USS Voyager - A battleship?
- Thread starter di_mar
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Voyager is a science vessel. I'm fuzzy on the details, but I seem to recall that they just happened to be closest to the Marquis and, therefore, were sent... or something like that.
At any rate, Voyager... all Intrepid class ships ...are science vessels. It also makes sense that Janeway would captain a science ship since that's what department she was in before going command (if you follow the books).
At any rate, Voyager... all Intrepid class ships ...are science vessels. It also makes sense that Janeway would captain a science ship since that's what department she was in before going command (if you follow the books).
Garm Bel Iblis
Commodore
Voyager was indeed a science vessel, but her angular design and bioneural circuitry made her ideal from flying through the Badlands avoiding the plasma storms. And she was damned fast, warp 9.975.
The Intrepid class was the fastest in the fleet at that time, weren't they?
Garm Bel Iblis
Commodore
Until the Prometheus fanboy wanking multi-vector assault crusier came along.
I have no idea whether the Voyager is categorized as a battleship within the Star Trek universe, but at least in the real world a police car doesn't have a lot in common with a battleship.
No, not really. Considering the fact that in Caretaker Janeway had time to go to New Zealand for Tom Paris before heading to Deep Space Nine and the Badlands, it's not very likely that they "just happened to be the closest to the Maquis".
As for the original question, considering everything we learned throughout all the Star Trek series about the peaceful mission of the Federation, I'd say it's very unlikely that the Voyager was designed to be a battleship.
Hey, I said I was fuzzy. It's been over a decade since I watched 'Caretaker' all the way through. (It wasn't my favorite episode.) 
Anywho, point being, Voyager was a science ship. The Prometheus was a prototype anyway. I like to think it doesn't count.
Anywho, point being, Voyager was a science ship. The Prometheus was a prototype anyway. I like to think it doesn't count.
Unless I'm forgetting something, the only Federation "warships" we see on-screen in TNG/VOY/DS9 are the Akira class, Prometheus class and Defiant class. The rest are primarily for exploration, science or whatever, and only secondarily - or tertiarily - combat ships, and this includes Voyager.
Akira and Prometheus were never indicated to be Warships.
The Defiant on the other hand was.
Akira also doesn't really strike me as a warship.
We do know it has a VERY bad phaser coverage for one thing (and I was only able to discern torpedo tubes on it's upper attachment that connects with the catamarans), and everything else stated about it is just fan speculation.
The Prometheus was stated to be an experimental prototype designed for deep-space tactical assignments ... the word 'warship' was never mentioned.
The Defiant on the other hand was.
Akira also doesn't really strike me as a warship.
We do know it has a VERY bad phaser coverage for one thing (and I was only able to discern torpedo tubes on it's upper attachment that connects with the catamarans), and everything else stated about it is just fan speculation.
The Prometheus was stated to be an experimental prototype designed for deep-space tactical assignments ... the word 'warship' was never mentioned.
Personally, I believe comparing it to a Coast Guard cutter would be more accurate than to a police car, but do to its size, armament and speed the Intrepid class would be classified as a destroyer if anything. As to seeing Federation "warships" you end up seeing a lot of them, they just aren't classified as such any more. Many ships like the old Soyuz, Miranda, and Constellation classes that you see pop up from time to time were warships when they were in their prime. Mostly as picket and patrol ships for the Federation/Klingon neutral zone. But as you can see Starfleet doesn't exactly throw ships away when they get old, they just refit them and reassign them to a new job. Look at how many Excelsior refits pop up during TNG.
I think the Galaxy class would be the closest class to a battleship that the Federation had in service during the shows. Even though its stated mission was exploration it was an answer to the Romulan D'Deridex Warbird and the Klingon Negh'var Heavy Battlecruiser that were being developed. If your neighbors got a big stick, get one too mentality. The difference was the Romulans and the Klingons were building dedicated warships, while the Federation were developing multipurpose ships with enough weapons to face down aggressors. Sorry for the rant guys, but I really get into this stuff.
I think the Galaxy class would be the closest class to a battleship that the Federation had in service during the shows. Even though its stated mission was exploration it was an answer to the Romulan D'Deridex Warbird and the Klingon Negh'var Heavy Battlecruiser that were being developed. If your neighbors got a big stick, get one too mentality. The difference was the Romulans and the Klingons were building dedicated warships, while the Federation were developing multipurpose ships with enough weapons to face down aggressors. Sorry for the rant guys, but I really get into this stuff.
In STIII, the Klingon calls the Enterprise a "Federation battle cruiser". A battle cruiser is traditionally slightly smaller than a battleship, but still heavily armed.
Depends on the mentality of who you're talking to sometimes. Everything is battle capable to a Klingon.
Depends on the mentality of who you're talking to sometimes. Everything is battle capable to a Klingon.
Thanks everyone. By a 'police' car, I mean especially built to chase the 'rebels of the galaxy..' in this case, the Maquis. And, by a 'battle' ship, I mean built for heavy combat, e.g: non-penetratable shields or a fast warp.
