The Freedom-class starship was a type of vessel in service with Starfleet in the late 24th century.
History[]
The Freedom-class was in service by 2366/67 and was represented at the Battle of Wolf 359, with the Firebrand. This ship was destroyed along with 38 others in an attempt to stop a Borg cube from reaching Earth. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II")
Design[]
Like the Archer-type, Hermes-class, the Saladin-class and the Kelvin-type, all of which were from the 23rd century, this type was noted for being one of the small number of Federation classes that had one nacelle. The Hermes-class and the Saladin-class shared a similar configuration with a primary hull being connected by a pylon to a nacelle. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek; TNG: "The Battle", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II")
At least one ship, the USS Firebrand, had a small torpedo launcher connected to the pylon, just above the nacelle.
Alternate realities[]
Alternate reality Freedom class Cerritos in 2382
In 2382, while within a Schrödinger possibility field, the USS Cerritos was briefly transformed into its counterpart from a different quantum reality where it was identified as a Freedom-class ship. However, this alternate Freedom-class design differed noticeably from the version in the prime timeline, with a prominent navigational deflector and two pylons connecting the saucer to the single warp nacelle. (LD: "The New Next Generation")
Ships of the class[]
- Named
- Alternate
- Uncertain
Appendices[]
Background information[]
Freedom-class studio model (bottom) with that of the Niagara-class (top)
The name for this class was devised by the production staff and was revealed by Okuda in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., p. 472. Production photos of this class appeared in the special features section of the TNG Season 4 DVD.
The scratch-built "kit-bash" studio model of the pre-damaged Freedom-class USS Firebrand was created at Gregory Jein, Inc. by Jein and his staff for the "graveyard" scene that the USS Enterprise-D traveled through following the Battle of Wolf 359.
- For further information on the studio model, see: Galaxy-class derivative ship class studio models
Issue #118
According to Issue #118 of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection, the Freedom-class was a type of light frigate. This class was approximately 430 meters in length, had a maximum speed of warp factor 9.2, and an approximate crew complement of 370. Starfleet used this class primarily for light exploration or planet surveys. Secondary roles assigned to this class included defending Federation borders or guarding supply convoys. A unique feature of this class was the phaser cannon found on the ventral surface of the primary hull.
Apocrypha[]
Issue 5 of the IDW ongoing Star Trek: Lower Decks comic series features the Freedom-class USS Nemo (NCC-69128), to which the command crew of the Cerritos is temporarily reassigned for a covert mission by the Department of Temporal Investigations. The vessel is described "an old Freedom-class ship nobody will miss." The comic features the interior of the Nemo prominently, with the corridors and conference room being very similar to those on board the Cerritos, but the bridge being a different design more reminiscent of the Enterprise-D battle bridge.
External link[]
- Freedom class at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works