- For other uses, see Kerala.
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| WARNING! This article contains MAJOR spoilers for the recently released episode Axiom. Caution is advised. |
The Kerala class was a 23rd century Federation starship type, a tier 6-rated broadside battlecruiser class derived from the 2250s-era Shepard-class battlecruiser USS Kerala (NCC-1255) active in T'Kuvma's War, in Starfleet service from the 2270s to the 2410s decade. In the 25th century, this class was represented by the USS Kerala (NCC-2255). (STO website: Unveiled: The 15th Anniversary Starship Bundle)
History and technical specifications[]
The original USS Kerala in 2256.
The Total Modification Programme-era ships.
The Kerala class was developed under the Total Modification Programme by Starfleet Advanced Starship Design Bureau and Department of Experimental Concepts and Applications based on the trials the Shepard-class USS Kerala (NCC-1255) suffered during the Battle of the Binary Stars at the start of the Federation-Klingon War in the year 2256. The TMP started in 2271 and was affected by the V'ger incident in the Sol star system. Captain M. Uribe of the ASDB designed the Kerala class as a broadside battlecruiser, unlike the usual forward-facing armaments doctrine of most Starfleet ships. The class, led by the prototype USS Kerala (NCC-2255), was equipped with the broadside combat module, a console-operated special weapon that fired a series of pulse phasers in rapid succession from the ship's broadside arcs. (STO website: Unveiled: The 15th Anniversary Starship Bundle)
Typically for Starfleet starships of its time period, a Kerala-class vessel was equipped with phaser beam arrays and photon torpedo launchers. Specifically, the fore and aft weapon emplacements each were loaded with a trio of pulse phaser beam arrays and a single photon torpedo launcher. Ships of the class could be equipped with dual cannons. Additional standard equipment included shield array, deflector array, impulse engines and matter anti-matter warp core. The broadside combat module was a type of universal console technology. Cloaking was not an innate ability but various mechanisms could be installed to serve as a cloaking device. In the 25th century, the impulse engines, warp core and quantum slipstream drive enabled a ship of this class to reach impulse, warp, transwarp and quantum slipstream velocities. The hull was modular and could be modified at shipyards operated by New Romulus Shipyards, Klingon Defense Force Order of Builders and Starfleet Shipyards Operations at 25th century Khitomer Alliance facilities across the Milky Way Galaxy. Specifically, components of the Kerala were interchangeable with those of the Shepard- and Gagarin-class. (STO - Unveiled missions: "Welcome to Earth Spacedock", "The Hunt is On", "Explore the Flotilla", "Ceremony")
The class was shared with the Khitomer Alliance alongside the TMP-era Pioneer II-class pilot heavy frigate, Ark Royal-class intel science carrier, Shangri-La-class command warship and the Theseus-class miracle worker destroyer in 2411. (STO website: Unveiled: The 15th Anniversary Starship Bundle)
Around that time, the Khitomer Alliance had uncovered their manipulation at the hands of the extradimensional Aetherian Concordium during the multiversal war against the Borg. (STO - Kings & Queens mission: "Axiom")
In the 2410s, the Kerala class was classified as a temporal battlecruiser, combining the molecular reconstruction mechanic and molecular deconstruction beam of temporal starships with the cruiser command array and starship traits of a battlecruiser. As an Alliance battlecruiser, a battle-hardened ship benefitted from absorptive hull plating, enhanced weapon banks, enhanced hull plating, armored hull and, first seen with the USS Kerala, broadside beam support. This starship trait enabled a ship to fire an additional phaser at a random opponent. Bridge officer stations beyond the commanding officer included a commander doubling as engineer and temporal operative, a lieutenant commander pulling double duty as command officer and officer of any other department, a tactical officer holding the rank of lieutenant commander, a tactical lieutenant and an ensign science officer. (STO website: Unveiled: The 15th Anniversary Starship Bundle)
Known ships[]
The USS Kerala firing its broadside combat module.
Appendices[]
Connections[]
| Ships named Kerala | ||
|---|---|---|
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USS Kerala (NCC-1255, Shepard-class) • USS Kerala (NCC-2255, Kerala-class) • see also: Kerala-class | 
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| Shepard-class starships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Federation Starfleet (primary universe) |
standard configuration | Abdulaziz • Gagarin • Gagarin II • Kerala • Laika • Novak • Ride • Sebrova • Shepard • unnamed: NCC-1325 |
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| variant configurations | Gagarin-subclass: Christopher • Cunningham • Empyrean • Gagarin • Gotana-Retz • Kennedy • McKinley • Passaro • Resnik • Tereshkova • unnamed: NCC-97999 • Kerala-subclass: Kerala II | ||
| Terran Imperial Starfleet (mirror universe) |
standard configuration | ISS Gagarin • Gagarin-subclass: ISS Gagarin |  
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