A Colony Support Vessel was a dedicated type of starship fielded by Starfleet to provide support to Federation colony worlds.
Capable of landing on a planetary surface, colony support vessels were designed to ferry personnel and supplies to newly established colony worlds as well as established colonies needing assistance.
In 2246, the colony support vessel USS Narbonne was dispatched from Starbase 11 to provide assistance on Tarsus IV following a fungal infection that destroyed most of the food supplies. In addition to assisting with relief efforts, personnel from the Narbonne helped hunt down former Governor Adrian Kodos in the wake of the Tarsus IV Massacre. (DSC novel: Drastic Measures)