Why did Starfleet Operations not know about...

[Apogeal Alpha01]

Ah, "It's a tough little ship!" The operative word being little?

 

[ntypical]

Timo said:
The armor of the Defiant might really be something that never panned out enough to be entered into Starfleet public record. Sure, it worked; but like with so many military inventions in the real world, Timo Saloniemi

I think we can sum this whole thing up with one quote from our present day military. "The only thing harder than getting a new idea into the military is getting an old one out."

Meaning even if something is a great idea, there will be opposition by some that have doubts to its worth, and feel the old way of doing things is better. Even if it has proved itself time and again. These types of people can kill a project quicker than anything.