(covers information from Vanguard universe)
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| Katana-class | |
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| Katana-class Command Battleship | |
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Class: |
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Type: |
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Affiliation: |
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Status: |
Active |
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Launched: |
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| Dimensions | |
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Length: |
980 meters |
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Beam: |
496 meters |
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Draft: |
215.6 meters |
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Mass: |
8,500,000 metric tons |
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46 + 6 |
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Via enhanced warp drive: |
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Phasers: |
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- Enhanced, regenerative, redundant, reinforced, multiphasic, multispectrum, unimatrix defensive shields |
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| Top view | |
One of the largest classes of starship built by Starfleet, the Katana-class was designed to be the core vessel leading large formations in combat missions.
The Katana class Command Battleship.
Overview[]
The Katana-class was designed to outmatch such vessels as the destroyed Romulan Warbird Scimitar. It combined the features of a mobile command center, a Battleship and a Fleet Carrier. It had more interior space than a Galaxy-class , was more powerful than a Sovereign-class , was as fast in warp and as electronically smart as an Intrepid-class , and was as agile and heavily armoured as a Defiant-class. The Katana-class superstructure was based on the catamaran design and space frame of the Akira-class, but enlarged to more than twice the size. Service aboard an Katana-class starship was considered an extremely prestigious assignment and they attracted some of Starfleet's finest officers. The Katana-class has an unsupported, self-serviceable range equal to the Galaxy-class exploration vessels that was required to operate effectively behind enemy lines.
Onboard tactical systems[]
Ships of this class incorporate the latest in Starfleet weaponry and defensive technology.
Offensive Capabilities[]
The ship’s battleship features include 16 torpedo launchers, 8 forward, 6 aft and 2 on the dorsal weapons-sensors superstructure. Only the two main forward torpedo launchers can fire quantum torpedoes.
The ship was also armed with 12 Type-XII forward triple-mounted pulse phaser cannons, 16 Type-XII rotary triple-mounted pulse phaser cannon turrets that were located along the length of the saucer section of the ship, at 8 dorsal and 8 ventral, and 18 Type-XII phaser arrays at key locations all throughout the ship’s hull, at 10 dorsal and 8 ventral,
Defensive systems[]
The shield system of the Katana-class was equal to that of the larger Invincible-class Fleet Carrier-Command Battleship hybrid and was therefore among the most powerful found on any Starfleet ship. It was outfitted with regenerative, multiphasic, and metaphasic shield systems, and secondary shields. 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 anti-muon (polaron) particles, measures clearly aimed at the Borg and Dominion respectively.
Under normal operation, the shield modulation frequencies were 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 was thought that this system can also prevent beam-through by Borg transporter technology.
The Katana-class boasts a hull that was 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 plating emitters that were installed at different points on the ship's hulls. This coating covers the ship's phaser mounts, but torpedo launchers were not affected by it.
This triple redundancy feature of shields and armor on the Katana-class allows it to effectively counter 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 Katana can only use these simultaneously for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes. As a result, the shields and the generated armor coating were used alternately when the ship was in battle.
The Katana's hull was coated in microdiffracted carbon to absorb all visible radiation that fell upon it, making it as black as the space it moved through.
Carrier features[]
This class of ship’s fighter carrier features include two full fly-thru flight decks running the length of the ship’s 500 meter-long primary hull, covering three decks each, with bay doors at fore and aft. These allowed large numbers of launch and landing operations to be handled simultaneously.
Tactical fighter wing[]
Combined, the flight decks could accommodate three wings or 108 tactical fighters, excluding the personal fighters of the 3 wing commanders and 1 group captain. Flight Deck 1 was the primary port for entrance and egress for two of the three fighter wings. Flight Deck 2 on Deck 17 was the primary port for entrance and egress for the third fighter wing, the auxiliary crafts, and two Valiant-class Tactical Corvettes. On the port and starboard sides of both flight decks were facilities for the construction, repair and maintenance of fighters and auxiliary craft.
