At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterprises?

[Turd Ferguson]

I was reminded in the movie forum of a line from First Contact when Picard mentions "There are plenty of letters in the alphabet," in regards to blowing up the Enterprise-E to stop the Borg. Then, I remembered in Azati Prime, Daniels mentions to Captain Archer about the Enterprise-J fighting a war against the Sphere Builders.

Now, I can understand the reasoning behind the Enterprise-A. The Enterprise-0 saved the Federation's collective ass time and again, so it just makes sense to have a ship to commemorate the name. The same with the Enterprise-B, after the -A helped establish peace with the Klingon Empire. The Enterprise-D makes sense too, considering how the Enterprise-C was lost.

Now, this is when it starts to get a little ridiculous. The Enterprise-E is commissioned after Commander "HAP" Riker loses the -D to a twenty year old Bird of Prey. Maybe that's not as awesome as going out in a blaze of glory over the Genesis Planet or getting blown to shit fighting the Romulans, but Starfleet still decided it was prudent to commission another Enterprise.

Now, this is where it gets tricky. Daniels tells Archer that they are in the 26th century. Watching the Enterprise-J. If we don't count the NX-01, then that's ELEVEN Enterprises in just two hundred and fifty years (assuming the Delphic Expanse battle took place exactly in the year 2500). That averages out to about one Enterprise every 23 years, but aren't Starfleet ships supposed to last longer? We know that Enterprise-0, -C, and -D met horrific fates in battle, we don't have any data for the -B or -E, although we know the -A was retired to make way for the -B. So, out of six ships, half of them ended in explosions. We can also deduce that for such a quick turnaround in Enterprises through the years, the majority of ships from the Enterprise-E through Enterprise-I also met untimely demises.

So, why does Starfleet keep building them? The only message they'll be sending an enemy race is that the Enterprise name is the ship equivalent of Wile E. Coyote. Keep blowing 'em up... we'll make more!

At what point does Starfleet decide the letter designations are getting a little ridiculous? The Enterprise-Z? What happens when that ship gets blown up? Does it roll over to the Enterprise-AA, or do that go with numbers? The Enterprise-One?

Just a little thought I had. Anybody have any idea or comments?

 

[Tosk]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

It's a tradition now, so it probably won't go away. Once they've used up the alphabet, they can go back to 1701-A. It'll have been hundreds of years since the original by then, so I don't think it'll be too confusing.

 

[Lance]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

Given that TUC suggests that the full and correct insignia is NCC-1701-Alpha, which would make the others 1701-Beta, 1701-Gamma, 1701-Delta, etc, my assumption is that when they get to 'Z' they'd simply add another digit with each subsequent round. So, after 1701-Z we get 1701-AA (Alpha Alpha), 1701-BA (Beta Alpha), 1701-CA (Gamma Alpha), and so on, and so forth.

 

[Tosk]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

Given that TUC suggests that the full and correct insignia is NCC-1701-Alpha [...]

I always assumed that's just them using the NATO phonetic alphabet. (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie...)

 

[martok2112]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

Given that TUC suggests that the full and correct insignia is NCC-1701-Alpha [...]

I always assumed that's just them using the NATO phonetic alphabet. (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie...)

Same here... Alpha Bravo Charlie, etc.

Perhaps after they get to Enterprise-Z, it might go something like this...

NCC-1701-A2. And her shuttlecraft... NCC-1701-A2/1, etc.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

Never. Why would they stop?

 

[at Quark's]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

1. I don't think there's a starfleet regulation that prohibits skipping letters. So, Ent-J would not necessarily mean there had been 10 enterprises before that one. Though I must admit I can't think of any good reasons to skip a letter ....

2. I'm not sure if, say, the ent-G and the ent-H couldn't be in service simultaneously ? Suppose the 30-year-old flagship (Ent-G) is a bit behind the times, upgrading it is not considered cost-efficient and hence it is relegated to second-tier duty. Meanwhile, a new flagship enters service, and since it is tradition to always have an enterprise carrying the title, it is christened Ent-H. I'm not certain that would lead to confusion.

Or perhaps the old Enterprise is even renamed, much like 'Air Force one' is the plane that happens to carry the
U.S. president at the time.

(I'm sure my suggestions don't mesh with contemporary naval conventions, but who's to say these are still exactly the same in 26th century Starfleet ?)

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterprises?

As soon as the television series based on their exploits start becoming unprofitable.

 

[MacLeod]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

I was reminded in the movie forum of a line from First Contact when Picard mentions "There are plenty of letters in the alphabet," in regards to blowing up the Enterprise-E to stop the Borg. Then, I remembered in Azati Prime, Daniels mentions to Captain Archer about the Enterprise-J fighting a war against the Sphere Builders.

Now, I can understand the reasoning behind the Enterprise-A. The Enterprise-0 saved the Federation's collective ass time and again, so it just makes sense to have a ship to commemorate the name. The same with the Enterprise-B, after the -A helped establish peace with the Klingon Empire. The Enterprise-D makes sense too, considering how the Enterprise-C was lost.

Now, this is when it starts to get a little ridiculous. The Enterprise-E is commissioned after Commander "HAP" Riker loses the -D to a twenty year old Bird of Prey. Maybe that's not as awesome as going out in a blaze of glory over the Genesis Planet or getting blown to shit fighting the Romulans, but Starfleet still decided it was prudent to commission another Enterprise.

