Defiant class

Defiant class

TheDefiant-classbattleship, officially anescort vessel, began development in2366 as a small, highly powered, heavily armedwarship intended to defend theUnited Federation of Planetsagainst theBorg. TheUSSDefiant (NX-74205) was theprototype of what was to be a new Federation battle fleet. However, the ship had numerous design problems that were made apparent during itsshakedown cruise. These flaws, combined with the decreased urgency of the Borg threat, causedStarfleet to table its plans for a battle fleet and put theDefiant in storage. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

TheDefiant prototype was pulled out of storage in2371 when theDominion threat emerged. After several upgrades byDeep Space 9Chief of OperationsMiles O'Brien, the ship was subsequently deemed worthy of use and more ships of the class were constructed. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Call to Arms";VOY: "Message in a Bottle")

History

While Starfleet had participated in numerous battles and engagements in its history, it had largely fought those battles with the ships they had available. TheDefiant-class starship was a heavily armed, limited-role vessel: the first true "warship" Starfleet had ever designed.

It was developed in response tothe Borg threat as originally encountered atSystem J-25 in2365. (TNG: "Q Who") After initial and hostilefirst contact with the Borg, Starfleet did what it hadn't done in decades, place greater emphasis on defense of the Federation, including the incorporation ofwar game exercises. (TNG: "Peak Performance") Likewise,Starfleet Tactical threw every resource it had into the project, where it drafted plans forweapon system designs capable of fighting against the Borg. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds")

In2366, Starfleet also began to explore the possibility of building a newclass of starship that had nofamilies, noscience labs, no luxuries of any kind, and existed simply to "to fight and defeat the Borg". (DS9: "The Search, Part I") By mid-year,CommanderElizabeth Shelby had taken over the tactical analysis aspect of the entire project, and over ayear after initial contact, the majority of Starfleet's new designs were still on thedrawing board and at least twenty-fourmonths from completion. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds") Shortly after the massacre atWolf 359, Lieutenant CommanderBenjamin Sisko joined the development team at theUtopia Planitia Fleet Yards and theprototype was built. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

TheDefiant-class was heavily armored and incorporated the latest in Starfleet weaponry and defensive technology along with a class-7 warp drive. TheDefiant was considerably smaller than most other Federation starships. Despite the ship's compact size, she was packed to the brim with equipment designed for larger starships. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

The prototypeDefiant performed poorly on itsshakedown cruise. The vessel was overpowered and overgunned for a ship of its size; so much so that theDefiant nearly shook itself apart when theengines were tested at fullpower. Thesedesign flaws, combined with the decreased urgency of the Borg threat, led Starfleet to abandon the project and put the prototype away in storage. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

The Dominion threat discovered in2370 led Benjamin Sisko, now thecommanding officer ofstarbase Deep Space 9, to pull the prototype vessel out of storage. The ship was assigned to his station, and it was officially christened that same year onStardate 47538.5. The prototype was then equipped with aRomulancloaking device, the only Federation starship to possess such technology as the result of an amendment to theTreaty of Algeron. (DS9: "The Search, Part I") Thanks to the efforts of Chief O'Brien, many of the original ship's design flaws, such as itsstructural integrity field, were fixed. (Defiant dedication plaque;DS9: "Shattered Mirror")

At some point, Starfleet eventually decided to put theDefiant class into full production. At the beginning of theDominion War, aDefiant-class, theUSSValiant, fought at the first stages of the conflict, but it was destroyed in its shakedown cruise. (DS9: "Valiant")

By the end of2373, there were a significant number ofDefiant-class ships in operation, and over the next two years, playing a vital role in the Dominion War. (DS9 Season 7;VOY: "Message in a Bottle", "Endgame")

In2373, the USSDefiant was given a chance to do what it had been designed for when it participated in theBattle of Sector 001, where a Federation fleet engaged a singleBorg cube on its way toassimilateEarth.

