Crew: 340
Weapons Specs:
4 Rapid Fire Quantum Torpedo Launchers (two rear, two front)
8 Pulse Phasers (front)
8 Mini Quantum Torpedo Launchers (360o around ship)
One of the critical strategic problems faced by Starfleet Command, if the Federation was going to win the Dominion War, was that the Federation forces were being spread too thin. Between defending the Federation Terriory from the Dominion, and keeping a wary eye on the Romulans and trying to go on the offensive side against the Dominion, Starfleet found it had too many obligations and too few resources. This problem became even more acute when Starfleet strategists had determined that the "Achilles Heel" of the Dominion was the dependency of the Jem'Hadar on Ketracel-White. If the Federation-Klingon Alliance could destroy, or even severly threaten, the K-White facilities the Dominion's Alpha Quadrant Offensive would grind to a halt. Unfortuantely the only ships the either Starfleet or the KDF had that could do the job were the Galaxy, Sovereign, and Negh'Var class ships. Unescorted long-range strikes against heavily defended multiple targets currently could not be performed by any existing vessel. The Defiant-class with its firepower and claok had too limited operating range and teh Galaxy/Sovereign/Negh'Var classes, while having the range, were too expensive to be feasible. Neither the Federation nor the Klingons were willing to commit such large fleets to hit these tergets. To do so would have entailed compromising defense of key Federation and Klingon systems. A new ship of revoutionary design would be required.
Ship designers of Utopia Planitia were up to the challenge. They not only designed a totally new class ship, the Achilles, they designed and built it in under two years. By adapting current anti-BORG designs to the new threat, the Achilles would be able to fulfill the role of a long-range cruiser with firepower equal, if not greater, to a Sovereign-class ship. This was accomplished with the new micro quantum torpedoes arranged in a "phalanx" array which allows and astoundingly high rate of fire that will cripple any Dominion ship. With the "broadside" arrangement of the "phalanx" the Achilles can defend itself against strike fighters while focusing on destroying the main target. Redundant warp and impulse nacelles were designed so the Achillies can sustain heavy damage, and still maneuver. Quad rapid-fire Quantum torpedoes and enhanced Pulse Phasers enables the Achilles to maneuver as well as Intrepid and even Defiant and Steamrunner class ships. And finally, the Achilles had an unsupported, self serviceable range equal to the Sovereign and Galaxy class exploration vessels that is required to operate effectively behind the Dominion defensive perimeter.
Captain Lunar Dragon out.........