Excalibur-class

The Excalibur class is a Federation Prototype Support Dreadnought.

Description
The concept of a Space Control Ship along the lines of Earth naval Sea Control Ships has been around since the early 2270s - a behemoth command ship that could serve as carrier, dreadnought, logistics, command and control ship all in one. Test ships such as the Ingram and Griffon-class served Starfleet in the late 23rd century, but difficulties and concerns over survivabilty, cost-effectiveness and performance led to the retirement of the last Griffon in 2301, having spent much of her life relegated to stardocks and remote core systems on training exercises and proving flights.

With the massive technological advancements since, and the need for additional tactically oriented ships after the Borg incursions of 2367, Starfleet Command authorised Starfleet Engineering to develop the plans for the Excalibur-class, that would serve as command ship and titan, able to hold off marauding enemy fleets and rally local defense forces in the event of conflict. The result: a massive starship, dwarfing even the latest Galaxy-class explorers, equipped with outpost-grade shielding, more communications capacity than most minor outposts and colonies, and a shuttle deck loaded with two dozen couriers and runabouts. Wielding the manpower and equipment to oversee whole sectors of Starfleet operations, the Excalibur was born.

However, with war with the Dominion looming, questions about the effectiveness of the Excalibur were raised. Allied with the Cardassians and with thousands of warships on the Federation border, many at Starfleet Command questioned the wisdom of wasting critically needed resources on massive spacecraft that were experimental, unproven and cost-prohibitive to build. This argument gained traction with the sheer numerical superiority of the enemy fleet and the tactics employed by Cardassian and Dominon forces at earlier encounters - the loss of the Galaxy-class explorer ship USS Odyssey three years earlier to a small Jem'Hadar attack ship barely twice the size of a shuttle and smaller than even a Defiant-class corvette led to panic that thousands of Starfleet personnel would be killed on Excalibur ships that were rammed during combat operations, along with the massively lopsided outcome this would have on any strategic conflict. Therefore, the Excalibur project was suspended pending a review of the suitability of larger craft in battle - a review that would never see light as the Dominion War broke out.

However, the lead ship USS Excalibur had been completed by the time this decision was taken, and with every ship needed on the front line, she was fitted out as planned, to the delight of her creators who felt that she would prove herself worthy of the efforts placed in her construction, much like the Defiant two years prior. The Excalibur serves today as the last line of defense for Starfleet, ready to be deployed to any battlefield where her services as overseer are needed.

Performance
While possessing firepower nowhere near her fellow Polaris-class Dreadnought, Excalibur has over twice as much hull, armor and shields, as well as excellent fighter capacity to mitigate the weaponry gap. Thanks to its abilities, it is, without a doubt, the best support vessel in the game, rendering a fleet near-indestructible while providing fighter support from the back or charging forward and absorbing more fire than almost any other ship could.

Due to the ship's focus on abilities, it's strongly recommended to invest points into reactor upgrades to increase available energy and reduce ability recharge times.

Upgrades
See Dreadnought.

External References
TBD