Guide:Burke

Burke
Class Overview
Category	frigate
Operational	2221-2267 Burke (nearspace frigate): 2221-2237 Aldrin (deep space frigate): 2222-2237 Burke Flt II (nearspace frigate): 2235-2254 Aldrin Flt II (deep space frigate): 2235-2254 Burke Flt III (nearspace frigate): 2244-2267 Aldrin Flt III (deep space frigate): 2244-2267 Magellan (scout cruiser): 2244-2267 Burke Flt IV (nearspace frigate): 2252-2260 Aldrin Flt IV (deep space frigate): 2252-2260
Constructed	67 total: Burke: 43 (built 2221-26) Aldrin: 24 (built 2222-25) Burke Flt III: 43 (upgraded 2235-2237) Aldrin Flt III: 24 (upgraded 2235-2237) Burke Flt III: 8 (refitted Burke Flt IIs 2244-2245) Aldrin Flt III: 4 (refitted Aldrin Flt IIs 2244-2245) Magellan (scout cruiser): 8 (refitted Aldrin Flt IIs 2244-45) Burke Flt IV: 35 (upgraded 2252-2254) Aldrin Flt IV: 12 (upgraded 2252-2254)
Dimensions
Length	183.0 m (Burke/Aldrin Flt I) 185.8 m (Burke/Aldrin Flts II & IV) 179.6 m (Burke/Aldrin Flt III, Magellan)
Beam	122.0 m
Height	35.5 m (Burke/Aldrin Flts I, II, & IV) 39.9 m (Burke Flts II & IV w/ pod) 36.6 m (Aldrin Flts II & IV w/ booster) 41.7 m (Burke/Aldrin Flt III) 46.9 m (Magellan)
Mass	320,000 mt (Burke Flts I & II) 325,000 mt (Aldrin Flts I & II) 360,700 mt (Burke Flt III) 361,200 mt (Aldrin Flt III) 361,400 mt (Magellan)
Performance
Cruise Speed	w 4 (Burke & Aldrin Flts I, II, IV) w 5 (Burke & Aldrin Flt IIIs, Magellan)
Max Speed	w 6.5 (Burke & Aldrin Flts I, II, IV) w 8.0 (Burke & Aldrin Flt IIIs, Magellan)
Endurance	2 years (Burke) 3 years (Aldrin, Magellan)
Complement
Officers	25
Enlisted	214
Tactical Systems
Beam Weapons	Burke/Aldrin (original) 2x laser emitters (1.0 GW) (dorsal primary hull) 1x laser emitter (1.0 GW) (ventral primary hull) 6x plasma cannons (2.0 GW) (dorsal primary hull) Burke/Aldrin Flt II 4x Type L phased particle cannons (1.2 TW) (2 twin banks, dorsal primary hull) 2x Type L phased particle cannon (1.2 TW) (twin bank, ventral primary hull) 6x plasma cannon (2.0 GW) (dorsal primary hull) Burke/Aldrin Flts III & IV, Magellan 4x phaser VI emitters (2 twin banks, dorsal primary hull) 2x phaser VI emitters (twin bank, ventral primary hull)
Missile Weapons	Burke Flt II refit 2x-4x fwd medium torpedo tubes (w/40 photorps) (various dorsal modules, optional) Burke Flt IV refit 4x fwd medium torpedo tubes (w/40 photorps) (dorsal module, optional)
Shields	2-layer conformal forcefields Navigational deflectors (nacelle bows) (Burke/Aldrin Flts I, II, & IV) Navigational deflector dish (Burke Flt III) Navigational deflector array (Burke/Aldrin Flt III, Magellan) 3x auxiliary navigational deflectors (Burke/Aldrin Flts I, II, & IV) Optional deflector pod (Burke Flt IV)
Transporters	Original 2x GP (6-pad), Mk II 2 emergency evacuation (22-pad), Mk II 2257-59 refit 2x GP (6-pad), Mk III 2 emergency evacuation (22-pad), Mk III
Auxiliary Craft	none (Burkes) 4x work pods (Aldrins) 3x work pods (Magellan)
Historical
Ships of Note	USS Aldrin (NCC-1450) USS Aquitaine (NCC-1629) USS Burke (NCC-1600) USS Interceptor (NCC-1605) USS Magellan (NCC-1462) USS Mayflower (NCC-1621) USS Mauritius (NCC-1633) USS Pailles (NCC-1612) USS Relentless (NCC-1463) USS Shackleton (NCC-1466) USS Vasco da Gama (NCC-1472) USS Vespucci (NCC-1471) USS Zheng He (NCC-1459)
Canonicity
Design	STXI; SFB, ST:Axanar/Tobias Richter
Name	SFB, LUG
History	SFB, ST:Axanar
Delta Dynamics	SRM #291

Background

Hobbyist's Guide

The deep space patrol frigate. The arch mount for torpedoes did exist in stock and simply was never applied on this ship type; it is the lack of a dorsal centerline booster package that actually visually separates the nearspace patrollers from their deep space sisters. The original PB-21 engines were installed without aft field visors, as opposed to most other applications of the engine.

