The U.S.S. Franklin-A is a grade 4 Uncommon Augment Explorer in Star Trek Fleet Command, rebuilt from the original U.S.S. Franklin to hunt the Swarm. Its always-on Swarm Hunter ability multiplies its damage against Swarm hostiles and Swarm Armadas, from 3,500% at ship level 1 to 500,000% at level 60. You build it at Shipyard level 35 from 200 blueprints, and those blueprints come from scrapping the original Franklin. If you still run Swarm dailies and armadas, it earns its slot; outside that fight, it is a specialist.
How to get the U.S.S. Franklin-A
The Franklin-A needs 200 blueprints and a Shipyard at level 35. The base build cost is 20,000,000 Tritanium, 300,000 Dilithium, 300 3★ Common Refined Crystal, 30 3★ Uncommon Refined Crystal and 50 3★ Common Refined Gas, with a base build time of 165 days. Those are base values; your buildings and research shorten the time and change what you actually pay.
Franklin-A blueprints
Franklin-A blueprints come from Franklin Advanced Data Cores, one core per blueprint, so a full build takes 200 cores. You get the cores by scrapping the original U.S.S. Franklin, then refining them into Franklin-A blueprints. The game notes that you need to scrap a max level Franklin to fully unlock the Franklin-A, so level the original ship all the way before you send it to the Scrapyard.
That makes the original Franklin the first step. It is a grade 3 Uncommon Explorer built at Shipyard level 17 from 90 blueprints, with its own Swarm ability (Sabotage) and a max level of 45. It can be scrapped from Operations level 35, which lines up with the Franklin-A’s Shipyard 35 requirement.
| Step | What you need |
|---|---|
| 1. Build the U.S.S. Franklin | 90 blueprints, Shipyard level 17 |
| 2. Level it to max | Ship level 45 |
| 3. Scrap it | Operations level 35 or higher |
| 4. Refine the cores | Franklin Advanced Data Cores into Franklin-A blueprints (200 needed) |
| 5. Build the Franklin-A | Shipyard level 35 plus the build cost above |
The Franklin-A retrofit missions
Upgrading the Franklin-A past its first tiers needs specialized parts on top of raw resources: eight Franklin warp components and the Alpha, Delta and Omega retrofit keys. Each one is the reward for a part of the USS Franklin-A mission chain. Every part has the same task: upgrade your Operations building to the next level. The chain starts at Operations 37 and finishes at Operations 50.
| Mission | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| USS Franklin-A Part 1 | Upgrade Operations to level 37 | Franklin Warp Interlock Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 2 | Upgrade Operations to level 39 | Franklin Warp Conduit Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 3 | Upgrade Operations to level 41 | Franklin Warp Relay Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 4 | Upgrade Operations to level 43 | Franklin Warp Regulator Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 5 | Upgrade Operations to level 44 | Franklin Warp Injector Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 6 | Upgrade Operations to level 45 | Franklin Warp Containment Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 7 | Upgrade Operations to level 46 | Franklin Warp Coil Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 8 | Upgrade Operations to level 47 | Franklin Warp Core Mk. II |
| USS Franklin-A Part 9 | Upgrade Operations to level 48 | Franklin-A Alpha Retrofit Key |
| USS Franklin-A Part 10 | Upgrade Operations to level 49 | Franklin-A Delta Retrofit Key |
| USS Franklin-A Part 11 | Upgrade Operations to level 50 | Franklin-A Omega Retrofit Key |
In practice, the Franklin-A’s upgrades follow your station. You cannot rush the late tiers with resources alone, because the keys only arrive as your Operations level climbs. The Franklin-A is not scrappable, so it will not feed a scrap chain later.
U.S.S. Franklin-A ability
The ship ability is Swarm Hunter, and it is always active. When the Franklin-A fights Swarm hostiles or Swarm Armadas, its damage rises by 3,500% at ship level 1 and scales to 500,000% at level 60. Against anything that is not Swarm, the bonus does nothing, which is why this ship lives or dies by how much Swarm content you run.
| Ship level | Swarm Hunter damage bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3,500% |
| 10 | 8,000% |
| 25 | 22,000% |
| 30 | 28,000% |
| 40 | 45,000% |
| 60 | 500,000% |
The jump between level 40 and level 60 is the big one. A high-level Franklin-A turns Swarm targets into fast kills, which is what lets it take on higher Swarm Armada levels that would stall a general-purpose Explorer.
Stats and tiers
These are base values; research, buffs and officers raise them in play.
| Tier | Warp (speed / range) | Impulse | Cargo (protected) | Shield HP | Hull HP | Health (displayed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.6 / 75 | 100 | 3,500 (100) | 27,000 | 45,187 | 36,093.5 |
| 6 | 3.2 / 105 | 100 | 9,120 (170) | 53,190 | 45,187 | 49,188.5 |
| 12 | 3.6 / 165 | 100 | 24,000 (550) | 120,000 | 45,187 | 82,593.5 |
The Franklin-A leans on its shields. Shield HP climbs from 27,000 at tier 1 to 120,000 at tier 12, while hull HP stays flat at 45,187, so most of the survivability you gain from tiering up sits in the shield bar. Cargo and warp range also grow with each tier, which helps when you chase Swarm targets across systems.
Weapons and firing pattern
Warm-up is the round a weapon first fires; cool-down is how many rounds pass between shots after that. These are the weapons at max tier 12.
| Weapon | Type | Shots | Warm-up | Cool-down | Damage | Crit chance | Crit damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (phaser) | Energy | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4,500–5,400 | 10% | 150% |
| 2 (torpedo) | Kinetic | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9,000–10,800 | 10% | 150% |
| 3 (torpedo) | Kinetic | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9,000–10,800 | 10% | 150% |
The two kinetic torpedoes carry most of the Franklin-A’s damage, firing every other round for 9,000 to 10,800 each at max tier, while the energy phaser fires every round for a smaller hit.
