Dakota class/Class Profile

The Dakota-class starship was a heavy cruiser employed by Starfleet starting in 2391.

The Dakota-class was built off of the success of the Cheyenne class, and the Stargazer class that had been built prior. Built for quick maneuverability and short-range exploration, the Dakota ships where known for their skill in combat.

1.1 MISSION OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to revised Starfleet Exploration Directives 1015.9 & 1020.16, Starfleet Defense Directives 200.0, 197.5 & 197.6, and Federation Security Council General Policy, the following objectives have been established for a Dakota Class Starship:

Provide an autonomous mobile platform for a wide range of ongoing long-range explorative, scientific, and cultural research projects in deep space or border territories.

Replace the Intrepid class in certain frontline, exploration, and scientific duties.

Provide an advanced platform for extended scientific survey and scouting missions.

Serves as a frontline support vehicle during emergencies.

Incorporate recent advancements in warp power plant technology and improved science instrumentation.

Provide non-critical functions such as transport of personnel and cargo when necessary, extended aid, and long-range patrol.

The Dakota Class Starship is Starfleet's newest-generation long-range explorer type vessel, a starship not specifically built for combat, but like the Constitution Class of the previous century, it is a vessel designed for long-term, multi-purpose missions into uncharted space. Equipped with conventional tactical systems (deflector shields; phasers; quantum torpedoes, etc.), the Dakota Class ship also boasts state-of-the-art propulsion and cutting-edge scientific equipment, as well as being a test bed for experimental science and sensor technology not yet available on other classes of starships.

Aggressively designed, the midsized ship and its lack of amenities like the Galaxy Class manage to surpass one’s first impression of its size. Known for its durability, the Dakota Class has swiftly loss its status as a ‘Clunky Ship’ and is slowly gaining acclaim for their usefulness in making for more accurate missions to new areas of space, bringing back teraquads of data on individual systems that is disseminated amongst the fleets.