Canon Facts Backstage Info  Speculation

Notes : The New Orleans class was introduced as a counterpart to the large Nebula and Galaxy class starships. The intention was to produce a Frigate which incorporated the technology advances being deployed on these two starships. The New Orleans would also have nearly equal speed to facilitate fleet operations.

Unfortunately, the project did not go smoothly. Like its larger sister the Galaxy class, the New Orleans class suffered from a series of delays throughout its design and construction process. The problems experienced on the larger ship with warp coil manufacture, computer systems and hull plating  on the Galaxy also affected the New Orleans, while additional problems were experienced with the power transfer system and the Structural Integrity Field. Initially ordered in 2347, by 2362 the prototype was still not considered spaceworthy and the entire project was threatened with cancellation. Nevertheless, Starfleet placed a great deal of importance on the New Orleans class and managed to overcome the opposition. The USS New Orleans made her maiden flight in 2363 and was formally commissioned in 2364. After a cautious series of tests Starfleet proceeded with series production at a moderate pace.

One unique feature of the New Orleans class is the torpedo arrangement. The ship carries a heavy armament of three torpedo tubes of the most modern type available. When this requirement was issued the design team expressed concerns that the tubes would take up far too much internal volume, necessitating a near 20% reduction in the science capacity of the ship. A reduction to one tube was requested, but Starfleet command rejected the idea. After much consideration, the design team finally decided to mount two of the torpedo tubes in 'bolt-on' modular packs; each module would contain the tube, loading and firing mechanism, supporting power and computer systems, and a magazine of thirty photon torpedoes. The antimatter warhead material is tapped off from the fuel supply as normal and transferred to the pod immediately prior to firing. Computer simulations indicated that the skeleton structure of the Engineering was not sufficient to support a third torpedo pod, so the lower engineering hull was re-designed to include a prominent projection on the underside which provided the extra volume required to house the torpedo tube and loading system - the magazine being housed within the engineering hull proper.

This ingenious concept not only allowed all three torpedo tubes to be housed within the design, but also permitted a nearly 25% increase in the volume available for other applications within the proper hull. This has allowed most of the major systems to be upgraded; the shield grid of the New Orleans class is one of the most powerful ever installed in a ship of this size. Her manoeuvrability is also quite impressive, although some vessels have experienced problems with hull stress around the connect points for the torpedo pods. The sensor and computer systems of the New Orleans represent a significant increase in capacity over previous designs.

When the Borg launched their invasion of the Federation in 2365 five ships of the New Orleans class were in service; three of these managed to reach Wolf 359 in time to join the fleet which engaged the Borg in that system. The ships were lost with all hands; again calls were made for these ships to be scrapped, but in fairness Wolf 359 was hardly a reasonable test and many far more powerful ships were also lost in this battle. Starfleet stepped up production of the class in order to make up the shortfall in Starfleet numbers.

With the advent of the Dominion threat Starfleet petitioned for and was granted a massive increase in their force levels. Production of the New Orleans class went into high gear. And order for twenty seven units had been placed after Wolf 359 and these ships were emerging from the production lines in 2370 when the USS Odyssey was destroyed by the Dominion. A further eighty two ships were ordered shortly after this incident; improved manufacturing processes have reduced the build time for a New Orleans from five to three years, and the first batch of this order arrived shortly after the start of the Dominion war. Although details are unavailable, the New Orleans is thought to have performed well during the conflict so far.