Everest-class

The Everest-class cutter was an auxiliary craft designed and operated by the Federation Starfleet in the mid 24th century.

= History and Development = Development of the Everest-class began in 2330, with the first space frames being ordered in mid-2331 and the first vessels entering service in 2333. The class was designed to be more robust than the typical shuttlecraft of the time, as well as capable of carrying out certain basic mission profiles without the need for a dedicated starship. As a reflection of this design goal, Everest-class ships were given dedicated registry numbers and the "cutter" designation to distinguish them from traditional shuttlecraft. The Everest-class as ultimately realized fell somewhat short of the original design goal, but it nevertheless proved a capable design and was quickly adopted across Starfleet after its initial introduction.

= Lineage = The Everest-class eventually led to the development of subsequent cutter designs, including the Mojave-class and Adriatic-class. The cutter type would later be supplanted by the runabout type, beginning with the Mosquito-class and later the Danube-class in the latter half of the 24th century.

= Known Vessels =
 * USS Seleya (NCC-17536)
 * USS Tvashtar (NCC-17601)
 * USS Manaslu (NCC-17679) (destroyed, 2337)
 * USS Orizaba (NCC-17685)
 * USS Denali (NCC-17687)
 * USS El Capitan (NCC-17691)
 * USS Ultar (NCC-17701)
 * USS Uluru (NCC-17719)
 * USS Tar'hana (NCC-17722)
 * USS Ararat (NCC-17758)
 * USS Erebus (NCC-18043)
 * USS Whitney (NCC-18080)
 * USS Parnassus (NCC-18085) (stolen, 2339)
 * USS Fuji (NCC-18089)
 * USS Etna (NCC-19087)