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Background: I've gradually plugged away at some fan fiction throughout the course of this school year. Really just framing the basics. Anyway, its set in a single sector, with a small fleet of science vessels based around a single area, basically running research patrols of some crazy anomalies in the sector, based right after the Dominion War.

The Question: One thing I had thrown down on paper was the idea of an old Hermes-class Scout basically as a slightly-mobile medical and supply ship that pretty much stays within the star system. Is this practical?

On my own thoughts:

The Cons
- The odds of a 130 year old Hermes being still around are minimal
- Why not just have facilities on a starbase

The Pros
- Good use of old ships instead of scrap-piling. Load the thing with med supplies of facilities and a few crew quarters.
- Mobility, though minimal, allows supplies from one planet to another if needed quickly
- Would free up resources for other ships: It would allow my science ships to have slightly more resources devoted to that, with a minimal med-staff.
- Even if these ships weren't in great condition, you take them out of the Qualor-2 like supply depots, refit the hull for a minimal price, throw in the supplies and med equipment, and bam.

I suppose this overlaps the single-purpose ship question, but it seems remarkably sound to park some old Constitutions, Saladins, Hermes, etc or even decomissioned Ambassadors, etc.

If it was designed to stick around a single system, then it's quite possible. There's no need for major speed, so outdated warp drives won't really matter. Depending on how important the system in question is, it could very well have been saddled with a small outdated ship that they can barely keep active.
Also, given that we still see Mirandas and Excelsiors around, we know that the Feds do continue to keep older ships in service.

I think it's an excellent idea. Make use of resources that would otherwise have been scrapped. Even limited interstellar resupply runs would make sense; it might take longer than for a SOTA ship to do, but certainly more efficient than having a ship or a whole task group return to a Starbase for resupply, evac, transfer, etc.

I think part of a problem with that is that eventually (possibly in the current time frame) it would be cost restrictive to refit/upkeep an old ship. Think along the lines of a classic car now. It is actually more expensive to restore and keep running an old car (50 years +) than to just get newer ones, or upkeep not quite so old ones. However at some point those not quite so old ones will get price restrictive too...

The idea is perfectly sound. They mentioned the Republic in DS9 as a cadet training vessel that hadn't left the Terran system for decades. It's not a stretch to imagine a TOS era ship tooling around in a backwater sector of the Federation.

There are plenty of real examples of old ships doing useful work, puttering around a harbour, or permanently moored. Take the current flagship of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet - she's getting on for a quarter of a millennia old, but she's still in service.

Captain Seafort wrote:There are plenty of real examples of old ships doing useful work, puttering around a harbour, or permanently moored. Take the current flagship of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet - she's getting on for a quarter of a millennia old, but she's still in service.

Indeed, there's two or three actual Liberty ships still in use around the world. And some of the lake boats on the Great Lakes are even older than that.

Jim wrote:I think part of a problem with that is that eventually (possibly in the current time frame) it would be cost restrictive to refit/upkeep an old ship. Think along the lines of a classic car now. It is actually more expensive to restore and keep running an old car (50 years +) than to just get newer ones, or upkeep not quite so old ones. However at some point those not quite so old ones will get price restrictive too...

They wouldn't need to be refitted to the SOTA, with the latest in computer advances, weapons tech, etc.; they just need to be kept mobile until the spaceframes degrade.

I always thought it was a waste scrapping ships while they can still work. So putting them to use in secondary rolls is a great use of resourses. Not only do you save an old ship but it saves you building a purpose made one.

Mikey wrote:

Jim wrote:I think part of a problem with that is that eventually (possibly in the current time frame) it would be cost restrictive to refit/upkeep an old ship. Think along the lines of a classic car now. It is actually more expensive to restore and keep running an old car (50 years +) than to just get newer ones, or upkeep not quite so old ones. However at some point those not quite so old ones will get price restrictive too...

They wouldn't need to be refitted to the SOTA, with the latest in computer advances, weapons tech, etc.; they just need to be kept mobile until the spaceframes degrade.

I just meant it is not that easy to get parts for old engines, brakes, etc. Plus, you would have to have people trained in the old technology that is no longer in use. Sort of like teaching new recruits now how to use punch-card computers.

I see your point. With the average lifespan in the Federation so far exceeding the apparent ceiling for active duty, I think that can be sidestepped somewhat. As far as parts, well... these ships aren't filling you ranks. When there's no longer any parts available to fix it, that's when you let them go.

Mikey wrote:I see your point. With the average lifespan in the Federation so far exceeding the apparent ceiling for active duty, I think that can be sidestepped somewhat. As far as parts, well... these ships aren't filling you ranks. When there's no longer any parts available to fix it, that's when you let them go.

Also think about simplicity of older parts: The old car analogy really goes out the window. Maintenence should be no problem. With the advanced replication technology of late 24th century Starfleet, it would be problem. If a 23rd century warp coil breaks, you replicate a new one. It would be like asking someone in the 20th century to reproduce a screw from the 19th century.

If a 23rd century warp coil breaks, you replicate a new one.

Cant replicate warp coils.

True, but for more generic parts, Bryan is dead on. And if the warp coils go, it was a ship that was going to be scrapped anyway. At least you had that much use out of it.

Teaos wrote:Cant replicate warp coils.

Well, we know for sure that they can't replicate 24th century warp coils. Might be a bit easier to replicate older tech, but there's no way to know.