Standard auxiliary craft complement[]
The Katana also features a complement of 24 auxiliary crafts of varying types: 4 Yellowstone-class runabouts, 4 Flyer-class heavy shuttlecrafts, 8 Type-11 shuttlecrafts , and 8 Type-9 shuttlecrafts, with support facilities for all.
Combined with the torpedo and mini-torpedo launchers and phaser array’s standard on the Katana-class, these give the battleship unequaled sublight combat capabilities and could stand toe-to-toe against any form of attack.
Command and senior Staff[]
Owing to their status as task force flagships, Katana-class starships have Commanding Officers that have the rank of Rear Admiral, while Executive Officers have the rank of Commodore, and Second Officers, and Fighter Group Command Officers have the rank of Captain.
Flag facilities / command center[]
Another special feature of the Katana-class was the full flag facilities with which it was equipped. Katana-class starships serve as the flagships of the fleets of Starfleet. A primary flag facility onboard was the Flag Bridge, which was found at the middle portion of the Main Bridge.
Primary operational control of the task force, the ship and the fighter wings of the ship was provided by the Command Center, located at the top of the primary hull. The Command Center was ovoid in shape from aft to forward and was divided into three parts: the Navigation Bridge, the Flight Operations Bridge, and the Flag Bridge.
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The Navigation Bridge was primarily where the ship can be commanded. It directly supervises all primary mission operations and coordinates all departmental activities. It was located at the front most portion of the Command Center
- At the Navigation Bridge’s aft section was a large bank of control consoles that were programmable for a multitude of functions and data readout screens. Center of that area was the Master Systems Display. All relevant ship information (such as damage, power distribution, etc.) could be displayed on this cutaway image of the vessel. Above this whole section was the forward handrail of the Flag Bridge, separating the latter from the Navigation Bridge.
- The central area of the navigation bridge provides seating and information displays for the ship’s Commanding Officer and two command level officers. The command chair was slightly raised from the rest of the bridge officers to the height of the surrounding level. At the end of the armrests of the command chair were control panels with miniaturized status displays which could be used to override the basic operation of the starship. The two officer seats were also equipped with retractable and fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses.
- Directly aft of this area, integrated in the handrail encircling the aft section of the central command area were the three consoles of the tactical and security station.
- Directly fore of the central command area was the Conn Station and the seat of the Conn Officer, which face the main viewer. To the port side of the Conn Officer, also facing the main view screen, was the Operations Officer's console, which was identical in size and design to the Conn Station.
- At the very front of the bridge chamber was a large view screen. When the screen was not active, a standard bulkhead was present. On the floor between the view screen and the helm control station was a holo communicator.
- Aft and to the port-side of the command area was an elevated platform on which the three consoles of the Engineering Station were located. This has a smaller cutaway diagram of the vessel, which shows all engineering-relevant data and shows warp fields and engine output.
- Aft and to the starboard of the Command Area was another elevated platform on which the three consoles of the Science Station were located.
- To the aft of both Science and Engineering Stations were two identical command consoles that could be operated to perform more bridge duties. Aft of these were the passageways that lead to the Flag Bridge and the Flight Operations Bridge beyond.
Flag Bridge[]
The Flag Bridge was the nerve center of the task force led by the Invincible-class. It was where coordination between task force elements and planning for task force movements were done, whether in squadron formation, in mission group formation or in strike group formation. It was located in the middle of the Command Center, separated from the Navigation Bridge in front and Flight Operations Bridge in the rear by port and aft doors. As the sector command hub whenever the flag officer was onboard, it was a combination briefing room, operations center and workplace from which the flag officer could keep a weather eye on the ships of the task force and on the situation over dozens of star systems under the flag officer's command. It was dominated by a large, oval holotable, with virtual panes hanging suspended in the air above it and a gesture-sensitive interface.
