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Civilian Federation Ship Classes

General Civilian or Earth Ships - Specific Member Planets - Maquis - Unknown Federation Class

General Civilian or Earth Ships

The following starships have Federation registries, but are not part of Starfleet. Ships predating the foundation of the Federation are listed here.

Known prefixes
BDR: non-Starfleet
NAR: non-Starfleet, research
NDT: non-Starfleet, transport
NFT: non-Starfleet, transport
NGL: non-Starfleet, freighter

Aurora type Aurora type (TOS-R)	General description The Aurora is a civilian spacecraft of unknown classification.	Known ships SS Aurora NC-17740 (TOS-R)
	Annotations 1) The studio model of the Aurora (TOS: "The Way to Eden") was built adding two warp nacelles to the conical Tholian ship. The idea that the Federation should suddenly use a design by the Tholians who were unknown until a few months prior to the episode and clearly hostile is ludicrous. We must assume that the Aurora actually looks considerably different. The thumbnail already showing all the "details", the original size picture from the Star Trek Fact Files is surely dispensable. 2) The new Aurora in TOS-R: "The Way to Eden" is a simple tubular design with two warp engines. Mike Okuda tells us that it is "a modified version of Mudd's ship [J class, see below]. Registry number NC-17740... The registry number is from Matt Jefferies' airplane. Actually, I have a vague memory that we may have used that number for another ship, earlier, but I wanted to do that for Matt in his own show." See Matt Jefferies' airplane on display.	Class specifications None available

Erewhon	General description This ship type is a personnel transport somewhat larger than a runabout.	Known ships SS Santa Maria BDR-529
	Annotations 1) The SS Santa Maria could be seen landed on a planet in DS9: "Paradise", however, its exact hull shape was not revealed. 2) Swap the "w" and the "h" in "Erewhon", and read it backward to see how the name was created. The registry BDR-529 of the Santa Maria is another in-joke. It's the number plate of the Bluesmobile!	Class specifications Personnel transport

Holoship	General description This coffin-shaped ship seems to fulfill the sole role as a mobile holodeck. Gallery: Various Federation Ships	Known ships No name or registry given
	Annotations 1) The holoship ("Star Trek: Insurrection") doesn't have visible warp nacelles, but since it was supposed to serve for long-distance transport, it must be warp-capable. The above schematic from the Star Trek Fact Files reproduces the final version of the ship which obviously strives to compensate for the simple overall shape with way too many surface details. The schematic from Star Trek: The Magazine looks much better and more plausible and it has visible warp nacelles, but it resembles rather the pre-production sketches. 2) The ship featured in "Star Trek: Insurrection" was equipped with a cloaking device. Since this seems to be illegal according to the Treaty of Algeron, other ships of this type (if there are any) probably do not have cloaking. 3) There is no real reason why this ship is traditionally listed at EAS as "Federation non-Starfleet". Story-wise it could well be a Starfleet ship, only that it doesn't look like one. John Eaves' early sketches of the holoship indeed show a (Starfleet) registry NX-75115. Alas, the final ship neither seems to have a name nor a registry number.	Class specifications Holodeck ship Length: 247m

Class J	General description Nothing is known about this type of cargo ship.	Known ships No name or registry given
	Annotations 1) Even if it wasn't the author's intention, it has been conjectured that this class of privately owned vessels (from TOS: "Mudd's Women") could be the same as the J class mentioned in ENT: "Fortunate Son" and seen in "Horizon". Capt. Keene of the Y-class ECS Fortunate talked of having his ship equipped with a new warp drive. There is no reason that the so refurbished cargo ships (Y class and J class alike) may not have been in service for another 100 years until the TOS episode. Yet, the Class-J ship appeared in "Mudd's Women" as a compact glowing light, as opposed to the rather complex shape of the J class. 2) In the remastered (TOS-R) update of "Mudd's Women" the glowing light on the viewscreen was replaced with something that looks much more like a "real" starship with two warp nacelles and a central impulse engine, all with a bright blue glow. This new TOS-R ship bears no resemblance to the J class from Enterprise either.	Class specifications None available

