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I would like to open a thread all about starship hand held and weapons that Starfleet have just come across over the years non-series specific just go wild, whatever weapon technology you can find and is relatively an official technology please share it with me and the others it would be extremely helpful and interesting to see what you can come up with but here’s a few that I’ve found so far.
Some of these are from games, books and episodes but what ever you can find
Like the ablative armour, the transphasic torpedoes were given to Voyager's crew by a future version of the ship's own captain. Even though the ship lacked any access to a spacedock or outside support of any kind, it was still a relatively quick procedure to prepare the weapons systems for these devices. At time of writing Starfleet has had little chance to asses the technology, but Voyager used several of them during its battles with the Borg when returning to Earth and they were massively effective on this occasion. Voyager was able to destroy a Borg cube with two hits, and a second with only a single hit. Starfleet is sure to conduct a rapid assessment of these weapons, and it is highly likely that they will make a fleetwide deployment of them in the near future. It seems certain that this will result in a massive increase in the offensive firepower of all torpedo-equipped vessels. Given that the ablative armour generator technology is also likely to spread through the fleet shortly, it seems that Starfleet will shortly eclipse all of its competitors in military strength.
The Photon Torpedo is a powerful, long range weapon which has been in use aboard Federation Starships for over one hundred and fifty years - early models differed from today's weapon only in the level of sophistication and the power of the warhead. Today the weapon most widely used by Starfleet vessels is the Type 6. This weapon comprises an elongated elliptical body some 210 cm long and 76 x 45 cm across. The torpedo masses 247.5 kilos when not loaded. The warhead of the photon torpedo comprises a maximum of 1.5 kilos of antimatter and 1.5 kilos of matter. These are divided into many thousands of small pellets suspended in a magnetic field - smaller yields can be achieved by reducing the number of such pellets in the torpedo.
Also included in the torpedo are target acquisition, guidance and detonation assemblies and a warp sustainer unit. The latter is charged by the launching vessels own drive field at launch, boosting the torpedo speed up to Vmax = Vl + (0.75 Vl / c), where Vl is the velocity of the launching vessel. If launched at low impulse flight the torpedo will accelerate to a 75% higher sublight velocity; launch at high impulse speed will not push the torpedo into warp. If launched during warp flight the torpedo will continue at warp until the sustainer is exhausted. Torpedo range can be extended by utilizing the matter / antimatter warhead to power the sustainer, although this causes a corresponding loss of warhead yield. For a mid-range yield the torpedo can achieve ranges of some 3,500,000 kilometres at sublight speeds.
The photon torpedo can be set to fly a ballistic trajectory, be steered by the launch vessel, can home in via its own guidance systems, or use a combination of these methods in a single flight.
The warhead of a photon torpedo can be removed and replaced by sensor packages or other equipment. Some advanced models are fitted with full warp drives for use as long range high speed probes - the Class VIII probe can cover 1.12 light years at Warp 9, while the Class IX probe can cover 2 light years at the same speed. On one occasion such a device was used to transport a Federation diplomat to an urgent rendezvous.
There are currently eight major photon torpedo launch systems in use with the Federation :
Torpedo tube (2nd class) : Dating from the late 2200's, this model is now only in service on the Excelsior, Miranda, Centaur, Oberth, and Constellation classes. This tube is capable of firing one photon torpedo approximately every four seconds.
Standard Torpedo Tube : A modern version of the 2nd class torpedo tube, this model can fire a torpedo every two seconds. It is more compact than the older model, has lower maintenance requirements, and is less prone to overheating with prolonged use.
Burst Fire, Type 1 : One of the most important advances in torpedo tube technology, the burst fire tube allows more than one torpedo to be launched simultaneously. The Type 1 model can load and fire a cluster of four photons every 2.85 seconds; although this makes the tube almost three times as bulky as a standard tube, it allows many targets to be engaged simultaneously. The Type 1 is fitted to the Ambassador class as well as various starbases and space stations.
