star trek ship classes

Star Trek Ship Names Ordered by Class – From TOS to Picard

By: Author Brad Burnie

Posted on Published: September 23, 2021 - Last updated: November 9, 2022

Star Trek Ship Names Ordered by Class – From TOS to Picard

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For those who consider themselves as die-hard fans of the popular sci-fi Star Trek universe, you may already know that Star Trek’s 24 th century has some astounding array of Starfleet ships that we can stare at with admiration. Star Trek has had strong starships designs since the very beginning. Let’s dig a bit deeper to know more.

The history of Star Trek dates back to 1966-1967 with The Original Series Season 1. All this began when a writer and former Air Force pilot, Gene Roddenberry , wanted to make a science fiction TV show that featured characters that show humanity at its best.

Since then, there has been no looking back as Star Trek has become one of the most popular sci-fi television shows of all time. While it has been entertaining its audience for decades and is globally known for its genre of science fiction, it’s also known for it’s the great space battles with different alien species.

Over the years, the show came up with dozens of iconic starship designs, many of which are even known to people who don’t follow Star Trek. The idea behind the creation of these ships was to represent the diversity of various races, cultures, and factions. So, whether it’s the TOS ( The Original Series ), Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) , Deep Space Nine (DS9), Voyager, or Picard , the show has always lived up to the expectation of producing some vast fleets that demonstrated the abilities at their best.

If you have to rank these astonishing ships, what do you think? Which are the most powerful ships of all? Not sure about the answer? No problem, here we are, revealing a list of 30 most powerful Star Trek ship names today.

From TOS to Picard, we’ve covered and presented some of the powerful Star Trek ships . Their rankings are based on specifications, including speed, size, and power. So, are you ready and excited to know their names? Let’s begin!

See awesome great details in this book Ships of the Line on amazon.

List of Powerful Star Trek Ship Names Revealed

30. ss botany bay.

Built in the late 20 th century by the United States of America, this DY-100-class sleeper ship played a great role in helping Khan Noonien Singh and his group to escape Earth after being defeated at Eugenics Wars . You can explore the nuclear power of this ship and know more about it by watching the prime timeline of Star Trek – TOS.

29. Phoenix

Phoenix, an Earth spaceship, was constructed during the mid-21 st century. The interesting fact about this ship is that it used to be a nuclear missile. Yes, Lily Sloane and Zefram Cochrane later converted this missile into a prototype spaceship. Isn’t it amazing? That’s not it; it is also known to be the first human-made spacecraft launched from Earth to travel faster than the speed of light by using warp-drive technology.

28. Friendship 1

You will come across this Star Trek ship name in a Star Trek: Voyager episode. Launched in 2067 by the United Earth Space Probe Agency, four years after the Phoenix’s game-changing flight, this deep space probe came to find other species. The Friendship 1 ship’s exquisite feature is that it contained a lot of scientific, technological, and cultural information that helped to seek out new worlds and new civilizations.

27. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-J)

You can get a glimpse of this starship in the “Azati Prime” – The Star Trek: Enterprise episode. It bags one of the top spots in the list as it boasts some of the advanced technologies. However, it is not that popular due to two reasons – one, it just has a brief glimpse, and second, a time-traveling Captain said that the Enterprise-J exists in a possible future timeline.

26. Galileo (NCC-1701-7)

Assigned to the USS Enterprise in the 2260s, Galileo was a Class F shuttlecraft and bore the name of the great astronomer and mathematician of all time. They first used a telescope – Galileo Galilei. However, this craft was lost near Taurus II in 2267, at the time of the Murasaki Effect investigation. It was then replaced with the same numbered craft that was dubbed as the ‘Galileo II.’

25. USS Raven (NAR-32450)

This Federation exploration vessel was the home and the workplace of Magnus and Erin Hansen, the Borg-studying scientists. Check out its remains in the Star Trek: Voyager episode, “The Raven.”

24. Deep Space Nine

While this isn’t technically a ship, its a space station, we though it was important to include. There are two sides to this. On one side, it is simply an old Cardassian mining station for the same-titled TV series. While on the other hand, the same mining station is modified and reconstructed into a battle station with 5,000 photon torpedoes in Deep Space Nine – Season 4 of Star Trek.

