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To meet the heavy transportation needs created by the rampant expansion of [[Earth]]’s sphere of influence, [[UESF]] needed something more substantive than the modular freighters built since the beginning of the century. In May [[2142]], the recently instated Fleet Logistics Division ordered the development of a large warp transport capable of warp three when empty and warp two when loaded. The ship that actually emerged from the project could carry a thousand passengers or 17,900 tons of cargo at warp 2, larger loads still at speeds below that, and reached the speed of warp 2.75 when empty of load. Christened the '''''Vanguard''''' class, the cargo vessel had an admirable operational range of 100 ly, or about 12 years of travel time, with full fuel load and ramscoop replenishments.  
To meet the heavy transportation needs created by the rampant expansion of [[Earth]]’s sphere of
influence, the [[UESF]] needed something more substantive than the modular freighters so far built. In
May [[2142]], the recently instated Fleet Logistics Division launched the acquisition of a large warp
transport capable of warp three when empty and warp two when the specified 300,000 cubic meter
cargo volume was loaded to capacity. To provide this cargo volume, the ship was to accommodate
multiple containers of a new military standard, comprising a 65 m x 40 m cylinder midsection and
hemispherical endcaps and featuring e.g. unpressurized, pressurized, fluid and general goods
configurations.


This theoretical figure was never translated to practice. For the first decade of ''Vanguard'' operations, Earth’s ambitions did not extend beyond 20 ly from the home system, and UESF ran very few operations on the outer rim. In the Romulan war, the ships in turn traveled lightly loaded at warp 2.5, hopping from colony to colony. Traveling from Earth to war zone starbases at full load would have taken about six years. Trips like this were rare, as the cargo traffic between the battlefront and the large Earth colonies or [[Andoria]]n holdings near it was strategically the most important task for the class.
Several terrestrial shipbuilders offered growth models of their cargo tugs. Grapples for the new type
of container could easily be introduced, and the tonnage requirements could be met or exceeded as
well. The desired warp performance remained elusive, though. To keep the load moving at such
speeds, the tug would basically have to be all engine, almost as gargantuan in size and mass as her
fully laden cargo container. Highly tuned propulsion systems were proposed by CWD,
Westinghouse and SEMP, but none could be guaranteed to withstand the rigors of a multi-month
cruise to the frontier at the speeds involved. Finally, Starfleet turned to the Vulcans for obtaining the
rights to a ring-element warp engine in the desired size and performance range.


Unlike the standard Earth commercial vessels of the day, but much like the classic [[Rigel]]ian designs witnessed by Earth observers, the ''Vanguards'' relied on a single-piece hull with internal pressurized or semipressurized holds. Cargo volume was divided in two by an amidships section that mounted four impulse engines – one each dorsally, ventrally and to port and starboard. Each impulse nozzle was coupled with a forward-facing ramscoop. Twin main fusion reactors, twin warp coil assemblies and spacious fuel tanks were also part of this section, which could be considered a spaceship on its own right.
The tug put together by Dalian GIS was not quite as elegant as a Vulcan engineer might have
sculpted her, but got the job done. A conical midbody housed the mammoth reactor for generating
power to the 25,000 ton warp ring, which in turn supported a quartet of impulse assemblies on its
outer surface. The cargo containers were to be rigged immediately astern, the first held in a circular
grappling ring mounted on an open trusswork. Instead of being provided with a grapple of its own,
the optional second container could be docked directly onto the aft end of the first, thanks to the
exceptionally sturdy construction of the vessels and their docking adapters. Internal stowage was
also available, though, in the form of plate-covered (if unpressurized) hold space in the forward part
of the main hull. This volume could be flexibly configured for various cargo types, or provided with
pressurized compartments for the carrying of passengers (or, in practice, troops; up to a thousand
could also be towed in specialized containers in wartime discomfort). Finally, fuel tanks similar to
those of a ''[[Guide:Hercules|Y]]'' class rig could be clustered in the bow, eight being a possible load but just three to four
being more usual. With a full fuel load, the tug had an admirable operational range of 100 ly.


