Guardian class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

Forward view

The ***Guardian*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the late 24th century. It was classified as a scale 6 heavy cruiser and designed to explore dense and volatile areas of space.

## History

### Design and construction

After the Dominion War, public attitudes and morale prompted Starfleet Command to refocus on its exploration mandate. This initially led to the approval to construct six new *Galaxy*-class vessels at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. Renewed efforts to investigate and map volatile regions, such as the Badlands and the Maelstrom, shortly proved that focused starship designs were needed to fully explore the extent of such stellar areas. In mid 2376, the admiralty directed the Advanced Starship Design Bureau to produce a starship fulfilling the requirements.

A team at the Laikan Starfleet Shipyards, led by Commander Hible First-to-Summit, was given the assignment. They strove to create a vessel built for endurance and maneuverability, while also maintaining standard aspects of a multirole cruiser. Influenced by recent conflicts, First-to-Summit's team gave the design powerful tactical and intelligence gathering systems. This included an heavy Type IX phaser model, developed to provide higher concentrated firepower than current generation Type X phasers, and an interconnected intelligence facility.

First-to-Summit presented the final design in February 2377. Both impressed and intrigued, Starfleet Command approved construction of a prototype of what was now designated the *Guardian*-class. Construction began at the Laikan yards in July of that same year.

The return of USS *Voyager* from its journey in the Delta Quadrant in early 2378 forced a reevaluation of all starship construction due to the wide array of technologies brought by the vessel. Construction on the *Guardian* prototype was halted and the Laikan team was encouraged to review the Corps of Engineers reports on *Voyager* to see what could be implemented in the design.

At this same time, Dr. Debluch Morrone, the lead designer at the San Francisco Fleet Yards, approached Starfleet Command with a proposal. He had created three new concepts that reworked the *Galaxy*-class to better incorporate the many new technologies developed since the class was first introduced as well as those brought by *Voyager*. The admiralty was intrigued by Marrone's ideas and gave approval for them to be pursued. If the designs panned out, then the six *Galaxy* frames ordered two years earlier would be reworked into the new classes.

One of the concepts focused on extensive tactical systems and was viewed as a possible alternative to the starship under construction at Laikan. A team at the San Francisco Fleet Yards led by Commander Bolgi Dagarl was given the task to bring the starship to fruition. What was eventually named the *Monarch*-class quickly took shape and construction was approved to commence on two of the *Galaxy* frames at Utopia Planitia. Work began in September 2378, two weeks after it had recommenced on the *Guardian* prototype.

The USS *Guardian* was ready for testing by March 2379. Its shakedown cruise took it into the Maelstrom and the vessel performed exceptionally well. Upon its return, the admiralty discussed both the *Guardian* and *Monarch* classes, ordering additional simulations on the latter as the prototype still under construction. While these proved the *Monarch* to be a viable design, the *Guardian* appeared the clear superior in its intended purpose of volatile region exploration. Starfleet Command approved the construction of an additional five *Guardian*-class vessels and staff within Starfleet Shipyards Operations Command found an unused series of registry numbers and assigned the range to the new cruisers.

In November 2380, USS *Guardian* (NCC-47501), USS *Endurance* (NCC-47502), and USS *Redoubt* (NCC-47503) were all commissioned. They were followed into service eight months later by USS *Cynhard* (NCC-47504), USS *Klomak* (NCC-47505), and USS *Lionheart* (NCC-26770-A). USS *Monarch* (NCC-76720) and USS *Paragon* (NCC-76721) were completed soon after, but the design was sidelined in favor of the *Guardian*-class and another of Marrone's concepts, the *Ross*-class.

### Service

Early missions for the *Guardian* cruisers involved extensive surveys of volatile stellar regions. Due to their size and modularity, most were assigned to the Romulan Star Empire evacuation effort in 2382. Though *Guardian* itself and *Cynhard* were not reassigned and remained in the Badlands and Maelstrom respectively.

