Sources: Daystrom Institute of Technology, Ex Astris Scientia, Computer Core Dump, Ships of Starfleet
Galaxy Class Starship Copyright Paramount Entertainment.		 Type: Tactical Explorer Cruiser
Commissioned: 2381-PRES
Production: 6 per year
Unit Run:
USS Galaxy
USS Exeter
USS James T. Kirk
USS Victor Murdock
Mass: 4,948,000 tons
Crew: 1,100+ Including Family Members
Propulsion: One Cochrane warp core feeding two warp nacelles;
five subatomic unified energy impulse engines
Two additional warp nacelles located embedded in the saucer, extrude from hull in separation mode
standard maneuvering thrusters
Armament: 12 x Type XIV Phaser arrays
5 x type 3 burst fire photon torpedo tubes + 300 torpedoes. 100 quantum torpedoes
Four Antimatter spread emitter,
1 Dorsal Type XVI Phaser Cannon
3 Class I rapid-fire pulse Phaser emitters
Defense Systems: Standard dual-layer shielding system
Standard Duranium/Tritanium double hull plus 9.0 cm Ablative Armor.
Standard level Structural Integrity Field
Warp Capabilities: Normal Cruise : Warp Factor 9.7
Maximum Cruise : Warp Factor 9.9
Maximum Rated : Warp Factor 9.999 for Twelve Hours
Hull Life: 100 years
Refit Cycle: Minor : 1 year 
Standard : 5 years 
Major : 20 years
Dimensions: Length : 659 m 
Beam : 470 m 
Height : 145 m 
Decks : 42
Shuttle Complement: shuttle bays: 5
shuttles: 2 Type-9 Personnel Shuttles, 2 Type 14 Cargo Shuttles, 2 Type-10 Shuttlepods, 6 Type-11 Personnel Shuttles, 4 Type 14 Personnel shuttles, 1 to 2 Starfighter Squadrons
runabouts: 2 Danube Class Runabouts,  2 Mustang - Class Assault Runabouts
One Type-S Captain's Yacht
Class History: The Galaxy III project was actually one of the proposed designs for the initial Galaxy-Class refit, the Galaxy II. Rejected at the time, Dr. Jeremiah's Quick's three-nacelled variant became the operating model.

However, after in the nearly three years since the Galaxy herself was refitted to those specifications, it has become clear that the Quick design was not without it's flaws. Most notably, the massive power consumption required by the Phaser cannon, the warp field inefficiencies caused by the third nacelle, and of course, the "Quick Virus", the Engineering slang for the number of minor technical malfunctions outside the range of normal operating parameters.

Commanders Dickson, Boardman, and Weber of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with Admiral Montgomery Scott, Master Chief Miles O'Brien, Commander Geordi LaForge and Dr. Leah Brahms continued their work on this proposed design even while the Galaxy II was still in refits.

When the Galaxy suffered significant battle damage, the three SCE commanders were successfully able to lobby to refit the premiere Galaxy-Class vessel to this new design, in the wake of the perceived failure of the previous refit.

The process was pushed through at an accelerated pace, alongside the refitting of the Starship Miranda to a Pathfinder II in record time, with both vessels being completely refitted in only three months. Admiral Scott, and Commanders Dickson, Boardman and Weber oversaw both projects, bringing massive numbers of SCE personnel to Starbase 212 to complete the work.

There are numerous changes in this version of the Galaxy-Class starship than it's predecessors. The SCE took advantage of the Galaxy's massive damage to create an almost new ship. Indeed, the saucer section was scrapped entirely, and replaced with the salvaged saucer section from the Enterprise-D, retrieved from Viridian III. The existing space frame was a large advantage, however.

The ships computer and data network systems were among the first things upgraded, switching the primary focus from isolinear chips to the more powerful bioneural gelpacks, prototyped in the Intrepid and Sovereign classes, allowing a forty six percent increase in computer processing power and efficiency.

Warp and impulse drive systems received the next overhaul, with the third nacelle's complete removal (made simpler by the fact that it, and it's mounting, had been sheared off in combat) The original nacelles were completely replaced with newer, more efficient ones, while the Stardrive impulse engine was retooled, and much larger impulse engines were added to the saucer to increase the ship's sublight maneuverability. Two small nacelles, capable of propelling the saucer section at Warp Five, were added to the primary hull, as Starfleet has since discovered that a saucer without  warp drive is essentially a very large lifeboat.

Shuttlebay Four, located in the lower part of the Stardrive, was reduced in size, returning some of the parts storage areas to Engineering. This was made possible with the addition of a new, fifth Shuttlebay, designated the "Starfighter Bay'. Full training and support facilities for up two Starfighter squadrons were installed, as well as space in the saucer section converted to be suitable for a Marine detachment. The "Marine Country" was converted from the section of the ship previously known as the Promenade, which had contained civilian businesses.

Weapons systems received the next upgrade, first among which was the Phaser cannon. It's power relays were completely replaced, allowing it to be not as much of a drain on power as it was in the previous design. The new, upgraded warp core has also helped with that particular issue. Two additional torpedo tubes, in the fore and aft of the saucer section were added, as well as three pulse Phaser arrays (Also known as Defiant-Type, two fore, one aft). The standard Phaser arrays were also upgraded to Venture/Sovereign specifications.

Sensor capacity was increased over thirty percent with the installation of a new primary sensor array in the saucer section, and the Stellar Cartography and Astrometrics labs received complete overhauls.

Escape pod systems were upgraded to allow for quicker launch, as well as a larger crew compliment. The hull received numerous changes as well, with the addition of ablative armor to the ship's defenses.

The Galaxy Class III prototype was completed aboard the USS Galaxy in October of 2381, and the ship launched for it's first mission. Initial trials seem to have gone well, and two additional starships, the USS James T. Kirk and the USS Victor Murdock are now nearing completion, with a schedule to be launched at the end of the year.

The USS Exeter was among the Galaxy Class ships that were scheduled to be Refitted to Mark III at Starbase 117 by the Year 2384. The ships slated to be refitted alongside it were the USS Fort Knox, the USS Venture, the USS Trojan and the USS California. However, when Starfleet deemed the USS Resolution unsalvageable, they abandoned its Refit, and instead called the Exeter in early.

The Refit to the Exeter was conducted at Starbase 117, in an effort by Starfleet to spread and increase the potential to refit the Galaxy Class, both the Mark I's still in service, and the Mark II's.