Star Trek's twenty-fourth century has been explored extensively in TV series, games, and books. This bounty of content results in the era being one of Star Trek's most fleshed-out periods. From the Dominion War to Starfleet's accidental exploration of the Delta Quadrant, the twenty-fourth century saw some of the Federation's greatest challenges.
Luckily for the Federation, the Starfleet ships of the twenty-fourth century were more than up to the task. The century saw Starfleet throwing away the rule book to develop dedicated warships, experimenting with slipstream drives, and rebuilding its forces after catastrophic losses. It wasn't just the people of the era who made history—so too did the ships they crewed.
10 USS Phoenix
The Nebula-class USS Phoenix (best known for its appearance in TNG's "The Wounded") was under the command of Captain Benjamin Maxwell. Maxwell, a veteran of the Federation–Cardassian Wars, believed that his former enemies were planning to reopen hostilities. To preclude this, he began to attack Cardassian ships, necessitating the intervention of the USS Enterprise-D in 2367.
It is likely that the Phoenix would have been destroyed by the Enterprise if not for the intervention of Miles O'Brien. The Enterprise transporter chief had previously served under Captain Maxwell and was able to convince the rogue officer to surrender. Although Maxwell's methods were reckless, he was in fact right—the Cardassian Union was rearming, and would soon pose a major threat to the Federation.
9 USS Hood
Although starships like the USS Enterprise receive much of the credit for preserving the Federation, the contribution made by the dependable USS Hood should not be overlooked. In 2366, the Excelsior-class starship supported the Enterprise-D near the Romulan Neutral Zone. Two years later, it again joined the Enterprise to expose Romulan involvement in the Klingon Civil War.
The Hood served in and survived the Dominion War, while in 2379 it formed part of a battle group designed to intercept the Scimitar, a powerful Reman warship. Although it existed in the background of the twenty-fourth century, the USS Hood nonetheless played a number of crucial roles.
8 USS Aventine
While the canon status of the USS Aventine is debatable, this Vesta-class starship represented an important technological breakthrough for the Federation. The starship, best known for its frequent appearances in the Star Trek Relaunch novels, carried an advanced slipstream drive, allowing it to travel many times faster than a regular vessel at warp.
Following the death of its captain in 2381, the Aventine was commanded by Ezri Dax. The ship joined the Enterprise-E and the Titan in finally ending the Borg threat. In later years, the Aventine was deployed to counter the Breen and other Federation enemies.
7 USS Titan
The Luna-class USS Titan was the first ship to be captained by William Riker, who took command in 2379. Although the starship's adventures were initially documented in the questionable canon Star Trek: Titan novels, the starship is likely best known to fans for its appearances in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
In 2380, the Titan assisted the USS Cerritos during an engagement with the Pakleds. It continued to defend the Federation from the Pakled threat in subsequent months. In 2381, the son of William Riker and Deanna Troi was born aboard the Titan.
6 USS Protostar
The experimental USS Protostar was intended to further explore the Delta Quadrant following the return of the USS Voyager in 2378. As such, it was put under the command of Captain Chakotay, who had served as Voyager's first officer. However, the expedition went poorly, and the ship was captured by the Vau N'Akat, who planned to use the vessel to spread a deadly weapon into Federation space.
The starship actually remained dormant until it was rediscovered in 2383. A group of prisoners used the Protostar to escape the planet on which they were being held, although its journey back to the Federation resulted in the Vau N'Akat's weapon infecting many Starfleet ships. The Protostar itself was destroyed in the fallout, but its design served as the foundation for a new class of starships.
5 USS Cerritos
Although the USS Cerritos was built to perform logistical operations for the Federation, the California-class proved that even Starfleet's lesser ships played a pivotal role in the alliance's survival. Under the command of Captain Carol Freeman, the Cerritos specialized in second contact missions—administrative check-ups on civilizations previously contacted by the Federation.
Despite this less-than-exciting mission profile, the starship proved essential in discovering the Pakleds' growing strength in 2380. The following year, the Cerritos proved itself in battle against the advanced USS Aledo, an AI-powered starship designed by a rogue Starfleet admiral.
4 USS Enterprise-E
Commissioned following the destruction of the Enterprise-D in 2371, the Sovereign-class Enterprise-E was larger and more heavily armed than its predecessor. This armament proved necessary during an engagement with the Borg in 2373, during which the starship traveled over three centuries back in time.
Despite its strength, the Enterprise-E played a minimal role in the Dominion War of 2373 to 2375, although Captain Picard and his crew did intervene on behalf of the agrarian Ba'ku when the Federation Council attempted to relocate the species. Perhaps the Enterprise-E's most notable engagement was against the Scimitar in 2379, although it was heavily damaged during the battle.
3 USS Voyager
When the USS Voyager traveled to the Badlands to intercept a Maquis vessel in 2371, its crew could not imagine the fate that awaited them. Both the Intrepid-class starship and its prey were transported to the Delta Quadrant, and the two crews were forced to put their differences aside in order to make the 70,000-light-year journey home.
This seven-year journey saw Captain Janeway and her crew encounter many new alien races, including the Kazon and Species 8472. The USS Voyager also regularly encountered the Borg, with one member of the collective joining the starship's crew. Voyager's legacy endured for centuries—the ship was still remembered, albeit inaccurately, by Kyrian historians in the year 3074.
2 USS Defiant
While the Dominion War involved many factions and was fought on several fronts, many of its key engagements involved a single ship: the USS Defiant. This experimental warship dispensed with Starfleet's standard doctrine. Rather than focusing on exploration or carrying civilians, the Defiant was built to combat the Borg—and later, of course, the Dominion.
In 2371, the Defiant-class starship made first contact with the Dominion's Founders. In 2373, it joined a flotilla of Starfleet vessels in Sector 001 in an attempt to repel a Borg cube. The Defiant liberated the Deep Space Nine from Dominion forces in 2374 and participated in both battles for control of the Chin'toka system. However, it was destroyed by a Breen energy weapon during the second engagement.
1 USS Enterprise-D
The Enterprise-D was, without a doubt, one of the most significant vessels in Federation history. As well as making dozens of first contacts (including with the Borg and the Q Continuum), the Galaxy-class starship carried out significant exploration and research during its time as the flagship of the Federation. Much of the starship's success can be attributed to its crew, including Captain Picard, Commander Riker, and Lieutenant Commander Data, key figures in Starfleet history.
Although it was extensively damaged over Veridian III in 2371, the Enterprise-D was partially rebuilt by Geordi La Forge at the Fleet Museum. This refitted vessel fought against the Borg in 2401, demonstrating that, despite its age, the Enterprise-D remained a legendary part of the Federation fleet.