Burst Fire, Type 2 : Designed for larger vessels, the type 2 burst fire torpedo tube can fire up to eight photons every five seconds, giving a greater overall rate of fire and increasing the number of targets which can be engaged simultaneously.
Burst Fire, Type 3 : Developed to arm the Galaxy and Nebula classes, this tube can fire up to ten torpedoes every five seconds - a 25% increase over the type 3 - or alternately can fire single rounds at a high rate of fire.
Burst Fire, Type 4 : The type 4 is the most powerful photon torpedo tube currently in service with the Federation. It can fire a burst of twelve torpedoes every five seconds, and currently is only fitted to the Sovereign class battlecruiser.
Pulse Fire : Developed for the Akira class, the Pulse fire tube is a modification of the burst fire tube. The loading and pre-fire stages can hold up to four photons simultaneously, but the launch tube itself is only of sufficient size to fire one weapon at a time. The pulse fire tube therefore fires four rounds in one second, then pauses for three seconds to reload with the next four photons. Overall rate of fire is therefore one torpedo per second.
Micro tube : This system was developed to arm small vessels such as Runabouts and shuttlecraft. It fires a compact torpedo with a much smaller warhead than the standard models.
The phaser is the standard Federation beam weapon system. This type of weapon came into common use c.2255, replacing the laser weapons then in service. Phaser is an acronym for PHASed Energy Rectification, a term which referred to the original process by which stored or supplied energy was converted to another form for release toward the target without any need for an intermediate energy transformation. Although this term is something of a holdover, it remains true in modern phaser systems. Phaser energy is released by the rapid nadion effect. Rapid nadions are short lived subatomic particles which can liberate and transfer strong nuclear forces within a class of crystals called fushigi-no-umi.
Phasers have three distinct effects on the target. At low power settings - setting 1 to 3 on a hand phaser - the impact of phaser energy is almost wholly limited to simple electromagnetic and mild thermal effects. These are concentrated on the nervous system of the target, causing pain and/or unconsciousness in most beings. At higher levels the thermal effect becomes prevalent, and the phaser will begin to cause physical damage to the target resulting in moderate or severe injuries. By the time the power level is at setting 7 the energy is distributed equally between thermal and nuclear disruption energy. Disruption effects become widespread, resulting in immediate death to most Humanoid life forms.
At levels higher than 7 the majority of phaser energy is in the form of nuclear disruption. A large portion of the target is simultaneously vaporized and transitioned out of the continuum, a process which is instantly fatal. The higher power settings available with Type 3 phasers (setting 9+) cause severe damage over a wide area. These settings are rarely used because of the relatively high power consumption; a single setting 10 discharge uses more than twenty five times as much energy as a setting 7 discharge, while a setting 16 discharge uses over three hundred and fifteen times as much.
Starfleet has used many models of phaser over the years, but all fall into distinct Types. Each of which represents a general classification of the energy the weapon is capable of releasing. The type of a phaser apparently does NOT refer to or limit its rate of fire or other factors.
Most smaller phaser weapons are deployed in single emitters, also known as a 'phaser bank'. Larger and more modern weapons group many emitters into linear arrays. These use force coupling to allow the energy of one emitter to be transferred almost instantly to another - a process which can be repeated along arrays of almost limitless size. This confers many major advantages : it allows a large group of emitters to discharge their combined energy from any single emitter in the array. This allows longer sustained beams to be fired, and greatly reduces the recharge and cooling time since the energy is spread over many emitters. In addition, redundant feeds to small groups of emitters within the array increase the systems resistance to battle damage since destroying part of the array will not disable the remaining emitters. A long array can also bring the whole firepower of every emitter to bear within one single beam - a vessel equipped with many separate phaser banks must combine separate beams to accomplish this, something which the firing arcs of the weapons may not allow.
Type one
This is a small hand unit, approximately the size of a pack of cards. They can fire up to Setting 8, which causes total vaporization of humanoids as 50% of affected matter transitions out of the continuum.
