The fate of the remaining Excelsiors

[kitsune]

In the post-Dominion War era, with Starfleet struggling to rebuild its fleet, would they try to phase out the remaining Excelsior-class ships, or extend their operational lifetimes as much as possible?

I'd like to justify having a refurbished Excelsior-class ship as the focus of a fanfic series, but at the same time, I want to keep things plausible. Sovereign and Luna-class ships would probably be more appropriate for deep-space exploration, but I think the cost of updating an existing ship is a lot less than building a new one from scratch.

 

[Aaron McGuire]

Depends on what you are updating it to do and how much you are updating it. Really, an Excelsior would, at best, be doing some follow up survey work in the wake of more top-of-the-line ships like the Sovereign or Luna classes. More likely, however, the follow up for that kind of thing would be done by a Nebula or Galaxy.

Personally, I think that the Excelsiors would be kept running to do rebuilding stuff around the Federation and would very slowly get phased out in the decade after the war in favor of new Akiras and Nebulas to fill the roles that Excelsiors took on.

Aaron McGuire

 

[CeJay]

After such devastating losses of ships and personnel, I would think Starfleet would hang on to whatever it can, upgraded or not. At the very least until newer vessel are completed. For Starfleet to reach pre-war strength is going to take some time.

Also, have a look at Gibraltar and Intrepid. (Treacherous Waters is a fantastic crossover in progress). A Constitution and an upgraded Excelsior, respectively. Still doing some serious heavy lifting in the post-war era.

 

[kitsune]

Depends on what you are updating it to do and how much you are updating it.

I was thinking of modernizing the computer and sensor systems (and the bridge). I wouldn't touch the warp core, nacelles, or phasers, though, since beefing up all the power transfer conduits would be too invasive and impractical. The mission profile would be primarily exploration.

Really, an Excelsior would, at best, be doing some follow up survey work in the wake of more top-of-the-line ships like the Sovereign or Luna classes. More likely, however, the follow up for that kind of thing would be done by a Nebula or Galaxy.

I suppose you're right about that. I just wish one of those four classes looked half as good as the Excelsior...

 

[Galen4]

Depends on what you are updating it to do and how much you are updating it.

I was thinking of modernizing the computer and sensor systems (and the bridge). I wouldn't touch the warp core, nacelles, or phasers, though, since beefing up all the power transfer conduits would be too invasive and impractical. The mission profile would be primarily exploration.

Really, an Excelsior would, at best, be doing some follow up survey work in the wake of more top-of-the-line ships like the Sovereign or Luna classes. More likely, however, the follow up for that kind of thing would be done by a Nebula or Galaxy.

I suppose you're right about that. I just wish one of those four classes looked half as good as the Excelsior...

I share your love for the Excelsiors, which is ironic, since I at first hated the model.

My own series, “Intrepid”, (which Cejay was kind enough to mention) follows the adventures of upgraded Excelsior and her crew. I have a plausible back-story to support the upgrades, however.

There are all sorts of scenarios in which an Excelsior could pull exploration duty or other hazardous assignments in post war Trek. Even without significant modifications.

While I applaud your devotion to detail, don’t let it limit your imagination. The series is, after all, your vision. Personally, I like fan fiction that doesn’t always center on some new “super ship”.

Let’s also remember that the Excelsiors were one of the most successful designs ever produced by Starfleet. Look at how many were in service through DS9 and Voyager. Their life cycle encompassed a good eighty years or so, which suggests a vehicle that supports generations of upgrades.

Or…you can also create your own Excelsior variant. Maybe a production model that was discontinued.

 

[kitsune]

I share your love for the Excelsiors, which is ironic, since I at first hated the model.

I'm glad I'm not alone ^_^

My own series, “Intrepid”, (which Cejay was kind enough to mention) follows the adventures of upgraded Excelsior and her crew. I have a plausible back-story to support the upgrades, however.

I'd be interested in reading that back-story. (edit: I just read it)

Personally, I like fan fiction that doesn’t always center on some new “super ship”.

That's how I feel. If anything, I want the ship to be plausible.

Or…you can also create your own Excelsior variant. Maybe a production model that was discontinued.

That's a possibility if I can somehow justify the ship's construction being recent enough for it to be competitive with later model ships in the exploration department...but I worry it will come out sounding contrived.

 

[Galen4]

It doesn’t have to be that competitive with newer ships. Maybe place the emphasis on the people instead.

We could say your captain has special knowledge or skills. Maybe he or she negotiates a peace treaty with a species and Starfleet orders his or her ship to remain in that part of the galaxy for ongoing relations.

Or…your captain or a member of the crew has special knowledge of a particular situation and the time constraints necessitate the ship going in ahead of newer vessels…then the ship has to remain behind because of some escalation in the crisis.

You could create a unique situation, along the lines of DS9.

Just some ideas.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

I'd say it is very plausible that Excelsiors would remain in service, post Dominion War. In fact, in my series (and in the UT universe) there are any number of older vessels that were pulled from mothballs after the war to stand in the gap following the horrific war losses. The Border Service cutter in my series is over seventy years old and still sees continuous use.

Heck, I'm waiting for someone to re-commission one of the original as-built Connies that's on display at the Starfleet Museum. ("No bloody A, B, C or D . . .")

Any takers?

 

[Mr. B]

According to my recollection of tech manuals, the frames of starships are supposed to be good for 100 years. Assuming they come in well enough under that I don't see why they would be chucking decent ships after losing so many.

 

[mthompson1701]

Heck, I'm waiting for someone to re-commission one of the original as-built Connies that's on display at the Starfleet Museum. ("No bloody A, B, C or D . . .")

