Dauntless class (Vanguard)

Designed to outgun and overpower any other cruiser by at least 100%, as well as most starbases, and even some planetary defense systems, the Yamato class Heavy Battleship is the latest "final word" in ship combat and is, at 1284 meters of estimated length, among the biggest starships ever fielded by Starfleet.

Overview
The hull configuration of the Yamato-class is comparable to other established Starfleet vessels. It carries the maximum amount of weaponry which can be packed into a purely military vessel, even if this is to the detriment of research or other non-combat capabilities. Entire fleets and indeed entire civilizations could fall before the guns of the Yamato-class. There are only four ships of this class operating in Starfleet, and just the threat that Starfleet has designed one is sometimes enough to prevent aggression. The ship is difficult to build and operate, and so is seldom seen outside of war zones. Indeed, it is seldom suited for anything but combat. While fairly effective flying solo, the Yamato-class is devastating when operating as the center of a battle fleet. Like all new purely military vessels of Starfleet, the ship’s warp nacelles have been brought inboard to a minimum safe distance for field EM, and all EPS weapon-power conduits have been truncated to provide a nearly zero lag time between activation signal and beam launch. The Yamato-class is also fitted with bio-neural gel pack computer interfaces and circuitry that enable high speed information transfers and the newest sensor equipment with efficiency levels that exceed that of the Galaxy class by 100%. The Yamato-class likewise supports triple computer cores and a twin type-D trelinium/dilithium hybrid reactor.

Weapon Systems
The ship’s weapons systems consist of the most advanced phaser and torpedo systems available. Octo rapid-fire quantum torpedoes and enhanced pulse phasers enables the Yamato sufficient firepower to destroy large fixed targets in one pass.

Torpedoes
The Yamato features sixteen (16) brand new 5-tube rapid fire torpedo launchers and eight (8) 3-tube rapid fire torpedo turrets.

The ship also boasts of twelve (12) standard torpedo bays among her three sections as her primary weapons. Six (6) of the torpedo bays are mounted in the large dorsal rollbar pod, and another six (6) are on the large underside rollbar pod, at three (3) forward and three (3) back.

The vessel is also outfitted with ten (10) micro-torpedo arrays that face directly out at five (5) each to port and starboard, a unique feature in a Starfleet vessel. The micro-torpedoes arranged in a 'phalanx' array along the port and starboard sides of the ship allow an astoundingly high rate of fire that can cripple any enemy starship. With the 'broadside' arrangement of the 'phalanx' the Yamato can defend itself against strike fighters defending the fixed facilities while maintaining its focus on destroying its primary target.

Phasers
The Yamato is equipped with sixteen (16) Type-XIV phaser arrays (known as Sovereign-Type), sixteen (16) Type-XV (commonly known as Defiant-Type) pulse phaser cannons, 2 (2) photonic cannons, and six (6) Type X+ mega-phasers. The Type XIV has a raw beam power output some 60% more powerful than the Type-X arrays installed on the standard. In addition, the Type XIV has a shorter recharge time and can fire a longer sustained burst, giving each bank a combat effectiveness 79.4% greater than a Type-X array.

All told, the Yamato-class has an overall 200% increase in phaser capability over the.

Shields
The shield system of the Yamato-class is equal to that of the larger Fleet Carrier-Heavy Battleship hybrid and is therefore the most powerful found on any Starfleet ship; the design was modified just prior to installation in order to have regenerative features and to increase effectiveness against both high energy tractor beams and phased polaron particles, measures clearly aimed at the Borg and Dominion respectively.

Under normal operation, the shield modulation frequencies are controlled by the ship's computer system, which continually evaluates incoming weapons fire and automatically re-modulates the shields to provide the most effective possible defense. It is thought that this system can also prevent beam-through by Borg transporter technology.

Hull Plating
The Yamato-class boasts of a hull that is made of overlapping and regenerative ablative hull armor that allows it to take many direct hits from enemy fire even with minimal shields. In addition, the class has been equipped with two separate armor generators that can deploy a thick layer made of ablative armor plating along the contours of the entire ship when activated. This can be done through the numerous armor emitters that are installed at different points on the ship's hulls.

