When the Excelsior class went from Transwarp test-bed to fleet backbone, the used technology rapidly miniaturized as more and more of the ships were built. To assist the Excelsiors -which, besides being the pinnacles of modern technology, were also prohibitively expensive to build and maintain-, Starfleet's Corps of Engineers put that miniaturization of technologies to good use. Enter the Gladius class of destroyers. When the going gets rough and Starfleet isn't so keen on losing their prized cruisers, a battle group of these ships, named after a bladed weapon from Earth's Roman Empire of old, is dispatched. With a top speed of Warp 8 (8.65 max), these little, nimble ships are a bit slower than an Excelsior, but sport a hefty punch for their size and offer an agility not seen in the larger capital ships: they can easily outmaneuver the Klingon B'rel Birds-of-Prey. However, due to it being primarily a ship of war, it lacks a lot of the facilities that make serving aboard Starfleet vessels so interesting for members of the Federation. Their crew quarters are small and spartan (as is practically everything on this ship), the galley is the main source of relaxation and their anti-gravity generators tend to be a little bit unreliable. Even so, finding a crew for a Gladius isn't all that hard, especially in the more action-oriented member-species like the Andorians. A Gladius' armament consist of 12 phaser emplacements, each offering two turrets, and a total of 48 torpedoes; twelve per launcher. A small problem, though, is that the targeting system was salvaged from the aborted Constitution refit programme; it doesn't play so well with the new LCARS system that is being implemented throughout the fleet. A new system is being considered, but this would mean refitting over 40 ships. SCE is still debating whether this is worth it. In the belly of the craft is a modular bay that normally houses the shuttle bay. This bay is (barely) big enough to hold a Type 3B attack shuttle, which was especially designed for use with the Gladius class. The bay can be swapped out for a cargo bay, though, to offer an increased operating radius. Lastly, 15 escape pods offer a maximum evacuation capacity of 60 people, almost double the normal operating crew of 35. As always, if you use the model, creditation is required. By downloading this model, you also agree not to redistribute it as it being your own, including selling it or making physical models without requesting permission from me. You only acquire a license to use the model, not to own it. #BorgMan #Excelsior #Gladius #NCC2530 #Phaser #Shuttlecraft #Star_Trek #Starfleet #Torpedo #Type_3 #USS #Warp