h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You have mentioned "the USS Defiant, an experimental craft designed to fight the Dominion", this in not correct, the Defiant was actually designed to fight the Borg. but gets used to fight the Dominion.

The Defiant does get it's chance to do what it's designed to do in "First Contact" but nearly gets destroyed, when says "maybe today IS a good day to die, prepar for raming Speed" but gets saved when the Enterprise-E appears and transports the survivors aboard, and codinates the successful destruction of the Cube.

We know the Defiant survives, as Riker says to Picard "Adrift but salvigable".

You are correct. The 'Defiant' was designed to combat the Borg.
It did survive the 'First Contact' battle but it was destroyed during the Dominion War. DS9 was given a replacement Defiant class ship, which they re-christened 'Defiant'. (Can't remember what its original name was).

The ship seen in First Contact was the second Defiant.

No it wasn't. The first Defiant was destroyed some time between stardates 52576.2 and 52645.7. The stardate for First Contact was 50893.5, well before then.

(Wow, I sound like such a trekkie! I did have to go look that up )

I shall also check, but I'm sure but you could be right.

I'm pretty sure I am, but it's fun to check.

Hey, do you like reading Star trek books? Cos if you like DS9, you may like this A2690110