Crew slots and officer bonus
The Franklin-A opens officer slots as it levels up.
| Ship level | Officer slots |
|---|---|
| 5 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 15 | 3 |
| 30 | 4 |
| 45 | 5 |
The ship also boosts your officers’ attack, defense and health as it progresses. Those three bonuses are identical at every step, so the ladder below applies to all three.
| Amount | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 500 | 35% |
| 1,000 | 70% |
| 1,625 | 105% |
| 2,250 | 140% |
| 3,000 | 175% |
| 4,000 | 210% |
| 5,500 | 245% |
| 7,500 | 280% |
| 10,000 | 315% |
| 15,000 | 350% |
U.S.S. Franklin-A refit: the U.S.S. Terror
The Franklin-A has one refit, the U.S.S. Terror. Unlocking it costs 60 U.S.S. Terror Shards, and it increases the Franklin-A’s weapon damage by 35,000% against Swarm Armada targets. Like every refit, the bonus is permanent once unlocked. If you grind Swarm Armadas at scale, the Terror is the reason to keep pushing this ship. The ship refit list covers how refit shards work across the game.
Crew for the U.S.S. Franklin-A
As an Explorer built for Swarm combat, the Franklin-A wants a bridge that raises weapon damage and critical hits, since the ship ability already handles the Swarm multiplier. Officers that boost kinetic damage or critical-hit chance get the most out of the twin torpedoes. Because the best picks change with the meta, check the Officer Tier List for current recommendations, and expect crews to shift as new officers arrive.
The U.S.S. Franklin-A in Star Trek
The original U.S.S. Franklin (NX-326) appears in Star Trek Beyond as an early Starfleet vessel lost near the planet Altamid, where Jaylah lived aboard the wreck before Kirk’s crew repaired it to escape Krall. The Franklin-A is a game-original design with no screen counterpart. In Star Trek Fleet Command’s story, Starfleet studies the jury-rigged Franklin after its return in 2263 and plans to scrap it for a statue, until Zenith’s Swarm invasion forces it back into service. After that fight, Starfleet retrofits the ship to modern standards. Its volumetric wavelength amplifier, the in-game reason it can disrupt a whole Swarm cluster by overwhelming their shared frequency, is invented for the game.
U.S.S. Franklin-A build cost and repair time
| Tier | Build cost | Build time | Repair time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 20,000,000 Tritanium 300,000 Dilithium 50 3★ Common Gas 300 3★ Common Crystal 30 3★ Uncommon Crystal |
165d | 23h 20m |
U.S.S. Franklin-A ship XP needed by level
Experience required to reach the first levels at tier 1.
Level 2: 8,000
Level 3: 12,000
Level 4: 20,000
Level 5: 29,000
Resources to max out a U.S.S. Franklin-A
Total build cost*
- 71,905,000,000 Tritanium
- 1,182,910,000 Dilithium
- 914 3★ Common Gas
- 234 3★ Uncommon Gas
- 357 3★ Rare Gas
- 8,722 3★ Common Crystal
- 238 3★ Uncommon Crystal
- 239 3★ Rare Crystal
- 24,400 4★ Common Gas
- 18,440 4★ Uncommon Gas
- 6,740 4★ Rare Gas
- 1,440 4★ Epic Gas
- 168,720 4★ Common Crystal
- 2,520 4★ Uncommon Crystal
- 3,663 4★ Rare Crystal
- 2,391 4★ Epic Crystal
Total build cost (specialized)*
- 12,000,000 Frequency Modulator Mk
- 1 Franklin Warp Interlock Mk. II
- 1 Franklin Warp Conduit Mk. II
- 1 Franklin Warp Relay Mk. II
- 1 Franklin Warp Regulator Mk. II
- 1 Franklin Warp Injector Mk. II
- 1 Franklin Warp Containment Mk. II
- 1 Franklin Warp Coil Mk. II
- 1 Franklin Warp Core Mk. II
- 1 Franklin-A Alpha Retrofit Key
- 1 Franklin-A Delta Retrofit Key
- 1 Franklin-A Omega Retrofit Key
Total experience: 169,108,000
*Costs and time are base values only. They vary by player based on buildings and research.
Is the U.S.S. Franklin-A worth it?
For its grade band, the Franklin-A is a specialist. If Swarm hostiles and Swarm Armadas are part of your routine, the Swarm Hunter multiplier makes it one of the fastest ways to clear that content, and the Terror refit pushes it further. The cost is time: you need a max level original Franklin to scrap and an Operations level that climbs to 50 to finish the retrofit keys. If you have moved past Swarm, the ship sits idle, since its ability does nothing elsewhere. Chase it if you are actively farming Swarm, and skip it if you are not.
U.S.S. Franklin-A FAQ
How do I get Franklin-A blueprints in STFC?
Scrap the original U.S.S. Franklin to get Franklin Advanced Data Cores, then refine the cores into Franklin-A blueprints. You need 200 blueprints, and scrapping a max level Franklin fully unlocks the ship.
What Shipyard level do I need for the Franklin-A?
Shipyard level 35.
Is the U.S.S. Franklin good against the Swarm?
Yes, both Franklins are Swarm specialists. The original Franklin’s Sabotage ability boosts its damage against Swarm ships, and the Franklin-A’s Swarm Hunter covers Swarm hostiles and Swarm Armadas with a much larger multiplier.
Can I scrap the Franklin-A?
No. The Franklin-A is not scrappable.
