Hermes class (scout)

For other uses, see Hermes.

The Hermes class was a 23rd century Federation starship type, a scout class in Starfleet service in the 2250s^[1] and 2260s^[2] decades. (ST reference: Star Fleet Technical Manual)

Development and service history[]

Built on the Saladin-class hull, the Hermes-class was designed to be the electronic eyes and ears of the fleet, using its long-range sensors and scanners to search much farther than other ships could.

The large number of special sensors made this ship particularly effective on scientific missions, though these came at the cost of no torpedo armament and a reduced phaser suite.

(From the instruction manual for the video game Starfleet Command, itself taken from the original Star Fleet Battles source material).

Sacagawea NCC-598 supplement — The *Sacagawea* in 2261.

In the 2260s, ships of this class performed border patrol duties. The USS Sacagawea (NCC-598) was part of a task force operating from Starbase 24. Its commanding officer was James T. Kirk, the youngest person to reach the Starfleet rank of captain. (TOS novel: The Captain's Oath)

These ships were eventually replaced by the more specialized Oberth-class science vessels for survey missions, and superseded on long-range mapping cruises by more modern sensor technology embarked on standard starships.

Existing ships of the class were uprated beginning in 2271 to make use of new technology and capabilities that were developed for the uprated Constitution-class. This greatly increased the performance longevity of the class, carrying them into the 2300's.

The class was retired in the early part of the 24th century, but a handful of the vessels were uprated once again to face the threats of the Dominion and Borg in 2373 in a desperate move by the Federation to field numbers against the twin threats.

(From the storyboards and novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and from artist notes on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Alternate timelines[]

In the Kelvin timeline, Federation Starfleet operated a Hermes-class scout in the 2250s that was based on the hull of the 2230s-era Einstein-class surveyor. (TOS video game: Rivals)

Kelvin timeline Hermes vessels[]

Known ships[]

Hermes-subclass[]

USS Hermes (NCC-585)
USS Aeolus (NCC-588)
USS Cody (NCC-594)
USS Revere (NCC-595)
USS Sacajawea (NCC-598)
USS Crockett (NCC-600)
Additional/converted:
- USS Calypso
- USS Cochise
Proposed/authorized Hermes scouts:
- USS Anubis (NCC-586)
- USS Diana (NCC-589)
- USS Quintillus (NCC-590)
- USS Bridger (NCC-591)
- USS Carson (NCC-592)
- USS Batidor (NCC-593)
- USS Spaker (NCC-596)
- USS Bowie (NCC-597)
- USS Tonti (NCC-599)

Monoceros-subclass[]

USS Monoceros (NCC-601)
USS Aries (NCC-602)
USS Equulus (NCC-603)
USS Lupus (NCC-604)
USS Taurus (NCC-605)
USS Camelopardus (NCC-606)
USS Leo (NCC-607)
USS Lynx (NCC-608)
USS Ursa Major (NCC-609)
USS Lepus (NCC-610)
USS Canis Major (NCC-611)
USS Pegasus (NCC-612)
USS Vulpecula (NCC-613)
USS Leo Minor (NCC-614)
USS Canis Minor (NCC-615)
USS Ursa Minor (NCC-616)

Cygnus-subclass couriers[]

USS Columbia (NCC-621)
USS Aquila (NCC-623)
USS Phoenix (NCC-625)
USS Cygnus (NCC-617)
Proposed/authorized Cygnus couriers:
- USS Apus (NCC-618)
- USS Tucana (NCC-619)
- USS Corvus (NCC-620)
- USS Pavo (NCC-622)
- USS Grus (NCC-624)

