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Last Updated June 24, 2007
Achilles Siege Cruiser

Owner

United Federation of Planets
Class Capital Ship
Availability Limited Availability (33%)
In Service 2376
Out of Service n/a
Source Dominion Wars
Author Jon Letham & Tyrel Lohr
Last Updated January 18, 2004
Achilles Siege Cruiser
Description:
One of the critical strategic problems faced by Starfleet Command during the Dominion War was that Federation forces were spread too thin. Between defending the Federation territory from the Dominion, and keeping a wary eye on the Romulans and trying to go on the offensive against the Dominion, Starfleet found it had too many obligations and too few resources. This problem became even more acute when Starfleet strategists determined that the 'Achilles Heel' of the Dominion was the dependency of the Jem'Hadar on Ketracel-White. If the Federation/Klingon Alliance could destroy, or even severely threaten, the Ketracel-White facilities the Dominion's Alpha Quadrant offensive would grind to a halt. Unfortunately the only ships that either Starfleet or the Klingon Defense Forces had that could do the job were the Galaxy and Negh'Var class ships. No existing vessel could launch the unescorted long-range strikes against heavily defended targets required to take out these facilities. The Defiant Heavy Escorts had too limited operating range and the Galaxy and Negh'Var, while having the necessary operational range, were too expensive in to be feasible. Neither the Federation nor the Klingons were willing to commit such large fleets required to hit these targets. To do so would have entailed compromising the defense of key Federation and Klingon systems. A new, revolutionary ship design would be required to meet this set of mission objectives.

Ship designers at Utopia Planitia were up to the challenge. They not only designed a totally new class ship, the Achilles, but also designed and built it in less than two years. By adapting current anti-Borg designs to the new threat a ship with extraordinary features was created that could fulfill the role of a long-range cruiser with firepower equal to a Sovereign Dreadnought. This was accomplished with the new micro-torpedoes arranged in a 'phalanx' array, allowing for an astoundingly high rate of fire that can cripple any Dominion ship. With the 'broadside' arrangement of the mini-quantum torpedo phalanx the Achilles can defend itself against Jem’Hadar attack craft defending the Ketracel-White facilities while it maintains its focus on destroying the target. Quantum torpedoes and pulse phasers enable the Achilles sufficient firepower to destroy most large fixed targets in one pass. Finally, the Achilles has an unsupported, self-serviceable range equal to the Galaxy Command Ships that is required to operate effectively behind the Dominion defensive perimeter.

Ship Control Sheet(s):
Achilles Siege Cruiser - SCS
 Limited Availability (33%)
 
This ship is included in the:
Ships of the Fleet: United Federation of Planets
Ship Archive
   
Related Entries:
No Related Entries
 
Design Notes:
Design by Jon Letham and Tyrel Lohr. Based on a ship from the Dominion Wars computer game.


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