Sovereign class The " Sovereign " - class starship was introduced in the late 24th century , showcasing some of Starfleet ' s most recent technological advances . History . The " Sovereign " - class was introduced during the early 2370s , and was , at the time , the most advanced starship design in the fleet , though not as large as the starship . The " Sovereign " - class was built at the San Francisco Fleet Yards and was launched from that facility on stardate 49827 . 5 . ( " dedication plaque " ) The " Sovereign " class ' first major engagements came in 2373 , when the USS " Enterprise " saw action in the Borg incursion into Sector 001 , and was instrumental in the destruction of the attacking cube . ( ) While the " Sovereign " - class was not a key player in the Dominion War , such vessels as the " Enterprise " - E spent time during the war putting out diplomatic " brush fires " and extending the occasional olive branch , as the Federation Diplomatic Corps were busy attempting to put an end to the war . ( ) Sometime after the " Enterprise " s mission in the Briar Patch and before the engagement with the Reman warship " Scimitar " , a refitting of the " Enterprise " - E took place . The major changes included five additional torpedo tubes and four additional phaser arrays . A slight change in the warp nacelle pylon s was also implemented . The " Enterprise " was able to deploy these new systems in 2379 , prior to its mission to Romulus . ( ) Technical data . Physical arrangement . Nearly seven hundred meters in length , the design of the " Sovereign " - class consisted of two hull sections : a saucer - shaped primary hull and a secondary hull which mounted two warp nacelle s . ( ) Tactical systems . The " Sovereign " - class starship had several weaponry enhancements over previous starship classes , including quantum torpedo es as well as photon torpedo es , and numerous phaser banks and arrays . The " Sovereign " - class originally employed twelve phaser arrays at key locations throughout the ship ' s hull . Seven dorsal phaser arrays were located on the primary hull , one extending around the saucer section , giving it an oval appearance . Six smaller arrays covered the aft dorsal firing arcs and were located along the aft portion of the saucer section , above the main shuttlebay . Four ventral phaser arrays were located on the primary hull , extending around in nearly a half circle on both the starboard and port ventral sides of the saucer section . A single phaser array was located along the ventral section of the engineering hull , running perpendicular to the hull . ( ; ) During the refit , four were added to the trailing edges of the warp nacelle pylons ( one dorsal and one ventral for each pylon ) bringing the phaser array count to sixteen . ( ) In her original configuration , the " Sovereign " - class mounted five torpedo launchers . The " main " launcher was located on the ventral portion of the saucer on a turret and was supplemented by one twin - tube launcher , forward and aft at the bottom of the secondary hull . The refit saw the addition of five more tubes : three on the dorsal saucer section ( a single tube facing forward on deck 3 and a twin - tube launcher facing aft [ located above the aft saucer airlock ] ) as well as two on the secondary hull , both facing aft – one above and one below the secondary hull shuttlebay . ( ; ) Interior design . Layout . In terms of deck layout , the upper sections of the " Sovereign " - class starship formed the command section and living areas , while the lower decks housed main engineering and fuel supplies . As is traditional , deck numbering ascended from top to bottom . At the top of the saucer section was Deck 1 , which housed the main bridge . This deck also held the more recent modifications of an observation lounge , a ready room for the ship ' s captain , and an airlock with attached cabin . Deck 2 encompassed the first of the many levels of crew quarters , with rooms for the highest - ranking command staff and an officer ' s mess hall . Decks 3 through 9 featured more officers ' quarters , the forward and aft viewing lounges , science lab s , the main shuttlebay , conduits for the optical data network , and the vessel ' s main computer core . Decks 10 through 14 completed the primary hull of the " Sovereign " - class starship , and also encompassed forward and aft cargo bay s on decks 10 and 11 , and phaser systems on deck 11 . The stellar cartography department aboard the " Sovereign " - class was located on deck 11 . Sensor s and the secondary navigational deflector were found on deck 12 . Deck 13 , which was taken up almost entirely by deuterium fuel tanks , marked the real split between the habitable areas and the engineering and ship ' s storage sections . Main engineering and its related systems – such as the EPS power taps , the central matter / antimatter reaction chamber , support labs , and the engineering computer core – were spread over decks 14 through 18 . Deck 14 was largely dedicated to engineering systems , and also featured the lower sensor platform . Decks 15 through 18 comprised the main navigational deflector array and an auxiliary bridge , which was also known as the battle bridge . Deck 16 also featured the launch and retrieval mechanism for the captain ' s yacht . The yacht was lowered by a set of gantries until its engines extended to operational position and then it would be free to maneuver . The " Sovereign " - class was also equipped with an astrometrics lab