Scimitar class

The Scimitar class was a type of Romulan Warbird developed in the late 24th century. The only vessel of the class so far was destroyed in 2379.

History
The Scimitar class was the culmination of a Romulan development program to create a powerful new class to utilise against the Dominion (TOS novel: Captain's Blood). The design included a revolutionary Thalaron radiation core, developed by the Tal Shiar, making it a deadly adversary (Tales of the Dominion War short story: Twilight's Wrath).

Only one vessel of the class was completed as the necessity for such a super-weapon disappeared following the end of the Dominion War. That vessel; the Scimitar was under the control of Shinzon of Remus and he used it to destroy the remaining unfinished Scimitar class vessels to make sure no one could oppose him (TOS novel: Captain's Blood).

The Scimitar herself was later destroyed when Lieutenant Commander Data of the USS Enterprise fired a phaser into the vessels Thalaron core to prevent the weapon being used to kill his shipmates. Whether or not any more Scimitar class vessels will be built it unsure but seems unlikely given the current state of the Romulan Empire (TNG Movie/Novelization: Nemesis).

Features
The Scimitar class is a huge vessel, but even for their size they have an unusually high amount of weaponry; 52 Disruptor banks and 27 Photon torpedo tubes. In addition the class features at least one huge shuttle bay which can hold in excess of 40 Scorpion class fighters. The class is also fitted with an advanced cloaking device which is undetectable by any previously known means and can also be operated whilst maintaining full shields and firing weapons.

However by the most notable feature of the Scimitar class are the Thalaron cores. Scimitar-class vessels are able to create a Thalaron discharge which could wipe out all organic tissues on a target ranging from a starship to a planet. To fire the weapon the ship must splay its wings into a firing position, this takes several minutes in which time the thalaron radiation is built up from the core. (TNG Movie/Novelization: Nemesis)

By 2387, this design had become the standard for Reman vessels, though it is very likely that they lakced the Thalaron generator the Scimitar possessed. It is unknown whether or not the Remans referred to vessels of this type as belonging to the Scimitar class.(

Known Vessels

 * Scimitar
 * three unnamed vessels used to attack the Narada