Guide:Roberts

Roberts
Class Overview
Category	security cutter
Operational	2226-2270
Constructed	37
Dimensions
Length	145.0 m
Beam	101.0 m
Height	39 m
Mass	180,000 tons
Performance
Cruise Speed	w x.x
Max Speed	w x.x
Endurance	16 months
Complement
Officers	10
Enlisted	39
Troops	10
Passengers	141
Tactical Systems
Beam Weapons	4x laser emitters (1.6 GW) (dorsal saucer hull port/stbd)
Shields	1-layer light conformal shields Navigational deflector (bow)
Transporters	1x Personnel Mark IV, 6-pad 2x Emergency Mark II, 22-pad
Auxiliary Craft	2x light atmospheric shuttles
Historical
Ships of Note	USS Roberts
Canonicity
Design	Morgan Smiley
Name	Morgan Smiley (presumably)
History	game-canon

As early members of the Federation, the citizens of Arkaria were very much considered to be residents on the "frontier" of the grand alliance. Their rimward location meant that port visits by Star Fleet exploration ships were not unheard of, as the planet was a well-established homeworld culture, with the technological and industrial capacity to support the agency.

However, the progressive royal family and their court advisors, were quite aware that the emergency response time for a Star Fleet vessel could be counted upon in units of weeks, not hours, and that not only were Arkarian colonies relatively unprotected, but that regional cultures that had sympathies and aspirations in regard to the Federation would not necessarily fall under the protective umbrella of the scant ships that patrolled through the area. Both the Federation Council and Star Fleet were open-minded to the petitions of Arkaria, but there was no simple solution that could overcome the challenges of distance, coverage, and time. At best, a capital ship would show the flag at some of these colonies and regional independents over a few months' period.

Baron of Employment Cyras suggested a solution, of which Monarch Ashassa quickly approved and Minister Misenis presented: Arkarian shipyards would be granted contracts to produce a short-range vessel, capable of responding to emergent regional issues, but flying the banner of Star Fleet, crewed by veterans. The suggestion sounded a bell within Star Fleet: the region beyond Arkaria was not considered to be under dire threat, like that of worlds light-years deep from the Klingon and Romulan borders, but pirate raids were not uncommon either. These bandits were small enough to blend into general populations on planets and into the same spacelanes as their victims when not caught in the act, and those acts seldom occurred when a capital ship was known to be in the area. Star Fleet, however, could not dedicate a permanent squadron of ships from their existing formations.

Having a series of security cutters built locally would allow for their use much sooner than arranging for production in the core worlds and deploying them--with crews unfamiliar to the region--over that extensive distance. Instead, the natural inclination to explore had proved a steady call upon retiring Star Fleet officers and the relatively safer colonies of the Arkarian region was a common destination for such explorers. Star Fleet recognized it could leverage professional interest in the region by offering these (albeit) smaller commands to captains and commanders considering leaving the service, providing the incentive to patrol their future community and "raise" the next generation of Star Fleet to do the same for them.

The Roberts was the platform to host these future regional experts and protectors. Based upon the UFP Office of Colonization's Hellas craft, the design was promptly updated once funds were set aside for their construction. The most striking feature of the design was the appearance of "full back" propulsion: what appeared to be a secondary hull mated on to the stern of a typical, small saucer was instead the bow of the security cutter. The Hellas, in it's role of colony support, would often mate directly to transports and containers to facilitate the rapid transfer of people, freight and foodstuffs. While this of transfer was not foreseen to be a regular duty of the Roberts, the design did allow for easy adaption to a mission of direct boardings and rescue operations.

Notes

• This vessel had barely any information provided for it from the source. While it is unclear as to the origin of the image, the history is almost completely generated by myself.

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• Back to the Table of Contents
• Corvettes, Couriers, Escorts, Perimeter Ships & Light Scouts
• Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics
• Appendix B: Glossary
• Appendix C: Starfleet Organization - General Outline
• Appendix D: Abbreviations From Outside

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