As the cube approached Earth, theDefiant, under the command of Lieutenant CommanderWorf, was disabled by atractor beam strike after having sustained massive battle damage. With the ship's main power and defensive systems offline, Worf prepared toram it into the Borg cube when theUSSEnterprise arrived to assist the tattered Federation fleet. As theEnterprise entered the battle, theDefiant lostlife support after sustaining another hit from the Borg tractor beam, and the survivors were transported onboard theEnterprise. Shortly after the Borg cube was destroyed,CaptainPicard noted that theDefiant, despite being adrift, was salvageable. (Star Trek: First Contact)

The USSDefiant was destroyed by aBreeninterceptor in2375, during theSecond Battle of Chin'toka. AnotherDefiant-class ship, theUSSSao Paulo, was then assigned to Deep Space 9. Given the USSDefiant's exceptional record under Captain Benjamin Sisko's command, the Chief of Starfleet Operations gave a special dispensation to change the ship's name toDefiant. On this ship, the shield generators were completely reconfigured so that they would not be affected by theBreen'senergy-dampening weapon. However, unlike the originalDefiant, this ship was not equipped with a cloaking device. This newDefiant played a distinguished role in thefinal battle with theDominion atCardassia Prime and remained stationed at Deep Space 9 by the end of2375. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil", "The Dogs of War", "What You Leave Behind")

Schematics of the ship were also part of the standardlibrary computer, with images of the class appearing in theLCARS files of theUSSVoyager and the holographic files of theUSSProtostar. (VOY: "Drone", "The Voyager Conspiracy";PRO: "Starstruck")

In2382, theAnaximander was under the command of CaptainWilliam Boimler, an agent ofSection 31 who was investigating thequantum fissures with the help of a crew of"interdimensional castaways." After the crisis was resolved by theUSSCerritos, theAnaximander returned to the prime universe and was attached toStarbase 80 as a part of a new mission of multiversal exploration. (LD: "Fissure Quest", "The New Next Generation")

In2384, ships of this class were among the fleet that intercepted theUSSProtostar in a restrictedsector nearGamma Serpentis. (PRO: "Mindwalk")

Eighteen ships of this class participated inFrontier Day celebrations over Earth in2401. (PIC: "Võx", "The Last Generation")

Knowledge of this class was retained well into the31st century, as demonstrated when CaptainJonathan Archer and LieutenantMalcolm Reed viewed schematics on the class in the22nd century while accessing the database belonging totemporal agentDaniels. (ENT: "Shockwave")

Technical data

Propulsion systems

Thewarp core spanned three decks in theaft section of the ship. Theclass-7 warp drive was extremely powerful for a ship of this size, and as such,Defiant-class vessels put out a warp signature equivalent to much larger starships. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "One Little Ship") The propulsion systems of theDefiant-class were overpowered for her size, to the extent that the original configuration would rip the ship in half if run above warp 9. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice") This flaw contributed to the mothballing of the prototype. (DS9: "The Search, Part I") Despite this issue being resolved after the prototype was deployed to DS9, some ships produced later, such as theUSSValiant, still suffered from similar issues. (DS9: "Valiant") When energy was diverted from the weapons' ready reserves, aDefiant-class ship could achieve the speed of warp 9.5. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

The large power signature of the engines proved taxing for the USSDefiant's cloaking device and remaining concealed initially required stopping and powering down the ship, although this issue was later addressed. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "The Way of the Warrior", "Trials and Tribble-ations")

Tactical systems

Phaser cannons

A total of fourphaser cannon assemblies were located in forward-facing locations on boardDefiant-class vessels. The cannons were located above and below the nacelle root attachments on the main body on both port and starboard sides of the ship. Theplasma conduit ran through the primary phaser coupling, almost doubling the power of the phaser cannons. (DS9: "The Search, Part I",et al.)

