Intrepid Class

Intrepid
Affiliation	United Federation of Planets / Starfleet
Year Beginning Service	2366
Design Specifications
Ship Type	Cruiser
Length	343 meters
Beam	133 meters
Height	66 meters
Crew	141
Tactical Specifications
Armament	5 Type X Collimated Phaser Array, 2 Quantum Torpedo Launchers (Both Forward)
Defenses	Deflector Shields
Engineering Spefications
Top Speeds	Warp 9.0 (Standard Cruising), Warp 9.975 (Maximum Cruising), Warp 9.98 (Maximum Attainable)
Impulse Engines	One Impulse System

General Overview

When first commissioned, the Intrepid-class featured many innovations then becoming available, not least being the tricyclic input manifold of the warp core and variable-geometry pylons. The class was also the first to incorporate bioneural gel packs and was equipped with the Mark 1 Emergency Medical Hologram system.

Capabilities upon introduction were equally impressive. The class boasted the best navigational sensors, and the highest top speed of any Starfleet vessel until the development of the Prometheus-class. Its multi-mission design was backed up by a main computer processor capable of simultaneously accessing 47 million data channels and sustaining 575 trillion calculations per nanosecond in operational temperatures From 10 Degrees Kelvin to 1790 Degrees Kelvin. (VOY: "Relativity", "Concerning Flight")

History

Development and construction of the Intrepid-class occurred at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards with the class entering service by 2370. The second ship, USS Voyager, was commissioned in 2371. She was the first ship to test the class 9 warp drive in deep space. (VOY: "Caretaker", "Relativity")

The performance of the Intrepid-class was well reflected by Voyager. That ship was notable for independently, and successfully, completing an unscheduled seven-year journey across the previously unexplored Delta Quadrant, 70 thousand light years from Federation space, from 2371 to 2378. The vessel was completely cut off from communication with Starfleet until 2374, and had no access to any Starfleet supplies or facilities for the entire length of its journey. (VOY Season 1 through VOY Season 7)

Technical Data

Physical arrangement

Voyager MSD — Intrepid Class Master System Display

The hull configuration of the Intrepid-class adopted the saucer-type shape of previous starship classes, that of primary hull, secondary hull, and nacelles driven by the physics of warp generation and control. One of the Intrepid-class' most notable characteristics were its warp nacelles, which angled when going to warp, a quality which has not been observed in any other starship. The Intrepid-class used a duranium hull structure, a plasma-based power distribution system, and tricyclic life-support systems. (VOY: "Drone")

Following the Starfleet standard, Deck 1 was reserved for the main bridge, with the briefing room and captain's ready room located to port and starboard sides of the bridge. Located in the front section of Deck 2 was the crew's mess hall, served by three windows that offered a spectacular view of space in front of the vessel. One deck below, located in the front section of Deck 3, were the quarters of the starship's commanding officer, served by five windows. Further down the primary hull was the diamond-shaped primary sensor array, immediately beneath which was the secondary navigational deflector dish.

The dorsal saucer section was covered by four phaser arrays, two of which extended from the aft curvature along the length of the saucer and stop short of the auxiliary deflector incision. The aft firing arc was covered by two smaller arrays, angled on the rear of the saucer section. The relative bottom of the ship was protected by two similar arrays as on the dorsal saucer section, extending to the rear of the saucer and following the curve to the auxiliary deflector incision. Docked to the underside of the Intrepid-class' primary hull was the vessel's aeroshuttle.

Further aft, the main navigational deflector dish was found at the foreside of the Intrepid-class' secondary hull. Located right above the deflector were the forward photon torpedo launchers. On the underside of the secondary hull were located three sets of plates that support the warp propulsion system. The forward plate covered the reserve intermix chamber; the middle plate contained the antimatter loading port, a large magnetic valve that kept the antimatter from coming in contact with matter during the transfer to the storage pods; and the aft cover plate contained the operational intermix chamber hatch, for ejecting the warp core in case of emergency. (VOY: "Day of Honor")

One of the few Starfleet starship classes capable of atmospheric entry and planetary landing, the Intrepid-class starship was equipped with antigravity generators as well as impulse and lifters strategically placed at the mass and stress points on the bottom portion of the secondary hull. Prior to and during landing or takeoff procedures, the vessel typically went to blue alert, indicating to the crew they were to assume their code-blue stations. (VOY: "The 37's")

Command and control systems

The main bridge of the Intrepid-class starship was ovoid and served as the nerve center of the vessel. At the bridge's rear was a large bank of consoles and data readout screens. Center of that area was the master systems display; control consoles flanked it on both sides.On Voyager, it was shown to be a console that assisted mostly in operations and tactical stations, due to Seven of Nine's expertise.

