Star Trek: The 12 Most Important Ships In Federation History, Ranked
The "Star Trek" franchise, for more than 55 years, has defined mainstream science fiction in the United States with its utopian vision of the future. Created by Gene Roddenberry, "Star Trek" — which spans numerous television series and feature films — follows the United Federation of Planets and its spacefaring force Starfleet as they explore the galaxy. Boasting a wide armada of unique vessels to keep the peace and invite other civilizations into its ranks, Starfleet's starships have taken on a fan-favorite legacy of their own. Capable of traveling faster than the speed of light, these starships also are equipped with weaponry to take on the most fearsome threats in the cosmos.
Check out this comprehensive ranking of the 12 most important starships in Federation history throughout the "Star Trek" franchise. The ranking — not based on the quality of the shows or movies, and certainly not their penchant for action – addresses their place in making the Federation what it is in-universe.
12. USS Cerritos NCC-5567
The animated series "Star Trek: Lower Decks" centers on the low-ranked Starfleet personnel who handle the organization's more menial tasks. Their duties include carrying out routine maintenance, cosmic clerical work, and other thankless jobs. Such assignments tend to fall to the crew members aboard California-class starships, including the overlooked men, women, and aliens who serve on the USS Cerritos NCC-5567, the main vessel on "Lower Decks." Fortunately, in addition to poking fun at "Star Trek" tropes, "Lower Decks" explores the notion of overcoming expectations, with the Cerritos' ensigns rising above their assumed stations — along with their ship.
Because of all its wacky hijinks, among them foiling a terrorist plot targeting the Federation, the Cerritos has reached legendary status among California-class starships by Season 3. The Cerritos' impressive reputation plays a pivotal role in the third season finale, rallying other California-class starships to stop a rogue artificial intelligence from attacking Starfleet. "Lower Decks" is all about the ideas that no task is too small or unimportant and that the little guys deserve respect too. And as the California-class ship leading the charge, the Cerritos earns the right to stand among its more nominally elite counterparts.
11. USS Enterprise NCC-1071-A
The Klingons destroyed the original Constitution-class Enterprise during a showdown in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock." It seems only fitting that its replacement, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A finally facilitates an armistice between the Federation and Klingon Empire. The swan song for the "Original Series" crew, "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" finds Captain Kirk leading a diplomatic mission to broker peace with the Klingons. However, a conspiracy poised to plunge Starfleet and the Klingon Empire back into an active war threatens this unprecedented cooperation between the two rival governments.
The Klingons rank as one of the bitterest enemies the Federation has ever faced, nearly conquering them outright during "Star Trek: Discovery." Peace between the two seemed inconceivable but, despite everything the Klingons cost him personally, including his only son, Kirk makes an armistice possible. This alliance not only brings the two governments together but saves them from the Dominion during "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." The Enterprise-A also confronts a powerful entity masquerading as God in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" but the less perhaps said about that adventure, the better.
10. USS Protostar NX-76884
The USS Protostar NX-76884, the main starship from the CG-animated series "Star Trek: Prodigy," has already left its mark on the Federation, though certainly not as intended. A spacefaring prototype, the Protostar's warp drive is complemented by the inclusion of an experimental proto-drive, powered by an actual, small protostar. When fully powered, the proto-drive allows the starship to travel to different quadrants around the galaxy in an instant, exponentially faster than warp drive-propelled starships. Chakotay initially captained the Protostar, doing so until before he and the starship were captured by the villainous Diviner, with a ragtag crew of refugee children reclaiming it.
The scientific breakthroughs behind the Protostar alone warrant its appearance on this list but its role in Prodigy's first season finale makes it an infamous inclusion. While under the Diviner's control, the Protostar is infected with an advanced computer virus acting as a Trojan horse for any Federation systems with which it interfaces. Once infected, defensive systems go out of control and attack any other Federation targets in the immediate area. While the Protostar crew stops the virus' spread, it infects and devastates a significant portion of Starfleet's armada, transforming the Protostar into the fleet's deadliest vessel.
9. USS Titan NCC-80102-A/USS Enterprise NCC-1701-G
The Protostar and Cerritos incidents are far from the only times Starfleet has nearly been destroyed from within. The final season of "Star Trek: Picard" reveals the remnants of the Borg Collective and the Dominion have formed an alliance to infiltrate and annihilate the Federation. Using Borg technology, Changelings modify Starfleet transporters to secretly assimilate younger personnel, creating sleeper agents across the armada. The ship that uncovers this far-reaching conspiracy? The USS Titan NCC-80102-A, with nominal Captain Liam Shaw led by Admiral Jean-Luc Picard.
