Galaxy III-class
From Hidden Frontier
| STARSHIP CLASS | |
| Galaxy III-class | |
 The USS Excelsior, a Galaxy III-class Federation starship, flying in formation with the USS Intrepid. image from Orphans of War | |
| Affiliation: | Federation Starfleet |
| Classification: | Dreadnaught |
| Service Period: | 2370's - present |
| Specifications | |
| Armaments: | phaser cannon Type X phaser arrays quantum torpedo launchers |
| Defenses: | deflector shields |
| Notable Systems: | bio-neural computer system also, see Armaments |
| Auxiliary Craft: | Type 9a shuttlecraft |
The Galaxy III-class Starship
The Galaxy III-class dreadnaught is a heavily-modified Galaxy-class explorer. It is currently one of the most powerful ship designs in the Federation Starfleet.
The Galaxy III design has a number of design differences from its Galaxy-class forerunner. Prominent amongst these are:
- A third warp nacelle, mounted on the dorsal aft of the engineering hull.
- A detachable phaser cannon mounted on the underside of the saucer section.
- A larger impulse engine mounted on the dorsal of the "neck" of the engineering hull.
- Phaser strips atop each of the warp nacelles to port and starboard.
- Torpedo launchers atop the saucer section, in proximity to the bridge.
In 2384, the USS Excelsior underwent an extensive refit at Earth Station McKinley in preparation for her participation in Operation Beta Shield. The result of this refit was the Galaxy IV-class dreadnaught. (Star Trek: Operation Beta Shield)
Known Ships of the Class
| Ship | Registry |
| USS Angeles | NCC-71840 |
| USS Excelsior | NCC-77246 |
| USS Valley Forge | Unknown |
