Moreover, the warp core was modular and easily accessed from the transporter pad, to ensure ease of maintenance for a starship crew with limited resources and manpower. At a cruising speed of warp 4, the Type-11 could cover considerable distance within only a few days, facilitating precisely the sort of missions envisaged for the Type-11. Due to it's vertical layout, with minimised versions of technological advances implemented on the Sovereign class, the core was of a much simpler and cheaper design than the horizontal configuration on the runabout. The micro- warp core in the Type-11, despite being considerably smaller and less powerful than the warp core of the Danube-class runabout, provided similar performance. Serving effectively during the Dominion War and beyond, the Type-11 would become the standard large shuttlecraft for Starfleet for many years to come. The shuttles proved an immediate success, leading to the widespread adoption of the craft throughout the Federation, finding a place on most large starships and starbases. Using technology developed for the Sovereign-class starships, the first line of Type-11 shuttles were built in 2372, first deployed to the USS Sovereign, USS Enterprise-E and USS Poseidon. At the same time, the Type-11 was mandated to be of flatter, more streamlined design than the Danube-class inspiration to accommodate most standard shuttle bays more easily. The design needed sleeping accommodation for multi-day missions and the same warp performance as a runabout, although Starfleet compromised on flight endurance and tactical capability to make the project viable.

The mandate was simple enough: build an intermediate design between the Type-9 shuttle and the Danube-class runabout, with modularity for ease of maintenance. The Danube-class runabout, while sufficiently capable to meet the mission requirements, was deemed far too large and expensive to be deployed to the fleet in general.Īs a result, the Type-11 project was launched in 2369 in the hopes of the type being ready for the new Sovereign-class starships then under construction. The Type-9 shuttlecraft, while promising, was far too small to accommodate crew comfort for multi-day missions, and increasing loss rates were beginning to alarm Starfleet Command about the design's reliability. Creative starship crews began to use the plentiful shuttlecraft aboard the new Galaxy-class for missions beyond their design parameters, supplementing exploration of large areas and deploying them for short-term science missions, prompting Starfleet to respond. In particular, classic shuttlecraft designs were deemed to be insufficient for Starfleet's expanding needs as auxiliary craft were relied on more and more by starship crews. In the late 2360s, the introduction of the new Galaxy-class starships brought with them new lessons for Starfleet. By 2381, the Type-11 shuttlecraft had become ubiquitous throughout the Federation as one of the largest and most capable auxiliary craft in any starship's inventory, with several Type-11's being delivered to the USS Theurgy. The Type-11 shuttlecraft was a large auxiliary craft issued to certain Starfleet ships and starbases throughout the 2370s. (x2) Micro-Torpedo Launcher (2 forward, 8 rounds each).(x4) Type IV Phaser Arrays (2 forward & 2 aft).2-4 (1 pilot and 1-3 mission specialists).Design © Paramount and CBS / Image by Stardust

Danube class runabout specs