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Starship classes of the Federation Starfleet
subclass groups	*Akira* (Alita • Armitage • Thunderchild) • *Ambassador* (Alaska • Narendra • Yamaguchi) • *Apollo* (Akula frigate / light cruiser) • *Cardenas* (Buran) • *Chesapeake* (Mongrel) • *Cheyenne* (Dakota • Stargazer) • *Concorde* (Geneva battlecruiser • Presidio) • *Constellation* (Challenger deep space explorer) • Chimera heavy destroyer (Manticore) • *Constitution* (Achernar • Bonhomme Richard • Tikopai • Enterprise • Exeter • Excalibur • Vesper • Kirk • *Crossfield* (Glenn • 32nd century refit) • *Danube* (Yellowstone) • *Decatur* (Dreadnought) • *Defiant* (Gallant • Incursion • Nachthexen • Sao Paulo • Valiant • Vigilant escort) • *Dervish* (Gryphon • Hermes escort • Maelstrom • Tempest) • *Destiny* (Nimbus • Oracle • Trident) • *Engle* (Earhart) • *Excelsior* (Bismarck • Curry • Kirov • New Jersey • Resolute) • *Galaxy* (Andromeda (25th century) • Celestial • Envoy • Galaxy X • Monarch cruiser • Ross • Venture cruiser • Yamato dreadnought) • Hermes scout (Cygnus • Monoceros) • *Inquiry* (Avenger battlecruiser • Arbiter) • *Hoover* (Edison) • *Intrepid* (Bellerophon • Cochrane science vessel • Discovery (25th century) • Janeway • Pathfinder • Trailblazer • Yeager) • *Kumari* (Charal • Khyzon) • *Luna* (Comet • Polaris • Sol • Titan) • *Magee* (Shran (escort)) • *Malachowski* (Helios (tug)) • *Miranda* (Anton • Reliant • Soyuz) • *Merian* (Merian (dreadnought)) • *Nebula* (Magellan) • *New Orleans* (Lafayette) • *Nimitz* (Europa) • *Norway* (Oslo) • *Nova* (Aurora • Quasar • Rhode Island) • NX (Columbia • Poseidon) • *Oberth* (Clarke • Gagarin (23rd century) • Grissom • Sagan) • *Odyssey* (Verity • Yorktown (cruiser)) • *Olympic* (Hope • Horizon science vessel) • *Prometheus* (Cerberus • Hephaestus • Hestia • Phoenix) • *Ptolemy* (Dollond • Doppler • Keppler) • *Remora* (Charger) • *Saladin* (Cochise • Siva) • *Santa Fe* (Newport) • *Saber* (Gladius • Rapier • Ushaan) • *Sentinel* (Emissary • Nomad cruiser • Vanguard) • *Shepard* (Gagarin (25th century)) • *Solanae* (Helios • Montgomery • Omega) • *Sovereign* (Archon • Imperial • Majestic • Noble cruiser • Regent) • *Steamrunner* (Appalachia • Zephyr) • *Vesta* (Aventine • Rademaker) • *Walker* (Georgiou • Shenzhou ) • *Wells* (Eternal • Ouroboros • Verne)
other named classes	AA class • Aakenn • Achilles • Advance • Aegian • Aeolus • Aerie • Akula destroyer / escort • Ambassador Hardin • Andes • Andor • Andromeda (24th century) • Angelou • Antares • Apache • Aquarius • Archer • Archimedes • Ark Royal • Ariel • Ascendant • Atrox • Avenger (scout) • Babcock • Bader • Baker • Baton Rouge • Berena • Bode • Bolarus • Bonaventure • Bradbury • Brenton • California • Canada • Canopus • Capella • Castor • Centaur • Centaurus • Ceres • Cestus • Challenger • Chandley • Chariot • Chimer • Chimera fast frigate • Christopher • Clarke (25th century) • Cle Dan • Cochrane transport • Columbia • Condor (raider) • Continent • Contortrix • Copernicus • Courage • Daedalus • Dauntless • Decker • Defender • Delta • D'Kyr • Deneva • Derf • Drexler • Durrett • Eagle • Eclipse • Edward • Einstein • Eisenberg • El Dorado • future Enterprise • Epoch • Epsilon • Erewon • Eternal • Federation • Fenlon • Fermi • Fiji • Freedom • Friendship • Frontier • Gagarin (24th century) • Galen • Gallant • Ganges • Geneva • Genser • Graceful • Grayson • Griffon • Guardian • Gemini • Hale • Hermes fast cruiser • Heston • Hogan • Hokule'a • Horizon cruiser • Icarus • Ilthirin • Indomitable • Intrepid (22nd century) • Iowa • Istanbul • Iwo Jima • Class J • Jupiter • Karekh • Keith • Kethkin • Kiev • K'Kmarak • Kolm-An • Korolev • Larson • Lauro • Laweya • Legacy • Lenthal • Lexington • Liberty • Loki • Loknar • London • Madison • Makin • Mann • Marklin • Mars • Marshall • M'Benga • Mediterranean • Merced • Mercury (courier) • Mercury (escort) • Mercury (scout) • Merian • Merian (dreadnought) • Messier • Meteor • Midway • Mission • Missouri • Mobulai • MoKal • Moscow • Mulciber• Narcine • Nautilus • Nelson • Niagara • Noble laboratory vessel • Nomad escort • Northampton • Oberon • Odin • Odysseus • Okinawa • Oppenheimer • Orion • Osaka • Overfield • Paladin battlecruiser • Paladin destroyer • Parliament • Paladin (24th century) • Perseus • Pioneer • Phalanx • Phantom • Philadelphia • Pinnacle • Piper • Pollux • Portsmith • Pralim • Premonition • Protostar • Proxima • Pyotr Velikiy • Pyrenees • Rakota • Ranger battlecruiser • Ranger explorer • Ranger scout • Renaissance • Rickenbacker • Rigel • Rochester • Royal Sovereign • Sagittarius • Samson • Saturn • Sawyer • Scorpio • Scryer • Scylla • Sequoia • Sevaijen • ShiKahr • Sierra • Solar • Springfield • Sulek • Surak • Sydney • Tangent • Theophrastus • Thomas Paine • Thucydides • Thufir • Tiberius • Ticonderoga • Universe •Theseus • Tripper • Tritium • Typhon • Typhoon • Ukora • Ulysses • Ural • Utah • Venture scout • Vigilant scout • Voyager • Wallenberg • Wambundu • Wei-Fa • Wellington • Wilkerson • Wizard • Yamato • Yorkshire • Yorktown • Zodiac • unnamed
general type	Defiant pathfinder • Raging Queen • Sun Tzu • Valley Forge • Federation assault ship • Federation battleship • Federation cargo ship • Federation colony ship • Federation construction ship • Federation cruiser • deep galaxy ship • Federation dreadnought • Federation freighter • Federation frigate • Federation galaxy ship • Federation holoship • Federation heavy cruiser (2380s heavy cruiser) • Federation light cruiser (Constitution-variant light cruiser • Intrepid-variant light cruiser) • Federation medium cruiser (Excelsior-variant medium cruiser) • Federation mining freighter • Federation repair ship • Starfleet tanker