I knew that Janeway had previously worked in the Science side, but I did think Science vessles were more like the Equinox. Small, slow, and a low defense system.
I love long posts.. they're very interesting to read!
I knew that Janeway had previously worked in the Science side, but I did think Science vessles were more like the Equinox. Small, slow, and a low defense system.
I love long posts.. they're very interesting to read!
Well, the Intrepid is the equivalent of a Galaxy class ... only smaller.
Same offensive/defensive systems (and capabilities in general), with Voyager being faster, having a much smaller crew, also smaller torpedo compliment (but not a max. of 38 ... for it's internal volume, it should be able to house at least 100).
It was built for long range exploratory assignments, but Voyager specifically ended up launched for a mission that lasted only 2 weeks and retrieve a Maqui ship.
Provisions and high torpedo count were not needed for such a mission, and no one expected it to end up in the Delta Quadrant.
I suppose Voyager's circumstances could be explained that SF gave Janeway the assignment of retrieving the Maqui ship as a shake-down cruise of sorts ... testing out the ships capabilities in the Badlands (a region of space previously stated as very unfavourable for SF ships in general) and of course retrieval of her chief of security who was also undercover.
It's possible she requested this assignment because of Tuvok being her close friend to begin with it.
And besides, Janeway was stated to be on a first name basis with some of the Admirals, so ... anything goes.
Also ... I'm not really taking the Klingons descriptions of Federation ships at heart.
For one thing, the terms 'warship', 'battleship', 'light cruiser' and similar are contemporary terms.
It may be a vague analogy, but starships as seen in Trek are vastly different, are supposed to be constructed almost 300 years from now, using highly sophisticated technology at hand.
Same offensive/defensive systems (and capabilities in general), with Voyager being faster, having a much smaller crew, also smaller torpedo compliment (but not a max. of 38 ... for it's internal volume, it should be able to house at least 100).
It was built for long range exploratory assignments, but Voyager specifically ended up launched for a mission that lasted only 2 weeks and retrieve a Maqui ship.
Provisions and high torpedo count were not needed for such a mission, and no one expected it to end up in the Delta Quadrant.
I suppose Voyager's circumstances could be explained that SF gave Janeway the assignment of retrieving the Maqui ship as a shake-down cruise of sorts ... testing out the ships capabilities in the Badlands (a region of space previously stated as very unfavourable for SF ships in general) and of course retrieval of her chief of security who was also undercover.
It's possible she requested this assignment because of Tuvok being her close friend to begin with it.
And besides, Janeway was stated to be on a first name basis with some of the Admirals, so ... anything goes.
Also ... I'm not really taking the Klingons descriptions of Federation ships at heart.
For one thing, the terms 'warship', 'battleship', 'light cruiser' and similar are contemporary terms.
It may be a vague analogy, but starships as seen in Trek are vastly different, are supposed to be constructed almost 300 years from now, using highly sophisticated technology at hand.
When Archer was on board the Enterprise J in the 26th century, Starfleet was still using the Prometheus class so they probably do count.
The Voyager was the Starfleet standard, neither a pure warship, nor a pure science ship. Rather a large, multi-role, heavily armed explorer. Much like Kirk's original Enterprise.
When Archer was on board the Enterprise J in the 26th century, Starfleet was still using the Prometheus class so they probably do count.
The Voyager was the Starfleet standard, neither a pure warship, nor a pure science ship. Rather a large, multi-role, heavily armed explorer. Much like Kirk's original Enterprise.
Never watched more than a few episodes of that series...
But, I do know that Voyager was specifically called a science ship on the show.
Withers
Captain
That made me laugh. After what happened at Wolf 359, the subsequent Borg attacks, the discovery of the Dominion, etc. I have a hard time believing Starfleet would ever build any other purely Scientific vessel like the Scooty Puff Jr (Oberth). I think all their ships, after a certain point in the time line, would be constructed for double (if not triple, quadruple, quintuple) duty. Voyager specifically a battleship? Probably not- that sort of distinction I would hold out for ships closer in line with Defiant.
-Withers-
-Withers-
All Federation ships are science ships to varying degrees.
Even the Defiant did some limited scientific studies.
Voyager was never called a 'science ship' ... as far as on-screen dialogue goes that is.
It's a multi-purpose vessel like the Galaxy class with virtually everything being the same except for the internal volume/size .
I'll have to bow because I don't think I could actually watch all seven seasons again if I wanted to.
Withers
Captain
It was called a "ship of exploration" at least twice. The term "science ship" doesn't sound like Trek-lingo but I'm thinking the term "of scientific exploration" came up somewhere along the lines.
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Star_Trek:_Voyager
I think if you're going to call Voyager more one thing than the other (battleship vs. science ship) you have to lean toward science.
-The Doctor from Living Witness-
I mean the list goes on and on but I hang by the original thought that this wasn't just one type of ship. It had multiple purposes but was ultimately (unlike Defiant) geared for exploration as opposed to specifically combat.
-Withers-
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