Kobayashi Maru type	General description This ship type seems to be a combined tanker and passenger vessel.	Known ships Kobayashi Maru
	Annotations The Kobayashi Maru was a simulated ship in "Star Trek II". It would be sick humor if Starfleet "destroyed" an actually existing ship this way. The ship type, on the other hand, along with the specifications that were seen on screen, is probably as authentic as the whole simulation is supposed to be.	Class specifications Class III neutron fuel carrier Length: 237m Max. cruise speed: Warp 3 Max. emergency speed: Warp 6 Crew complement: 81 Passenger capacity: 300

Merchantman type	General description The Merchantman is a small freighter in use at the end of the 23rd century. Article: Redresses of the Merchantman Gallery: Alpha and Beta Quadrant Ships, Part 1	Known ships SS Merchantman
	Annotations 1) Although there were occasionally other alien ships with English names, I assume that this ship, apparently mostly manned with humans, is registered in the Federation (if registered at all). 2) The scale sheet made by Nilo Rodis for "Star Trek III" shows the Merchantman (as "Merchant Ship") at 220ft or 67m, and it is remarkable that on this sketch the ship looks much less complex and more shuttle-like. It is a blatant scaling error when the Merchantman in the actual movie scene appeared to be only some 20m long compared to the Bird-of-Prey. The extremely complicated structure of the finalized model without windows and access hatches that would have to be much larger and much more prominent at a length of 20m, requires that it is at least the same size as the BoP. Also, it would be much easier if the original Merchantman were the very same design as its later incarnations as various larger alien ships.	Class specifications Freighter Length: approx. 150m

Norkova type	General description The Norkova type is a modular cargo ship employed by the Federation. The actual class name is unknown. Article: Redresses of the Batris Article: The Antares Class(es)	Known ships SS Norkova
	Annotations 1) The episode DS9: "The Passenger" creates the impression that the Norkova is a Federation ship. 2) The Norkova design clearly emerged from the model of the Talarian freighter Batris, a supposed Antares-class vessel. As the Norkova sports a new bow section and has an overall different structure, it could be a different class as well. Note that the depiction of the Norkova in the Star Trek Fact Files is wrong. The ship actually looks like the Xhosa that will appear later in DS9, only the color is different. 3) The Norkova design reappeared in VOY: "Author, Author", approaching a dilithium mining colony of the Federation. It may have been supposed to be a Federation vessel too, unlike other appearances in Voyager and in Enterprise.	Class specifications Cargo ship Length: approx. 270m Crew complement: 12

Oberth	General description The Oberth design is also used by non-Starfleet institutions. Article: Size of the Oberth Class Gallery: Various Starfleet Ships	Known ships SS Vico NAR-18834
	Annotations 1) The civilian Oberth-class ships can be operated with a crew complement of only a few people (TNG: "Hero Worship"). It is possible that these ships are decommissioned Starfleet vessels, rebuilt with less advanced, yet more automated systems and mission specific scientific equipment. 2) Strangely, the registry NAR-18834 is exactly the same as of the SS Seattle, of TNG: "Up the Long Ladder", three seasons earlier. The registries were both on displays and not simply made up. It is either an incredible coincidence (1/100000 for a 5-digit number!), or an in-joke, or the available reproduction of the chart from "Up The Long Ladder" is incorrect. But why would anyone get exactly this one registry from anywhere else? The double registry remains a total mystery. We might explain it in a way that the old SS Seattle was renamed to Vico some time, but if the Vico is an Oberth class, the class would be in production for over 230 years! See also Starfleet Ships L-Z	Class specifications Research vessel Length: approx. 150m

