AKIRA CLASS BATTLECRUISER

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Drusilla Reynolds
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1 AKIRA CLASS BATTLECRUISER As the 24 th century unfolded, a renewed era of peace and prosperity took hold throughout the Federation. Starships had gradually morphed into tools of exploration and scientific discovery rather than strategic symbols of power and force. As such, the battlecruiser was considered to run counter to the Federation s core principles and of course, none were in service. However, conflict with the Cardassian Union, coupled with the rapid expansion of Federation territory and concern over the average age of ship classes then in service prompted calls for a wide-ranging fleet-wide modernization program. As part of this program, not only were the fleet s exploration and scientific capabilities enhanced and upgraded, but there were calls for a renewed emphasis on defense as well. One such offshoot of the program was the Akira class Battlecruiser the first ship to receive the classification since the late 2280 s. As originally envisioned, the Akira class was proposed as a through-deck cruiser, or light carrier. Two large shuttlebays at the fore and aft ends of the saucer were to be linked, thus providing for rapid launch and recovery operations. However, this came into conflict with the proposed weapons loadout, which featured a total of 15 Torpedo Launchers. The number of torpedos able to be carried was thus, severely limited by the presence of the shuttlebays and accompanying storage and maintenance facilities and with that in mind, the decision was made to erase the carrier capability from the overall design. A traditional saucer section dominates Akira s design, with the secondary hull mounted directly to the saucer s ventral surface. The unique catamaran element begins on the suacer s dorsal surface, with two raised hull elements extending aft, connected by a weapons rollbar in the middle and featuring warp nacelles extending out at the tips. Tactically, Akira places its emphasis on its heavy weapons capability. The 15 aforementioned torpedo launchers are spread equally across the ship 3 mounted above the primary deflector dish with 1 below, 7 in the rollbar mounted pod and 2 each on the port and starboard sides, just above the centerline. Completing the weapons loadout are 5 Type X Phaser Emitters. The Akira was a pure warship in the traditional sense, but it s as close as Starfleet would come until the launch of the Defiant class in The class was given a compliment of 500 officers and crew, with an emergency evacuation limit of Additionally, up to an entire battalion (600) of marines could be embarked depending on mission requirements. From the time they entered service in mid 2363, the Akira and her sister ships led generally unremarkable operational lives, with most performing routine border patrol and interdiction missions. With the discovery of the Borg by the USS Enterprise (CH 1701-D) in 2365, the short lived Klingon conflict in 2371 and the advent of hostilities with the Dominion in 2372, Starfleet s renewed defensive emphasis was quite justified. In 2373, the Borg launched a second assault on Earth a cube proceeding all the way to Sector 001 where it was met by a task force in Earth orbit. The Akira (CB 62497) and Thunderchild (CB 63549) both participated in the final battle that destroyed the cube the Thunderchild sustaining severe damage and spending the next 8 weeks drydocked for repairs. Akiras also featured prominently in the Dominion War with the Rabin (CB 63293) and Spector (CB 63572) performing admirably during the First and Second Battles in the Chin toka star system as well as the final battle near Cardassia Prime. They were tough,

2 reliable ships that were also extremely maneuverable for their size. This maneuverability, combined with their heavy firepower made them favored assets of many fleet commanders, who liked to concentrate them in squadrons so as to maximize their offensive potential. During the Borg s Final Invasion in 2381, Akira class vessels proved to be Starfleet s most potent weapon. Starfleet Command initially wanted to supply just a handful of vessels with powerful Transphasic Torpedos, but after the invasion begun, specifications for those weapons were distributed across the fleet. The Borg eventually adapted to these weapons and both the Spector & Rabin were destroyed as cubes advanced towards Sector 001. As in the Dominion War, the class played a strong supporting role in the protracted conflict with the Typhon Pact from Starfleet s tactical & technological superiority graphically demonstrated by these vessels. For all its tactical prowess, Akira was also a technological gem-in-the-rough. It was Starfleet s oldest starship class that was capable of handling the new Quantum Slipstream Propulsion system without heavy modifications. The fact the much-heralded Galaxy class was launched just one year earlier, yet couldn t accept the same modifications (without a great deal of work) sparked a firestorm of controversy centered around various claims and rumors that the exotic propulsion technology was developed chiefly for its offensive potential. The simmering and ultimately short-lived controversy was the prime reason the initial expeditionary force of Project Full Circle consisted primarily of smaller cruisers and explorers. The Devore (CB 64088) however, was assigned to support the construction efforts of the Federation s first Delta-Quadrant Starbase along with the Destroyers Horizon (DD 75668) and Moscow (DD 75655). In 2390, with the Starbase nearly complete, a numerically superior Kazon force arrived and engaged the 3 ships without warning or provocation. Though the Kazon ships employed Plasma Torpedos in their initial attack, the superior maneuverability of the Starfleet vessels combined with the Kazon s comparatively weak Deflector Shield technology allowed them to hold out until the arrival of the Excalibur class Battleship Exeter (BB 99002). Though the exact number remains classified, additional Akira class ships have since been deployed to the Delta Quadrant in support of the exploratory and scientific initiative. They also play a key role in the defense of Sector 001, although again, specifics on exactly how remain classified.

Class Classification Service Number Active Akira Battlecruiser 2363-131 Mass Compliment 3,055,000 metric tons 500; 4500 evac.

3 Class Classification Service Number Active Akira Battlecruiser Mass Compliment 3,055,000 metric tons 500; 4500 evac. limit Armament Defense Systems 5 Type X Phaser Emitters 15 MK III Torpedo Launchers Standard Deflector Shield System total capacity 1,876,500 TerraJoules Length Beam Height Decks 464m 317m 87m 21 Standard Duranium/Tritianium Double Hull plus 6cm High Density Armor

6 Editor s Annotations Designed by longtime ILM employee Alex Jaeger for First Contact, the Akira made its debut alongside the Saber, Norway and Steamrunner classes in the opening sequence depicting the Battle of Sector 001. Seen sporadically since then, most often in DS9 during major battles, it gave the appearance of being a somewhat newer design, or at least a contemporary of the Sovereign class. Given its lower registry, most sources canon and otherwise have Akira being slightly older, a contemporary of the Galaxy/Nebula/New Orleans. One issue with this ship is the issue with the number of torpedo launchers most sources quote. The infamously inaccurate Deep Space Nine Technical Manual lists two while Ex-Astris- Scientia the trekker s trek site refuses to speculate, but assumes a lower number citing lack of visual evidence. Well I ve got visual evidence straight from the designer himself right here. About the only other issue with Akira is its supposed role as a carrier, or through-deck cruiser with shuttlebays at the fore and aft ends. In many blueprints, schematics and other visuals, the aft shuttlebays (arranged in a Miranda style layout) can be seen, but I don t think I ve ever run across anything that s given me a clear view of the foreward bay (supposedly nestled on/within the saucer s centerline). With that being said, despite all claims to the contrary, I decided to erase any sort of carrier functionality with the reasoning that it would impede on space needed to house the massive torpedo stores.

7 Bibliography Logo Kristian Reverend Trigwell Star Trek Minutiae) Design Alex Jaeger Schematic/Profile Views Bernd Schneider (Ex-Astris-Scientia) Visuals/3D Renders Alex Jaeger/Doug Drexler (Blog Drex Files)

CENTAUR CLASS FRIGATE

CENTAUR CLASS FRIGATE Starfleet s replacement for the Okinawa class and a compliment to the large number of Miranda and Kearsarge II class ships in service, the Centaur was fielded over a 17 year period