Defiant class

The USS Defiant in combat.
Type:	Escort
Length:	170.68 meters
Beam:	134.11 meters
Draft:	30.10 meters
Mass:	355,000 metric tons
Crew:	40
Maximum Speed:	Warp 9.5
Armament:	4 pulse phaser cannons; 3 phaser beam emitters (1 in the nose, 1 behind the bridge on the dorsal surface, 1 behind the shuttlebay doors on the ventral surface); 2 forward quantum torpedo launchers; 1 forward photon torpedo launcher, 2 aft photon torpedo launchers
Defenses:	Deflector shields, ablative armor

The Defiant-class starship was officially classified as an escort, but began development in 2366 as a small, highly-powered, heavily-armed starship intended to defend the Federation against the Borg. The USS Defiant (NX-74205) was the first of what was to be a new Federation battle fleet. Starfleet abandoned the project when the Borg threat became less urgent and after design flaws turned up during the Defiant's shakedown cruise.

The Defiant prototype was pulled out of storage in 2371 when the Dominion threat emerged. After several upgrades by Operations Chief Miles O'Brien, the ship was deemed worthy of use and several more ships of the class were constructed.

History

File:Defiant DS9.jpg

The USS Defiant departs Deep Space 9.

The Defiant-class starship is a heavily armed, limited-role Starfleet vessel, developed in response to the Borg threat, which shocked the Federation in 2367 at the Battle of Wolf 359. Subsequently, the development of a new type of starship was initiated by Starfleet in order to compensate the losses to the Borg and to be prepared for future Borg attacks. Shortly after the massacre at Wolf 359 in 2367, Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Sisko joined the developing team at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards.

Design and construction

The USS Defiant (NX-74205) was the class' prototype. It was Starfleet's first true combat vessel, and therefore did not house provision for families or diplomatic missions, no science labs, and no recreational facilities.

The Defiant class is a heavily armored, stripped-down starship that is created as the first strike vehicle for use in war, and incorporated the latest in Starfleet weaponry and defensive technology. The Defiant class is also equipped with a class 7 warp drive. As befitted its role, the Defiant is considerably smaller than most other Federation starships.

File:Defiant Development Logo.jpg

The Defiant project logo.

The initial mission of the Defiant did not change radically until late 2370, when intelligence-gathering efforts had come upon the Jem'Hadar problem. In the final year of spaceworthiness testing (2372), the NX-74205 was redirected to starbase Deep Space 9 to become a mobile defensive platform with orders to defend the station, the wormhole, and the planet of Bajor.

Early days

Once the Defiant prototype had proven itself, Starfleet took the decision to put the Defiant class into production. By the end of 2373, there were a significant number of Defiant class ships in operation, and over the next two years they played a vital role in the Dominion War.

Dominion War

The USS Defiant was destroyed by a Breen warship in 2375, during the Second Battle of Chin'toka. Another Defiant class ship, the USS Sao Paulo, was assigned to Deep Space 9. Given the USS Defiant's exceptional record under Captain Benjamin Sisko's command the Chief of Starfleet Operations gave a special dispensation to change the ship's name to Defiant. On this ship, the shield generators were completely reconfigured so that it would not be affected by the Breen's energy-dampening weapon. This new Defiant played a distinguished role in the final battle with the Dominion at Cardassia Prime, and remains stationed at Deep Space 9.

Technical Data

File:Defiant quarter firing.jpg

The Defiant fires its phaser cannons.

Starfleet's only warship, the Defiant class houses many tactical systems designed specifically for combat operations.

Pulse phaser cannons

A total of four pulse phaser cannon assemblies are located in forward-facing locations onboard Defiant-class vessels. The cannons are located above and below the nacelle root attachments on the main body on both port and starboard sides of the ship. Due to the ship’s extreme maneuverability, yard engineers deemed it unnecessary to mount aft-facing cannons onboard vessels of this class.