Raven type	General description This is an unnamed class of exploration/surveyor ships of the mid-24th century. The ship has four decks, however, it can be operated by as few as two people. Gallery: Various Federation Ships	Known ships (U)SS Raven NAR-32450
	Annotations 1) The Raven was first featured in VOY: "The Raven" as a non-Starfleet ship with the non-Starfleet registry NAR-32450. The dedication plaque with the stylized depiction of a raven was labeled "The Raven" and not "USS Raven". In VOY: "Dark Frontier" the ship suddenly becomes "USS Raven" in official Starfleet records and is identified as such by Magnus Hansen himself, although the CGI model is labeled "SS Raven". A possible justification for this obvious blunder is that the ship was taken into Starfleet service briefly prior to its last mission to explore the Borg, while the dedication plaque remained unchanged. 2) The Hansens' ship was referred to as "Jefferies" on a display in VOY: "The Gift". The text on the screen reads like this: "According to arrival/departure log from the Drexler outpost in sector Omega exploration vessel 'Jefferies' left that location in 2354. No flight plan was filed and no further contact was ever established. Last known heading was 237/47." The rest is just inane blurb, but we might accept the useful part nonetheless. Either the vessel's name was switched from Jefferies to Raven (Starfleet may already have had a USS Jefferies) along with the registry and the outpost was still using an old database, or the Hansens were there in disguise.	Class specifications Length: approx. 90m Deck count: 4

Whorfin	General description The Whorfin class is a transport ship type at the end of the 23rd century, capable of carrying at least 200 passengers.	Known ships SS Lakul NFT-7793 SS Robert Fox NFT-1327
	Annotations 1) Although sometimes listed as El-Aurian designs, the vessels from "Generations" are clearly Federation ships. Why should the El-Aurians from the other side of the galaxy name one of their ships after a Federation Ambassador (Robert Fox from TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon")? 2) There is a Starfleet ship USS Whorfin NCC-1024 listed in "Star Trek VI" whose registry indicates it could be the first ship of the Whorfin class, but there is no evidence Starfleet uses Whorfin-class ships at all.	Class specifications Length: approx. 270m Transport Passenger capacity: 200

Woden type (TOS) Woden type (TOS-R)	General description The Woden is an unmanned freighter of unknown size and classification.	Known ships SS Woden USS Woden NCC-325 (TOS-R)
	Annotations 1) Despite looking very close to Khan's ancient DY-100 class, because the same model was used, the Woden (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer") has to be a more recent ship. The DY-100 being a ship design from the late 20th century without warp or only impulse drive, it is highly unlikely that it might be of any use by 2268. Probably the ships of this class, save for the Botany Bay, have not even survived the Eugenics Wars and the Third World War anyway. 2) In TOS-R the unfitting vessel was replaced with the cargo drone from TAS. The design had previously been adapted to serve as the USS Antares in TOS-R: "Charlie X", but there with a new crew section that was omitted for the Woden. The registry is NCC-325, indicating that the Woden is probably a Starfleet freighter and numbered in the same fashion as a "real" manned ship.	Class specifications Unmanned freighter

Specific Member Planets

These are ship types in service of specific Federation member planets. Vulcan designs predating the foundation of the Federation are listed here.

Known prefixes
NSP: Vulcan, science

Denevan ship	General description This is a one-man vessel of Denevan configuration.	Known ships No name or registry given
	Annotations The vessel only shows up in the remastered episode TOS-R: "Operation: Annihilate!". As confirmed by Michael Okuda, It is the same model as Mudd's Class J, but supposedly much smaller. Since the vessel is barely visible anyway, we may assume it is actually a distinct design "of Denevan configuration", as stated in the episode.	Class specifications 1 seat

Hekaran science vessel	General description Hekaran science vessels are relatively small ships with characteristic diagonal "wings". Article: Redresses of the Talarian Warship	Known ships No name given
	Annotations The Hekarans are said to be Federation members. A Hekaran science vessel appears in TNG: "Force of Nature". The scene is stock footage of the Talarian warship. Since the Talarian patrol ship and warship look like closely related designs, the various later incarnations of the characteristic warships may be of Talarian origin. The Hekarans may have converted them to science ships, possibly in a joined effort with the Frunalians.	Class specifications Science ship Length: approx. 230m

