Starfleet Ship Classes

Starfleet Command classifies vessels according to their primary (and, in some cases, secondary) mission profiles, which in turn determine the sizes, shapes, and systems of vessels in a particular category. A ship whose primary purpose is to explore distant star systems, will have a different shape, and different systems, than one intended to escort merchantmen in times of conflict.

However, one of Starfleet's primary moral and tactical principles is that of adaptability. Thus, unlike the often more mission-dedicated vessels of the Klingon Empire or Romulan Star Empire, any Starfleet ship can perform a wide variety of missions (even ones for which it is not primarily designed). For example, a Starfleet escort will have more advanced scientific and research systems than a comparative Klingon vessel, but will not be as heavily armed. Nevertheless, Starfleet ships are best used for the primary missions for which they were created.

Within any given category of vessel, subcategories exist. In many cases, subcategories include Heavy, Light, and Fast versions of the ship type.

Heavy vessels indicate a subtype which is more heavily armed and protected than the standard vessel of that category. Heavy subtypes often sacrifice a small amount of speed, maneuverability, or sensor capacity to compensate for the additional tactical systems.

Light vessels, conversely, are not as well armed or protected as standard vessels of that category. Instead, they typically possess more sophisticated peripheral systems, such as sensors or other scientific systems, and are intended for relatively specific mission profiles.

Fast vessels are similar to Light ones, but concentrate on speed and maneuverability (and sometimes on the capacity to perform long-range or extended missions). Those built for defense or tactical missions often have heavier weaponry than Light ships, however. Most of the Fast categories, such as Fast Frigates and Fast Cruisers, are relatively new additions to Starfleet and have helped to redefine rapid deployment and response doctrines.

Starfleet Starship Classifications

• Explorers
  • Andromeda Class Explorer
  • Ascendant Class Explorer
  • Constitution Class Explorer
  • Daedalus Class Explorer
  • Galaxy Class Explorer
  • Intrepid Class Light Explorer
  • Ranger Class Explorer
  • Sovereign Class Heavy Explorer
• Cruisers
  • Achilles Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Akira Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Ambassador Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Apollo Class Light Cruiser
  • Armstrong Class Cruiser
  • Centaur Class Cruiser
  • Challenger Class Light Cruiser
  • Charleston Class Cruiser
  • Cheyenne Class Light Cruiser
  • Constellation Class Exploratory Cruiser
  • Defender Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Excelsior Class Exploratory Cruiser
  • Curry Class Cruiser
  • Istanbul Class Fast Cruiser
  • Kitty Hawk Class Cruiser
  • Miranda Class Cruiser
  • Nebula Class Exploratory Cruiser
  • Niagara Class Fast Cruiser
  • Osaka Class Fast Cruiser
  • Prometheus Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Renaissance Class Cruiser
  • Saber Class Light Cruiser
  • Sequoia Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Soyuz Class Cruiser
  • Taurus Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Wambundu Class Heavy Cruiser
  • Yeager Class Light Cruiser
  • Zodiac Class Cruiser
• Frigates
  • Ariel Class Fast Frigate
  • Ashanti Class Heavy Frigate
  • Bradbury Class Heavy Frigate
  • Chimera Class Fast Frigate
  • El Dorado Class Heavy Frigate
  • Freedom Class Frigate
  • Mediterranean Class Frigate
  • New Orleans Class Frigate
  • Newport Class Light Frigate
  • Norway Class Fast Frigate
  • Saladin Class Frigate
  • Santa Fe Class Light Frigate
  • Shi'Kahr Class Frigate
  • Springfield Class Light Frigate
  • Steamrunner Class Heavy Frigate
  • Ukora Class Light Frigate
• Escorts
  • Capella Class Escort
  • Defiant Class Heavy Escort
  • Frontier Class Heavy Escort
  • Hellespont Class Escort
  • Merced Class Light Escort (Corvette)
  • Nomad Class Light Escort (Corvette)
  • Pinnacle Class Heavy Escort
  • Pollux Class Escort
  • Surak Class Escort
• Scouts
  • Gage Class Scout
  • Hermes Class Scout
  • Hokule'a Class Scout
  • Mockingbird Class Scout
  • Rigel Class Heavy Scout
  • Talon Class Scout
  • Vigilant Class Scout
• Specialized
  • Antares Class Surveyor
  • Axis Class Search and Rescue
  • Copernicus Class Surveyor
  • Fermi Class Research/Laboratory Vessel
  • Geneva Class Medical Vessel
  • Graceful Class Medical Vessel
  • Korolev Class Surveyor
  • Loki Class Courier
  • Noble Class Research/Laboratory Vessel
  • Nova Class Research/Laboratory Vessel
  • Oberth Class Surveyor
  • Olympic Class Medical Vessel
  • Oppenheimer Class Research/Laboratory Vessel
  • Peregrine Class Fighter
  • T'Pari Class Surveyor
  • Voroth Class Surveyor
• Support/Auxiliary
  • Andes Class Tender
  • Argo Class Shuttle
  • Danube Class Runabout
  • Deneva Class Light Transport
  • Fuji Class Cargo Carrier
  • Hogan Class Tug
  • Iowa Class Armored Transport
  • Lauro Class Tanker
  • Midway Class Cargo Carrier
  • Piper Class Tug
  • Ptolemy Class Cargo Carrier
  • Rakota Class Cargo Carrier
  • Sagan Class Surveyor
  • Sierra Class Impulse Tender
  • Sydney Class Transport
  • Ural Class Tender
  • Utah Class Armored Transport
  • Wei-Fa Class Tanker
  • Yorkshire Class Armored Transport