Difference between pages "Nova Class" and "K't'inga class"

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{{Specifications
{{Specification
| image = [[Image:Novaclass.png|275px]]
| image = [[Image:Ktingaclass.jpg]]
| name = Nova
| displayName = '''''K't'inga'' Class'''
| affiliation = Starfleet
| name = K't'inga
| role = Surveyor
| affiliation = *[[Klingon Empire]]
| dateEntered = 2370
*[[Old_Romulan_Star_Empire|Romulan Star Empire]]
| expectedLife = 60 Years
| operator = *[[Klingon Defense Force]]
| expectedRefit = 10 Years
*[[Old_Romulan_Star_Empire#Romulan_Star_Navy|Romulan Star Navy]]
| timeResupply = 1 Year
| status = Active
| crewComplement = 80
| role = Battlecruiser
| emergencyCap = 200
| type =
| length = 165 meters
| precedingClass = Sech
| width = 62 meters
| succeedingClass = Vor'cha
| height = 34 meters
| dateEntered = 2258
| decks = 8
| productionEnd = 2369
| retired =  
| expectedDuration = 100 Years
| expectedRefit = 15 Years
| timeResupply = 3 Years
| crewComplement =350
| emergencyCap = 1,500
| civilians =
| populationCap =
| flightCrew =
| passengers =
| length = 349.54 meters
| width = 251.76 meters
| diameter =
| height = 98.41 meters
| decks = 25
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 6
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 7
| maxSpeed = Warp 8
| maxSpeed = Warp 9.6
| emergencySpeed = Warp 8.5 (12 hours)
| emergencySpeed = Warp 9.8 (12 hours)
| energyWeapons =*11x Type-X Phaser Arrays
| energyWeapons = 6x disruptor cannons
| torpLaunchers =*2 forward
| torpLaunchers = *1x forward
| torpPayload =*50 Photon Torpedoes
*1x aft
| shields =Multi-Layered Shielding System
| torpPayload = *150 photon torpedoes
| shuttleBays =1
*100 plasma torpedoes (Romulan version)
| shuttles =2
| shields = *Deflector shields
| runabouts =1
*Cloaking device
}}
| dockingfacilities =
| shuttleBays =  
| shuttles =  
| runabouts =  
| fighters =
| aux =
| msd =
}}The '''''K't'inga''-class battlecruiser''' was historically and prominently the frontline battlecruiser of the [[Klingon Empire]] for the second half of the 23rd century and well into the 24th century. Through various refits and modernizations, the ''K't'inga'' continued service well past her intended design life and into the [[ma:Dominion War|Dominion War]]. Although a much rarer sight in the 25th century with the wide deployment of the [[Vor'cha Class|''Vor'cha''-class]] battlecruiser, the ''K't'inga'' can still be found throughout Klingon space and the frontier as a multi-purposed ship of war.
===Exploration and Science===
Although a ship bred for war and used as a battlecuiser, the ''K't'inga'' is a deceptively adept exploration platform. The original design expectation that the ''K't'inga'' would be forced onto the fringe frontier of Klingon space for months or maybe even years at a time required that the ship be equipped with a suite of sensors to handle the unknown. This served multiple purposes in being able to relay mapping data, both passive and active, back to Klingon command to be analyzed as well as using the ''K't'inga's'' advanced sensor suite in combat situations against perspective targets. Historically, because of the advanced ''K't'inga'' sensors, the ubiquitous nature of the vessel throughout its lifetime, and the data collected over the years, the [[Klingon Defense Force]] was able to passively map out large swaths of the Klingon frontier.


== Class Overview ==
The ''K't'inga'', being the workhorse battlecruiser of the Klingon Empire for almost 100 years, also served as its premier ship of exploration in any sense that the Klingon Empire was interested in such endeavors. Compared to other Klingon vessels of her era, the ''K't'inga'' is the most well-equipped for scientific duties. Although, for a Klingon warship design, that leaves much to be desired. If ever a matter of science or exploration was required, the ''K't'inga'' was the ship that was deployed for such matters during much of its lifetime. In the modern era, ships with more advanced sensor suites such as the ''Vor'cha''-class or [[Negh'Var Class|''Negh'Var''-class]] would primarily be deployed to any exploration assignments of importance.
The ''Nova''-class surveyor is one of the most common science vessels in Starfleet, with several hundred having been built since the class was introduced in the 2370s. Efficient and well-equipped, her primary purpose is to perform in-depth surveys of planetary systems and especially of M-class planets for possible colonization.


==== Exploration and Science ====
===Diplomacy===
The ''Nova''-class is one of the most capable scientific platforms in Starfleet for short-duration exploratory missions. The ''Nova''’s primary mission profile is in-depth surveys of star systems and planetary bodies. While larger ships might visit dozens if not hundreds of star systems in years-long indefinite missions, ships of this class are often sent to a single star system where they will linger for six months or more and perform a comprehensive assessment based on initial scans by an explorer-type vessel. The ''Nova''-class has scientific facilities specifically geared towards exploring M-class planets and evaluating them for colonization and resource exploitation, including eleven science labs of varying types, an extensive set of sensor arrays, and a large complement of probes. One key feature of this class is a project control center located forward of the main bridge which allows the science department to coordinate its effort across all of its labs and any away teams.  
Much like exploration, the ''K't'inga''-class was not designed with diplomacy in mind other than through superior firepower against enemy forces. However, the ''K't'inga'' has historically been used by the Klingon Empire as a ship of diplomatic gesture throughout the mid to late 23rd century. To that end, the ''K't'inga'' has been equipped with a limited amount of conference rooms and stately guest quarters for visiting dignitaries.