Type two
This is a larger hand unit. Early models of the type 2 phaser used a type 1 phaser clipped into a pistol grip, but modern weapons seem to have little in common with the smaller model. The modern type 2 phaser can fire up to setting 16, which causes the destruction of some 3,900 metric tons of rock per 0.28 second discharge.
Type Three
The type 3 is a rifle version of the type 2 phaser. It uses a nearly identical "business end" as the type 2, and is also capable of firing to setting 16. The advantages of the type 2 are a 50% greater energy reserve, a multiple target acquisition system and a gyrostabilizer system. Recently the standard type 3 phaser rifle has apparently received the same advanced targeting system as the Heavy phaser rifle.
Compression Phaser Rifle : When the Dominion threat became urgent in late 2370, Starfleet decided to issue its forces with a new class of heavy rifles to increase the firepower available to them. The Modern Phaser Rifle project would evaluate two competing designs, the Heavy phaser rifle and the Compression phaser rifle. Both would be rushed into service as fast as possible.
The Compression rifle concentrated on simplicity. The LiCu 521 discharge crystal was doped with arsenic atoms and trisilinate molecules in order to restrict the phaser energy discharge. The doping materials diverted a small part of the discharging energy to re-establish the charge barrier between the discharge crystal and the Sarium kelleride power crystal, limiting or compressing the beam to a maximum of 200 picoseconds of firing. This would fire the entire energy discharge in a beam of only 6 centimetres length, greatly increasing the intensity of the energy and so enhancing the effect on the target.
Although it was by far the simpler of the two weapons, great difficulties were encountered during the development of the compression rifle. Most of these centered around thermal damage to the discharge crystal resulting from the very high energy intensities flowing through it. Average firing lifetime of an emitter crystal in the first model developed was only 9.6 nanoseconds - 48 discharges - a far from acceptable figure. Redesign of the shape of the emitter boosted this figure to 28 nanoseconds, still not sufficient for a field weapon. The solution arrived at was to install two high capacity cooling systems, one mounted on either side of the rifle. This boosted the emitter crystals lifetime to 600 nanoseconds, or 3,000 discharges. Starfleet deemed this just about acceptable and rushed the compression rifle into limited service.
The weapon was never satisfactory - although the cooling systems worked reasonably well they made the weapon heavy and difficult to use properly at long ranges. The emitter crystal was also rather sensitive to adverse environmental conditions, and if not treated carefully cracking could occur - a breakdown which would lead to a thermal explosion on the next discharge. Although it was issued to some ground forces units and to the four units of the Intrepid class Starship then in service, several thermal explosion accidents forced Starfleet to withdraw the compression rifle shortly after it entered service in 2371. None now remain in use.
Heavy Phaser Rifle : The heavy phaser rifle was to be a much larger, more sophisticated weapon than its compression rifle rival. It is capable of firing phaser energy in either beams or pulses of variable length. Rather than tamper with the materials in the discharge crystal, the design team built a small isolinear artificial intelligence unit into the rifle which had complete control of the energy discharge. This approach met with considerable success in a testing program that was surprisingly free of difficulties. The use of a computer control system also allows the beam characteristics to be modified much more easily than in previous phaser rifles, a measure clearly important when dealing with the Borg.
The heavy rifle also includes a much more effective and elaborate targeting system, a more powerful gyrostabilizer, and a larger energy reserve. The rifle can fire to a maximum of Setting 18. The targeting unit is now being retro-fitted into earlier models of phaser rifle. The first model of heavy phaser rifle had a duranium alloy metal stiffening to the barrel, but in service this has proved to be unnecessary and a subsequent model was issued without this feature.
Type Four
The type 4 phaser is a medium sized device fitted to small vehicles such as shuttlecraft.
Type Ten
As of 2364 this was the heaviest weapon in use aboard Federation vessels, comprising the main armament of the Galaxy class starship.
