USS Steadfast NCC-80021
USS Steadfast is a Defiant Class vessel. Unusual in Starfleet, the Defiant Class is an almost totally combat focused vessel. Classified as an Escort, she is designed for speed, survivability and firepower.
The class leader, USS Defiant, began development in 2366, shortly after the Enterprise-D’s discovery of the Borg. Information developed from that encounter led Starfleet HQ to the conclusion that the then-current state of it’s forces was not capable of repelling a serious Borg incursion. Project Defiant was the first step toward correcting this problem. There were serious problems in the initial design and the project was suspended for several years, but brought back out when the Dominion threat emerged in 2371. The result was the ship which served so ably during the Dominion War.
Under the care of Benjamin Sisko and Miles O’Brian, most of the original prototypes quirks were ironed out and, with the massive losses of Starfleet vessels during the War, it was decided to put the class into production. Those early ships had a somewhat star-crossed record as, even in their improved state, they still required a highly skilled crew to operate at maximum efficiency. However, most authorities agree that, without the ‘breathing room’ gained by the introduction of the Defiants, the outcome of the War would have been in serious question.
In the aftermath of the War, many felt that the time for the Defiant Class had passed, but it was decided to maintain limited production of the class. The utilization of these small, highly capable ships, as well as the related Saber and Raptor Classes, for various patrol and law enforcement tasks has freed larger vessels with broader capabilities to undertake scientific and diplomatic missions for which they are more suited.
USS Steadfast is a Defiant Class vessel. Unusual in Starfleet, the Defiant Class is an almost totally combat focused vessel. Classified as an Escort, she is designed for speed, survivability and firepower.
The class leader, USS Defiant, began development in 2366, shortly after the Enterprise-D’s discovery of the Borg. Information developed from that encounter led Starfleet HQ to the conclusion that the then-current state of it’s forces was not capable of repelling a serious Borg incursion. Project Defiant was the first step toward correcting this problem. There were serious problems in the initial design and the project was suspended for several years, but brought back out when the Dominion threat emerged in 2371. The result was the ship which served so ably during the Dominion War.
Under the care of Benjamin Sisko and Miles O’Brian, most of the original prototypes quirks were ironed out and, with the massive losses of Starfleet vessels during the War, it was decided to put the class into production. Those early ships had a somewhat star-crossed record as, even in their improved state, they still required a highly skilled crew to operate at maximum efficiency. However, most authorities agree that, without the ‘breathing room’ gained by the introduction of the Defiants, the outcome of the War would have been in serious question.
In the aftermath of the War, many felt that the time for the Defiant Class had passed, but it was decided to maintain limited production of the class. The utilization of these small, highly capable ships, as well as the related Saber and Raptor Classes, for various patrol and law enforcement tasks has freed larger vessels with broader capabilities to undertake scientific and diplomatic missions for which they are more suited.