Three main types of cargo could be carried. Forward of the drive section, a series of plates covered an unpressurized hold area for vacuum goods and components. A pressurized shaft extended through the hold area to a spherical command center at the very bow of the vessel. Mounted on the shaft were cargo manipulator arms of great dexterity. Aft of the drive section, a pressurized hold twice as large as its unpressurized counterpart was served by a large crane to port and a docking port to starboard. The volume could store both atmospheric goods and bulk, although the latter was rarely carried by these priority shipment vessels. The total capacity of 20,000 tons wouldn’t have been practical for ore shipping anyway. Finally, external hardpoints at stern catered for the carriage of oversize components, standard Type IV or VI containers or liquid or gas tanks. Still, the wide side-loading doors of the midhull were the main loading fixture, and allowed cargo of far greater variety than before to be easily brought on board. Even passengers or troops could be carried, by applying onboard prefabricated elements and life support modules on the pressurized hull section.
The ring drive technology combined reliability with high energy throughput, and allowed for
operations under heavy load. The main drawback was lack of maneuverability, with asymmetric
loads posing a secondary cause for concern for the fine-tuned, highly axis-symmetric warp field.
The new military container was the perfect match for the design, as the cargo train concept imposed
matching maneuverability limitations while ensuring symmetric loading. The sort of careful,
inflexible scheduling that was required for successful shipping with these unprecedentedly large
cylinder vessels was not the commercial sector’s cup of tea, though, and the [[ECS]] placed no orders
for tugs of this type. Thus, UESF Logistics Division could fine-tune its properties to exactly meet its
frontier needs, and placed a series of orders for an eventual 32 deep space tugs of '''''Vanguard''''' class.


The rather large crew of 94 was mainly berthed in the midsection, although there were small pressurized compartments for docking and cargo handling scattered all around the spaceframe. The midhull also held four symmetrically mounted defensive plasma cannon stations. An often carried additional feature was a large subspace communications dish, often bolstered by a variety of realspace EM antennas, depending on the theater of operations and the role of the transports there. Extensive [[UESPA]] survey packages were also permanently carried, and a number of specialists dedicated to their operation. At times, the vessels were summoned to act as command posts in addition to their usual role as convoy flagships and tenders.
For the first decade of ''Vanguard'' operations, Earth’s ambitions did not extend beyond 20 ly from the
home system, and the UESF ran very few operations on the outer rim. In the Romulan War, the ships in
turn often traveled lightly loaded in order to maintain maximum warp. Quick hops from outpost to
outpost were at times performed with internal cargo only, or with light cargo rigged onto the bow
grapples next to fuel tanks. Traveling from Earth to war zone starbases at full load would still have
taken several months or years. Yet trips like this were rare, as the cargo traffic between the
battlefront and the large Earth colonies or Vulcan or Andorian holdings near it was strategically the
most important task for the class.


[[Image:Vanguard.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The freighter being loaded here, ''USS Titan'' (FV 309), displays a typical paint scheme of the war years. Flat gray replaces the earlier light gray/blue patterns on titanium brown, and even the twin tanks slung astern as external cargo are in war paint. The only patches of color are provided by the red-glowing ramscoops, running hot as the ship remains on alert during loading. The shade of gray was a carefully weighed compromise between low albedo and low absorptivity, in an era when optical lasers and visual sighting systems still were important elements in space warfare. Tradition dictated that color for later [[Starfleet]] thermocoat paints as well, even when the tactical rationale was gone.]]
The rather large military crew of 94 could thus ride in relative comfort despite the limited
accommodation volume. Main berthing was beneath the command sail that jutted out of the side of
the cone hull. Various other pressurized compartments and corridors snaked through the
spaceframe, providing access to engineering and cargo handling functions, bow and stern docking
tubes and auxiliary craft berths. The propulsion ring also held two defensive plasma cannon
stations, one on the top impulse assembly, another on the bottom one. An often carried additional feature was a large subspace communications dish, often bolstered by a variety of realspace EM
antennas, depending on the theater of operations and the role of the transports there. Extensive
[[UESPA]] survey packages were also frequently carried, and a number of specialists dedicated to their
operation. At times, the vessels were summoned to act as command posts in addition to their usual
role as convoy flagships and tenders; a special module for this purpose, containing an antenna farm
and a spherical pressurized command center, could be accommodated in the aft container grapple.


