Valkyrie class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

The ***Valkyrie*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the late 24th and early 25th centuries.

## History

In the late 24th century, starfighters continued to lie outside Starfleet operational doctrine. This was briefly put into question with the moderately successful deployment of modified *Peregrine*-class craft, known as the *Zabathu*-class, in some Dominion War engagements. Advocates pushed for the development of manned combat auxiliary craft and Starfleet Command eventually approves an exploratory project. The result was the *Valkyrie*-class. Launched in 2376, the design excelled in its performance trials and in a rushed live test. Despite these successes, the *Valkyries* still proved generally unviable in simulations against large vessels with pinpoint weapons accuracy and the admiralty was reluctant to put pilots at such risk.

A small shift in opinion came a year later with the Caitian Republic introduction of their *Stalker*-class starfighter. These new craft made use of high maneuverability and a sensor-refractive hull coating to counteract targeting sensors, directly addressing some of Starfleet Command’s concerns with starfighters. The biggest concern remained putting lives at risk and overrode any small success brought by the *Stalkers*. Although the difficulty in obtaining and refining on a large scale the necessary elements for the hull coating employed by the Caitians was a close second.

That remained the status quo until rising tensions between the United Federation of Planets and Klingon Empire led to open war in 2405. The Empire’s use of starfighters, both the Orion Syndicate *Cutpurse*-class and the Nausicaan Federacy *Stinger*-class, as well as its own *To'Duj*-class, in harassing actions prompted Starfleet Command to revisit its starfighter doctrine. While reluctant to employ small craft in engagements with larger vessels, the admiralty approved the deployment of starfighters to allow for broader coverage in defending Federation assets from small craft attacks. In need of a quick solution, updated *Zabathus* were once again employed while the shelved *Valkyrie*-class was revisited, revised, and put into active production.

Officially entering service in late 2406, the *Valkyries* excelled against the older starfighters used by the Klingon Defense Force. Starfleet’s new fighter was more heavily armed, armored, and maneuverable. Production was increased and soon squadrons of *Valkyries* were deployed at starbases and outposts in isolated areas and along the frontier.

Those starships fulfilling a space control ship (SCS) role, such as the *Armitage* and *Earhart*-classes, often carried units of *Valkyrie*-class starfighters to aid their escort and patrol missions.

## Appendices

### Connections

**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*

**Leadership:** Commander-in-chief • Joint Chiefs • Chief of Starfleet External Affairs • Chief of Starfleet Operations • Chief of Starfleet Research and Exploration • Chief of Starfleet Tactical

**Agencies:** Operations (Engineering • Judicial • Materiel Supply • Mission Operations • Personnel Management • Records Service • Shipyards Operations • Starbase Operations) • Research & Exploration (Science • Medical) • External Affairs • Tactical (Intelligence • Security • MACO)

**Notable units:** Ktarn Fleet • Task Force 77

**Facilities:** Deep Space K-7 • Deep Space K-13 • Deep Space 9 • Masamichi Array • Starbase 45-Keepsake • Starbase 82-Maat • Starbase 234-Beskerm • Starbase 247-Vershina

**Agencies:** Starfleet • Diplomatic Corps • Department of Temporal Investigations • Federation Security Agency

**Facilities:** 40 Eridani A Starfleet Construction Yards • Antares Ship Yards • Beta Antares Ship Yards • Copernicus Ship Yards • Laikan Starfleet Shipyards • McKinley Station • Memory Project • New Aberdeen Shipyards • Proxima Maintenance Yards • Salazaar Shipyards • San Francisco Fleet Yards • TL-9139 Starfleet Maintenance Yards • Tranquility Base • Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards

### Sources consulted

* Valkyrie class article at *Memory Beta*.
* Valkyrie class article at Starbase 118 PBEM RPG wiki.
* Valkyrie class article at *Star Trek Expanded Universe*.
* Valkyrie class fighter article at *Starbase 400*.
* Starfighters article at *Bravo Fleet Wiki.*
* Valkyrie Warp Starfighter article at *Memory Gamma.*
* AC-205 Mk I Valkyrie article at *Star Trek: Theurgy Wiki*.
* Valkyrie Class Attack Fighter article at *The Starship Files*.