- For other uses, see Griffon.
The Griffon-class was a type of Federation starship, an escort in service to Starfleet in the 23rd century. The Griffon was a class VIII starship, becoming active on reference stardate 2/1503. A mark II variation became active on stardate 2/2008.
The Griffon was created in the 23rd century and crewed 146 officers and men in the original configuration. The mark II modification had an increased complement of 148, and most modifications had the capability to carry around 10 passengers. Additionally, the Griffon could carry 2,500 metric tons of cargo, rated at 50 SCU (standard cargo units). The initial vessels weighed 107,195 metric tons, while later ships of the mark II design had heavier masses around 107,450 tons. The Griffon ships measured 220 meters in length, 85 meters in width and 40 meters in height. The Griffon had three standard (6 person) personnel transporters, two 22-person escape transporter stages, and one cargo transporter stage.
The Griffon warp engines were FWE-2 type, rated to cruise at warp factor 7 and max out at warp factor 9 (measured in original Cochrane units). The Griffon impulse engines were of the FIE type. The Griffon had two FH-4 dual-emitter phaser banks, with forward, port and starboard firing arcs. The mark I ships had FP-2 photorp launchers, which were upgraded to FP-7 units on the mark II modification. The vessels were originally defended by FSH model deflector shields, with later upgrades possessing FSK shields. The shuttlebay area usually had at least two Federation shuttlecraft. The control systems of the Griffon utilized the M-2 computer.
By the later 23rd century, 208 mark I Griffon vessels had been constructed, followed by 28 mark IIs. The Griffon ships, by the 2280s, remained in service in great numbers, with 177 mark I ships and 26 mark II ships active, and an additional four ships in Starfleet Reserve fleets and another in use by Starfleet Training Command. Two vessels (one of each modification) had been scrapped and another two (both mark IIs) had been sold to commercial concerns. At that point, 21 ships were recorded destroyed, only one of them an upgraded modification, and an additional three mark II vessels were recorded missing. By the late 23rd century, the Griffon was being constructed at an approximate rate of twenty-four vessels per year, at the Morena Shipyards. The Griffon is named for a number of animal breeds on Earth that take their name from the mythological griffin or gryphon. (FASA RPG module: Federation Ship Recognition Manual)
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Presumably, a prototype ship named USS Griffon would be the prototype of this class, but no such vessel was referenced in the source.