The Raven-type starships were small, modular long-range Federation exploration vessels. They mildly resembled the Danube-class runabouts. They were designed to be operated by a minimum crew. According to the MSD of the USS Raven, this class also had a shuttlebay in the aft section. The USS Raven was operated by two scientists – Erin and Magnus Hansen – for an extended period of time while in close proximity to a Borg cube. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")