Looking at the Akira, Steamrunner, Sabre and Norway classes, I'd consider them to be older vessels (20 years or more?), possibly upgraded to present weaponry standards (and quite possibly not).

They don't seem to match the present design philosophy of Starfleet - even though their weapons and escape systems might be updated.

Umm, the reason why they look like the way they were is simply because a single outsider---Alex Jaeger of Industrial Light and Magic---designed all four of them. I won't consider them old actually. They were inspired and were meant as replacements of the Miranda class, ironically an earlier ILM design as well. The AJ-FC ships had a different mindset---essentially looking for an anti-Borg warship---based on the concepts laid by the Defiant. Like the Defiant, the idea behind them was to look simply different.

This is in contrast to the TV designed ships, which are done within Paramount itself and staff directly working on the TV show. This staff, like John Eaves and Rick Sternbach, is more or less acquianted with a better sense of technological and styling continuity. Looking for designs that can span both from the Enterprise E and Voyager, two of the most recent designs are the Prometheus and Nova classes. Even if the Prometheus has a radical concept, you can see from its design that it has a much greater styling continuity from ships like the Sovereign and Intrepid. The Steamrunner could look like it came out from Star Wars, but the Promie looks very recognizably Trek.

This is my short story about the Akira, Sabre, Norway and Steamrunner classes okay? This is highly speculative, but it's up to you if it makes good sense.

Basically after Wolf 359, the inadequecies of Starfleet's mainstream classes became apparent. These includes the Niagara, New Orleans, Constellation and Cheyenne classes. The Starfleet is also ripe for a Miranda replacement. It's not just the Borg, but the sudden reappearance of the Romulans, whose Warbirds could get the handle of even the Galaxy classes; the war with the Cardassians and instability within the Klingon Empire---all combined to up the specs for a new multirole warship with better military capabilities. The result is the Akira.

The Sabre/Defiant/Steamrunner/Norway came from another development---the powerful pulse phaser cannon. While Starfleet is basically shopping for an anti-Borg warship, it's also shopping for a Miranda replacement.

So the Defiant is made with pulse phaser cannons. But the technology is new, and there are questions whether these cannons can be made fast enough, and with the limited firing arc of these weapons. So Starfleet wanted an alternative design about the same physical size and crew size, with about the same performance level but using more conventional phaser strips. The result is the Sabre. If you look at any close diagrams of the Sabre, it has phaser strips.

Looking to apply pulse phaser cannon on a larger ship meant as a Miranda replacement, the result is the Norway class. If you look at the models or closeup of the Norway, it does not use phaser strips. Instead it's got this big phaser cannon on the nose, which has to be pulse phasers. But again for the same reason why they brought out the Sabre, Starfleet wanted an alternative using conventional phaser strips. The result of that was the Steamrunner. Yes, you can see from the closeups and diagrams of the Steamrunner that it does use conventional phaser strips.

Production problems encountered with the pulse phasers led to the commissioning of the Sabre and Steamrunner classes. Since the supply of pulse phasers are limited, the Defiant and Norway hulls have to compete for them. With greater production emphasis going for the Defiant class, production numbers for the Norway became limited. The Miranda replacement role was increasingly grabbed by the Steamrunners. With pulse phasers limited, a number of Norways had to come out using conventional phasers---but without a strip, their arcs are more limited, decreasing their tactical value not to mention their firepower. So Starfleet did not commission a lot of Norways, and the bulk of that role was taken with the more popular Steamrunners.

One thing that made the Defiant such an inherently tough craft---even if ablative armor is not installed---is that the structure is very well armored and shielded to protect the crew from the effects of the warp nacelles built right into its structure. The same philosophy is applied on the Steamrunner. That same extreme reinforcement, shielding and armor designed to protect the crew from the effects of the nacelles and Bussard collectors, also made the Steamrunner a very tough craft to destroy in battle. This ruggedness makes the Steamrunner popular with its crews, even though its interior space is limited.

Given these advantages, the Steamrunner has a stronger edge for being the Miranda replacement for Starfleet. But as production of pulse phasers eases, its problems resolved, there is once again a renewed interest for a pulse phaser equipped warship in the Miranda slot (the 300m-350m size class.) This maybe what it takes to resurrect the Norway class.

