Excelsior class
Following the highly successful Constitution class would never be an easy task, but despite some early setbacks the Excelsior class has proved itself a worthy successor. The Excelsior was designed at a time of change for the UFP, rapid expansion had led to encounters with hostile neighbours, and major scientific and technological breakthroughs were being made almost on a daily basis.
The design of the Excelsior represented these times, it would be the largest, most powerful ship in the fleet; well armed to counter any threat from Romulan or Klingon vessels; and equipped with many brand new technologies. Not the least of which would be the transwarp drive. This was an attempt to produce even greater warp velocities than had previously been imagined without running into critical power supply problems, thus allowing for rapid exploration of the galaxy or speedy response to any hostile incursion into Federation space.
The U.S.S. Excelsior was very nearly a catastrophe with both the Transwarp drive and the computer systems suffereing total failure. However, it was decided to refit the ship with conventional warp drives and to proceed with production.
In the eighty years since then, the Excelsior class has proved itself time and time again. The large power core and robust spaceframe required by the Transwarp drive has led to the Excelsior becoming a favourite vessel for military missions. Although no longer in production (construction stopped in 2335 according to LUG) there are still many Excelsiors in service in a wide variety of roles. Indeed, so popular has the design been, many admirals still retain Excelsiors as their personal flagships rather than newer Ambassador or Nebula classes.
Sub-Classes
- Excelsior, in service 2287 to present.
- Ingram, in service 2289 to ???.
- Enterprise, in service 2293 to present.
| NCC-1701-B | U.S.S. Enterprise |
| History: | commissioned in 2293, first ship of her sub-class. |
| Notes: | "ST: Generations" app. |
| "...to boldly go where no one has gone before." |
| NCC-2000 | U.S.S. Excelsior |
| History: | commissioned in 2285 (LUG RPG states 2284), first ship of her class.
Recommissioned, following removal of transwarp, in 2290.
Possibly still in service in 2270. |
| Notes: | "ST III: The Search For Spock" app; "ST VI: The Undiscovered Country" app.
TNG "Interface" ref, possibly a different ship. |
| "No matter where you go, there you are." |
| NCC-2544 | U.S.S. Repulse |
| History: | Still in service in 2365. |
| Notes: | TNG "The Child" app; TNG "Unnatural Selection" ref. |
| NCC-2573 | U.S.S. Roosevelt |
| History: | Destroyed by Borg at Wolf 359 in 2367. |
| Notes: | VOY "Unity" his. |
| NCC-13958 | U.S.S. Okinawa |
| History: | In service during the 2350s. |
| Notes: | DS9 "Paradise Lost" his. |
| NCC-14232 | U.S.S. Berlin |
| History: | Still in service in 2364. |
| Notes: | TNG "Angel One" ref. |
| NCC-14427 | U.S.S. Lexington |
| History: | Still in servic in 2370. |
| Notes: | TNG "Thine Own Self" ref/(app?);
May be Nebula class, see Problems and Oddities. |
| NCC-14598 | U.S.S. Fearless |
| History: | Still in service in 2264. |
| Notes: | TNG "Where No One Has Gone Before" app. |
| NCC-14934 | U.S.S. Tecumseh |
| History: | In service in 2373.. |
| Notes: | DS9 "Nor the Battle to the Strong..." ref. |
| NCC-18253 | U.S.S. Potemkin |
| History: | Still in service in 2368. |
| Notes: | TNG "Ethics" app; TNG several episodes ref. |
| NCC-34099 | U.S.S. Livingston |
| History: | Still in service during 2350s. |
| Notes: | DS9 "Invasive Procedures" his. |
| NCC-38907 | U.S.S. Intrepid |
| History: | Still in service 2346.
Possibly still in service in 2370. |
| Notes: | TNG several episodes his.
TNG "Force Of Nature" ref? see Problems and Oddities. |
| NCC-38955 | U.S.S. Crockett |
| History: | Still in service in 2370. |
| Notes: | DS9 "Paradise" app. |
| NCC-38997 | U.S.S. Malinche |
| History: | Still in service in 2373. |
| Notes: | DS9 "For The Uniform" app. |
| NCC-40512 | U.S.S. Gorkon |
| History: | Still in service in 2369. |
| Notes: | TNG "Descent Part 1" ref/app? |
| NCC-42111 | U.S.S. Frederickson. |
| History: | Damaged by Dominion forces in 2374. |
| Notes: | DS9 "A Time to Stand" app. |
| NCC-42136 | U.S.S. Cairo. |
| History: | Still in service in 2369. |
| Notes: | TNG "Chain of Command Part 1" app. |
| NCC-42285 | U.S.S. Charlestown |
| History: | Still in service in 2364. |
| Notes: | TNG "The Neutral Zone" ref. |
| NCC-42296 | U.S.S. Hood |
| History: | Still in service in 2374. |
| Notes: | TNG "Encounter at Farpoint" app. TNG Several episodes his/ref.
DS9 "Tears of the the Prophets" app. It seems that she may have accidentally been given the registry number of the Lakota in this episode. |
| NCC-42451 | U.S.S. Righteous |
| History: | Destroyed by Borg at Wolf 359 in 2267. |
| Notes: | "Star Trek: Borg" computer game. In the game Q takes the ship out of time and gives the crew a chance to avoid their fate. |
| NCC-42768 | U.S.S. Lakota |
| History: | commissioned as Enterprise sub-class.
Damaged in battle with U.S.S. Defiant in 2372. |
| Notes: | DS9 "Paradise Lost" app. |
| NCC-42857 | U.S.S. Grissom |
| History: | Still in service in 2366. |
| Notes: | TNG "The Most Toys" ref. |
| NCC-42995 | U.S.S. Al-Batani |
| History: | In service during 2350s. |
| Notes: | VOY "Caretaker" his. |
| NCC-43305 | U.S.S. Valley Forge |
| History: | in service in 2374. |
| Notes: | DS9 "The Tears of the Prophets" app. |
| NCC-50446 | U.S.S. Crazyhorse |
| History: | Still in service in 2370. |
| Notes: | TNG "Descent Part 1" ref; TNG "The Pegasus" app.
Encyclopedia (first edition) gave above registry class as Cheyenne, see Problems and Oddities. |
| NCC-62043 | U.S.S. Melbourne |
| History: | Destroyed by Borg at Wolf 359 in 2267. |
| Notes: | TNG "The Best Of Both Worlds Part 2" ref; DS9 "Emissary" app.
Encyclopedia (first edition) gave above registry and class as Nebula, see Problems and Oddities. |
The LUG RPG supplement The Dominion War Sourcebook: The Fires of Armageddon mentions the U.S.S. Caldos NCC-32628, U.S.S. Kolno NCC-41069, U.S.S. Carpathia NCC-43118, U.S.S. Blackeagle NCC-46200, U.S.S. Vasidrun NCC-47936, U.S.S. Apache NCC-57924, U.S.S. Tyr NCC-58314, U.S.S. Sunchaser NCC-63185 and the U.S.S. Bolsetu NCC-63744.
The LUG RPG supplement Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 2: Starships of The Orginal Series Era mentions the U.S.S. Valorous NCC-2053 and U.S.S. Retribution NCC-2017.
The Excelsior has thrown up more individual vessel peculiarities than any other class. I believe it should be a heavy cruiser because it is clearly takes over the missions previously handled by the Constitution class. I believe it is no longer in production because, apart from two dubious cases, we have never seen a truly canonical registry above NCC-44000.
Last updated JUly 6th 2004. © Stephen Pugh <steve@pugh.net>
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