One of Starfleet's first four-nacelle hull designs, the Constellation was built for faster, sustained warp speeds to facilitate longer patrol and scouting missions. The end result is a ship of middling quality. The Constellation Patrol Cruiser serves along the frontiers of the Federation, keeping the peace and performing routine police actions in addition to limited survey and exploratory missions.

The Constellation had seen its age at the start of the 24th Century, and slowly but surely the class was phased out of service. By the mid-24th Century few Constellations remained in active service, most mothballed in Federation shipyards. One such vessel, the U.S.S. Hathaway, was brought back into service to participate in wargames against the Galaxy-class U.S.S. Enterprise in 2365.