Akira class

Akira-class

Akira class
Yard	New Aberdeen Shipyards (development)
Service Period	24th and 25th centuries
Dimensions
Length	464.43 meters
Beam	316.67 meters
Draft	87.43 meteres
Mass	3,055,000 metric tons
Specifications
Decks	26
Crew Complement	500; 4500 (evac. limit)
Defenses	Deflector shields

For additional meanings of "Akira class", please see Akira class (disambiguation).

The Akira-class was a heavy escort starship introduced by Starfleet around 2370. These vessels were extensively used for engagements with the Borg and the Dominion in the latter half of the 24th century.

History

Starting out as just a hypothetical exercise in starship design, the design that became the Akira-class was initially conceived during a period of rising tensions between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union in the mid-24th century. Worked on by engineers at the New Aberdeen Shipyards in their spare time, most never expected the vessel to be used, much less built, and as such the Akira project was assigned a relatively low priority status. The Battle of Wolf 359 changed all that as Starfleet began a major program of research, development, and starship construction to meet any future Borg threat.

The prototype USS Akira was launched in 2368, and shortly thereafter the class became a major player in Starfleet. Performing admirably during the wind-down of the Federation-Cardassian War in the late-2360s, and against the Borg on their return to Federation space in the 2370s, the Akira-class also was a common sight during the later Dominion War, serving on the front lines in most of the war's major battles.

Technical information

Variants

In the Cryptic universe, three variants of the Akira were developed: the Thunderchild, Armitage, and Alita.

Thunderchild

After years of service in the Dominion War and fighting the Borg threat, Starfleet engineers saw a need to update the standard Akira-class. This led to the development of the Thunderchild variant, named after the USS Thunderchild which fought in the Battle of Sector 001. Various systems were brought up-to-date and minor visual differences were implanted to conform with starship design principles of the late 24th century. A Phaser Point Defense System was standard on the Thunderchild variant. This system controlled light phaser cannons on the starship to defend against high-mobility threats such as torpedoes and fighters.

Armitage

Designed at the New Aberdeen Shipyards, the Armitage-class was developed to fit the original role meant for the Akira-class: that of a small carrier-escort hybrid. Its appearance featured low-slung, forward-swept pylons and long, tapered nacelles. Its saucer was built around a thick central spine that contained the deflector and elevated the bridge above the split hull. The Armitage contained a single, forward-facing hangar bay equipped with a wing of Peregrine Fighters by default. A battery of cannon aperatures was concentrated in the nose, above and to the sides of the deflector dish.

The variant was also equipped with a Torpedo Point Defense System, which allowed the Armitage to fire successive volleys of torpedoes at nearby enemy vessels.

Alita

Based upon the highly successful Armitage variant, the Alita-class was designed at the Laikan Shipyards to combat the Iconian threat. The starship was equipped with Destabilized Tachyon Emitters, which allowed the Alita to discharge a massive tachyon burst that caused tremendous damage to enemy shields and played havoc with their shield systems.

Ships commissioned

• USS Akagi (Armitage-class, NCC-62158-A)
• USS Akira (prototype, NX-62497)
• USS Armitage (Armitage prototype, NCC-92331)
• USS Cheron (Armitage-class, NCC-97300)
• USS Delestrez (NCC-64013)
• USS Geronimo (NCC-69302)
• USS Icarus (NCC-68954)
• USS Susquehanna (NCC-63419)
• USS Thunderchild (NCC-63549)
• USS Thunderchild (Thunderchild prototype, NCC-63549-B)
• USS Wildfire
• USS Trafalgar (NCC-51624)

Gallery

Thunderchild variant.

Armitage variant.

Emblem of the Armitage Class Development Project.

Alita variant.

Emblem of the Alita Class Development Project.

External links

• Akira class article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Akira class article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
• Akira class article at Star Trek Expanded Universe.
• Heavy Escort article at The Star Trek Online Wiki.

• Heavy Escort Refit article at The Star Trek Online Wiki.

• Armitage Class Escort Carrier article at The Star Trek Online Wiki.

• Heavy Escort Carrier article at The Star Trek Online Wiki.