23. USS Defiant (NX-74205)

Built for Borg battles, this amazing Federation craft was armed with a cloaking device that was lent from the Romulan Star Empire. It is known to be one of the successful warships that you can see for yourself in Star Trek: Deep Space Nin e as well as Star Trek: First Contact . Also know for it’s “mining” capabilities in games.

22. La Sirena

Memory Alpha states that this newcomer Star Trek ship is a Kaplan F17 Speed Freighter, a class of civilian ships equipped with phasers and shields but a whole lot of hologram capacities. Not to forget, it is the only entry from Star Trek: Picard.

21. USS Franklin (NX-326)

This ship is small, but at the same time, tough, just like other Freedom-class starships. You can see this 22 nd -century ship in the Kelvin timeline of Star Trek: Beyond, seat belts. It is equipped with stealth technology, cannons, and torpedoes, and its warp four power was used to get to the Starbase Yorktown from the planet, Altamid .

20. Enterprise (NX-01)

In the 22nd century of Star Trek: Enterprise , you can see how this starship has the potential to carry a huge crew of almost 100 people. It is remembered as a victory of Zefram Cochrane’s theories of space travel.

19. Sh’Raan

Even though the Vulcans are known better than combat ships for logic, the pre-Federation years have seen Spock’s forerunners ready to throw down in Sh’Raan – the Star Trek: Enterprise -era starship that was capable of Warp 7 power.

18. USS Shenzhou (NCC-1227)

This Walker-class Federation USS starship was introduced in the 23 rd century, and you can see it in Star Trek: Discovery. It had everything, including phasers, cannons, and torpedoes, but unfortunately, it got smashed in the Battle of the Binary Stars that occurred in 2256.

17. Sarcophagus

Bigger than the Shenzhou, Klingon starship of the 23rd-century can be witnessed in the Star Trek: Discovery pilot. One interesting feature of the Sarcophagus is that its armor contains the remains of Klingon warriors in the form of a patchwork of caskets.

16. Jem’Hadar Warship

Simply put, it’s all interconnected when we talk about this warship. The story of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is incomplete without the Dominion, and the story of Dominion is incomplete without the Jem’Hadar warship, i.e., its military division.

15. USS Prometheus (NCC-71201)

This Nebula-class Federation USS starship is in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It was introduced as a floating science trial. It not only gets the job done but is also famous for its magnificent goal of reigniting a dead sun.

14. USS Excelsior (NX-2000)

It is featured in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as the first Federation starship having trans-warp drive. This 23rd-century ship was operated by Starfleet and served Captain Hikaru Sulu , who commanded the Excelsior from 2290 to at least 2320.

13. D7-class Battle Cruiser

This Klingon starship is considered the largest of its era as it was 748 feet long and had 430 crew members. Although many other cooler introductions came along in the 24 th century, this starship still holds a higher rank. It is also termed as ‘ the pinnacle of combat warships in the 23rd century ’ as per StarTrek.com.

12. Scimitar

This Reman-made ship boasts about a lot of things. Featuring in Star Trek: Nemesis , it is loaded with photon-torpedo bays and disruptor banks. Additionally, Scimitar can convert itself into a Thalaron weapon. It is similar to a nuclear weapon but has far more destructive attributes than the latter.

11. Vor’Cha-class Attack Cruiser

This was yet another heavily armed Klingon starship used during the middle and later part of the 24 th century. It was almost as long as a Galaxy-class Federation craft and was similarly used as the backbone of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance fleet in the mirror universe.

10. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)

Have you seen the original iconic Enterprise? USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) is a Constitution-class starship that is essentially a replica of it. It was first featured in the prime timeline of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Additionally, it also appears in the Kelvin timeline of the J.J. Abrams-era Star Trek films.

9. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)

USS Enterprise-B is a polished version of the prime timeline’s Constitution-class Enterprise. This Excelsior-class Federation starship was introduced in the 23rd century and can be seen in Star Trek Generations .

8. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Prime Timeline

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was a 23rd century Federation Constitution-class starship launched in 2258. Officially Federation was a flagship, this starship was operated by Starfleet. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the planet Altamid battle in 2263.

7. USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Kelvin Timeline

This starship was introduced in the 23rd century, so it has the potential of more than warp 8. In fact, it became the first Federation starship to start a five-year mission under the command of Captain James T. Kirk . It is said to be more than double the size of the Prime Timeline’s Enterprise.

6. Romulan Warbird

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew were awestruck by this Romulan Warbird for obvious reasons in Star Trek: The Next Generation . According to StarTrek.com, it is considered to be the largest and the most powerful Romulan spacecraft.

