Oberth class (Vanguard)

The Oberth-class was a small Federation starship used originally used by Starfleet and civilians as a science vessel. It was designed for the study of astronomical phenomena, including data gathering missions on stars and planets.

The Oberth-class had a standard crew complement of 80, but was capable of operating with a minimum crew complement of five.

The Oberth-class design was atypical among Federation starships of the time. The outboard plan of the Oberth's design incorporated a unique split hull design, with an upper primary hull that was composed mainly of the saucer section, which was mounted onto a rear extension that mounts the impulse drive, and warp drive nacelles to either side to the saucer. The secondary hull was connected to the primary hull at the nacelles by reinforced pylons. The secondary hull itself was oblong in shape.

Many Oberth-class ships were refitted as diplomatic corvettes. The eight Oberth-class ships assigned to the Federation Diplomatic Corps delegation in the Gamma Quadrant and Delta Quadrant, at four ships each, are among them. The science and research labs onboard these ships were converted into diplomatic suits and conference rooms for the purpose. The standard crew was reduced from 80 to 40.