Sovereign Class

Name: Sovereign
Craft: United Federation of Planets Sovereign-Class Heavy Explorer
Type: Heavy Cruiser
Scale: capital
Length: 685.34 x 242.56 x 137.82 meters
Ship Mass: 3,900,000 metric tons
Starship Size: 8
Skill: capital ship pilot
Autopilot: 4D+1
Crew: 855; Skeleton: 86/+10
Passengers: 200
Cargo Capacity: 133,000 metric tons
Consumables: 3 years
Warp Drive: 8 / 9.6 / 9.95 (12 Hours)
Nav Computer: yes
Maneuverability: 1D+2
Space: 9.5
Hull: 6D
Shields: 3D+2
Sensors

• Passive: 60 / 2D
• Scan: 130 / 3D
• Search: 170 / 3D+2
• Focus: 5 / 4D+2

Weapons

• 3 Type XII Phaser Arrays

Fire Arc: 405 degrees dorsal, 2x 360 degrees ventral
Location: saucer dorsal, saucer ventral forward port, saucer ventral forward starboard
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 1-2/5/15
Firing Modes: Standard, Continuous, Pulse, Wide-Beam
Rate of fire: 5
Damage: 4D+2

• 3 Type XII Phaser Arrays

Fire Arc: 250 degrees dorsal aft port, 250 degrees dorsal aft starboard, 360 degrees ventral
Location: saucer dorsal aft port, saucer dorsal aft starboard, engineering ventral
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 1-2/5/15
Firing Modes: Standard, Continuous, Pulse, Wide-Beam
Rate of fire: 2
Damage: 4D+2

• 6 Type XII Phaser Arrays

Fire Arc: 2x 250 degrees dorsal aft port, 2x 250 degrees dorsal aft starboard, 2x 360 degrees ventral
Location: 2 saucer dorsal aft port, 2 saucer dorsal aft starboard, saucer ventral aft port, saucer ventral aftstarboard
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 1-2/5/15
Firing Modes: Standard, Continuous, Pulse, Wide-Beam
Rate of fire: 1
Damage: 4D+2

• 4 Quantum Torpedo Launchers

Fire Arc: 2 forward, 2 aft
Location: forward ventral, saucer forward, aft saucer port, aft saucer starboard
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 1-18/75/203
Ammunition: 300 Mark I Quantum Torpedoes total
Spread: 12
Damage: 8D

• 3 Class Delta Tractor Beams

Fire Arc: 2 forward, 1 aft
Location: forward dorsal, forward ventral, aft ventral
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D
Space Range: 1-3/5/10
Rate of fire: 1
Strength: 4D+2

• 2 Class Alpha Tractor Beams

Fire Arc: Shuttlebays
Location: one in each Shuttlebay
Crew: 1
Scale: Starfighter
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 1D+1
Space Range: 1-3/5/10
Rate of fire: 1
Strength: 3D

Miscellaneous:

• Crew Quarters:
  • Basic: 800
  • Expanded: 230
  • Luxury: 45
  • Unusual: 25
• Decks: 24
• Escape Pods: 180

• Capacity per Pod: 8

• Year Commissioned: 2370 (Earth Reckoning)

Transporters

• Personnel: 6

• Range: 40,000 km
• Capacity: 6 persons

• Emergency: 6

• Range: 15,000 km
• Capacity: 24 persons

• Cargo: 8

• Range: 40,000 km
• Capacity: 400 kg

Complement

• Shuttle Craft: 12
• Shuttle Pods: 6
• Probes: 80
• Captain's Yacht: yes

Description: The Sovereign-class was a type of starship that was the lead type of Starfleet explorer vessel from the late 24th century into the 25th century. (STO video game: Star Trek Online)

History

The Sovereign-class began development in the year 2365 intended to be the latest and greatest in Starfleet exploration starships. Following the USS Enterprise-D's encounter with the Borg later that year, Starfleet began to augment the design with Borg defense in mind. In 2366, Starfleet was exposed to the full force of the Borg in the Battle of Wolf 359. After suffering huge loses with almost no damage done to the Borg, Starfleet's entire policy of starship design shifted towards defense and the Sovereign-class design was subsequently altered to reflect this.

The prototype USS Sovereign was finally launched in 2370, followed two years later by the USS Enterprise-E after the destruction of the USS Enterprise-D. The Enterprise later faced the Borg during their incursion of Federation space in 2373. Proving to be highly successful against the Borg, the Sovereign was hailed as one of the "best balances of exploration and tactical capability since the Constitution-class of a century prior" and was expected to be Starfleet's leading class well into the 25th century. As of 2373, it was Starfleet's most advanced vessel type. It wasn't until the year 2409 that the Sovereign class was replaced by the Odyssey-class as Starfleet's leading class. (ST reference: Starship Spotter, ST website: StarTrek.com; ST reference: Star Trek Online)

Features

Sovereign-class starships were quite adaptable to different missions, whether they be scientific, defensive, or diplomatic. These ships have 29 numbered decks. Two shuttlebays, one on the far aft of the secondary hull, similar to the hangar of the older Constitution and Ambassador-class ships, and another bay on the aft part of deck 7 were built in to the class. The Sovereign vessels were also fitted with a captain's yacht which launched from the underside of the saucer section. The class had 6 standard personnel transporters, 8 cargo transporters and 6 emergency transporters. (Decipher RPG module: Starfleet Operations Manual)

The class featured a warp drive modified not to have damaging effects on subspace, without the necessity of the Intrepid-class's continuum-safe variable geometry warp nacelles. The Sovereign-class had a maximum speed of warp 9.975+. (ST reference: Starship Spotter; TNG novel: Ship of the Line)

The Sovereign-class incorporated bioneural gel packs into its computer systems. The bioneural gel in them was obtained from the Kropaslin and was designed by Doctor Delasat Vantimor. (SCE - What's Past eBook: The Future Begins)

The class was capable of separation with the saucer section and secondary hull becoming autonomous vehicles. The USS Enterprise-E performed this maneuver in 2380 during a mission to infiltrate a Borg cube. (TNG novel: Resistance)

In terms of weapons the Sovereign-class starship was fitted with a phaser array, should it be nonoperational then there was an auxiliary pulse phaser cannon that emerged from the hull. This cannon was capable of being manually operated and fired two pulse blasts along with a powered shot. (TNG video game: Star Trek: Elite Force II)

Originally, the Sovereign-class was outfitted with 12 phaser arrays and 5 torpedo tubes. Sometime between 2375 and 2379, the Sovereign-class was refitted with 4 extra phaser arrays mounted on the nacelle pylons and 5 more torpedo tubes. (ST movie: Star Trek: Nemesis)

The USS Sovereign was outfitted with 20 phased plasma torpedoes and a regenerative shield system. (ST video game: Bridge Commander)

With this class of vessel, the quantum torpedo was introduced as the most advanced tactical weapon in the Federation. (ST website: StarTrek.com)

The Sovereign-class could ordinarily transport up to 6500 passengers in an emergency scenario. During the evacuation of the iy'Dewra'ni refugee camp in 2381, the crew of the Enterprise-E were able to increase this number to over 9800. (TNG novel: Losing the Peace)

Sovereign-class vessels had a streamlined design and ventral shielding. (ST website: StarTrek.com)

Source:

• Memory Alpha: Sovereign class
• Memory Beta: Sovereign class
• Ship Recognition Manual vol 1 (Spacedock) (pages 120-123)
• thedemonapostle