Other Defensive Systems
For further protection, all protected internal systems that require access to the vessel exterior are equipped with articulated or jettisonable hull plates, so that most of the familiar structures are hidden from view, including shuttlebay doors, docking ports, lifeboats, impulse vents, and consumables resupply connectors.

This triple redundancy feature of shields and armor on the Yamato-class makes it practically impervious to Borg and Dominion firepower. However, due to the huge energy needed to deploy both the shields and the generated armor coating at the same time, the Yamato can only use these simultaneously for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes. As a result, the shields and the generated armor coating are used alternately when the ship is in battle.

Tactical Fighter Wing
Yamato-class Heavy Battleships are outfitted with a full-fly through hangar on deck 14 from which seventy-two (72) Advanced Tactical Combat Shuttles could be launched and landed.

Combined with the torpedo and micro-torpedo launchers and phaser array’s standard on the Yamato-class, these give the battleship unequaled sublight combat capabilities and could stand toe-to-toe against any form of attack.

Flag Facilities
Another special feature of the Yamato-class is the full flag facilities it was equipped with. Yamato-class starships are among the few types that serve as flagships of the mobile fleets and task forces in Starfleet.

A primary flag facility onboard is the Fleet Operations Center, which is found at the rear portion of the Main Bridge. The Fleet Operations Center is where coordination between task force elements and planning for task force operations are done. It is the nerve center of the task force or the fleet being led by the Yamato-class. It also serves as a briefing room for command staff and department heads.

Accommodations
The Yamato-class has rather spartan crew accommodations, but with consideration for the extended period of time that the ship's missions take. With emphasis towards the tactical systems being the foremost priority in the vessel designers' minds, crew quarters aboard Yamato-class vessels are the spartan when compared to other ships in the fleet. Enlisted personnel are provided with cabins that have four bunks, non-commissioned officers and junior commissioned officers are issued cabins with two bunks, and senior commissioned officers are given cabins with one bunk and a few additional amenities. Each crew cabin is equipped with one replicator port, one standard computer terminal, and a washroom with ultrasonic shower.

Sickbay
There are two sickbay facilities located onboard the Yamato-class. The primary facility is equipped with two intensive-care wards, Biohazard Support, Radiation Treatment Wards, a Surgical Ward, Critical Care, a Morgue, a Dental Care Office, a laboratory, and the Chief Medical Officer's office. The secondary facility has two dedicated surgery suites, a physical therapy facility, Isolation Suites, and a Null-Gravity Treatment Ward. The primary facility is located on the port side of the vessel and the secondary facility is located on the starboard side. Also pursuant to new Medical Protocols, all Primary Medical Facilities are equipped with holo-emitters for the usage of the Emergency Medical Hologram System.

Mess Lounges
Ships of the Yamato-class lack any sort of recreational facilities, and the only place for informal gathering is the two mess hall areas. This lounge is the social center of the ship. Unlike all the equipment and materials aboard the ship, the mess halls are large and each has a very relaxed and congenial air about it. Each mess hall has a battery of recreational games and assorted means of entertainment. At the head of the hall were open slots that served as dispensers for the replicators. The mass-use replicators are able to produce other food and non-alcoholic beverages with an extensive recipe listing from over two hundred worlds for the crew to enjoy in this relaxed social setting. A counter extends from the underside and is used for the placement of trays, mugs and eating utensils. Eating accommodations are provided by a slew of tables and chairs. In addition, the mess hall doubles as a makeshift meeting area that could be used to conduct crew briefings and mission profiles. A tall screen panel located on one of the walls can be used as a visual aid to display tactical graphics.

Holodecks & Other Facilities
There are four (4) standard holodeck facilities, twenty (20) holosuites, two (2) phaser ranges, and two (2) weight rooms on the Yamato-class, more used for tactical, security and combat trainings than anything for recreation.

Astrometrics Lab
Astrometrics serves the functions of Stellar Cartography. Served directly by the auxiliary computer core, the Astrometrics Lab conceivably has the largest single processing potential of any single laboratory aboard ship.

