Runabout

A runabout was a spacecraft type introduced by Starfleet in the late 2360s. Runabouts were warp-capable vessels between a shuttle and a starship in size, and capable of being operated by one crew member, although two or more was preferred. They featured expanded cargo and passenger capability over shuttles.

Runabouts were armed well enough to defend themselves against similarly sized attackers and for use in customs enforcement, but were no match for full-size warships under most circumstances. They were typically assigned to space stations or starships as auxiliary craft.

The Cardassian Union copied the design and produced their own version in the early 2370s.

Starfleet normally named runabouts after rivers on Federation planets.

Known classes of runabout

 * Starfleet
 * Cardassian Guard, Cardassian Defense Force
 * Cardassian Guard, Cardassian Defense Force
 * Cardassian Guard, Cardassian Defense Force