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Description
The story behind this aging marker drawing is easily as amusing as the image itself.

Years ago, I was commissioned to do a drawing for a Star Trek fan club, the eponymous U.S.S. Chesapeake.

They wanted, quite simply, for me to draw a ship for them.

I didn't realize that the club at the time would have been more than satisfied had I simply put the name "U.S.S. Cheasapeake" on a drawing of Star Trek: The Next Generation's famed Galaxy Class vessel; so being the mecha-nut I am, I designed an entirely new vessel.

I decided to add a third warp nacelle, (Please note that I did this drawing well before the episode "All Good Things..." aired.) integrated into the saucer section, so that it would not become a lumbering, bulky target should the vessel have to separate. Said Nacelle would add power to the weapons system, in particular the dedicated saucer dish particle beam, when the ship's sections are united.

Keen eyes will also note quite a preponderance of torpedo tubes lining the ships hull.

Anyway, when I presented this battle wagon to the club, they rejected it out of hand because it wasn't the opulent explorer's vessel that Picard rolled around in. Normally, I would have simply gone back to my drawing board, but, being gleefully fluent in treknobabble, I decided it would be fun, this time, to debate the benefits of my ideas.

At that point, I addressed the club and defended my concept like defense contractor fighting to keep a plant open.

I pointed out that, in Next Generation, Starfleet's rules of engagement staunchly dictated that commander's were never to fire unless fired upon. Given that fact, and the situation that their two greatest territorial rivals: The Romulans and The Klingons boasted a prodigious first strike capability as well as an aggressive fleet disposition; it was certain that Federation starships would be called upon to respond to initial aggression.

To carry out such a doctrine under those circumstances, Starfleet would need a second strike capable front line vessel, and quite frankly, the Galaxy Class simply wasn't it.

I went on to enumerate the Next Generation Episodes1 in which the Enterprise 1701-D was incapacitated by obsolete, underpowered, sometimes ancient vessels whose only tactical advantage was that of first strike. TheFederation clearly needed a vessel that could absorb an attack from a war-surplus Bird-of-Prey piloted by a Ferenghi skeleton crew and respond in such a decisive manner as to deter future incursions from ambitious would-be aggressors.

Just to drive the point home, I also mentioned that of the six total Galaxy-Class vessels, christened at that point in the 'Trek timeline,2 (Which were supposed to defend the Federation from the Romulan Star Empire which boasted at least 12 separate comparable D'Diridex-Class cruisers.) three were lost during deployment. (Four, if you count the Enterprise-D itself, during "Generations". And the Galaxy was just a test-bed ship!)

I actually ended up selling the club on the idea of the ship.

If I was a fictional Federation defense company, I would have made a mint contracting that gun-laden behemoth to Star Fleet.

Well I would've, if there was money in the Star Trek future.

1.) Just to assuage the fears of the countless, annoying fuddy-duddies, who feel I'm going way too deep in my analysis of fictional outer space fleet dispositions and tactics--"Yes, I am aware this is all just a T.V. show!" so please feel free to bugger off.

2.) Edit: I had previously made what I considered to be a complete list of the names of the Big E's sister vessels, but I had included the USS Melborne, which a keen-eyed observer pointed out was an Excelsior-Class vessel. For the sake of accuracy and brevity, I felt it was better to omit the listing.

Description
The story behind this aging marker drawing is easily as amusing as the image itself.

Years ago, I was commissioned to do a drawing for a Star Trek fan club, the eponymous U.S.S. Chesapeake.

They wanted, quite simply, for me to draw a ship for them.

I didn't realize that the club at the time would have been more than satisfied had I simply put the name "U.S.S. Cheasapeake" on a drawing of Star Trek: The Next Generation's famed Galaxy Class vessel; so being the mecha-nut I am, I designed an entirely new vessel.

I decided to add a third warp nacelle, (Please note that I did this drawing well before the episode "All Good Things..." aired.) integrated into the saucer section, so that it would not become a lumbering, bulky target should the vessel have to separate. Said Nacelle would add power to the weapons system, in particular the dedicated saucer dish particle beam, when the ship's sections are united.

Keen eyes will also note quite a preponderance of torpedo tubes lining the ships hull.

Anyway, when I presented this battle wagon to the club, they rejected it out of hand because it wasn't the opulent explorer's vessel that Picard rolled around in. Normally, I would have simply gone back to my drawing board, but, being gleefully fluent in treknobabble, I decided it would be fun, this time, to debate the benefits of my ideas.

At that point, I addressed the club and defended my concept like defense contractor fighting to keep a plant open.

I pointed out that, in Next Generation, Starfleet's rules of engagement staunchly dictated that commander's were never to fire unless fired upon. Given that fact, and the situation that their two greatest territorial rivals: The Romulans and The Klingons boasted a prodigious first strike capability as well as an aggressive fleet disposition; it was certain that Federation starships would be called upon to respond to initial aggression.

To carry out such a doctrine under those circumstances, Starfleet would need a second strike capable front line vessel, and quite frankly, the Galaxy Class simply wasn't it.

I went on to enumerate the Next Generation Episodes1 in which the Enterprise 1701-D was incapacitated by obsolete, underpowered, sometimes ancient vessels whose only tactical advantage was that of first strike. TheFederation clearly needed a vessel that could absorb an attack from a war-surplus Bird-of-Prey piloted by a Ferenghi skeleton crew and respond in such a decisive manner as to deter future incursions from ambitious would-be aggressors.

Just to drive the point home, I also mentioned that of the six total Galaxy-Class vessels, christened at that point in the 'Trek timeline,2 (Which were supposed to defend the Federation from the Romulan Star Empire which boasted at least 12 separate comparable D'Diridex-Class cruisers.) three were lost during deployment. (Four, if you count the Enterprise-D itself, during "Generations". And the Galaxy was just a test-bed ship!)

I actually ended up selling the club on the idea of the ship.

If I was a fictional Federation defense company, I would have made a mint contracting that gun-laden behemoth to Star Fleet.

Well I would've, if there was money in the Star Trek future.

1.) Just to assuage the fears of the countless, annoying fuddy-duddies, who feel I'm going way too deep in my analysis of fictional outer space fleet dispositions and tactics--"Yes, I am aware this is all just a T.V. show!" so please feel free to bugger off.

2.) Edit: I had previously made what I considered to be a complete list of the names of the Big E's sister vessels, but I had included the USS Melborne, which a keen-eyed observer pointed out was an Excelsior-Class vessel. For the sake of accuracy and brevity, I felt it was better to omit the listing.