XPost: alt.tv.star-trek.enterprise, alt.startrek, rec.arts.startrek.current   
   XPost: rec.arts.startrek.tech   
   From: nope@nope.com   
      
   > Excellent!! I mean it is very well done!! I have just one critisim.   
   > Your discription of its capabilities is too militaristic. You have to   
   > remember that Starfleet is an diplomatic/ expoloritory organisation   
   > forced to take on a military component. Imagine NASA with guns. I am   
   > sure if you ask anybody in Starfleet they would gladly have their   
   > vessels unarmed, but the realities of the Galaxy dictate otherwise.   
   >   
   > Still they would play up the peaceful uses of such a ship and play down   
   > the military capabilities. However, that does not mean they wouldn't   
   > have them, not with the Borg still being a threat, and Capt. Janeway's   
   > report about Speicies #whatever lurking out there...   
      
   Not neccessarily.  Look at the Defiant, it was specifically designed to be a   
   combat assault ship, to fight against the Borg.   
      
   The Federation and Starfleet have had to deal with increasing threats from   
   all over.  It stands to reason that they would better equip their ships to   
   defend the Federation.   
      
   Starfleet is still thought of primarily as a tool of exploration, but it is   
   equally a tool of defense.  Wolf 359 and the Dominion War have taught   
   Starfleet valuable lessons about having to make sure their ships are   
   prepared for whatever they encounter out there.   
      
   (I always thought it was stupid - "It's a science vessel" or "It's a medical   
   ship" "it has minimum armament"  Why?  Scientists and doctors don't need to   
   defend themselves?)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)