The successes of the Mann generation of capital combatants had not only increased the Federation’s chances of survival in a war against the Klingons – they had provided Chiokis Corporation with an excellent commercial reputation as an independent spacecraft designer. Yet the Manns and Rangers were a dead end for an ambitious company: saucerlike hulls of refined warp dynamics were the future of starflight. In 2219, Chiokis still remained but a junior partner in such projects, and the contract for the Burke class patrol ship went to Geering. While the nascent Andorian enterprise was asked to modernize the Rangers for a slimmer hull structure, the competing Earth company in turn launched its inaugural saucer hull, taking advantage of the fact that the specifications did not dictate a bulky total conversion powerplant.

Despite the seeming modesty of the patrol ship project, this was a major coup for Geering, and a decisive loss for Chiokis. The Burke class frigate (a bold new definition for the time-honored mission class) would have been the best possible way to make an entry to the market as an independent contractor: a spaceship already conceptualized, visualized and all but designed. This was what the Ranger would look like, once a more compact powerplant could be found for her. Yet without a number of the light cruiser’s mission-specific complications, the new design could be a clean slate for future expansion and eventual greatness. The significance was not lost to Geering’s designing team, which began drafting the shape of a ship far larger than her physical dimensions.

The saucer hull in all its simplicity held the crew accommodation, weapons systems, computing gear, sensors, fuel and impulse propulsion systems, all neatly modularized and sectored. The SAA impulse drive took up the aft centerline, its structures extending somewhat above the level of the widest deck of 122 m diameter. To both sides were main fuel tanks, then crew and support system spaces. On two dorsal positions and a single forward ventral one were the single laser cannon that formed the main armament of the class; six dorsal berths held standard defensive plasma cannon underneath their trapdoors. Even in the modern and ambitious definition of ‘frigate’, there was no mention of torpedo armament. Still, Geering was thinking ahead and introduced dorsal structural hardpoints for possible future installation of weapons modules.

A deep space Burke riding shotgun to a Proxima, a rare 2250s action shot from just before warp entry. The dissimilar warp performances of the two types made combined operations uncommon; even when carrying the endurance booster package, the Burke was predominantly a patrol vessel of limited spatial reach, not a hunter like the battle cruisers. Note the aft-facing field windows of the PB-21 engines, matching the equally archaic PB-28 pair on the Proxima.

Two stubby pylons underneath would house the PB-21 engines, complete with their built-in power systems. Each also held an integrated navigational deflector, although the saucer bow section was already provided with three auxiliary deflector beam emitters. The performance, or lack thereof, of the engines was no concern of Geering, and the company could deliver the first of the planned fifty hulls on schedule, for trials starting in 2221. Registries were allocated in Ranger fashion, starting out a whole new ‘century’; the 1600s would be a local patrol combatant range for the time being.

Satisfied with the results so far, Star Fleet also gave the go-ahead for a Mk II version of improved endurance, designated as the Aldrin sub-class. The main difference was to be found at the aft dorsal hull: a spinal protrusion housed extended fuel tanks, consumables storage, and a workshop and hangarette for repair pods. Adding a year to total patrol time was a largely theoretical exercise, as engine performance was unchanged and did not allow the vessels to deploy particularly far. Minor improvements in sensors, targeting systems and computers nevertheless contributed to Star Fleet assigning registries in line with contemporary deep space cruisers, in the 1400 ‘century’, right after the Baton Rouge heavy cruiser and the (much delayed and eventually re-registered) Ares battle cruiser.

An upgraded Burke fires her ventral phasers in a stylized portrait. Lack of a ventral aft emitter, combined with limitations in fire control sensor arcs and agility, made the frigates vulnerable from their six, a problem never quite addressed. The SAD impulse engine was said to live down to its name, and saw no other applications. The two major structural changes visible here, the shield emitter rim and the sensor dish bottom bulge, were exclusive to the patrol ship modification.

