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Last Updated November 25, 2002
Defender Fast Cruiser

Owner

United Federation of Planets
Class Heavy Combat Vessel
Availability Unique Ship
In Service 2280
Out of Service 2375
Source Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Best of Both Worlds"
Author Tyrel Lohr
Last Updated November 25, 2002
Defender Fast Cruiser
Description:

Developed during the same time period as the Excelsior Heavy Cruiser, the Defender project was tied closely to other projects that were studying the ramifications of esoteric warp nacelle configurations. Like the Constellation Patrol Cruiser, the Defender Fast Cruiser was to use two pairs of warp nacelles to allow it to achieve higher warp field efficiency. The need also existed for a new generation of main line cruiser hulls to replace the aging Constitution and many new projects, including the Defender, were top contenders for the role.

The Defender project was progressing nicely with half a dozen hulls completed by 2285. Despite the advances made in the Defender and the relative success of the models currently on their shakedown cruisers, the Excelsior proved in all ways superior. Not only did the ship sport a sturdier frame, more advanced sensors, and more firepower, it also proved to be a more flexible ship.

Construction of new Defenders ended overnight. The last ships were kept in service, most being placed into the defensive fleets of the Federation core worlds. When the Borg attacked the Federation in 2367, several of the last Defenders joined the fleet that was massacred at Wolf 359. The last Defenders saw service during the Dominion War defending the homeworlds again, and the last two Defenders to survive that conflict were finally retired from service, the ships scuttled.


Ship Control Sheet(s):
Defender Fast Cruiser - SCS
 Unique Ship
 
This ship is included in the:
Ships of the Fleet: United Federation of Planets
Ship Archive
   
Related Entries:
Constellation Patrol Cruiser
Constitution Cruiser
Excelsior Cruiser
Tro'Qa Fast Destroyer
 
Design Notes:


Must of the Defender backstory comes from the DITL.ORG site; it turned out that the direction I was taking the ship was similar to what that author had done, so I simply integrated the two together. The Defender is an adequate warship, and a design that obviously draws on the Constitution Refit. The Defender was meant to replace the Constitution in the field, but it is obvious that the Defender is a poorer ship than the Excelsior.



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