Klingon Starships: Fast Attack Ships
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Small, swift, maneuverable, and lightly armed (for a Klingon vessel, anyway), Fast Attack Ships fill a vital niche in Klingon tactical forces. They harass larger ships, combat enemy fighters, raid enemy outposts, perform swift courier missions, and attack enemy supply convoys. Many Klingons consider them sleek and "sexy," not only because of their speed, but because they provide an opportunity to earn honor. The pilot of a Fast Attack Ship lacks the firepower and strength of a capital ship, but since he has only himself (and perhaps a few crewmates or his fellow squadron members) to rely on, he has a greater chance to distinguish himself in battle.
The Klingons optimize some of their Fast Attack Ships for specific mission profiles. For example, Perimeter Defense Ships patrol the perimeters of Klingon starbases, planets, and large fleets, reporting anomalous conditions and, if necessary and feasible, engaging attackers. Fighters dart in and out of large ship formations, using numbers to make up for their individual lack of firepower. The Suv'tiS-class Fighter, with its twin torpedo launchers, can devastate the ranks of enemy fleets with its deft maneuvering and thunderbolt-like attacks. Reconnaissance Ships have enhanced sensor packages and cloaking devices for their behind-the-lines scouting missions; after detecting an enemy fleet and gathering data on its composition, they return to their own fleet to provide combat support for larger ships.
During the Dominion War, Klingon Fast Attack craft opposed their counterparts among the Dominion and Cardassian fleets. The Dominion, with its tactical emphasis on Fighters, proved a tenacious and audacious enemy; the Jem'Hadars' attacks strained Klingon Fighter pilots' ingenuity and skill to the utmost.
Klingons usually construct their Fast Attack Ships with the standard "winged shaft" configuration; for example, the popular Grendoq-class Fighter resembles a one-man-sized version of the B'rel-class Light Warship. Others, designed for a minimal profile and more effective use of their cloaking devices, lack "wings" and mount their weapons directly on the ship's main body.
Category Classes
- A'leth Class (Reconnaissance)
- Brakt Class
- Grendoq Class (Fighter)
- May'nom Class
- Suv'tiS Class (Fighter)
- Veldak Class (Perimeter Defense)