Mechano class

Inscription on commissioning plaque:
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

--PATRICK HENRY, speech (1775)

Armaments: Sixteen phaser cannon coupled to the multifunction phased array; eight quantum torpedo launchers; 2 squadrons of 50 Semi-Autonomous Remotely-Piloted Expendable Vehicles (SARPEVs).

Type: Destroyer.

Status: One in commission, four undergoing trials, four under construction. An additional six hulls are in storage at the Jupiter L-5 boneyards, for use as spares.

About Ship: The Mechano class is a response to the greatly accelerated losses experienced by Starfleet over the past few years. It incorporates as much new technology as possible, and is designed for speedy construction and ease of maintenance. The primary hull is derived from a civil transport, and the engineering hull is an all-new design. Both may be quickly constructed at any Starfleet shipyard. All internal systems are modularized, allowing the Mechano to be quickly repaired or reconfigured in an emergency. To speed the re-fit process, the Mechano is equipped with very large access panels over the entire hull. These panels are secured by mechanical linkages that can be quickly plasma-welded in place during a refit (the reverse process is used to remove the panels).

The output of all sixteen phaser cannon can be emitted from any part of the phased array, for full 360 degree coverage. The hull incorporates holographic projectors to render it nearly invisible. The shields are configured in multiple layers with automatic random frequency rotation. The layer beneath the phased array consists of ablative armor laid over conventional hull materials.

Power is supplied by a quad-core M/ARA coupled to a quantum flywheel battery capable of storing 120 hours' output. The warp pods incorporate virtual variable geometry, allowing the warp field to be configured for maximum efficiency without cumbersome mechanical systems. Impulse engines are standard fusion reaction motors, supplemented with gravitic slope modulators (GSM) located in the leading edge of the primary hull. Impulse power is augmented by zero-space generator modules. Attitude control is effected by differential actuation of the GSMs. The GSM attitude control method affords fine adjustment of the vessel's attitude, so no supplemental thrusters are required. The major advantage of GSM thrust is that it permits violent maneuvers without overtaxing the structural integrity field. The GSM does not generate power, so it is not the primary sublight propulsion system.

The hull is covered with a multifunction phased array. The array includes sensors, phaser emitters, navigational deflectors, and tractor beams. It can take a significant amount of damage before performance is noticeably degraded. The acuity of the Mechano's sensors provide extremely accurate and detailed information to targeting systems. The SARPEVs act as advanced scouts as well as providing additional firepower.