- At the aft wall of the Flag Bridge was the Master Systems Display of the whole task force and the whole sector.
- The central area of the Flag Bridge provide space for the Fleet Operations Table, a large oval-shaped console which can display above it a three-dimensional image of any region in space where ships of the task force were located. It can also serve as a holo-communicator.
- Directly on the aft side of the Fleet Operations Table was the seat of the ship’s flag officer.
- Directly on the fore side of the Fleet or Sector Operations Table was the seat of the Fleet Operations Officer who was responsible for monitoring and working the fleet operations table.
- To the portside of the central area were two fleet control consoles, one intelligence console, and one mission ops console. Fleet control consoles convey the flag officer’s orders to the ships of the task force and receive messages intended for the flag officer.
- To the starboard of the central area were two more fleet control consoles, one long-range sensor console, and one mission ops console.
Flight Operations Bridge[]
The Flight Operations Bridge was where the ship’s complement of flyers and auxiliary crafts were directed from. It directly coordinates the movement of the ship’s flyers and support crafts in mission. It was located aft of the Command Center. The Flight Operations Bridge was supported by at least two Flight Deck Control Centers located at the flight decks.
- At the aft wall of the Flight Operations Bridge was the flight deck and hangar bay systems displays. On either side were control consoles for hangar bay operations.
- The central area of the Flight Operations Bridge provide seating and a console for the ship’s Fighter Group Command Officer, the Flight Operations Command Chair.
- Directly fore of the central area were the four mission control consoles facing the flight ops viewer, at two to portside and two to starboard.
- Aft and to the portside were two of four flight deck control consoles.
- Aft and to the starboard were the other two flight deck control consoles.
- At the front of the Flight Operations bridge and behind the Master Systems Display of the Flag Bridge was a holographic wall screen which could display fighter and support craft locations and movements within a given stellar region in three dimension.
The three bridges of the Command Center were connected to each other by doorways on the port and starboard side to allow for easy access between the three parts of the Center. On the portside of the Command Center were three glass-walled ready rooms: one for the flag officer, one for the ship's commanding officer and one for the fighter operations command officer. On the starboard side of the Command Center was the long briefing lounge which features a long table and seating for the senior staff of the three bridges. This can be separated by glass walls if the senor staff of each bridge neede privacy.
Propulsion systems[]
The propulsion system onboard ships of this class were state-of-the-art. The class boasts the best navigational sensors, and among the highest rated top speed of any Starfleet vessel.
Impulse drive[]
The impulse drive system of the Katana-class was the most sophisticated model in production. Its oversized impulse engines were equipped with impulse thrusters that provide superb sub-light maneuvering speed, especially considering her size. With this design, along with the new retro-thrusters, and uprated structural integrity fields give the ship maneuverability equal to the size of a Steamrunner-class vessel.
Warp drive[]
The Katana’s matter-antimatter reaction assembly warp core was among the most powerful in Starfleet. The warp core spanned 18 decks just behind the center line of the primary hull. Its warp drive featured a quadri-cyclic input manifold and was designed to operate for up to 5 years before refueling. The ship's warp engines were based on a new concept in warp drive design, one which eliminates subspace distortion effects inherent to standard warp drives. The reaction chamber was equipped with a compositor, which allowed recrystallization of dilithium. The deuterium tanks were above the core, while antimatter storage pods surrounded the base of the core.
A secondary class 9 warp core was located aft of the primary warp core and spans 7 decks and brought online when the primary warp core was offline. This allows the ship to travel at a cruising speed of warp 6 while the primary warp core was offline.
With a normal cruise speed of Warp 8.5, a maximum cruise speed of Warp 9.85 and a top speed of Warp 9.985 sustainable for up to twelve (12) hours, Katana-class starships were among of the fastest vessels in Starfleet. Equipped with the enhanced warp drive technology shared by the Khronnians, the Katana can now easily attain and indefinitely sustain a maximum cruise speed of warp 9.985.