These cannons had a much higher damage output compared to standard phasers. (DS9: "Defiant", "Favor the Bold", "Sacrifice of Angels", "Tears of the Prophets")

Phaser emitters

The standardphaser beam emitters aboardDefiant-class vessels served as a secondary supplement to the primary phaser cannon array. TheDefiant-class was equipped with at least three emitters: one each forward and aft, as well as one behind the bridge on thedorsal surface. (DS9: "Paradise Lost", "Shattered Mirror", "The Emperor's New Cloak";VOY: "Message in a Bottle") These arrays were included to allow theDefiant to engage multiple targets simultaneously, protect against enemies to the rear, and to allow it to perform strafing runs, all of which could not be accomplished by the forward-facing phaser cannons. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior", "Rules of Engagement", "Sacrifice of Angels";Star Trek: First Contact)

TheDefiant-class vessels' deflector arrays could also be refitted into a makeshift phaser emitter, providing one-shot capability in extreme emergency. The phaser emission was generated by the nose/deflector unit. (DS9: "Starship Down")

Forward emitter

Dorsal emitter

Aft emitter

Torpedo launchers

Defiant-class vessels had a total of sixtorpedo launchers, four forward and two aft. The four forward launchers were located on the hull just ahead of each of the warp nacelles in dorsal and ventral pairs. (DS9: "Defiant", "For the Uniform") The two aft torpedo launchers were tucked in near the back end of the warp nacelles. (DS9: "The Die is Cast", "Paradise Lost") These torpedo launchers allowed the ship to fire bothquantum torpedoes andphoton torpedoes. (DS9: "Defiant", "The Adversary", etc.)

Mines

While it was presumably never intended, theDefiant-class shuttle bay could be converted to allow the ship to laymines. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

Deflector shields

TheDefiant-class was equipped withdeflector shields.

During theDominion War, after the destruction of the first USSDefiant, the Federation fleet was modified to be immune to Breenenergy-dampening weapon technology. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")

Ablative armor

At least oneDefiant-class vessel, the experimental prototype, was equipped withablative armor. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior") As late as 2372,Starfleet Operations had not been informed that theDefiant had been so equipped. (DS9: "Paradise Lost")

Cloaking device

A special amendment to theTreaty of Algeron allowed the USSDefiant to be fitted with a Romulan cloaking device. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Defiant")

The Romulans loaned and allowed the limited supervised use of at least one cloaking device. Operation of the cloaking device was to be limited to theGamma Quadrant and in return, the Federation provided the Romulans any and all intelligence collected in the Gamma Quadrant and about theDominion. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Visionary") The USSDefiant was the only Federation ship to be seen regularly operating a cloaking device. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

After theDefiant was destroyed by the Breen, her replacement, the former USSSao Paulo, was not equipped with a new cloaking device. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")

At least one of theDefiant-class vessels operated bySection 31 is equipped with a cloaking device. (LD: "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus")

Interior design

Due to the militaristic nature of theDefiant-class starship, the interior design was the most spartan in Starfleet. With her role as a warship first and foremost, theDefiant eschewed most of the typical living, recreational and leisure amenities enjoyed on typical Starfleet vessels. The ship possessed noholodecks, no lounges or recreation centers, noarboretums, no accommodations for families or civilians; the ship's mess hall was small and doubled as its sole informal meeting venue.

TheDefiant class had four decks.

• Deck 1:main bridge,captain's ready room,|Transporter Room 1,phaser cannons (2), uppermain engineering, plasma exhaust vents, uppersensor array, officer and crew quarters,deuterium storage. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Rejoined", "To the Death", "Starship Down", "The Sound of Her Voice")
• Deck 2: lower main engineering, mainimpulse engines,computer core,targeting sensors,mess hall,warp coils,sickbay, medical and sciencelaboratory, Transporter Room 2, officer and crew quarters, warhead control room. (DS9: "Defiant", "The Adversary", "Nor the Battle to the Strong", "Starship Down")
• Deck 3: main impulse engines, warhead impulse engines,Shuttlebays 1-3,antimatter storage,cargo bays 1-4,airlocks (2), afttorpedo magazine, warp coils,shuttle andcargo management unit maintenance. (DS9: "The Ship", "The Sound of Her Voice")
• Deck 4:landing struts,navigational deflector, phaser cannons (2), forward and aft torpedo magazines, afttorpedo launchers (2), forward torpedo launcher (1), lower sensor array, Shuttlebay 1-2 exterior doors and elevator system, maintractor beam emitter. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations", "One Little Ship")

Main bridge

The bridge layout of theDefiant was compact, but nonetheless accommodated the familiarengineering,tactical, science,conn, andops stations.