Type Twelve
Previously designated as the 'Type 10+' for security reasons, the Type 12 phaser has been used in dedicated planetary defence arrays and as the main armament of heavy fortified starbases since 2263. It was considered that the Type 12 was unsuitable for use on a starship platform because the energy requirements of the array where too high and the supporting hardware too bulky. However, by 2268 the power plant of the Sovereign class had grown large enough to support Type 12 arrays in place of the planned Type 10 models; technical improvements had also allowed for considerable shrinkage in the size of the equipment. The main phaser armament of the new Sovereign class starship therefore comprises Type 12 phaser arrays as does the armament of the Prometheus class currently under development. These are the most powerful phaser weapons currently in use by the Federation.
Pulse Phaser Cannon
It has long been recognized that the initial impact of a phaser strike on a shield system is the most damaging part of the firing sequence. Many cultures have sought to increase weapon effectiveness against shields by developing pulse cannon - that is, weapons which fire large numbers of tightly packaged bursts rather than a continuous stream. Early Federation vessels such as the Constitution class where equipped with such pulse cannon, but the weapon is not without its drawbacks; the hardware involved tends to be very difficult to manage precisely, resulting in much poorer control over the beam characteristics. The Federations starship design ethic has always stressed that full control must be maintained over all weapons at all times, in order to allow non lethal force to be used in starship combat situations; in addition, many scientific experiments use weapon systems to apply energy in controlled amounts to external phenomena in order to study reactions. Given this, the Federation gradually moved away from pulse cannon. The refit given to the Constitutions in the 2270's removed the pulse firing feature from that class, equipping them with a 'rapid burst mode' which was something of a compromise between pulse and continuous phaser beams. Further designs continued to de-emphasize the pulse firing feature, although all basic phaser hardware is capable of firing relatively short bursts and this has remained a feature of Federation combat tactics.
With the development of the USS Defiant, the pulse phaser cannon was finally reintroduced to Starfleet. Defiant is a warship, pure and simple; her designers had no real interest in conducting experiments, and the attitude towards the level of lethality of her armament could perhaps best be summed up by the phrase 'take no prisoners'! Defiant’s main armament comprises four heavy pulse cannon which fire very tightly confined bursts of phaser energy for maximum impact on shielding systems. High overall energy delivered over a very short period combines with a high firing rate to produce a performance against modern shield systems which can best be described as devastating.
On her first active mission the Defiant faced a group of Dominion Attack Ships; these vessels had successfully withstood several minutes of fire fighting with a Galaxy class starship, but Defiant’s phaser cannon cut through their shields within moments. Subsequent combat experience has shown the value of this weapons system, which is currently being developed for use in other vessels.
The quantum torpedo Introduced in the late 2360s, was part of the range of projects which formed Starfleet’s response to the threats represented by the Borg and renewed activity by the Romulans. Although there is no theoretical upper limit on the size of a matter/antimatter torpedo warhead - the Cardassian ‘Dreadnought’ type heavy penetrator carries a two thousand kilogram m/am warhead for example - warheads beyond the 25 isoton range tend to be too large and heavy for use as truly effective anti-ship weapons. Starfleet wanted to develop a warhead which offered firepower in the 50+ isoton range without penalizing the agility of the weapon. Starfleet R&D quickly decided to focus on a zero point energy system. Initial testing yielded a negative energy balance - it took more energy to initiate the zero point reaction than that reaction generated in turn. This problem was eventually surmounted and a 52.3 isoton quantum warhead was detonated at the Groombridge 273-2A facility.
The device works by generating an eleven dimensional space time membrane which is twisted into a string similar in structure to a superstring. This process calls large numbers of subatomic particles into existence, liberating correspondingly large amounts of energy in the form of an explosion.
The production torpedo is of similar size to the standard photon torpedo and is made of a shell of densified tritanium and duranium foam coated in an ablative layer and an antiradiation polymer coating. Great attention has been paid to making the weapon stealthy in operation by minimising the number of penetrations through the casing and by treating those which have been made.
