The Archer class was a type of Federation starship in service with Starfleet from the mid-23rd to mid-24th century. Designed as long-range scouts, Archer-class vessels were fast and maneuverable, and their modular layout allowed them to be outfitted for mission-specific purposes. They were intended as next-generation pathfinders during Starfleet's "golden age of exploration." (VAN novel: Harbinger)
Extremely compact, Archer-class scouts only had three decks, and all of the ship's systems were contained within the primary hull, apart from the warp nacelles, which were attached by short struts. With no room for a turbolift system, ladders were used to travel between decks. As part of its mandate was planetary survey, the Archer class was capable of atmospheric flight and landing. (VAN novel: Reap the Whirlwind)
The Archer class supported a crew of just 14, with little room to spare. Only the captain and first officer had their own quarters, the rest of the crew shared four single-bed compartments, "hot bunking" with their roommates. With such a limited crew capacity, personnel assigned to Archer-class vessels were often cross-trained in multiple disciplines, and shared shipboard duties during their tour. Most crews aboard these vessels became very close-knit, and their captains tended towards informality, often encouraging the crew to wear jumpsuits with their name plates and ship insignia, eschewing rank and departmental colors in favor of shipwide esprit de corps. (STA: Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook)
The class received upgrades comparable to the Constitution and Miranda-class refit programs in the 2270s and 2280s, resulting in significantly improved warp capability, sensor capacity and communications systems. Archer-class starships continued on active duty until the mid-24th century, when Danube-class runabouts and other survey ships began to supersede them. (STA: Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook)
Vessels of the class tended to be named for constellations, explorers, or historical or mythological archers. (VAN novel: Harbinger; TOS novel: Savage Trade; STA: Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook; Starship Dynamics)
| Archer-class starships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actaeon • Alfihar • Aquarius • Arash • Archer • Arjuna • Artemis • Ashwathama • Atalanta • Barton • Bishop • Bowman • Centauri • Egil • Emiko • Eurybotas • Greenleaf • Harding • Harper • Hou Yi • Huang Zhong • Kyūdō • Locksley • Longbow • Marduk • Mockingjay • Montana • Moonstar • Nam-Yi • Nightingale • Odysseus • Rama • Sagittarius • Scythia • Shado • Skadi • Tauriel • Teucer • Vex'ahlia • William Tell • Yue Fei • Zhou Tong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
External links[]
- Archer class article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.