Then again, there is no basis for the class designation for some of the ships listed as "Antares" in the Encyclopedia.The ships truly specified as Antares class vessels in the actual episodes are:
-The Bajoran ship from TNG "Ensign Ro" (this design is frequently reused in DS9, and appears to be a warp-capable vessel, contrary to what was said in "Ensign Ro")
-The Corvallen ship from TNG "Face of the Enemy" (this is a reuse of the Straleb ship from TNG "The Outrageous Okona", and looks nothing like that other Antares)
-The Xhosa as specified in DS9 "For the Cause", I think (this is a modification of a design that originally appeared as the Talarian freighter in TNG "Heart of Glory"; again, it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the other two Antares ships)
In addition to these three canonical Antares ships, the Encyclopedia likes to claim that the other ships built out of Talarian freighter parts are also Antares class ships - even though they look radically different from the Xhosa. As for USS Hermes, I'm not convinced that Picard's viewscreen in "Redemption" actually listed the class of the ship until I hear it verified from somebody with a good-resolution VCR or inside info. OTOH, I have nothing against the idea that Starfleet would have a couple of "civilian" freighters in service, just like the Royal Navy operates simple Ro-Ro vessels as "amphibious assault ships" and has a variety of merchant ships for supply needs.
Timo Saloniemi
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