Venture class (scout)

STARSHIP CLASS
Venture class Talon class
Affiliation:	Federation Starfleet
Type:	Scout
Service period:	2373 onwards
Dimensions
Length:	24.36 meters
Width:	6.26 meters
Height:	6.31 meters
Specifications
Decks:	1
Crew:	1 pilot, 4–10 crew/passengers
Speed:	Warp 3
Maximum speed:	Warp 5
Cruising speed:	Warp 4
Armaments:	pulse phasers; photon torpedoes; Type-IV micro torpedoes 4 Type-V/Type-VI phaser arrays, 3 Mark 25 torpedo launchers
Defences:	FSQ-2 deflector shield
Systems:	Class 5 sensor array
Auxiliary craft:	none

The Venture-class, also known as the Talon-class, was a type of Federation scout starship in Starfleet service in the late 24th century. (TNG movie & novelization: Insurrection; ST video games: Armada, Armada II; Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide, Decipher RPG module: Starships)

The Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide and Decipher RPG module: Starships identify the class as the Talon class, which is also the name of a Romulan starship class. The ST video games: Armada, Armada II instead names it the Venture class.

History

Starfleet Command ordered a vessel that could serve as a dedicated sensor platform. Despite having a number of long-range reconnaissance vessels, Starfleet needed a short-range vessel for scouting purposes. The Starfleet Corps of Engineers, using experiences gained from the Runabout Design Program, designed a small, highly maneuverable craft with excellent sensor abilities. The designers selected an unused hull model originally developed for an aeroshuttle, on a proven spaceframe design.

A prototype, the USS Talon, was constructed and underwent a number of revisions. The final addition was the Class 5 long-range sensor cluster. The Talon-class was commissioned in the year 2373. (Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide, Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Talon-class vessels went on to be used in a wide range of missions, with the USS Talon attached to the joint Federation–Son'a duck-blind surveillance of the Ba'ku. One joined an archaeological excavation on Barradas III, and another surveyed the Sigma Draconis star system. The Dominion War of 2373–2375 saw Talon-class scouts used to locate Jem'Hadar movements and conduct reconnaissance of systems prior to Starfleet assaults. Such operations produced vital intelligence for Starfleet battle strategies. (Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Mission

The Talon-class was rated as a scout vessel, designed to be a small, swift, and highly maneuverable sensor platform. It was a support vessel capable of independent operation. These properties made it useful for a range of scientific missions, including planetary surveys, cultural surveys, first contact programs, and other scientific research. These composed its primary mission profile, though military reconnaissance was also a requirement.

The vessels were generally deployed to provide aerial and orbital support to long-term exploration, research, and survey efforts. They were typically based at space stations and planetside research stations, and normally one or two vessels would be assigned. They were ideal for such situations when a larger Oberth- or Nova-class was unsuitable.

The small size of the Talon meant the ship was easy to build and maintain and to transport within any standard starship's shuttlebay. Large numbers were transported to their stations by Akira- or Nebula-class vessels. (Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide, Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Specifications

For propulsion, the Talon-class had a LF-9X4 compact warp drive, more durable than that of a runabout and with nacelles actually encased within the ship's body. These enabled a Talon to sustain warp factors up to 3 or 4, and a maximum of warp 5 for up to 24 hours. The FIE impulse engine was also a little more reliable than a runabout's, and could achieve speeds of 0.7–0.9 c. The ship's hull featured an aerowing design streamlined for superior atmospheric flight. (Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide, Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Although not designed for drawn-out battles, the Talon-class had limited armaments for self-defense. It was equipped with pulse phasers or four Type-V / Type-VI phaser arrays, and three Mark 25 direct-fire torpedo launchers with Type IV microtorpedoes. It was protected by an FSQ-2 deflector shield grid. (Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide, Decipher RPG module: Starships; ST video games: Armada, Armada II)

The ship's primary feature was its excellent, dedicated sensor systems, with a precise Class 5 sensor array and a miniature long-range sensor dish. The sensor capacity greatly outweighed that of a shuttlecraft or runabout, instead being comparable to a much larger vessel. (Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide, Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Modifications to its sensors could allow it to detect cloaked ships. (ST video games: Armada, Armada II)

A little larger than a standard Federation shuttlecraft, the Talon measured 24.36 meters in length, 16.26 meters in width, and 6.31 meters in height, with one deck. It could land in a shuttlebay or dock via its ventral and dorsal universal docking ports. It had space to carry 2 standard cargo units.

It required one pilot, and had space for four to ten crew or passengers. It had provisions for five people for up to ten days. There was a cockpit (designed like a Type 9 shuttlecraft) for only one pilot, a number of science stations, and some facilities for crew, including a ward room and two cabins. Although it had expanded accommodations, they were cramped at five people. It was not mission-configurable, and thus not adaptable for expanded storage space or accommodation. Finally, it had a replicator, two fore and aft tractor beams, and one standard two-person personnel transporter. (Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Player's Guide, Decipher RPG module: Starships)

Known vessels

Notable Talon-class ships were:

• USS Talon