Canon Facts Backstage Info  Speculation

Notes : The Hermes class was developed in parallel to the Saladin class destroyers. Initially it was envisaged that each ship would have a different hull design, with the Hermes hull approximately 65% the size of the Saladins. However, in the initial feasibility studies it became clear that the development costs for a second hull would be significantly greater than the saving made by building a smaller design. Starfleet decided to scrap the smaller vessel and build an offshoot of the Saladin design.

Compared to the Saladin, the Hermes class scout had a substantially reduced armament - the were only two lasers compared to six, and no photon torpedo tubes. The shields were also significantly weaker. The extra space created within the frame was used to install extra planetary survey equipment and extend the fuel supplies, allowing the ships to operate over greater unsupported ranges than the Saladins. This made them a good choice for short and medium range exploratory missions.

The Hermes class benefited from the reliability of the Saladin hull, and they proved very popular in service. In the 2260's they recieved phaser weapons in place of their lasers. Like the Saladins they did experience some problems with the warpfield geometry generated by the single nacelle, but these were solved relatively quickly. The first nine ships recieved Monotronic computers, with Duotronic systems arriving once they had been fully tested in the Constitutions.

The Hermes class was treated relatively poorly in terms of updates, and by 2300 they were no longer considered effective designs. Nevertheless Starfleet was reluctant to either retire or upgrade the ships and they were forced to soldier on until the last one retired in 2320.