Eagle class

EAGLE CLASS

The Eagle class Starship has served as a starliner, an assault transport and as a freighter during its illustrious history. As a starliner, it was the most luxurious of its time. Pressed into service in a military role during the Four Years War, it transported thousands of Starfleet Marines to critical battles during that conflict. It was also converted into an efficient freighter which continued to serve in Starfleet after the war.

At the outbreak of hostilities in 2251 between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, Starfleet found itself with an almost complete lack of sufficient troop and materiel transports to effectively distribute its ground forces to prepare for and defend against Klingon planetary assaults. Almost simultaneously, representatives from Starfleet and Phoenix Enterprises contacted each other with the proposition of pressing the Eagle class into military service. This joint effort went off without a hitch and still stands today as one of the best examples of Federation patriotism during the Four Years War.

Hastily converted Eagle class starliners became the Mk IIa assault ship. The once spacious cabins of the former starliners now held three to six marines apiece. Dining areas and gymnasiums, theaters and arboretums became staging areas for military equipment and supplies. The emergency transporters aboard doubled as combat transporters, although during the early stages of the war, the ships were not involved in actual assaults since the Federation was wholly on the defensive. Many of the crews of the former starliners insisted that they be field commissioned and allowed to serve aboard their vessels- a request which Starfleet happily approved.

After Starfleet ’s number of Mk IIa assault ships grew as the existing starliners were converted, production began on the new Mk IIb and Mk IIc class. The Mk IIb Eagle served as a true, modern assault ship, with provisions for 1600 marines and their equipment, plus enough cargo space for light vehicle support. The Mk IIb’s and Mk IIc’s were fully outfitted with combat transporters and expanded cargo transporters. The ships were also outfitted with FWB-1 engines, which replaced the FWH-1 engines on the earlier models. This allowed the vessel to attain higher warp speeds and lessened the time needed to plan and engage in assaults.

The Mk IIc assault ship had an expanded cargo area and served as a heavy equipment assault ship (although as a consequence, it carried fewer troops). It could transport five medium tanks and 18 light-support vehicles along with the marines required to operate and maintain the equipment. It could also carry additional marines to supplement the heavy equipment. It also doubled as a munitions carrier and emergency space-borne field hospital in some instances.

Both the Mk IIb and IIc had a formidable array of FL-1 lasers. These lasers provided orbital fire support for marines below. Six batteries of lasers were at the command of the planetside marines, ready to support their attacks. Indeed, many Eagles risked their own safety rather than leave their embattled planetside troops to provide those troops with fire support.

The Mk III Eagle was similar to the Mk IIb and IIc models except for its enlarged cargo area (again at the expense of troop capacity). It served as a military transport and was found right at the front lines during the Four Years War.

The Eagle class served Starfleet well during the war and quickly earned the admiration of the average grunt which it transported to battle. With the Eagle in service, fewer and fewer troops had to be transported in converted freighters and transports. Instead, they rode into battle in a ship which didn’t leave after it transported its troops. Rather, the Eagle stayed and fought on with the marines it had landed. It was this type of tenacity which earned the Eagle the respect of the Starfleet Marines.