Constitution Class Heavy Cruiser

The Constitution class is one of the most successful and famous of all starship classes in the history of Starfleet.

Below is a fairly straight summary of The Ships of the Star Fleet take on the Constitutions (with minor timeline alterations), along with some notes from other sources. The registries are based on the list first published in the Star Fleet Technical Manual rather than that used by the 'official' publications. See comparative listing of some different Constitution Registry lists.

I've placed information about FASA's Constitution and Enterprise classes on another page. My personal view on this class is taking shape as my Speculative History of the Constitution class essay.


Sub-Classes


NCC-1017U.S.S. Constellation
History:commissioned as Horizon class in 2212.
Upgraded to Constitution class in 2228.
Destroyed by Doomsday Machine in 2266.
Notes:TOS "The Doomsday Machine" app.
Named after the USN frigate launched in 1797 and on the Navy List until 1955.
NCC-1371U.S.S. Republic
History:commissioned as Archon class in 2202.
Upgraded to Constitution class sometime after 2211.
Assigned as training vessel in 2238.
Possibly decommissioned in 2257 (Ships of the Star Fleet).
Possibly still in service in 2291 (ST VI).
Notes:TOS "Court Martial" his.
"ST VI: The Undiscovered Country" ref.
FASA gives the registry as NCC-1373.
There is actually no on screen evidence that the ship mentioned in "Court Martial" was Constitution class, however that is the assumption made from The Making of Star Trek onwards.
The suggestion that the U.S.S. Republic mentioned in DS9 "The Valiant" is the this vessel is, in my opinion, rather far fetched.
 
NCC-1700U.S.S. Constitution
History:commissioned in 2218, first ship of that class.
Upgraded to Constitution (II) specification in 2271, first ship of that sub-class.
Named after the USN frigate, commissioned 1794, still on the Navy List 1999. See Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships OnLine.
 
NCC-1701U.S.S. Enterprise
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2221.
Upgraded to Bonhomme Richard specification in 2265.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2268.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2272, the first ship of that sub-class.
Destroyed by self destruct over the Genesis Planet in 2285.
Named after many naval vessels (mostly RN and USN). See FAQ: A History of Ships Named Enterprise.
 
NCC-1701-AU.S.S. Enterprise
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class in 2285, first ship of that sub-class.
Decommissioned, or possibly destroyed, in 2292.
Notes:Originally to be called U.S.S. Levant.
Took part in several missions before her official commissioning ceremony.
Received structural damage during this time, limiting her to diplomatic missions (in theory) and resulting in her early decommissioning.
The exact fate of this ship is hard to ascertain, however it must be removed from service before 2393 when the next Enterprise is commissioned.
"...to boldly go where no man has gone before."
NCC-1702U.S.S. Farragut
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2223.
Upgraded to Bonhomme Richard specification in 2255.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2270.
Later upgraded to Enterprise (II) specification.
Possibly later renamed U.S.S. Centurion and crewed by Magna Romans will remain in service into the 2360s.
Notes:TOS "Obsession" his.
Paramount and FASA give the registry as NCC-1647.
U.S.S. Centurion is from TNG novel The Captain's Honor
NCC-1703U.S.S. Lexington
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2223.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2263.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2275.
Later upgraded to Enterprise (II) specification.
Notes:TOS "The Ultimate Computer" app.
Paramount and FASA give the registry as NCC-1709.
Named after several USN vessels, most notably the WWII aircraft carrier, CV-16.
NCC-1704U.S.S. Yorktown
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2223.
Upgraded to Constitution (II) specification in 2272.
Disabled by alien probe in 2285.
Notes:TOS "Obsession" ref, "ST:IV The Voyage Home" app.
Paramount (in ST IV) and FASA give the registry as NCC-1717.
Paramount suggests that this ship could have been refitted and renamed as the second U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701-A).
Named after several USN vessels, most notably the WWII aircraft carrier, CV-10.
NCC-1705U.S.S. Excalibur
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2223.
Upgraded to Bonhomme Richard specification in 2254.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2274.
Later upgraded to Enterprise (II) specification.
Notes:TOS "The Ultimate Computer" app.
Paramount and FASA give the registry as NCC-1664.
NCC-1706U.S.S. Exeter
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2223.
Upgraded to Bonhomme Richard specification in 2259.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2274.
Later upgraded to Enterprise (II) specification.
Notes:TOS "The Omega Glory" app.
Paramount and FASA give the registry as NCC-1672.
NCC-1707U.S.S. Hood
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2223.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2275.
Destroyed by Klingons in 2286.
Notes:TOS "The Ultimate Computer" app.
Paramount and FASA give the registry as NCC-1703.
Named after the WWII Royal Navy battlecruiser H.M.S. Hood.
NCC-1708U.S.S. Intrepid
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2224.
Upgraded to Bonhomme Richard specification in 2258.
Destroyed by space amoeba in 2267.
Notes:TOS "The Immunity Syndrome" app. Vulcan crew.
Paramount gives the registry as NCC-1831.
FASA gives the registry as NCC-1631.
NCC-1709U.S.S. Valiant
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2224.
Notes:See Problems and Oddities.
NCC-1710U.S.S. Kongo
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2224.
Upgraded to Bonhomme Richard specification in 2258.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2264.
Upgraded to Constitution (II) specification in 2271.
Destroyed by Klingons in 2283 (FASA); or still in service in 2291 (ST:VI).
Named after the WWII Japanese Battlecruiser.
NCC-1711U.S.S. Potemkin
History:commissioned as Constitution sub-class in 2224.
Assigned as training vessel in 2253.
Decommissioned in 2295.
Notes:TOS "The Ultimate Computer" app.
ST VI gives the registry as NCC-1657.
FASA gives the registry as NCC-1702.
 
