DEFIANT CLASS

The Defiant Class began as part of Starfleet's response to the threat from the Borg, initially* encountered by Starfleet via the Galaxy class USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D, in 2365. The Advanced Starship Design Bureau began development of the class at the Antares Fleet Yards in 2366. During development Defiant Class ships were being classified as escorts however, ships of this class were small, heavily armed, highly powerful warships with an extremely limited role. This role was simply, Borg supression. In order for ships of the Defiant class to perform adequately the six custom-built hulls would have a multilayer ablative armor surrounding them. Ships of this class would be armed with pulse phaser cannons, photon torpedoes and the newly developed quantum torpedoes. Defiant class ships would be equipped with upgraded defensive shields & sensor technology and a launchable photon torpedo warhead that could be used in an extreme situation. The class prototype was commissioned in late 2368 (early 2369) as Defiant and beared the registry number NX-74205. Unfortunately Starfleet would abandon the project due to design flaws discovered during the prototype's shakedown cruise and a decrease in the threat from the Borg.

By 2371 however, the threat of a possible invasion of the Alpha Quadrant from the Dominion of the Gamma Quadrant loomed. To counter this threat, Starfleet activated the Defiant, placing it under the command of Commander (later Captain) Benjamin Sisko and assigning it to space station Deep Space 9 as part of a first line defense for the Alpha Quadrant. Under the condition that all intelligence gathered by Starfleet about the Dominion be distributed to the Romulan Star Empire, the Defiant was equipped with a Romulan cloaking device on loan from the empire. This gave Defiant the distinction of being the sole Federation starship in service to Starfleet equipped with a cloak at the time. The Defiant would have an exemplary service record including participation in: the Federation-Klingon War of 2372-73, the Borg invasion of 2373 and the costly Federation-Dominion War of 2373-75. Unfortunately, the prototype of the Defiant-class would be destroyed in late 2375, before the war with the Dominion ended. Another Defiant class vessel, USS Sao Paulo, took the prototype's place at DS9 and fought in the final battles of the war as USS Defiant under special dispensation from Starfleet Operations.