The Burkes proved sturdy and dependable in most respects. Unfortunately, propulsion was not one of them. Through the latter half of the 2220s, Star Fleet struggled to find a suitable replacement for the PB-21, the failure rate of which kept the 43 plus 24 completed Burkes from efficiently contributing to Federation defense. It was only in 2244 that the PB-45 rose as a credible contender, bringing the Burkes to the solid state era and increasing their military potential. At that point, the baton had been passed; it would be Chiokis’ turn to give shape to Star Fleet’s future. Select ships received a modern phased beam arsenal with twin emitters, their impulse engines were brought to SAD standard, and a wholly internal warp core was installed. The nearspace units were also equipped with a destroyer-type underbelly sensor dish plus boosted shields. Chiokis crafted a ventral bulge to mount the former; the latter called for the customary downward extension of the saucer rim and removed the last traces of the original Geering shape.

The high endurance vessels remained truer to the origins externally. Eight of them received improved C3I facilities and had a host of new sensors bolted onto the spine. They were dedicated to deep space reconnaissance tasks and in theory were considered Magellan class scout cruisers, as per the lowest-registry conversion (NCC-1462). In this role, they saw sterling service in the Four Years War.

Timing wasn’t on the side of the dependable little ships, however. The Great Awakening brought up the possibility of much more capable frigates in this size range, and directed the attentions of Chiokis elsewhere. Further extension of the Burke hull to house a multilinear dilithium-focus powerplant was considered futile, especially considering the very recent investments that would keep these frigates a useful force until full transition could be made to Loknar and Miranda types. In practice, even these investments were cut, leaving almost a third of the Burke force unmodernized (save for a 2250s phaser upgrade) and stationed near the core worlds. Retirements began with laying off a dozen vessels immediately, then followed apace with Loknar and Miranda commissionings. Hulls from both the modernized blocks persisted until the mid-2260s, and the last such unit was stricken from records as late as in 2267.

Up-engined for deep space action, the Vasco da Gama (NCC-1472) boasts the full booster package at the dorsal module station. Little else has changed since her 2223 launch; little would change before her 2250 loss to the Klingons.

Despite falling a tad short of longevity, the Burke class was elemental in ushering in the era of the saucer-hulled combatant. The tentative steps taken with Ranger light cruisers would soon be followed by the decisive on-march of Baton Rouge and Proxima cruisers, Detroyat and Saladin destroyers and Ptolemy armed transports, projects directly benefiting from work done on the Burke program. There would be no turning back now; no further lifting-body ships would be procured, and even the results of major modernization programs on such designs would be sent directly to second-rate assignments. Ever since the introduction of the Burke, the archetypal image of Star Fleet has been the silhouette of the saucer-hulled starship.

Delta Dynamics

Burke class nearspace frigate

In 2219, Geering (of Earth) was granted the contract for a new combatant to patrol the internal spacelanes of the Federation, now almost sixty years old. Along with the ship's mission, it was already conceptualized and visualized...just not yet designed. Geering had no issues jumping to this later development phase.

In 2221, the Burke class nearspace frigate was unveiled: comprised of two underslung nacelles and one thin but large saucer, the vessel was ready not only for immediate production, but also variation. The saucer held the entire crew complement, all of the weapons systems, computers, fuel and impulse propulsion systems, in precise modularized sections. The SAA impulse drive appeared to be an attachment to the aft centerline, extending just a slight amount above the widest deck. Within the saucer, fuel tanks rimmed the two sides, with then crew and support systems successively inboard. Two single 1.0 GW laser emitters were installed dorsally, with one on the ventral centerline, as offensive weaponry. Six dorsal berths, covered by protective portals, housed the defensive 2.0 GW plasma cannons. The contract specifically excluded torpedo weaponry, but Geering was thinking ahead by including two powered attachment points for a future weapons pod.

The dual PB-21 warp nacelles were attached by stubby support pylons to the ventral hull of the saucer. The nacelle had built-in power systems, accounting for the larger-than-expected bulk. Additionally, the nacelle's power systems also supported an integrated navigational deflector ahead of the (obstructed) Bussard collectors. These two dishes served as the primary deflection capability of the ship, supported by three auxiliary deflectors built into the saucer's forward rim.

Despite the complex nature of the nacelles, they were not considered to be super-performers; quite the contrary, they were fuel hogs and were capable only of propelling the ship's up to warp 6.5, with an endurance of 2 years. Geering was adamant they were necessary to properly equipping the saucer with all of the combat and support services that would otherwise be in space competition with an internal warp core.

