inputs are recorded and analyzed within the computer core and displayed at the science panels on the bridge, or on PADDs, tricorders, or other displays around the ship. Most sensor systems have been optimized for reconnaissance and spacecraft combat maneuvers.

Long range and navigation sensors are located behind the main deflector dish, to avoid sensor "ghosts" and other detrimental effects consistent with main deflector dish millicochrane static field output.

TACTICAL SENSORS[edit]

Tactical Sensors on a Defiant Class are a suite of dedicated tactical sensors located in triangular packages between the warp nacelles and Warhead section. Originally, torpedo launchers were located in this position but field testing aboard the U.S.S. Defiant and information recovered from the sensor logs in the escape pods of the U.S.S. Valiant indicated that dedicated tactical sensors would prove more effective in long term battles, allowing for the pulse Phaser cannons to more accurately lock onto threat vessels.

SCIENCE LABS[edit]

Two dedicated Medical/Science labs are located just behind the Warhead on Deck 2.

MEDICAL SYSTEMS[edit]

The main sickbay is located on Deck 2 between the mess hall and science labs. Containing four biobeds, this room serves as the primary crew support facility during emergency situations. The room is equipped with limited surgical facilities and is primarily intended to stabilize patients until they can be delivered to a nearby friendly starbase medical facility. Six stasis pods are located just across the main corridor from the sickbay facilities, allowing for patients to be stabilized in the event that their ailment cannot be cured aboard the ship.

In its limited role as a reconnaissance starship, the Defiant-class is equipped with two dedicated science/medical labs for field testing and investigations. These rooms mirror their counterparts on larger Federation starships by making use of scaled down devices that would commonly be found on those ships.

CREW QUARTERS[edit]

The primary crew-support systems include twenty-two main cabins and ten contingency cabins, each equipped with a minimum of two bunks. These cabins can be outfitted with as many as six bunks, allowing for a potential total crew of 192. Each cabin is equipped with one replicator port and one standard computer terminal. Crew quarters aboard Defiant-class vessels are the most Spartan when compared to other ships in the fleet. Obviously, due to the nature of the ship's missions and the lack of facilities, families are not allowed onboard.

A normal class-M environment is maintained throughout the vessel, but can be adapted in three of the crew living quarters for life-forms from class-H, -K, or -L worlds. All atmospheric conditions, heating, and humidity are controllable by deck and by section. All storable gases and fluids, as well as transfer and manipulation hardware, are distributed among all four decks and engineering spaces.

With emphasis towards the tactical systems being the foremost priority in the vessel designers' minds, crewmembers must be prepared to share their quarters with at least one other crewmate during normal times of operation. Only the ship's Captain is given his own room on Deck 1, which doubles as an informal Ready Room.

SHIPS MESS HALL[edit]

Defiant Class vessels lack any sort of recreational facilities, and the only place for informal gathering is the two mess hall areas located on the port side of Deck two. Like all the equipment and materials aboard the ship, the mess hall is Spartan and compact. At the head of the room are three open slots that served as dispensers for the replicators. A counter extends from the underside and is used for the placement of trays, mugs and eating utensils. Seating inside the mess hall is provided by four metallic tables arranged in a semicircle at the wider end of the room. These tables are approximately one meter square, and each has four stools connected to its legs. In addition, the mess hall doubles as a makeshift meeting area that could be used to conduct crew briefings and mission profiles. A tall screen panel located on one of the walls can be used as a visual aid to display tactical graphics.

SHUTTLEBAYs[edit]

The current version of the Defiant-class vessel is equipped with one main shuttlebay and two auxiliary bays that double as exterior access hatches for Cargo Bays 1 and 4.

Shuttlebay 3 is a recent addition that has now become standard on the Upgraded version of the Defiant, and houses a single Type-10 Shuttlecraft and the facilities to maintain it. This two-story bay is located on Decks 2 and 3 directly beneath the main bridge in an area originally intended to house future weapons stores and computer upgrades. Two horizontal sliding hatches on the ventral side of the ship allow access to space while a ceiling-mounted tractor beam holds the shuttle in position for launch as the doors open. The Deck two portion of the bay features a flight control booth that serves as the nerve center for shuttle operations. This room also controls the doors of the other Shuttlebay as well as having direct control of the main tractor emitters should a damaged shuttle need to be towed in. Force field emitters throughout the bay ensure that atmospheric integrity will not be lost, even when the bay doors are open.

