SHIP DESIGN
The Groumal-class freighter, an eventual mainstay cargo carrier for a number of major Alpha and Beta Quadrant races, was ironically first designed and built by the Bajorans. A few short years after the Cardassian Union (CU) first offered assistance to the struggling Bajor, a joint endeavor was under- taken by the two peoples. It had two aims: firstly, to provide the CU with a functional but inexpensive new freighter class; secondly, to provide stimulus to the ailing Bajoran economy via a capital project.
Although the design process began prior to the CU becoming involved in Bajoran dealings in 2309, final drafting and construction were left until the specifics of the arrangement could be worked out. |
For a time, Bajorans and Cardassians worked hand in hand, the former providing the bulk of the labor involved while the latter acted mostly in an executive management and design consultant capacity.
The first Groumal-class freighters went into construction in 2312 and began entering service by 2313. The initial round of test vessels were neither as advanced nor as capable as later versions, but sufficed for CU purposes until upgrade modifications could bring them fully up to expectations. The second batch took rather longer to produce; a full two years, starting in 2317, with another three-year construction period. Following the beginning of the Bajor Occupation in 2328, the third configuration of the Groumal - which would become the standard for all future vessels and refits - entered service. |
It was Cardassian policy to remove all but a handful of skilled Bajorans from their professions. The Union, while an avid believer in the virtue of Bajoran slave labor, was well aware that some members of the subject race were probably capable of more than just mining raw dilithium or tending crops. A number of notable engineers belonged to the older generation (these had lived and pursued their education prior to the Union's arrival). They would all eventually be put to work designing a more advanced fleet of merchant vessels.
Progress was slow. Beginning in the 2320s, the revised project met with disaster after disaster. Many Bajoran engineers and scientists refused to co-operate, in protest of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor; and refusals resulted in prompt execution. Regardless of this thinning of the available pool, supplies of first and second generation Groumals sufficed to meet Union needs in the short to medium term. Since resources were few and far between, the project received only a fraction of the estimated project costs, a dilemma that forced many of its managing directors to resign.
Progress was slow. Beginning in the 2320s, the revised project met with disaster after disaster. Many Bajoran engineers and scientists refused to co-operate, in protest of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor; and refusals resulted in prompt execution. Regardless of this thinning of the available pool, supplies of first and second generation Groumals sufficed to meet Union needs in the short to medium term. Since resources were few and far between, the project received only a fraction of the estimated project costs, a dilemma that forced many of its managing directors to resign.
By 2340, following staggering delays, the first of the redesigned Groumals was launched into active service. It was, however, an unfortunate trip: though traveling with cargo, the freighter and its escort of Cardassian attack craft were waylaid by Klingons and destroyed. The Cardassians were understandably displeased with the model's poor performance in combat and ordered later versions be better armed and armored. This priority, however, was never given the necessary political and financial support. As such, four spiral wave disrupter banks were all that could be afforded and improved shield systems were never installed. The freighter’s speed was increased, however; a Groumal may not survive a real fight, but it just might manage to flee one.
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The first modified Groumals were launched into immediate service by 2343. Plying all the major Cardassian space lanes, they became a common sight throughout the Union and beyond. It was during this period that the Klingons, never on great terms with the Cardassians, came to respect the class's cargo-carrying capabilities, if not its ability to fight. However, due to the lingering possibility of further hostilities with the United Federation of Planets, the Empire was unwilling to devote any resources and ships to the capture and analysis of wayward Groumals.
The Bajorans stepped in. Working secretly to undermine their oppressors’ political status within the Alpha Quadrant by any available means, relatives of some of the executed Bajoran project engineers arranged to sell the plans for the freighter to the Klingons in return for disrupters, munitions and impulse reactors. The Klingons agreed, knowing a good deal when they saw one; immediately they began constructing their first Groumal variant using native technology and materials. While the ships were initially almost identical, a later design break resulted in significant modifications to both the freighter's size and warp capabilities. Now, with larger shield batteries placed within the bow, additional nacelles at the rear, and an overall increase in size, the Klingon variant could transport a considerably larger cargo.
The Bajorans stepped in. Working secretly to undermine their oppressors’ political status within the Alpha Quadrant by any available means, relatives of some of the executed Bajoran project engineers arranged to sell the plans for the freighter to the Klingons in return for disrupters, munitions and impulse reactors. The Klingons agreed, knowing a good deal when they saw one; immediately they began constructing their first Groumal variant using native technology and materials. While the ships were initially almost identical, a later design break resulted in significant modifications to both the freighter's size and warp capabilities. Now, with larger shield batteries placed within the bow, additional nacelles at the rear, and an overall increase in size, the Klingon variant could transport a considerably larger cargo.
The Cardassians have used the Groumal-class as a general-purpose carrier from its inception, relying on it for the transportation of vast quantities of bulk materiel across Union space. Entire cargo containers must be removed in cases of heavy loads that are not easily transported even by the freighter’s better-than-average cargo transporter systems. As a result, the Groumal is modular in design, sectioned into five blocks of heavy detachable cargo containers, constructed along a very narrow bow line; a bow section, complete with sensor pallet, moorage equipment, and primary shields; and the aft section, harboring the engines, passenger quarters, computer system, and bridge.
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