Akira class

The Akira-class was a class of Federation starship that was in service with Starfleet by the early 2370s. Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards was one of the sites this class was constructed at in 2371. 

History
Akira-class starships were featured prominently in the Battle of Sector 001 and the Dominion War. (, et al.)

Several Akira-class ships were stationed near Deep Space 9 during the war. 

As well, several were involved in most of the major battles of the war. In 2374, they saw action during Operation Return and the First Battle of Chin'toka, where at least two ships of the class were destroyed by orbital weapon platforms. 

In 2375, they were involved in the Second Battle of Chin'toka and the Battle of Cardassia. 

Ships commissioned

 * Named:
 * USS Thunderchild (NCC-63549)
 * Unnamed:
 * Unnamed Akira-class starships

Appearances

 * TNG films:
 * (also on a computer display)
 * (on astrometrics screen)
 * (also on a computer display)
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 * (also on a computer display)
 * (on astrometrics screen)
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Background information
According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia, the Akira-class was named after the anime film Akira.

A design sketch of the USS Akira shows the vessel bearing the registry NCC-2497. In an unpublished interview with author Larry Nemecek, designer Jaeger said he simply used the four-digit number of his then-phone extension for that registry; to conform to Starfleet practice, the number "6" was added by Mike Okuda and the film's art department to make "62497," a number then approved by producer Rick Berman. At the same time, Jaeger said, two other ship names and registries were approved as back-ups, if needed, to the USS Thunderchild actually seen on film as NCC-65549: the USS Rabin (named after former Israeli Prime Minister ) as NCC-63293, and the USS Spector (NCC-63549). The ship scale sheet showing the back-up names and registries can be found on.

Neither of the latter ships ever appeared on screen, although the CGI file used for the Akira-class seen in the Voyager episode was numbered NCC-63549, ostensibly the Spector, and was used by the Star Trek Fact Files. The ship allegedly appeared in one of the battle scenes from the sixth and seventh seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but this has not been verified.

Studio model

 * See main article: Akira-class model

Size
The scale of the CGI mesh, according to a January 20, 1998 post in the newsgroup alt.tv.star-trek.ds9, by DS9 Visual Effects Supervisor David Stipes, was 860 feet or 262.13 meters, the length used when he blocked shots in DS9. However, the measurement used by Visual Effects Supervisor Gary Hutzel, according to an in-house chart dated 5/15/98, was 840 feet.

According to a size chart of Alex Jaeger, the Akira-class would be roughly 500 meters in length.

Technical Manual
The following information of specifications and defenses comes exclusively from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual:


 * Production Base: ASDB Integration Facility, Antares Fleet Yards, Antares IV.
 * Type:	Heavy Cruiser.
 * Accommodation: 500 officers and crew; 4,500 personnel evacuation limit.
 * Power Plant: One 1,500 plus Cochrane warp core feeding two nacelles; one impulse system.
 * Dimensions: Length, 464.43 meters; beam, 316.67 meters; height, 87.43 meters.
 * Mass: 3,055,000 metric tonnes.
 * Performance: Warp 9.8 for 12 hours.
 * Armament: Six type-10 phaser emitters; 15 photon torpedo launchers.

Apocrypha
The Decipher role-playing games supplement  lists several Akira-class starships, including USS Geronimo (NCC-62501), USS Osceola (NCC-62743), USS Black Elk (NCC-62878), USS Nez Perce (NCC-62891), USS Mateo (NCC-63002), USS Red Cloud (NCC-63306), and USS Susquehanna (NCC-63419).

The Activision PC game Star Trek: Bridge Commander includes the USS Devore (NCC-64088), USS Geronimo (NCC-69302), and USS Kali.

The Activision PC game Star Trek: Armada includes the USS Jupiter (NCC-71267) and USS Templar, as well as many others. In both this game and the sequel, Star Trek: Armada II, these vessels have an advanced weapon called the "chain reaction pulsar" which bounces a bolt of energy off of enemy shields, damaging several ships consecutively. The Jupiter was also a promotional card for the Star Trek Customizable Card Game, where it was listed as being "under the command of Captain Satelk."

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Dominion Wars includes the USS Singh.

Star Trek: Away Team includes the USS Leyte Gulf (NCC-71427).

The USS Sentinel mentioned in is described as an Akira-class starship that Lt. Commander Sonya Gomez served on during the Dominion War, according to Pocket SCE: War Stories, Book 1.

The Millennium novel The Fall of Terok Nor mentions two Akira-class starships, the USS Bondar and the USS Garneau, both named after Canadian astronauts.

The Akira-class starship USS Gryphon features heavily in the DS9 Relaunch novels.

The Akira-class is featured in the game Star Trek: Starfleet Command III, where it is classified as a heavy cruiser.

The Xbox 360/PC game Star Trek: Legacy allows control of Akira-class ships as cruisers with names such as USS Akira, USS Spector, USS Rabin, and USS Thunderchild.

The Akira-class is featured in Star Trek Online as a Commander level heavy escort. A slightly more powerful "refit" version is available as the "Thunderchild-class" which includes a point defense system. A second refit version, the "Armitage-class" is available at the Vice Admiral rank and is meant to pay homage to the designer's plans for the ship with a torpedo point defense system, and a fighter bay.

Akira-class ship names from Starfleet Command III:
 * USS Akira
 * USS Aquino
 * USS Begin
 * USS Cristiani
 * USS Galtieri
 * USS Gorbachev
 * USS Grant
 * USS Kennedy
 * USS Kravchuk
 * USS Landsbergis
 * USS Lincoln
 * USS Mitterand
 * USS Ramos
 * USS Reagan
 * USS Shamir
 * USS Shevardnadze
 * USS Sihanouk
 * USS Thatcher
 * USS Thunderchild
 * USS Yeltsin