Celebrating the Ships of the Line: USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E

The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D was destroyed in the Battle of Veridian III in 2371, but it would not, of course, be the last ship called the Enterprise. The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E, constructed at the San Francisco Fleet Yards, was launched on stardate 49827.5 in 2372. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and most of his crew from the D returned to crew Starfleet's latest Federation Sovereign-class starship, which had 24 decks and measured 685 meters long.

The E was little more than a year into a series of shakedown operations when it was called into action and participated in what came to be known as the Battle of Sector 001, involving the Borg. Later, Picard's Number One pulled off what came to be referred to as the Riker Maneuver. The ship underwent a refit at one point; the precise date is unknown, but it occurred between 2375 and 2379. Changes include new nacelle pylons, additional phaser arrays and aft-facing photo torpedo tubes, upgraded bridge consoles, etc. Five more decks were added as well and the ship was equipped with an Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH). The E later underwent another extensive refit and repair job following damage it sustained for a violent clash with Shinzon and his ship the Scimitar; during that conflict the Enterprise actually rammed directly into the Scimitar. As of 2379, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E was still on active duty. StarTrek.com's look at the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E continues our ongoing celebration of the Ships of the Line, which will carry on from now until the end of the year. The latest in the bestselling Ships of the Line calendar series is available now; visit www.Amazon.com to purchase the 2015 Ships of the Line calendar.