Quantum slipstream drive[]
The Katana-class was one of the first ship classes that was built with a Quantum Slipstream Drive during construction in addition to its primary and secondary warp drives. This allows them to travel 300 light years in an hour. The systems installed as part of the slipstream drive included a quantum field focus controller at the front of the ship's main deflector and a chroniton integrator; the latter of which could be used to take sensor readings several seconds into the future when the ship was using its slipstream drive.
Computer systems[]
The Katana-class starship was equipped with some of the most advanced computer systems of the time. The ship carries four independent computer cores. These multiple cores provided redundancy in case one of the cores was damaged or destroyed. The main computer processor was capable of simultaneous access to 47 million data channels, of transluminal processing at 575 trillion calculations per nanosecond, and having operational temperature margins from 10° to 1790° Kelvin. The bio-neural circuitry sped up the computer's data functions and improved overall performance.
Redundant bio-neural / isolinear circuitry[]
The ship’s size allow it to be fitted with both bio-neural gel pack and isolinear computer interfaces and circuitry. The bio-neural circuitry enables high-speed information transfers and the newest sensor equipment with efficiency levels that exceed that of the Galaxy-class by 100%. The isolinear circuitry provides for redundancy, allowing the ship’s computer systems to continue operating in the event that its bio-neural circuitry were affected by viruses and infectious agents encountered in deep space.
Communications systems[]
Its advanced communications array allows the embarked flag officer to relay battle-critical information instantaneously.
Emergency holographic complement[]
This class was equipped with holo-emitters on every deck to allow emergency holographic programs a higher level of access and free movement around the ship. The ship’s computer systems can simultaneously bring online 3 Emergency Command and Navigation Holograms (ECH), 4 Emergency Security and Tactical Holograms (ESTH), 6 Emergency Engineering Holograms (EEH), 3 Emergency Medical Holograms (EMH), 3 Emergency Health Care Holograms (EHCH), and 3 Emergency Science Holograms (ESH).
Science features[]
Also designed to go for extensive periods on deep space exploratory duties, the Katana-class was equipped with cutting-edge scientific equipment.
It also serves as a testbed for experimental science technology not yet available in most other classes. State of the art computers give it unprecedented storage capacity, access speed, and rigorous conditioning. Combined with a wide array of sensors on the dorsal superstructure and covering a large amount of the exposed surface, makes the Katana-class a premier ship of the line for Starfleet’s scientific endeavors.
Astrometrics & stellar cartography[]
The Katana also boasts of four large Astrometrics labs like the one created by Seven of Nine on USS Voyager, and one full-scale Stellar Cartography Department, which was not only dedicated to the science and practice of charting space, but could also be used for long-range communications purposes or even, as a workplace for easy access to sensor information. It features a holotank which allows a person to gain a 360° panoramic view of an area using holographic technology. There were a series of control panels to manipulate the screen. The area below the screen and in front of the control panels could be used as a stage during presentations. Astrometrics also include 8 additional workstations on the side walls.
Science labs[]
There were 20 science labs on the Katana-class. 12 were non-specific labs were easily modified for various astro-sciences and physical sciences. There were also five smaller labs which can be configured for astrophysics/astrometrics and stellar cartography studies. Science Department crews rotate often among these laboratories. The Chief Science Officer's office was attached to this bank of labs.
Medical facilities[]
Katana-class starships have 3 sickbays. Main Sickbay was the primary care facility. It was located on deck 36 and was equipped with 8 standard and 2 advanced biobeds, a surgical suite, the physical rehabilitation bay, the morgue and a small lab used for routine analysis of patients.
The Fighter Operations Sickbay was an equally sized facility located on deck 21 and provides medical care primarily for the ship’s fighter crew complement.
