Starship class

A **ship class** was a group of spacecraft of a shared construction design. It was distinct from type, which categorized vessels in terms of size, capability, or function, role, which defined the purpose and mission of a ship, and registry, which was the name and number assigned to a specific craft.

## Naming conventions

Naming conventions for ship classes varied between designers and services. When the official name of a class of one entity was unknown by another, the second service would generally develop their own reporting name for the design. For example, the Romulan Guard design *Iirhhædh Vrelnek* was termed the *Scimitar*-class by Starfleet.

### Cardassian Guard/Civil Defense Force

Classes, or *nay'ut*, of the Cardassian Guard, and later Civil Defense Force, were typically named after prominent figures from Cardassian history, aspects of their culture, or native creatures from Cardassia Prime.

### Jem’Hadar Order

Dominion designations used design numbers for each new class. The numbers were not always sequential and were organized into several series. Non-combat craft were assigned numbers from 001 to 099, small combatants had numbers 100 to 199, medium combatants 200 to 299, large combatants 300 to 399, and massive starships 400 to 499.

### Klingon Defense Force

As with other organizations, the Klingon Defense Force categorized its spacecraft by model (*Segh*). Class names were chosen from a variety of sources, including fearsome creatures, celebrated warriors, and the locations of glorious battles. In remote cases a symbolic name was given, generally to celebrate a house’s accomplishment or to intimidate rivals.

### Starfleet

Name suggestions for a class within Starfleet were offered by design engineers, Federation Council members, and high-ranking officers in Starfleet Engineering Command. The final decision lied with the Joint Chiefs of Starfleet, though the Federation President could intervene to veto a name. The designation ultimately given to a class was typically the name of the lead ship or class prototype, regardless of the order in which ships of the class were completed and commissioned. There were no set standards on class names, leading to Starfleet class names coming from a variety of cultural, geographical, historical, and scientific aspects of Federation member worlds.

## Appendices

### Connections

**Raider-gunboats (*mupDuj weHDuj*):** *Birok* • *K'Tanco* • *Ketha* • *Klavek* • *Kortar* • *Mat'Ha* • *Qa'Tel*) • *Qin* (*Qorgh* (*Pach* • *Pujyaq* • *Su'Qob*) • *Qui'Tu* • *K'saruj*

**Raider-assault ships (*yotDuj weHDuj*):** *Chava'Kal* • *Grishnar* • *Sargh*

**Raider-starfighters (*HIvDuj weHDuj*):** *Qo'Toch* • *To'Duj*

**Warship-enforcers (*raD'Duj veSDuj*):** *Fek'lhr* • *Naj'Sov* • *Nov* • *Peghqu'* (*Duvqu'*) • *QeHpu'* • *Qib*

**Warship-conquerors (*charghDuj veSDuj*):** *Suq'jagh* • *Vo'Devwi*

**Warship-battleships (*may'Duj veSDuj*):** *Antaak* • *D'ama* • *Kamarag* (*K'Maj*) • *K'Tagga* (*K'Tinga* • *Khenn* • *K'Tmara* • *Koro'Tinga*) • *K'Vort* • *Klothos* • *Mogh* (*Kurak*) • *Mur'Eq* • *Qi'moh* (*Yoj*) • *Vor'cha* (*Qang*) • *Tor'Kaht* • *Vor'Kang* • *Vor'ral*

**Warship-dreadnoughts (*yayDuj veSDuj*):** *An'quat* • *Bortasqu* (*Gorkon* • *Kahless* • *Martok*) • *Klinzhai* • *Negh'Var* (*Qu'Daj* • *Negh'Tev*) • *Nejwi* • *Qeh'Ral* • *Ty'Gokor* • *Vo'quv*

**Support ships (*ngaqDuj*):** *K'Toch* • *Kivra* • *Pipa* • *Toron*

**Project Groups:** C3 cruisers (*An'quat* • *Klinzhai* • *Ty'Gokor*) • Miracle Workers (*Antaak* • *Klothos* • *Mur'Eq*) • Pilot raptors (*Klavek* • *Kortar* • *Qui'Tu*)

**Other Types:** *Chargh* (*Jach*) • *BaSro'* • *GhIt* • *Durgath* • *Qoj* (*BortaS bIr* • *Qaw'* • *Veqlargh*) • *Na'Qjej* • *Qugh* • *Sech*

**Project Groups:** C3 warbirds (*Baratan* • *Deihu* • *Vastam*) • Miracle Worker (*Nijil* • *Tebok* • *Varel*) • Multi-mission explorers (*Galas* • *Surhuelh* • *Taenen*) • Pilot escorts (*Khaiell* • *Jaeih* • *Okhala*)

**Other Named Classes:** *Aelahl* • *Aves* • *Craeul* • *Deleth* • *Faehht* • *Kholhr* • *Laeosa* • *Osprey* • *Ra'nodaire* • *Rahhae* • *Thrai* • *T'liss* • *Valkis*

**Auxiliary Craft:** *Falconet* • *Kestrel* • *Scorpion* • *Talon*

**Project groups:** **Union Station** (*Geneva* • *Concorde* • *Presidio*) • **Century Cruiser** (*Springfield* • *New Orleans* • *Challenger* • *Niagara* • *Freedom II* • *Galaxy* • *Nebula* • *Cheyenne*) • **Multi-Mission explorers** (*Brigid* • *Esquiline* • *Palatine*) • **Deep Shadow** (*Eclipse* • *Phantom* • *Scryer*) • **Miracle Worker** (*Scott* • *Daystrom* • *Tucker* • *Gagarin*) • **Aeronaut** (*Mercury* • *Ajax* • *Icarus* • *Shran*)

**Other named classes:** *Aegian* • *Aerie* • *Akula* • *Atlas* • *California* • *Centaur* • *Challenger* • *Cheyenne* • *Constellation* • *Constitution III* • *Crossfield* • *Curry* • *Daedalus* • *Dauntless* • *Excelsior II* • *Freedom II* • *Gemini* • *Glenn* • *Guardian* • *Inquiry* • *Iwo Jima* • *Jupiter* • *Lexington* • *Niagara* • *Obena* • *Okinawa* • *Parliament* • *Perseus* • *Pioneer* • *Ranger* • *Sagan* • *Solanae* • *Springfield* • *Turing* • *Ulysses*

**Auxiliary craft:** *Aero* • Class C • Class F • *Danube* • *Flyer* • *Gondola* • *Kodai* • *Mollard* • *Peregrine* • *Selenic* • Type 4 • Type 5 • Type 6 (Type 6A • Type 6S) • Type 7 • Type 8 • Type 9 (Type 9A) • Type 10 • Type 11 • Type 14 • Type 17 • Type 19 • *Valkyrie* • *Venture* • *Waverider* • *Yellowstone*

### Sources consulted

* Starship class article at *Memory Alpha*.