Tonga class

The Tonga-class is a Cardassian designed starship from the 24th century.

The Tonga-class was originally deployed to the Cardassian fleet in the first quarter of the 24th century. The vessel would eventually be replaced by other Cardassian vessels and retired from service.

Then in 2371 the design would be revisited by the Cardassians. This was due to the Klingon invassion of the Cardassian Union in that year. The attack had taxed the Cardassian military and in an effort to bolster their forces the Tonga got its second life.

The Tonga was upgraded with current technology. However it was a slower and less maneuverable cruiser then more modern vessels. It was however reasonably armed and shielded and allowed the vessel to go toe to toe with large Klingon warships. Though the most important aspect was that it could be produced quickly and cheaply, which was critical at the time due to the resource shortages of the conflict and the toll taken on the Cardassian fleet. (DS9: Dominion Wars)

Federation fighter squadrons found the Tonga one of the easier Cardassian vessels to attack as it was not designed to effectively combat small attack craft. : "For the Federation")