Steamrunner Class

Since much of the state of the art technology to be incorporated into Steamrunner had already been developed for use on Defiant, the R&D stages proceeded very quickly. Steamrunner's design is revolutionary in that the warp nacelles are integrated into the hull. This gives Steamrunner a smaller cross-section signature, making it more difficult to target in battle, and allows more efficient energy transfer from the warp core to the nacelles. Additionally, the compact design and balance contribute to Steamrunner's impressive maneuverability. Steamrunner's warp core is a modified version of the core that was used in Defiant. Steamrunner is fitted with the latest weaponry, including fountain stream phasers and quantum torpedoes. Perhaps the most unique piece of technology on Steamrunner is a new deflector array which actually "ghosts" the ship. Unlike a cloaking device, which wraps space around the vessel, Steamrunner's ghosting array actually produces ripples in the space around the ship. This causes the sensors of enemy ships to misjudge the location of the ship, making targeting solutions all but impossible. The drawback to this device is that it consumes vast amounts of energy and emits high levels of tachyon radiation. For this reason, the array was hung between the nacelles far aft of the saucer module.

• Class ship

USS Appalachia, NCC-52136

• Defended Earth in Second Borg Incursion