Chandley class (FASA)
| Mk I | Mk III | Mk IV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date entered service | Dec 2274 | Feb 2277 | Dec 2277 |
| # Constructed | 84 | 64 | 48 |
| Length | 315 meters | 315 meters | 320 meters |
| Width | 262 meters | 262 meters | 264 meters |
| Height | 90 meters | 90 meters | 92 meters |
| Mass | 173,300 metric tons | 176,700 metric tons | 177,500 metric tons |
| Cargo capacity | 41,250 metric tons | 42,500 metric tons | 42,500 metric tons |
| Computer Type | M-6 | M-6A | M-6A |
| Transporters (6-person) | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Transporters (20-person) | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Transporters (Cargo) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Crew | 363 | 370 | 370 |
| Passengers | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Troops | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| Shuttlecraft | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Cruising Speed | Warp 7 | Warp 7 | Warp 7 |
| Emergency Speed | Warp 9 | Warp 9 | Warp 9 |
| Weapons | 6 FH-11 Phasers in 3 banks | 6 FH-11 Phasers in 3 banks | 6 FH-11 Phasers in 3 banks |
| 4 torpedo tubes | 4 torpedo tubes | 4 torpedo tubes |
After the conclusion of the Four Years War in 2256, Starfleet Command initiated the Strategic Forces Survey; the results of the study influenced plans ever since. One weakness identified was the need for combat vessels carrying boarding parties or prize crews to quickly deliver decisive blows against a retreating or routed enemy. Starfleet ships did not routinely carry Marine assault teams, and therefore were unable to board and capture enemy vessels or outposts. In many operations, Starfleet vessels were held back so that their combined boarding groups could take control of disabled enemy vessels or outposts; this caused lengthy delays in follow-up operations and allowed the enemy time to recover. To take enemy outposts, assault ships were called in, frequently a poor choice because they were too slow, vulnerable, and usually carried too many troops for small operations. To address this, Starfleet began to develop frigates designed to carry Marines trained to board hostile vessels and complexes. The most impressive of these frigates was the Chandley class.[1]
In December 2274, the U.S.S. Chandley, the first of this prestigious class, was commissioned. The Chandley could not only function effectively as a combat vessel, but it could also beam its complement of 250 Marines in less than four minutes. The Chandley's large, winglike assemblies housed a company of Marines, their equipment, training areas, shuttlebay, and combat transporters. Each Marine platoon billet had its own spacious training, mess, dormitory, and recreation areas. The training areas, located in the central core of the wings, were made up of modules that could be positioned to resemble the interior of enemy ships and installations, which was largely credited for the high success rate of boarding actions.[1]
Though many ship designers wanted to put newer, more powerful warp drive systems on the Chandleys, each time the power system was upgraded, it was through improvements to the impulse drive system, as larger and more powerful warp drive systems were more costly to run and maintain, an important factor to consider because of the relatively great expense required to keep a company of Marines aboard.[1]
The Chandley Mark II design merely increased the size of the Marines' storage cargo bays, but the Mark III changed the computer system, cargo bays, impulse drive system, and photon torpedo launchers. The computer was altered to the experimental M-6A for improved fire control, as the standard M-6 would not efficiently handle the increased capabilities of the newer FP-5 photon torpedo; the Chandley was the only class of ship in Starfleet to possess this model of computer at the time, as it hadn't been needed on other designs. The Mark IV design improved the shields. With these changes, the Chandley class frigate was one of the most powerful ships in known space. In all its design variations, the class gained a high level of respect from Romulan, Klingon, and Gorn commanders.
The Chandley was the only ship in Starfleet named after the company that designed and built it; the company was owned by the descendants of Rear Admiral Thomas Chandley, one of the most decorated heroes of Terran history. Chandley, an admiral in the United States Navy, was well known for his brilliant blockade of Russian ports during the Aleutian Incident of 2003.[1]
Of the 184 Chandley class frigates built by June 2281, 63 Mark Is, 64 Mark IIIs, and 47 Mark IVs remained in active service. Two Mark Is had been transferred to Starfleet Training Command; four Mark Is and one Mark IV had been destroyed; one Mark I was listed as missing; one Mark I had been scrapped; and one Mark I had been sold to the private sector. The Chandley class was produced at the shipyards of Mars, Saturn, and Andor at a rate of four Mark Is, ten Mark IIIs, and 14 Mark IVs per year.[1]
Chandley class vessels
- U.S.S. Blackheart NCC-2327[1]
- U.S.S. Chandley NCC-2300[1]
- U.S.S. East Anglia[3]
- U.S.S. Fife NCC-2572[4]
- U.S.S. Hanson NCC-2309[1]
- U.S.S. Monson NCC-2392[1]
- U.S.S. Niwen NCC-2306[2]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "Federation Ship Recognition Manual." Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game, Supplement 2302. Game. 1985. FASA.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Where Has All the Glory Gone?" Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game, Supplement 2217. Game. 1985. FASA.
- ↑ "The White Flame: Starship Combat Scenario Pack." Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game, Supplement 2225. 1988. FASA.
- ↑ "A Doomsday Like Any Other." Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game, Supplement 2212. Game. 1986. FASA.
