Starship classification

Unofficially, many starships are classified by their design type. Although Starfleet tries not to classify their vessels in any such categorization, there has been numerous occasions where a Starfleet officer referred to another Starfleet vessel by its type or when refering to enemy vessels during a fleet engagement, such as in Operation Return, when Captain Sisko calls upon Galaxy wings to engage Galor class destroyers. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")

Starship Classifications

Primary ships

• Explorer
• Dreadnought
• Battleship
• Cruisers
  • Light cruiser
  • Medium cruiser
  • Heavy cruiser
  • Tactical cruiser
  • Battle cruiser
• Destroyer
• Escort
• Frigate
• Attack fighter

Support ships

• Auxiliary craft
  • Escape pod
  • Runabout
  • Shuttlecraft
  • Shuttlepod
• Cargo drone
• Courier
• Freighter
• Raider
• Science vessel
• Scout
• Surveyor
• Supply ship
• Tanker
• Transport
• Tug

Other designations

• Warbird
• Bird of Prey

Background

In some unclear terms, the designations for several starship classes has been the issue of some confusion. Some examples are as below:

• The Oberth class has sometimes been confused with the scout designation, though it is officially a science vessel rather than a scout.
• Similarly, the Constitution class starship has been classified in multiple categories as well, most notably as a heavy cruiser and as a battlecruiser.
• The Constellation class has also had some confusion. It may have been a new kind of heavy cruiser in its early life, then later called a medium cruiser, light cruiser, and possibly even a destroyer in its late life. Another possibility was being classified as an explorer, which is similar to a heavy cruiser. If this is still its unofficial designation, then it would contradict its current status. Thus the confusion.
• The Galaxy class was called an explorer, then later a heavy cruiser, then a battlecruiser. An alternate timeline version of Captain Jean-Luc Picard referred to his Galaxy class Enterprise-D as a "battleship" (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise"). What its true status is at this time is a probably cause for debate.

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