The Titan plays a pivotal role in distracting the assimilated armada from bombarding Earth's planetary defenses, giving Picard and the Enterprise-D valuable time to disrupt Borg communications. Though the Titan is disabled by the opposition, without its diversion, the fleet would have proceeded to bomb Earth's major cities before spreading their devastation across the galaxy. The Enterprise-D may get the glory for ultimately defeating the Borg and saving the day, but Titan merits recognition for playing good defense single-handedly. In the "Picard" series finale, the powers that be rechristen the Titan-A as the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-G, cementing its importance and heroic legacy.
8. USS Discovery NCC-1031
Across the Federation's entire history, the USS Discovery NCC-1031 rates as the most unique starship, thanks to its Spore Drive. A sentient set of spores within the Discovery's engineering section interface with Chief Engineer Paul Stamets, allowing the ship to leap through subspace. More than simply traversing great distances in an instant, the Spore Drive gives the Discovery limited access to the Mirror Universe.
The Discovery not only assumes a pivotal role in stopping the bloody war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire but saves it from an enemy within its ranks. In the Season 2 finale, the Discovery teams up with the Enterprise to destroy Control, a rogue artificial intelligence poised to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. And just as Discovery preserves the Federation's existence in the relative present, it also restarts its legacy in the far future. Transported more than 900 years into the future, the Discovery inspires the Federation to rebuild itself from a massive catastrophe, restoring its ideals across the stars.
7. USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E
Just as Kirk commanded two starships with the Enterprise moniker, Picard gets his second Enterprise in the 1996 film "Star Trek: First Contact." Commander Will Riker describes the Enterprise-E as the most advanced in the entire fleet and one better outfitted for combat than its predecessor. While not as prolific as the Enterprise-D, the ship spares the Federation total defeat on at least two separate occasions. The Enterprise-E also uncovers a conspiracy within Starfleet Command in "Star Trek: Insurrection," exposing a group undermining the Federation's principles.
The Enterprise-E's superior weaponry and Picard's intimate knowledge of the Borg save Earth and the defending Starfleet armada from the Borg Queen. This timely intervention also involves the Enterprise-E following the Borg into the 21st century to defeat them and ensure the preservation of humanity's history. Later, the Enterprise-E takes point in brokering a landmark peace agreement with the Romulan Empire in "Star Trek: Nemesis." With no armistice achieved without significant complications, the Enterprise-E takes down a rogue Romulan warship targeting Earth, proving itself as capable in a fight as diplomatically.
6. USS Voyager NCC-74656
The USS Voyager's most famous mission strands it on the far side of the galaxy, approximately 70 years from home and without Starfleet support. Captained by Kathryn Janeway, it took the starship seven seasons to return to the Alpha Quadrant, exploring the true undiscovered expanse within the Delta Quadrant along the way. Encountering new species and phenomena, the Voyager upgrades itself during its long journey to accelerate its trip significantly. While the sheer amount of exploratory information and technological enhancements are enough to make the Voyager stand out in Starfleet, its final act remains its noteworthiest.
In the last leg of the ship's voyage, Janeway teams up with an alternate future version of herself to destroy the Borg Collective seemingly for good. The older Janeway allows herself to be captured by the Borg Queen, infecting her with a terminal virus that spreads across the Collective. Though the Borg are revealed to survive in a diminished capacity decades later, the incident represents a major victory for the Federation. Voyager not only returned to the Federation with a wealth of new information, but the ship vanquished its greatest foe to deliver an interstellar mic drop.
5. USS Defiant NX-74205
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" marks a departure from the franchise's established formula, with its characters not on an exploratory mission but maintaining a strategically located space station. In the third season, the crew welcomes the USS Defiant NX-74205 in order to engage in away missions around the cosmos. As "Deep Space Nine" evolves into a show depicting Starfleet at war, here comes a primary vessel designed specifically for combat. And it boasts not only remarkable maneuverability and a formidable weapons system, but the Defiant is one of the few Starfleet vessels with a functional cloaking device.
