Sagan Class

History

Design of the class began in 2390 as part of a replacement for the Intrepid multi-role Frigate to bring it into line with the modern modular repair designs from the Inquiry and Curiosity class. Where the focus for the Curiosity and Inquiry was raw and focused ability first, the new frigate would have to be capable of fulfilling a large number of roles easily, and doing so with limited support. 

Where the Pathfinder class fulfilled the spiritual explorer role of the Intrepid, Starfleet found that the combat and adaptability of the Intrepid had been lost in the design. With the ongoing Inquiry and Curiosity fulfilling the cruiser roles, a need for a stronger, more dedicated combat frigate began to emerge. Building on the many ongoing Upfit projects, the team had originally planned to take an existing ship and develop it upwards into something new. 

At first, one of the members of the team had selected the Constellation-class as the ship of choice, with an intent to take one of those ships and build upon her frame. However, it was found that the design was hard to adapt to modern systems, in the way the other ships more successful in the program had been. Still, many armchair historians had fallen in love with the stories of the USS Stargazer taking on Jean Luc Picard in the Enterprise-D, and for it being the ship Captain Picard himself had designed the Picard Maneuver in. 

The team set to work taking the basic design elements and structure of the Constellation, and adapting it forward to a new ship. Slowly it began to take shape, integrating learned systems from The Artifact and Borg technology understood from the era of many recovered Drones entering Starfleet. A final proposal was submitted for 2392, and the beginning of the frame was laid that same year. The USS Sagan wasn’t completed until 2394, with limited resources for an all-new ship design at the time. She featured the same four nacelle design that the Constellation was famous for. Though they were spread further apart, and closer to the hull. This resulted in a narrower side profile, and a harder to target design, also limiting the chance of multiple nacelles being damaged in a single attack. It also meant the Sagan could limp home on just two of the nacelles, regardless of which ones remained. 

An expansive set of science suites was included in the design, to further expand her multi-role capacities. This was then enhanced with a formidable weapons compliment, deflector and metaphasic shielding, and the same sensor-dampening technology designed for the Pathfinder. 

With the same combination of modular, and easily replaceable parts as the Curiosity, Inquiry and Reliant vessels, the Sagan was able to offer mission flexibility with limited downtime. According to one engineer, a full refit could be done in forty-eight hours. It also meant a fleet yard building of one of the other three ships could pivot to the Sagan with no retooling.

The Sagan featured an early version of the Fleet Formation tools, known as Integrated Fleet Operations. Advanced communications equipment meant the Multirole Frigate could be used as a flagship if desired. It also allowed it to interface with other ships running Integrate Fleet Operations and coordinate combat operations more easily.

The Sagan completed space trials in 2395, and entered service in 2397, with eight of the class ordered, and more expected in the future.