Torpedo launchers

Earlier production line Defiant class vessels have a total of five torpedo launchers, three forward and two aft. During the Dominion War, it was found that Defiant class starships were better suited to engage in hostile encounters with their phaser cannons, and the awesome number of torpedo launchers only served to use up the relatively small stockpile that the ship could handle.

Along with the Sovereign class, Defiant-class vessels are the only starships in the fleet normally outfitted with quantum torpedoes. But like all Starfleet vessels, the launchers onboard a Defiant-class vessel are capable of firing standard photon torpedoes as well.

Deflector shields

The Defiant class carries a total of four shield generators located throughout the vehicle space frame. The forward-most generator is located along the vehicle centerline within the warhead section. Two additional generators are located further within the hull from the warp nacelles, port and starboard, while the final generator is located on the centreline just above the main impulse engines and forward of the deuterium storage tanks on Deck 1.

Ablative armor

Defensive energy shields were not the only protection the Defiant class has against enemy fire; the hull was also plated with ablative armor.

The Defiant's outer body was coated with ablative armor hull plating, a top-secret technology that had been in development for a number of years. Ablative armor provided an extra layer of defense for the vessel against enemy fire if the shields failed. It worked by forming a protective layer over the hull surface that helped disperse large amounts of incoming phaser blasts. Ablative armor dissipated phaser fire, minimizing the damage to the ship.

Warhead

With the addition of the warhead component aboard the Defiant class, yet another radical departure has been made from Starfleet's standard policy concerning tactical operations. Designed as a single-use last-ditch explosive component, usage of the warhead weighs as heavily upon a ship's commanding officer as the possible order to initiate self-destruct.

Housed at the forward-most portion of the ship, the warhead contains the ship's main navigational deflector, forward torpedo launcher and magazine, forward airlocks, and dedicated impulse engines for independent powered flight. Access to this area is provided by two walkways on Decks 2 and 3 where miniaturized versions of the standard airlock provided sealable entry between the main vehicle and the warhead. A dedicated control room is located on Deck 2 and allows for both user operated and automatic control of the warhead.

Typically used when the vessel is totally disabled, it should be noted that once the warhead is launched it cannot be reattached to its parent craft without the assistance of a starbase equipped to handle small starships. Once the order is given, the warhead section is detached from the parent spaceframe by means of four explosive bolts that serve to provide the initial forward momentum for the pod to leave the ship before engaging its own engines. Once free from the ship, the warhead automatically arms all remaining torpedoes present in the launcher storage area. Computer projections indicate that the entire warhead vehicle will be destroyed in the resulting collision between it and its target. Due to space restrictions, no escape pods are present in the warhead section, meaning any crewmembers aboard tending to the vehicle will perish in the resulting explosion. Without its main deflector dish, the Defiant class vessel is unable to engage in high-warp speed travel. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual)

Cloaking device

The Defiant class was unique in a number of ways, not least because it was the only Federation vessel fitted with a cloaking device.

The Romulans loaned a cloaking device to the USS Defiant in exchange for the intelligence Starfleet had gathered on the Dominion. It was soon found that the cloaking device had drawbacks as it could be penetrated by certain types of antiproton beams. The Defiant was especially vulnerable as it put out a high power signature that was difficult to mask fully. However, it worked well enough to provide a major tactical advantage over Jem'Hadar ships.

Interior Design

File:Defiant schematic.JPG

Defiant class schematics.

Due to the militaristic nature of the Defiant-class vessel, the interior design is the most spartan in Starfleet. The Defiant-class starship has four decks.

