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Where did the Enterprise A come from?

Given that there were about ten Galaxy-class ships seen in a episode of DS9, it's probably safe to say that Starfleet had already exercised the option of additional vessels (if we go by the TNG TM) even before the start of the Dominion War. It's possible that the First Borg Offensive (Wolf 359) may have prompted the need for more Galaxy-class ships and maybe more ships in general.
It makes sense time-line wise.

The Galaxy-class was the most powerful ship after the tragedy of (Wolf 359).

It'd make sense to expedite the construction of more of them.
 
Given that there were about ten Galaxy-class ships seen in a episode of DS9, it's probably safe to say that Starfleet had already exercised the option of additional vessels (if we go by the TNG TM) even before the start of the Dominion War. It's possible that the First Borg Offensive (Wolf 359) may have prompted the need for more Galaxy-class ships and maybe more ships in general.
Given the loss at Wolf 359 it would make sense to complete any part built ships.
 
Also, if Shelby's boast of restoring "the Fleet" within a year is to be taken seriously, assembling of readymade kits sounds attractive in comparison with the supposed standard procedure of building from keel up - after all, actual construction times are implied to be longer, it taking more than three years to get the Abramsverse NCC-1701 from the Iowa scaffoldings to orbit, say.

Shelby might have been talking about reassigning ships from other Fleets, though, to restore Earth's very own honor guard. Or about reactivating mothballed units or postponing the retiring of units or something.

Timo Saloniemi
 
In retrospect, Shelby’s statement is pretty ludicrous: in DS9 we see that Starfleet has thousands of ships, making the loss of only 39 seem quite paltry. And since most of those ships were around before BoBW, one has to ask why they weren’t used at Wolf 359. And the TOS period as shown in DSC makes it clear that there were 7,000 ships only a century before, implying that this amount was typical for the Federation’s fleet, and probably only got larger as time went on. Apparently the TNG writers at the time thought Starfleet was a lot smaller than future writers made it out to be.
 
In retrospect, Shelby’s statement is pretty ludicrous: in DS9 we see that Starfleet has thousands of ships, making the loss of only 39 seem quite paltry. And since most of those ships were around before BoBW, one has to ask why they weren’t used at Wolf 359. And the TOS period as shown in DSC makes it clear that there were 7,000 ships only a century before, implying that this amount was typical for the Federation’s fleet, and probably only got larger as time went on. Apparently the TNG writers at the time thought Starfleet was a lot smaller than future writers made it out to be.
Or StarFleet really had most of their Fleet scattered about the Milkyway Galaxy exploring in all directions and on various missions.

39 was what they could assemble on short notice.

What's more worrying is that such highly populated worlds don't seem to have "Planetary Defensive Shields and Defensive Turret Satellites" to fend off a random "Surprise Invasion".

Especially now that we know that a Borg Transwarp Corridor was fairly close to Earth before Janeway blew it up.

If a random enemy vessel/fleet of any size comes within range of Earth, I want my highly populated and valuable planet to have this kind of response.

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Along with Multiple Layers of Planetary Shields and millions of Offense & Defensive Satellite all blasting the enemy.

My heavily armed planet design should be designed to withstand 10,000+ Galaxy Class level of FirePower coming in simultaneously and be able to repel them for months until allies come in to save the day.

No highly populated Planet of the UFP should be that "Defense-less" and easily conquerable.
 
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Starfleet knew about the threat of the Borg for over a year. They had adequate time to recall their ships to defend the Federation and Earth.
 
Starfleet knew about the threat of the Borg for over a year. They had adequate time to recall their ships to defend the Federation and Earth.
They got caught with their pants down.

It's not the first time that has happened to a government in anticipation of a big threat.
 
Oh, I'd argue TNG always portrayed Starfleet as thousands of ships strong. Even when its effects budget could only ever extend to showing four ships at a time!

In "Redemption", those four portray a task force defined in dialogue and graphics as two dozen strong - and then dialogue further establishes that this unseen two dozen is ludicrously small for a task force, and therefore confuses the Romulans who expected a proper invasion fleet.

In "Best of Both Worlds", Earth has a few days of warning, and relatively easily assembles a force twice that of "Redemption" even though the latter episode took place at a restless border. Every effort is made to describe the defensive formation as hastily assembled and makeshift, even desperate: Hanson isn't turning away the other 560 ships within range, but is merely putting up a brave face in insisting that the forty he factually has access to will be sufficient.

