7.2 Mercury Class Scout
The Mercury class scout was a low-cost, mass-produced scout consisting of a habitable control section atop a sensor-and-warp platform, and the page also covers its smaller contemporary the Doppler class scout, three of whose members located the secret Romulan base that made the Federation victory at the Battle of the Clouds possible.
Mercury Class Scout
Service Entry Date (Old Calendar): 2154These ships were developed as a low-cost alternative to refitting Cavalry class destroyers for the role of fleet scout. They were also a cheaper alternative by far for "regular" scouting missions deemed of too low a priority to justify a more advanced fleet scout. The Mercury class was little more than a habitable control section strapped on top of a combined high-end sensor and warp engine platform. Their inexpensiveness combined with their small size resulted in a total of 72 being built by war's end. They often operated in groups of two or three, scouting along Romulan defenses or making quick dashes into Romulan-held space in order to gather intelligence on Romulan deployments. Many were destroyed during such daring missions, resulting in the loss of 21 members of the class during the war. The remaining 51 survived the conflict and continued to serve with Star Fleet in various roles until 2181. Amazingly, 33 Mercury class scouts still survive today, all in the hands of private "classic starship" enthusiasts who have restored them to various in-service configurations.
Specifications
Length: 162.2 m. Beam: 79.7 m. Draft: 84.2 m. Mass: 6,800 DWT. Crew: 48. Range: 2 years at L.Y.V. Cruising speed: Warp 2.0. Maximum safe speed: Warp 3.2. Armament: 2 lasers (both forward), 1 particle beam cannon (forward).Doppler Class Scout
Service Entry Date (Old Calendar): 2157The Doppler class scout was a smaller and slower contemporary of the Mercury class. Its armament was identical but better placed, with superior firing arcs as a result. In particular, the underslung location of the Doppler's gimbal-mounted particle cannon gave it a multi-directional heavy fire capability that the Mercury was sadly lacking. Its service entry date also meant that the Doppler class received the benefit of a force field shielding system. It was the second starship class so equipped (the contemporary Marshall class destroyers being the first).
The Doppler class scouts became famous for the part that three of its members played in the key battle of Admiral William Larson's "Triangle" Offensive of 2161-2162. The Federation victory of the Battle of the Clouds would not have been possible had not the Doppler class scouts Cordwainer, Miramar, and Selyana independently pinpointed the location of a secret Romulan base that had been supplying Romulan forces in the area for the past year. All were lost prior to the battle; however, the tactical reports they made before their destruction made possible Admiral Larson's subsequent victory. After the war the class was sold off for use in various local system defense fleets. The last was decommissioned in 2177.