A Constitution-class Federation starship named for the Russian military officer Grigory Alexandrovitch Potemkin (1739-1791), Starfleet registry number NCC-1657.

On stardate 4729.4 (2268) the Potemkin was one of five ships involved in wargames with Dr. Richard Daystrom's M-5 multitronic computer system, recently installed aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. Unlike the U.S.S. Excalibur, the Potemkin survived the disastrous test.

On stardate 5928.5 (2269), the Potemkin was scheduled to rendezvous with the Enterprise at Beta Aurigae for a joint scientific survey of that binary star system. Captain Kirk had to postpone this meeting, diverting the Enterprise instead to Camus II to investigate a distress call.

On stardate 6334.1 (2270), the Potemkin delivered a cargo of the life-saving drug strobolin to the freighter S.S. Huron in the hopes of saving the life of the Enterprise's Commander Spock; unfortunately, a raid by Orion pirates on Huron forced Captain Kirk to obtain the medicine by other means.

On stardate 9561.2 (2293), the Potemkin was surveying the edge of Klingon space, and was one of the vessels tapped to support a clandestine rescue of Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy from imprisonment on Rura Penthe.

The Constitution-class Potemkin was eventually replaced by a vessel of the newer Excelsior class (NCC-18253).