A Starfleet support ship class of the 2380s that handles second contact and other routine duties, best known through the USS Cerritos.
The California-class is a Starfleet starship class of the 2380s, designed for support work rather than front-line exploration. Its ships handle second contact missions after the first meeting with a species, along with repair, delivery and supply tasks. Its ships are named after cities in the state of California, and their compact build suits their modest roles.
The USS Cerritos, commanded by Captain Carol Freeman, is the central ship of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Its junior officers, including Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler, take on everything from diplomatic trouble to dangerous anomalies. Other ships of the class appear as the series goes on, and the Cerritos repeatedly proves its worth by holding its own in crises that larger and grander ships fail to handle.
The California-class shows the less glamorous side of Starfleet. Its role celebrates the everyday crews who keep the fleet running and gives Lower Decks its comic yet affectionate point of view.