The Defiant, first of its class, was designed in 2366 as a response to the Borg threat. Its purpose was to fight and win, but, overwhelmed with the weaponry, it didn't perform well enough at the time, and the prototype was placed into storage. However, its glory days were soon to come. When the Federation faced the Dominion, a small, powerful and resourceful ship became one of the most valuable resources available at Deep Space Nine. The Defiant was assigned to simple patrols, research expeditions, rescue operations and doing what it was created for – fighting against the Federation's enemies.