Romulan "Merlin" intelligence report.
All specifications are estimates unless otherwise indicated.
Star Fleet Intelligence (SFI) has given this report a 45% reliability rating.

General Specifications:

Length: 46.4m (Confirmed)
Width: 47.4m (Confirmed)
Height: 13.6m (Confirmed)
Max Warp: 7.5
Cruise: 5.8
Max. Impulse: 0.62 lightspeed
Crew: 16-25 personnel

Armaments: Two disruptors (fwd), possible missile armament, type unknown. Presumably the plasma exhaust of the sublight propulsion system is effective as a short-ranged weapon.

Type: Reconnaissance frigate

About Ship: The Merlin (Romulan designation unknown) was a fast, frigate-sized vessel used by the Romulans from before 2260 to approximately 2285. It was designed to penetrate enemy-held regions of space (presumably the Federation) using a cloaking device to avoid detection. While operating within enemy territory, the Merlin would perform various clandestine tasks, such as inserting covert operatives, monitoring communications, and observing enemy fleet movements.

Intelligence analysis of the design suggests that the Merlin was capable of landing on a planetary surface. It is unknown whether any Merlins were equipped with Transporters, however it entered production before the Romulan Empire is known to have possessed that technology. It is not known if transporters were retrofit to the design at a later date. Although it was apparently not designed as a combat vessel, the Merlin was armed with two forward-firing disruptors, and presumably could bring the plasma stream of its sublight engines to bear as a short-ranged (mostly defensive) weapon.

Only two examples of the type were ever seen while they were operational. One was recorded approaching the Neutral zone by long-range sensors along that border in 2260, but was not detected until years later, when improved sensors analysis techniques enabled additional information to be gleaned from older sensor recordings. The other was observed momentarily near wargames at Gominius VII in 2268, when one briefly decloaked before exploding. It is not known whether that vessel's explosion was due to the malfunction that caused it to decloak, or if the crew self-destructed to avoid capture. Most of our information of this vessel has been derived from these two sightings, analysis of debris collected from the exploded vessel, and intelligence gathered by other means.