Ark Royal class expeditionary cruiser
Ark Royal-class Expeditionary Cruiser:
Actual Length: 566.49m
Actual Height: 110.23m
Actual Beam: 309.98m
Decks: 30
Crew compliment: - total: 3200
Crew: 720
Air crew: 2480
The Ark Royal was launched in 2286 and commissioned 2287. The design was Starfleet’s successor Expeditionary Cruiser to the Essex class, providing shuttle and runabout facilies to expand the colonial footprint on the Federation in peacetime, and a lesser tactical role to provide fighter cover for the fleets. The design proved to be very successful in establishing Federation colonies or as a base for extensive scientific exploration of a system or sector.
Whilst not used as a flagship, the Ark Royal class were still able to be used as the primary tactical element of the fleets. There are those who argue that the ‘big gun’ era of dreadnoughts is as obsolete as the battleships of World War 2. What must be remembered about the Ark Royal class is the flexibility of the design. The squadron make-up of the carrier can be varied for the role required. On a standard basis the design can be considered to be like a cross between a Expediationary Cruiser and an assault ship/assult carrier. There are elements of fighters onbord but tere are also freight shuttles, runabouts,scientific shuttlecraft, medical shuttles, aquatic shuttlecraft and assault shuttles. All of these variants give the Ark Royal class the ability to conduct search-and-rescue, planetary evacuation, large-scale away team exercises, large-scale security operations, disaster-relief and peace-keeping roles.
Fighter groups (examples as taken from U.S.S. Glorious):
2x 20 Hornet fighters - Top Dogs and Victors.
6x Wild Weasel- Magic Hats.
5x Oracles (AWAC)- The Psychics
2x 16 shuttle- The Crate-Pushers and The White Van Men.
- note in times of war 1 squadron of shuttles could be replaced with another squadron of 20 fighters.
Vessels in the class:
2286 Ark Royal NCC 2202
2291 Boxer (second ship launched from second yard.) NCC 2204
2294 Pegasus (from first yard etc.)
2296 Normandy
2298 Glorious NCC 12233
2300 Ocean NCC 13118
2302 Unicorn NCC 14111
2303 Oriskany NCC 15051
2305 Wakamiya
2307 Illustrious NCC 15532
2309 Santissima Trinidad
2311 Dwight D Eisenhower NCC 18008.
2312 Soleil Royal
2313 Sao Paulo
U.S.S. Glorious commanded by Captain Reben Daycek with Executive Officer Commander Zavek.
Ark Royal designed by artist Nate Simpson for Starfleet Command 2: Empires at War.