Post-TNG and Future Ships (since 2370)

Post-TNG ships seem to have few features in common. There are radical designs like the Defiant, which abandon principles like the separation of hull and nacelles. The Starfleet scout from "Star Trek: Insurrection" employs the same novel configuration. A number of ships sport triangular main hulls, such as the Intrepid, the Prometheus and the Nova, and the elongated elliptical saucer of the Sovereign seems to be a step in the same direction, as it may be attributed to a refined understanding of warp field dynamics. Another common design feature of these ships is that the saucer connects directly to the engineering hull, without a neck.

The nacelles of the Sovereign (which resemble those of the Nova) and the Prometheus are elongated, whereas those of the Intrepid may constitute an exception as they are short and rather look like typical mid-24th century nacelles. It is noticeable that post-TNG starships are more heavily armed than in the times of TNG, the obvious reason being the Borg threat and the Dominion War. Quantum torpedoes, for instance, have become a standard weapon on a number of ship classes.

The ships achieve top speeds of Warp 9.6 and beyond. Their registries are usually higher than NCC-74000.