design by Bill Krause, stats & story by SITZKRIEG!, graphics by Admiral Buck
NOTES:
One of the first ships designed to use the various advancements made during the Four-Years War, the fast attack Sentinel cruiser was to be equipped with a binary shield generator, phasers, speedy FWD-1 engines, and photo torpedoes. The war drew to a close though before the actual construction of the first ship was finished. As the focus in peacetime switched back towards exploration, production was delayed in order to incorporate the upcoming FWD-2 warp engines that traded top speed for the efficiency needed on long voyages. Despite the ability to perform the same 5-year missions as the larger constitution class and second only to them in fire power, the new Sentinel light cruisers were cheaper to build and used more readily available systems. Those qualities meant that Starfleet had both the capacity and funds to produce the ship at roughly twice the pace of the larger constitution class and they were a frequent site on the front tears over of the following decades. The class quickly made it’s mark both in terms of exploration as well as holding their own in various border skirmishes. In order to keep the Sentinel class state of the art, the Mk II was introduced on 2268 mounting the newly developed FP-4 torpedo, more efficient try nary shield generators, and an improved impulse engine ensuring that the sentinel light cruisers remained formidable ships on the expanding frontier.
In 2269, Starfleet decided to refit the Sentinel class using many of the same system that were being developed for the Enterprise refit. The significant changes to the Sentinel class for more measured that of the Constitution class allowing an almost simultaneous rollout despite the later start. The Mk III introduced 2271 mounted the improved FSP shield generators, the more powerful FIF-1 impulse engines, and the new FWG-1 engines along with the M-6 computer needed to run them. While the almost legendary engine efficiency of the earlier sentinels was gone, the much higher total power output combined with the higher speeds and maneuverability more than made up for it. Just like the previous versions, Sentinel class vessels remain work capable with only a single functional nacelle. Fire power was increased with the addition of rear facing weaponry replacing the secondary cargo/shuttle bay combined with additional forward torpedoes (albeit of lower yield). Production was increased to the highest rate (six per year) since their initial introduction with plans to refit all existing vessels to the new standard within five years.
| Construction Data: | |||
| Model – | Mk I | Mk II | Mk III |
| Ship Class – | IX | IX | X |
| Date Entering Service – | 2258 | 2268 | 2271 |
| Number Constructed – | 54 | 32 | 20 |
| Hull Data: | |||
| Superstructure Points – | 18 | 20 | 23 |
| Damage Chart – | C | C | C |
| Size: | |||
| Length – | 245 m | 245 m | 245 m |
| Width – | 113 m | 113 m | 113 m |
| Height – | 41 m | 41 m | 41 m |
| Weight – | 135,235 mt | 138,605 mt | 146,333 mt |
| Cargo: | |||
| Total SCU – | 320 SCU | 320 SCU | 200 SCU |
| Cargo Capacity – | 16,000 mt | 16,000 mt | 10,000 mt |
| Landing Capacity – | None | None | None |
| Equipment Date: | |||
| Control Computer Type – | M-3 | M-3 | M-6 |
| Transporters: | |||
| Standard 6-person – | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Emergency 22-person – | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Cargo – | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Other Data: | |||
| Crew – | 255 | 263 | 276 |
| Passengers – | 60 | 60 | 40 |
| Shuttlecraft – | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| Engines And Power Data: | |||
| Total Power Units Available – | 42 | 44 | 64 |
| Movement Point Ratio – | 2/1 | 2/1 | 4/1 |
| Warp Engine Type – | FWD-2 | FWD-2 | FWG-1 |
| Number – | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Power Units Available – | 18 ea. | 18 ea. | 26 ea. |
| Stress Chart – | M/G | M/G | D/F |
| Max Safe Cruising Speed – | Warp 6 | Warp 6 | Warp 8 |
| Emergency Speed – | Warp 8 | Warp 8 | Warp 10 |
| Impulse Engine Type – | FIC-3 | FIE-2 | FIF-1 |
| Power Units Available – | 6 | 8 | 12 |
| Weapons And Firing Data: | |||
| Beam Weapon Type – | FH-3 | FH-3 | FH-3 |
| Number – | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Firing Arcs – | 2 f/p, 2 f/s | 2 f/p, 2 f/s | 2 f/p, 2 f/s, 2 a |
| Firing Chart – | W | W | W |
| Maximum Power – | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Damage Modifiers: | |||
| +3 | (1-10) | (1-10) | (1-10) |
| +2 | (11-17) | (11-17) | (11-17) |
| +1 | (18-20) | (18-20) | (18-20) |
| Torpedo Weapon Type – | FP-1 | FP-4 | FP-5 |
| Number – | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Firing Arcs – | 2 f | 2 f | 3 f, 1 a |
| Firing Chart – | L | S | R |
| Power to Arm – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Damage – | 10 | 20 | 16 |
| Shield Data: | |||
| Deflector Shield Type – | FSK | FSL | FSP |
| Shield Point Ratio – | 1/2 | 1/3 | 1/4 |
| Maximum Shield Power – | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| Combat Efficiency: | |||
| D – | 107.7 | 145.6 | 146.9 |
| WDF – | 32 | 48.2 | 72.8 |