The ships set sail with 239 crew (25 officers, 214 enlisted). Dimensions for the Burkes were 183 meters of length, 122 along the saucer's beam, and a height of 35.5, and massed 320,000 metric tons. Primary forcefields were of the 2-layer conformal type, with the extendable support of the two primary and three auxiliary deflectors. Two 6-person Mk general purpose and two 22-person emergency transporters were installed, and no auxiliary craft were provided. A total of 43 (original) Burkes were constructed by 2226.

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Aldrin subclass deep space frigate

With the first ships of the Burke class slipping the rails, Star Fleet gave the go-ahead to Geering to produce a Mark II version, one intended to have a longer endurance and patrol the areas of the Federation not normally visited by the charted spacelanes. Adding 5,000 metric tons to the design was an extension aft of the bridge, along the saucer's spine. The interior provided extended fuel tanks, storage for consumables, a workshop, and a small hanger ("hangerette") to house a small number of repair pods. On either side, closer to the pilot house and one deck below, were docking ports. The powered attachment points on the Burke's saucer were left off, for the attachment rail along the top of the spinal extension would allow optional equipment to be quickly installed to these Aldrins, equipment that would preclude the type of weapon pods being planned for the Burkes.

The extension did increase the operational range of the class by 50%, which wasn't saying much, since the increase was only an additional year (from two). The PB-21B warp nacelles were not the workhorses necessary to take advantage of the extra fuel, so the frigates did not so much push the boundaries of the Federation than allow the cruisers and other explorers the freedom to not linger in the nether areas of semi-explored space. However, the subclass did benefit from minor improvements in sensors, targeting and computing power.

A total of 24 Aldrins were constructed by 2225.

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Burke Flight II nearspace frigate

A versatile ship is a valuable ship. This concept was not unknown in Star Fleet in the 2210s, but practicality must outweigh lofty ideas; frigates were easy to pigeon-hole into the function of patrollers. Before Geering was selected to design and assemble the Burkes (in 2219), the idea of a torpedo-capable frigate was discarded as far from as important as getting responsive and capable patrollers into the spacelanes. Numbers were proving critical to assuring the mercantile fleets that they could and would be protected when they raised the alarm. Complicating a design with torpedo bays and launchers would not only lengthen the amount of time to produce each individual frigate, but would come at the expense of something else that was deemed critical. Crew? Range? Neither of these were worth torpedo capability. The simple answer was to get a capable energy-armed ship out there and out there now.

Geering had the foresight to suggest that there could be a time that a torpedo-capable ship might be required in great numbers and that time might not be on the Federation's side to design and produce such a combatant in the numbers required to handle the threat. The company was able to convince Star Fleet's Office of Support Operations that by adding only two powered attachment points to the dorsal hull now, there would be plenty of time to develop an optional sled with a weapons mount. The Burkes could hit the spacelanes in the short term but be quickly upgraded with torpedo capability, when called to do so. The attachment points required so little maintenance, claimed Geering, that it would a wise investment. The office agreed and directed Star Fleet Engineering to assist in preliminary planning for such a system.

The weapons sled and 4 torpedo module variants were ready well before the class' 2235 refit yard period was to begin. However, it was decided to go into full production of the pods only in preparation for the ships' tech upgrade. The four variants were produced in limited numbers each, so as to try each of the combinations equally. Torpedo launch venting was a serious concern in the cramped compartments of the modules, but venting was known to interfere with both heat build-up of the launching equipment and launch-phase targeting sensors co-located on the pods. For this reason, weapons exercises—and eventually operational combat use—were to be considered and recorded rather closely, to find which configuration was the most efficient and dependable. Of course, the ship's commanding and weapons officers would provide feedback and opinions critical to the decision makers.

The four variants were never used in any fleet operational actions. While there was certainly the opportunity, in reality operational area commanders only had the modules installed on their assigned Burke assets for the directed weapons exercises and rarely for scheduled patrols; the reason was that the other versatility of the vessel—diplomacy—was deemed far more important than the overt militarization of a respected response vessel. However, Star Fleet did not abandon the idea of the weapons pod, easily recognizing the need for such a capacity, and settled on a final configuration that was unveiled with the fourth flight of the Burkes, in 2252.