Now, this is where it gets tricky. Daniels tells Archer that they are in the 26th century. Watching the Enterprise-J. If we don't count the NX-01, then that's ELEVEN Enterprises in just two hundred and fifty years (assuming the Delphic Expanse battle took place exactly in the year 2500). That averages out to about one Enterprise every 23 years, but aren't Starfleet ships supposed to last longer? We know that Enterprise-0, -C, and -D met horrific fates in battle, we don't have any data for the -B or -E, although we know the -A was retired to make way for the -B. So, out of six ships, half of them ended in explosions. We can also deduce that for such a quick turnaround in Enterprises through the years, the majority of ships from the Enterprise-E through Enterprise-I also met untimely demises.

So, why does Starfleet keep building them? The only message they'll be sending an enemy race is that the Enterprise name is the ship equivalent of Wile E. Coyote. Keep blowing 'em up... we'll make more!

At what point does Starfleet decide the letter designations are getting a little ridiculous? The Enterprise-Z? What happens when that ship gets blown up? Does it roll over to the Enterprise-AA, or do that go with numbers? The Enterprise-One?

Just a little thought I had. Anybody have any idea or comments?

Well when Daniels takes Archer to see the Battle of Procyon V we are told we are 400 years into the future so that would place the Battle of Proyon and the Ent-J circa 2555. No obviously when Daniels set 400 years it could only have been 380 or 410 years.


But as others have said you can go NCC-1701-AA then NCC-1701-AB etc... then start when you reach the end of that cycle you go BA, BB, BC and so on

 

[BillJ]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

I tend to think they will continue to use the name Enterprise, as long as the Federation exists. The question: when will they retire the "NCC-1701" registry?

 

[martok2112]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

I tend to think they will continue to use the name Enterprise, as long as the Federation exists. The question: when will they retire the "NCC-1701" registry?

As soon as they reach the designation: NCC-1701-ZZ-TOP

 

[SchwEnt]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

Yeah that's the thing of it. They can keep using the name Enterprise forever. The registry accommodates all future ships by design. There can be Enterprise NCC-1701. And an Enterprise NCC-2710. Enterprise NCC-5299. Enterprise NCC-19664. Enterprise NCC-19730. Enterprise NCC-43870. And so on. No limit, no problem.

Seemingly that's what registry numbers do, identify specific vessels even if she carries the same name of a previous vessel.

They got this strange idea to then honor Enterprise not merely by keeping the name alive by tradition, but specifically the registry of one singular ship.

 

[Timo]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

Well, they already stopped with the E-C - it took twenty years for the next ship of that name to be introduced.

Watching the Enterprise-J. If we don't count the NX-01, then that's ELEVEN Enterprises in just two hundred and fifty years

Or then the -J got there due to time travel magic, from much farther future, considering the circumstances.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Chronos]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

The Enterprise seems to be one of the best (if not THE best) ship in the fleet. Just the name "Enterprise" seems to have become synonymous with success, considering all of the great deeds done under the name. The only thing that could take away the prestige of Enterprise would be some sort of horrible event which ruins its good name such as a captured ship which allows the Federation's enemies to study their ship designs.

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

When they run out of letters, they'll just switch to the Vulcan alphabet.

 

[Timo]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

The only thing that could take away the prestige of Enterprise would be some sort of horrible event which ruins its good name such as a captured ship which allows the Federation's enemies to study their ship designs.

...Such as what happened to the E-C, or could reasonably have been suspected to have happened?

(Also, in the alternate timeline, the E-C supposedly was blamed of a cowardly retreat which then led to a bloody war. The Federation still built an E-D. Just to spite the Klingons? The USN did immediately build a new USS Maine...)

Timo Saloniemi

 

[C.E. Evans]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

I think its very possible that the NCC-1701 registry could be retired with the tenth or twelfth Enterprise with that number. And then a new Enterprise with a brand-new registry will follow it. Subsequent Enterprises may also have different registries too, IMO.

I just don't see Starfleet ever permanently retiring the Enterprise name. Temporarily now and then, yes, but it'll always come back eventually.

 

[Elias Vaughn]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

You seem to be assuming every Enterprise is named after its immediate predecessor. Why can't they all be named for and honoring the NX-01? Then it wouldn't matter how the Enterprise-Q was destroyed, the Enterprise-R was still named for Archer's ship.

 

[Hando]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri

They are never going to stop building and/or naming ships Enterprise. It is possible that as Federation members increase, and by extension the names incorporated from the ship naming conventions also increase, it may be that the probability of of ship becoming Enterprise may decrease.

On the other hand we have the registry number. My take is that the Enterprises have 2 registry numbers, the alias NCC-1701 and an actual registry number along the same format as contemporary ships. (A: NCC-1717 from the original Yorktown;B: NCC-20??; D: NCC-712??; E: NCC-73812...)

I guess that Starfleet will abandon the registries before the 29th century, with the rise of the ?Timefleet and NCV registries. Or we may see NCV-1701 as a new start for a future Enterprise.

 

[SPCTRE]

Re: At what point does the Federation decide to stop building Enterpri