CommentsRelated links

Emden Class

The Emden class began construction as a variant to the Barracuda class. In the early 24th century, the Federation borders as well as the trade routes were expanding rapidly, whereas the starship speeds did not increase significantly. Remote colonies and private traders called for a better protection that Starfleet's large ships couldn't provide while under way on scientific or diplomatic missions. Thus, Starfleet decided to develop a fast ship with state-of-the-art armament that could be economically operated by a small crew. Consequently, the term "escort" was introduced for this new category of vessels smaller than a frigate or a destroyer.

The unsuccessful Barracuda-class scout was the closest vessel to these specifications. Cochrane Fleet Yards at Alpha Centauri, where the Barracuda had been developed, determined to make up for their recent lack of success, devised extensive design changes that ultimately established a new class of ships. The USS Emden NCC-15401 was launched in 2321 after a construction time of only three years. The basic configuration of the Barracuda class was adopted, but with an enlarged aft section. The ship lacks an underslung engineering section. Therefore the deflector dish was moved to a cut-out in the saucer hull, in a section which mostly held crew quarters and cargo bays that were not needed on the Emden class that could be operated with a crew of typically 20. As an escort, the ship didn't necessitate a modular weapons & sensor pod, and a fixed pod was chosen to hold the torpedo launchers, of which one is facing forward and one facing aft. The Emden class has Type-VIII phaser rings instead of point phasers.

The Emden class proved more successful than her mother design; 38 ships were built altogether. Additionally, two ships of the Barracuda class (USS Andes and USS Viking) were rebuilt to the Emden configuration, resulting in the oddity that these two ships now have a lower registry than the class ship. In 2335, production of the class was halted in anticipation of a whole new generation of starships, which would have included a new escort. Nevertheless, it was not until 2361 that the Ramses-class escort was launched, followed by the Defiant class and the Hannibal class. With these new ships the term escort has been redefined as a heavily armed compact warship.

Gallery

Detailed three views

Datasheet

Back to index page

Open
comments