The Baton Rouge class was a Federation Starfleet cruiser-type starship. Ships of this class were divided into two types, light cruisers and escort cruisers, both introduced in 2236. Cruiser variants (NCC-1550-1569) began undergoing refits in 2278; the escorts (NCC-1570-1599) started receiving refits in 2281, with an additional Aegis-type refit in 2285. (Star Fleet Battles , Starbase23.net ) Baton Rouge-class cruisers would have been among the capital ship classes on the front lines during the Battle of Donatu V as well as other skirmishes with such threat forces as the Klingon Empire.