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Miranda
Class
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 In
the year 2273 a new class of ship entered service
in Starfleet. Designed to be a smaller but capable
counterpart to the Constitution class, the USS
Miranda entered service at the same time its larger
cousin was undoing major refit. There was a very
high degree of commonality between the two classes,
with the nacelles and most of the primary hull
being almost identical. The smaller size of these
ships was largely accounted for by a lower level
of habitability for the crew and a reduction in
the number of science labs from fourteen to ten.
Moving all of it's torpedo tubes to the 'roll
bar' above the ship helped keep these reductions
to a minimum. Even so the Miranda's were full
Explorer type ships, fully capable of conducting
long duration research missions. Their considerable
armament also made them an important addition
to the defense of the Federation.
They continued to act as Explorer class units
for the next century, forming the backbone of
Starfleet throughout this period. In time however,
their relatively low cruising speed combined with
the gradually increasing distances they had to
cover, caused by the expansion of the Federation,
began to wear on the ships. Their relative lack
of recreational facilities and the cramped quarters
began to lead to a marked drop-off in crew performance,
and Starfleet considered retiring the class.
Instead, it was decided to use the Miranda design
as the basis for a general purpose vessel for
use within the body of the Federation. In some
ships, the science labs were removed and replaced
with expanded cargo bays and an upgraded weapons
fit. Some ships had their 'roll bar' removed and
were used more for research purposes. The Miranda
class was used extensively to patrol the Klingon
and Romulan borders, as well as cargo carriers
and particularly as colony transport craft. In
fleet actions they acted in support of the larger
ships, acting as outer pickets to the fleet. Some
vessels were refitted as ammunition ships, using
their extra cargo space to carry photon torpedo
reloads and phaser components. Others were converted
to tankers, carrying supplies of Deuterium and
Antimatter. A group of sixty ships was fitted
with modern extra sensor pods and used in the
electronic intelligence role. Their ability to
look after themselves during a battle made them
an excellent choice for these roles.
Today the Miranda's operate in a similar capacity,
and although they are not front-line combat units
in themselves they are still to be seen operating
in major fleet actions in support of the modern
vessels. Recently several Miranda class vessels
have begun to show signs of serious stress fractures
in their hulls, investigations are underway with
all ships in the class, and although the results
are yet to be announced it is thought that the
problem is likely due to the age of the hulls.
If so, the Miranda class is likely to be forced
into retirement sometime over the next few years.
Those that have passed these exams have been refit
with more modern weapons, computer systems, shields,
sensors, engine systems, and even a small holodeck
in a converted cargo bay. |
| Type: |
Explorer
(Destroyer) |
| Length: |
243 meters |
| Height: |
63 meters |
| Width: |
150 meters |
| Decks: |
18 |
| Crew: |
officers:
65
enlisted crew: 200
passengers: 150 |
| Max.
Warp: |
Warp
9.5 ( For 12 hours ) |
| Armaments: |
|
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-
phasers: 12 type-VIII phaser banks
2 type-U ( fixed emplacements on 'roll bar' mounts,
added in 2373 )
-torpedoes: launchers: 4 ( 2 forward, 2 aft on
the 'roll bar')
photon: 40
quantum: 50 |
| Defenses: |
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Auto
modulated shield system |
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| other: |
None |
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None |
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Welcome to the Database Engineering Section, you will learn about Starships, Shuttles and Starbases, including the inner working of the warp drive. |
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