Echelon Class

Echelon Class
Affiliation:	Federation Starfleet
Service Period:	24th - 25th Centuries
Dimensions
Length:	516 meters
Width:	342 meters
Height:	110 meters
Mass:	1,501,776 metric tons
Specifications
Decks:	16
Crew:	500 personnel
Speed:	Warp 9.99
Armament:	Phaser Arrays Torpedo Launchers
Defenses:	Multiphasic Shielding
Auxiliary craft:	Starfleet Shuttlecraft

Overview

Due to a lack of resources and personnel, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers focused on the construction of smaller, specialized designs to replace losses inflicted upon Starfleet after the devastating Dominion War. These ships would be fast, tough vessels that would rely on automation for many functions. One of the first vessels designed as part of this new project was the Federation's Sagan Class; however, identifying the strengths of the Sagan design, Starfleet Command chose to field a second vessel based upon the proposed vessel intended for a more tactically oriented profile. Thus, the Echelon Class was born.

Featuring many of the same systems as the Sagan Class, the Echelon Class design includes redundant subsystems, enhanced propulsion systems, and an improved tactical profile over its contemporaries. Considered a mid-model starship, construction was initially slated to begin production at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Mars in 2385; however, the First Contact Day Massacre decimated the world and devastated shipbuilding capabilities at the orbital docks. Starfleet Command would transfer primary construction of the craft to Copernicus Shipyards, Luna shortly afterward with the first vessels slated for launch in the early 2390s.

Capabilities

The Echelon closely resembles the Sagan Class in appearance. Featuring the same integrated, unibody design in which the primary and engineering sections are directly merged into one structure, the Echelon differs from its predecessor through the utilization of only two warp nacelles instead of four. Through the removal of a percentage of the secondary hull, the engineering spaces of the Echelon were highly impacted with cargo capacity, fuel storage, and maintenance bays reduced with the modifications. While the new Warp Drive installed was highly efficient, the loss of these capacities reduced the range of the Echelon Class and limits the vessel's ability to maintain long-term missions away from Starfleet support.

Echelon Class starships excel at tactical assignments due to their maneuverability and armament. Featuring the latest generation of Phaser and Torpedo weapons, the Echelon's Phasers have been specially designed to 'paint' targets with a traceable payload, a process that leaves behind residual ionic energy that could be used to track a target following a successful hit even if the target cloaks. The Echelon also incorporates Multiphasic Shields for protection, which modulate through multiple energy spectrums to increase their protection and recharge rates.

Vessels of the Echelon Class incorporate the modular design of this latest generation of Starfleet vessel, with almost every vessel having a similar interior layout to enhance efficiency among starship crews. Despite this, the vessels of the Echelon Class have spartan accommodations for crew when compared to its cousins due to its militaristic nature. Crew quarters typically lack the comforts of other vessels and rooms usually have bunks instead of beds, similar to the cabins of a Defiant Class ship. Medical capabilities of the Echelon Class are lower than comparable sized vessels with a rudimentary Sickbay, but the ship does include an installed Emergency Medical Hologram to assist in a crisis.

Refits and Variants

Starfleet Command has commissioned a refit to the Echelon Class to improve its range and independence by increasing its cargo and fuel capacity at the expense of shuttlecraft and weapons storage.

Mission Profiles

Crisis and Emergency Response; Patrol; Tactical Operations. The Echelon Class is an ideal choice for tactical missions due to its sturdy construction and is well suited for emergency response due to its extensive shuttlebays.

Naming Conventions

Vessels of the Echelon Class are commonly named in honor of military heroes and historic battles.

Notable Starships

U.S.S. Echelon, Class Prototype U.S.S. Cole U.S.S. Minor U.S.S. Sternbach U.S.S. Yorktown