 The general-purpose starships built earlier (exemplified by the Federation Constitution-class Heavy Cruiser, of which the famous USS "Enterprise" is a member) were overbuilt for long-range long-duration missions far from their bases with minimal logistical support.Besides doing away with these peacetime extravagances, the new "war cruisers", as they were popularly known, employed newer technologies that made possible miniaturized systems.Thus more weapons of improved design could be mounted on more efficient hulls.