When the Cardassians were introduced in the fourth season episode "The Wounded" of Star Trek: The Next Generation, they were represented as a major Alpha Quadrant species with a major starship to match. Simply introduced in he script as a "CARDASSIAN WARSHIP", the design of which left to the imagination of the series' main production designer, Rick Sternbach, who had to come up with a starship design for a major Alpha Quadrant power. This Sternbach did, and his design, the Cardassian's major Galor-class starship, eventually became the basis for an even more advanced Cardassian vessel, the Keldon-class. Designed surreptitiously by the Obsidian Order for a planned joint attack on the Founders with the Tal Shiar (The Die is Cast (episode)), it was far more powerful than the Galor-class it was