I agree that the 3-4 vessel "squadron" is probably the most workable. A coupel years back, I wrote up the following about how the perimeter action ships seen in Ships of the Star Fleet Volume 2 are organized where I detailed squadron/group organization. I reprint it below for your listening and dancing pelasure.
PA Group Organization
A typical PA Group is usually ten vessels. This number will change. A PA Group assigned to a high threat patrol area may have more vessels assigned, a Group in a lower threat area fewer. The PA Group is usually commanded by a Captain (O-6) with the title of Group Captain. One vessel assigned at the Group level, the command ship for the Group, will be either a corvette (CV) are a large perimeter action ship (PKA) commanded by a Commander (O-5) who also serves as the second in command fro the Group. This vessel exercises overall command and control functions for the Group. The rest of the Group consists of nine perimeter action ships (PA) divided into three squadrons of three ships each. One ship in each squadron is designated as the Lead ship of the squadron. The Lead Ship is commanded by a Lieutenant Commander (O-4) who is also tasked as Squadron Commander. The other ships in the squadron are commanded by Lieutenants (O-3) with sufficient time in grade and time in service. Since (as indicated in SotSF2) PAs tend to operate independently, the Squadron exists purely as an administrative entity during peacetime situations. The paperwork has got to go somewhere, and the PA assets need to be managed in an efficient manner. In a combat environment, or on assignment with the Starfleet Border Service (a sub-command of TacFleet), most PAs will operate singly or in hunter-killer pairs, but they may also be deployed as whole squadrons in some situations. PA Groups with more remote deployment stations will have a tender (TE) or combat support vessel (SP) assigned to the Group to serve as a mobile supply or repair point to reduce the amount of time spent at a rearward outpost or Starbase. Most of the time a PA commander will have a great deal of situational autonomy, especially out on the border regions.
PA Groups in Starfleet
I’ve expanded upon the list found in SotSF2. That book lists thirty Groups as currently active in the Fleet circa 2290. I believe that there were at least twice that number of Groups at one point (perhaps at the height of the Four Years War). I have listed these groups here, but as Inactive. If Starfleet decided to once again expand the PA force, they would likely activate new Groups under the older designations carrying on the traditions and heritage of these units.
PAG 1 (Inactive) “Wolfpack”
PAG 2 (Inactive) “Bounty Hunters”
PAG 3 (Inactive) “Moon Dogs”
PAG 4 (Inactive) “Fighting Fourth”
PAG 5 Starbase 21 “Boneheads”
PAG 6 Starbase 25 “Trail Blazers”
PAG 7 (Inactive) “Strike Eagles”
PAG 8 (Inactive) “Lancers”
PAG 9 (Inactive) “Star Warriors”
PAG 10 Star Station India “Star Runners”
PAG 11 Starbase 29 “Warp Boss”
PAG 12 Star Station Brasillia “Stingers”
PAG 13 Starbase 11 “Border Guards”
PAG 14 Starbase 26 “Shadows”
PAG 15 Star Station Cepheus “Safe Haven”
PAG 16 (Inactive) “Spectre”
PAG 17 Starbase 15 “Free Scout”
PAG 18 Starbase 10 “Peacemakers”
PAG 19 Starbase 12 “Vigilantes”
PAG 20 Star Station Yalta “Buckslider”
PAG 21 Starbase 14 “Fleetwing”
PAG 22 (Inactive) “Checkmates”
PAG 23 Starbase 19 “Crusaders”
PAG 24 Star Station Tiran “Flying Tigers”
PAG 25 Starbase 27 “Melafox”
PAG 26 Outpost Neris “Broken Arrow”
PAG 27 Starbase 16 “Dorviani al Dori”
PAG 28 Outpost Ecija “Fighting Elves”
PAG 29 Star Station Dallas “Stalkers”
PAG 30 Star Station Eureka “Mad Ducks”
PAG 31 Star Station Praeses “Fire Ship”
PAG 32 (Inactive) “Swordsmen”
PAG 33 Star Station Aurora “Pacesetters”
PAG 34 (Inactive) “Blue Blasters”
PAG 35 (Inactive) “Black Panthers”
PAG 36 (Inactive) “Rocketeers”
PAG 37 (Inactive) “Fearless Ones”
PAG 38 Outpost Principale “Fighting Hellcats”
PAG 39 (Inactive) “Cougars”
PAG 40 (Inactive) “Patriots”
PAG 41 Star Station Yalta “Guardian Angels”
PAG 42 (Inactive) “Ghostriders”