Burke Flt II weapons pod

The four torpedo module variants released with the Flight II were:

• Module A: 2 forward launchers, large aft venting
• Module B: 2 forward launchers, 1 aft launcher, forward and aft venting
• Module C: 2 forward launchers, 2 aft launchers, forward and minimalized aft venting
• Module D: 3 forward launchers, 1 aft launcher, restricted forward and standard aft venting

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  Burke Flight II w/ weapons pod (Module Type A)
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  Module Type A (all aspects)
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  Modules Type B, C, & D

Aldrin Flight II deep space frigate

Between 2235 and 2237, all 24 vessels of the Aldrin subclass entered drydocks and spacedocks for their standard refit periods, along with the Burkes. The most important tactical upgrade they each received was having the three laser emitters removed and replaced with six Type L phased particle cannons of 1.2 terrawatt capacity, secured by spacetight hatches. Four were provided on the dorsal saucer, with the remaining two on the ventral side.

A lack of satisfaction with the PB-21B nacelle crafted to the mission profile of the frigates was primarily focused on the range capacity afforded the ship, which was limited to a cruise limit of warp 4, and a maximum speed of warp 6.5. Modelling suggested that a reflux of the warp field, focused on the immediate aft, along with a few other longevity and internal maintenance tweaks, might tip the scales of efficiency a bit in the ships' favor; a subspace field visor coupled on to the extreme end of the nacelles, however, did not support the results of the modelling. They were not removed, as they seemed to have no effect one way or the other, other than somewhat restricting the light emissions from that particular field window.

Aldrin Flight II booster pod

One of the selling points by Geering for the Aldrin subclass deep space frigate was the adaptability afforded by the spinal extension (with its additional fuel storage), vitally necessary for extending the patrolling range of the original class. The shipbuilder heavily pushed the versatility and capacity of the attachment rail running fore to aft along the extension for all sorts of sensors, mechanical gear, and other equipment, both proposed and as-yet unrealized. If an Aldrin was to be in the vicinity of a Class G Dichromic nebula, then the area commander could outfit the ship with the appropriate gravimetric sensors to map the distortions. An astrometric suite would be ideal for that T Tauri star just off the charted course. And independently controlled spotlights would be critical to assisting in ship-based recovery efforts, especially in the post-event investigations.

All of these events did occur, and many more, but one thing every ship's commanding officer requested before short- or mid-length deployments was the booster pod. While definitely a fuel burner, the immediate acceleration from both a full stop and during an otherwise-steady delta vee was commendable and potentially a life-saver. Aldrins were not oblivious of the various pirate forces, Orions included, and the unexpected rate of closure could often startle an otherwise confident hostile boarding party "visiting" a hapless merchant freighter. And when the warp bubble was fully formed, the additional 0.05 c of impulse could stop the show.

Certainly, the booster pod was a popular request with Aldrins, and once they were fully produced, rarely would a deep space frigate be seen without one, unless it was transiting thru the inner Federation or on a long-range patrol, outside of dependable refueling stages.

A similar image to the Aldrin Flight II with booster pod will be found within the Aldrin Flight IV entry.

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  Aldrin Flight II w/ booster pod
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Burke Flight III nearspace frigate

In 2244, the Andorian shipbuilder company Chiokis, a sub-contracting design firm for previous ship classes, won the Star Fleet bid to modernize the Burke class nearspace frigate with the new solid state era nacelles. Chiokis seized this for the opportunity to promote its primary hull design (also a saucer shape), because the new PB-45 warp nacelles required external power generation: a total matter conversion powerplant not built into the nacelle itself, allowing the ship to achieve a cruising speed of warp 5 and a max speed of warp 8. This required a near-complete redesign of the saucer section to accommodate this massive new system.

Select ships of the Burke and Aldrin subclass series were designated for this radical refit; along with the new saucer modifications—both internal and external—they also received the latest (in the now more dependable) phaser emitters in twin banks, the new SAD impulse assembly, and, for the nearspace frigates, a destroyer-type sensor dish attached to the ventral saucer via a "bulge" extension that would very soon be considered as characteristic of Chiokis' saucers. These modifications gave the ships a more engineered—less organic—look compared to the majority of the remaining ships of Geering origination.

All in all, only 8 of the Burkes would receive this upgrade. Not because the design concept was a failure, by any means, but because of the expense and time for the upgrade was deemed too intrusive. This class would soon be a generation older in comparison to the numerous ship designs expected to be released as the vanguard of a large modernization leap forward for the fleet, and their lifespan would be limited regardless of any major facelifts. Additionally, both the existing nearspace and deep space ships were deemed too critical to operations in the short term to take them out of service for the time needed to refit the entire class.