• Deck 1: main bridge, captain's ready room, transporter room 1, pulse phaser cannons (2), upper main engineering, plasma exhaust vents, upper sensor array, officer and crew quarters, deuterium storage.
• Deck 2: lower main engineering, main impulse engines, computer core, targeting sensors, mess hall, warp coils, sickbay, medical and science laboratory, transporter room 2, officer and crew quarters, warhead control room.
• Deck 3: main impulse engines, warhead impulse engines, shuttlebays 1-3, antimatter storage, cargo bays 1-4, airlocks (2), aft torpedo magazine, warp coils, shuttle and workbee maintenance.
• Deck 4: landing struts, navigational deflector, pulse phaser cannons (2), forward and aft torpedo magazines, aft torpedo launchers (2), forward torpedo launcher (1), lower sensor array, shuttlebay 1-2 exterior doors and elevator system, main tractor beam emitter.

Main Bridge

File:Defiant Bridge2.jpg

The main Bridge.

The bridge layout of the Defiant is compact, but nonetheless accommodates the familiar engineering, tactical, science, Conn, and Ops stations.

The main Bridge acts as the nerve centre for the vessel, and the entire module is sunken into a much larger Deck 1 than on most Federation starships to provide added protection during combat situations. Access to the bridge is provided by two doorways at the back, located on both port and starboard sides. Just forward of the starboard entryway is the location of the ship's dedication plaque, as well as an auxilary computer access panel.

The port side of the bridge houses the Engineering and Tactical I stations, while the starboard side features the Science and Tactical II consoles. Because of its nearly exclusive role as a combat vessel, stations aboard Defiant class vessels are designed with speed in mind.

The centre of the bridge features the lone captain's chair, which is on a raised platform and has a clear view of all the bridge stations, as well as the main viewscreen. On both sides of the command chair are separate control panels, allowing the occupant access to virtually every system aboard the ship.

The CONN station.

Between the command chair and the viewscreen is an integrated flight control and operations panel, capable of performing the joint duties of those stations' larger counterparts on other Federation starships. Like all of the bridge stations on a Defiant, the Conn has been designed so that the time in between a command being entered in and the action being taken is close to being instant, allowing for the craft to be handled almost like a fighter when under the hands of a skilled pilot.

The Engineering station allows for a direct link to the impulse and warp engines, as well as monitoring of the other various systems vital to the operation of the ship. This single station is capable of mirroring all the readouts and consoles located in Main Engineering, allowing the Chief Engineer or other officer to issue commands from the bridge.

File:Defiant Bridge3.jpg

The primary Tactical station.

Mirroring the Engineering station on the port side of the bridge is the Science station. Normally occupied by the ship’s Chief Science Officer, the panels and readouts on this station allow direct access to the ship’s sensor systems and science labs. Capable of taking high resolution scans of both natural and artificial phenomena, this station plays a vital role during reconnaissance missions.

Flanking both sides of the viewscreen are two Tactical stations, which have primary access to the ship’s powerful pulse phaser cannons, torpedo launchers and various other special ordinance packages. Working closely with Conn, the officers stationed at these consoles are responsible for firing the various weapons aboard Defiant-class vessels during combat operations. The purpose of the Tactical II Station is to lighten the load on its sister station, particularly in battle.

Medical facilities

File:DefiantClassSickbay.jpg

The Defiant sickbay.

The main sickbay is located on Deck 2 between the mess hall and science labs. Containing four biobeds, this room serves as the primary crew support facility during emergency situations. The room is equipped with limited surgical facilities and is primarily intended to stabilize patients until they can be delivered to a nearby friendly starbase medical facility. Six stasis pods are located just across the main corridor from the Sickbay facilities, allowing for patients to be stabilized in the event that their ailment cannot be cured aboard the ship.

In its limited role as a reconnaissance starship, the Defiant class is equipped with two dedicated science and medical labs for field testing and investigations. These rooms mirror their counterparts on larger Federation starships by making use of scaled down devices that would commonly be found on those ships. (DS9: "Broken Link")

Crew quarters

File:Defiant ReadyRoom.jpg

Benjamin Sisko in his ready room.

