In 1994 Captain Picard and his Next Generation crew said their final farewells to their Enterprise after one half of the ship exploded, and the other half smashed to the surface of Veridian III. Sadly for the Enterprise, it was the victim of not only Klingon meddling, but technical requirements; the Galaxy Class was a fine ship for their television adventures, but this was the movie world they’d beamed into so a new ship was needed to kick start this new high definition widescreen adventure.
Enter the Sovereign Class; a massive departure from the creature comforts of it’s predecessor. IT was leaner, meaner and built to impress from the moment we saw it on screen as the all-new Enterprise-E in 1996’s First Contact.
Designed to spearhead the next evolution of Starfleet design, the Sovereign Class was a rapid departure from the softer styles of the mid 24th century. Built to impress, the Sovereign was a sleak, elongated design with a rougher, more aggressive exterior in comparison to it’s predecessor. Fitting all the traditional elements of starship arrangement, the Sovereign set a new trend in having an elongated primary hull directly connected to the saucer with no connecting ‘neck’ between the two. This allowed for a more compressed design with less decks and more intertwined internal components.
Intended in the design stages to join Starfleet’s long range exploration fleet, the Sovereign’s development process saw it becoming more of an all rounder due tot he more volatile political environment that spawned in comparison to the calmer era the Galaxy family was built for. In addition to it’s research and exploration facilities, Sovereign class starships were fitted with several phaser systems and multiple photon torpedo launchers; a number that would double following trials in the first few years of the class being in service.
By the time the first batch of Sovereign class ships were launched, they were considered the new flag-bearers of the fleet similar to the Excelsior a century earlier. The most prominent of the batch was the USS Enterprise-E which was primarily used for diplomatic relations during, and in the fallout, of the Dominion War including a show of strength and unity in meeting the short-lived Romulan Praetor Shinzon.
Internally the Sovereign, like most Starfleet vessels, would host the bridge at the top of the primary saucer on Deck One, with command systems and crew facilities joining in the top half of the saucer. Vast medical facilities, at least four transporter rooms and storage made up most of the lower end of the saucer alongside an array of scientific research facilities including a spacious astrometric lab.
Having more internal volume compared to other ships of the line encouraged a more open=space environment for the ships engineering sections with some corridors and access routes spanning two decks and a larger three-deck high open plan main engineering bay surrounding the warp core. The main shuttle bay, placed at the rear of the saucer, also allowed for a large number of shuttles including larger runabout scale ships and a wider variety of transport for specialised ground vehicles.
Due to the variation of design intention during the initial construction and development, the ships were used beyond their high profile diplomatic assignments. Long term research including exploration was a speciality in several models while it’s modular and adaptable internal layout offered the ability to host evacuation and humanitarian aid. High powered armaments, as well as top of the line warp drive and a hull layout specifically designed for warp field speed efficiency, made for excellent rapid response or defensive support in a crisis; even before after market upgrades the USS Enterprise was able to add a lot of fire power to the defence of Earth during a Borg invasion.
By the trend of the 25th century, at least 38 Sovereign Class ships were in service and participated in a special Federation Day display celebrating 250 years since the formation of the Federation itself.
“I wanted a sleek, very fast ship with favourite elements from the starships that had gone before.”
John Eaves, 2003 Interview
Following the destruction of the Enterprise-D in Generations, John Eaves was tasked with designing a new ship to lead the Next Generations cinematic adventures for First Contact. Approaching the process, Eaves would compare the predecessors as the Cadilac where he wanted the new era Enterprise to be a Porsche; a fast, sleek and powerful looking ship that would reintroduce traditional elements in a new way.
Adding elements from older designs, including elongated nacelles used prior to the Next Generation, and small details being carried over including triangular detailing and shuttle control tower, some detailing of the model was left to to ILM’s Alex Jeager as well as miniature supervisor John Goodson. In plotting out the new Enterprise, Eaves planned out multiple details inducing extendable torpedo launchers, a deflector dish that would be built as a physical set and more.
Further tweaks and revisions would be seen in Insurrection and Nemesis with Eaves planning a final refit version for the final film that was sadly cut for budget. Despite never feeling the design was truly complete, Eaves laid the groundwork for a whole new era of design that would carry on for decades to come.
The Sovereign Class ship is one of a select few restricted designs used in SFC’s inventory. Currently only one approved Sovereign Class – the aptly named USS Sovereign – is in service as a regional command unit covering a vast segment of the UK and Europe.
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