DS9 continues the good game: true warfleets are defined in dialogue as hundreds strong, and can now affordably be portrayed by fifty ships, but Starfleet still responds with six or nine starships in the name of consistency and continuity. Until months if not years of war preparations are finally completed, and the hundreds of ships can actually be shown...

DSC could have easily afforded to show not just hundreds but thousands. It still plays the game, showing a makeshift force of a couple of dozen and then starships fighting desperate solo battles against an enemy much more prepared for war, while establishing that thousands of ships exist.

(As for planetary/system defenses at Sol, they are relatively often mentioned - conveniently in phrases involving the concepts of "shutting down" or "neutralizing" or even "turning inward". An enemy would hardly bother to invade if he did not already have that part figured out...)

Timo Saloniemi
 
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Star Trek in general doesn't have the VFX capabilities or will power to even portray battles on the scale that Gundam has done.

Gundam has a movie where they're fighting Millions of enemies on screen in a movie.

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With full on Fleet vs Fleet action with beams and everything simulated via computer.
 
To me, the Endeavour structural spares angle seems the best option.
Please remind me where the theory originates that the Endeavor, specifically, was an un-built ship that could be used for this purpose.

On that note, I think that movies 4,5 and 6 have a different dramatic tone based on the origins were are discussing. If The Enterprise-A is the last ship of its class, (and moreso if most or all others have been decommissioned, or will be after the Khitomer incident) then the context of Star Trek 5 and Star Trek 6 is quite different from what it would be if the Enterprise-A is one ship of many still in service.

Supposing that the Miranda-class and Excelsior-class can divide up the jobs of the Constitution-class ships, then the movies could be seen as showing this progression and the reaction of the original crew through seeing it change.
 
Please remind me where the theory originates that the Endeavor, specifically, was an un-built ship that could be used for this purpose.
Space Shuttle Endeavour (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105) is a retired orbiter from NASA's Space Shuttle program and the fifth and final operational Shuttle built. It embarked on its first mission, STS-49, in May 1992 and its 25th and final mission, STS-134, in May 2011.

The United States Congress approved the construction of Endeavour in 1987 to replace Challenger, which was destroyed in 1986.

Structural spares built during the construction of Discovery and Atlantis were used in its assembly. NASA chose, on cost grounds, to build Endeavour from spares rather than refitting Enterprise.
 
Please remind me where the theory originates that the Endeavor, specifically, was an un-built ship that could be used for this purpose.

On that note, I think that movies 4,5 and 6 have a different dramatic tone based on the origins were are discussing. If The Enterprise-A is the last ship of its class, (and moreso if most or all others have been decommissioned, or will be after the Khitomer incident) then the context of Star Trek 5 and Star Trek 6 is quite different from what it would be if the Enterprise-A is one ship of many still in service.

Supposing that the Miranda-class and Excelsior-class can divide up the jobs of the Constitution-class ships, then the movies could be seen as showing this progression and the reaction of the original crew through seeing it change.
I'm referring to the space shuttle Endeavour. A full set of spares were built after Atlantis, before the 'production line' was shut down, and assembled later to replace Challenger.
 
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Utopia Planitia I imagine
More likely San Francisco Orbital yards, where the Enterprise was built. Which is probably also where the orbital drydock was in TMP.
Utopia Planitia isn't the only yard around.
 
In retrospect, Shelby’s statement is pretty ludicrous: in DS9 we see that Starfleet has thousands of ships, making the loss of only 39 seem quite paltry. And since most of those ships were around before BoBW, one has to ask why they weren’t used at Wolf 359. And the TOS period as shown in DSC makes it clear that there were 7,000 ships only a century before, implying that this amount was typical for the Federation’s fleet, and probably only got larger as time went on. Apparently the TNG writers at the time thought Starfleet was a lot smaller than future writers made it out to be.

Starfleet was seen as small at one point in the continuity, probably because the writers had good sense to know that it didn't need to be humongous, as their were merchant fleets and each planet would likely have their own defensive measures should push come to shove. Then later in the continuity, special effects became cheaper so they started cramming as many things on screen as possible whether it matched what came before or not.

One of the many reasons I treat them as different entities (as timelines) as what we have now doesn't much match what was in the source material.
 
You mean those three tiny drone ships in orbit of Mars? One would think the Federation and Starfleet would have had better Solar System defenses than that. It’s not like the Borg were their only threat...
 
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