New Orleans class The " New Orleans " - class frigate was a Federation starship class that was in service during the mid - 24th century . ( ) The vessel shares several design elements with the , and featured at least three sensor pods along the saucer and secondary hulls . Primary weapons systems included phaser arrays , and Photon torpedo es . At least one ship of this class , the , was present at the Battle of Wolf 359 in 2367 . ( ) Appendices . Background information . The name of this class was never spoken on screen , but was derived from the starship mission status okudagram that first appeared early in TNG Season 4 . It is from the information on this status chart that USS " Thomas Paine " , previously been identified in as a " frigate , " is clarified as being a member of this class . The " Kyushu " and " Renegade " were classified as " New Orleans " - class frigates in an internal list of starships , dated September 26 , 1990 . This information was later presented in the ( 4th ed . , vol . 1 , p . 449 ; vol . 2 , pp . 79 , 216 ) . The " Rutledge " was classified as a " New Orleans " - class frigate in the . However , because the relationship of the " Renegade " and " Rutledge " with this class has not ( yet ) been confirmed on screen , they are listed here as " uncertain . " According to the " Star Trek Encyclopedia " ( 4th ed . , vol . 2 , p . 79 ) , the class " was named for the ship we called the " City of New Orleans " . " Apocrypha . According to " " , a " New Orleans " - class starship had a crew of 500 and a top speed of warp 9 . 3 . This top speed was sustainable for 12 hours . Additionally , this class had a cruising speed of warp 6 and was equipped with 10 Type X phaser array s and three photon torpedo launchers . Studio model . The " New Orleans " studio model was built by Ed Miarecki and appeared as wreckage in the graveyard scene in . According to the " Star Trek Encyclopedia " ( 4th ed . , vol . 1 , p . 449 ) , " " the studio model of the " Kyushu " was never built as a full photographic miniature , but was used in the " graveyard " scene of the aftermath of the battle of Wolf 359 . " " The model was kit - bashed from parts of AMT / Ertl model kit No . 6618 , embellished with several custom additions ( such as two text markers as nacelles on top of the saucer ) to create the appearance of a ship much smaller than the " Galaxy " . As Michael Okuda elaborated , " " New Orleans " - class U . S . S . " Kyushu " . Again , a scaled - down " Galaxy " saucer ( meaning it was made from an " Enterprise " kit , but with a larger bridge and larger windows , intended to imply a smaller ship ) . Two nacelles on pylons above the center axis of the ship . I think this was my favorite of the Miarecki study models . At Dan Curry ' s suggestion , I added two or three " outboard pods " to the ship in an effort to make it look a little less " Enterprise " - like . The photos in the " Encyclopedia " are all photos of the study model , retouched to add lights in the windows . I took the photos just before starting the battle damage work . " CGI model . A CGI model of the New Orleans class was built for the first time , for use in the " " by Fabio Passaro . This model features higher polygons , new hull detailing , lightmaps , and higher resolution textures not seen on screen .