The warhead itself comprises a zero-point field reaction chamber, which is formed from a teardrop shaped crystal of rodinium ditellenite jacketed with synthetic neutronium and dilithium. A zero-point initiator is attached to this; the initiator is made of an EM rectifier, a wave guide bundle, a subspace field amplifier, and a continuum distortion emitter. The emitter creates the actual pinch field from a conical spike 10-16 meters across at the tip.
The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an upgraded photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons. The m/am reaction occurs at four times the rate of a standard warhead; the detonation energy is channeled through the initiator within 10-7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane expands over a period of 10-4 seconds, an energy potential equivalent to at least 50 isotons is created. This energy is held by the chamber for 10-8 seconds and is then released by the controlled failure of the chamber wall.
The propulsion and guidance systems of the quantum torpedo also represent improvements over the standard photon. The computer system is based around bio-neural gel packs, allowing more efficient data processing and so improved guidance capability.
Fabrication of the quantum torpedo initially proved difficult, since they contain many parts which are non replicatable. As a result the quantum torpedo was issued to relatively few vessels. Over time this problem has gradually been overcome, and the quantum torpedo is now becoming available on a much wider scale. The Cardassians are known to have developed a version of the quantum torpedo which equips their Dreadnought type heavy penetrator. It is known that the design schematics of the quantum warhead developed by Starfleet were scanned by unauthorized personnel at least once during the development of that weapon, and it is now thought that an operative of the Obsidian Order was able to copy this data and escape with it. The Cardassians have apparently encountered considerable problems with the manufacture of quantum weapons, and their version of the torpedo has a significantly lower yield than the Starfleet model. As a result the central command considered the quantum torpedo unsuitable for use as the primary torpedo armament of a fleet vessel, hence its role as the short range defence system of a device like Dreadnought.
The Cardassians were almost certainly working on creating upgraded quantum torpedoes similar to Starfleet's weapon, but during the war with the Klingons many of their main weapons research and production centers were destroyed, most with the loss of all personnel. Although details are unclear, this seems to have all but eliminated the Cardassian's ability to fabricate these weapons. Certainly the Dominion showed no signs of using quantum torpedoes during their war with the Federation.
Most quantum torpedo launchers are simple modifications of photon launchers. The first model introduced on the Defiant was a quantum version of the Pulse fire torpedo tube, which can fire an average of one torpedo per second. The Sovereign class introduced a quantum burst fire tube - a variant on the type 4 photon burst fire model capable of launching a dozen torpedoes simultaneously.
Also introduced on the Sovereign class is the rapid fire turret; this allows torpedoes to be fired directly at a target, rather than having to maneuver toward it after launch - a measure which cuts down the torpedo flight time against targets at short range. The Sovereign turret is capable of firing four torpedoes per second, a rate of fire higher than any other model of torpedo tube in service.
SOVEREIGN CLASS: Corbomite Reflector special weapon which reflects any weapon fired at it back at the enemy
AKIRA CLASS: The Akira's Chain Reaction Pulsar is a devastating weapon that bounces from enemy to enemy gaining power with each target it hits.
STEAMRUNNER CLASS: This ship possesses a Engine Overload weapon that disables the engines of multiple enemy ships
DEFIANT CLASS: The Defiant's Anti-Matter Mines lock onto enemy targets and deploy a powerful explosion on contact. Shield Disrupter: Disables the shields of one enemy ship.
Nebula:
Gemini Effect: Creates a temporary double of one of your ships.
Point Defense Phaser: Destroys incoming weapons before they can do damage.
Federation Repair Team: Instantaneously increases shield energy and repairs the systems of a friendly ship.
Isomagnetic Disintergrator
The isomagnetic disintergrator is an energy weapon used by the Federation. It is a shoulder mounted weapon which is significantly larger than most phaser rifles. The weapon fires energy pulses and is generally used against infantry. The weapon has not been widely used.