The mainbridge acted as the nerve center of the vessel, and the entire module was sunken into a much larger Deck 1 than on most Federation starships to provide added protection during combat situations. Access to the bridge was provided by two doorways at the back, located on both port and starboard sides. Just forward of the starboard entryway was the location of the ship'sdedication plaque, as well as an auxiliary computer access panel.

The port side of the bridge housed the engineering and tactical I stations, while the starboard side featured the science and tactical II consoles. Because of its nearly exclusive role as a combat vessel, stations aboardDefiant-class vessels were designed with speed in mind.

The center of the bridge featured the lonecaptain's chair, which was on a raised platform and had a clear view of all bridge stations, as well as of the mainviewscreen. On both sides of the captain's chair were separate control panels, allowing the occupant access to virtually every system aboard the ship.

Between the command chair and the viewscreen was an integrated flight control and operations panel, capable of performing the joint duties of those stations' larger counterparts on other Federation starships. Like all of the bridge stations onDefiant, the conn had been designed for maximum speed and efficiency of commands input by the operator, allowing the craft to be handled almost like a fighter when under the hands of a skilled pilot.

The engineering station allowed for a direct link to the impulse and warp engines, as well as monitoring of the other various systems vital to the operation of the ship. This single station was capable of mirroring all the readouts and consoles located inmain engineering, allowing thechief engineer or another engineering officer to issue commands from the bridge.

Mirroring the engineering station on the port side of the bridge was the science station. Normally occupied by the ship'schief science officer, the panels and readouts on this station allowed direct access to the ship's sensor systems. While the ship was not built for scientific or exploration missions in mind, it was capable of taking high resolution scans of both natural and artificial phenomena, engaging in scientific investigation; this station played a vital role during reconnaissance missions.

Flanking both sides of the viewscreen were two tactical stations, which had primary access to the ship's powerful phaser cannons, torpedo launchers and various other special ordnance packages. Working closely with conn, the officers stationed at these consoles were responsible for firing the various weapons aboardDefiant-class vessels during combat operations. The purpose of the tactical II station was to lighten the load on its sister station, particularly in battle.

Some time after the commission of theDefiant-class in 2371, various aspects of the bridge were redesigned. The captain's chair area was redone to remove the fencing and add new consoles, thededication plaque was moved to the starboard door area, and additional consoles were added to the side stations and the rear wall. (DS9: "Equilibrium")

Some time in 2373, Starfleet vessels were fitted with newholo-communicator technology. Aholographic projector on the bridge could create a holographic simulation of the communique. (DS9: "For the Uniform") This technology was only briefly in service, as it proved inefficient and had minimal advantages compared to communicating via viewscreen.

Medical facilities

The mainsickbay was located on Deck 2 between the mess deck and science labs. Containing fourbiobeds, this room served as the primary crew support facility during emergency situations. The room was equipped with limited surgical facilities and was primarily intended merely to stabilize patients until they could be delivered to a nearby friendlyStarbase medical facility.

In its limited role as a reconnaissance starship, theDefiant-class was equipped with two dedicated science and medical labs for field testing and investigations. These rooms mirrored their counterparts on larger Federation starships by making use of scaled down devices that could commonly be found on those ships. (DS9: "Broken Link")

Main engineering

Main engineering on theDefiant-class was situated on Deck 1 with the lower section on Deck 2. TheMaster Situation Monitor was located in the starboard wall bulkhead. Thewarp core was placed on an elevated platform in the center of the compartment, opposite the control consoles. Ships of theDefiant-class were equipped with a class-7 warp drive.

Crew berthing

Overall,crew quarters aboardDefiant-class vessels were the most austere in Starfleet, neither sizeable nor aesthetically laid-out when compared to other ships in the fleet. In keeping with its tactical layout, accommodations were simplistic. Each cabin was equipped with onereplicator port and one standard computer terminal.

With emphasis towards the tactical systems being the foremost priority in the vessel designers' minds, crewmembers had to share their quarters with at least one other crewmate during normal times of operation. To this end, standard crew quarters had two stacking bunks fitted into the walls of each cabin. Only the ship'scommanding officer was given his own room on Deck 1, which doubled as an informalready room.