Soon after the commissioning of the first ''Vanguards'', the class also suffered its first losses, as ''USS Atlas'' (FV-304) fell prey to covert Romulan attacks. Convoying the ships and adding cruiser protection at the outset of open war allowed the continuation of operations, but tied down interstellar-capable warships to escort duty. Still, the ''Vanguards'' were essential in providing supplies to the [[UESF]] elements operating a hundred lightyears away from home.
[[Image:No Photo Available.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The freighter being loaded here, ''USS Titan'' (FV-309), displays a typical paint scheme of the war years. Flat gray on the
warp ring replaces the earlier light gray/blue patterns on titanium brown, and even the three fuel tanks held in the bow
truss are in war paint. The only patches of color are provided by the red-glowing impulse engines, running hot as the ship
remains on alert during loading. The shade of gray was a carefully weighed compromise between low albedo and low
absorptivity, in an era when optical lasers and visual sighting systems still were important elements in space warfare.
Tradition dictated that color for later Starfleet thermocoat paints as well, even when the tactical rationale was gone.]]


The class was retired two decades after the war, never receiving NCC registries, but several classes derived from the design were introduced to fulfill Starfleet requirements. The ''Vanguard'' design lineage was continued until the introduction of affordable medium high-warp transports. These advances led to the transformation of transports in the ''Vanguard'' size range from primary cargo vessels to specialized long-range carriers of oversize loads. There was no market for the obsolete ''Vanguard'' derivates, and all vessels of this type were scrapped before the [[2280s]]. Structurally similar Rigelian types remain commercial successes throughout the quadrant, however.
Soon after the commissioning of the first ''Vanguards'', the class also suffered its first losses, as ''USS Atlas'' (FV-304) fell prey to a covert Romulan attack, a possible test run of the remote capture
techniques the enemy would later practice. Convoying the ships and adding cruiser protection
allowed the continuation of operations beyond the outset of open war, but tied down interstellar-capable
warships to escort duty. Still, the ''Vanguards'' were essential in providing supplies to the
UESF elements operating a hundred lightyears away from home.
 
----
 
The class was withdrawn from duty two decades after the war, never receiving NCC registries, and
several classes unrelated to the design were introduced to fulfill [[Starfleet]] heavy transportation
requirements. The old tugs still had plenty of potential as cargo drones, however, thanks to their
very stable and reliable engines and simple flight controls that could easily be slaved to onboard
computers and external commands. Technologies and operating practices from the recently
introduced dedicated ''[[Guide:Boyden|Boyden]]'' drones were smoothly translated to the project, guaranteeing
operational success and considerable service longevity. The drone conversions were considered a
class of their own, were given ''Q'' series registries (later listed as ''G'' series), and generally referred to
by the name of the first tug converted, ''USS Ganymede'' (formerly FV-310).
 
The ''Vanguard'' design lineage was continued in the civilian sector for a while, until the introduction
of affordable medium load, high warp transports. These advances led to the transformation of
transports in the ''Vanguard'' size range: the tug and container rig concept was abandoned for the time
being, and heavy tugs changed from from primary cargo vessels to specialized long range carriers of
oversize loads. There was no market for the obsolete ''Vanguard'' derivatives, and all vessels of this type
were scrapped before the [[2280s]]. Structurally similar Vulcan types remain commercial successes
throughout the quadrant, however.
 
