Miranda Class

One of the most long-lived vessels in Starfleet, the Miranda Class entered service in the early 2270s as a replacement for the excellent Surya Class, which although in need of refitting were suffering from spaceframe fatigue that rendered them unsuitable. Essentially a Surya Class built using Type II technology systems, the Miranda Class served as a vital wartime Cruiser design, being capable of being built and operational in 2/3rds of the time of a Constitution Class Refit Heavy Cruiser.

## Development

The Surya Class had proven the worth of a modern Light Cruiser design during the 4-Day War in 2266. Despite her excellent lineage, by 2270 she was beginning to show her age, and given the commonality with the Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser, (indeed she was part of the same Standard A design series) it was thought that refitting her in a similar fashion to her larger sister would be a straightforward task.

Unfortunately, deep engineering inspections on the spaceframes of several Surya Class Light Cruisers selected for refitting showed microfractures in core structural components. These could be repaired, but rendered the ships unsuitable for refitting. Instead it was decided that a new class of Light Cruiser of the same basic planform (with modifications to prevent similar structural fatigue) should be built, and the Surya Class ships then in service with the Federation Prime Fleet should be gradually repaired and reassigned to the Federation Reserve Fleet as their replacements came online.

The only upset in these plans was the fitting of the (then new) Mark VI Photon Torpedo Tubes. With the older Mark V (and their early predecessors), the tubes were mounted in the primary hull below the main bridge. These new Mark VI Photon Torpedo Tubes were mounted in separate, boxy launchers, kept apart from the main hull for safety and structural reasons. In the Constitution Class Refit, the torpedoes were moved to the neck between the primary and secondary hulls. The Miranda Class had no secondary hull, and there was nowhere to safely mount the new torpedoes inside the hull.

An ingenious solution was devised based on a system used on the prototype Langley Class Battleships; A torpedo roll-bar. This placed the torpedo launcher above and to the rear of the primary hull on a curved set of pylons, allowing the torpedoes to fire safely over the primary hull. On the Miranda, this feature eventually turned into a multi-purpose weapons roll-bar, but the original intention remained the same.

In 2287, in line with most other Federation ships, she was upgraded with new Mark VII Photon Torpedo Tubes.

Operationally, the Miranda has seen many variants, one the most interesting of which proved to be the unusually armed Soyuz Class Gun Cruiser. Another little known variant was the unique USS Cerberus (NCC-1877). Collectively these variants were known as the Type II M subseries.

## Operational History

Entering service just after the infamous V'Ger Incident, the first combat test of the Miranda Class was unfortunately against a fellow Starfleet vessel; the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). This regrettable incident involving the USS Reliant (NCC-1864) did however prove that properly captained, the Miranda was almost a match for her larger sister, the Constitution Class Refit. (See "Regula Incident")

In 2285 with the beginning of the Organian Conflict, the Miranda was thrust into combat as one of the newest ships available to Starfleet. She proved to have a slight edge in terms of defensive capabilities compared to her Klingon counterpart, the D5C Qa'HoS (Relentless) Class, but as with most Federation designs was not as formidable offensively. With the Romulan entry into the war early in 2286, the attrition of forces and the desperate need for ships that followed, the Miranda was one of the few designs able to be completed quickly enough for wartime conditions. The Miranda soon helped shoulder the burden of defence from the smaller Akula Class Refit, and proved equally adept in the short-range counter-strikes along the Neutral Zone that followed.

With the introduction of the Warsaw Class Destroyer Leader, the Miranda was no longer tied down to Destroyer Flotillas and could perform the task she was designed for; supporting the Constitution Class Refit in Cruiser Squadrons. She excelled in this role in the War of Pacification, and continued to perform well in the General War.

## Apocrypha

The Miranda, unlike most of her stablemates, lasted in service long after the Khitomer Accords. Whilst replaced in most roles by the 2320s, she continued to serve as a Destroyer, later a Frigate, and in various scientific and transport guises.

## Specifications

* **Class:** Light Cruiser
* **Hull Type Designation:** FCL
* **Length:** 224m
* **Crew:** 390
* **Warp Nacelles:** 2

* **Maximum Sublight Speed:** 3975 k/s (39.75 Mk/s)
* **Cruise** **Warp Factor Speed:** wf 7.6
* **Safe** **Maximum Warp Factor Speed:** wf 9.5
* **Hull Rating:** 250 HSF
* **Shield Rating:** 480 FSP

* **Sensor Rating:** 800 SRU

* **Armament and Equipment:**
	+ Primary
		- 3 × Type B Phaser Emitter
	+ Secondary
		- 2 × Mark VII Photon Torpedo Tube
	+ Heavy
		- None
	+ Advanced
		- None
	+ Equipment
		- Tractor Beam Emitter
		- Mark VI Probes
		- 1 × Type 2 Shuttlecraft

## Ships in Service (2292)

USS Miranda (NCC-1860)

USS Ariel (NCC-1861)

USS Umbriel (NCC-1862)

USS Titania (NCC-1863)

USS Uranus (NCC-1865)

USS Remnant (NCC-1866)

USS Rutherford (NCC-1867)

USS Tian Nan Man (NCC-1868)

USS Tempest (NCC-1869)

USS Fuller (NCC-1870)

USS Demeter (NCC-1871)

USS Gladstone (NCC-1872)

USS Malibu (NCC-1873)

USS Oberon (NCC-1874)

USS Helena (NCC-1875)

USS Dorothea (NCC-1876)

USS Cerberus (NCC-1877)

USS Lusitania (NCC-1878)

USS Natal (NCC-1879)

USS Occitania (NCC-1880)

USS Argentina (NCC-1881)

USS Peru (NCC-1882)

USS Atherstone (NCC-1883)

USS Weston (NCC-1884)

USS Fenton (NCC-1885)

USS Cheddleton (NCC-1886)

USS Biddulph (NCC-1887)

USS Slade-Wallis (NCC-1888)

USS Metford (NCC-1889)

USS Schneider (NCC-1890)

USS Harrington (NCC-1891)

USS Chile (NCC-1892)

USS Feathersmith (NCC-1893)

USS Sudan (NCC-1894)

USS Enfield (NCC-1895)

USS Berthier (NCC-1896)