Danube class

## SPACECRAFT CLASS

The ***Danube*-class** was a type of spacecraft, the first of the runabout type, developed by Starfleet in the mid-24th century.

## History

In 2363, the Advanced Starship Design Bureau began a series of studies to develop a small, versatile craft that could fulfill a wide array of missions. The plan was to develop an auxiliary craft that was more capable than standard shuttlecraft, but at a much lower resource cost than corvette type starships.

Although aiming for a smaller starship, engineers at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards still took inspiration from the *Aerie*-class, a civilian design that had seen extensive use in both the private sector and Starfleet. Designers eventually developed an extremely modular design named the *Danube*-class. The design was completed and construction of a prototype began in 2365.

The USS *Danube* conducted flight tests at Mars in mid 2366 that were so successful that Starfleet Command ordered the class into immediate production. The first to come off the line was the USS *Rhine*, launched on Boxing Day of 2366, though the official commissioning of the class did not occur until early the next year.

## Technical specifications

One of the key principles of the *Danube*-class design was high versatility, so the runabout was designed with a variety of modules and mission pods. When the *Danube* entered service in 2368, the available modules were: sensor station; research lab; medical palette; power generator; and personnel transport.

The initial propulsion systems of the class included 2 LF-7X2 Advanced Compact Linear Warp Drive Nacelles and 2 FIB-3 Compact Subatomic Unified Energy Impulse Engines. These units allowed a cruising speed of warp 2 and a maximum speed of warp 5.

Without a mission pod, the standard *Danube* runabout had 6 type-VI phaser banks and 2 Mk 25 direct-fire micro-torpedo launch tubes. It employed the FSQ-2 Primary Force Field and Deflector Control System software to control its deflector shields.

## Ships commissioned

It was standard practice to name *Danube*-class vessels for rivers on Federation member worlds.

## 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

* Danube class article at *Memory Alpha*.
* Danube class article at *Memory Beta*.
* *Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection* issue 32: "Starfleet Runabout."
* *Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection* special issue "Runabout."
* Danube Class Runabout article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* Hangar - Danube Runabouts article at the *Star Trek Online Wiki*.
* *Star Trek Adventures - Core Rulebook* by Modiphius Entertainment.
* *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Core Game Book* by Last Unicorn Games.
* *Star Trek Roleplaying Game: Starships* by Decipher, Inc..
* *Star Trek: Starship Spotter*.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ *STA - Core Rulebook*, 69.
2. ↑ *Starship Spotter*, 33.