Directly forward of and two steps lower than the central command area was the conn station. From here, the flight control officer served as helmsman and navigator for the starship. Despite many of these functions being heavily automated, their critical nature demanded a humanoid officer to oversee these operations at all times. During spaceflight at impulse, conn monitored relativistic effects as well as inertial damping system status. When the ship was traveling at warp speed, conn monitored the subspace field geometry in parallel with the engineering department. During warp flight, the conn console continually updated long-range sensor data and made automatic course corrections to adjust for minor variations in the density of the interstellar medium.

To the conn's right sat the chief engineer. Though the position was far better served in main engineering, situations arose where the engineer's presence was needed on the bridge. The console allowed complete control over all engineering systems. Directly opposite sat the chief science officer at a similar console. (VOY: "Caretaker")

Propulsion systems

Main engineering aboard an Intrepid-class starship was located on Deck 11. The room was constructed around the matter-antimatter reaction assembly (also known simply as the warp core), featuring two levels. In front of the warp core was a large monitoring area on the lower engineering level. Also located on this level was the chief engineer's office and an open work area for special projects or situational analysis. A second tier ringed the upper level of main engineering. A small, single-person elevator, as well as a ladder on the opposite side, provided access to this catwalk. (VOY: "Caretaker")

The main impulse engines on an Intrepid-class starship were located on the aft end of the pylons leading to the warp nacelles. Intrepid-class starships were also equipped with auxiliary impulse reactors. (VOY: "Phage")

Warp core ejection

In the event of a warp core breach, the Intrepid-class starship could eject the warp core. This procedure required the authorization code of the chief engineer or a member of the senior staff. The core was ejected through the ejection port on the underside of the secondary hull. Magnetic rails inside the channel accelerated the core once disengaged from the vessel and fired it away from the ship. Under normal circumstances, the vessel then moved away from the core as fast as possible under impulse power. (VOY: "Renaissance Man")

Should the core not go critical, the vessel could recover it with tractor beams and careful manipulation. (VOY: "Day of Honor")

Tactical systems

Phaser systems

The Intrepid-class utilized a ship-mounted phaser array system. The dorsal saucer section was covered by four phaser arrays, two of which extended from the aft curvature, along the length of the saucer and stop short of the auxiliary deflector incision. The aft firing arc was covered by two smaller arrays, angled on the rear of the saucer section. The relative bottom of the ship was protected by two similar arrays as on the dorsal saucer section, extending to the rear of the saucer and following the curve to the auxiliary deflector incision. More protection was provided by an array that extended across the ventral engineering hull just fore of the warp core ejection port. Far-aft strips were provided on the underside of the mobile nacelle pylons and under the shuttlebay landing deck on the underside of the ship for a total ship's complement of thirteen arrays. (Star Trek: Voyager)

Torpedo systems

The Intrepid-class housed five standard torpedo launchers (two fore and two aft, with one on the center ventral side of the engineering hull) (VOY: "Resolutions"). The USS Voyager was loaded with type-6 photon torpedoes in 2371. She also had at least four class-10 photon torpedo and two tricobalt devices in her torpedo arsenal. (VOY: "Caretaker", "Dreadnought", "Scorpion, Part II", "In the Flesh")

Deflector shields

The Intrepid-class' deflector shield was a symmetrical, oscillating subspace graviton field. During combat, the shield sent data on what type of weapon was being used on it and what frequency and phase the weapon used. Once the tactical officer analyzed these data, the shield could be configured to have the same frequency as the incoming weapon, but different nutation. This tactic dramatically increased shield efficiency. There were a total of fourteen shield grids on the Intrepid-class.

Tractor Beam

Each Intrepid-class tractor beam emitter was directly mounted to the primary members of the vessel's framework. The forward emitter was located on the underside of the secondary hull under the main deflector dish. The second emitter was located at the aft end of the secondary hull in the aft section of Deck 14.

Crew support systems

Medical facilities

There was one large sickbay facility located on Deck 5, equipped with an intensive-care unit (ICU), biohazard support, critical care, a morgue, the chief medical officer's office, a load-out of three standard biobeds and one surgical bed in the main ward, and a small medical laboratory. The standard medical staff consisted of a doctor and a nurse, supplemented by the Emergency Medical Hologram, the Intrepid-class being one of the first to be equipped with this medical technology. (VOY: "Tuvix")

Three biobeds lined the walls of sickbay's ICU; these were for patients receiving medical care and were equipped with biofunction monitors. Located in the corner of the main ward was a surgical bed, where major surgeries were performed and critical patients were treated. A large, sophisticated sensor cluster was installed in the ceiling directly above this bed. Working with a medical tricorder, the sensor suite could give detailed information about a patient's condition. The bed was also designed to use a surgical support frame. The small area that the surgical bed was located in could be isolated by a force field. If necessary, surgery could be conducted in the intensive care ward if there was an overflow of patients or if another patient was present to donate blood. (VOY: "Phage", "Latent Image")

