Galaxy III-class

The USS Exclesior, a Galaxy III-class Federation starship, flying in formation with the USS Intrepid.

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 canon 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)