where a direct uplink with Starfleet Cartography could be established . Interference from nearby astronomical phenomena could interfere with the lab ' s link with Starfleet Cartography . ( ; ; ; okudagram ) Command and control systems . The computer system on board the " Sovereign " - class were bio - neural gel pack - based . Computer systems were concentrated in two computer core s . The primary core was located directly below the main bridge on decks 6 through 8 . The secondary core was located in the engineering section , adjacent to environmental control , on decks 15 through 17 . Primary operational control of the ship was provided by the main bridge , located at the top of the primary hull . The bridge directly supervised all primary mission operations and coordinated all departmental activities . The central area of the main bridge provided seating and information displays for the captain and two other officers . The captain ' s chair was raised from the rest of the bridge officers to the height of the surrounding level , which included tactical and operations . The two officer seats were equipped with fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses . Directly fore of the command area was the conn officer , who faced the main viewer . To the port side of the conn officer , also facing the main viewscreen , was the operations officer ' s console , which was identical in size and design to the helm station . At the very front of the bridge chamber was a large viewscreen . When the screen was not active , a standard bulkhead was present . Aft and to the left of the command area was an elevated platform on which tactical and security consoles were located . To the captain ' s right , behind the tactical console , was the mission operations section of the bridge . Against the starboard side walls of the main bridge were the consoles for sciences , along with others that were programmable for a multitude of functions . Located against the aft wall of the bridge was a large master systems display monitor , similar to the one in engineering . All relevant ship information ( such as damage , power distribution , etc . ) could be displayed on this cutaway image of the vessel . This monitor could be used to direct ship operations and could be configured for limited flight control if necessary . Also located against the aft wall of the main bridge was the large engineering console . This had a smaller cutaway diagram of the vessel , which displayed all engineering - relevant data and showed warp fields and engine output . There were two turbolift s on the bridge . There was also an emergency ladder that connected the bridge to lower decks . Additionally , the bridge provided direct access to the observation lounge , which was located directly aft of the bridge , and the captain ' s ready room . ( ) Ready room . The captain ' s ready room doubled as an office and a second private cabin in addition to the commanding officer ' s private quarters . It was located off the starboard side of the main bridge on deck 1 , and provided a place where the captain could work or rest while remaining next to the bridge in case of an emergency . Meetings between the captain and one or two people would also take place here . In one corner there was a simple , narrow bed with a small bookcase over it . Toward the rear of the room was a desk with a computer console . In a corner behind the desk was a doorway which led into a bathroom containing a sonic shower . Below a mirror was a sink that had no visible controls ; the water came on automatically when hands were placed beneath the faucet , and went off when they were withdrawn . Usually , the ready room would be decorated by its occupant by adding a number of personal ornaments . Propulsion systems . " Sovereign " - class starships achieved warp flight through two warp nacelle s , which housed multiple pairs of warp coil s . It could achieve warp factor 8 . ( ) There were two impulse engine s , both located at the aft of the saucer section . ( ) Main engineering contained the controls for the warp and impulse drive systems . Entrance to the primary engineering spaces was provided by two large blast doors , a pair each deck on decks 15 and 16 , that could be closed for internal or external security reasons , as well as in case of emergencies . It was much larger than on previous starship classes and was split into three levels to accommodate the warp core , which spanned several decks . The majority of controls were situated on the main deck ( deck 16 ) and an upper level gantry . Arranged around the warp core stack were a number of control consoles that could be reconfigured to emulate all the command controls on the bridge . The largest work station was the master systems display , which was used to monitor the status of all key systems and could comfortably accommodate four personnel . There were also various wall displays , including a schematic that showed the ' health ' of the warp propulsion system . The deuterium tank s were above the core , while antimatter storage pod s surrounded the base of the core . Two large cylindrical tanks were positioned next to the warp core and contained highly dangerous plasma coolant . Two rectangular power transfer conduits fed off from the warp reaction chamber and angle out of main engineering to the port and starboard warp nacelles . ( ) Additionally , there were numerous ladders and access panels to Jefferies tube s , leading throughout the starship . A second tier ringed