Akira Class

Unlike most vessels, the Akira has been designed for combat roles, featuring 15 torpedo tubes. Unusually, some of the tubes are facing port and starboard. Entering service in 2363, the Akira has mainly been used as a border patrol ship, making it clear that the Federation is not a force to be reckoned with.

During the second Borg invasion, a number of these ships engaged the Borg in the Typhon sector. Although suffering heavy losses, many Akira's survived long enough to see the destruction of the Borg cube.

With the threat of the Dominion and Borg, the production of Akira class starships has been accellerated.