PAG 43 (Inactive) “Challengers”
PAG 44 Starbase 9 “Ravens”
PAG 45 Star Station Eureka “Sonaro Parva”
PAG 46 (Inactive) “Grandmasters”
PAG 47 Star Station Tiran “Zappers”
PAG 48 (Inactive) “Vipers”
PAG 49 (Inactive) “Marksmen”
PAG 50 Star Station Minsk “Hawkeyes”
PAG 52 Starbase 7 “Sovishir”
PAG 53 (Inactive) “Titans”
PAG 54 (Inactive) “Nomads”
PAG 55 (Inactive) “Masters of the Art”
PAG 56 (Inactive) “Slime Devils”
PAG 57 (Inactive) “Conquistadors”
PAG 58 (Inactive) “Snakes”
PAG 59 (Inactive) “Fist of the Fleet”
PAG 60 (Inactive) “Sehlats”
Here’s an example of a typical PA Group:
Perimeter Action Group 26 “Broken Arrow”
Command and Support Element – Group Captain Arik Kofoed
USS Robust CV-3251 Cdr. T’Shon
USS Zeigler TE-4107 Lcdr. Ian Elson
Perimeter Action Squadron 261 “Star Pirates”
USS Akula PA-1090 Lcdr. Amelia Tsuchida
USS Kuei PA-1103 Lt. Thelon
USS Kutaisi PA-1111 Lt. Gwen Stirling
Perimerter Action Squadron 262 “Knighthawks”
USS Atuga PA-1028 Lcdr. Ehleahteahloilr Auhfeissoiyuwal
USS Nunivak PA-1162 Lt. Marshall Gruber
USS Tuira PA-1073 Lt. Aleksey Miheyev
Perimeter Action Squadron 263 “Fighting Tribbles”
USS Julin PA-1065 Lcdr. Detlef Bronk
USS Anacapa PA-949 Lt. Sarn
USS Ensenada PA-1138 Lt. Iris Marks
A Note on Squadrons: Typically there are three Squadrons per Group. They are numbered within the Group. The first digits(s) in the Squadron designation are the same as the Group’s. For example: in PA Group 3 you will find PA Squadrons 31, 32, and 33; in PA Group 26 you find PA Squadrons 261, 262, and 263, and so forth. This scheme serves to identify both the Group and Squadron in a single designator, and should not be taken to imply that there are anywhere near 261 PA Squadrons. In fact, there were only 120 squadrons when all 60 Groups were active.
Outpost Neris: Outpost Neris is located in Sub-Quadrant 3-South, near the region bordered by the Klingon Empire. The Outpost was originally built and established as Deep space Station K-8. It operated as a trading post and way-station for about thirty-one years. In 2286, rising tensions with the Klingons caused a decline of civilian traffic in the sector, and the station. At this point Starfleet toke over operation of the station and re-designated it as Outpost Neris. While there is still some resemblance to its former incarnation as a K-series deep space station, there have been many changes.
The Starfleet corps of Engineers spent the better part of nine months upgrading structural components as well as internal systems. The central module of the station now houses command and control facilities capable of monitoring a (classified) number of remote drones and listening posts. The lower portion of the central structure now houses limited repair and refitting facilities to accommodate battle damage suffered by the perimeter action ships home ported there. The three outer modules now contain facilities for the support of the Perimeter Action Group stationed at the Outpost to include recreation, medical, and other crew support functions. There is provision for the billeting of crew replacements for the Group if needed. During the refit, the Outpost was fitted with an adaptation of the CIDSS system as well as phaser banks.
Outpost Neris is also the homeport for the 448th Fighter Squadron (VF-448) which operates twenty-four “Killer Bee” assault craft for the close-in defense of the Outpost.
Outpost Neris is under the command of a Captain (O-6) during peacetime, but could be superceded during combat operations by a flag officer if it is deemed appropriate to the level of operations in the region.
Uniforms: Uniforms would follow the same model as the majority of Starfleet, except that the day-to-day duty uniform is more likely to be a one-piece coverall type of thing that can be donned very quickly in an alert situation. Probably similar to a present-day flight suit, or maybe the uniforms we saw in Star Trek: Enterprise. Those red jacketed uniforms seen from ST2: TWoK forward (if they exist at all in the FRS universe) would only be used very rarely on special occasions as a dress or formal uniform.
