The true purpose of the Galaxy Class?

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Honestly, I always saw the Galaxy-class as a starbase with warp engines. In the show, we really didn't see the ship go into battle too much unless it was the Borg or someone who didn't know any better and thought they could take on the Enterprise. haha I always love how in most episodes, someone comes attacking the Enterprise, Worf wants to shoot back, and Picard and Riker are like LOL, this is fun. Worf rolls his eyes. LOL

But yeah, I see the Galaxy-class as a "deep space explorer," armed like a warship, because if shit hits the fan, no one's going to be close enough to help.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Yeah, except that Star Trek refuses to use the term flagship correctly.

That's the thing, Starfleet plays by its own rules. It's not the US Navy or the Old British Navy. It observes many of their traditions and practices, but ignores some as well. It truly cherry picks what it wants to observe and discards what it doesn't. This simply makes Starfleet a different kind of navy, one that is more loosely based on today's navies rather than a continuation of them.

I believe after a couple of centuries, terminology can also change or be adapted to fit whatever the current times are. IMO, the term "Federation flagship" or "Starfleet's flagship" is just an honorific born of the Federation era and is more of a public relations thing than anything else. it doesn't take away from the term "flagship" being used in the traditional sense for other vessels, but it does distinguish the Enterprise as Starfleet's primary PR representative to the Federation public and to the Galaxy at large.

In short, it's just a uniquely Starfleet thing and nothing to lose sleep over.

Now, I can understand that perhaps they wanted a ship with the name Enterprise closer to home, because that somehow carries weight, but it is still a huge waste of resources to use something that is capable of staying away from anything remotely considered nearby Federation space for I believe it was a decade on errand runs that could have been done by many other vessels.

A lot of what we know about the mission of the Galaxy-class comes from offscreen material. For those without access to those, the Galaxy-class would seem to simply be a large multimission vessel that can go anywhere Starfleet needs it to be and carry out everything from exploration, to routine cargo runs, to sector defense. As I said upthread, its enormous size could be justified if it needed to carry thousands of evacuees or mission specialists in an emergency. Rather than assemble and send two or three smaller ships, it could just send one Galaxy-class to do the job.

Your second reasoning is fair, but again, those duties can be done by ships that still need a reliable support network. Again, the idea of the Galaxy class was and is that it doesn't. So again, waste of resources.

See above.

Your most fair point is really war. Even though is it a true explorer, its firepower is insane! Having about 10 of those with a support fleet of about 40-60 other ships.... Hell, an Excelsior can be upgraded to pack a real punch as seen in season 4 of DS9. So yeah, that is still the most fair point for keeping Galaxy's classes close by.

I think it was just a case that Starfleet needed every available ship it had during the Dominion War and the Galaxy-class was a proven and strong weapons platform. I don't think every Galaxy-class ship was recalled--some could have been too far away--but most of them probably were.

In the end, we can look at it either being a case that the Enterprise-D wasn't a typical Galaxy-class ship or that most of the offscreen material about the mission of the Galaxy-class doesn't jibe with onscreen material.

 

[Mage]

That's the thing, Starfleet plays by its own rules. It's not the US Navy or the Old British Navy. It observes many of their traditions and practices, but ignores some as well. It truly cherry picks what it wants to observe and discards what it doesn't. This simply makes Starfleet a different kind of navy, one that is more loosely based on today's navies rather than a continuation of them.

I believe after a couple of centuries, terminology can also change or be adapted to fit whatever the current times are. IMO, the term "Federation flagship" or "Starfleet's flagship" is just an honorific born of the Federation era and is more of a public relations thing than anything else. it doesn't take away from the term "flagship" being used in the traditional sense for other vessels, but it does distinguish the Enterprise as Starfleet's primary PR representative to the Federation public and to the Galaxy at large.

In short, it's just a uniquely Starfleet thing and nothing to lose sleep over.

Hm, I can hardly disagree with that since I've brought that same point up when discussing if Starfleet is a military or not because of it's ranking system and how it is deployed at times.
I stand corrected on this point.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I just assume the Enterprise-D was the Federation flagship not in a modern Navy sense, but in a "crown jewel of the fleet, with a crew that's the best of the best" kind of sense. You need people to shut up, sit down, listen, and "get the message," you send the Enterprise-D.

When did the Enterprise go from a starship in the fleet to the flagship, anyone know? Was the big D the first?

 

[Forbin]

TNG uses "flagship" the way a cruise line does; just to describe their newest, or biggest, or most luxurious cruise ship.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

TNG uses "flagship" the way a cruise line does; just to describe their newest, or biggest, or most luxurious cruise ship.

Possibly, but I don't agree. It's more than just the ship, it's also the crew. Even then, while not bigger, there were newer and more advanced ships coming out after the Ent-D, but the Ent-D remained the flagship. I think the crew plays a big factor.

 

[tharpdevenport]

TNG uses "flagship" the way a cruise line does; just to describe their newest, or biggest, or most luxurious cruise ship.

