Flagship

[The Old Mixer]

Not necessarily. They likely chose to give the first Galaxy-class ship in full service the name and registry number for a reason.

Even if you exempt the Galaxy as the first of her class "operational," the first operational Galaxy class could have been the Challenger, Odyssey, Venture, Yamato and not the Enterprise.

But it wasn't. They chose to give their flagship the name and registry of the Enterprise for a reason.

 

[T'Girl]

But it wasn't. They chose to give their flagship the name and registry of the Enterprise for a reason.

How does that make it the first operational Galaxy?

Then again, when one builds multiple essentially identical ships with such flexibility as demonstrated by the E-D, one probably has completely free choice over which one to appoint as the Federation Flagship

Internally the multiple Galaxy's might not have been the same, if purposely built as not just a explorer and weapons platform, but also as a speciality diplomatic and Federation show piece, the Flagship could have facilities that the other Galaxy's lacked.

More large living quarters for guests, more extensive conference abilities, stuff like that.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Didn't the Odyssey have a different bridge configuration?

And shouldn't the designation of "flagship" also reflect the crew assigned to the ship, not just the ship?

 

[The Old Mixer]

But it wasn't. They chose to give their flagship the name and registry of the Enterprise for a reason.

How does that make it the first operational Galaxy?

It doesn't matter if it was or wasn't. It only serves my point if the Galaxy was fully operational, because they chose to wait for the second ship in the series, the one that would be given the name and registry of the Enterprise, to designate as the Federation's flagship. Why wasn't it the Galaxy or the Yamato? Because that was never the hero ship of the show...it was always the Enterprise, whatever exact ship was wearing its fabled name and registry at the time.

 

[Timo]

...Can we even be sure that the title "Federation Flagship" is unique, definite article or no? Perhaps one of those is needed for every preplanned first contact situation, so the Federation has three dozen?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[MacLeod]

"Sure they are we've seen a couple of Defiant's and Hoods in Star Trek.

And what about the fact that they have been fifteen ships in the Royal Navy to bear the name Enterprise?"

I said names are not usually reused. The fact that Defiant and Hood have been used more than once does not indicate that it is a standard practice.

So far we have a couple of Defiants and Hoods, the Enterprise 6 times (7 if you count the retcon of the last series) and the Yamato which had an "E" after her registry. There might be others but those are the exmples that have come to our minds easily. That's 4 names out of a fleet of thousands of ships - not a regular practice.

Let's see there is also the Excalibur, the Intrepid (presumed to exist due to the Intrepid Class). So that's now at least 6 ships. So it would appear than ships names are re-used often, even in a fleet of thousands or tens of thousands It's fair bet many of those names have been used before. For example look at the Royal Navy as I mentioned earlier the name Enterprise has been used fiften times, I bet I could with not too much difficulty find more examples.

 

[T'Girl]

... because they chose ...

And by "They" you are referring to the producers of the TV show?

As far as a in-universe point that holds no water. Nor does it explain your repeated point of view that the first operational Galaxy was automatically the Flagship.
We have no information as to in which order the Galaxy's were launched.

 

[MacLeod]

Well it would make sense that the first one off the production line was the USS Galaxy, after that it's anybodies guess. We know the launch date of the Ent-D was circa 2364 but that's about it.

 

[T'Girl]

...Can we even be sure that the title "Federation Flagship" is unique, definite article or no?

If Starfleet starships exist in ten's of thousands, then it would make sense that there would be many "The Flagship of the Federation." Divided (or not) among the Federation's various lanes of expansion. They wouldn't all have to be Galaxy's, but likely would still be a starship that was capable of being dressed to impress.

 

[J.T.B.]

I have always understood the HMS Hood to have been the pride of the British Navy and that is how I have interpreted the description of the Enterprise-D as the flagship of Starfleet, it was the pride of the fleet.

Sure, but people didn't call Hood the flagship of the Royal Navy. That wouldn't have made sense.

It doesn't matter if it was or wasn't. It only serves my point if the Galaxy was fully operational, because they chose to wait for the second ship in the series, the one that would be given the name and registry of the Enterprise, to designate as the Federation's flagship.

This seems to imply that the "Federation flagship" designation is assigned early in a vessels' career and is fairly permanent, but is there any reason to assume that's the case?

Well it would make sense that the first one off the production line was the USS Galaxy, [...]

Or maybe not, for instance the Lexington-class carrier Saratoga (CV-3) actually completed and entered service before Lexington (CV-2).

 

[C.E. Evans]

...Can we even be sure that the title "Federation Flagship" is unique, definite article or no?

If Starfleet starships exist in ten's of thousands, then it would make sense that there would be many "The Flagship of the Federation." Divided (or not) among the Federation's various lanes of expansion. They wouldn't all have to be Galaxy's, but likely would still be a starship that was capable of being dressed to impress.

I think there are still ships that serve as flagships in the traditional sense, particularly in taskforce operations, and such vessels are probably referred to as "the Federation flagship" by an objective party, but I also think the Enterprise was the Federation flagship--the definite article--and did hold a special distinction above all other vessels in the Starfleet.

 

[The Old Mixer]

^Even when they weren't literally calling it the flagship, they were implying left and right that the Enterprise was a particularly prestigious assignment. I was just watching "Ensign Ro", where Riker objects to Ro's attitude by exclaiming that some officers wait years to serve on the Enterprise.

... Nor does it explain your repeated point of view that the first operational Galaxy was automatically the Flagship.

I was getting that from you, responding to your argument on your terms:

Of course it wasn't the same ship, debatably the ship that was named the Enterprise D if give a different name and hull number would still have been the "Flagship of the Federation."

Whatever Galaxy class was launch at that time would have been carried that title.

Now you're just talking in circles...if you're going to argue with your own opinion, you don't need me for that.