Starship in
Star Trek. First seen in
Star Trek: Deep Space 9, also seen getting whomped on by the
Borg in
Star Trek: First Contact.
This ship was designed by the Federation in response to the Borg threat. No working prototype was complete in time for the Battle of Wolf 359. The first ship, the USS Defiant, was completed one year after that battle. Benjamin Sisko was on the design team for the ship; that, and the threat of the Founders from the Gamma quadrant led to the first Defiant-class ship (the Defiant) to be stationed at Deep Space 9. The orignal Defiant was destroyed in a battle with the Breen; it was replaced by the San Paulo, which was recomissioned as the Defiant.
The Defiant class is built for war. It is very small, with a crew of 10 to 12; it can operate with a skeleton crew of 4. It has four photon cannons, ablative armor, quantum torpedoes, and is the fastest sublight ship constructed up to this point. Additionally, it has a cloaking device courtesey of the Romulans.