The primary crew-support systems include twenty-two main cabins and ten contingency cabins, each equipped with a minimum of two bunks. These cabins can be outfitted with as many as six bunks, allowing for a potential total crew of 192. Each cabin is equipped with one replicator port and one standard computer terminal. Overall, crew quarters aboard Defiant class vessels are the most spartan when compared to other ships in the fleet.

With emphasis towards the tactical systems being the foremost priority in the vessel designers' minds, crewmembers must be prepared to share their quarters with at least one other crewmate during normal times of operation. Only the ship's captain is given his own room on Deck 1, which doubles as an informal Ready Room.

Mess hall

Ships of the Defiant class lack any sort of recreational facilities, and the only place for informal gathering is the two mess hall areas located on the port side of Deck 2. Like all the equipment and materials aboard the ship, the mess hall is spartan and compact. At the head of the room are three open slots that served as dispensers for the replicators. A counter extends from the underside and is used for the placement of trays, mugs and eating utensils. Seating inside the mess hall is provided by four metallic tables arranged in a semicircle at the wider end of the room. These tables are approximately one meter square, and each has four stools connected to its legs. In addition, the mess hall doubles as a makeshift meeting area that could be used to conduct crew briefings and mission profiles. A tall screen panel located on one of the walls can be used as a visual aid to display tactical graphics.

Ships Commissioned

• USS Defiant (NX-74205)
• USS Sao Paulo, renamed USS Defiant (NCC-75633)
• USS Valiant (NCC-74210)

Appendices

Appearances

• DS9: "The Search, Part I"
• DS9: "The Search, Part II"
• DS9: "Defiant"
• DS9: "Improbable Cause"
• DS9: "The Die Is Cast"
• DS9: "The Adversary"
• DS9: "The Way of the Warrior"
• DS9: "Rejoined"
• DS9: "Shattered Mirror"
• DS9: "Broken Link"
• DS9: "A Time to Stand"
• DS9: "Behind the Lines"
• DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels"
• DS9: "One Little Ship"
• DS9: "Valiant"
• DS9: "Tears of the Prophets"
• DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil"
• DS9: "What You Leave Behind"
• VOY: "Message in a Bottle"
• VOY: "Endgame"
• Star Trek: First Contact

Background

The Defiant class was designed by James Martin under the direction of Herman Zimmermann and Gary Hutzel. It was built by Tony Meininger. Interior sets supervised by Herman Zimmermann.

While Worf once said there was a plasma leak on "Deck 5", onscreen evidence and the master systems display point towards a four-deck Defiant. The only support for a Decks 5 and 6 is the appearance of several portholes at the back underside of the Defiant model, but we do not know for sure if these are windows or possibly something else.

The information about the Defiant warhead comes from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual. There is no on-screen evidence of the warhead's function.

The deck layout comes from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual. There is limited on-screen evidence to support this.

Apocrypha

Many fans have theorized that the unseen USS Valiant NCC-75418 listed on a tactical display in Star Trek: Nemesis could be a Defiant-class replacement for the previous vessel of that name, in accordance with the practice of commissioning another USS Defiant of the same class. However, it could just as easily be another ship type.

The William Shatner series of novels has featured another Defiant-class vessel, the USS Monitor, which is a modified vessel with a cloaking device and sensor reflective hull plating, although in Star Trek Away Team, the USS Monitor was another type of Starfleet vessel.

The Decipher role-playing supplement Starships lists many other conjectural vessels of this class including the USS Gallant NCC-74206, USS Incessant NCC-75636, USS Redoubtable NCC-75634, and USS Stalwart NCC-75635.

References

• Sternbach, Rick, et al. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual. New York: Pocket Books, 1998. ISBN 067101563X
• Sternbach, Rick. "Designing the USS Defiant". Star Trek: The Magazine. August 1999. pp. ???
• Martin, Jim. "Jim Martin Interview". Star Trek: The Magazine. May 2002. pp. ???
• Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens; The Art of Star Trek; Pocket Books (hardcover, 1995).