Akira class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

Class development project patch (Thomas Marrone).

The ***Akira*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the mid 24th century.

## History

The design that would become the *Akira*-class was initially conceived by engineers at the New Aberdeen Shipyards during their spare time. It was intended as a hypothetical exercise in combat-focused starship design inspired by rising tensions between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union in the mid-24th century. Since it was not intended to enter service and was not an official project, the *Akira*-class was assigned a relatively low priority status.

After the disastrous Battle of Wolf 359, Starfleet Command reevaluated its defensive strategies and pushed for major advancements in starship design, with a specific focus on those with a combat focus. The new program was named the Perimeter Defense Directive.

While the *Defiant*-class was rushed through development at the Antares Ship Yards, engineers at New Aberdeen simply finalized the *Akira* design they had been tinkering with for over a decade. The prototype USS *Akira* was launched in 2368 and proved successful in its initial missions and engagements with pirates in the Beta Quadrant. Additional hulls were ordered and a dozen of the class were in service by the time of the Borg Collective's return to Federation space in the 2370s.

The restriction of warp travel over Warp 5 in 2370 prompted a rush throughout the Federation to address the issue. Breakthroughs from the *Intrepid*-class allowed for the development of a new system designated the ecolinear warp drive. Shoshi Warp Technologies, the contractor who manufactured the original warp drive units used in the *Akira*, developed a replacement for the class that allowed the cruisers to once more travel at high warp factors. As tensions mounted with the Dominion, *Akira*-class starships were called into drydock to have their engines upgraded in preparation for possible conflict. The refit was completed on most vessels of the class by the time the Dominion War began, allowing *Akira* cruisers to serve on the front lines in many of the war's major battles.

In 2378 a general retrofit program of the class was initiated. This primarily involved updating each vessel’s computer systems to include bio-neural circuitry, the installation of ablative hull armor, and upgrades to tactical sensors.

## Technical specifications

### Physical arrangement

The *Akira*-class had a unique design that deviated from traditional Starfleet principles. The engineering section was tucked underneath the saucer-shaped primary hull. This was connected to the nacelle pylons by two large catamaran-like structures, which also connected to a mission pod. The unit was initially designed as a weapon pod mounting several torpedo launchers, but it could be swapped with an alternate pod as required.

Measuring 446.43 meters in length, with a beam of 301.49 meters, and a draft of 78.52 meters with its mission pod, the *Akira*-class heavy cruiser was rated Scale 5.

### Deck plan

The following was the standard internal layout of *Akira*-class vessels. The pod included Decks A through D, although this could increase depending on the pod size, while the main hull comprised Decks 1 through 17.

 10
 13
 14
 15

### Command systems

#### Bridge

The initial bridge module (VAR-1) for the *Akira*-class bore many of the traditional Starfleet design aesthetics. A viewscreen was embedded in the forward bulkhead. Facing the screen atop a raised platform were the Conn and Operations consoles, as well as the commanding officer's chair. An additional eight stations ringed the compartment, with each console being configurable depending on the CO's preferred arrangement.

Two corridors extended aft from the bridge. The executive conference room and the turbolift were accessible from the port corridor, while doorways to the commanding officer's ready room and the rest of Deck 4 lied in the starboard hallway.

### Auxiliary craft systems

The class was designed with space for 24 auxiliary craft between its two, aft-facing shuttlebays. Centered between the two bays was cargo bay 1, which could house up to 6 workpods. The typical complement of the Akira-class was 6 workpods, 10 shuttlepods, and 6 shuttlecraft.

Each cruiser also carried 85 Autonomous Survival and Recovery Vehicles (ASRV) for emergency evacuation.

### Defensive systems

The hull of the Akira-class was made of a double-layered duranium-tritanium composite with ablative plating over essential areas.

### Propulsion systems

Warp propulsion for the class was provided by a RamJet Mk 1 Matter/Anti-Matter Reaction Assembly connected to two Shoshi *Nu*-class Mod 2 Dilithium-Energized Linear Warp Drive Units (CLN-27-SWA-018). When the eco-linear warp drive was developed in 2371, *Akira*-class vessels were refit with new units from Shoshi Warp Technologies, their *Nu*-class Mod 3 Dilithium-Energized Eco-Linear Warp Drive Units (VW-002-SWA-001).