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Aldrin Flight III deep space frigate

In 2244, the Andorian shipbuilder company Chiokis, a sub-contracting design firm for previous ship classes, won the Star Fleet bid to modernize the Burke class nearspace frigate with the new solid state era nacelles. Chiokis seized this for the opportunity to promote its primary hull design (also a saucer shape), because the new PB-45 warp nacelles required external power generation: a total matter conversion powerplant not built into the nacelle itself, allowing the ship to achieve a cruising speed of warp 5 and a max speed of warp 8. This required a near-complete redesign of the saucer section to accommodate this massive new system.

Select ships of the Burke and Aldrin subclass series were designated for this radical refit; along with the new saucer modifications—both internal and external—-they also received the latest (in the now more dependable) phaser emitters in twin banks, the new SAD impulse assembly, and, a ventral "bulge" extension that would very soon be considered as characteristic of Chiokis' saucers. These modifications gave the ships a more engineered—less organic—-look compared to the majority of the remaining ships of Geering origination.

All in all, only four of the Aldrins would receive this upgrade (though an additional eight would be selected for the Magellan deep reconnaissance variation). Not because the design concept was a failure, by any means, but because of the expense and time for the upgrade was deemed too intrusive. This class would soon be a generation older in comparison to the numerous ship designs expected to be released as the vanguard of a large modernization leap forward for the fleet, and their lifespan would be limited regardless of any major facelifts. Additionally, both the existing nearspace and deep space ships were deemed too critical to operations in the short term to take them out of service for the time needed to refit the entire class.

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Magellan subclass scout cruiser

In 2244, with the decision to upgrade the Burkes and Aldrins to the developing Chiokis standard, a total of 12 of the latter subclass were re-assigned to regional drydocks to begin the yard period. Eight of these were selected to receive what was tentatively referred to as the Aldrin Flight III Plus overhaul, wherein they would receive all of the deep space equipment, but also have a multi-mission adaptable sensor suite bolted on all three sides of the re-configured spinal extension.

Oddly enough, one of the selling features of the earlier Flight II Aldrins was the adaptable attachment rail that ran along the dorsal side of the extension, but was removed for the Flight III series. Nonetheless, the variety of sensors installed (gravimetric, multiphasic, magneton, subspace differential, and virtual positron) were not intended to come off and their breadth met more than most expected contingencies. Additionally, an improved command, control, communications, and intelligence (C3I) suite was internally installed to allow the ship to conduct its main mission: deep space reconnaissance. And in this role they performed exceptionally well, with sterling service in the Four Years War.

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Burke Flight IV nearspace frigate

As stated previously, the Flight III series of refits for the Burkes and Aldrins were abbreviated to 8 and 4 (respectively), due both in part to the expense of upgrading an entire class of aging vessels and their high OPTEMPO, regardless of their warp 6.5 or 8 nacelles. The ships were the linchpin for regional commanders, both in the major spacelanes and the "mid-space" between the homeworlds and the frontier. While it was regrettable the majority of the overall class would not be able to make use of the newer and faster PB-45 nacelles, they were still needed and valued in their respective roles.

Though long range intentions had the Burke lines operational into the 2270s, the intent also was to keep the ships relevant. Between 2252 and 2254, all remaining Flight IIs were brought into the yards for overhauls of the weapons systems. Both the plasma and particle cannons were removed, freeing up considerable space for the Type VI phaser emitters, now that the technology had hit its reliable stride. However, these modernizations did not allow the class to remain operational for the planned length; the first decommissionings began with a sizable block at the beginning of the 2260s, with the last stricken from the Star Fleet rolls in 2267.

Burke Flight IV weapons pod

The Burkes and Aldrins saw their beam weaponry armament halved with the replacement of the plasma and particle cannons by the three twin-bank phaser emitters during the refit beginning in 2252, from Flight II to Flight IV status. Commanding officers were not reticent to undergo this conversion, for phaser technology was well-touted by the skippers of other ships of the line. That faith did not mean there was any discussion of relieving the Burkes of their missile capabilities by removing the modular weapons sled, though. Quite the opposite: Star Fleet now felt it had enough test data to suggest the Type E torpedo module as the standard launcher for sled-equipped ships. Four forward-facing launchers were supported by a large aft-facing vent, allowing the launch-phase targeting sensors to work unimpeded. While this final configuration did not include the aft-facing launchers, the commonality of equipment and alignment allowed the weapons department on each of these ships a greater rate of fire than had been achieved in similar exercises with the previous four configurations.