5. Negh’Var Warship

Negh’Var Warship was the largest class of starship, running more than 2,250 massive feet long. This powerful starship was operated as the emperor’s flagship in the Klingon Empire during the late 24 th century.

4. USS Vengeance

Designed and developed by Khan Noonien Singh and Section 31, Star Trek: Into Darkness reveals how scary this 23rd-century starship is. From Star Trek’s Kelvin timeline, this ship was specifically created for combat and was commissioned in 2259. It has very assassin type feel.

3. The Whale Probe

You cannot stop boasting about the exquisite features of this starship – the Whale Probe. Featured in the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , defeating it is out of the question as it is a massive, power-sucking, starship-disabling, and ocean-vaporizing craft that visited Earth in 2286 to contact members of the humpback whale species.

2. Xindi Probe

We can define this starship as a pure beam of destructive force. Seen in Star Trek: Enterprise, this Xindi Probe not only attacked Earth in the 22nd century but also successfully killed more than 7 million people from Florida to Venezuela leaving complete destruction in it’s wake.

Nomad starship was designed by Dr. Jackson Roykirk and served in the first part of the 21st century. It was created with two goals: to create a ship that could function as an accurate thinking machine while using logic and find new lifeforms in interstellar space. This powerful starship had the potential to clear out at least 4 billion people from four different planets. You can see how Captain Kirk and his team face it in the Star Trek TOS episode, The Changeling.

Wrapping It Up

See awesome great details in this book Ships of the Line on amazon . There are more powerful Star Trek ships in addition to this list. The Doomsday Machine, the Krenim Temporal Weapon Ship , the Species 8472 bioship , the Narada , the Borg Cube , and V’Ger are undoubtedly powerful Star Trek ships featured in different timelines. The high-tech development and their powerful specifications have made them the most powerful ships of the Star Trek era.

Star Trek Ship Names Ordered by Class From TOS to Picard generated pin 56653

Brad Burnie is the founder of Starships.com. He loves all video game genres. In his spare time, he loves reading, watching movies, and gaming

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Starship classes

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A class of starship was a term referring to the design of a group of vessels built to the specifications, capabilities, modifications, or type arrangement and outfitting. Many cultures named separate series or classes based on these qualities. A starship classification was usually used to refer to the general abilities of a vessel, but a specific class designation referred to its shape or layout in differing degrees, according to how specific species and cultures used the term.

External links [ ]

Starship classes at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
Star Trek Ships: Expanded at The STArchive

All items (290)

Category:Memory Alpha non-canon redirects (starship classes)

Category:Starship classes (alternate reality)
Category:Starship classes (mirror)

Al-Leyan transport
Category:Andorian starship classes

Antidean transport
Ardra's ship

Arretan vessel

Category:Bajoran starship classes
Banean warship
Bardeezan merchant ship
Barolian freighter

Benzite ship
Category:Bolian starship classes
Category:Borg starship classes

Breen warship
Brenari freighter
Briori ship

Byzatium transport

Category:Cardassian starship classes
Chalnoth ship
Cheron scout vessel
Chessu ship

Class 1 transport
Clicket ship
Coridan ship

Coverian freighter

Deltan ship
Denebian patrol ship
Denebian spaceship

Category:Dominion starship classes

Category:Earth starship classes

Entharan starship

Category:Federation starship classes

Category:Ferengi starship classes

Fraddock's transport ship type
Free Spirit type

Galador freighter
Galipotan freighter
Gavarian ship

Golorian trading vessel
Gorn attack ship

Category:Hirogen starship classes

Husnock warship

Jelinian freighter
Juhryan freighter

Kalandan supply ship

Kartelan freighter
Category:Kazon starship classes
Kellenite ship
Kelvan ship

Category:Klingon starship classes

Kobheerian freighter
Kobliad transport

Kotakian ship

Category:Krenim starship classes

Kriosian transport

Kyrian fighter ship

Ledosian patrol ship
Lissepian cargo ship
Lissepian supply ship
Lissepian transport

Malon transport ship

Category:Maquis starship classes

Melthusian starship

Mithran class

Mulzirak transport

Nova One type

Nyberrite Alliance cruiser

Category:Orion starship classes

Category:Pakled starship classes

Qomar transport

Rekag battle cruiser

Category:Rigelian starship classes
Category:Romulan starship classes

Starships - Index

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Published Jul 5, 2021

The Fleet's In: 24th Century Federation Starships

Does your favorite ship make the cut?

