| STARSHIP | |
| |
| Name: | Essex |
| Registry: | NCC-610 |
| Class: | Syracuse |
| Type: | destroyer |
| Affiliation: | Federation Starfleet |
The USS Essex (NCC-610) was a Syracuse-class destroyer in Starfleet service during the 23rd century.
Essex was (formerly) a Hermes-class scout of the Monoceros subclass, originally commissioned as USS Lepus. In 2249, she and seven of her sister ships were converted to the Siva Flight II standard. The new PB-32 nacelle provided cruise and maximum speeds of warp 6 and warp 8, while the weaponry was completely replaced: the torpedo systems were modified to support forced-intermix warhead supply equipment and the six phase cannons were replaced by an equal number of less massive—but far more adaptive—Type VII phaser emitters. The bridge was provided a lower target profile by being “sunk” half a deck into the surrounding superstructure. And, for utilitarian purposes, a powerful tractor beam emitter was mounted on the pylon’s trailing edge, midway between the saucer and the nacelle. (Delta Dynamics: Star Fleet Starship Recognition Manual: Report #292: Syracuse Destroyers)