By this time, operational area commanders were much less reluctant to outfit their Burkes with the weapons sled: regional partners and member states were becoming more accustomed to a more militarized Star Fleet, though they were also appreciative of the duality the fleet demonstrated through the more peace-oriented interactions of other vessels, such as cruisers and medical ships. It didn't hurt, either, to see a Burke warp into the system with a weapons sled now equipped with the new sensor module, in order to timely examine, in detail, some anomaly that had made its presence known or to assist in a black swan catastrophe.

Burke Flight IV deflector pod

In 2258, a concerted effort was made to save the megesti, an energy-hungry spaceborne species endemic to the Algol system. Studied off and on by visiting exploration and research vessels for a few decades, several conclusions had been reached: the megesti's "natural environment" had been constructed (for them?) 23,000 years ago by parties unknown as a subspace disk orbiting two of the three stars, and the disk was rapidly degrading. The creatures had no more than another 1,550 years before they would fully dissipate. The Horizon class USS Victoria's survey of the system and the swarm had even raised the (hotly debated) question of the species' sentience.

The rescue concept was predicated on the idea of rejuvenating the subspace disk using warp-enabled deflectors to build and possibly retain "energy bridges" from the stars' highly charged center of gravity. Normally, such a feat would be well outside the capacity of the Federation, as most inhabitable zones of a solar system are almost a full astronomical unit (AU) or more from the host star(s), and the sheer amount of energy needed to even attempt such a task would be inconceivable. However, the close orbital nature of Beta Persei Aa1 and Aa2 (0.062 AU) allowed the swarm to endlessly travel about the binary pair at a relative distance of only 0.17 AU. Theoreticians suggested it just might be achievable in this specific situation.

Six Flight IV Burkes were equipped with their weapons pods and specially manufactured deflector modules. Five of the vessels were staged at equidistant points within the swarm's orbit (the sixth had standby duty) and engaged their modules at a precise point of the stars' shared revolution. While early indications supported the development of the bridge, it was determined the initial attempt was too short. A month later, the task force tried again, holding their positions for 16 days, and the results were encouraging; the subspace disk was definitely strengthened and the megesti reacted with a multitude of colors in the visual spectrum and alternating oscillations in intensity in the ultraviolet bands. However, when the optimal period of star orbits had passed and the beams were disengaged, the bridges withdrew and the same ratio of degradation had returned. At most, the effort only sustained the swarm's environment for the period of external activity.

It was concluded that a series of stationary subspace enhancers might be able to maintain the bridges for about half the orbital time, which meant that the Federation's efforts would only extend the environment by about an additional 800 years. A better answer would have to be discovered. Meanwhile, the deflector pods would go back into storage, not to be brought out again over the remaining 2 years of the Burkes' service.

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  Burke Flight IV w/ weapons pod (Module Type E)
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  Module Type E (all aspects)
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  Burke Flight IV w/ deflector pod
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  Sensor module and a module-less pod

Aldrin Flight IV deep space frigate

The Burkes and Aldrins saw their beam weaponry armament halved with the replacement of the plasma and particle cannons by the three twin-bank phaser emitters during the refit beginning in 2252, from Flight II to Flight IV status. Commanding officers were not reticent to undergo this conversion, for phaser technology was well-touted by the skippers of other ships of the line. Other than this undeniable improvement of firepower, the subclass continued on its mission of exploration and diplomacy within the Federation's "mid-space" regions, until the last was de-commissioned in the mid-2260s.

Note: For more details on the Flight IV booster pod, please refer to the Flight II version of this same load-out.

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  Aldrin Flight IV w/ booster pod
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• 
  Aldrin sub-class starboard stern view
• 
  "Voyage of the Mayflower"

