Space Control Ship Project

The Space Control Ship, also known as the SCS or "Battlestar" Project, is a relatively new concept in Starfleet design ethics. With the recent conflict with the Dominion, and the recent coup d'état and subsequent instability on Romulus, Starfleet Command saw it necessary to commission a cheaper and more self-sufficient alternative to the massive Ark Royal-class star carriers already in service. The fleet needed a carrier with more defensive punch than the dedicated star carriers, but more spacecraft capacity and offensive striking power than the smaller escort carriers designed solely for fleet defense. (Star Trek: New Order)

History

The SCS project was initiated in 2379, at the ASDB surface facility at Utopia Planitia on Mars. The first vessel to be retrofitted to SCS specs was the Galaxy-class USS Beliskner, which received the modifications as part of a major refit at Earth Station McKinley.

The prototype Space Control Ship USS Beliskner

As part of its retrofitting, the Beliskner received enlarged and redesigned shuttlecraft facilities, in order to facilitate the use of larger space fighters such as those of the Valkyrie and Peregrine classes. The Beliskner was relaunched in early 2380 under the command of Captain Jonathan Hunt and at last report is performing beyond all expectations. Plans are currently underway to perform a similar retrofitting to several more Galaxy-class and Sovereign-class vessels.

Design

The basic design principle was to use an existing ship, as it would use less resources than to construct a brand new vessel, purposely built for the task. As the vessel being refitted is already equipped with heavy weapons, it is more than capable of operating independent of a fleet, unlike a lightly defended carrier, while still packing a fully effective space wing, unlike an escort carrier. The design is such that it can perform the duties of both a battle cruiser and a fair-sized spacecraft carrier simultaneously.