Editing Archer-class

[[File:Archer.gif|thumb|400px|Click for Full Size]]
The mainstay of [[Earth Fleet]] for patrol vessels for over a century now, the Archer class was designed in the 2170's to be fast, have long range and require little support.  It was also designed to be flexible, with a modular bay amidships allowing the Archers to carry different equipment, such as [[:Category:Small Craft#Starfighters|starfighters]], [[Marine|marines]], or [[:Category:Shipboard Weapons|fire support weapons]].  Although aging rapidly, the modular capability has given considerable life span to these vessels.  Their lack of onboard [[Antigrav|artificial gravity]], cramped living quarters, and generally outdated systems make them a less than desirable posting for spacers, but their large numbers also made a tour of duty aboard one a near-ubiquitous rite of passage for several generations of spacers in [[Earth Federation|Federation]] and [[Imperial Navy|Imperial]] service.  

Available Modules for Amidships Bay:
*Cargo Pallet Handling System
*Twin [[Pinnace|Assault Pinnace]] Hangar
*Launch Bay for four [[F-7 Corsair]] Medium Fighters
*40x [[Lance Torpedo]] [[Box Launcher]]s
*1x [[Grav Laser]] broadside mount
*2x [[Chemlaser]] broadside mounts
*4x [[Particle Phalanx]] point defense system
*80x [[Blackhawk Missile]] box launchers
*VIP Accomadation module for passenger transport
*Mantainance and Service Bay for [[Orbital Defense Network]] weapons platforms
*Extra fuel tankage for extended high-gee maneuvering
*Planetary Survey instrument package and Science Lab

Due to the long construction life of this large class, several changes were made during construction, resulting in four slightly different "batches" of ships.  The first batch of 12 was built to a simplified configuration, due to development problems with the intended sensor suite.  The second batch of 30 ships was built with the improved sensor suite once the development problems were ironed out.  All 12 original ships have since been upgraded to Batch 2 standard.  The third batch, consisting of 26 ships, was built the same as Batch 2 but with an improved [[Chemlaser|chemlaser]] with half the recharge time between shots.  The fourth batch, consisting of the final 22 ships, was the same as Batch 3 but with new uprated [[Ion Drive|ion engines]].  All ships have by now been upgraded to Batch 4 standard as they underwent routine refits and Service Life Extension Programs.  However, this class is long past its prime, and if not for the heavy losses sustained in recent wars, they would have been scrapped and replaced by now.

==Known Ships==
Batch 1 (Original Configuration; all survivors upgraded to Batch 4 configuration):
*EFS Archer DD-901
*EFS Charger DD-902
*EFS Lancer DD-903
*EFS Ranger DD-904
*EFS Swordsman DD-905
*EFS Spearsman DD-906
*EFS Bowman DD-907
*EFS Pikeman DD-908
*EFS Duelist DD-909
*EFS Musketeer DD-910
*EFS Harquebusier DD-911
*EFS Sharpshooter DD-912
Batch 2 (Upgraded sensor suite; all survivors further upgraded to Batch 4 configuration)
*EFS Mongol DD-913<br />
*EFS Tartar DD-914
*EFS Celt DD-915
*EFS Hun DD-916
*EFS Manchu DD-917
*EFS Zulu DD-918
*EFS Xhosa DD-919
*EFS Apache DD-920
*[[EFS Nightmare]] DD-921 (Secretly modified into research vessel and striken from fleet list)
*EFS Viking DD-922
*EFS Assyrian DD-923
*EFS Scythian DD-924
*EFS Persian DD-925
*EFS Aryan DD-926
*EFS Fiernan DD-927
*EFS Balaeric DD-928
*EFS Carthaginian DD-929
*EFS Phoenecian DD-930
*EFS Nubian DD-931
*EFS Aztec DD-932
*EFS Maya DD-933
*EFS Olmec DD-934
*EFS Toltec DD-935
*EFS Ashanti DD-936
*EFS Yoruba DD-940
*EFS Ibo DD-941
*EFS Berber DD-942
*EFS Hmong DD-943
*EFS Kachin DD-944
*EFS Samarian DD-945
*EFS Hittite DD-946
Batch 3 (Upgraded sensors and chemlaser; all survivors further upgraded to Batch 4 configuration)
*EFS Stiletto DD-947
*EFS Broadsword DD-948
*EFS Battleaxe DD-949
*EFS Longsword DD-950
*EFS Claymore DD-951
*EFS Baldric DD-952
*EFS Halberd DD-953
*EFS Mace DD-954
*EFS Malvern DD-955
*EFS Polearm DD-956
*EFS Morningstar DD-957
*EFS Flamberge DD-958
*EFS Gladius DD-959
*EFS Shortsword DD-960
*EFS Dagger DD-961
*EFS Dirk DD-962
*EFS Pike DD-963
*EFS Assegai DD-964
*EFS Sarissa DD-965
*EFS Bolos DD-966
*EFS Chakram DD-967
*EFS Boomerang DD-968
*EFS Atlatl DD-969
*EFS Dart DD-970
*EFS Bolt DD-971
*EFS Arrow DD-972
Batch 4 (Upgraded sensors, chemlaser, and ion engines; final configuration)
*EFS Benedict DD-973 (Flagship of [[J.J. Adams]] as part of [[Task Force 23]], badly damaged and later scrapped)
*EFS Hatcher DD-974 (Destroyed in 2243 as part of [[Task Force 23]])
*EFS Rush DD-975
*EFS Carter DD-976
*EFS Greenan DD-977
*EFS Jensen DD-978
*EFS Spang DD-979
*EFS Richardson DD-980 (Destroyed in 2243 as part of Task Force 23)
*EFS Lauren DD-981
*EFS Bridger DD-982
*EFS Hale DD-983
*EFS Seymour DD-984
*EFS Koenig DD-985
*EFS Boxleitner DD-986
*EFS Doyle DD-987 (Destroyed in 2243 as part of Task Force 23)
*EFS Kristian DD-988
*EFS Furlan DD-989
*EFS Talmadge DD-990
*EFS Katsulas DD-991
*EFS Conaway DD-992
*EFS Shatner DD-993
*EFS Nimoy DD-994

==Behind the Scenes==

These ships were designed by [[User:Martin The Mess|Martin Hohner]], based closely on a concept drawing by Nathan Bax.  The first batch is named for types of soldier, the second for famous tribes, the third for types of weapons, and the fouth supposedly for great Earth Fleet heroes of the previous century and a half, but in actuality, named for actors and characters from Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, and Star Trek.
[[Category:Starship Classes]]