Medusan ship	General description The Medusan ship is based on a conventional Federation hull but probably equipped with advanced navigation technology.	Known ships No name given
	Annotations This vessel can be seen at the end of TOS-R: "Is There in Truth No Beauty". It bears a certain similarity to the Daedalus class. Mike Okuda tells us: "Sorry, we didn't put a name or a registry number on that ship. The basic idea was Dave Rossi's suggestion. He thought that because the Medusans were non-corporeal and might not have developed technology as we know it, they might use Federation hardware, so their ships could have a distinct Federation style."	Class specifications None available

Rigelian freighter	General description Nothing is known about this ship design. Article: Redresses of the Mondor	Known ships No name given
	Annotations A Rigelian freighter was used to hide a runabout taking Croden to the planet Rakhar from a Miradorn ship in DS9: "Vortex". The ship design looks like the Pakled ship, only that there is additional lighting. The light rows may suggest an overall larger and therefore different and probably more advanced ship type. Since Rigel is a Federation member world, the ship is listed here.	Class specifications Freighter

Stratos type	General description The city of Stratos is a huge structure hovering above the planet Ardana.	Known stations Probably no other cities
	Annotations 1) Ardana is mentioned to be a member of the Federation in TOS: "The Cloud-Minders", although its caste system is in contrast to democratic principles. 2) For the remastered version of the episode a detailed CGI was constructed that closely follows the line of the original miniature. The CGI is shown from various angles and in close shots.	Class specifications None available

T'Pau type T'Pau variant	General description The class of the T'Pau is unknown. Its design is quite unconventional for a Federation ship and mainly consists of a long angular hull and a ring around the hull where probably the warp drive is located. According to the ship's registry, the design is relatively old. There were at least two other ships of the same class. Gallery: Various Federation Ships	Known ships T'Pau NSP-17938
	Annotations 1) Since there is no mention of "Apollo class" in the Star Trek Fact Files issue about the T'Pau, this suggestion from the Star Trek Encyclopedia II should be discarded. The T'Pau is probably a Vulcan design that has never been in Starfleet service. 2) It is often doubted that the T'Pau could be actually one of the three ships shown at the end of TNG: "Unification II" because the navigational deflector of the ship is missing. However, Sela clearly tells Picard that the T'Pau, along with two other ships he does no yet know of, is heading for Vulcan. Considering that the ship is urgently needed and stealing still another ship as a replacement would be an unnecessary risk, the T'Pau is apparently used without being fully operational, or the Romulans have cared for sufficient spare parts to repair the three ships under all circumstances. The Fact Files also state that the T'Pau is indeed one of the three ships of the Romulan invasion fleet. 3) A variant of the T'Pau appears in DS9: "For the Cause". In this episode the miniature seems to have retained some of the modifications that were done for the Tosk ship, most noticeably the raised aft section. The Vulcan markings and the color were probably not reconstructed, but I assume they should have been on the model. There also seem to be a detail on the ship that was neither on the T'Pau nor on the Tosk ship, covering the cockpit window of the Tosk version.	Class specifications Length: approx. 170m

Trill science vessel	General description No facts are available on this Trill vessel, except that it seems to be equipped for research. Article: Redresses of the Wadi Ship	Known ships No name given
	Annotations Jadzia's race, unlike the so-called "Trills" from TNG: "The Host", are definitely Federation members. This particular vessel transported Lenara Kahn to Deep Space Nine in DS9: "Rejoined". It is another re-use of the versatile Wadi ship model, probably related to the Bajoran vessel type 3.	Class specifications Science ship

