Unlike previous Contellation-Class starships, which were primarily science ships, Victory was originally planned and built as a dedicated fast response cruiser able to intercept possible Klingon incursions into Federation space. Victory was commissioned a few months following the signing of the Khitomer Accords however, so it was equipped for a role no longer deemed necessary in the political climate of the time.

Following an initial period of uneventful patrols of the Tholian border while Starfleet Command reviewed its sudden surplus of starships, Victory quickly proved its usefulness when a plague struck Epsilon Canaris III on stardate 13408.7. Despite not being assigned to the relief efforts, Victory's powerful warp engines allowed the ship to reach the afflicted planet faster than any other vessel, and its vast shuttlebays were quickly converted into quarantine areas for the sicken population, helping to quickly isolate the virus and develop a cure. By the time the medical ship USS Houssay reached the planet, Victory already had the situation under control, impressing both the Epsilon Canarians and Starfleet Command.

Initially thought of as a ship doomed to obsolescence before even leaving drydock, thanks to the ingenuity of its crew Victory became an example of how cold-war era starships could excel at peace-time roles.