Located in the center of the sickbay facility was the chief medical officer's office. Here, the CMO was provided with an area to work in privacy or conduct meetings with patients, staff, and others. Its proximity allowed the CMO to be present in sickbay almost immediately. Located behind this office was a small medical laboratory facility. The medical staff or other associated personnel could monitor experiments or run tests here during their duty shifts. Just off the medical lab was located a tiny area for storage of the deceased. (VOY: "Macrocosm", "Basics, Part II")

Recreational facilities

There were two holodecks aboard the ship. Located on Deck 6, these holodecks were proprietary Federation technology and could comfortably support fifteen people at a time. The Intrepid-class' holodecks were of a next generation of holographic technology, even further advanced than those applied on board Starfleet vessels during the 2360s, being able to impersonate matter even at the molecular level. (VOY: "Phage")

On the Intrepid-class vessels, the mess hall was on Deck 2, Section 13. Some ships were equipped with four food replicators, with a private captain's dining room just behind the mess hall. This dining room could be reconfigured to serve as a kitchen, as done by Neelix aboard Voyager. The USS Bellerophon's mess hall was also fitted in this manner. (VOY: "Phage"; DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")

The mess hall was typically host to many social gatherings, including diplomatic affairs, birthday parties, and holiday celebrations. The mess hall could also serve as a makeshift sickbay whenever that facility was disabled or otherwise overwhelmed. (VOY: "Someone to Watch Over Me", "Latent Image", "Macrocosm", "Homestead", "Before and After", "Year of Hell", "Course: Oblivion", "Memorial")

A crew's lounge was located in the far aft section of the vessel's secondary hull, providing a view of space aft of the Intrepid-class starship.

The Intrepid-class also had a gymnasium. (VOY: "Eye of the Needle")

Crew accommodations

All crew and officers' quarters (except the captain's quarters on Deck 3) were located on decks 2, 4, 8, 9, and 13, with special variable environment quarters on Deck 11 for crew with special comforts. Although the Intrepid-class was highly advanced, the quarters in general were smaller than those of other vessel classes because of its smaller dimensions.

There were several types of crew quarters aboard:

Standard crew quarters:

These small quarters units were located within the primary hull and lack windows. They included a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Crewmembers of lieutenant junior grade were given their own quarters; ensigns and crewmen were required to share their quarters (except for senior officers; Ensign Kim had his own quarters). The living area contained a replicator terminal and was customizable with a variety of furniture and decorations. (VOY: "Good Shepherd")

Officers' quarters

These quarters lined the edge of the saucer section and contained a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom area. They were generally reserved for those of ranking lieutenant or higher. Members of the senior staff were typically assigned quarters featuring a pair of larger, wider windows

Captain's quarters

The captain's quarters, located on Deck 3, were similar to the officers' quarters but were slightly larger. The captain had a large desk area and work terminal. His or her quarters featured five windows (below the navigation lamp), which offered an excellent view of space in front of the vessel; the captain's quarters were positioned below the mess hall.

Transporter systems

The Intrepid-class featured three transporter facilities that were located on Deck 4. In case of emergencies, injured personnel could be directly transported to sickbay from anywhere in transporter range, including inside the ship. (VOY: "Shattered")

Like many Federation starships, the Intrepid class' transporters had six standard pads located in front of a control console. Here the transporter controls were located in an elevated booth, and two officers could operate the in conjunction with a wall panel for more complicated transports. utilized bio-neural gel packs in its processor systems. (VOY: "Shattered", "Counterpoint")

Auxiliary spacecraft systems

Located in the aft dorsal portion of the secondary hull, the main shuttlebay was the primary port for entrance and egress, as well as management of auxiliary craft and shuttles. The main shuttlebay was managed by a team of pilots, engineers technicians, and operations personnel that were based on the flight operations office under the supervision of the flight control officer.Inward from the main shuttlebay was a secondary storage and maintenance area behind huge inner airlock doors. This secondary area was almost as large as the main shuttlebay and was commonly referred to as Shuttlebay 2. (VOY: "In the Flesh")

The Intrepid-class starship was typically equipped with the following types of shuttlecraft:

The crew of the USS Voyager, stranded in the Delta Quadrant, constructed the Delta Flyer for more complex auxiliary spacecraft operations. The craft was in operation since early 2375. The Intrepid-class was also equipped with an aeroshuttle, which was visible on the underside. (VOY: "Extreme Risk", et al.; ENT: "Future Tense")

Ships Using This Class in Star Trek: Second Fleet Online

USS Indefatigable

References

Specifications for the ship: Memory Alpha and Ships of the Starfleet, Volume I

Pictures: From Paramount and CBS through Memory Alpha