Starfleet response time

[steamrunner]

I would use older ships (i.e. Mirandas and Excelsiors) for the outlying patrol areas and use newer, more powerful ships for core world/hot spot duty...

[Bryan Moore]

I would use older ships (i.e. Mirandas and Excelsiors) for the outlying patrol areas and use newer, more powerful ships for core world/hot spot duty...

Absolutely makes sense, and we see it in the E.U., but then the fleet is spread pretty thin after all the Dominion then Borg stuff...

[Mark]

Yep, they need to kick up production a notch.

[Sionnach Glic]

Meh. They were able to muster a fairly sizeable fleet around Earth with little to no warning time in the last episode of VOY. They seem to be getting their act together.

[Mark]

Well, slip the jab enough times to a boxer and he either learns to keep his guard up, or he gets knocked the fuck out

[Mikey]

Meh. Half of those were captains who burned their warp cores out trying to blockade Janeway from returning.

[steamrunner]

[Sionnach Glic]

"Oh shit, it's Janeway! Scramble the fleet!"

[Mark]

"Damn, it's her again. Why couldn't she STAY on that side of the galaxy?"

[JudgeKing]

"Damn, it's her again. Why couldn't she STAY on that side of the galaxy?"

"Don't worry, we can court martial her once she arrives."

[steamrunner]

"Damn, it's her again. Why couldn't she STAY on that side of the galaxy?"

"Don't worry, we can court martial her once she arrives."

Or promote her...

[JudgeKing]

"Damn, it's her again. Why couldn't she STAY on that side of the galaxy?"

"Don't worry, we can court martial her once she arrives."

Or promote her...

Mid 2380

"Ding dong, the witch is dead. Cause of death, falling into the sun onboard a planet sized Borg Cube."

[SomosFuga]

We don't know how pacific/pacified is UFP space, probably the space in the "center" of the federation, the older members, the core worlds is more quiet than others. Hard to imagine a pirate gang operating in the route between Earth and Vulcan. More feasible targets for pirates are distant relatively small colonies and their trade and supply routes and the routes to/from non members's space.

I think UFP have some sort of cost guard to patrol trade routes and similars, they could use SF ship clases like Miranda or Centaur and small ships like the Federation Raider.

I don't like the idea of local military (maybe cost guards but not military), every new member military should join SF, if its ships are good enough it will became part of SF too.

The problem with leaving systems to have their own defense forces is what if they don't have the expertise to make such craft. The Angosian for example, were prime Federation candidates, but they didn't have any craft to catch a damn sublight transport. The Vulcans and core worlds would probably be able handle their own defenses, but other Federation worlds may not be able to.

They could buy, rent, borrow other members or SF ships. Or even ships built by private companies or others like klingon houses. Or hire private security, companies with their own personal and equipment.

[Mikey]

if its ships are good enough it will became part of SF too.

I would agree with this, but the limited evidence contradicts it. In TNG: "Unification," we saw Vulcan ships - they patently followed a design aesthetic which was unlike anything in Starfleet.

[Sionnach Glic]

There's also the fact that Starfleet vessels may simply be unsuited to the task required. We've not seen any short-range patrol ships among the fleets so far.