### *Redoubt* refit

In the early 25th century, as Starfleet reexamined the older vessels in its fleet, the *Guardian*-class was chosen for a significant overhaul under the Starship Technical Overhaul Directive. The USS *Redoubt* was chosen as the first vessel to receive the refit and lent its name to the new *Redoubt*-class. By the end of 2403, all *Guardian*-class vessels had been refitted to these Block II specifications. The success of the cruisers prompted the approval of new construction and eight new *Redoubt* frames were laid in 2405.

## Technical information

The *Guardian*-class was intended to be a very versatile starship capable of accomplishing nearly any classification of mission and was designed with a high focus on defense from both spatial phenomena and weaponry.

### Physical description

Though it was similar in profile to the *Ambassador* and *Galaxy*-classes of the 24th century, the *Guardian*-class deviated from their sleeker design style.

### Command systems

#### Main bridge

Taking inspiration from the *Nova*-class, engineers designed the main bridge of the *Guardian* as a recessed and reinforced module. Located slightly aft of center on Deck 1, the main bridge was the command center of the vessel.

#### Intelligence center

A specialized intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconaissance (ISTAR) complex was included in the design, to provide each vessel with unique intelligence-gathering and processing capability when far from Federation space.

### Propulsion systems

The class employed a single Yoyodyne 47A Matter/Antimatter Reaction Assembly. This core powered two Cochrane Type 11G9 Linear Warp Drive Units with Multi-Phasic Bussard Ramscoop Collectors and three HeliosCorp Mod 51 Subatomic Unified Energy Impulse Drive Units. The two warp nacelles were mounted at the ends of support pylons extending from the secondary hull. The impulse engines were integrated into the aft of the primary hull.

The large impulse deck was designed to give the vessels greater maneuverability in densely populated systems and among volatile interstellar medium.

### Tactical systems

#### Defenses

The class was equipped with three Yoyodyne 870 unified field emitter deflector shield arrays. These projected unimatrix shields with regenerative, multi-spectrum, covariant, and metaphasic properties around the vessels. Nexus Defense Screens, that protected the crew from the effects of the Nexus and similar phenomena, were also integrated into the shield systems.

The *Guardian* design also incorporated a Particle Conversion Matrix, which allowed its shield systems to absorb additional levels of radiation and energy and use it to bolster to the vessel's shields. While intended as a safeguard for the volatile stellar regions the cruisers would be exploring, crews were known to repurpose the matrix to absorb enemy weapons fire.

The active protection system (APS) of the design included two Type VII phasers, one located slightly abaft of the navigational deflector on the ventral hull and the other situated dorsally just forward of the bridge.

#### Armaments

The class was armed in a manner that it could easily defend itself in unexplored space. The *Guardian* carried fifteen Type X phasers and four Type IX phasers, all making use of Annular Confinement Beam-jacketing devices, and five variable-payload launch tubes. Its combat abilities were somewhat limited as all the launchers were forward-facing. The Type IX phaser banks were developed for the class and would see later incorporation into the *Odyssey*-class and other subsequent designs.

### Auxiliary craft systems

The class had a unique two tiered shuttlebay complex located at the aft of the secondary hull. The main shuttlebay was located on Decks ..., while Shuttlebay 2 was situated above on Decks ...

### Crew support systems

The *Guardian*-class kept an M-class environmental standard throughout the majority of habitable space aboard each vessel, with thirty percent of quarters and all major public areas quickly convertible to various other atmospheres. The operational crew for the class was a standard complement of 1,100, with an evacuation capacity of 18,000.

Holographic projectors were installed throughout *Guardian*-class vessels, which allowed for emergency holograms to be quickly activated at any location in a time of need. Each starship's Zimmerman KS-2.0 photonic core stored the programs for four Emergency Medical Holograms, four Emergency Engineering Holograms, twelve Emergency Security Holograms, and a single Emergency Command Hologram.

## 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

* Guardian class (cruiser) article at *Memory Beta*.
* Guardian Cruiser article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.