Background[]

This section is written
from the Real World
point of view.

The Hermes class was designed by Franz Joseph for the Star Fleet Technical Manual. It was one of four "new" designs of starships in that manual, and represents one of the oldest official Star Fleet designs, though it has never been seen in a definitively "canonical" sense.

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, two ships of the class (Revere and Columbia) were explicitly mentioned in dialog, being ordered along with the dreadnought USS Entente (NCC-2120), to investigate the upcoming V'Ger threat. Original storyboards of the movie actually show the refit versions of other ships in the class nearing completion.

The Hermes-class should not be confused with the Nelson-class, created by FASA in 1982 with a similar (but not identical) profile and role.

The Last Unicorn Games version of the Star Trek Role Playing Game included the Hermes officially into its Ships of the Original Series guide, though with numerous errors in its text.

Star Fleet Battles[]

The Hermes-class is one of the most recognizable ships found within the Star Fleet Battles universe series of games, and is one of a handful of ship designs which cross over from "official" Star Trek literature into the Star Fleet universe lore. In that game series, the Hermes continues to serve as a large scout.

The series has several Hermes-class vessels also in the Star Fleet Technical Manual, and an additional ship the "USS De Gama (NCC-587)":

External link[]

Hermes class article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 SNW episode: "Strange New Worlds".
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 TOS novel: The Captain's Oath.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 ^3.7 ^3.8 ST reference: Star Fleet Technical Manual.

[SNW-1] 1.0 ^1.1 SNW episode: "Strange New Worlds".

[TCO-2] 2.0 ^2.1 TOS novel: The Captain's Oath.

[SFTM-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 ^3.7 ^3.8 ST reference: Star Fleet Technical Manual.

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