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   The Defiant class began as part of Starfleet's response to the threat from the Borg, encountered by Starfleet's 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 a simple one: 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 and would be armed with pulse phaser cannons, photon torpedoes and the newly developed quantum torpedoes. The six custom-built Defiant class ships would also be equipped with upgraded defensive shields & sensor technology and a launchable photon torpedo warhead that could be used in an extreme situation. Bearing registry number NX-74205, the class prototype was commissioned in late 2368 (early 2369) as USS Defiant. However, design flaws discovered during the prototype's shakedown cruise and a decrease in the threat from the Borg lead Starfleet to abandon the project and "moth-ball" the Defiant.

   In 2371 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 the vessel to space station Deep Space Nine as part of a first line defense for the Alpha Quadrant. As part of this "first line defense" of the quadrant, USS Defiant was equipped with a cloaking device on loan from the Romulan Star Empire under the condition that all intelligence gathered by Starfleet about the Dominion be distributed to the Empire. This gave Defiant the distinction of being the sole Federation starship in Starfleet service equipped with a cloak at the time.

   Following the early successes of the Defiant-class prototype, Starfleet built at least four of the six custom-build ships by the end of 2375. The Defiant itself would have an exemplary service record which included participation in: the Federation-Klingon War of 2372-73, the Borg invasion of Sector 001 (Earth) in 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.

Ships of the Class