The following is a basic guide to the actual known ship classes that have appeared on Star Trek over the last 30+ years. There are 49 so far, in addition, other hypothetical classes have been inserted to give a balanced impression of how the fleet may look and operate, going back a period of two centuries to the very beginnings of the Federation and Starfleet. In many ways there are too many classes here to seem sensible, it's just that somehow Starfleet have constructed 80,000 ships since its founding (due to the ship registries we know) and rather than have certain classes having thousands of ships, I was more comfortable with explaining this with a large number of classes...

Designation refers to the class' hardware type, eg, Cruiser, Destroyer, Surveyor etc. I submit that these old marine terms are used by the Federation, for they have had passing mentions. For instance, in the Dominion war Sisko referred to the Federation task forces in categories such as 'Cruiser Wings' and 'Destroyer Units'. Detailed info on Designation specifications are found on the Designations page.

The Dates column refers to the speculated dates when the prototype vessel of that class was first actively commissioned, and the very last ship of that class decommissioned/destroyed, etc.. 

Length and Ships Built is a conjectured figure. If the amounts of ships figure is in brackets, it indicates that further vessels in that class are planned, and the current number is only provisional, this obviously is only pertinent to 24th century classes still under construction.

Power is an approximate calculation of shield strength times offensive capability, ie, for Constitution Class the final value of 7.8 is reached.

Its (conjectured) Shield strength is 1.3, times Phaser arrays (4) and Photon launchers (2), or 1.3 x 6, totalling 7.8 -

Shield Strengths can be found listed on that class' particular page. For more info, see Definitions.

This basically gives an overall idea of how offensively powerful that particular class vessel is. For older ships (Daedalus Class) who possess the older style Laser Cannon and Fusion Missiles, a 50% power reduction calculation is considered. For middle aged classes of ship which have since been refitted, their original prototype values are noted. Quantum Torpedo and Phaser Cannon values are speculated as being twice that of Photon torpedoes, older ships since upgraded to Quantums aren't considered, only new original prototypes fitted with them are acknowledged. Phaser types are passingly acknowledged, for Excelsior Class phasers are obviously going to be considerably less powerful than Sovereign for instance (Phaser Types are detailed Here).  Final power values given are a fair indication of that class' actual armour and hitpoints capability, and a ship whose power is 100, is there or thereabouts ten times as powerful as a ship that is rated at 10. The inserted Shield Strengths (listed for each class on its page) is considered to be increased and improved as time moves on and technology advances, and the system works on an exponential curve basis like the warp scale, meaning that a ship with a shield strength of 6, is not necessarily twice as strong as a ship with a shield value of 3.

Most of this data is speculative, and not to be taken as gospel. Only for those class ships that have been visually portrayed, and whose nature, designation, size and age etc. are reasonably established, are close. All class stat details can be found in the Fleet Guides...

Please take note, some may find it strange that in the 24th century classes section certain ship classes that are believed to be new are placed in an earlier time-frame, classes like Akira and Steamrunner for instance which are listed here to be from the 2360's. Construction dates are based on the given registries for ships we know, and these two classes seem to be contemporary to at least Galaxy Class, or perhaps even (incredulously) pre-date it. But, with a lack of actual canon dates for class constructions one has to make do with scant available fact, and speculation to fill in the (many) loopholes.

Starship Classes appear in regular text, shuttle types, tankers, transports and other such utility support vessels appear in italics.

-NOTE: If you are viewing this page from within the Utopia Planitia section, each class page will open within the main frame. If viewed alone within your browser, all class page links bypass fleet indices and go to only their relevant pages

= This signifies that I have created a CGI design for this class. More are being developed for various classes all the time. See Here for more.

Overview of classifications 21st to 22nd centuries

Many of the inserts here, such as the DY series of ships were initially compelled by this LCARS graphic from the TNG episode 'Up The Long Ladder'. The DY-100 and DY-500 have definite canon status from the episodes TOS: 'Space Seed', TNG: 'Up the Long Ladder', and VGR: 'Future's End'.

Overview of 22nd Century Starship classifications Of The United Federation of Planets