==Gallery==
<gallery>
 
</gallery>


----
----

Revision as of 16:08, 15 November 2014

Vanguard class fast transport
Vanguard
Class Overview
Category Fast Transport
Operational 2144 - 2180
Constructed 32
Dimensions
Length
  • 141.1 m
  • 260.0 m (w/1 Type IV container & bow fuel tanks)
  • 320.0 m (w/2 Type IV containers)
Beam
  • 98.7 m
Height
  • 98.7 m
Mass
  • 50,000 tons
Performance
Cruise Speed
  • w 2
Max Speed
  • w 2.75 (unloaded)
  • w 2.0 (loaded)
Endurance
  • 2 years
Complement
Officers
  • 6 (standard)
  • None (drone conversion)
Enlisted
  • 88 (standard)
  • None (drone conversion)


Passengers
  • 1,000 (optional)
Cargo
  • 50,000 tons (fwd holds)
  • 120,000 tons (2x Type IV containers)
Tactical Systems
Beam Weapons
  • 4x plasma cannon (2.0 GW) in 2 twin banks (dorsal & ventral impulse engine mounts)


Shields
  • Electromagnetic shield (21 T)
  • Reflective armor (parts of fwd hull)
  • Polarizable armor (command sail & midhull) (refitted to select ships after 2153)
  • Navigational deflectors (port & stbd, inside warp ring)
Auxiliary Craft
  • 2x spatial shuttlepods
Historical
Ships of Note
  • USS Atlas (FV-304)
Canonicity
Design SFC
Name SFC
History SFC



To meet the heavy transportation needs created by the rampant expansion of Earth’s sphere of influence, the UESF needed something more substantive than the modular freighters so far built. In May 2142, the recently instated Fleet Logistics Division launched the acquisition of a large warp transport capable of warp three when empty and warp two when the specified 300,000 cubic meter cargo volume was loaded to capacity. To provide this cargo volume, the ship was to accommodate multiple containers of a new military standard, comprising a 65 m x 40 m cylinder midsection and hemispherical endcaps and featuring e.g. unpressurized, pressurized, fluid and general goods configurations.

Several terrestrial shipbuilders offered growth models of their cargo tugs. Grapples for the new type of container could easily be introduced, and the tonnage requirements could be met or exceeded as well. The desired warp performance remained elusive, though. To keep the load moving at such speeds, the tug would basically have to be all engine, almost as gargantuan in size and mass as her fully laden cargo container. Highly tuned propulsion systems were proposed by CWD, Westinghouse and SEMP, but none could be guaranteed to withstand the rigors of a multi-month cruise to the frontier at the speeds involved. Finally, Starfleet turned to the Vulcans for obtaining the rights to a ring-element warp engine in the desired size and performance range.

The tug put together by Dalian GIS was not quite as elegant as a Vulcan engineer might have sculpted her, but got the job done. A conical midbody housed the mammoth reactor for generating power to the 25,000 ton warp ring, which in turn supported a quartet of impulse assemblies on its outer surface. The cargo containers were to be rigged immediately astern, the first held in a circular grappling ring mounted on an open trusswork. Instead of being provided with a grapple of its own, the optional second container could be docked directly onto the aft end of the first, thanks to the exceptionally sturdy construction of the vessels and their docking adapters. Internal stowage was also available, though, in the form of plate-covered (if unpressurized) hold space in the forward part of the main hull. This volume could be flexibly configured for various cargo types, or provided with pressurized compartments for the carrying of passengers (or, in practice, troops; up to a thousand could also be towed in specialized containers in wartime discomfort). Finally, fuel tanks similar to those of a Y class rig could be clustered in the bow, eight being a possible load but just three to four being more usual. With a full fuel load, the tug had an admirable operational range of 100 ly.

