Starfleet 2401?

[AslanC]

Okay what ships do you think will still be in active service in 2401?

Which ones will have been phased out?

Explain why if possible

[C5]

I guess the Sovereign will still be here, of course . After all, it's in the line of the heavy explorers. Maybe its next incarnation would be in the testbeds by then.

The Galaxy could have undergone a refit (like they did to the Connies in the 2270s), wich may make it look like the Ent-D in All Good Things.... Otherwise, I guess the ship's production would be stopped (after all the class will be 40 yrs old).

The Defiant class could have made it through. I guess it depends on how StarFleet will turn after the DW. If it becomes more militaristic, then the Defiant class will definitely be around. OTOH, if StarFleet keeps its mainly peaceful orientation, the Defiant could have been dropped (too much trouble and not that effective after all), but some of its technology would have become standard (pulse phasers and ablative armor).

The Miranda and Excelsior would all be decomissioned. Let them rest in peace

The Intrepid and Akira would be around (hey, they're rather new, small, and versatile - they may even be the core of StarFleet ships).

And, err... my knowledge of starships stops here

[Darth Sarcastic]

The Gagarin (aka Grissom) class would be gone...100+ years?

If the Excelsior is gone so is the Ambassador class (Ent.-C).

The Prometheus might still be around, presuming she passed all her tests and was officially commisioned in the first place.

I'm not sure about the run-a-bouts. In 2401 they might have a new version.

Also its quite possible that with more technology advancements you might need less crew or you could build stronger ships.

[qerlin]

Sovereign, Steamrunner, Norway, Akira, Defiant, Intrepid, Galaxy, and Nebula would still be around -- al the relatively new ships.

Excelsior, Ambassador, Miranda, and all the older ship gone.

[Dan Stack]

The Miranda will always be around. Heck, Archer will run into one.

I'd leave it in. It's the jeep of Starfleet. An ancient design that always looks the same.

If we go by some of the alternate/possible futures we have seen, here's what we know:

Galaxy (Enterprise-D and Challenger from TNG and Voyager)
Nova (Rhode Island from Voyager)
Olympic (TNG)

It is probably safe to infer form this that the Nebula will still be around as well.

The Sovereign seems a given as does the Intrepid - both are relatively new designs.

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

Posted by Dan Stack:

I'd leave it in. It's the jeep of Starfleet. An ancient design that always looks the same.

LOL


I have to agree with what most people have said. Though I'd see new classes emerge like maybe ship classes named after a few choice captains. Or classes inspired by the Cardassian and Dominion experiences of Starfleet Command.

*cough*The Khrysantos-Class *cough*

[Greg Smith]

The TNG:TM says the design life of a Glaxy is 100 years with 20year refits. So the Galaxy should be around till 2460s.

With that in mind I'd say there would still be a few aging Ambassadors around.

[Cpt.Thomas]

I agree that there will still be a few Ambassador-class ships in the fleet. For example we will have the U.S.S. Ambassador School of Starship Engineering. Must teach incoming engineering cadets how to be miracle workers.

[ReturnOfShaft]

I think that certain ships stop being built, but the Star Trek shows do not support large scale decommissioning. I mean, do we really think Miranda class vessels are still being built in 2360?

I've heard of like 3 decommissions. The Enterprise-A, which I think was decommissioned out of respect to their crew. It was replaced within a few months by the Enterprise-B. I personally think that since Kirk's era, the Enterprise has been the Flagship of the Federation. And you can't have a flagship of an antiquated class. I think one Constellation-Class on TNG was said to have been decommissioned.

I think that you should look this from the perspective of the quantities of the older ships decreasing over time, rather than thinking, "What class will I never see since I am in 2401?"

[Modem]

Mirandas still around??? Naaa, retire that, that thing. Or at least decommission it to Starfleet Reserve status/Merchant Marine status (same with Excelsior, maaaaaybe Grissom).

Ambassadors will still be around in service, as they would/will fill in the gap left by decreasing Excelsior numbers (sort of as the Excelsior replaced the Constitution, so it goes).

Sovereigns, Sabers, Steamrunners, Akiras, Galaxys, Nebulas and Defiants all make the ‘brunt’ of the fleet, with the ‘newer’ Intripids, Novas and a few Prometheus (still getting their feet wet) rounding out the ‘main fleet’.

Runabouts (both ‘old’ Danube and ‘newer’ whatever-class[that’s probably not what it’ll be called]) will still fill that all important ‘supply, study, and general purpose/long-range transport’ role. Scouts (what’s it called, ‘Talon’?) will slowly be phased out for a newer scout (maybe with a cloak).

Prototypes will surge on the scene: new slipstream drives, and transwarp experiments will lead to different ships. Not too mention newer sensors, weapons and defenses to ‘platform’ (and personally I think the Transphashic stuff [the rest of the stuff Janeway brought ‘back’ with her] would be ‘shelved’, in loo of allowing a ‘natural’ progression). Think about this, someone’s got to create the new ‘Borg Buster’ or ‘Cardassian Chusher’

And lastly, what other tech would be test bedded? Well, I think it hinges on a few factors: response to post-Dominion War, response to potential Borg invasion, Allies (Romulans? Orions? Other?), and Enemies (Cardassians? Tholians? Borg!!!!).

The first two are easy:"We've got to get tougher..."

In the case of the next-to-last: these species would provide new tech to be integrated with existing tech (or developed tech) to improve/enhance a ship’s performance/design.

In the case of the last: newer ways of ‘dealing’ with enemies (old and new) would have to be developed, including (but not limited to): better phasers, newer torpedoes, ‘smarter’ mines, etc.

(Hmmm…a new ‘testbed/prototype’ ship, built modularly to allow testing of various newer equipment…possibly.)

All these thing combine, will define how the SF defines itself into the ‘next’ century.

(Incidentally, I run a sort of a 25th Cent. game, using a ('home brewwed') Supernova Class NCC-1701-F, U.S.S. Enterprise. It’s a size 12 Heavy Attack Explorer…sounds like a contradiction in terms, but it works. Current ‘buzz/whispers’ are over a ‘Transslip’ Warpdrive in development. ("When you want to get there, before you leave.")