NCC 1371 was launched in Earth Calender Year 2241. The Republic has a standard crew compliment of 350 cadets with a further 100 officers and crew. The current Commanding Officer of the Republic is Captain Daniel Walker. The Republic was given all of the latest starship systems and equipment, the latest sensor systems and computers. A refit in 2295 brought the systems of Republic up to date again and she now could not be internally differentiated from newer vessel designs.
U.S.S. Republic is currently engaged in cartographical studies in the far reaches of the Beta Quadrant sections of the Federation. U.S.S. Republic is to enhance and map out these regions using state-of-the-art stellar cartographical technology. Captain Walker is himself an expert in mapping and cartographical techniques, and his skills are most evident on this mission. Since the abolition of the Klingon Neutral Zone, mapping of this area has been opened up more, with more active means of mapping allowable than has been previously the case. Once this mission is completed in 2304, the Republic is to undergo a refit for a year before conducting 2 scheduled 5 year deep space missions, her last before Starfleet Academy gets their hands on her for a stem-to-stern strip-down and refit in time for her entering service as a training vessel around the start of the 2320s.
Author's Notes:
The U.S.S. Republic is to be the next purpose-converted training ship that has all of the facilities and capabilities both of a state-of-the-art Constitution-class vessel, and of a first-class training facility. Starfleet realised after the loss of the Enterprise (N.C.C. 1701) that what was needed was a starship that would train cadets by taking them round the Solar Syatem, not requiring such large sojourns into deep space all of the time. U.S.S. Mars was converted from the aging lines of Daedalus-class vessels, although she is expected to retire from this role around the year 2320.
Author's Notes: Fate of the Constitution class and U.S.S. Republic: In Deep Space Nine episode 'The Valiant', it is established that the previous cadet training vessel was the Constitution class U.S.S. Republic. By this point, the Republic was an aging 100 year old-plus starship. The U.S.S. Valiant, a Defiant class starship, could not have been commissioned anything before 2273, Season 5 DS9 Taken from Valiant's dedication plaque date of Stardate 49456.5]. Now in footage from BoBW part 2, shown in the States, there is what is clearly identifyable as a Constitution class secondary hull. This must either be a member of the class that was either recently decommissioned enough that she could be put back into service [as in the case of the U.S.S. Farragut, Excelsior class] or was still in service at the time. It is also possible that the wreckage is of the U.S.S. Republic herself, given the Federation was despirate enough to call on the Romulans for help. It is therefore entirely possible that a ship with cadets onboard faced down and was wrecked by the knowledge of Locutus via the Borg, although unlikely as the Valiant didn't replace her for another seven years.
The truth behind the model is that she is the secondary hull from the Star Trek III blown-up wreck of the Enterprise, reinstated and used for the wreckage shots. The footage shows the hull clearly before the adverts, but is said to be mysteriously gone afterwards [maybe the core breached?].
The Author's thoughts on the decommissioning of the Constitution class is that the majority were withdrawn from service in the period from the 2330s-50s as the Excelsior class, Constellation and Ambassador class taking over the duties of the older Constitution class. The last of the clas disappears probably in the 2360s, with the Republic as a good candidate as being the last active member of the class.
