The Korolev Class is a widely-used yet seldom-seen starship, with most of its dwindling numbers assigned to routes and systems near the core of the Federation. Production was in full swing in 2330, as a smaller counterpart to the still-new Ambassador Class. A number of Korolevs saw their operational lives abruptly terminated in the Borg incursion of 2367, at the Battle of Wolf 359. Though most have been refit to varying degrees, and can hold their own, recent years had seen them largely relegated to the Federation's territory in Beta Quadrant, far from Dominion threats.
Two competing designs were considered for this class, the first prototype being the Bethpage, which held to more classic "heavy cruiser" lines, the second being the Korolev (pronounced "KOR-UH-LYEV"), named in honor of the pioneering accomplishments of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, which offered a new starship typology, at least for the era. Both prototypes were built and tested, and in fact remain in service to this day - the latter design approach, however, won out, and was built in the hundreds as a possible replacement for the aging Excelsior Class fleet.
Design elements were later borrowed for the Olympic Class medical cruisers, both stylistically and technologically. In 2370, a new and more sweeping retrofit was proposed, which incorporated technology from the new Sovereign and Intrepid Classes, however to date only two of these have been built.
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Class Description is Below
- Dedication plaque
- Korolev Class yacht -
U.S.S. BETHPAGENX-24997
U.S.S. KOROLEV NX-24998
U.S.S. GODDARD NCC-59621
Length: 450m
Beam: 208m
Height: 68m
Crew Complement: 382
Decks: 18
- Class insignia badge
- preliminary badge of U.S.S. Goddard
- Korolev Class starship -
- 2370 refit -
- Korolev Class partial plans -
U.S.S. Bethpage prototype in service, at DS9 in 2372.
The Korolev Class is a widely-used yet seldom-seen starship, with most of its dwindling numbers assigned to routes and systems near the core of the Federation. Production was in full swing in 2330, as a smaller counterpart to the still-new Ambassador Class. A number of Korolevs saw their operational lives abruptly terminated in the Borg incursion of 2367, at the Battle of Wolf 359. Though most have been refit to varying degrees, and can hold their own, recent years had seen them largely relegated to the Federation's territory in Beta Quadrant, far from Dominion threats.
