A Currently classified starship designation, of which only a select 'need to know' few have knowledge. This, and two other classes fall under the jurisdiction of various 'branches' of Starfleet Intelligence, which operate as top secret departments working within, and parallel to Starfleet. What is known is that their principal mission is to oversee the interests and defence concerns of the Federation -though being in most cases autonomous (using their own starships for their own purposes). Not being strictly Starfleet, they apparently are not bound by the ‘Treaty of Algeron’, whether or not this structuring is entirely legal is not known. So, hence they exploit this arrangement by using cloaking technologies, utilising phase-shift inverters, -this allows a cloaked vessel to pass through matter of certain properties, a technology the Klingons and Romulans have long attempted to refine. The first prototype of these systems were tested on an Oberth Class ship, named Pegasus. Those initial experiments were a tragic and terrible failure, though the technology was at least prevented from getting into Romulan hands. The experiments though continued behind the scenes, and the prototype device was first stripped and redeveloped before being rigorously re-engineered and scrutinized via computer model simulations and eventually actual field testing. The phasing cloak system was finally integrated into this class vessel in 2369. Currently five ships in the Mirage Class are known to exist -to conventional Starfleet circles as well -so reported by first hand witnesses, such as unknowing Starfleet captains in chance deep space meetings….

Representation*

(Sorry, I can't provide full size pics, I don't have permission)