Starforce Productions/Outalance Knox class

Starships from both the Surya and Coventry classes filled this role admirably for some time. In response to lessons learned during the Kzinti Incursion of 2272, however, many of the Surya Class Frigates were hurriedly uprated to Avenger Class Heavy Frigate specifications. As soon thereafter as appropriations permitted, the converted Frigates were replaced by starships of the Knox design. Two considerations guided the design and construction of these spacecraft. First, the configuration of the Avenger Class had proven so impressive. Both in terms of warp-dynamics and Dilithium endurance, that the design board determined that the new Frigate should be a scaled-down version of the Heavy Frigate design. Missing would be the photon weapons package and the large hanger bays and flight decks used for fightercraft operations. In other respects, however, the overall configuration, warp geometry, and defensive potential would be quite similar. A second consideration affecting the construction history of the Frigates was the decision to have one contractor build all 26 spacecraft. Pressed by renewed instances of Klingon border violations, Star Fleet was anxious to increase the size of it\'s Frigate fleet as soon as possible. To order a large number of ships over a short time span, however, would require the allocation of an extraordinary portion of the starship procurement budget--unless some means were found to simultaneously cut production time and costs. This goal was achieved by placing the entire order with Newport News Shipbuilding., who completed the project within five Earth years at twelve percent under budget by eliminating much administrative redundancy. The lead ship of the resulting class was named after Matthew Turnbull Knox, a former governor of the Martian Colonies who figured proximately in that planet\'s movement to declare independence from the British \"Three World Empire\" early in the twenty-second century. He was also one of the authors of the \"Fundamental Declaration of the Martian Colonies\", which gave form to humankind\'s first government independent of Terran control. It should be noted that Commander Artemus Bestiner, a descendant of Knox, was awarded first command of the Frigate bearing his illustrious ancestor\'s name. On SD 7904.36, Bestiner guided Knox to a position in Federation-Klingon borderspace where considerable data could be obtained on the new K\'Teremny destroyer design. Later Knox again confronted one of these destroyers, and in action inflicted considerable damage to the warship. For these acts, Bestiner received the Prentaries Ribbon of Commendation (Second Class), and the starship was awarded a Star Fleet citation.
Since the post war years of the 2250\'s, Star Fleet has maintained a considerable force of Frigates as an affordable means of patrolling vast sections of previously-unguarded Federation borderspace.