TheDefiant ready room

Corridor aboard theDefiant-class

crew quarters

Mess deck

Ships of theDefiant-class lacked any sort of recreational facilities, and the only place for informal gathering were the twomess deck areas located on the port side of Deck 2. Like all the rooms and materials aboard the ship, the mess deck was compact and functional. At the head of the room were three open slots that served as dispensers for thereplicators. A counter extended from the underside and was used for the placement of trays, mugs and eating utensils. Seating inside the mess deck was provided by four metallic tables arranged in a semicircle at the wider end of the room. These tables were approximately one meter square, and each had four stools connected to its legs. In addition, the mess deck doubled as a makeshift meeting area that could be used to conduct crew briefings and mission profiles. A tall screen panel located on one of the walls could be used as a visual aid to display tactical graphics. (DS9: "Valiant")

Transporter rooms

A transporter room on theDefiant-class

Another transporter room on theDefiant-class

Defiant-class ships were equipped with twotransporter compartments, one located on Deck 1 and the other on Deck 2. Again, the compact nature of theDefiant-class meant the transporter pads were much smaller than the sort found onGalaxy-class andIntrepid-class starships and could not accommodate as many people at one time. (DS9: "Past Tense, Part I", "The Die is Cast", "The Way of the Warrior")

Cargo hold

Thecargo hold was where the ship's supplies were kept. (DS9: "The Ship")

Ships in class

Named

Terran

Unnamed

• UnnamedDefiant-class starships

Appendices

Appearances

Background information

According toRonald D. Moore theDefiant did not have adetachable saucer section. (AOL chat,1997)

Design

In the final draft script for "The Search", the physical appearance of theDefiant-class was initially described thus; "The ship should look a little clunky compared to other Federation vessels we've seen – this ship was built primarily for battle, not exploration or science."[1]

TheDefiant-class was designed byJames Martin under the direction ofHerman Zimmerman andGary Hutzel.

According to Martin, the initial instruction for the designers was that it was a "beefy runabout." His initial designs based upon this guideline, however, were not accepted by the producers. Martin next turned to more traditional starship designs, but Zimmerman told him that acompletely new look was needed, like nothing ever seen onStar Trek before.

Ultimately, Martin went to a design he had done for aMaquis fighter for the episode "The Maquis, Part II", and he brought it to the producers, who approved it as the basis for theDefiant-class. After tweaking the design a little, Martin gave the schematic to model makerTony Meininger who, along with hisBrazil Fabrications, was given the nod to bring the design to life.

The main problem with the design at that stage was that it didn't look fast enough, so Meininger, a car enthusiast, got some posters of Ferraris and used them to help him design the "streamlined" look of the ship, making it very compact and sleek.

Indeed, Herman Zimmerman has stated that the compact design of theDefiant-class influenced the design ofEnterprise NX-01 forStar Trek: Enterprise. He also pointed out, "It was very clear it could not look like NCC-1701-A, B, C, D. It was to be an entirely new ship." (The USSDefiant,DS9 Season 3 DVD special features;Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 4;Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 13;Star Trek: Communicator issue 105)

EarlyDefiant-class concept art

EarlyDefiant-class concept art

EarlyDefiant-class concept art (when it was planned to have a "beefyrunabout" look)

Maquis fighter concept art that became basis for USSDefiant and allDefiant-class ships

TheCGIDefiant, as it appeared inFirst Contact, was built byVision Art and rendered byIndustrial Light & Magic.

For DS9, a digital model of theDefiant was built byDigital Muse, which was then borrowed by the visual effects artists ofStar Trek: Voyager, as and when required. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 80) A CGIDefiant was also used in DS9's title sequence.