The ring drive technology combined reliability with high energy throughput, and allowed for operations under heavy load. The main drawback was lack of maneuverability, with asymmetric loads posing a secondary cause for concern for the fine-tuned, highly axis-symmetric warp field. The new military container was the perfect match for the design, as the cargo train concept imposed matching maneuverability limitations while ensuring symmetric loading. The sort of careful, inflexible scheduling that was required for successful shipping with these unprecedentedly large cylinder vessels was not the commercial sector’s cup of tea, though, and the ECS placed no orders for tugs of this type. Thus, UESF Logistics Division could fine-tune its properties to exactly meet its frontier needs, and placed a series of orders for an eventual 32 deep space tugs of Vanguard class.

For the first decade of Vanguard operations, Earth’s ambitions did not extend beyond 20 ly from the home system, and the UESF ran very few operations on the outer rim. In the Romulan War, the ships in turn often traveled lightly loaded in order to maintain maximum warp. Quick hops from outpost to outpost were at times performed with internal cargo only, or with light cargo rigged onto the bow grapples next to fuel tanks. Traveling from Earth to war zone starbases at full load would still have taken several months or years. Yet trips like this were rare, as the cargo traffic between the battlefront and the large Earth colonies or Vulcan or Andorian holdings near it was strategically the most important task for the class.

The rather large military crew of 94 could thus ride in relative comfort despite the limited accommodation volume. Main berthing was beneath the command sail that jutted out of the side of the cone hull. Various other pressurized compartments and corridors snaked through the spaceframe, providing access to engineering and cargo handling functions, bow and stern docking tubes and auxiliary craft berths. The propulsion ring also held two defensive plasma cannon stations, one on the top impulse assembly, another on the bottom one. An often carried additional feature was a large subspace communications dish, often bolstered by a variety of realspace EM antennas, depending on the theater of operations and the role of the transports there. Extensive UESPA survey packages were also frequently carried, and a number of specialists dedicated to their operation. At times, the vessels were summoned to act as command posts in addition to their usual role as convoy flagships and tenders; a special module for this purpose, containing an antenna farm and a spherical pressurized command center, could be accommodated in the aft container grapple.

The freighter being loaded here, USS Titan (FV-309), displays a typical paint scheme of the war years. Flat gray on the warp ring replaces the earlier light gray/blue patterns on titanium brown, and even the three fuel tanks held in the bow truss are in war paint. The only patches of color are provided by the red-glowing impulse engines, running hot as the ship remains on alert during loading. The shade of gray was a carefully weighed compromise between low albedo and low absorptivity, in an era when optical lasers and visual sighting systems still were important elements in space warfare. Tradition dictated that color for later Starfleet thermocoat paints as well, even when the tactical rationale was gone.

Soon after the commissioning of the first Vanguards, the class also suffered its first losses, as USS Atlas (FV-304) fell prey to a covert Romulan attack, a possible test run of the remote capture techniques the enemy would later practice. Convoying the ships and adding cruiser protection allowed the continuation of operations beyond the outset of open war, but tied down interstellar-capable warships to escort duty. Still, the Vanguards were essential in providing supplies to the UESF elements operating a hundred lightyears away from home.

The class was withdrawn from duty two decades after the war, never receiving NCC registries, and several classes unrelated to the design were introduced to fulfill Starfleet heavy transportation requirements. The old tugs still had plenty of potential as cargo drones, however, thanks to their very stable and reliable engines and simple flight controls that could easily be slaved to onboard computers and external commands. Technologies and operating practices from the recently introduced dedicated Boyden drones were smoothly translated to the project, guaranteeing operational success and considerable service longevity. The drone conversions were considered a class of their own, were given Q series registries (later listed as G series), and generally referred to by the name of the first tug converted, USS Ganymede (formerly FV-310).

The Vanguard design lineage was continued in the civilian sector for a while, until the introduction of affordable medium load, high warp transports. These advances led to the transformation of transports in the Vanguard size range: the tug and container rig concept was abandoned for the time being, and heavy tugs changed from from primary cargo vessels to specialized long range carriers of oversize loads. There was no market for the obsolete Vanguard derivatives, and all vessels of this type were scrapped before the 2280s. Structurally similar Vulcan types remain commercial successes throughout the quadrant, however.

Gallery

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