The Akira class was built in the 2350's along with the the Galaxy and Nebula classes. The Galaxy class as the explorer and the Nebula class as the supplement for the Galaxy class. The Akira class is the battleship version where it would protect the Federation. The Akira class at this time had parts that resembled the Galaxy class parts, necelles, escape pods, bridge, etc. However before Wolf 359, Starfleet brought in a few Akiras to fit them as large torfp platforms. This basically is that the ships would launch a massive torpedo attack in which hopefully the Borg wouldn't be quick enough to adapt to the large volley and destroy or severely damage the ship. However they weren't ready for Wolf 359, so afterwards these ships were completed and let back into service. Later however a basic refit for the class which was to replace the escape pods, nacelles, bridge with the latest designs from the Sovereign class.

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The whole concept of Survivor is that nameless adults go at each other and try to outwit each other. In reality after the first episode of the show, each one will make a least over a thousand dollars for making appearences on some talk show. The first survivor, the Gay Guy now works at E.T. as a Survivor Consultent, where he gives advice to the new survivors. Not only did he win a million dollars that he now makes twice as much as what most of us make in 5 years.

I highly doubt that hes gay, made his own son run, and walk naked around the site. It was all tactics to get him win a million dollars. Right now I bet hes fucking some girl. Jerry from the second Survivro is something because everyone talks alot about her. The whole concept of Surivivor sucks, and it should end with the second one.

The Akira class at this time had parts that resembled the Galaxy class parts, necelles, escape pods, bridge, etc.
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A lot of Starfleet ships use similar designs for components such as nacelles, escape pods, bridge, etc.

However before Wolf 359, Starfleet brought in a few Akiras to fit them as large torfp platforms. This basically is that the ships would launch a massive torpedo attack in which hopefully the Borg wouldn't be quick enough to adapt to the large volley and destroy or severely damage the ship.
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Once the Borg adapted to a weapon once, it's supposedly useless no matter how much you throw at them. Of course, from VOY and ST:FC, you'd think different. ^_^''''

However they weren't ready for Wolf 359, so afterwards these ships were completed and let back into service. Later however a basic refit for the class which was to replace the escape pods, nacelles, bridge with the latest designs from the Sovereign class.
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Reworking existing ships with different escape pods and nacelles seems like a waste of time. Especially if you have to rework the hull to accomindate the EP, which can come in square (if you go by the assumption that's the standard) to the newer hexegon(?). If you rework the nacelle, you might need to restudy the ship's warp field geometry and so on. O_o

I really think the Akira came after Wolf 359. The NCC number dating system isn't known for its reliability. How old would the Soverign class be, since one of its ships has a 1701? ^_~

How do we justify this in Star Trek? I like the "single-burst" tube idea presented. If we go by the registry number, perhaps this ship was in use at the Cardassian War and fought along side the Ambassador...their nacelles share a somewhat resemblance...

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Ace

"Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

No, the Borg can adapt to the weapon, but the overwelming firepower of hundreds of torps firing at a cube is devestating no matter how well adapted the ship is. In ST FC, the Starfleet fleet fired at one spot that was damaged this overwelming the Borg's defense systems and setroying the ship.

Replacing escape pods isn't that bad, in fact those escape pods appear to be about the same size. The reason to replace them? Better survivibility, better propulsion, etc.

Replacing the warp nacelles all isn't that bad either. Replacing faulty nacelles or just to make the ship faster is a reason.

The Akira being a battleship without the 15 torpedo tubes works. The ship could have better manuverability with better shielding, heavier armor, and possibily more powerful phasers.

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The whole concept of Survivor is get your average Joe and put him/her on the show and see how they react. Afterwards even though they did not win they make money by appearing on shows. There is no point in having to win a million dollars! They will make that amount in 2 months after appearing on 100 different shows!

I was thinking that the ILM guy may have temporarily confused his Akira specs to some Mon Calamari carrier or something.

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OH NO< THE OLD MAN WALKS HIS GREEN DOG THAT SHOTS PINBALLS!~!!!
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Jeff K
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Read three (three!) chapters of "Dirk Tungsten in...The Disappearing Planet" and nothing at all will happen.

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Don't kill me, I'm charming!

There really should be more than a "if you are taller than this sign" limitation to calling a ship "battleship". If it's not superb armor in Trek era, then at least some roughly comparable distinctive feature.

Timo Saloniemi

However there is a problem in Trek. We don't know how powerful these ships really are. All we see is the most powerful ship (E-D, E-E and Prometheus) get hit by a couple of shots and they're smoking. Also currently as I see it, the war between offensiver and defensive systems, is that any defensive systems any ship has is no match for the latest weapons. For example those flying targets Starfleet calls Mirandas and Excelsiors had their hulls literally disengrating plus disabled by one shot.