Stock visual effects shots were used for both the prototype USSDefiant and its substitute. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 701)

Thestudio model of theDefiant, measuring 37" × 27", was sold at the40 Years of Star Trek: The Collectionauction on6 October2006 for US$85,000 (US$102,000 with buyer's premium).[2] Additionally, several white foam core camera test models were sold onIt's A Wrap! sale and auction, selling at prices ranging from US$27.00 to US$384.00.[3] Several pieces of Martin's revised sketches of theDefiant, dated24 November1994, were also sold onIt's A Wrap!, for US$502.00.[4]

Size

According to Hutzel, during the early development stages of the ship, theDefiant was to be "a new hot battleship that would really set a new standard for an action ship in the series. First, there was lots of talk like 'How big is theDefiant?' Well, we'll make it really small and really powerful, that it would be so powerful and scary, nobody would mess with it." (USSDefiant,DS9 Season 3 DVD special features)

According toDoug Drexler, "The size of theDefiant was a hot potato from day one.Rick Berman wanted a small pocket battleship (a couple times longer than a runabout, with the girth of a regular starship), Gary wanted at least 500' [152.4 m]."[5]^(X)

The scale of the CGI mesh, according to a post in the newsgroupnntp://alt.tv.star-trek.ds9, by DS9 Visual Effects SupervisorDavid Stipes, was 560 feet (170.7 meters), the length used when he blocked shots in DS9. This was also the size established in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual (p. 153).

The original MSD that appeared in "The Search, Part I" actually depicted an early concept design and did not represent the final iteration. was later replaced with an accurate MSD in such episodes as "Shattered Mirror", although it was used on displays until the end ofDeep Space Nine. Drexler, who was responsible for creating the ship's MSD, rationalized "a 420′ [128.0 m]Defiant."[6]^(X)

For further analysis on theDefiant's scaling, visit the "Defiant Problems" link at Ex Astris Scientia below.

Designation

Initial drawings described the class as theValiant-class. Indeed, Drexler even constructed an initialdedication plaque for theDefiant that referred to it as the "Valiant-class," before a new plaque was recreated that simply stated, "the first ship of her class." The plaque was later given toRob Bonchune.[7]Bruce Branit also once referred to the class as "theValiant-class." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 64)

Interior

The interior sets of theDefiant were supervised by Herman Zimmerman.^{(citation needed •edit)}

According to regular background performerBrian Demonbreun, there were special carpets transferred onto the "normally" seen carpet of theDefiant in scenes including explosions and sparks. All actors, mostly the background performers, who were near those sparks were made wet, with a light moisture film on their hair and uniform.^{(citation needed •edit)}

When it came time to filmDS9 Season 3 premiere "The Search, Part I", the relatively small set used as theDefiant challenged the production crew, who had transferred to DS9 from TNG. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 82) They began to find design flaws as soon as they started filming on the new set. "Initially, it was very hard to shoot in theDefiant set," confirmed DirectorKim Friedman. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 163)David Livingston added that this was "because we hadn't been in there a lot, and it's cramped; any time you shake the camera or move the camera it takes a lot more time." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 82) With the floor of theDefiant's bridge including a central raised platform under thecommand chair and a frontal raised platform beneath the helmsman's station, the filming workers discovered the bridge, whose layout was permanent, didn't allow for sufficient room to lay a dolly track, which restricted the camera movements. The tight physical restrictions influenced Friedman to watch old World War II films involving "people sitting in cockpits," in an effort to increase her familiarity with methods employed when shooting in constrained places. Another issue was that, since the cloaking device was initially only meant to be used during the "The Search" two-parter, the set was not made with variable lighting; all the light bulbs had to be manually changed (by stopping filming) whenever the cloak was used. When the cloak was kept, this made filming nightmarish and reshoots an exercise in hurry up and wait. Subsequent alterations to theDefiant bridge set made it a lot easier to film in. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 163)

DS9 Season 3 finale "The Adversary" introduced aDefiant-class engine room and mess hall, which were created as standing sets. "What we did is we amortized the set costs in our amortization account since they're permanent sets," explainedDavid Livingston.Ronald D. Moore was highly pleased with the addition of the new sets. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 99)

The same sets were used for both theDefiant and theValiant. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 572) However, these interiors were intentionally not used for theUSSBellerophon inDS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" (which instead became anIntrepid-class ship, permitting the use of the standing sets forStar Trek: Voyager). "We could have reused theDefiant sets once again [as in "Valiant"], saying theBellerophon was aDefiant-class ship, but I didn't want to," Ron Moore recalled. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 662) Elaborating on why he opted not to reuse theDefiant-class sets for theBellerophon, Moore critiqued, "It's always a little bit of a push with the audience when you are doing that, because they know what you are doing. They know you are just using the same sets again, and it gets a little boring." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, p. 76)

