Runabout (Star Trek)

Danube class

The USS Yangtzee Kiang, a Danube class runabout
First appearance	"Emissary"
Affiliation	United Federation of Planets Starfleet
General characteristics
Armaments	6 Type VI Phasers 24 micro Photon torpedoes
Defenses	Deflector shields
Propulsion	Warp drive & Impulse engines

Runabouts are a class of small, multi-purpose starships in the Star Trek science-fiction franchise, primarily the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

The Danube class vessels are larger than shuttlecraft seen in previous series of Star Trek, but significantly smaller than previously depicted starships. They operate with a minimum crew of one or more, and are equipped with warp drive, transporters, and accommodation for long-duration missions. The Runabouts assigned to DS9 are usually named after various rivers on Earth.

Although primarily seen in DS9, a Danube class runabout appeared in a single episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ("Timescape"); this was the only episode of Star Trek that showed an interior section of the runabout other than the cockpit.

The idea for the runabout came from the need to provide a way for characters to move away from Deep Space Nine, and also allowed the show to explore Star Trek's themes of exploration and discovery despite DS9 being set on an immobile space station. In order to help the new show establish its own identity separate from The Next Generation, the decision was made to have something larger and more capable than the shuttlecraft seen in previous series of Star Trek. The series bible describes the Danube class vessels as "the symbol of the Federation presence in [Deep Space Nine's] sector". The Starfleet design elements were intended as a touch of familiarity for the characters (and in turn, the viewers) in environments dominated by alien designs and structures, specifically the Cardassians and Bajorans.