Editing Ambassador Class (section)

==GENERAL INFORMATION:==

Now an important footnote in the lineage of many a starship, the Ambassador Class is no longer the backbone of Starfleet's exploration or defensive arms.  Once the pride of the fleet and considered, at the time, to be the pinnacle of starship development, technology developed for the Ambassador class has exploded into common usage among other classes of starships, while the grand spaceframe has slipped from active production and is slowly being replaced by newer designs, it still remains a notable class of vessel that continues to serve with distinction.

The Ambassador Class starship was a large departure from the current trend in ship design when it was conceived. Nearly twice as large as the mainstay of that time, the Excelsior Class starship, the Ambassador class would change the face of Starfleet and influence ship design for decades to come.  

The Ambassador class would prove to set a new standard in starship design for the Federation, giving Starfleet a starship that was better armed, better equipped and more diversely equipped than any other starship previously fielded. The design brief for the Ambassador Class starship called for a heavily armed Battlecruiser, which could also serve the non-combat roles of heavy transport and deep space exploration. 

There were a number of design aspects of the Ambassador class that are worth noting. The space frame unique at the time and were carried over into future designs. Among these was the increased internal cargo, crew and fuel capacity combined with an increased lift capability that gave the Ambassador class not only great size, but an endurance that rivaled the Excelsior Class and crew amenities allowing for much longer on station and patrol times, meaning more Ambassador class starships could remain on patrol longer and with less crew fatigue. 

Some of the last Ambassador Class starships also had thick duranium armor, the precursor to the Defiant Class ablative armor, added to protect the vulnerable areas of the ship. Finally, the development of the Phaser Array, which replaced the traditional Phaser Turret found on previous hull types such as the Excelsior and Miranda class hulls, were made standard for the Ambassador class. The arrays allowed for quicker recharge times and the ability to fire at multiple targets out of one array, rather than targeting turrets individually.

The currently active Ambassador Class starships continue to serve the Federation well, but the recent Borg incursions and war with the Dominion has cut down severely the number of Ambassador Class starships that remain in active service. Most of the remaining Ambassador Class starships were lost or damaged beyond repair, resulting in the decommissioning of the majority of active Ambassador Starships. The current trend in Starship has also phased the Ambassador class out, with less crew intensive starships being the order of the day.