2270s

Summary

• The domination of Star Fleet by medium and light cruisers ends in this decade.

• The "modern" Larson class destroyer (Mk VII) plays a relatively minor role.

• As many as 200 buoy tenders are active.

• Operations by the Ohio class light fleet tugs move farther and farther away from home.

• The Tavares class is the virtual standard light transport of Federation deep space commerce agencies.

• Klingon raids by cloaked privateer ships are a frequent nuisance.

• Star Fleet's gains access to all-new propulsion technologies of great performance, linear excitation warp engines, which upsets the balance of logistics strategy.

• Mid-decade: The Huntington class tankers assume more and more of the role of medium tanker from the Arcadia fleet tanker/tender class.

• Later decade: Star Fleet’s crusade brings back the confidence of the commercial operators in the outer trade routes as piracy is drastically reduced in the Federation. An explosion of operations by Tavares light transports occurs across the inner sectors and the colonization zone alike.

Years

• 2270
• 2271
• 2272
• 2273
• 2274
• 2275
• 2276
• 2277
• 2278
• 2279

Events

• By: The Whirlwind assault ships are rapidly approaching the limits of space-worthiness, but will be maintained because of the delay in the Makin class.

• A major reshuffling of the Klingon High Council ends.

• Star Fleet starts several ambitious programs to construct a new generation of dreadnoughts.

• Cruiser and light cruiser numbers plummet.

• The complex Naval Construction Code system that was initiated in 2161 and modified in 2175 is overhauled, with all ships receiving 'pure' NCC registration codes.

Specifically in 2275.

• The decommissioning of older Texas sub-class light cruisers begins, with the Navigators generally being sold abroad to allies of secondary import, while the Mojaves are scrapped. (USS Duquesne and USS Pacific are a few of the Mojaves that are mothballed.)

• The use of former Hale class scouts as training facilities for firefighting and sealing crews is discontinued.

• Additional decommissioned Independences are turned into commercial cargo drones.

• Production starts on local variants of the (old) Guardian class heavy escort at Andess and Lactra.

• All of the Flamsteed class scout drones, and all but one of the Fraunhofers, have been lost in action by this decade.

• Most Constitution class heavy cruisers most retain their initial external decorations through this decade's round of extensive refits.

The original statement suggests that this decade saw more individualization of external markings of the remaining class ships, but this seems doubtful. Instead, I'm interpreting this to mean that variations remained rare in the class and then fully regulated now.

• Frigate funds are directed to the Daran and Knox designs.

• The Vulcan Science Directorate's T'Pari surveyors make themselves useful in local survey work during the transitionary period from deep-space missions.

• The newly-upgraded K’Kmarak surveyors of the Vulcan Science Directorate resume charting of rimward space.

This occurs at some point in this decade, regardless of the completion of the entire modification process.

• USS Montana (NCC-F663, Ohio light fleet tug) goes missing near Izar.

• The registry for ships exceeds the 2700 range for the first time.

• Early: The Ohio class light fleet tugs receive modern communication gear.

• Early: The Federation class dreadnoughts lay dormant in starbases for most of this portion of the decade.

• Mid: Roughly half of the pre-Mk VII Larson destroyers are mothballed; the remainder serve in two squadrons alongside the "modern" Larsons.

• Late: The orderly withdrawal and deactivation of the remaining Cahuya class survey cruisers begins.

• Late: The mixed-Larson flotillas are disbanded.

References

2260s

Category:Timeline 23rd century

2280s