CLASS NAME	DESIGNATION	DATES	LENGTH (metres)	Ships Built	Offensive Power	Prototype Registry
Dauntless Class	Cruiser	2161-2181	185	18	1.4	NX - 01
Viking Class	Heavy Cruiser	2161-2183	245	14	2.2	NX - 31
Gagarin Class	Surveyor	2161-2202	112	16	1.6	NX - 69
Pioneer Class	Cruiser	2161-2189	173	29	1.6	NX -100
Europa Class	Science	2161-2200	95	16	1.2	NX - 122
Federation Class I	Heavy Cruiser	2161-2189	262	20	2.4	NX - 151
Daedalus Class	Surveyor	2161-2196	105	51	1.5	NX - 170
Vostok Class	Frigate	2161-2233	221	10	2.0	NX - 195
Gallant Class	Medium Cruiser	2163-2207	195	4	2.0	NX - 212
Florence Class	Scout	2163-2199	143	13	2.0	NX - 253
Mach Class	Frigate	2163-2215	229	16	1.8	NX - 271
Illustrious Class	Medium Cruiser	2165-2213	188	25	2.4	NX - 280
Hamburg Class	Frigate	2165-2215	236	9	2.0	NX -293
Merrimack Class	Destroyer	2166-2224	281	11	2.8	NX - 301
Mercury Class	Surveyor	2168-2235	185	16	1.8	NX - 315
Yucatan Class	Light Cruiser	2168-2219	112	17	2.0	NX - 329
Foundation Class	Surveyor	2170-2220	131	26	2.2	NX - 327
Institution Class	Frigate	2170-2218	223	18	2.8	NX - 336
Triumph Class	Heavy Cruiser	2171-2235	301	29	3.0	NX - 362
Aquarius Class	Medium Cruiser	2174-2225	202	12	2.4	NX - 414
Agamemnon Class	Destroyer	2178-2226	260	14	3.6	NX - 429
Newfoundland Class	Surveyor	2178-2245	214	20	2.4	NX - 439
Titan Class	Heavy Cruiser	2178-2233	323	9	3.8	NX - 450
Comet Class	Medium Cruiser	2179-2224	281	25	3.2	NX - 464
Odysseus Class	Frigate	2180-2231	246	31	3.4	NX - 478
Arizona Class	Light Cruiser	2181-2239	170	27	2.8	NX - 490
Saladin Class	Destroyer	2182-2286	242	36	4.0	NX - 500
Discovery Class	Science	2183-2246	121	43	2.2	NX - 515
Hermes Class	Scout	2184-2276	242	20	2.0	NX - 585
Comanche Class	Medium Cruiser	2185-2209	246	24	4.0	NX - 601
Cygnus Class	Scout	2186-2289	211	50	3.8	NX - 617
Oberth Class	Science	2189-	120	295*	2.2	NX - 620
Phoenix Class	Heavy Cruiser	2190-2246	314	20	4.2	NX - 650
Lincoln Class	Scout	2192-2231	239	3	3.2	NX - 703
Cosmos Class	Heavy Destroyer	2194-2240	386	9	4.8	NX - 720
Explorer Class	Surveyor	2196-2244	271	31	4.4*	NX - 743
Atlantis Class	Light Cruiser	2197-2270	220	16	4.6	NX - 779
Persia Class	Medium Cruiser	2198-2241	261	12	4.8	NX - 807
Ontario Class	Heavy Cruiser	2200-2259	371	6	5.1	NX - 834

*839 ships total, built in the 22nd century. (Oberth Class being the most successful and versatile ships endured for a long while coming in several batch variants. Only 21 of its 295 total ships of the class built in the 22nd century)

* Towards the end of the 23rd century, the term 'Science Vessel' was incorporated into the same bracket as Surveyor. And all became known as Surveyors from thereon.

22nd Century support ship classes (Unregistered - Not Starship Classes)

Overview of 23rd Century Starship classifications

Calibre Class	Heavy Cruiser	2201-2241	342	14	5.3	NX - 863
Valencia Class	Light Cruiser	2203-2247	173	17	4.5	NX - 889
Pyrrhus Class	Frigate	2205-2249	206	18	5.2	NX - 909
Paladin Class	Scout	2206-2274	224	12	4.0	NX - 936
Atlas Class	Destroyer	2209-2261	246	11	5.0	NX - 953
Achilles Class	Destroyer	2210-2275	290	20	5.0	NX - 1001
Ptolemy Class *	Light Cruiser	2212-2293	222	25	4.0	NX - 1079
Trident Class	Heavy Cruiser	2214-2260	316	20	5.8	NX - 1110
Everest Class	Medium Cruiser	2215-2274	221	13	5.9	NX - 1143
San Antonio Class	Destroyer	2216-2279	262	24	7.0*	NX - 1178
Zeus Class	Heavy Cruiser	2218-2230	300	4	7.2	NX - 1205
Roma Class	Frigate	2220-2286	242	16	5.9	NX - 1249
Valiant Class	Heavy Cruiser	2222-2287	303	6	7.2	NX - 1288
Puma Class	Surveyor	2226-2279	212	18	5.0	NX - 1353
Ranger Class	Medium Cruiser	2228-2266	280	15	6.6	NX - 1416
Icarus Class	Surveyor	2231-2275	211	23	6.2	NX - 1459
Tornado Class	Frigate	2232-2273	240	21	7.0	NX - 1496
Compton Class	Destroyer	2233-2259	295	6	7.4	NX - 1520
Concord Class	Scout	2235-2269	230	11	6.8	NX - 1545
Courageous Class	Destroyer	2238-2280	293	24	7.2	NX - 1576
Viper Class	Destroyer	2240-2285	300	14	7.4	NX - 1612
Polyphemus Class	Heavy Cruiser	2242-2284	271	23	7.8	NX - 1665
Constitution Class	Heavy Cruiser	2244-2308	289	47	7.8	NX - 1700
Iluyushin Class	Surveyor	2246-2291	211	15	5.6	NX - 1744
Olympia Class	Medium Cruiser	2249-2289	261