The Prometheus is the culmination of several separate research projects which have been combined into one prototype testbed. Starfleet has long recognised that, all other factors being even, vessels with high manoeuvrability can gain a significant combat advantage. The physics of warp drive dictate that for a given engine capacity the least massive vessel will have the greatest manoeuvrability - but minimising vessel size is at odds with the large number of scientific and diplomatic functions which a Starship must be able to perform. One obvious solution to this problem was to design ships that are able to configure themselves for the mission at hand, but the non-military nature of Starfleet gave research in this area a relatively low priority. However, the Galaxy class did incorporate some of these ideas in that the saucer section was built to be easily separated and re-attached without outside support. Without the bulk of the saucer the stardrive section was much more manoeuvrable, in theory giving it a significant combat advantage over a saucer-equipped Galaxy. In practice, however, this operation is somewhat unwieldy on the Galaxy class and leaves the saucer (which does not have an independant warp drive) extremely vulnerable to attack. In addition, the saucer section contains the Galaxy's two longest phaser arrays and can provide a significant reserve of power from its fusion reactors. The Galaxy class has therefore not used this capability very often. In 2359 Starfleet initiated a research project intended to explore the possibility of a true multi-section vessel. The requirement called for a vessel able to separate into at least two independant sections, each with a fully functional warp drive of its own. One would be capable of launching an attack with almost the full ships weaponary, at high speed and manouverability. The other, comprising the scientific, diplomatic and accomodation sections, would clear the area at high warp carrying the civilian complement. Much of the technology being developed for the Intrepid class project was included in this design, with the result that the theoretical model finalised in 2363 bore a close resemblance to the Intrepid herself. In 2364 Starfleet was considering moving to a production basis with the multi-section Starship. However, during this year contact with the Romulans was re-established when the USS Enterprise-D encountered a Warbird at the Neutral Zone. Since the Warbird appeared to outgun the Enterprise - then Starfleets most powerful ship - by a considerable margain Starflet was confronted with what appeared to be a powerful and aggressive enemy. As part of their response Starfleet requested a complete re-design of the multi-section starship. The new requirement called for an almost totally re-designed vessel; the ship would be in three sections, each of which would have an independant warp core and drive system. The scientific and diplomatic sections were removed in favour of increased armament and power for the weapons. During the development Starfleet also encountered both the Borg and the Dominion, both hostile and powerful enemies. This led to an ever-accelerating effort to turn the new ship into a pure combat vessel; much technology from other projects was put into what was now dubbed the "multi-vector attack Starship". This came most especially from the Sovereign project - in place of the Type VIII phaser arrays that the original ship had shared with the Intrepid class, the Type XII phaser arrays from the Sovereign project were included. The shield system was massively upgraded and, in light of the subsequent Borg attack, closely based on the auto-modulating shields of the Sovereign. The advanced warp engine design also included many elements of the Sovereign class, while the ablative armour, high capacity structural integrity fields and quantum torpedo tubes developed for the Defiant project were also included. This technology combined to make the new Starship one of the most massively armed and armoured vessels of its size ever contemplated, let alone built. The small size combined with incredible speed and manoeuvrability when in multi-vector mode; when the prototype USS Prometheus was launched in late 2373 she was thought to have a combat capacity an amazing nine times that of the equally-sized Intrepid class, while her Type XII phasers made her a formidable foe for any vessel in the alpha quadrant.
