Det primära prospekteringsfartyget under Star Trek: TOS var Constitution-class cruiser som USS Enterprise var det mest kända fartyget på den linjen. Det fanns 12 sådana fartyg som ägde rum i federationens andra undersökningsfas då den började expandera och möta andra främmande arter. Denna expansion skulle så småningom vara begränsad av Romulan Neutral Zone och gränsen till Klingon Space.
In 2267, there were approximately twelve Constitution-class starships in the fleet. (TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday") These included the NCC-1700, the USS Constellation, the USS Defiant, the USS Enterprise, the USS Excalibur, the USS Exeter, the USS Hood, the USS Intrepid, USS Lexington, and the USS Potemkin.
Despite the successes of the class, exemplified by the performance of Kirk's ship, the mission parameters for the Constitution-class also meant that the vessels of the class operated under highly dangerous circumstances, resulting in a relatively high loss rate, and that being assigned to one was hazardous at best. REF: Memory Alpha > Constitution-class starships
- Constellation,IntrepidochExeterförloradesundersinaresor.ExcaliberenblevförkrossadunderkrigsspelmedsuperdatornM5.DefiantenförloradesiTholianrymdochsåsmåningomåktetillspegeluniverset.
Vidnästagenerationstidvarfederationenlångtbättrerustadänisinaförstaexpansionsfaserochhadetusentalsmindreprospekteringsfartygtillgängligatilltjänst.
Av Galaxy-klassens rymdskepp , vid tiden för TNG, var det mest kraftfulla rymdskeppet i federationsflottan. Starfleetens tekniska manual sa att det bara var sex när vi först ser dem i The Next Generation.
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Vid Dominionskrigets tid ses Galaxy-klassen i nästan varje kamp, särskilt under Dominion-kriget där de var på frontlinjen. Det finns minst tio som visas under Dominionskriget.
Analysis of the battle from "Sacrifice of Angels" showed no less than ten Galaxy-class vessels in the combined Federation fleet during Operation Return. This would indicate that there were more than the initial six Galaxy-class starships referenced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual.
The total of six ships stemmed from Roddenberry's assumption that Starfleet would not have constructed vessels of that large a size in substantial numbers. The Manual however also stated that an additional six space frames were constructed and laid up to be completed at a moment when circumstances so dictated.
It can be conjectured that those circumstances arose after the first Borg incursion and that by the time the Dominion War began, all the remaining original Galaxies were operational. It could be theorized that a "Galaxy-wing" would be much like modern battle groups with lighter frigates/ships screening the main capital ship(s) (which would make sense due to the size and firepower of a Galaxy-class starship). REF: Memory Alpha > Galaxy-class starship