But it refers to the Enterprise D. And we know from the series that it was not the only ship made in the Galaxy class line. None of the other Galaxy class ships get referenced as the flagship.

 

[Oddish]

"Mobile starbase" seems about right. Though it has elements of a cruise ship, a mobile small town, and a VIP yacht as well.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

"Mobile starbase" seems about right. Though it has elements of a cruise ship, a mobile small town, and a VIP yacht as well.

This absolutely applies to the Galaxy and Nebula-class. Do you think it'd apply to the Ambassador-class too? Those ships are pretty big too.

 

[tharpdevenport]

This absolutely applies to the Galaxy and Nebula-class. Do you think it'd apply to the Ambassador-class too? Those ships are pretty big too.

Maybe at the time the class was still new. Unless there were larger classes I am not immediately familiar with during the Ambassador-class's time.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Maybe at the time the class was still new. Unless there were larger classes I am not immediately familiar with during the Ambassador-class's time.

What I mean is, pre-streaming and not counting the reboot trilogy: Galaxy, Nebula, Ambassador-class were Starfleet's biggest ships.

 

[Brainsucker]

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Interesting video.

TL: DW the video postulates that perhaps there was a specific mission profiles the Galaxy Class was designed for that we never saw in any Trek series.

The Enterprise D (and the entire class) seems to be over engineered for the missions we saw her undertake during TNG. She has a lot of firepower for an exploration starship, and ample room with a variety of labs and a full suite sensors.

Perhaps the intended (but unrealized) mission profile was for the Galaxy Class to serve as a mobile command center. The Galaxy Class starship would be the central command, or flagship of a fleet or squadron of stsrships sent to explore a very distant or remote area of the galaxy. This command center would participate in and direct squadron operations, while also serving as mobile fleet support as well as offering a place for squadron crew to relax, unwind, make use of the holodecks, and general use the Galaxy Class ship as a substitute for a starbase.

It is an interesting proposal especially when you consider how large an internal volume the Galaxy Class has for only 1,000+ people in the ship's compliment.

The Enterprise-D is huge in comparison to the amount of crew that serves on board

Should there have been more than 1,000 StarFleet Officers on board given how spacious the Galaxy Class was?

www.trekbbs.com

OP is right. looking at how they allowed the family to live in the ship, it means that Galaxy Class has more purpose than another Exploration ship out there. Maybe her saucer supposed to be a temporary space station in a remote area, while her combat section is a starship that can moving around the saucer stay in a prolonged time in the mission area.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

OP is right. looking at how they allowed the family to live in the ship, it means that Galaxy Class has more purpose than another Exploration ship out there. Maybe her saucer supposed to be a temporary space station in a remote area, while her combat section is a starship that can moving around the saucer stay in a prolonged time in the mission area.

Honestly, I wish they did saucer separation more often on TNG. They could have cheated regarding screen time and budget. Do it as a once or twice per season gimmick episode. One example could be a dual-plot episode. Have the saucer separation off screen. A-plot is the Enterprise (battle section) on a very dangerous mission. The B-plot could be the saucer section on a diplomatic mission in orbit over a planet.

I mean, take Voyager for example. The landing gimmick was a once/twice a year thing. Could'a been the same on TNG.

 

[Brainsucker]

"Mobile starbase" seems about right. Though it has elements of a cruise ship, a mobile small town, and a VIP yacht as well.

Yeah, if the Galaxy Class has role as the ambassador of the United Federation of Planet, they indeed need to act like a mobile starbase. Where the Saucer will stop at the orbit of a Foreign planet, and act as a temporary Embassy, and the Battle Section can continue to explore somewhere nearby. It is fit to the role of the commanding officer too. To Picard act as the leading ambassador, and Riker act as the captain of the Battle Section

 

[Oddish]

Yeah, if the Galaxy Class has role as the ambassador of the United Federation of Planet, they indeed need to act like a mobile starbase. Where the Saucer will stop at the orbit of a Foreign planet, and act as a temporary Embassy, and the Battle Section can continue to explore somewhere nearby. It is fit to the role of the commanding officer too. To Picard act as the leading ambassador, and Riker act as the captain of the Battle Section

It's too bad they didn't do that... it would have shown a different side to Picard, and allowed Riker's command chops to shine more. And it would have explained why he wasn't interested in his own command: he already had one.

 

[drt]

When did the Enterprise go from a starship in the fleet to the flagship, anyone know? Was the big D the first?

Sometime during TNG's run. She definitely didn't start out as the flagship, just sort of morphed into it during the course of the show’s run.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Sometime during TNG's run. She definitely didn't start out as the flagship, just sort of morphed into it during the course of the show’s run.