The Command Sickbay was a smaller facility slightly larger than an Intrepid-class sickbay, with 5 standard and two advanced biobeds located on Deck 3. It was also home to the Chief Medical Officer's office, and four medlabs of varying sizes. Command Sickbay itself was considered to be general purpose, and was often the location of regular crew physicals, appointments, and various medical emergencies – it could effectively handle majority of situations that a crew would face.
Also pursuant to new Medical Protocols, all Primary Medical Facilities were equipped with holo-emitters for the usage of the Emergency Medical Hologram System.
Crew facilities[]
The Katana-class features standard crew quarters and recreation facilities.
Accommodations[]
Because of its combat oriented features, crew berthing facilities on this ship class were comparable to that of an Intrepid-class. Quarters in general were smaller than those of other large Federation vessels, such as the Sovereign-class.
With emphasis towards the tactical and tactical flyer carrier systems being the priority in the vessel designers' minds, ensigns, non-commissioned officers and crewmen had to share their quarters with at least one other crewmate during normal times of operation. Each shared cabin for crewmen had four stacked bunks, one replicator port, a small living area, and a twin bathroom. Each shared cabin for ensigns and non-commissioned officers had two small bedrooms, one replicator port, a living area, and a twin bathroom.
Officers of the rank lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant were given their own quarters, which included a living area with work station, a small bedroom and a bathroom. Senior officers’ quarters were larger than junior officers’ quarters, line the edge of the saucer section, and usually have windows.
Meanwhile, the quarters of the flag officer, the executive officer and the fighter group command officer were equivalent to the captain’s quarters onboard an Intrepid-class starship.
Mess lounges[]
There were 6 large mess halls and 4 smaller mess lounges onboard that were equipped with full bar and kitchen facilities, each manned by a Mess officer, with a private captain's dining room just behind the mess lounge, all served by windows that offered a spectacular view of space outside. Eating accommodations were provided by a slew of tables and chairs. The larger mess halls can occupy 100 diners at a time, while the mess lounges can occupy 32 diners at a time. Each mess area has a very relaxed and congenial air about it. At the head of the hall were open slots that served as dispensers for the replicators. The mass-use replicators were 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. The most notable accessory to the lounge was a modest-sized bar area, offering a wide selection of synthetic and alcoholic. To conserve replicator rations, the mess halls’ menu was supplemented with food stocks of vegetables cooked by the mess officers from the airponics bay and hydroponics bay, along with food obtained from trading and scouting missions. In addition, the mess lounges can double as large meeting areas 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 graphics.
Recreational facilities[]
8 standard holodeck facilities and 16 holosuites were scattered all over the ship. The facilities of 4 gyms on the Katana were not overly spacious, but were well outfitted. The facilities include variable weight machines, isometric machines, and calisthenic machines and a sparring ring configured for Anbo-Jytsu but easily modified and/or expanded for other practices. All equipment was equipped with the ability to variate gravity for those species that were physically biased toward higher or lower than standard gravity.
Companion ships[]
Docked underneath the dorsal superstructure of the ship was one Defiant-class Tactical Frigate, on external docking clamps, just underneath the ship’s sensor primary array. Sharing space with the third fighter wing and the auxiliary crafts on Flight Deck 2 were two Valiant-class Tactical Corvettes. These ships are the permanent companion ships of the Katana-class.
Task force flagship role[]
Katana-class starships were designed to serve as flagships of the largest task force formations of Starfleet. As such, she was accompanied by fifty-three (53) combat oriented starships during task force formations.
Vanguard Command[]
Only 9 vessels of the Katana-class were built. All were often deployed as secondary platforms of the three major fleets of Starfleet to "hot spots" were Starfleet Command was expecting a fight.
There were three Katana-class Command Battleships assigned to the Vanguard Fleet, and were designated as flagships of the second, third and fourth task force formations, respectively.
The USS Dauntless, was the flagship of Task Force Dauntless of the Vanguard Fleet, while her sister ship, the USS Paladin, was the flagship of Task Force Paladin. Another sister ship, the USS Belligerent, was the flagship of Task Force Belligerent.