Light Cruiser Debate
The following is a partial transcript of a telepresence meeting hosted by Vice Admiral Heidi Eriksson between two of her commodores, Sol Sector Command Commodore Kimberley Pragur and Andor Sector Command Commodore Brufraogm Wev. The topic of the meeting is usage of Constellation class light cruisers and whether they are worthy of further production and refit.
ERIKSSON: All right, I called the two of you because you both seem to have picked a side in the ongoing Constellation debate. Commodore Pragur, of all my immediate subordinates you seem to most favor continuation of the Constellation program and yes, I've read your papers on the subject. Commodore Wev, you've been pretty vocal in your opinion that we need to develop the next generation light cruiser as soon as possible. As for myself, I'm going to have to make a recommendation to Admiral Kahurangi. I want to hear the basis of your argument directly, and I want you to respond to each other's points. Commodore Wev, you go first- and keep things to the point, this is not an argument for your amusement.
WEV: Brief as you request, Admiral. As all my engineer friends have never tired of pointing out to me, the Constellation has the combat staying power and sensor package of a Centaur but it takes nearly 1/3 again as long to build and very nearly twice as many crew. The sole advantage it has is being slightly faster. Light cruisers should be the defensive backbone of our fleet, able to match up handle situations where a heavy cruiser is unavailable.
PRAGUR: Explorers, not heavy cruisers.
WEV: (sarcasm) Excuse my offensiveness in using a clearer term when discussing ship classes in terms of military responsiveness. I hope I am not offending your delicate sensibilities in-
ERIKSSON: Commodore Wev!
WEV: Why does Kimberley get to have all the fun? (snorts) Yes, Admiral, to stick to my point. You've seen the design goals for the proposed Renaissance project. It's a Constitution class come again, except with modern technology allowing for less crew and a cheaper, faster build time.
PRAGUR: Sensor package and general science support won't be as good.
WEV: It's not intended to go on five year missions! I'd say having superior shields is a more than worthwhile substitution. The Constitutions are what we should be aiming for in a light cruiser. In fact, my don't we just start building Constitutions again and call them light cruisers until we finish completion of the Renaissance?
ERIKSSON: Is that a serious suggestion?
WEV: Well.... those old Connie crew requirements are hard to support in the numbers we'd want for light cruisers.
PRAGUR: As you just pointed out, the Renaissance is hardly better! Sure they'll be great ships, but projected crew requirements aren't kind. Admiral, is it my turn to talk?
ERIKSSON: Go ahead, I think Wev has made his case. How do you answer the charge that Constellations are no better performing than a Centaur?
PRAGUR: My answer is the proposed refit upgrades. Look, the truth is that the Constellation was a design pushed out too quickly. The technology of the time didn't support the light cruiser that was envisioned, but we needed a light cruiser with the Klingon threat hanging over the Federation. So engineers left in some extra power to account for future upgrades and hoped the technology of the future would be up to the task. We are now at that future. In only a year and a half of integration work, we could have a light cruiser vastly improved in science and combat ability, with its speed advantage allowing it to make full use of both in responding to any crisis within its assigned sector. No it wouldn't be a Renaissance, but it'll be cheaper to build and cheaper to crew.
WEV: And easier to destroy.
PRAGUR: Brufraogm!
WEV: No, this is not quibbling over a point for fun. This is the key point. In serious fleet action, your refitted Constellation will be able to take no more hits than before the refit. Its shields and hull will be not stronger, and it will be destroyed as easily as a Centaur. It has less than half the durability of what we project for the Renaissance. It has only half the durability of a Connie, which again should be our standard for a light cruiser in this era.
ERIKSSON: You keep bringing up the Constitutions....
WEV: I served on one. They were- are, great ships. They were the Explorers of our day, and though they cannot fill that function any longer, they should be- That is, ships of equal ability should be the standard for defense of the Federation, standing behind our Explorers and ahead of our Escorts. I believe this with all my heart.
PRAGUR: And is that what we're building the Constellations for? Serious fleet actions?
ERIKSSON: We aren't?
PRAGUR: With respect Admiral... no we aren't. The day-to-day, year-to-year, job of the Constellation is not to fight in fleet actions. It is to respond to problems within its assigned sector, whether this be rescues or strange subspace phenomena. Combat is usually brief and decisive, and never gets to the point of even testing their durability.
ERIKSSON: Not necessarily true on the border regions. With the new Cardassian threat...
PRAGUR: Allow me to state my position clearly. We should refit the Constellations and use them to garrison the home sectors primarily. Borders should be secured by our Explorers, backed up by Escorts as necessary. If we use the ships like that, in a function suited to them, they're great ships. Once we build the Renaissance, and I anticipate we still want to wait a couple of years on starting that project so that Utopia Planetia can finish its research, I have no doubt we will continue to build Constellations.
ERIKSSON: A ship that can't be used on the border?
PRAGUR: A ship not designed for the border but that can still be used there. A light cruiser at home and yes, an escort equivalent on the border. These classes are just made up distinctions, you know. Who's to say we can't use a ship that's a hybrid between a light cruiser and an escort?
WEV: That still leaves us needing a light cruiser! What do you suggest we do if we don't build the Renaissance?
ERIKSSON: Build Constitutions.
WEV: Admiral, I told you I was not making a serious-
ERIKSSON: Oh, I think you were. And you know, I am seriously considering it. Why can't we build Connies anymore, as light cruisers rather than Explorers? As a stop-gap at least, to take the pressure off on doing the Renaissance project. Perhaps there's some workaround on the crew requirements; the last refit was thirty years ago after all. Even if there's no spare power for better performance, automation ought to help us cut the crew needs.
PRAGUR AND WEV: Admiral!!!
ERIKSSON: I know, I know... it's nothing but castles in the air at the moment. At least until a serious study is done, which I am assigning you jointly to do and have a preliminary report on my desk within the month. (laugh) I can't help but be amused at the thought of Captain Revak being informed that he's now officially in command of only a light cruiser.
(laughter all around)
PRAGUR: But Vice Admiral, what will be your recommendation to Admiral Kahurangi on the Constellation refit?
ERIKSSON: That's an answer I owe to her and not to you, Commodore. I'm going to have to think about it. Both of you made compelling arguments. Thank you for your attendance today.
WEV: The pleasure was mine. A brief debate, but an argument with real substance is always sweeter than any other. Kimberley, dinner the next time we're on the same planet?
PRAGUR: Wouldn't miss it, Brufraogm. You know I love that dish you make with the roots, and I can't wait to argue with you about... I don't know, we'll come up with something good. Maybe the Cardassians.
(laughter)
Transcript ends.