QUICK TREK: FEDERATION COMMAND COURIER (CCR)..

[MikeKozlowski]

FEDERATION COMMAND COURIER (CCR)
DAG HAMMARSKJOLD CLASS

The original courier ships had been two converted Hermes class scouts, Columbia and Revere. They served with distinction, but had problems with the typically large diplomatic delegations because of their cramped design and power systems. Hotel loads (environmental and luxury) notably became a problem due to their intended use for much smaller crews who tended to use these loads in rotation instead of simultaneously. Cargo storage was always tight, and it was not unusual to see overflow stored in passageways (and in one memorable instance aboard Revere, filling the chow hall), causing potential safety and operations hazards. Finally, they were starting to get a little long in the tooth and the Federation began to be concerned about the possible sight of an important diplomatic team becoming stranded due to a breakdown.

With that in mind, StarFleet requested funding in 2278 for a purpose-built diplomatic courier/high-speed priority transport vessel to replace Columbia and Revere, asking for nine vessels - this would allow four or five to always be available while the rest could be in refit/overhaul/repair or training. The Federation Council approved and StarFleet Utopia Plantitia Yards began work the following year. Still based on the original destroyer hulls, though somewhat larger, the new units were christened the Dag Hammarskjold class.

StarFleet insisted from the beginning that these ships be capable of even rudimentary self-defense, especially as they were often deep in unknown or potentially unfriendly space on their own. At first, the Federation Council actually suggested that the ships be completely unarmed, but the StarFleet leadership dug in their heels on the matter and the final design was approved with 4 Ph-1s but no photon torpedo mounts due to space and weight restrictions. (Two Ph-3Gs were added during the + refits for the last four ships.) The first ship, NCC-2115 Dag Hammarskjold, entered service in 2281. NCC-2115 through 2119 were classed as Flight I ships, built to the original design and later upgraded to CCR + standard. Flight II ships were built with all + upgrades starting in 2285. Wartime contingency plans for the CCRs called for them to be used as 'light destroyers' (more properly FFGs) with a single Type F drone rack mounted in the shuttle bay.

NOTE: Because of their duties as diplomatic couriers, these ships are always kept in outstanding condition and readiness with exceptional crews.

NAME REGISTRY NUMBER

Flight I
DAG HAMMARSKJOLD NCC-2115
U THANT NCC-2116
CRISTOFUR THORPE NCC-2117
RAOUL WALLENBERG NCC-2118
SAREK NCC-2119

Flight II
ALEXANDRA KOLLONTAI NCC-2120
GEORGE KENNAN NCC-2121
JOHN JAY NCC-2122
CHIUNE SUGIHARA NCC-2123

Mike

[Johnnie Lyle]

Neat concept. Almost certainly kept a lot of cruiser, battlecruiser and dreadnought/battleship captains happy.

You do have a typo in the NCC numbers, though.

[MikeKozlowski]

Neat concept. Almost certainly kept a lot of cruiser, battlecruiser and dreadnought/battleship captains happy.

You do have a typo in the NCC numbers, though.

John,

Thank you for catching that - I have adjusted the timeline accordingly.

Mike

[jemhouston]

I wonder why they simply didn't make a modified cargo container for the role so they could use any tug.

[MikeKozlowski]

I wonder why they simply didn't make a modified cargo container for the role so they could use any tug.

Jem,

Bottom line there is that, well, tug. The CCRs on the other hand are the StarFleet equivalents of the great barges of the Doge of Venice - see and marvel at our glory.

Mike

[jemhouston]

I wonder why they simply didn't make a modified cargo container for the role so they could use any tug.

Jem,

Bottom line there is that, well, tug. The CCRs on the other hand are the StarFleet equivalents of the great barges of the Doge of Venice - see and marvel at our glory.

Mike

I always hoped the Federation would have found a way to keep bureaucrats humble. I'm disappointed.

[MikeKozlowski]

I wonder why they simply didn't make a modified cargo container for the role so they could use any tug.

Jem,

Bottom line there is that, well, tug. The CCRs on the other hand are the StarFleet equivalents of the great barges of the Doge of Venice - see and marvel at our glory.

Mike

I always hoped the Federation would have found a way to keep bureaucrats humble. I'm disappointed.

Jem,

To paraphrase Scripture, "The Bureaucracy you shall have with you always." And the couple of times we've seen Federation bureaucrats, they've been types whose business cards should say, "Don't You Know Who I Am?"

Mike

[Johnnie Lyle]

Jem,

Bottom line there is that, well, tug. The CCRs on the other hand are the StarFleet equivalents of the great barges of the Doge of Venice - see and marvel at our glory.

Mike

I always hoped the Federation would have found a way to keep bureaucrats humble. I'm disappointed.

Jem,

To paraphrase Scripture, "The Bureaucracy you shall have with you always." And the couple of times we've seen Federation bureaucrats, they've been types whose business cards should say, "Don't You Know Who I Am?"

Mike

At which point you discover their aid is a Klingon spy who sabotaged their pet project under their very nose. You may end up to your eyeballs in tribbles and spark another war for the Klingons, but thems the breaks.

[Craiglxviii]

I suppose the Tug alternative would be, Tug with Starliner Pod. But I guess that’s not quite applicable for diplomatic missions.

Mikey, does the Federation Express exist in this universe, for the rapid transport of individuals, hard-copy/ highly secure data and/ or live lobsters?

[MikeKozlowski]

I suppose the Tug alternative would be, Tug with Starliner Pod. But I guess that’s not quite applicable for diplomatic missions.

Mikey, does the Federation Express exist in this universe, for the rapid transport of individuals, hard-copy/ highly secure data and/ or live lobsters?

Craig,

Absolutely!! Federation Express is a vital cog in the UFP's economy, and rare is the citizen who hasn't had some kind of interaction with them. Their ships are mostly unmanned, which means they can achieve speeds that would turn most sentient crews into chunky salsa and get things anywhere they need to be fast. StarFleet relies on them for highspeed logistics work across the Federation.

For instance, let's say you've got a taste for some gagh worms - and not that replicator crap, either, we're talking Q'onos-raised, organically reared, no-antibiotics gagh, straight from some little old Klingon lady's backyard. Well, one of the first commercial agreements signed after Khitomer was by FedEx with the Klingon Trade Authority. The Klingons were a bit skeptical at first as to why anybody would pay for fast transport of goods when a regular transport would get them there eventually, but then they discovered two things:

1) Federations would pay good darseks for Klingon goods, and
2) They could get chocolate on the return trip.

The regular run from Terra to Q'onos is three days, and usually two or three freighters arrive daily. The express run clocks in at just under 36 hours, and it's going to cost you - but it's always packed.

The normal routine is that the FedEx ship arrives in orbit to a FedEx station, which unloads the cargo and then sends it planetside. This is almost invariably done by transporter, but the occasional piece big enough to make transporting impractical goes down by shuttle.

Manned FedEx freighters tend to be quite well armed under special agreement with StarFleet - they are often targets of pirates, and StarFleet isn't always where they are. This has led to occasional quasi-wars between FedEx and pirates who simply don't get the message. StarFleet's attitude in these cases is that what they don't know about isn't a problem. The Orions very much leave FedEx alone, because they are a vital commercial link with the rest of the galaxy. To lose them would cost the clans and the Confederation proper a lot of money, so everyone gets along with a wary cheerfulness. Orion pirates who think they can break the rules - and it happens from time to time - will at best find themselves planetside with the clothes on their backs while watching their ships sail away under someone else's command. At worst, clan enforcers show up and terminate your contract with extreme extreme prejudice.

Mike