NCC-1700 CONSTITUTION
First in class. Design and development actually started in the early 2210s, but massive technical/ R&D problems, political meddling, and constant problems with StarFleet redesigns led to 1700 taking twenty years from keel laying to commissioning in 2245. (She was actually torn down almost to the keel plates on two occasions and restarted)
In 2245 a Federation Council committee finally drew a line in the sand: get 1700 on her trials in 60 days, or the program would be terminated and the ship, often mockingly called ‘Building 1700’, would be scrapped and the NX-1700 project terminated. StarFleet BuShips Captain Patrick Evans was given the seemingly impossible task, and got her going on schedule, though it was a little close. (NOTE: these will be the events of ST: Constitution.)
CONSTITUTION was originally assigned to First Fleet, but ended up making many ‘show-the-flag’ cruises as StarFleet learned to use and employ her amazing capabilities. However, although CONSTITUTION was always well loved and served honorably, the ship always had maintenance and technical issues, and was poorly adapted for the upgrades and refits that became a hallmark of the class. In 2261 she was quietly pulled from front-line service and became a testbed for new weapons and systems, though assigned an wartime or emergency slot with First Fleet. She was retired into the Reserve Fleet at Utopia Plantitia in 2270. As of this writing, she is the last unmodified Mk IX left, and may be preserved as a museum.
Mike