the second level of main engineering on deck 15 . Two ladders on the opposite ends of the catwalk provided access . ( ) By 2379 , Starfleet began implementing a force field system around the warp reactor . ( ) The " Sovereign " - class was equipped with a warp core ejection system . Normally used as a last resort measure when a warp core breach was in progress , in 2375 the " Enterprise " - E used the capability in order to seal a subspace rift , caused by the Son ' a , by remote detonating the ejected core . ( ) Transporter systems . The " Sovereign " - class starship included at least four separate transporter room s , capable of site - to - site transport . ( ) Unusually , the transporter console in a " Sovereign " - class transporter room was built into a wall opposite the transporter platform , from where the controls on the console could be seen . ( ) The transporter s could be operated from both the tactical and engineering station s on the ship ' s bridge . A " Sovereign " - class starship was capable of beaming a single small vessel – such as a attack fighter – aboard , even if the smaller craft was mobile . ( ) Crew support systems . The " Sovereign - " class starship had the usual array of amenities available to the crew , including holodeck s , gymnasium s , a ship ' s library , etc . Medical facilities . One large sickbay facility , located on deck 7 , served as the primary care facility on " Sovereign " - class starships . Equipped with six standard and one advanced biobed , sickbay was also home to the chief medical officer ' s office and a small lab used for routine analysis of patients . ( ) A second , smaller facility identical to an sickbay was also present on deck 16 . ( ) The room itself was considered to be general purpose , and was often the location of regular crew physicals , appointments , and various medical emergencies – it could effectively handle the majority of situations that a starship crew would face . ( ) " Sovereign " - class starships were equipped with an Emergency Medical Hologram . ( ) Located near sickbay was the counselor ' s office , a modest room approximately the size of a standard living room compartment . ( ) Crew quarters . The arrangement of living quarters was designed to be modular , so that at any time a particular area could be reconfigured to create larger or smaller residential areas . Most living areas were located on the upper and lower surfaces of the saucer section , offering residents a remarkable view of the starscape outside their windows . As was common on Starfleet vessels , the living accommodations for senior officers and VIPs were larger than standard crew quarters . Officers ' quarters usually included a living area in the center of the dwelling , which held a personal workstation , couch , replicator , and a small dining area . Connected to this was a bedroom that featured a double - sized bed and room for personal belongings . Normally , the bedroom would be connected by a half - bathroom with wash basin , mirror , toilet , several drawers , and a sonic shower . For senior staff , this bathroom was usually upgraded to a full - sized bathroom with bathtub . ( ) Auxiliary spacecraft systems . Located at the dorsal stern of the primary hull , the main shuttlebay took up a significant portion of the aft section of decks 6 through 9 on the " Sovereign " - class . Due to the mission profile of the " Sovereign " , the shuttlebay extended further than normal for a vessel its size to accommodate runabout s and several shuttlecraft . The secondary shuttlebay was located at the very aft portion of the engineering hull . This bay , while smaller than the main facility , was just as capable of handling flight operations as the main shuttlebay . ( ) In addition to shuttlecraft , the " Sovereign " class also featured a captain ' s yacht , designed for special diplomatic missions . The yacht on board the " Enterprise " - E was named the " " . ( ) Escape pods . The " Sovereign " - class starship carried a number of escape pods . In the event of a catastrophic emergency , these pods served the same purpose as the lifeboats of a water - based vessel and ensured the continued survival of passengers and crew after the primary vessel had to be abandoned . The escape pods were located throughout the " Sovereign " - class starship ' s primary and secondary hulls : there were two rows of pods on the dorsal side of the command saucer , and two on the ventral side . Further rows of pods lined each side of the engineering hull . Unlike the escape pods utilized on the " Galaxy " - and " Intrepid " - class , there was no outer hatch that opened for launch . ( ) Instead , the heat shield of the escape pod lay flush with the " Sovereign " - class ship ' s outer hull . Personnel entered the pods through hatches that lined sections of the ship ' s corridors , and a situation display monitor was located between the pods . Each hatch swung open on a hinge at the bottom , creating a short ramp from the floor of the corridor into the interior of the capsule . The pods were equipped with heat shields for atmospheric entry and landing if a suitable planet could be found to set down on . ( ) Appendices . Background information . In production notes for , Michael Okuda suggested that the prototype for the " Sovereign " - class was the USS " Sovereign " and would have had a registry in a range around NX / NCC - 75000 . The " Sovereign " was also mentioned briefly in the , but the vessel itself has not been seen on screen to date . The official cutaway poster of the vessel that was released for " First Contact " designates the ship as an " Explorer Type 2 " . It appears that the " Sovereign " - class had at least two sickbay facilities , given sources in " Star Trek : First Contact " and " Star Trek Nemesis " that indicate sickbays on decks 8 and 16 . The " Sovereign " - class was not the first class of vessel to have several sickbays ; for example , Beverly Crusher was seen evacuating a sickbay in the engineering hull of the in , as well as being treated in the engineering hull sickbay herself in . The saucer separation capability of the " Sovereign " - class was something that was neither seen nor mentioned on screen or in the scripts , but John Eaves went ahead and designed a detailed separation anyway . Design sketches were published in , page 49 . Size . Most sources agree that the " Enterprise " - E was 2 , 248 feet ( 685 . 2 meters ) long . John Eaves described the rationale as follows : " When the " E " had a final approved design , we drew up a chart of all the " Enterprises " in profile . Herman [ Zimmerman ] and I set down a whole bunch of cutouts of the " E " in various sizes to see where this new ship should scale with the others . We found one size that looked appropriate and we put a scale to its length and that would be 2 , 248 feet . Rick [ Sternbach ] was waiting to do the blueprints and add his creativity to the design , so we gave him a drawing with this one measurement . From there he sized the whole ship . . . " The length of 2 , 248 feet can also be seen in John Eaves ' size charts for " Star Trek : Insurrection " . The size chart puts it at 2 , 250 feet , but since all the other figures in the chart are expressed to the nearest ten feet , we don ' t know whether this was a size revision or mere rounding for the purposes of this chart . Refit . According to John Eaves , the " Enterprise " - E was to have been retrofit at the end of " Star Trek Nemesis " but due to budgetary reasons and script changes the " Enterprise " was only seen being repaired in dry dock . " " For the end of the film the badly destroyed and damaged E is being rebuilt in space - dock . This is where the opportunity was given to really fix all the lines and flow to match the roots of where the original drawing had left off . Not too often does one gets the chance to rework a beloved piece of art , and I was so happy to get the chance regardless of how minor the changes were . " " " " The drawings were done and to be seen as the E leaves the space - dock at the end of " Nemesis " , with what we were hoping to get approval on being the new Aztec patterned paint job , that was so prominent with all the preceding variations of the " Enterprise " . As production went on , it was becoming clear that " Nemesis " was going to be the last of the TNG movies and thus , the E would fly no more . Very sad thoughts , and I was so hoping to at least to get to see that final version fly off into space . . . Budget and script changes kept the E in the bay under repair so all that exists of the big finish only exists on paper as a bunch of plans . " " Apocrypha . " Sovereign " - class starships have been mentioned often in novels and games . A role - playing game supplement from Decipher mentions the " Sovereign " , " Yorktown " , and " Independence " . The class ' s prototype , the , has appeared or been mentioned in several non - canon sources , such as the novels " Spectre " , " Dark Victory " , and " The Genesis Wave , Book One " , as well as the Pocket Books ' reference works release " Starship Spotter " . The " Sovereign " was also the ship the player commanded in the later portions of the game " " . " Star Trek : Bridge Commander " and " " list a likely and widely - accepted registry number for the " Sovereign " as NX - 73811 ( later NCC - 73811 ) . Other games mentioning the " Sovereign " are the role - playing game supplements " The Price of Freedom " from Last Unicorn Games and " " from Decipher . In " Star Trek : Legacy " there were several " Sovereign " - class starships seen in the campaign , including the " Enterprise " , " Sovereign " , " Davis " , and " Legacy " . In the video game " " , two " Sovereign " - class vessels appeared : the , and the USS " Sentinel " - B . The " Enterprise " - E is also the main base of operations in the game " " . The " Sovereign " - class is also the most powerful class available to the player in the game " " , with the variant timeship USS " Premonition " also including a temporal weapon which allowed the player to pause time in local areas . This ship has never been mentioned anywhere else and due to the events of the game may never have existed ( due to changes in the timeline by the player ' s actions . ) In " " , one " Sovereign " - class starship is the " Saratoga " . In both games , the " Sovereign " - class has a special weapon called the " Corbomite Reflector " which deflects enemy torpedoes , sometimes right back at the ship that fired them . In " Star Trek Online " , the " Sovereign " - class starship is an " Assault Cruiser " , available to those with the rank of Rear Admiral . The Vice Admiral variant comes with metreon gas canisters and a special quantum torpedo launcher . Between the free - to - obtain version , the Rear Admiral variant , and the Fleet variant , there are five classes : " Sovereign " , " Regent " , " Majestic " , " Noble " , and " Imperial " . The mirror universe version of these classes are referred to as " Star Cruiser " .