INDEPENDENCE CLASS LIGHT CARRIER

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Christal Kristin Miller
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INDEPENDENCE CLASS LIGHT CARRIER The second most powerful starship in service (the first being the Marklin class) until the introduction of the Federation class in 2255, the Independence class was

1 INDEPENDENCE CLASS LIGHT CARRIER The second most powerful starship in service (the first being the Marklin class) until the introduction of the Federation class in 2255, the Independence class was also the first dedicated carrier class fielded by Starfleet in the 23rd Century. It was intended to serve dual purposes; as a R&D/launch platform for small craft and also to fulfill the roles encompassed by the Perimeter Action descriptor (border patrol, interdiction, rapid response etc). Derived from the venerable 22nd century NX class design (albeit with an altered warp nacelle arrangement), it featured a unique through-deck hangar arrangement whereby small craft were launched through two side-by-side doors recessed into the forward edge of the saucer section and recovered through a single, larger hangar door at the aft end of a secondary hull section that was integrated directly with the saucer. Basing the design on the NX gave the Independence an edge where maneuverability was concerned, featuring 2 impulse engines mounted in the catamaran assembly, in addition to the 2 main engines features at the aft edge of the saucer. The Independence was also heavily armed featuring nearly dreadnought-like firepower. From the beginning of production in 2236, up until 2250, ships of the class were armed with 6 Laser Batteries (18 cannons mounted in groups of 3 fore/port/starboard both dorsally and ventrally) and 6 Torpedo Launchers (2 within the bridge module, 4 more in the catamaran-mounted pod). In mid 2249, the Laser Batteries were removed and replaced with more powerful Phaser Banks (Forward Ventral, Port/Starboard Dorsal) with 2 additional banks installed to cover the aft firing arc 1 mounted above the hangar bay doors and the other mounted below. Equally impressive was the small craft loadout. Not only did the Independence carry a number of Class F shuttlecraft, but a number of Class D-17 attack fighters. A radical reworking of the Class D shuttlepod spaceframe (which also dated to the 22nd Century), the D-17 was Starfleet s most widely-produced fighter design until the late 2280 s. Class production continued all the way up to In 2271, existing ships were refit to handle fighters of the upcoming Class 5 family (Wasp, Hornet, Yellowjacket). They continued in service until 2288 when they began to gradually be replaced in favor of the new Curry class. The last Independence class Carrier was withdrawn from service in 2297, when the class was formally retired. All ships, save for the Agamemnon (CVL 1594) which was placed in the fleet museum, were subsequently scrapped over a 5 year period from 2398 to 2303.

2 Class Classification Service Number Active Length Beam Height Decks Independence Light Carrier m 127m 60m 23 Armament Defense Systems 6 Laser Batteries ( ) 5 Type VI Phaser Banks ( ) 6 2nd Class Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System, total capacity 470,000 TerraJoules Standard Monotanium Double Hull Mass 490,000 metric tons Compliment 372

4 Editor s Annotations Another fan based design gleamed from the Journal of Applied Treknology, the Attucks Class by M. Christopher Freeman, is one of the very few fan-made/fanon TOS designs that have caught my eye. While in the background text, I mentioned this was derived from the old NX class design, it actually has more in common with the Akira class of the modern era. In this vein, the class carrier capability could be indicative of that which the Akira was originally intended to incorporate.* *Virtually all diagrams/blueprints of the Akira clearly show 2 aft hangar bays in a side-by-side arrangement, but none whatsoever in the recessed area along the forward edge of the saucer As for the weaponry, it s generally accepted that Phasers didn t come into use until the mid 23rd Century many sources cite sometime within the 2250 s. Likewise, I have Lasers featured as standard armament up until 2249 the Federation Spaceflight Chronology, Vol. 10 cites this as being the first year all existing classes were refit with Phasers. As Lasers are less powerful than Phasers, I have them grouped in larger banks or batteries, if you will to make up for this. The idea 2 additional Phaser Banks were installed at the same time the Lasers were removed comes from ENT: In A Mirror Darkly (specifically, the sight of the USS Defiant firing aft phasers).

5 Bibliography Design/Schematic Views M. Christopher Freeman

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