Bad Starship Names

[Vale]

Well from Picard's language and mannerisms we could assume that England at some point between now and the early 24th century conquers France

It would have to be the United Kingdom. England is not an independent nation state. Though the way things are going right now...

As a Constitution-Class ship she was likely launched sometime prior to 2245, whilst Spock (the first Vulcan to enrol) was at Starfleet Academy sometime around 2250, so she wasn't likely to have an all-Vulcan crew until much later in her service.

While it's even quoted on startrek.com that Spock was the first Vulcan to enrol in Starfleet, it's never been confirmed in the show itself. Indeed, the existence of the Intrepid herself seems to suggest otherwise.

With her platinum jubilee fast approaching and reaching such a milestone would good old Lizzie get a ship named after her, or would they have to have the Queen Elizabeth I first before launching the Queen Elizabeth II?

It would just be the Queen Elizabeth, as with the current British flagship (which is actually named for Elizabeth I, not the current monarch). The Platinum Jubilee technically happened in February (the 70th anniversary of the Queen acceding to the throne), though the celebrations won't happen until June (the 69th anniversary of the coronation).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

While it's even quoted on startrek.com that Spock was the first Vulcan to enrol in Starfleet, it's never been confirmed in the show itself. Indeed, the existence of the Intrepid herself seems to suggest otherwise.

There's also T'Pol to consider. IIRC, she actually did get a Starfleet commission.

 

[at Quark's]

Maybe there's an entire class with ships all named for various snacks. That might even be where the good ship USS Lollipop belongs too...

If we're doing snacks, Being Dutch, I would love to see a USS Bamibal, USS Frikandel Speciaal and an a USS Borrelnootje (names of Dutch snacks).

I would expect these ships to be captained in style, by extremely obese captains in mobility scooters, all working for the fatter... I mean betterment of mankind.

While it's even quoted on startrek.com that Spock was the first Vulcan to enrol in Starfleet, it's never been confirmed in the show itself. Indeed, the existence of the Intrepid herself seems to suggest otherwise.

It would be very weird if he were the first. I mean Starfleet (the Federation version) is presumably chartered in 2161 or not long thereafter. Spock is born in 2230, joining Starfleet in 2245 or so or a few years later, which would mean that for the first 85-90 years, not a single Vulcan had joined (and even then, Spock is 'only' a Vulcan-human hybrid). If they're looking down on a central Federation institution that much, you can wonder why they ever joined the Federation in the first place.

 

[Nyotarules]

^ Those men were not Nazis. Not even close.

Maybe not, but I doubt they had good intentions for Poland

Intrepid: extremely brave and showing no fear of dangerous situations (Cambridge English Dictionary)

Sounds like it would most definitely apply to Vulcans, who control and suppress their emotions therefore show no fear no matter what situation they face.

Then from a production point of view make up a Vulcan word for Intrepid, call it USS (Vulcan word)

It may not have initially been crewed by all Vulcans when named/launched. Perhaps the Vulcans were honoring the intentions of the ship's christener?

Reasonable in universe explanation

 

[Nyotarules]

If they're looking down on a central Federation institution that much, you can wonder why they ever joined the Federation in the first place.

To keep an eye on the Andorians...

 

[cooleddie74]

I could easily see the Vulcans agreeing to join the Federation on the condition that most instances of any future combat operations with hostile interstellar powers not involve uniformed Vulcan personnel or ships. It took decades for Vulcan to acclimate to being part of a union that encouraged members to provide for a common defense and thus Spock was one of the first of his world to join.

 

[at Quark's]

^ Perhaps yes, the Vulcans might be pacifist at heart.

Even so, they had an extensive presence in space before the Federation, were probably quite adept at combat if they really had to, and I would expect them to have a centuries old 'space navy' tradition as well - even if only to protect their own (more peaceful) assets. Why give all that up, or the potential to have direct influence on those?

 

[cooleddie74]

Smugness and positing themselves as the intellect of the new Federation. They wanted the benefits of Federation membership without wanting to get their hands dirty.

And I could see Vulcan losing a lot of ships and lives in the Earth-Romulan War as one of the members of the Coalition of Planets. That might have turned them against heavy involvement in a united Starfleet military structure, at least until the 23rd century.

 

[at Quark's]

Possibly. They seem to have ended up slightly marginalized as a result in the 23rd and 24th century- even though we mainly see things from a somewhat distorted Starfleet (rather than Federation) perspective - but even the Federation's foes talk about Earth as the locus of power.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Then from a production point of view make up a Vulcan word for Intrepid, call it USS (Vulcan word)

It'd be hilarious if the name of the ship was literally the USS Vulcan Word.

