Type:

Light combat / scout ship

Commissioned:

2343 - 2368

Dimensions:

Length:

191 m

Beam:

250 m

Height:

41 m

Decks:

11

Mass:

250,000 tons

Crew:

102

Armament:

1 x Type VIII phaser bank

4 x Type VII phaser arrays, total phaser output 4,000 TeraWatts

2 x Standard photon torpedo tubes + 30 torpedoes

Defense Systems:

Shield system, total capacity 189,000 TeraJoules

Standard Duranium single hull

Standard level Structural Integrity Field

Warp Speeds:

Normal Cruise: Warp 6

(TNG Scale)

Maximum Cruise: Warp 8.8

Maximum Rated: Warp 9.2 for twelve hours

Strength Indices:

Beam Firepower: 80

(Galaxy Class = 1000)

Torpedo Firepower: 250

Weapon Range & Accuracy: 165

Shield Strength: 70

Hull Armor: 10

Speed: 810

Combat Maneuverability: 20000

Overall Strength Index: 205

Diplomatic Capability:

Grade 2

Expected Hull Life:

80 years

Refit Cycle:

Minor: 1 year

Standard: 5 years

Major: 20 years

Added Features:

The Saber class was part of Starfleet's modernization program of the 2340's. They were designed to be a frigate counterpart to the Steamrunner class Starship; much smaller, easier to build and hence considerably more numerous. The designers brought in many measures to ensure that the Saber class would be easy to build; like the much earlier Oberth class science vessels the Saber's design is highly modular in nature, allowing ten thousand ton sections to be constructed in small shipyards before final assembly in a larger facility. One requirement was for the Saber's to have a science and exploration capacity equal to 85% that of a Steamrunner class along with equal cruise and maximum speeds - a measure intended to allow the vessels to work together in co-ordinated operations. This proved an exceptionally difficult target to meet in a hull with only two thirds of the volume of a Steamrunner; the designers were eventually forced to cut the torpedo armament of the Saber class from the original two triple-fire torpedo tubes to a single mono-fire tube and reduce the load carried from 90 to 30 torpedoes. The six type VII phaser arrays were at first to be reduced to only four, but in the event a reduction in the ships accommodation levels allowed a single Type VIII emitter to be worked into the leading edge of the saucer section. This brought the overall phaser power to some 91% of the initial planned phaser capacity. The competition for internal volume also forced a reduction in the size of the warp core, and as a result the Saber can only manage a top speed of Warp 9.2 compared to the Steamrunner's Warp 9.5

The original specifications of the Saber called for a crew of 130, but increased automation of the engineering systems allowed this to be cut to 118 and then 102. Conditions for the crew are quite poor by the standards of the Steamrunner or Akira classes; crew quarters average 30 square meters and there are no holodecks. In addition, there are no personal replicator stations in crew quarters - instead three mess areas are provided with replicator systems for the whole crew. The Saber's have proved reasonably successful in service, although the relatively poor living conditions has led to a shorter than expected average mission duration. Like the larger Akira and Steamrunner classes, Saber's have largely served in the frontier regions and they have been an uncommon sight at the heart of the Federation. This has changed over the last three years, when many of the Saber class have been relocated near the core as part of Starfleet's build-up of forces against the Dominion. Saber's featured heavily during the recent Borg incursion, where many of the ships involved in the Typhon and Earth battles were destroyed or severely damaged