Star Trek Expanded Universe
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The Swazey class of Starfleet light cruisers were active in the 23rd century. (Starbase 79: Starship Recognition Series 2)

Similar to the Miranda-class starships, the Swazeys sacrificed offensive capability for enhanced maneuverability and speed. The enhanced hangar bays also made this vessel ideal for search and rescue missions.

When this class of vessel was first commissioned in 2238, the United Federation of Planets had enjoyed decades without major conflicts, thus leading to optimism about the future of the expansion of Federation boundaries. This optimism was short-lived, as demonstrated by the Battle of Donatu V. There were several attempts to upgrade weapons systems, but the Swazeys could never compete with Surya-, Miranda- or Constitution-class vessels. The primary missions for this class became resupply of the Neutral Zone outposts and listening stations. Whatever combat the Swazeys saw was as a part of a larger contingent of warships.

Three Swazey-class light cruisers were upgraded to Russell-class light cruisers in 2287: USS Aztec, USS Electra and USS West Bank.

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