Druoda Warhead -dense antimatter energy matrix -para-trinic shielding -bio-neural circuitry -Class 11 intelligence -warp drive -heavy armour -self guiding system -max range 80 light-years
In late 2375, Voyager received a distress call from a nearby Class M planet. On investigating the away team commanded by Ensign Kim discovered that the call had originated from an artificial source, a metallic device approximately 1.2 meters in length. Scanning revealed that the device had para-trinic shielding and a dense energy matrix, as well as bio-neural circuitry which mimicked Humanoid synaptic functions and proved to be both sentient and highly intelligent. It was badly damaged, and had no memory of the time prior to its crash landing on the planet. The device did remember that it had been travelling with a companion, but on scanning the surface Voyager could not locate any other machinery. They did discover minute traces of metallic particulates scattered across the planets northern continent. The continent had a four hundred kilometer diameter crater on it, the walls of which had concentrations of radiogenic decay and fracture gradients consistent with a highly focused explosion. Voyagers crew realized that the device was in fact a weapon of mass destruction.
They tried to deactivate the weapon, but in doing so it regained some of its damaged memories and became determined to fulfil its function by attacking a nearby system. It seized control of Voyager and plotted a course for its target, 2.3 light years away. The crew was unable to disarm the device, but Neelix realized that they had recently acquired a power node with transkinetic energy regulators and bio-neural circuitry very similar to those in the warhead from a trader named Onquanii. Voyager signaled the trader and he rendezvoused with the ship. Onquanii told them that the device was of Druoda manufacture and featured a Class 11 intelligence, warp drive, heavy armour, a self guiding system and a maximum range of 80 light-years. It was designed to fly through ion storms or even an entire armada of hostile ships on the way to its target.
Onquanii attempted to buy the warhead but Captain Janeway declined. He attempted to take it by force, but the warhead destroyed his ship in the process and ordered Voyager to continue on its way to the target.
During the trip Ensign Kim was able to discover that the warhead had in fact been deliberately ordered to crash by its creators. The war which it had been built for had ended three years previously; the weapon had been launched by accident along with 33 others and had been destroyed rather than recalled. Ensign Kim was able to convince the warhead that its mission should be aborted, but the remaining warheads had already passed their 2 light year targeting threshold, at which point they were programmed to refuse all further recall orders. Still in space nearby, the remaining bombs detected the one on Voyager and intercepted the ship in order to launch a coordinated attack.
The warhead on board agreed to leave Voyager and accompany the others in order to destroy them. Once clear of the vessel the warhead detonated its antimatter energy matrix, resulting in a chain reaction which set off all of the other weapons harmlessly in space.
Voyager has not had any further contact with the Druoda, and the amazingly advanced weapon remains their only encounter with this species thus far.
Isokinetic Cannon
The isokinetic cannon is a powerful weapons system developed by a species native to the Delta Quadrant. Designed to penetrate heavy shielding and inflict serious damage with a single shot, the isokinetic cannon was purchased by the USS Voyager in exchange for 125 isolinear computer chips. The cannon was installed on board Voyager for a test firing; despite a successful test, a subsequent misunderstanding occurred in which the manufacturer of the device was killed before it could be integrated into Voyagers tactical systems. Despite this tragedy, Voyager retained the cannon and has since managed to fully intergrate it with the shielding and targeting systems. The cannon presently remains in use on board the ship.