Vulcan warpshuttle	General description The Vulcan warpshuttle can be regarded as the predecessor of the runabout and is one of the few small spacecrafts capable of warp flight at the end of the 23rd century. The passenger compartment of the warpshuttle is somewhat larger than a standard shuttlecraft. It can be separated from the warpsled and docked to a starship. Gallery: Other Small Federation Vessels	Known shuttles Surak V8 5047 01102238345-8
	Annotations 1) The warpshuttle appeared only in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". According to its designer Andrew Probert the small vessel is armed with some sort of guns. Also, the paint scheme involves shades of magenta, although the vessel appears gray on screen. More first-hand information is available at Probert's website. 2) The incredibly long registry is authentic (Star Trek Fact Files).	Class specifications Warpshuttle Length: 48m Max. speed: Warp 4

Maquis

Maquis raider I Maquis raider II	General description The Maquis raider is a relatively small and maneuverable ship with moderate armament, including photon torpedoes - although this may not be standard issue. The name of the ship class is uncertain. Article: Which is the Peregrine Class? Article: The Antares Class(es) Gallery: Various Federation Ships	Known ships SS Val Jean
	Annotations 1) Variant I of the Maquis raider could be seen in TNG: "Preemptive Strike", sporting some sort of a cockpit window. This ship may have been supposed to be smaller than Chakotay's vessel, maybe 40m, but for the sake of plausibility, I assume it's just an oversized cockpit and not a smaller ship. A second difference is that variant 1 did not yet have the additional struts between the main body and the wings. Finally, the engine color is yellow on type 1 and red on type 2. 2) Chakotay's raider is of the variant II, with a structure looking like a bridge module. It appears to be just 50m long compared to the Galor and to Voyager. But we would expect it to be substantially larger considering a crew complement of about 50 which can be inferred from mentions in later episodes. 60m is a compromise that would also allow the type 1 to be essentially the same design. B'Elanna said the ship was 39 years old as of 2371 (VOY: "Caretaker"). 3) Note that Chakotay's raider is probably neither a Peregrine class nor an Antares class (see Voyager Inconsistencies for more about the ship). Jeri Taylor's Pathways claims that the ship's name is Liberty (Antares class). The Fact Files explicitly and frequently state that Chakotay's raider was named Zola, as in a draft of VOY: "Parallax". On the other hand, a display in VOY: "Repression" clearly reads "Vessel Designation: Val Jean" (Valjean from Les Misérables). Well, *that* name would have suited Eddington's raider from DS9: "For the Uniform" much better... 4) The latest information on the class name comes from Star Trek: The Magazine. An article tells us of a desktop model of Chakotay's Maquis ship, as well as several displays of the ship where it is called a Ju'day-class ship (supposedly seen in VOY: "Repression" too).	Class specifications Length: approx. 60m

Peregrine	General description The Peregrine class is a small fighter with a crew of 1 or 2 and a size only slightly larger than a 20th century fighter aircraft. The design was used by the former Maquis until its destruction in 2373. Article: Which is the Peregrine Class? Gallery: Other Small Federation Vessels	Known ships No name given
	Annotations The Maquis version was not originally equipped with photon torpedoes (DS9: "The Maquis"). But if the Maquis has acquired surplus vessels, we wouldn't expect them to come fully equipped anyway. See also Starfleet Ships L-Z	Class specifications Fighter Length: approx. 25m Crew complement: 1-2

Small Maquis raider	General description This is another type of Maquis raiders, smaller than their other known ships. Gallery: Bajoran Starships	Known shuttles No name given
	Annotations 1) The small Maquis raider is a re-use of the Bajoran subimpulse raider from DS9: "The Siege" with a modified cockpit section. The new cockpit is taller, and it has a characteristic step in the side window. The Maquis version appeared only briefly in TNG: "Preemptive Strike". In this episode, however, we can see the inside of one of the Maquis ships piloted by Santos, which is a slight redress of a Type-6 shuttle cockpit. This explains why the exterior of the Bajoran raider was adapted, although the ship was only barely recognizable at all. 2) The LCARS displays inside the cockpit and the human crew set this raider apart from the Bajoran version. It also seems that the Maquis version has warp drive, rather than the Bajoran one. It still possible that both versions of the small vessel are used by the Maquis and the Bajorans alike. Whether the basic design is rather of Federation or of Bajoran design remains unknown. But since the other ships of the Maquis are definitely Federation designs and they rather wouldn't take away ships from the Bajorans, this may apply to the small raider as well.	Class specifications Fighter Length: approx. 8.5m

Unknown Federation Class

The following ships were mentioned in dialogue or were listed on displays, particularly the ones from TNG: "Up the Long Ladder" and DS9: "Whispers". There is no clue what the often strange prefixes could mean and whether these ships are all registered in the Federation.

