Ranger-class vessels had 14 decks, and a standard crew complement of 287. It had one aft shuttlebay, with a complement of three shuttlecraft. During its early years in service, the Ranger-class was the top-of-the-line ship for the Federation, performing missions for everything from first contact missions to top secret missions into Klingon space. However, as it grew older, and was replaced with other ships such as the Constitution-class, it settled into a role of sector patrol and diplomatic transport.