No, I meant Enterprise lineage.
NX-01 was a prototype, Starfleet's first deep space explorer.
NCC-1701 was just one of many Constitution-class starships, famous because of her crew.
NCC-1701-A was likely a mothballed ship with Ent-A stickers for Kirk and crew to have one last hurrah.
NCC-1701-B and C, we just don't know enough about these two.
NCC-1701-D was the Federation flagship, first 1701 to have this status?
NCC-1701-E was also likely the Federation flagship.
NCC-1701-F and G, not enough information to know either way.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

NCC-1701-E was also likely the Federation flagship.

I disagree.

To the extent that the "Federation flagship" is a thing at all, my assumption is that the flag would have been transferred to another ship after the destruction of the E-D and that it would remain with that ship until it's destruction.

IMO, if a Sovereign-class was ever the Federation flagship, it was likely the USS Sovereign, rather than the Enterprise-E.

Given that they were both placed in the Fleet Museum, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that either the Sentinel or the Wersching were the flagship at the least briefly (there is almost certainly something very special about one of them as otherwise including two of the class in such rarified company verges on bizarre.

NCC-1701-F and G, not enough information to know either way.

Given that it appears to have been acting as flagship for the Frontier Day celebrations, I'd say it's plausible that the E-F was the outgoing flagship.

Given that the E-G is specifically a second or third tier vessel within the fleet (more like Voyager or the Cerritos than any previous Enterprise), I'd consider it unlikely that it's the Federation flagship, though it's more plausible that it occasionally as Commodore/Admiral Crusher's personal flagship.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I disagree.

To the extent that the "Federation flagship" is a thing at all, my assumption is that the flag would have been transferred to another ship after the destruction of the E-D and that it would remain with that ship until it's destruction.

IMO, if a Sovereign-class was ever the Federation flagship, it was likely the USS Sovereign, rather than the Enterprise-E.

Given that they were both placed in the Fleet Museum, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that either the Sentinel or the Wersching were the flagship at the least briefly (there is almost certainly something very special about one of them as otherwise including two of the class in such rarified company verges on bizarre.



Given that it appears to have been acting as flagship for the Frontier Day celebrations, I'd say it's plausible that the E-F was the outgoing flagship.

Given that the E-G is specifically a second or third tier vessel within the fleet (more like Voyager or the Cerritos than any previous Enterprise), I'd consider it unlikely that it's the Federation flagship, though it's more plausible that it occasionally as Commodore/Admiral Crusher's personal flagship.

We don't have any on screen evidence that it would be any ship other than the Enterprise-E. Given the Ent-D was the Federation flagship and the crew were given a new ship just 1-2 years later, I think it's fair to speculate that the Enterprise-E became the next Federation flagship. It's also possible a ship filled the role briefly between Enterprises, I'll agree with you on this notion.

Reasonable speculation on the Ent-F based on what little screen time it had.
Why rename the Titan-A to Ent-G and let some other ship be the new flagship?
Renaming the Titan was the stupidest part of the finale and reeks of bad fan-fiction.
Who is Admiral Crusher?

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

We don't have any on screen evidence that it would be any ship other than the Enterprise-E. Given the Ent-D was the Federation flagship and the crew were given a new ship just 1-2 years later, I think it's fair to speculate that the Enterprise-E became the next Federation flagship.

There's also no positive evidence that it was, as it was never referred to as such and was specifically per dialogue excluded from the post-Dominion War negotiations (and indeed evidence that it was even part of the War is semi-canonical at best).

OTOH, several Galaxy-class starships, including the Venture did serve during the War and in a flagship role in the ordinary sense.

It's also possible a ship filled the role briefly between Enterprises, I'll agree with you on this notion.

Why take it away from it just to reassign it to Enterprise. I mean, we see the Enterprise lineage as special because those are the stories that we've seen, but other ships/lineages could have easily been the "Hero of Another Story".

Why rename the Titan-A to Ent-G and let some other ship be the new flagship?

Why not? There have almost certainly been Federation flagships not called Enterprise in the past. FWIW some official social media suggests that a late 23rd/early 24th Century predecessor (NCC-1777, Shangri-La-class) served as Federation flagship while the Enterprise-B (and Excelsior who I've always thought was a reasonable candidate) was in service.

Renaming the Titan was the stupidest part of the finale and reeks of bad fan-fiction.

More "bad fan service" rather than "bad fanfiction" IMO, but I agree

Who is Admiral Crusher?

Admiral Beverly C. Crusher (nee Howard), MD. At last report was serving as Head of Starfleet Medical* and heading up the De-Borgification/Counter-Changeling Task Force.

* Either the Head of the Medical Branch as a whole (A post typically held by a senior flag officer IRL as they manage 100-1000s of physicans, and known as the Surgeon-General, Starfleet certainly doesn't have less and Starfleet did apparently have an SG during TOS) or merely the Head of the location known by the shorthand of "Starfleet Medical" (in full the Starfleet Medical Annex - San Francisco), which would be much more inline with her displayed rank of Commodore (and indeed her having held that post as a Commander or Acting Captain in the past).