The Avant-Garde is completely in a class of its own, though it has been classified as an "Intrepid-II" class ship. Its systems rely completely on the same bio-neural gel packs that partially make up the systems of Intrepid class ships. At 400 meters with 21 decks, it just barely outdoes the Intrepid class ships in size. The extra space is used mainly for extra quarters and better medical facilities.
Although no one has broken the threshold yet, Lt. Tom Paris' near fatal attempt, and partial success, to do so has inspired the engineers aboard the Avant-Garde to keep trying to reach warp 10 - even while on missions, and especially when docked at Jupiter Station. They have currently reached warp 9.9999. However, the chief engineer aboard the Avant-Garde, Lt. Comm. Jessi Watts, is positive that she knows a way to push the Avant-Garde that extra billionth.
The Avant-Garde is equipped with the ability to travel through time. It is often used to monitor ships that existed earlier in the time-space continuum, and, on occasion, to give a few, chosen Starfleet babies the training they need - with facilities centuries ahead of their time, in the century of the Avent-Garde - to become exemplary officers in the future. However, it is most often used to ward off Cardassian scout vessels. (Although it was thought to have dissaparated, the Starfleet - Cardassian conflict is still alive and kicking).
This, of course, means that the Avant-Garde must always be well equipped with state of the art photon armor, shielding, and weapons.

 

 

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