Starfleet Starship Classes by type

Ship types

Combatants

• Cruiser
  • Multipurpose ship
  • Light Cruiser
    • Wambundu: - 2364 -
    • Saber: 2370 - Present
    • Intrepid: 2371 - Present
  • Medium Cruiser (a.k.a. frigate)
    • Miranda: - 2242 - 2379 -
    • Centaur: 2369 - 2381 -
    • Norway: 2371 - Present
  • Heavy Cruiser
    • Constitution: 2242 - 2293 -
    • Ambassador: 2322 - 2376 - (ceased production 2372)
    • Akira: 2368 - Present
    • Sovereign: 2370 - Present
• Courier
  • Smaller, high-speed vessels meant for supply runs, quick transport, diplomatic ferrying, etc.
    • Ilthirin: 2161 - 2165 -
    • Peregrine: - 2371 -
• Escort (a.k.a. destroyer)
  • Small combat-focused ship used to protect larger, less-armed ships
    • Saladin: 2242 -
    • Defiant: 2369 - Present
• Explorer
  • Exploring uncharted space far from Federation core territory and without access to starbase support
    • Excelsior: 2285 - Present
    • Nebula: 2357 - Present
    • Galaxy: 2357 - Present
• Frigate
  • Fast, medium-sized ship intended to protect larger vessels
    • New Orleans: 2332 - 2375
    • Steamrunner: 2369 - Present
• Strike Fighter
  • Very small, quick, heavily-armed vessel meant for use in large groups, often held in larger carriers

Noncombatants

• Hospital ship
  • Large-scale medical support; combat support, planetary medical disaster, etc.
    • Olympic: 2361 - Present
• Runabout
  • Larger auxiliary vessel used as support for starbases or other fixed locations
    • Danube: 2368 - Present
    • Yellowstone: In development
• Survey (a.k.a. science vessel, scout)
  • Ships meant for short-term analysis and observation, often related to intelligence-gathering or scientific study
    • Hermes: 2242 - 2270 -
    • Oberth: 2250 - 2375 (ceased production 2360)
    • Archer: - 2265 - 2269 -
    • Antares: - 2266 - 2270 -
    • Nova: 2368 - Present
• Transport
  • Personnel and cargo carriers
    • Mediterranean: - 2350 - 2375 -