NCC-1712U.S.S. Bonhomme Richard
History:commissioned in 2248, first ship of her sub-class.
Upgraded to Constitution (II) specification in 2272.
Notes:FASA gives the registry as NCC-1776.
NCC-1713U.S.S. Monitor
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2249.
Upgraded to Constitution (II) specification in 2274.
Named after the U.S.S. Monitor which fought the CSS Virginia (which was originally commissioned as the U.S.S. Merrimac) in 1862.
NCC-1714U.S.S. Hornet
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2250.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2265.
Upgraded to Constitution (II) specification in 2273.
Notes:FASA gives the registry as NCC-1778
Named after the WWII USN aircraft carrier, CV-12.
NCC-1715U.S.S. Merrimac
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2250.
Upgraded to Constitution (II) specification in 2272.
Named after the U.S.S. Merrimac which as the CSS Virginia fought the U.S.S. Monitor in 1862.
 
NCC-1716U.S.S. Endeavour
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard class in 2250.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2264.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2273, first ship of that sub-class.
Notes:"ST VI: The Undiscovered Country" ref.
Paramount gives the registry as NCC-1895
FASA gives the registry as NCC-1777
It has occurred to me that this ship could have been lost at some point in the 2270s and that the U.S.S. Endeavour NCC-1895 in ST VI is actually a Cyane class frigate. The ship listed at the registry in Ships of the Star Fleet is the U.S.S. Constelaltion, which can not exist due to the existance of U.S.S. Constellation NX-1974.
Named after Captain Cook's H.M.S. Endeavour.
NCC-1717U.S.S. Defiant
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2250.
Destroyed in interdimensional rift near Tholian space in 2268.
Notes:TOS "The Tholian Web" app.
Paramount and FASA give the registry as NCC-1764.
Sounds like it should be a Royal Navy name. I can find references to H.M.S. Defiance but the only H.M.S. Defiant is in a 1962 film Damn the Defiant! (aka H.M.S. Defiant).
NCC-1718U.S.S. Excelsior
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2251.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2275.
Lost, presumed destroyed, in 2277.
NCC-1719U.S.S. Eagle
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2251.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2263.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2272.
Notes:"ST:VI The Undiscovered Country" ref.
Paramount gives the registry as NCC-956 (annoyingly visible in ST VI).
FASA gives the registry as NCC-1738.
NCC-1720U.S.S. Lafayette
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2251.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2275.
NCC-1721U.S.S. Wasp
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2251.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2265.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2273.
Named after the WWII USN aircraft carrier, CV-18.
NCC-1722U.S.S. El Dorado
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2251.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2275.
Notes:FASA gives the registry as NCC-1724.
NCC-1723U.S.S. Ari
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2251.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2274.
NCC-1724U.S.S. Saratoga
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2252.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2274.
Sometime before 2285 heavily damaged in combat with Klingons and scrapped.
Notes:FASA gives the registry as NCC-1720.
As the U.S.S. Saratoga from ST IV is actually NCC-1867 and not NCC-1892 and hence was originally a Surya class frigate and not a new build Cyane class, this ship must have a different name.
NCC-1725U.S.S. Tori
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2252.
Upgraded to Achernar specification in 2264.
Upgraded to Endeavour specification in 2274.
NCC-1726U.S.S. Kreiger
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2252.
Upgraded to Enterprise specification in 2273.
NCC-1727U.S.S. Essex
History:commissioned as Bonhomme Richard sub-class in 2252.
Assigned as training vessel in 2267.
Decommissioned in 2295.
Notes:Paramount gives the registry as NCC-1697
FASA gives the registry as NCC-1719.
Named after the WWII USN aircraft carrier, CV-9.
NCC-1728U.S.S. Truxton
History:commissioned as Endeavour sub-class in 2275.
NCC-1729U.S.S. Confiance
History:commissioned as Endeavour sub-class in 2275.
NCC-1730U.S.S. Bunker Hill
History:commissioned as Endeavour sub-class in 2275.
Notes:FASA gives the registry as NCC-1745.
NCC-1731U.S.S. La Vengeance
History:commissioned as Endeavour sub-class in 2275.

Achernar and Tikopai sub-classes

To make this page a bit smaller I've moved these sub-classes onto a separate page. Achernar and Tikopai vessels.

NCC-1843U.S.S. Levant
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class in 2290.
Possibly named after the 19th century RN sloop H.M.S. Levant captured by the U.S.S. Constitution in 1814.
NCC-1844U.S.S. Ticonderoga
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class.
Notes:FASA gives registry as NCC-1736.
Named after the WWII USN aircraft carrier, CV-14.
NCC-1845U.S.S. Raritan
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class.
Named after the USN frigate launched in 1843 and destroyed in 1861.
NCC-1846U.S.S. Temeraire
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class in 2289.
NCC-1847U.S.S. America
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class.
NCC-1848U.S.S. Scipion
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class.
NCC-1849U.S.S. Alliance
History:commissioned as Enterprise (II) sub-class.


Last updated June 21st 2004. © Stephen Pugh <steve@pugh.net>
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