Sublight speeds were achieved through two Vervyn TK-42 Combat Subatomic Unified Energy Impulse Units, located on the aft rim of the saucer section, and two Slepnir 55-KL Subatomic Unified Energy Impulse Units, mounted to either side of the mission pod.

### Tactical systems

Due to its mission pod, the armaments of the *Akira*-class could vary from ship to ship. The standard to all Akira vessels were those weapons housed in the primary hull. These included four Type-VIII phasers on its forward edge, three Annular Confinement Beam-jacketed Type-X phasers, and 4 Mk 80 variable-payload launch tubes. The launchers were unique in that they faced two each to port and starboard instead of facing forward. The phaser arrays made use of HiBeam Energies' new FH-16 design, which provided a significant increase in beam cohesion over their previous model at ranges up to 150,000 kilometers.

The initial *Akira* weapon pod, designated WP/C-22, mounted eleven Mk 72 direct-fire, photon torpedo launchers and four ACB-jacketed Type-X phasers.

During the Dominion War, Starfleet engineers were tasked with developing new weapon pods to take advantage of the modularity of the *Akira*-class. The first of the new pods, designated XWP/T-76, retained the same housing, but mounted a chain reaction pulsar weapon. The pod also featured heavy interior shielding in order to protect the host vessel from the extreme magnetic forces required to charge the pulsar torpedo.

## Derivatives

### *Thunderchild*

After years of service in the Dominion War and fighting the Borg threat, Starfleet engineers saw a need to update the *Akira*-class. This led to the development of the *Thunderchild*-subclass, named after the USS *Thunderchild* which fought the Borg in the Battle of Sector 001. Various systems were brought up-to-date and minor visual differences were applied to conform with starship design principles of the late 24th century. The class came in at 470 meters in length.

A Phaser Point Defense System was standard on *Thunderchild* vessels. This system controlled light phaser cannons on the starship to defend against high-mobility threats such as torpedoes and fighters.

### *Armitage*

Designed at the New Aberdeen Shipyards just like its predecessor, the *Armitage*-subclass was developed to fit the original role meant for the *Akira-*class: that of a small carrier-escort hybrid. Its appearance featured low-slung, forward-swept pylons and long, tapered nacelles. Its saucer was built around a thick central spine that contained the deflector and elevated the bridge above the split hull.

In the standard design, *Armitage* vessels contained a single, forward-facing hangar bay equipped with a wing of *Peregrine*-class fighters. A battery of cannon aperatures was concentrated in the nose, above and to the sides of the deflector dish. The subclass was also equipped with a Torpedo Point Defense System, which allowed the *Armitage* to fire successive volleys of torpedoes at nearby enemy vessels.

### *Alita*

Based upon the highly successful *Armitage-*subclass, the *Alita*-subclass was designed at the Laikan Starfleet Shipyards to combat the Iconian threat. The starship was equipped with Destabilized Tachyon Emitters, which allowed *Alita* starships to discharge a massive tachyon burst that caused tremendous damage to enemy shields and played havoc with their shield systems.

## 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

* Akira class article at *Memory Alpha*.
* Akira class article at *Memory Beta*.
* Akira class article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* *Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection* issue 12: "USS *Thunderchild* NCC-63549."
* *Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection* special issue "*Akira* Class."
* Size of the Akira Class article at *Ex Astris Scientia*.
* *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual*.
* *The Price of Freedom: The United Federation of Planets Sourcebook* by Last Unicorn Games.
* *Star Trek Roleplaying Game: Starships* by Decipher, Inc..
* *Star Trek Adventures - Core Rulebook* by Modiphius Entertainment.
* *Star Trek Adventures - Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook* by Modiphius Entertainment.
* Akira-Class Specs article at the *Advanced Starship Design Bureau*, a website for *Star Trek: A Call to Duty*.
* *Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 1: The Ships of Starfleet* by TrekRPG.net.
* *Ships of the Star Fleet, Volume One: Cruiser* by Chris Wallace.
* Akira class article at Bravo Fleet - Star Trek RPG and Community.
* *Akira class Technical Manual* by Dave Lower.
* Akira Class Heavy Escort artwork by Thomas Morrone posted at ArtStation.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ *Starship Spotter*; *The Official Starships Collection* Issue 12: "USS Thunderchild NCC-63549".
2. ↑ *Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook*, 168.
3. ↑ Derived from MSDs created by Lee Arundel, Alexander Richardson, and Strategic Design.