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U.S.S. Saladin NCC-700
Saladin Class Starship
Illustrator:
Monte R. Johnjulio
Copyright:
2010
Summary:
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY SALADIN-CLASS BATTLESCOUTS
THE SALADIN-CLASS BATTLESCOUT HAS HAD AN INTERESTING AND CONVOLUTED DEVELOPMENT HISTORY. ORIGINALLY PROPOSED AS PART OF THE EFFORT TO MAXIMIZE THE INVESTMENT ON THE CONSTITUTION-CLASS DEVELOPMENT EFFORT, ENGINEERS PROPOSED SEVERAL DIFFERENT STARSHIP DESIGNS BASED ON THE CONSTITUTION-CLASS COMPONENTS. FOUR OF THEM WERE APPROVED; THE SCOUT-CLASS, DESTROYER-CLASS, CONTAINER TRANSPORT TUG-CLASS AND DREADNOUGHT-CLASS (WHICH WAS APPROVED BUT NEVER ENTERED PRODUCTION)
WHILE THE TRANSPORT TUG CLASS PROVED TO BE QUITE SUCCESSFUL, THE SCOUT AND DESTROYER CLASSES WERE UTTER DISAPPOINTMENTS.
UNDER-POWERED AND LACKING IN SPEED AND MANEUVERABILITY, THE SCOUTS (ACTUALLY MOBILE SCAN PLATFORMS) WERE BARELY ADEQUATE FOR THEIR ROLES AND THE DESTROYERS PROVED TO BE PRACTICALLY USELESS IN THE PATROL AND COMBAT ROLES THEY WERE CREATED TO FILL.
AFTER SEVERAL SHIPS OF THE TWO CLASSES ENTERED SERVICE, DESIGNERS WORKED FEVERISHLY TO SALVAGE THE DESIGNS AND THE INVESTMENT STARFLEET HAD IN THEM.
THEY WERE FIRST MERGED INTO A SINGLE CLASS CALLED THE BATTLESCOUT-CLASS AND ASSIGNED NEW NAVAL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT NUMBERS. ONCE THE SHIPS WERE BACK IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION BERTHS, CREWS TORE OUT NEARLY THIRTY PERCENT OF THE SENSORS AND LOGISTICS PALETTES AND REPLACED THEM WITH ADDITIONAL WARP AND FUSION POWER REACTORS. THIS INCREASED THE AVAILABLE, NON-PROPULSION POWER OF THE CLASS BY NEARLY THIRTY PERCENT.
BUT ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT DESIGN CHANGE OCCURRED WHEN THE MK-IV-B BLOCK-II WARP ENGINES BECAME AVAILABLE. THESE WERE THE FIRST MAJOR UPGRADE ON THE ENGINES EMPLOYED BY CONSTITUTION CLASS VESSELS AND PROVIDED A NEAR-DOUBLING OF BOTH THE WARP FIELD DENSITIES AND MAGNATOMIC ENERGY TAP-OFF FLOW. ONCE THESE NEW ENGINES WERE MATED TO THE CLASS'S SPACEFRAME, THE BATTLESCOUT-CLASS STARSHIPS FINALLY HAD THE PUNCH THEY NEEDED TO BECOME CAPABLE AND VERSATILE FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE LINE
ONCE THAT ADDITIONAL POWER BECAME AVAILABLE, THE WEAPONS SYSTEMS WERE RAISED TO A PERFORMANCE LEVEL COMPARABLE TO OTHER SHIPS OF THE LINE. WHILE THE CLASS LOST A GOOD PROPORTION OF THE SCANNING AND INFORMATION PROCESSING CAPABILITIES OF THE ORIGINAL SCOUT-CLASS, THE OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE CAPABILITIES OF THE NEW CLASS MADE IT A FORMIDABLE PATROL, ANTI-PIRACY AND RAPID-DEPLOYMENT INTERDICTION SHIP.
THE SCANNING AND INFORMATION PROCESSING AND TRANSMISSION ROLE FOR WHICH THE SCOUT-CLASS WAS ORIGINALLY TASKED WAS SHIFTED TO THE NEWLY-LAUNCHED COMMAND CRUISER. THE COMMAND CRUISER WAS A CONSTITUTION-CLASS STARSHIP WITH EXPANDED COMMAND AND CONTROL CAPABILITIES AND WAS ABLE TO PERFORM THE SCOUT-CLASS SHIP FUNCTIONS FROM THE HEART OF A COMBAT ARENA, NOT THE OUTSKIRTS.
THE BATTLESCOUT OUTPERFORMED THE ORIGINAL SPECIFICATION DESTROYER-CLASS BY A FACTOR OF TWO AND, WHILE NOT ABLE TO PACK THE SUPERIOR PUNCH OF ITS LARGER SISTERS, IT COULD NOW HANG IN A FIREFIGHT LONG ENOUGH FOR REINFORCEMENTS TO ARRIVE.
WHILE THE SALADIN-CLASS STARSHIPS CAN BE VIEWED AS A SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL COMPROMISE, THE FACT IS THAT OVER 300 OF THEM WERE EVENTUALLY CONSTRUCTED AND COMMISSIONED INTO VARIOUS FLEETS FOR OVER 80 YEARS. THERE ARE MANY CLEAN-SHEET DESIGNS THAT CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO CLAIM THAT LEVEL OF DURABILITY AND LONGEVITY
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