 

[SJGardner]

USS Placeholder
USS Same in English
USS Replace in Post
USS sdfsfgsgfregfsgfsg

 

[Sci]

The more I think about it the more I like the USS Bundesversammlung for bad ship names.

 

[at Quark's]

It'd be hilarious if the name of the ship was literally the USS Vulcan Word.

Captain: Welcome, Ambassador Solvak, to our USS OK insert some bloody token Vulcan name here already. It's a great honor for our humble ship to receive an ambassador of your elevated rank.
Solvak: Thank you Captain. Might I inquire as to the somewhat .... curious name of this ship?
Captain: Not much to tell, really. Admiral Eriksen who authorized the build of this vessel seems to have assumed that a subcommittee would come up with the name, but no such committee was ever appointed.

 

[UssGlenn]

USS Placeholder
USS Same in English
USS Replace in Post
USS sdfsfgsgfregfsgfsg

USS Lorem Ipsum

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

It would have to be the United Kingdom. England is not an independent nation state. Though the way things are going right now...

That's why I went with England, with any luck Scotland will be free very soon.

While it's even quoted on startrek.com that Spock was the first Vulcan to enrol in Starfleet, it's never been confirmed in the show itself. Indeed, the existence of the Intrepid herself seems to suggest otherwise.

In "The Cage" (set in 2254) he is a Lieutenant, then by the time of TOS S1 (2265/66) he was referred to several times as Lieutenant Commander (despite wearing Commander braids) and finally as Commander in "Amok Time" (2267), so he'd not exactly been pushing himself to excel in rank over an 11 year period. If we take what was said in JJTrek 1 that someone could make Captain in 8 years, then a Vulcan classmate of Spock's could easily have surpassed him in rank and been given command of the Intrepid and then pulled together an all Vulcan crew. I know, it's a bit of a stretch, but all things are possible, lol.

Then from a production point of view make up a Vulcan word for Intrepid, call it USS (Vulcan word)

The production team didn't have much faith in the intelligence of the audience and didn't want to confuse them with a made up word they'd never heard of for a ship that was about to be destroyed anyway, didn't want to waste time adding a line of dialogue explaining the name of the ship, didn't think anyone would still be discussing topics like what ships were called almost 60 years later

In-universe, the Vulcan crew may only have been a recent assignment, after 20 or so years having been known as the Intrepid, and there are a lot of old maritime superstitions about renaming ships which may have carried on through the centuries and into the stars so the name was kept in Federation Standard--a practice the fleet seems to keep doing. Such as with the Norway-Class and not the Norge-Class? There's only been one Starfleet ship with a Vulcan name, the T'Kumbra, and going by common naming conventions for the species it sounds as though she were named after a prestigious Vulcan female.

 

[Nyotarules]

I think the novelverse gets around it by saying the USS Intrepid was a ship sponsored by the Vulcan Science Academy. Maybe the crew is made up of Vulcans rejected by the Vulcan Expeditionary Group or Vulcans who believe the VEG are bunch of stuffy green assholes with no sense of adventure, so they joined Starfleet instead. For a race that lives for 200 years, 11 years climbing up the ranks would be nothing.

 

[Vale]

There's also T'Pol to consider. IIRC, she actually did get a Starfleet commission.

Earth Starfleet though, not Federation Starfleet.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Earth Starfleet though, not Federation Starfleet.

True dat.

Although I'm sure T'Pol continued to serve in the Federation Starfleet once it was formed. So I'm not wrong.

 

[dupersuper]

I have ancestors from Quebec. Hope to visit someday and due some family history digging.

I've been in Montreal twice, driving through with my family in 1995 (my father got lost trying to navigate the streets, swore a lot in French and had to get directions at a convenience store at one point), and took the train there with a bunch of friends in university a year or two later for the weekend (2 or 3 days of 18 - 19 year olds walking around trying not to get flattened by the crazy drivers, hitting up strip bars, arcades, a hockey game, restaurants, comic stores, the movies and anything else we could find that looked fun). So in the 90s it was fun but the traffic was crazy. I have no idea what it's like now.

There's also T'Pol to consider. IIRC, she actually did get a Starfleet commission.

I believe we've also now seen a Vulcan admiral in Discovery season 2 in 2257.

 

[Tuskin38]

Different times, different mores. Though it's interesting to note that, even back then, they knew well enough to steer clear of any German ship names.

It's an interesting psychological blind spot.

When was was a dumb edgy teen, I thought I was clever by making the Terran Empire counter part of the USS Hood the ISS Bismarck in one of my RPG games