StarTrek.com

For those of us who lovingly refer to ourselves as “starship nerds,” Star Trek 's 24th century is populated with an astounding array of Starfleet vessels for us to gaze upon with awe. The series and films set in this era, namely Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Picard , and the four movies helmed by the TNG crew, produced vast fleets that demonstrated the Federation's prestigious shipbuilding capabilities.

Narrowing down choices, and ranking my favorites proved difficult enough, so we have excluded 23rd century holdovers (so no Excelsior -, Miranda -, Constellation -, and Oberth -class staples), non-Starfleet vessels such as Ambassador Spock's craft from Star Trek (2009) , the relatively diminutive Danube -class runabouts, and auxiliary shuttles. With that in mind, let's take a look at the ships that have been deployed from Utopia Planitia, Riverside, Beta Antares, Eridani A, and other Federation fleet yards.

10. Nova -class in Voyager

When the Nova -class U.S.S. Equinox first popped up on U.S.S. Voyager 's sensors in “Equinox,” Captain Janeway noted that the starship was a planetary research vessel designed for scientific missions rather than long-range tactical excursions. The Nova -class bore streamlined similarities to its larger Intrepid and Sovereign -class cousins, but its limited scope and small crew left it vulnerable to a lonely jaunt through the Delta Quadrant. If Captain Ransom had commanded a sturdier vessel, perhaps he would not have resorted to the deplorable tactics he employed to find a faster route home. However, the design apparently stood an excellent chance of enduring, as Captain Harry Kim sat in the center seat aboard the Nova -class variant U.S.S. Rhode Island in the alternate future seen in “Endgame.”

9. Ambassador -class in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine

The U.S.S. Enterprise-C remains the most well known Ambassador -class vessel due to its namesake, its prominence in the classic “Yesterday's Enterprise,” and its valiant rescue of the Klingon outpost on Narendra III from Romulan aggressors. Variants of this starship also notably appeared in Captain Picard's blockade during the Klingon Civil War, at the Battle of Wolf 359, and as a transport in “Data's Day.” The explorer's design proved to be an elegant mid-point between its Excelsior -class predecessors and Galaxy -class successors, and it would have been wonderful to see the vessel show up on a more frequent basis.

8. Prometheus -class in Voyager

Who can forget the stunning sight of the prototype U.S.S. Prometheus becoming three independent vessels as it separated into multi-vector assault mode during “Message in a Bottle?” The Prometheus 's computer and resident EMH informed Voyager 's doctor that the advanced ship was intended for deep space tactical assignments and could achieve speeds faster than any other member of the fleet. The pair of holographic physicians managed to wrest control of the Prometheus from Romulan hands and deploy its experimental defensive systems against Tal Shiar warbirds. While it is unknown if further Prometheus -class ships were constructed, the prototype was spotted again as part of the armada sent to intercept the Borg sphere in “Endgame.”

Star Trek Ships of the Line — U.S.S. Prometheus

7. Akira -class in Star Trek: First Contact , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager

First seen on screen in the Battle of Sector 001, the Akira -class's earliest chronological appearance occurred during a flashback at the Utopia Planitia shipyards in the Voyager episode “Relativity.” While no single starship of this design ever received an excessive amount of attention, numerous Akira -class vessels substantiated their worth in battle during the height of the Dominion War. From retaking Deep Space 9 in “Sacrifice of Angels” to assaulting Cardassia in “What You Leave Behind,” these resilient craft evidently became an instrumental element in Starfleet's defense forces by the end of the 2370s.

6. Inquiry -class in Picard

The imposing task force led by Captain Riker above Coppelius was composed of Inquiry-class vessels, including Riker's own U.S.S. Zheng He . Representing the most up-to-date Federation design of the 24th century, the reinstated captain described these ships as the toughest, fastest, and most powerful ones that Starfleet had ever produced up until that time. Although the entire fleet that confronted the Romulans in the Ghulion system fell into the Inquiry-class designation, there seemed to be two variants with differing nacelle configurations present. A whole armada of vessels more advanced than either the Galaxy - or Sovereign -classes? Now that is a majestic view to behold. I'd love to see a rundown of the entire roster of over 150 ships (by my latest count) that participated in Riker's defense formation.