Technical Manual

TheNova-class was later designed based on the configuration of theDefiant "Pathfinder" vehicle, registry NXP-2365WP/T, included in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual.[8]^(X)

The following details and specifications come from theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual (p. 153):

Specifications

• Production Base: ASDB Integration Facility, Antares Fleet Yards, Antares IV
• Type: Escort
• Accommodation: 40 officers and crew; 150 personal evacuation limit
• Power Plant: One 1,500 plus Cochrane warp core feeding two nacelles; two impulse modules
• Dimensions: Length, 170.68 meters; beam, 134.11 meters; height: 30.1 meters
• Mass: 355,000 metric tons
• Performance: Warp 9.982 for 12 hours
• Armament: Fourpulse phaser cannons; two torpedo launchers

Warhead

The notched forward hull containing the vessel's navigational deflector and main sensors was a detachable single-use last-resort missile. This missile was equipped with a small impulse engine and a magazine with six torpedo warheads. These torpedo warheads were part of the ship'sauto-destruct system and under more normal circumstances could be fired from the forward launcher. Any torpedo warheads left in the magazine would become the missile's warhead upon the missile's separation from the rest of the ship. If no torpedo warheads remained, then the missile would have to rely on kinetic energy alone. The ship would be unable to travel at high warp speeds without the missile since the latter contained the ship's navigational deflector. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, pp. 132, 134)

Apocrypha

During the mission "Ambush" in the gameStar Trek: Legacy, the USSDefiant was sent to the Etarian Nebula for a test flight of its systems, where the crew found that the Romulans had invaded the nebula waiting for a fugitive. The USSEnterprise-D was sent to rescue theDefiant with three other starships and to neutralize any Romulan threat remaining.

TheWilliam Shatner series ofnovels featured anotherDefiant-class vessel, the USSMonitor (β). TheMonitor boasted several modifications from a standardDefiant-class starship, such a cloaking device and black sensor reflective hull plating. Its warp engines were tuned so the nacelles would emitultraviolet light instead of the standard red and blue, and the ship had no running lights or hull markings. In Shatner's novelThe Return, theMonitor is temporarily renamedEnterprise during a mission to the Borg homeworld using a stolentranswarp drive, commanded by CaptainsKirk,Picard, andSpock.

TheDecipher role-playing supplementStarships lists many other conjectural vessels of this class including the USSGallant (β) (NCC-74206), USSIncessant (β) (NCC-75636), USSRedoubtable (β) (NCC-75634), and USSStalwart (β) (NCC-75635).

Star Trek Online hasDefiant-class vessels available for characters who reach Captain rank or higher as a Tier 4 "Tactical" Escort or Tier 5 "Tactical Escort Retrofit" (the difference being that the Tier 5 variants come equipped with cloaking devices). Other Tier 4 escorts are meant as late 24th and early 25th descendants of theDefiant class, sharing its basic profile – these include theVigilant (β) class andGallant (β) class Tactical Escorts. It also has a refit version called theSao Paulo-class (β) "Tactical Escort Refit" with quad phaser cannons. The game features two NPCDefiant-class starships, the USSDefiant and the USSBelfast (β).

In bothStar Trek: Armada andStar Trek: Armada II the ship, in particular theAvenger, carriesantimatter mines.

ADefiant-class starship appeared as an escort in thevideo gameStar Trek: The Next Generation - Birth of the Federation.

TheDefiant-class is playable in multiplayer and skirmish modes in the PC and Xbox 360video gameStar Trek: Legacy.

Star Trek: Armada II features the following possible names forDefiant-class starships:

External links

• Defiant class atMemory Beta, the wiki for licensedStar Trek works
• Defiant class starship atWikipedia
• Defiant Problems atEx Astris Scientia: a comprehensive look at the scaling issues of theDefiant-class
• Jim Martin Interview; Designing the USSDefiant^(X) - an article byJim Martin taken from theStar Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 4 (August 1999) andStar Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 13 (May 2000)
• USSDefiant atCygnus-X1.net, theStar Trek LCARS Blueprints Database
• Designing the Defiant atStarTrek.com