Star Trek: 10 Secrets Of The First Contact Fleet

For many of us, the standout ship in First Contact's new fleet was the Akira-class USS Thunderchild – though the ship was only labeled NCC-63549 and lacked an actual name.

According to Alex Jaeger, the Akira-class Thunderchild was also a favorite at ILM and was developed to stand up to a higher level of on-screen scrutiny than the rest of the fleet:

They [the producers] initially planned to have at least one ship that we could get closer to camera. That was the Akira, so it got the most attention to detail.

Jaeger treated the Akira-class with the same care as a hero starship, drafting detailed blueprints and dynamic sketches of the ship's various features.

Based on a tried and true Star Trek vessel, the USS Reliant from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the Akira-class retained the Miranda-class' distinctive rollbar and weapons module but was outfitted with a slew of additional firepower and features to take on the Borg.

According to Jaeger:

This was my gunship/battlecruiser/aircraft carrier. It has 15 torpedo launchers and two shuttlebays – one in the front, with three doors, and one in the back. I really got into it with that one, with the whole idea that the front bay would be the launching bay, and then to return they'd [the shuttles] come into the back, because they'd be protected by the rest of the ship.