Micro Quantum Torpedo
The Micro Quantum Torpedo was introduced to help arm the relatively small and undefended Starfleet Runabouts. Although Runabouts were equipped with Phaser arrays, a more powerful weapon was required to help defend the Runabouts against larger, more powerful opponents such as the Dominion fighters they were frequently encountering. Measuring just 13 cm in length, the Micro Quantum Torpedo is the most powerful weapon of it's size. When fired from a Runabout, the torpedo incorporates a mini guidance system which will home in on the nearest enemy target, but this guidance system does not kick in until 3.7 seconds after it is launched in order to let it clear the vicinity of the Runabout. As with all torpedoes, the Micro Quantum Torpedo can be fired while the ship is at Warp
self replicating mine
An ingenious device, the concept of the self replicating mine was first suggested by Technician Rom aboard Deep Space 9 in response to the threat of Dominion reinforcements entering the Alpha Quadrant via the Bajoran Wormhole. They work by employing a network of replicator units that draw replicator mass from each other to replace lost mines as necessary. The mine warhead itself is developed from a modified Photon Torpedo warhead that is set to detonate the moment any moving object reaches within 500 meters of the mine, producing an explosive yield equal to that of a Photon Torpedo.
Library Computer Access and Retrieval System (LCARS)
A unique, technologically advanced shuttlecraft designed to withstand the atmosphere of a gas giant. Conceived by Tom Paris as a 24th-Century "hot rod," the Delta Flyer's design and construction was a collaborative effort among Voyager crew members, and represents their diverse backgrounds. It features ultra-aerodynamic contours, retractable nacelles, parametallic hull plating, a tetraburnium alloy hull, unimatrix shielding, and Borg-inspired weapons systems including photonic missiles. Duranium construction in its hull makes the craft especially robust under extreme conditions. Paris gave the high-tech machine an old-fashioned touch by incorporating ancient control levers and meters inspired by his "Captain Proton" holodeck program.
The Delta Flyer's first mission was to retrieve an advanced multispatial probe from within a gas giant before it could be captured by the Malon. The Flyer was a crucial extension of the U.S.S. Voyager's capabilities for almost two years, until it was destroyed in late 2376 during an assault upon a Borg cube.
The Delta Flyer was rebuilt in early 2377, and the new vessel was put to the test very quickly by being entered in the Antarian Trans-stellar Rally. The Flyer did not win the race, which turned out to be fortunate, since the vessel was sabotaged to explode at the finish line. Once the sabotage was discovered, the warp core was ejected in a nebula to contain the explosion, and the ship survived the incident. Before the Flyer could be refitted with a new warp core, however, the ship provided a "romantic getaway" for newlyweds Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres.
Ablative armour was originally developed for the USS Defiant; the Borg had proven their ability to penetrate Federation shields with ease during their encounter with the Enterprise at system J-25, and the Defiant designers wanted the ship to have a degree of protection even if the shields should be overcome in the expected future encounters. The value of the armour was proven when the Defiant came up against Dominion forces. Like the Borg, the Dominion were able to penetrate Federation shielding systems relatively easily in the first years of hostility between the two powers, and the Defiant's ablative armour allowed the ship to withstand attacks that would have otherwise caused significant damage.
Recently there has been a massive revolution in this technology with the appearance of the ablative armour generator. This device was given to the crew of the USS Voyager by a future version of Admiral Janeway, who traveled back in time to the ship in order to assist them in returning home from the Delta Quadrant. The generator involves a series of devices placed onto the hull of a vessel; when activated these replicate a layer of armour over the surface of the ship. The effectiveness of armour is considerable. The system Voyager employed was able to withstand a simultaneous attack by several Borg cubes. One of the most useful features of this system is that as it can be materialized and dematerialized as needed, even weapons systems can be covered over when they are not actually in use. This gives a much greater degree of coverage than any standard armour protection which must leave permanent apertures to operate such systems through.
At time of writing Starfleet had had relatively little time to asses this technology, but the ease with which it was adapted for use on Voyager without spacedock or any outside support indicates that it should be reasonably easy for the remainder of Starfleet's ships to create ablative armour generators for themselves. This should multiply the hull strength of the fleet massively at a single stroke.
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Phycro: Does the Daystrom Institute Technical Library know that you're going around copying-and-pasting the entire "weapons" section of their site onto message boards?
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Charles Capps
We appreciate your concern. It is noted and stupid.
Member # 9
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And do you know that your email address of record is just plain wrong?
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