1. There is established a Starfleet as the armed peace-keeping forces of the United Federation of Planets. It shall initially be comprised of contingents assigned to it by members of the United Federation under Article 43 until such time as facilities, recruitment, and training obviates the necessity of drawing upon the armament of any member, except as provided in Article 49;

2. The operations and actions of Starfleet shall at all times be under the direct cognizance of the Federation Council and the Military Staff Committee which shall also prepare and approve the budget for Starfleet operations;

1. Initial expenditure is granted under these articles of Federation for the design, procurement, and operation of two hundred (200) heavy cruiser type of starships to provide the nucleus of Starfleet's peace-keeping armed forces. These cruisers shall be capable of extended duration patrol of intra-galactic range, with weaponry appropriate to such class of starships. They shall be provided with fire-power superior to that now employed by any member of the United Federation, and appropriate to the tasks expected of them;

1. The training of base personnel and ship complements shall include all fields of science and technology as well as the military arts in Starfleet. It is the intent of these articles of Federation that Starfleet shall be used to conduct missions of scientific exploration and investigation within the treaty exploration territory whenever its services are not required in the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security;