Enhanced Deterrence Explorer / Battlecruiser. (First Contact)
Type Enhanced Deterrence Explorer (Battlecruiser)
Unit Run U.S.S Enterprise, NCC-1701-E
U.S.S. Sovereign
plus 3 in service, 6 being build, a total of 15 planned
Commissioned 2372 - present
Dimensions
Length 685.2 m
Width 249.9 m
Height 88.4 m
Decks 24
Mass 3,500,000 tons
Crew 700
Warp Speeds
Normal Cruise Warp 8
Maximum Cruise Warp 9.9
Maximum Rated Warp 9.99 for thirty six hours
Armament 14 x Type XII phaser arrays, total output 85,000 TeraWatts 1 x Rapid fire quantum torpedo turret + 600 torpedoes 1 x Burst fire quantum torpedo tube + 200 torpedoes 4 x Type 4 burst fire photon torpedo tubes + 280 torpedoes Antimatter spread emitter Defence Systems Auto modulated shield system, total capacity 4,563,000 TeraJoules
Heavy Duranium/Tritanium double hull plus 10 cm Ablative armour
High level Structural Integrity Field
Strength Indices (Galaxy Class = 1,000)
Beam Firepower 1,700
Torpedo Firepower 5,100
Weapon Range & Accuracy 1,230
Shield Strength 1,690
Hull Armour 1,900
Speed 3,900
Combat Manoeuvrability 4,000
Overall Strength Index 2,760
Diplomatic Capability Grade 5
Expected Lifetime 120 years
Refit Cycle
Minor 1 year
Standard 5 year
Major 5 year

The Sovereign class has emerged from the dockyards as Starfleets most sophisticated and comprehensively armed vessel. The vessel is equipped with a new variant of the Type XII phaser array - formerly known as the 'Type X+' for security reasons - which equips the Federations most powerful Starbases and deep space facilities. The type twelve has a raw beam power output some 60% more powerful than the Type ten arrays installed on the Galaxy class. In addition the type twelve has a shorter recharge time and can fire a longer sustained burst, giving each bank a combat effectiveness 79.4% greater than a type ten array. Since the Sovereign carries fourteen arrays compared to Galaxies twelve, this gives the ship an overall 92.6% increase in phaser capability.

The torpedo armament is similarly impressive. The large quantum torpedo turret forward of the deflector dish is capable of firing five rounds per second, a greater overall rate of fire than the two main ten round burst photon torpedo tubes of the Galaxy class combined. Rearward quantum torpedo coverage is provided by an identical tube above the main shuttle bay. Backup to the quantum torpedoes is provided by four photon tubes; these are located at the base of the engineering section in pairs which face forward and aft and are also capable of twelve round bursts. This gives the Sovereign class the most powerful torpedo armament of any vessel in Starfleet service.

The shield system of the Sovereign class is similarly the most powerful of any Starfleet ship; the design was modified just prior to installation in order to increase effectiveness against both high energy tractor beams and phased polaron particles, measures clearly aimed at the Borg and Dominion respectively. Under normal operation the shield modulation frequencies are under the control of the ships computer system, which continually evaluates incoming weapons fire and automatically re-modulates the shields to give the most effective possible defence. It is thought - hoped - that this system will also enable the Sovereign class shield system to prevent beam-through by Borg transporter technology.