Excalibur class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

Port view.

Ventral view.

Class development project patch (Thomas Marrone).

*"We can send her anywhere and she can do anything. The* Excalibur *will carry Starfleet into the 25th century, and she'll do it with style."* - Graarvin Narl
The ***Excalibur*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the late 24th century. The design was classified as a scale 4 frigate.

## History

After the devastation of the Dominion War, Maelstrom Conflict, and other clashes of the 2370s, Starfleet renewed its massive effort to retrofit and refit the fleet while simultaneously starting limited new builds. Some within Starfleet Command pushed for a focus on the versatile *Ross*-class, while others called for an increased number of tactically-focused *Sovereign*-class cruisers. The complexity and crewing needs of both designs delayed the rapid replenishment of the fleet necessitated by wartime losses. A compromise was proposed wherein a smaller spaceframe would be developed using *Sovereign's* systems to meet immediate fleet needs.

A team at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, led by Graarvin Narl, began design work on the *Excalibur*-class in March 2379. Early on in development it was decided to employ the successful *Constitution*-class arrangement in the design. Even with nearly a decade of live testing of the *Sovereign's* advanced systems, it took almost two years to adapt them for the *Excalibur's* smaller frame.

The class prototype underwent trials for much of 2381 and the design received full approval in September of that year. Construction began immediately at several shipyards throughout Federation space. USS *Excalibur*, lead ship of the class, was commissioned in January 2382 alongside USS *Pillai*, USS *Shichishito*, USS *Dyrnwyn*, and USS *San Antonio*. By the end of the year, two dozen vessels had left their slips.

Over the next decade, *Excalibur*-class frigates were found throughout the Federation fulfilling a variety of roles. The design became so common, and popular, that it was featured in Starfleet recruitment media and several holonovels dramatizing Starfleet careers.

A major retrofit program was initialized in 2390, which included the installation of a new warp core design and an improved electro-plasma distribution network. The core had a dilithium chamber configuration that kept crystals stable longer at high warp speeds, greatly expanding the range and capabilities of the frigates. Work on vessels of the class was completed over the next three years and by 2395, all the *Excaliburs* had been retrofitted.

Even with the introduction of the *Exeter*-class, the *Excalibur* continued in active service into the mid 25th century. The last of the frigates to be retired from Starfleet was the USS *Zulfiqar* in 2457.

## Technical specifications

### Tactical systems

The *Excalibur* mounted eight Annular Confinement Beam-jacketed Type-X phasers and two variable-payload launch tubes.

### Auxiliary craft systems

Berths for forty-two Type A Mark XI Autonomous Survival and Recovery Vehicles (ASRV) were situated strategically around the outer hull. A single shuttlebay was located at the aft of the secondary hull, which could accommodate up to eighteen auxiliary craft, though the standard complement was twelve.

## Ships commissioned

Names for vessels of the class constructed at the Beta Antares Ship Yards were pulled from mythical and historical blades from the cultures of Federation members. Those constructed at the UPFY bore names of prominent Starfleet vessels and officers. The registries were scattered, as those given to the *Excaliburs* were reassigned from the third run of the *Sovereign*-class.

## 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

* Excalibur class article at *Memory Beta*.
* Constitution Cruiser article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* STO Ship Lore: Excalibur-Class Cruiser post by Thomas Marrone.
* NCC-94547 Excalibur at the Star Trek Online Official Site (archived webpage).

### Footnotes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 NCC-94547 Excalibur page.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 STO Ship Lore post.