“The ambush and loss of the UES Patton began the Romulan War. The Marshall class was the Earth’s staunchest line of defence, and these ships’ superior performance and firepower provided a crucial tactical edge. In fact, the class supposed to succeed it could not better its specifications and so was never built, the reason why the Marshall class had the longest commissioned lifespan in interstellar history (at that time).”

The Marshall class destroyer was produced in vast numbers during the Romulan War. It was not the most powerful ship of its type, but it was easy and quick to produce at a time when every ship that could be built was a valuable addition to the Fleet. It was generally used as a convoy escort and patrol vessel. The USS Patton of this class has the dubious distinction of being the first ship destroyed in the Romulan War