A versatile Starfleet cruiser with a single hull and a weapons pod, serving from the 23rd century into the Dominion War. The USS Reliant was one.
The Miranda-class is a Starfleet starship with a single main hull, two warp nacelles hung below it and, on many ships, a raised weapons pod or rollbar. It was built for many kinds of duty, from science and survey work to escort and patrol, and it remained in service for more than a century.
The most famous Miranda ship is the USS Reliant, which was searching for a lifeless planet for the Genesis Project when Khan Noonien Singh seized it in 2285 and used it against Kirk's Enterprise. In the 24th century the USS Saratoga, with Benjamin Sisko aboard, was destroyed at Wolf 359, and other ships of the class, such as the Lantree and Brattain, appeared during The Next Generation. Large numbers of Miranda ships fought in the Dominion War.
The class is one of Starfleet's dependable workhorses. Its design, first seen in The Wrath of Khan, became a familiar sight across the films, The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.