Star Trek: Every Starfleet Starship Class Ranked Worst To Best
7. Defiant
The USS Defiant was the prototype for Starfleet's first warship, designed solely to fight the Borg. However, she was brought into service early to combat the increased threat that the Dominion posed to the Alpha Quadrant. Commander Sisko, who had been involved in the design process, was assigned to command the vessel, based at Deep Space Nine.
Her first outing saw her overpowered by the Jem'hadar, with it quickly being defeated. However, that was not to say that the Defiant class was not a 'tough little ship'. While only the prototype was equipped with a cloaking device, the two other vessels in the class that received extended depictions - the USS Valiant and the USS Sao Paulo - both held their own.
The Valiant survived eight months behind enemy lines, piloted by a crew of cadets. If not for the overconfidence of that ship's captain, Tim Waters, the vessel may well have been able to return to the fleet. The USS Sao Paulo was assigned to Deep Space Nine, following the destruction of the original Defiant.
Picking a fight with this class of ship may well be the last thing an enemy ever does.