Life Aboard USS Akula: Not too different from what we’ve seen in TOS and the first six ST movies. But different enough. Long deployments of up to two years, sometimes with six-plus months at a time with no shore-leave or re-supply are common. As a result, ship’s corridors at the beginning of a deployment are stacked with containers of extra supplies ranging from rations, to phaser coils, to toilet paper. In fact any available space is fair game for storage if needed. The crew on a PA are simultaneously very disciplined and very informal with each other. Personnel are rigorously screened before being assigned to the PA force. These are relatively small groups of people living in relatively tight quarters for long periods of time. While certain formalities of rank and position remain by necessity, much of the “red tape” of life on a larger starship is absent from the daily routine of a PA. In the PA force results tend to count much more than the manner of achieving those results. One of the unofficial mottoes of the PA Service is: “It is easier to ask forgiveness than permission”. PA crews are picked to be able make quick decisions when it is necessary without first looking over their shoulders for adult supervision; but at the same time they must be able to follow the hard orders when they are given.
“Starship crews make holovids, perimeter action crews make history.” – An Unknown PA Commander
Akula Class Manning
This is my proposal for the manning on an Akula sub-class PA as described in “Ships of the Star Fleet Volume Two”. That book describes a crew composition of 7 officers and 68 enlisted personnel. I have further broken down the enlisted crew to consist of 1 SCPO, 3 CPOs, 28 Pos, and 36 junior enlisted personnel. The book also describes the CO of a PA as being a Lieutenant commander (O-4) or a senior Lieutenant (O-3). Enlisted grades are as follows:
SCPO = E-8
CPO = E-7
PO = grades E-4 through E-6
Junior enlisted are grades E-1 through E-3.
Commanding Officer (Lcdr. Or Lt.)
Executive/Strategic Officer (Lt.) [see Note 1]
Navigation Officer (Ens. Or Lt(jg).)
Coxswain (SCPO) [Note 2]
Flight Controllers (x5) (all PO) [Note 3]
Yeoman (junior enlisted)
Chief Engineer (Lt(jg). Or Lt.)
Warp Propulsion Specialists (x3) (1 CPO, 2 PO)
Impulse Propulsion Specialist (x3) (1 PO, 2 enl)
Power Distribution Specialists (x3) (1 PO, 2 enl)
Computer/Auxiliary Systems Spec. (x3) (1 PO, 2 enl) [Note 4]
Transporter Specialists (x3) (3 PO)
Tactical/Weapons Officer (Lt.) [Note 5]
Fire Control specialists (x3) (1 PO, 2 enl) [Note 6]
Defense Systems Specialists (x3) (1 PO, 2 enl) [Note 7]
Phaser Systems Technicians (x3) (1 PO, 2 enl)
Torpedo Specialists (x6) (2 PO, 4 enl)
Security Specialists (x6) (1 PO, 5 enl) [Note 8]
Medical Officer (Lt(jg).) [Note 9]
Medical Technicians (x4) (1 CPO, 3 PO)
Operations Officer (Lt(jg).) [Note 10]
Intel/Ops Specialists (x12) (1 CPO, 2 PO, 9 enl) [Note 11]
Communications Tech. (x3) (1 PO, 2 enl)
Sciences/Sensor Tech. (x6) (3 PO, 3 enl) [Note 12]
Note 1 – Quarters shown in deckplans for “Strategic Officer” look to be for a senior officer, so I doubled this position with that of the XO.
Note 2 – The coxswain is the de facto Chief Helmsman. Also serves as the senior enlisted person aboard ship (see “Chief of the Boat” in current USN submarine service).
Note 3 – With the Coxswain, are responsible for maneuvering and navigation of the ship.
Note 4 – Responsible for maintenance of computer systems and general diagnostic engineering of other systems. Damage control when needed.
Note 5 – also indicated as having larger quarters, assumed to be third in command.
Note 6 – these personnel man the Weapon Systems station on the bridge.
Note 7 – These personnel man the Defensive systems station on the bridge.
Note 8 – Internal Security and boarding parties during Border/Customs assignments. Damage control as necessary.
Note 9 – May double as Science officer when necessary.
Note 10 – Oversees the general operations of the vessel, and command of the CIC on Deck 2.
Note 11 – these personnel man the CIC on Deck 2. three per shift in normal conditions, six in alternating shifts during combat.
Note 12 – In addition to manning the Science Station on the bridge, these personnel are responsible for the maintenance, launch, and recovery of the intelligence drones and sensor probes.
REFERENCES
Bluejacket’s Manual – US Naval Institute Press
Encyclopedia of the Modern British Navy – Beaver
Federation Reference Series – Nielsen
Markings & Insignia – Perimeter Action Ships – Guenther
Ships of the Starfleet, Vol. 1 (Rev.) – Guenther/Nielsen
Ships of the Starfleet, Vol. 2 – Guenther/Nielsen
Star Trek Maps – Mandel
Star Trek Star Charts – Mandel
Starship Design – Guenther
Submarine - Clancy
