

The venerable Raptor-class scout was finally succeeded by the Somraw-class raptor escort. ( Decipher RPG module: Starships)īy the early 25th century, the Raptor class had spawned its own starship classification, the raptor escort. Nevertheless, the class remained in service into the 24th century. ( ST reference: The Official Starships Collection) The Raptor's basic arrangement was reserved for battlecruisers rather than small vessels. Gradually, the Raptor-class scout was supplanted by the newer Klingon bird-of-prey, which had a similar mission profile. It was here that Humans first learned about photon torpedoes. Earth Starfleet got a good look on Klingon technology when a landing party boarded the derelict IKS Somraw and helped save the ship from destruction in a gas giant's atmosphere. In 2151, the Raptor-class was one of the first Klingon starship classes encountered by Humans. ( ENT episode: " Sleeping Dogs" ST reference: The Official Starships Collection) The Vulcans' database contained 900 pages of information about his ship type. The Raptor was named by Vulcans who fell victim to these vessels, which were frequently used by Klingons to raid shipping and exploratory vessels. The Raptor-class scout was launched in the 2130s. ( ST reference: The Official Starships Collection)īy the 24th century, the ship's length was shortened to 105 meters, the number of decks reduced to three. Main engineering, called the reactor pit, was located one deck below the bridge. The bridge could be operated by a minimum of three officers. Its bridge design followed the standard Klingon design ethics, with a central command chair facing a forward viewscreen. A targ pit provided live food for the crew. The ship's galley was located on deck four. The Raptor's hull was twice as thick as that of an Earth Starfleet NX-class starship, and reinforced with a coherent molecular alloy that enabled it to withstand pressures of up to 15.000 GSC.Īlthough the ship was designed to survive for a maximum of six months without returning to Klingon space, a Raptor-class scout rarely operated far from other Klingon starships. The impulse engines were attached to the aft. The reactor pit was located behind a red grill in the bulge on between the wings. Sensor arrays were mounted to the fore of the wings. A disruptor turret sat on top of the main bridge, on the head section. The access hatch was the top-most part of the ship. At 145 meters in the 22nd century, the ship was shorter than a D5-class battlecruiser. Unlike the D5, the Raptor's wings were upswept. A warp nacelle was attached to a wing on either side of the Raptor. The basic design was similar to the D5-class battlecruiser, with a primary hull connected with the engineering hull through a long, narrow neck. ( ENT - Rise of the Federation novel: Live by the Code) The Raptor class was considered a type of bird-of-prey. They were typically employed to patrol the edge of Imperial space and raid alien outposts and ships. The Klingon Raptor-class scout ship was a small raiding vessel that first entered service in the 2130s.
