Chimera class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

The ***Chimera*-class** was a type of spacecraft developed by Starfleet in the early 25th century for high-combat situations.

## History

As tensions rose between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire in the early 2400s, the Advanced Starship Design Bureau (ASDB) worked to design a new starship that could handle high-level combat situations. Access to the Bureau's offices at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards was restricted for years due to the secrecy of the endeavor, named Project Lotus.

Due to the short project timeline, engineers explored past starship designs to find elements that could be quickly adapted for the new class. Variable-geometry pylons were implemented from the *Intrepid*-class lineage, as well as the slipstream tunneling projector from the *Bellerophon*-class.

In 2407, the prototype of the *Chimera*-class was launched with limited fanfare and placed under the command of Captain Nog, who had played a large part in the starship's design.

An intricate technology, dubbed the Dynamic Tactical System (DTS), was central to the *Chimera*-class. Due to the complexity of this system, only five vessels of the class were constructed. Also contributing to the small number, was public resistance to Starfleet fielding a vessel classified as a battleship.

After the launch of USS *Chimera* and her sister ships, ASDB engineers continued to tinker with the design in order to improve the DTS and the class's capabilities in general. Their efforts eventually led to the development of the *Manticore*-subclass, which was named for USS *Manticore*, the first *Chimera*-class starship to be refit to the new specifications. It was launched from the Antares Ship Yards in 2410 shortly after the Iconian War and was soon followed by the USS *Epyon*. Both *Chimera* and USS *Sphinx* were eventually refit to *Manticore* specifications when they were due for their standard overhaul. This effectively brought about the end of the *Chimera*-class as all new construction had shifted to the new design.

## Technical specifications

### Deck plan

The following was the standard internal layout of *Chimera*-class vessels.

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### Command systems

Following standard Starfleet design principles, the bridge of the *Chimera*-class was located on Deck 1 in the primary hull. Unlike other starships, the module was recessed, providing additional protection.

### Propulsion systems

Like the *Intrepid*-line, the *Chimera*-class was designed with variable-geometry pylons that greatly improved the stability of the warp field generated by the four Shoshi *Phi*-class 5 *Sheath* Eco-Linear Warp Drive Units. The primary impulse engines were integrated into the pylons, as were a dozen vectored maneuvering engines. Together, the starship's impulse system provided it with high maneuverability and speed for its size. In DTS tactical mode, the pylons angled downwards to provide a better field of fire for the phaser lotus. When traveling at warp, the pylons

In addition to its impulse engines and warp drive, the *Chimera*-class included a quantum slipstream propulsion system. The slipstream tunneling projector was integrated into the navigational deflector and the waveform attenuators were attached to the nacelle pylons, allowing for vessels of the class to match the *Odyssey*-class in slipstream efficiency without requiring its dual-neck design.

### Tactical systems

The *Chimera*-class carried the standard Starfleet defensive armaments as well as a highly experimental system. It mounted nine Annular Confinement Beam-jacketed Type-X phasers, four Type-XII phasers, and four variable-payload launch tubes. The two aft launchers were situated beside each other between the nacelle pylons, while the forward tubes were split, with one center forward on the dorsal hull and the other just above the navigational deflector.

The experimental system developed as part of the class was the Dynamic Tactical System (DTS), which allowed the cruisers to alternate between regenerative and tactical modes. While in its innate regenerative mode, excess power was transferred to the vessels auxiliary and shield systems. This allowed the *Chimera*-class to fire a tachyon inversion beam to siphon shields from multiple targets. Activating tactical mode transferred additional power to the starship's weapon systems and provided access to a powerful multi-targeting Type-XIII phaser. The tachyon inversion beam and phaser lotus were only available in their associated modes due to the immense power requirements.

### Auxiliary craft systems

The *Chimera* spaceframe held a dedicated shuttlebay and a hybrid shuttlebay-cargo bay facility. The main hybrid-shuttlebay sat behind the deflector array on the underslung section of the engineering hull. Shuttlebay 2 was located along the spine connecting the primary and secondary hulls, and included a small afterdeck. The standard complement of auxiliary craft for the *Chimera*-class was twelve, split between four shuttlepods, four shuttlecraft, and four workpods. The shuttlebays could accommodate up to twenty, though that number would change depending on the craft types.

The cruisers also carried one hundred and twenty Type A Mark VII Autonomous Survival and Recovery Vehicles (ASRV), each in its own ejection berth. The complement allowed for the evacuation of up to 720 individuals.

## Ships commissioned

It was standard practice to name Chimera-class vessels after mythological or unique animals from Federation member worlds.

## Gallery

A starship with its nacelles in warp configuration just before activation of its warp drive.
## 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

* Chimera class (destroyer) article at *Memory Beta*.
* Chimera Heavy Destroyer article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* Chimera-Class Starship article at the 26th Fleet Wiki.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ *Star Trek Online Starships Collection* issue 02: "U.S.S. Chimera NCC-97400."
2. ↑ Derived from MSD by u/Locutus7.