The Nebula Class ship was commissioned in the 2350's to provide a smaller,more numerous counterpart to the Galaxy Class. The design was intended to copy the design of the Galaxy as much as possible to allow many of the same systems to be installed in both classes. This allowed for significant inprovements in the design and construction processess. Compared to the Galaxy Class, the Nebula has a more compact shape - the engineering hull is mounted directly to the underside of the saucer section, a measure which saves some 200 metres in length.The major difference in capability is the addition of a prominent housing aft of the saucer section of the Nebula class. This enables the vessel to carry any one of a variety of special equipment pods - current models include a high capacity sensor pod, an enhanced weapons pod, a colony transport pod, an emergency field hospital unit, or a science laboratory pod. Although the basic Nebula design has approximately 80% of the capability of a Galaxy class vessel in most areas, the addition of the mission pod brings that figure up to 95% or more in that specific area. This flexibility actually allows the Nebula design to accomplish almost identical missions despite its smaller size.
In service the Nebula class has proved highly satisfactory, and in many ways these ships form the backbone of Starfleets exploratory and scientific programmes. Like the Galaxy class they have received regular upgrades to their systems, most notably a new Warp Core design. With the advent of the threats from the Romulan, Dominion and Borg, Starfleet invested in sixty seven new enhanced weapon pods for the Nebula class; most of the vessels now carry this as a standard item. the pod carries eight standard torpedo tubes and a stock of 300 casings, approximately doubling the ships overall rate of fire.
Type- Explorer
Units-USS Nebula , NCC 65420 USS Phoenix , NCC 71201 USS Prometheus , NCC 72015 USS Sutherland , plus 172 others.
Date of Commission- 2355
Dimensions- 452.68 meters X 560.12 meters - 42 decks
Mass- 4,500,000 metric tons
Crew Compliment- 780
Armaments- 8 Class 10 phaser arrays -total output of 50,000 terawatts , 3 Type 3 burst fire photon torpedo tubes + 180 torpedoes , Antimatter spread emitter
Defence Systems-High capacity shield system-total capacity of 2,565,000 terajoules , Standard duranium/tritanium double hull , 9.0cm High density armor , Standard level structual intregrity field
Warp Speed Capability- Normal cruise: Warp factor 6 , Maximum Cruise: Warp factor 9.0
Strength Indices(1000 is equal to a Galaxy class ship)- Beam firepower: 1000 , Torpedo firepower: 2000 , Weapon range and accuracy: 1200 , Shield strengh: 950 , Hull Armor: 1000 , Speed: 1601 , Combat Manuverability: 1500
Overall Strengh Index(out of 1000)- 1325
Expected Hull Life- 100 years
Refit cycles-Minor: 1 year , Standard: 5 years , Major: 20 years