Shuttlebays 1 and 2 are located on Decks three and four and are each capable of housing two Type-18 Shuttlepods that, like the Type-10, were specifically designed for the Defiant before being put to use elsewhere in the fleet. The Deck three portion serves as the main bay and contains an interior door that connects to a Work Bee storage area, as well as access to nearby cargo bays located throughout the deck. The back of the bay contains an area for servicing the Shuttlepods and Work Bees, and a connecting elevator lowers the craft to the Deck 4 portion. The lower portion contains the elevator mechanism, as well as the exterior doors for the bay, which are mounted facing the center of the ship. These Shuttlebays also act as an exterior platform from which to conduct repair operations.

OPERATIONS[edit]

As the Defiant-class is a spaceframe designed primarily for tactical and defensive operations, its primary mission types are rather one-sided when compared to most other ships that serve in the Federation fleet.

Tactical and Defensive Operations are typical missions including protection of Federation assets in the form of colonies and space stations from anticipated threat forces.

Patrol and Interdiction missions include the patrol of established neutral zones, shipping lanes and recognized regions of dispute and/or conflict.

Reconnaissance missions include scouting of areas deemed worthy of note by Starfleet Intelligence.

Emergency/Search and Rescue 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, small-scale planetary evacuation - medium or large scale planetary evacuation is not feasible.

Secondary Scientific Investigations: In some cases, a Defiant is found to be the most suitable platform from which to perform certain scientific applications. They include experiments and research that requires increased shielding to observe certain phenomena, or a weapons platform from which to test new technologies.

LIFEBOATS[edit]

Aside from the escape options of shuttlecraft, fighter, or transporters, the primary survival craft of the Akira class is the escape pod or lifeboat. Each Akira carries a total of 100 of the 8-person variants, which measures 5.6 meters tall and 6.2 meters along the edge of the triangle. Each Lifeboat can support a full compliment for 6 months, longer if the lifeboats connect together. All are equipped with navigational sensors, micro thrusters, plus emergency subspace communication equipment.

LANDING[edit]

In extreme circumstances, a Defiant is capable of landing on a planetary surface by making use of four retractable struts built into Deck 4. Originally designed to allow a ship to set down in a large landing bay within a starbase, field testing has shown that with all its engines in working order, a Defiant is capable of reaching escape velocity on planets with a mass less then 1.2 Earths. With all available power routed to both the SIF and IDF, the ship is capable of making a controlled landing, preferable on a flat and stable surface. Automated computer algorithms have been preprogrammed to allow greater ease of control for the flight control officer.

Taking off from a planetary body requires much more effort then landing. All secondary and most primary systems must be taken offline to provide further power to the impulse engines and RCS thrusters. The already overrated engines of the Defiant-class require that the ship be launched in a near-vertical manner. SIF, IDF and gravity systems are brought to full enable while all other systems, including life support, are taken offline for the duration of the launch. Seeing as the process typically takes only a few minutes, there is sufficient breathable air still in the system during the entire process.

DECK CONFIGURATION[edit]

Deck 1: Main Bridge, Captain’s Ready Room, Transporter Room 1, Pulse Phaser Cannons (2), Upper Main Engineering, Plasma Exhaust Vents, Upper Sensor Array, Officer and Crew Quarters, Deuterium Storage

Deck 2: Lower Main Engineering, Main Impulse Engines, Computer Core, Targeting Sensors, Mess Hall, Warp Coils, Med/Science Lab, Sickbay, Transporter Room 2, Officer and Crew Quarters, Warhead Control Room

Deck 3: Main Impulse Engines, Warhead Impulse Engines, Shuttlebay 1-2, Shuttlebay 3, Antimatter Storage, Cargo Bay 1-4, Airlocks (2), Aft Torpedo Magazine, Warp Coils, Shuttle and Work Bee Maintenance

Deck 4: Landing Struts, Navigational Deflector, Pulse Phaser Cannons (2), Forward and Aft Torpedo Magazines, Aft Torpedo Launchers (2), Forward Torpedo Launcher (1), Lower Senor Array, Shuttlebay 1-2 Exterior Doors and Elevator System, Main Tractor Emitter


Defiant Class