From the FASA Star Trek ROMULAN SHIP RECOGNITION MANUAL, circa 1985
E-5 (Little Nest) Class VII Repair Tender
Known Sphere Of Operation: Empire-wide use
Data Reliability: A
Major Data Source: Vessel in Starfleet possession
The E-5 repair tenders, which came into service about Stardate 2/04, are fleet service and support ships that extend war vessels'time-on-station and that facilitate front-line repair during war.  All Romulan fleets contain several of these useful vessels so that in-transit repairs are possible for individual ships.  It is a common sight at all border outposts that maintain an F-2 Repair and Construction facility.
     The E-5 uses its two retractable arms to position large components and place them in their mountings.  Once placed, the components can be fitted properly by the small work pods listed as shuttlecraft in the tender's statistics.  These small pods also have retractable arms that are used for final fitting or positioning.  The pods are also capable of completing most external repair jobs with the wide array of attachments for their little arms.  If more detailed work than the pod can perform is required, specially-suited engineers will finish the job.
     Current production estimates show about nine of these vessels being built per year, but this is a peacetime production goal that would be greatly increased during wartime.  Of the approximately 250 built, about 190 remain in service.  About 30 have been sold to the private sector, four of which are operated in conjunction with the independent F-2 facility orbiting Freeman's Port in the Triangle.
     The class is named from the Romulan narvasam'al (little nest).