The Defiant figures prominently in the Dominion War, outmaneuvering and concealing itself from even the deadliest Jem'Hadar vessels, and playing a major role in Starfleet's eventual victory. After Starfleet temporarily loses control of Deep Space Nine, the Defiant embarks on a series of strikes on vital Dominion targets in the quadrant. Beyond its seek-and-destroy function, the Defiant heads the armada that retakes the station. The original Defiant is destroyed by the Breen in the show's final episodes, with Captain Benjamin Sisko receiving an identical replacement shortly thereafter to finish the fight.
4. Phoenix
Zefram Cochrane, the most revered figure in 21st-century human history, became the first person from Earth to achieve lightspeed spaceflight. Aboard his makeshift starship, the Phoenix — fashioned from a repurposed Titan II nuclear missile in Montana — Cochrane makes his fateful voyage in 2063, aided by the time-traveling Enterprise-E crew. Vulcans immediately take notice of humans emerging as a warp-capable civilization, prompting them to make first contact with Earth and lay the groundwork for what will become the Federation. After the successful flight, Cochrane continues to improve upon his warp drive designs, with his innovations informing the development of subsequent generations of starships.
Though the flight of the Phoenix occurs well before the Federation's founding, its influence cannot be overstated as it's felt for centuries to follow. The Borg Collective identify the Phoenix's landmark flight as a turning point in the galaxy's narrative, attempting to disrupt it to ensure their domination. More than 300 years later, Beckett Mariner hijacks the Phoenix to gain access to the Cerritos in the "Lower Decks" Season 3 premiere, proving the ship is still mission-ready. Even centuries after Cochrane's disappearance while exploring the cosmos, the Phoenix continues to make history.
3. USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D
The Enterprise-D may be the fifth NCC-1701 starship to carry the name but it belongs among the most vital in the Federation. Captained by Jean-Luc Picard, the Enterprise-D soars as the main ship in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the 1994 film "Star Trek Generations." The final season of "Star Trek: Picard" reveals Chief Engineer Geordi LaForge salvaged the Enterprise-D, quietly repairing it over time to make it fully operational again. This repair job proves instrumental in the Enterprise saving the galaxy once again, adding to its vaunted status within Starfleet.
The Enterprise-D crew are the first ones to rescue the Federation from the Borg, while Picard himself convinces the omnipotent Q that humanity deserves to exist. Much like the original Enterprise NCC-1701 goes out with an anticlimactic bang, so too does the Enterprise-D, scuttled stopping the terrorist Soran from manipulating the Nexus anomaly. Fortunately, the Enterprise-D gets a better, if delayed, swan song in saving the Federation from the resurgent Borg in "Picard." Even decades after its initial service, the Enterprise-D holds a legendary place for the Federation, more than worthy of the value that comes with its name.
2. USS Enterprise NCC-1701
The first Constitution-class Enterprise enjoys a storied history that surpasses that of any other starship in the franchise to date. The original USS Enterprise NCC-1701 appeared as the main ship in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," "The Original Series," and the franchise's first three films. Helmed by iconic captains like Christopher Pike and Jim Kirk, the Enterprise is the most important starship of its era. As a testament to the Enterprise's importance being recognized in-universe, no less than seven starships carry the moniker so far.
In "The Original Series" alone, the Enterprise saves the Federation from dozens of enemies and dangerous phenomena that endanger it. From thwarting the Romulan effort to restart their war against humanity to deactivating ancient doomsday machines, the Enterprise stops threats before they grow out of control. This tradition continues on the big screen, with Kirk returning to the Enterprise to save the Federation from an entity barreling toward Earth. This Enterprise is self-destructed in an unauthorized mission at the Genesis Planet to prevent it from falling into Klingon hands, an anticlimactic end to its legendary run.
1. USS Enterprise NX-01
The USS Enterprise NX-01, commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer, leads the way in the decade building to the creation of the Federation. This Enterprise spearheads several technological innovations for Starfleet, including the transporter, universal translator, photonic torpedoes, and phase weapons. The NX-01 plays a crucial role in defending Starfleet in its initial skirmishes with the Romulans and Xindi, revealing that humanity can hold its own in the cosmos.
The impressive exploits of Captain Archer and his crew aside, the NX-01 actually helps facilitate the Federation's formation. It not only brings together a human and Vulcan joint crew for the first time, but the Enterprise draws the Tellarites into the fledgling alliance. These three civilizations form the foundation of what becomes the Federation in 2161, as the NX-01 stands front and center in battles against mutual enemies. A strong argument can be made that without the NX-01, the Federation never exists — and that explains why this starship tops the list.