Class and Type: Cheyenne-class Light Cruiser
Commissioning Date: 2348
Lead Engineer: Colin K. Smith

Hull Characteristics
Size: 6 (394 meters long, 16 decks)
Resistance: 3
Structural Points: 120
Operational Characteristics
Crew/Passengers: 245/345
   [5 pwr/round]
Computers: 4
   [4 pwr/round]
Transporters: 4 personnel, 3 cargo, 4 emergency
   [6 pwr/round]
Tractor Beams: 1 fv, 1 av
   [2 pwr/rating used]
Propulsion and Power Characteristics
Warp System: 6.0/9.0/9.4 (12 hours)
   [2 pwr/warp factor]
Impulse System: .75 c/.9 c
   [7/9 pwr/round]
Power: 150
Sensor Systems
Long-range Sensors: +1/15 light-years
   [6 pwr/round]
Lateral Sensors: +1/1 light-years
   [4 pwr/round]
Navigational Sensors: +1
   [5 pwr/round]
Sensor Skill: 5
Weapons Systems
Type VIII Phaser:
   Range: 10/30,000/100,000/300,000
   Arc: All (720 degrees)
   Accuracy: 4/5/7/10
   Damage: 16
   Power: [16]
Type II Photon Torpedoes:
   Number: 100
   Launchers: 1 fv, 1 ad
   Spread: 5
   Arc: Forward or aft, but are self-guided
   Range: 15/300,000/1,000,000/3,500,000
   Accuracy: 4/5/7/10
   Damage: 20
   Power: [5]
Weapons Skill: 5
Defensive Systems
Starfleet Deflector Shield
   Protection: 48/70
   Power: [48]

Description and Notes
Fleet data: The Cheyenne Project was approved in 2338 as a light cruiser counterpart to the New Orleans-class Frigate and the upcoming Galaxy and Nebula-class Explorers. As with most light cruisers, the Cheyenne was intended to be somewhat faster than its contemporaries, in order to allow it to travel out ahead of the main fleet. To accomplish this, the Cheyenne was fitted with four nacelles in the pattern similar to the earlier Constellation-class.

From the start, all did not go well for the Cheyenne. Starfleet had relatively limited experience with four nacelle designs, and a good deal of difficulty was experienced with the warp field geometry. Eventually these problems where overcome and the U.S.S. Cheyenne, launched in early 2344, achieved a maximum speed of Warp 9.4. However, in December of 2344 the Galaxy Project received new specifications calling for a top speed of Warp 9.6. It was too late to make any serious attempt to improve the top speed of the Cheyenne, so Starfleet was forced to bring a ship into service which was some 10% slower than the vessels it was supposed to support. Several attempts where made to bring the speed up to Warp 9.7, but problems with the field geometry began to resurface. This culminated in 2351, with a test aboard the U.S.S. Ahwahnee (NCC-71620), where a wormhole effect was created on its first test flight. Although the Ahwahnee survived, with no casualties, the subspace stress caused severe fractures in all four warp-nacelle struts. The ship was in spacedock for over a year while the struts where replaced. Starfleet suspended production of the class in 2352 after twenty-five had been commissioned, mothballing the six ships under construction.

The Cheyenne has proved less than successful in service. Her relatively low speed has restricted her performance in her designed role, and she has been forced to operate in the role of a Frigate. She is not especially suited to this task - certainly not when compared to the New Orleans-class, which was purpose designed for the role. As a result the Cheyenne have been given a very low priority for refits and upgrades, and have fallen considerably behind the rest of Starfleet in this respect.

With the advent of more modern ships, the Cheyenne have been gradually retired from service.

Noteworthy vessels / service records / encounters: U.S.S. Cheyenne, prototype; U.S.S. Ahwahnee, destroyed by the Borg at Wolf 359; and twenty-three other vessels built from 2345 to 2352. Twenty remain in service.

Author's Notes
The description here is a modification of that presented by Graham Kennedy. The original description is Copyright Graham Kennedy, 27th August 1998. Used with the consent of the author from the Daystrom Institute Technical Library.

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