Facilities include multiple multi-use consoles, control facilities, a large wraparound viewscreen and a centrally placed dais with holo emitter.

All information is directed to the bridge and can be displayed on any console or the main viewscreen. When under warp or staffed by demand, the Astrometrics Laboratory is manned by one supervising officer and as many as eight subordinates.

Science Labs
Even though the emphasis on the Yamato-class is tactical engagements, the vessel is equipped with a modest amount of scientific research space - in keeping with the mandate of the Federation and Starfleet. There are fifteen (15) science labs on the Yamato-class; eight non-specific labs are easily modified for various scientific endeavors including Bio/Chem, and Physics tests and/or experiments – crews rotate often among these laboratories - and seven specific labs on Planetary Development, Geologic Studies, Languages/Archaeology, Biologics Laboratories, two more expansive and specialized labs that conduct Atmospheric Physics experiments, and one for the dangerous High-Energy Physics. The Chief Science Officer’s office is attached to this bank of labs.

Propulsion Systems
Redundant warp and impulse nacelles were designed so the Yamato-class can sustain heavy damage, and still maneuver.

Impulse Drive
The Yamato-class impulse drive system is the most sophisticated model in production. The new retro-thrusters enable the vessel to maneuver as well as any starship one quarter its size.

Warp Drive
Yamato-class starships are currently some of the fastest vessels in Starfleet. They have a standard cruise speed of Warp 7.5, a maximum cruise speed of Warp 9.85 and a top speed of Warp 9.995 sustainable for up to twelve (12) hours.

Quantum Slipstream Drive
Also, the ship is equipped with a Quantum Slipstream Drive. The ship is allowed to use the Quantum Slipstream Drive to travel at superfast speeds only once every two weeks. These very high speed capabilities are intended to allow the ship to deploy as rapidly as possible to potential trouble spots.

The Yamato-class has an unsupported, self-serviceable range equal to the exploration vessels that is required to operate effectively behind enemy defensive perimeter.

Emergency Holographic Complement
This class has holo-emitters installed throughout the ship, allowing the ship's Emergency Holographic Complement to operate in all areas of the ship. There are a total of twenty-six (26) emergency holograms that are of seven (7) different functions installed on the Yamato-class:


 * Three (3) Emergency Medical Holograms
 * Three (3) Emergency Command and Conn Holograms
 * Five (5) Emergency Engineering Holograms
 * Five (5) Emergency Operations Holograms
 * Six (6) Emergency Security and Tactical Holograms
 * Three (3) Emergency Science Holograms
 * One (1) Emergency Intelligence and Reconnaissance Hologram

Each hologram is supplied with a mobile emitter, reproductions of the original device that was used by the EMH of USS Voyager (NCC-74656). This allows the hologram to perform missions outside the confines of the ship.

Command and Senior Staff
Owing to their being task force flagships, Invincible class starships have Commanding Officers that have the rank of Rear Admiral (lower grade), while Executive Officers are of the rank of Captain and Second Officers and Wing Commanders are full Commanders.

Auxiliary Starships
Mounted on the aft dorsal portion of the ship, three Armored Escorts rest in recessed hatchways. These ships are deployed to serve as “companion” ships whenever the Yamato goes on solitary special missions. Each ship has an assigned detail from the Yamato's main crew.

Task Force Flagship Role
Yamato-class starships are designed to serve as flagships of the largest task force formations of Starfleet. As such, she is accompanied by fifty-four (54) combat oriented starships during task force formations. Yamato-class starships are also the only ships in Starfleet with a permanently attached escort complement of one Heavy Cruiser, one  Tactical Assault Cruiser, one  Scout, two  Light Cruisers, and two  Frigates.

Vanguard Command
There are three Yamato-class Heavy Battleships assigned to the Vanguard Fleet, the USS Belligerent, the USS Paladin, and the USS Dauntless.

The USS Belligerent is the flagship of Task Force Belligerent, while her sister ship, the USS Paladin, is the flagship of Task Force Paladin. Another sister ship, the USS Dauntless, is the flagship of Task Force Dauntless.