Ship Registry

Registry	Ship Name	Original Configuration	1st Overhaul	2nd Overhaul
1600	USS Burke	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1601	USS Firefly	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1602	USS Clayton	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1603	USS Quileute	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1604	USS Dragon	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1605	USS Intercepto	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1606	USS Bulwark	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1607	USS Abundance	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1608	USS Emden	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1609	USS Thyhlel	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1610	USS Billings	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1611	USS Magpie	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1612	USS Pailles	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1613	USS Sabre	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1614	USS Iroquois	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1615	USS Daring	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1616	USS Abyssinia	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1617	USS Ramsey	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1618	USS Maroon	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1619	USS Tracker	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1620	USS Raider	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1621	USS Mayflower	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1622	USS Vanguard	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1623	USS Nighthawk	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1624	USS Firebrand	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1625	USS Echo	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1626	USS Scimitar	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1627	USS Greyhound	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1628	USS Astute	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1629	USS Aquitaine	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1630	USS Freya	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1631	USS Trenchant	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1632	USS Calder	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1633	USS Mauritius	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1634	USS Argyll	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1635	USS Acacia	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1636	USS Lancaster	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1637	USS Albion	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1638	USS Protector	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1639	USS Mantis	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1640	USS Agamemnon	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1641	USS Aotearoa	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt IV)
1642	USS Artful	Burke (Flt I)	Burke (Flt II)	Burke (Flt III)
1650	USS Aldrin	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt III)
1651	USS Mogensen	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1652	USS Irwin	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1653	USS Dyomin	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1654	USS Mitchell	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1655	USS Bean	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1656	USS Sharman	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1657	USS Duke	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1658	USS Fei	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1659	USS Zheng He	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1660	USS Hadfield	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1661	USS Atkov	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1662	USS Magellan	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1663	USS Relentless	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt III)
1664	USS Zhai	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt III)
1665	USS Zhang	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1666	USS Shackleton	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1667	USS Chretien	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1668	USS Schmitt	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1669	USS Frimout	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Magellan
1670	USS Jahn	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1671	USS Vespucci	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt IV)
1672	USS Vasco De Gama	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	(destroyed)
1673	USS Kotov	Aldrin (Flt I)	Aldrin (Flt II)	Aldrin (Flt III)

Gallery

Master Sheets

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  Burke Flight I
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  Aldrin Flight I
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  Burke Flight II
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  Burke Flight II (w/ weapons pod)
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  Aldrin Flt II
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  Aldrin Flt II (w/ booster pod)
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  Burke Flight III
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  Aldrin Flight III
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  Magellan
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  Burke Flight IV
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  Burke Flight IV (w/ weapons pod)
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  Burke Flight IV (w/ deflector pod)
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  Aldrin Flight IV
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  Aldrin Flight IV (w/ booster pod)

Other Images

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Supporting Documents

• Blueprints
• Starship Recognition Manual #291 - Report: Burke Frigate

Notes

• The number of Burke sub-class ships was increased by one in the text, to match the sidebar.

• The initial inline image has been changed from Timo's Guide as a nearspace Burke to that of a deep space Aldrin, because Adrasil made an actual image that best shows the dorsal booster described in the caption.

• The image and caption regarding the USS Vasco da Gama indicates a NCC of 1842. The caption has been changed to 1472, to better represent the range of codes for the Aldrin sub-class.
  • Sub-note: While the article & sidebar continue to show the ships in the 1400 range of the registry, the DD registry holds them to be in the 1600 range instead. This will be altered one way or the other (or another other) once the registry has advanced to this era.

• To clarify:

1. The Burke sub-class was built as a 'nearspace' frigate first, followed during the same production run by the Aldrin 'deep space' frigate, with a dorsal spine.
2. Starting in 2235, the both sub-classes received a significant upgrade, but the Burkes also received dorsal torpedo modules, with 2, 3 or 4 launchers; the Aldrins did not receive the package; instead they received booster pods.
3. In 2244, both classes were refit to (then) modern standards, with the Burkes generally retaining the weapons pod (also with an upgraded torpedo module). Eight from Aldrins were modified to become Magellan sub-class scout cruisers. Also note: the modernized Aldrins did not receive the ventral-mounted sensor dish. Note also, the original Geering-built saucers did not have the ventral bulge. These were added to some by Chiokis.
4. Starting in 2252, the ships were upgraded to the latest weaponry.
5. In the 2260s, all of the vessels started being decommissioned, ending in 2267.

• The text says even the non-modernized Burke sub-class ships received the 2252 weapons upgrade, but it is likely they were all decommissioned by that time. I've decided that all Flight IV Burkes and Aldrins will be de-commissioned no later than 2260.

• Mass figures have been added for the Aldrin Flt I, based on guesstimate.

• Work pods have been listed to the auxiliaries for Aldrins and the Magellan.

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• Back to the Table of Contents
• Back to "Way of the Warrior"
• Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics
• Appendix B: Glossary
• Appendix C: Star Fleet Organization - General Outline
• Appendix D: Abbreviations From Outside