Any takers?

Cage or TOS era? I've got an idea for several characters but i've been torn on which ship to deposit them on. I could even make it work with a story idea I've had for a very long time now. Someone definitely have some fun with this.

 

[Drake]

For what it's worth, in our role playing game, we've indicated that the surviving Excelsiors are slated to be decommissioned by 2380 (the campaign just finished 2376 when we went into hiatus). But, I wouldn't be surprised if Starfleet doesn't change its mind on this issue. When I set this up, I had the venerable B-52 bomber in mind. This design has been threatened with retirement on several occasions and just keeps flying. Starfleet will probably find rebuilding the fleet a longer process than originally planned and the old workhorse will keep on going.

 

[hellsgate]

I could see Starfleet upgrading the Excelsior-Class vessels with other ships in similar size-range. Battle-damaged spaceframes patchquilted in mission-specific fashion with as little brand-new construction as necessary. Slapped together from pieces at Rashanar & Utopia Planetia from every era since "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" right up to the pro-lit "A Time To.." mini-series.

Sovereign-Class saucer sections. Some dorsal-mounted modules a-la Nebula-Class & the Ronin/Borodin-Class. Different nacelles or just cobbled together with leftovers, mounted in a variety of configurations. (ie: the Mediterranean-Class U.S.S. Progress - attached to the CoE.)

Or, at very least, refurbishing the interiors with the newest evacuation corridors/escape pods. Replicators. Better crew quarters on every status. Single, Family, Diplomatic, Officers, etc. Upholstery in the Rec. Deck & holodeck technology. Pulse phasers, torpedo launchers. Industrial replication / waste recycling technology, etc.

In rare cases, "batmobile armor" / Version 2.0 (post-"Endgame") "Slipstream" testbeds.

 

[kitsune]

Sovereign-Class saucer sections.

I don't think the turbolift tubes or EPS conduits would line up if you tried to mate a primary hull from one class and a secondary hull from another. Even if they did, the turbolifts are different shapes on each class of ship...I think I prefer to avoid the DS9-style kitbashing.

Some dorsal-mounted modules a-la Nebula-Class

That would be a possibility...

Or, at very least, refurbishing the interiors with the newest evacuation corridors/escape pods. Replicators. Better crew quarters on every status. Single, Family, Diplomatic, Officers, etc. Upholstery in the Rec. Deck & holodeck technology. Pulse phasers, torpedo launchers. Industrial replication / waste recycling technology, etc.

I think those would be a given even on TNG-era Excelsiors. Well, except for the pulse phasers.

In rare cases, "batmobile armor" / Version 2.0 (post-"Endgame") "Slipstream" testbeds.

No, not batmobile armor!
Also, I tend to think Starfleet would pick a more modern class of ship to experiment with quantum slipstream tech.

At this point, I think I'll be using an Excelsior that underwent the "Lakota treatment". But I'll leave off the "love handles".

 

[Praetor]

I did some number projections once for my ever-incomplete Excelsior Tech Manual based on various factors (registry numbers, numbers of Excelsior class ships in canon, numbers of ships on screen, presumed construction batches, etc.) that suggested that at the war's end there are fifty-two ships still in service, most of which were projected by Starfleet to remain in service at least to 2500.

Personally, my view is that if the Miranda can last 120 years, why can't the Excelsior last at least 120?

 

[Aaron McGuire]

I did some number projections once for my ever-incomplete Excelsior Tech Manual based on various factors (registry numbers, numbers of Excelsior class ships in canon, numbers of ships on screen, presumed construction batches, etc.) that suggested that at the war's end there are fifty-two ships still in service, most of which were projected by Starfleet to remain in service at least to 2500.

Personally, my view is that if the Miranda can last 120 years, why can't the Excelsior last at least 120?

The number of Excelsiors you show in service seems a little low to me. If you follow the estimates on Memory Alpha about the Battle of Cardassia, they have the Allied forces at about 1200. There looked like there were quite a few Excelsiors there. I don't think that all the Federation fleet was there, because you can't leave the Federation undefended. I'd figure there'd be around a hundred Excelsiors still out there. It's a big fleet.

Aaron McGuire

 

[Praetor]

Well, it's something I plan to revisit at some point. I was trying to be conservative.

 

[kitsune]

I'd figure there'd be around a hundred Excelsiors still out there. It's a big fleet.

There's no such thing as too many Excelsiors.

 

[nx1701g]

In the post-Dominion War era, with Starfleet struggling to rebuild its fleet, would they try to phase out the remaining Excelsior-class ships, or extend their operational lifetimes as much as possible?

I'd like to justify having a refurbished Excelsior-class ship as the focus of a fanfic series, but at the same time, I want to keep things plausible. Sovereign and Luna-class ships would probably be more appropriate for deep-space exploration, but I think the cost of updating an existing ship is a lot less than building a new one from scratch.

The question is what do you think would happen. You're writing the story (unless this was meant for TrekTech).

 

[kitsune]

The question is what do you think would happen. You're writing the story (unless this was meant for TrekTech).

You do have a point there. I'm already running with my idea.

 

[Gibraltar]

I’m a fan of the older ships myself. My fanfic series is set aboard an upgraded Constitution-class resurrected at the end of the Dominion War.

In my opinion, half the fun of having an older ship is making your cast of characters cheat and scheme and claw their way out of situations that larger, newer, and more capable vessels could either fight their way out of (or run away from).

Gibraltar’s maximum sustainable emergency speed is Warp 8.4, and she’s been beaten up by the Cardassians, Son’a, Alshain, Klingons, and Maquis.

The ship always manages to pull through. The crew though… yeah… not so much.