SS Artemis, colony ship, mentioned in TNG: "The Ensigns of Command"

SS Astral Queen, passenger ship, mentioned in TOS: "The Conscience of the King"

SS Beagle, "small class-4 stardrive vessel, crew of 47", intentionally destroyed on Planet 892 IV (TOS: "Bread and Circuses")

C-57-D, shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This is a homage to the groundbreaking science fiction movie "Forbidden Planet", just like the name of the ship's captain on the display, J.J. Adams.

SS Columbia, survey vessel, crashed on Talos IV ("The Cage")

SS Dierdre, mentioned in TOS: "Friday's Child"

DEV Eagle Valley DY-950, commanded by Captain Dan King, launched in 2183 on a colonization mission to the Ficus Sector, listed on an Okudagram in TNG: "Up the Long Ladder"
The list from TNG: "Up the Long Ladder" (more ships here) is full of in-jokes, and the diversity of name prefixes as well as of the registries is confusing. I think we can include these ships without major trouble, though. Maybe there were still several different (national) institutions responsible for the ships. At least the NAR numbers for civilian ships seem to have survived until the 24th century. The DY designations clearly point to ships of the DY classes (of which DY-100 and DY-500 are canon). It is also possible that the DY denoted the class here, while they have something like an NAR registry. The real problem is rather why there is apparently not a single (Earth or Federation) Starfleet ship among the vessels exploring the Ficus Sector, although Starfleet is always shown as the dominant research institution.

I.T.A. Elmira, shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"

Rak-Miunis, Kobheerian freighter, delivered Marritza to Deep Space Nine (DS9: "Duet")
A Federation ship, according to Captain Sisko. Sisko later created a fake holographic image of the Rak-Miunis to fool the Cardassians in DS9: "Second Skin", but it was not visible on screen either.

SS Hatteras DY-245, commanded by Captain Gary Loes, launched in 2187 on a deep space exploration mission to the Ficus Sector, listed on an Okudagram in TNG: "Up the Long Ladder"
The name on the display reads like "Hatterás", but considering possible namesakes "Hatteras" seems much more plausible.

SS Milan NDT-50863, transport, carried the Rozhenkos in TNG: "New Ground"

SS Odin NGL-12535, freighter, abandoned by crew (TNG: "Angel One")

SS Oregon, shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"

U.S.G.S. Powell, shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
There is no clue what the prefix is supposed to mean. Possibly "United States Geological Survey".  

T'Vran, Vulcan research vessel, was on a mission in the Gamma Quadrant in DS9: "The Vortex"

W.E.B. DuBois, shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
Obviously named for civil rights leader W.E.B. Dubois, so W.E.B. may not be part of the prefix, although other ships on the list seem to have prefixes similar to W.E.B.

(Name uncertain), shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This looks like "C.A.R. 54-D", but is not clearly readable.

(Name uncertain), shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This looks like "F.M.S. Gelomero", but is not clearly readable.

(Name uncertain), shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This looks like "C.G.M. Gh'aster", but is not clearly readable.

(Name uncertain), shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This looks like "F.G.M.S. Gyt'Aebat", but is not clearly readable.

(Name uncertain), shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This looks like "G.S. 12", but is not clearly readable.

(Name uncertain), shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This looks like "G.H.D. Per'ot", but is not clearly readable.

(Name uncertain), shown on a display in DS9: "Whispers"
This looks like "G.C.S. Recio", but is not clearly readable.

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