5. Nebula -class in The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , Voyager , Star Trek Generations , and Star Trek: First Contact

With primary hulls resembling those of its Galaxy -class counterparts, the Nebula -class explorers were featured heavily across multiple series and movies. Captain Maxwell demonstrated their tactical prowess as the U.S.S. Phoenix overwhelmed Cardassian targets in “The Wounded,” Data assumed temporary command over the U.S.S. Sutherland in “Redemption II,” the U.S.S. Farragut aided the U.S.S. Enterprise-D 's crew on Veridian III, and Professor Seyetik's U.S.S. Prometheus conducted solar experiments in “Second Sight.” The Nebula -class's diverse mission profile and extensive use over the years helped it secure such a high rank on our list.

4. Sovereign-class in Star Trek: First Contact , Star Trek: Insurrection , and Star Trek Nemesis

With its on screen credits confined to the U.S.S. Enterprise-E 's roles in the final three TNG films, the beautifully-fashioned Sovereig n-class is often considered to be an underutilized design by starship aficionados. However, given the class's appearances on background LCARS graphics in DS9, I would love to imagine that many Sovereigns were built and saw service somewhere just off-camera during those epic Dominion War battles. Geordi La Forge considered the Enterprise-E to be Starfleet's most advanced ship in 2373, and the new Federation flagship lived up to its reputation in engagements with the Borg, Son'a, and Praetor Shinzon's Scimitar . While not as voluminous as the Enterprise-D , Picard's latest command maintained a larger-than-life presence as it warped across the quadrant to extinguish diplomatic and strategic brush fires.

3. Defiant -class in Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: First Contact , and Voyager

Riker's legendary quip about a “tough little ship” perfectly encapsulates the Defiant -class's ability to contain such overpowered weapons and defensive shields within such a small spaceframe. Originally developed to combat the Borg (which the U.S.S. Defiant bravely did under Worf's leadership at the Battle of Sector 001), Captain Sisko's beloved flagship ultimately earned its fiercest accolades in clashes against the Jem'Hadar both before and during the Dominion War. The only member of Starfleet to be (unofficially) considered a warship and (legally) equipped with a cloaking device, the Defiant withstood everything that was thrown at it... until a Breen energy-dampening weapon brought about its untimely end. The U.S.S. São Paulo , fittingly renamed in honor of its sister ship Defiant , allowed Sisko to oversee the Dominion's final defeat at Cardassia from a familiar bridge.

2. Intrepid -class in Voyager and Deep Space Nine

Home to Captain Janeway and her crew for their entire venture through the Delta Quadrant, U.S.S. Voyager pioneered Starfleet's use of bio-neural circuitry, the Emergency Medical Hologram, and a warp core that managed a top cruising speed of warp 9.975. Of course, Voyager also reaped the unique benefit of Seven of Nine's Borg database, a valuable library that permitted them to add a finely-tuned astrometrics lab and the Delta Flyer to the ship's already impressive complement. Voyager' s capacity to outlast everyone from the Hirogen to the Devore in a firefight while still completing countless scientific surveys and first contact missions served as a testament to its durability. When Admiral Ross visited Romulus during the height of the Dominion War, even the high-ranking officer opted to travel on the Intrepid -class U.S.S. Bellerophon rather than any other craft.

1. Galaxy -class in The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Picard , and Star Trek Generations

In what is sure to become a controversial decision, the Galaxy -class explorer tops our list of incredible Federation vessels. Despite early concerns over potential design flaws, the Enterprise-D and its sister ships acquitted themselves admirably from TNG's opening moments through Voyager 's return to Earth. Whether hosting dignitaries or being transported to regions beyond the Milky Way's confines, the Enterprise-D acted as a home and refuge for its crew and their families. Although the U.S.S. Odyssey fell in the Federation's first skirmish with the Jem'Hadar, other Galaxy-class starships held the line against the Dominion throughout the war. In the alternate version of 2390 depicted in “Timeless,” the U.S.S. Challenger remained in service under Captain Geordi La Forge. If the Galaxy -class is good enough for Starfleet's most accomplished 24th-century engineer, who am I to disagree?

Star Trek Ships of the Line — U.S.S. Enterprise

Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer who contributes articles to the official Star Trek website and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and the official Star Wars website. Jay also serves as a part-time assistant and consultant advising many actors and creatives who work on his favorite sci-fi shows and films. He can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @StobiesGalaxy.

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