Allied with the Cardassians and with thousands of warships on the Federation border, many at Starfleet Command questioned the wisdom of wasting critically needed resources on massive spacecraft that were experimental, unproven and cost-prohibitive to build. However, with war with the Dominion looming, questions about the effectiveness of the Excalibur were raised. Wielding the manpower and equipment to oversee whole sectors of Starfleet operations, the Excalibur was born. The result: a massive starship, dwarfing even the latest Galaxy-class explorers, equipped with outpost-grade shielding, more communications capacity than most minor outposts and colonies, and a shuttle deck loaded with two dozen couriers and runabouts. With the massive technological advancements since, and the need for additional tactically oriented ships after the Borg incursions of 2367, Starfleet Command authorised Starfleet Engineering to develop the plans for the Excalibur-class, that would serve as command ship and titan, able to hold off marauding enemy fleets and rally local defense forces in the event of conflict. Test ships such as the Ingram and Griffon-class served Starfleet in the late 23rd century, but difficulties and concerns over survivabilty, cost-effectiveness and performance led to the retirement of the last Griffon in 2301, having spent much of her life relegated to stardocks and remote core systems on training exercises and proving flights. The concept of a Space Control Ship along the lines of Earth naval Sea Control Ships has been around since the early 2270s - a behemoth command ship that could serve as carrier, dreadnought, logistics, command and control ship all in one.
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