Freedom class (24th century)
For the 22nd century starship class, please see Freedom class (22nd century).
The Freedom-class starship was a type of vessel in service with Starfleet in the late 24th century.
History[]
The Freedom-class was in service by 2366/67, and was represented at the Battle of Wolf 359, with the Firebrand. This ship was destroyed along with 38 others in an attempt to stop a Borg cube from reaching Earth. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II")
Design[]
Like the Archer-type, Hermes-class, the Saladin-class and the Kelvin-type, all of which were from the 23rd century, this type was noted for being one of the small number of Federation classes that had one nacelle. The Hermes-class and the Saladin-class shared a similar configuration with a primary hull being connected by a pylon to a nacelle. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek; TNG: "The Battle", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II")
At least one ship, the USS Firebrand, had a small torpedo launcher connected to the pylon, just above the nacelle.
Alternate realities[]
Alternate reality Freedom class Cerritos in 2382
In 2382, while within a Schrödinger possibility field, the USS Cerritos was briefly transformed into its counterpart from a different quantum reality where it was identified as a Freedom-class ship. However, this alternate Freedom-class design differed noticeably from the version in the prime timeline, with a prominent navigational deflector and two pylons connecting the saucer to the single warp nacelle. (LD: "The New Next Generation")
Ships of the class[]
- Named
| Name | Registry | Notes | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Firebrand | NCC-68723 | Destroyed at Wolf 359 | Destroyed | 2366/67 |
- Alternate
| Name | Registry | Notes | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Cerritos | NCC-75567 | Existed in an alternate reality | Uncertain | 2382 |
- Uncertain
| Name | Registry | Notes | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Concord | - | Active | 2370 |
Appendices[]
Background information[]
Freedom-class studio model (bottom) with that of the Niagara-class (top)
The name for this class was devised by the production staff and was revealed by Okuda in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., p. 472. Production photos of this class appeared in the special features section of the TNG Season 4 DVD.
The scratch-built "kit-bash" studio model of the pre-damaged Freedom-class USS Firebrand was created at Gregory Jein, Inc. by Jein and his staff for the "graveyard" scene that the USS Enterprise-D traveled through following the Battle of Wolf 359.
- For further information on the studio model, see: Galaxy-class derivative ship class studio models
Issue #118
According to Issue #118 of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection, the Freedom-class was a type of light frigate. This class was approximately 430 meters in length, had a maximum speed of warp factor 9.2, and a approximate crew complement of 370. Starfleet used this class primarily for light exploration or planet surveys. Secondary roles assigned to this class included defending Federation borders or guarding supply convoys. An unique feature of this class was the phaser cannon found on the ventral surface of the primary hull.
External link[]
- Freedom class at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works