==== Diplomacy ====
===Engineering===
While this class does have one set of VIP quarters and two briefing rooms that could be used for negotiations, it is not suited for diplomatic duties. Its low top speed also limits its utility as a diplomatic courier.  
A ship [[ma:Federation-Klingon_War_(2256-57)|born out of and bred for war]], the ''K't'inga''-class was an amalgamation of the best parts of the separate [[Great House|Great House's]] designs rolled into one vaguely familiar frame. The ''K't'inga''-class battlecruiser incorporated aspects of the [[M'Chla class|''M'Chla''-class]], [[Chargh class|''Chargh''-class]], and [[Qugh class|''Qugh''-class]], but especially from the [[Sech class|''Sech''-class]] and [[BortaS bir class|''BortaS bir''-class]]. Overall, the design appeared as a predator stalking the depths of space. The primary hull was almost wing-like, with two nacelles on each side, connecting a long "neck" with a "head" command section.


==== Engineering ====
===Tactical===
Based on one of the rejected designs for the ''Defiant''-class, the ''Nova''-class has a compact, angular hull that is in a clear design lineage with her larger sister: the ''Intrepid''. Spanning just eight decks, ''Nova'' has a roughly-triangular primary hull with a cut-out in the bow for an over-sized secondary deflector, which is also part of the ship’s long-range sensors systems. A single impulse engine at the aft end of the saucer provides sublight power, above a door connected to one of the cargo holds. The engineering hull is small and roughly cylindrical, and the small warp nacelles are mounted on angled pylons.
At the time of its deployment, the ''K't'inga''-class battlecruiser was easily the most formidable ship in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants. The ''K't'inga'' excels in combat, boasting an impressive weapons array, a cloaking device, incredibly resilient shields, and a new generation warp drive capable of propelling the ship to sustained speeds of Warp 9. The new warp drive also efficiently routed power through the vessel to its weapons systems, allowing for a more powerful disruptor blast than anything that had been fielded by the Klingons previously. Due to its main weapons array pointing forward from the ship, the thruster design throughout also makes it one of the most maneuverable vessels of its era for its size, able to bring its main weapons to bear against an enemy with ease.


While the design was initially intended to be a tactical vessel capable of extremely high warp speeds, the modified ''Nova-''class design replaced her powerplant with something much more mainstream that is both incredibly reliable and easy to maintain, but which limits the ship’s top speed to Warp 8. This is more than sufficient for the majority of her missions.
The ''K't'inga''-class is also an efficient combat vessel in several other areas including ship-to-ship combat, troop transport and deployment, and orbital or siege bombardment of stationary targets. In fact, compared to its contemporaries at the time, the only real threat to a ''K't'inga''-class battlecruiser in one-on-one combat was the [[Starfleet]] [[Constitution Class|''Constitution''-class]] starship.


The ''Nova''-class is capable of landing on planetary surfaces with a set of four landing legs. There is a ramp in the stern that extends to allow the crew direct access to a planet’s surface. This feature is often used to study planets with difficult atmospheres or to serve as a temporary research base near especially interesting objects.
===Shipboard Life===
The ''K't'inga'' was never built with comfort in mind. With that being said, the vessel was far more comfortable than its previous counterparts or contemporaries. The ship boasted actual leisure facilities; this was specifically unlike the Klingon designs that came before it. Leisure facilities vary between the Klingon and Romulan configurations of the design but largely include a massive mess hall, training facilities including a gym and bat’leth hall, and even limited holo facilities. However, when fully manned with troops for transport, quarters on the ''K't'inga'' are cramped and even the ship's captain would be forced to share accommodations.


Computer systems aboard the ''Nova'' are state-of-the-art to handle the vast amounts of data coming from her oversized sensor arrays. While not initially designed with bioneural circuitry, it was later installed once the technology had been proven aboard ''Intrepid''. Later units include full-ship holographic projectors.
==Class History==
The ''K't'inga''-class battlecruiser first came to life as a design brought forth to the [[ma:Klingon High Council|Klingon High Council]] by [[ma:Klingon Chancellor|Chancellor]] [[ma:L'Rell|L'Rell]] in 2257. The original design within the ''K't'inga''-class, the D7 spaceframe, was an amalgamation of the greatest successes of the different designs that the Great Houses employed through their individual fleets. These designs were disparate from one another, indicative of the fracturing of the Klingon people during this time period in Klingon history, but all derived from much older designs such as the [[ma:Klingon_Bird-of-Prey_(22nd_century)|''Vo'n'talk''-class]], [[ma:D5_class|''Devastator''-class]], and [[ma:Raptor_class|''Raptor''-class]] of centuries past. Chancellor L'Rell saw the new ''K't'inga''-class as a unifier of the Klingon people and ordered its mass production throughout the Great Houses as a symbol of that Klingon unity. The first ''K't'inga's'' were deployed only a few months later in order to assist the [[ma:USS_Enterprise_(NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']] against a rogue Federation armada. After this battle, the ''K't'inga'' did finally enter mass production as the Chancellor had asked for and quickly became the flagship and backbone of many of the Great Houses, and therefore, the Klingon Defense Force as a whole.
[[Image:Klingond7.jpg|thumb|left|The original D7 spaceframe of the ''K't'inga''-class firing a torpedo.]]
The first major change to the ''K't'inga'' came in the mid-2260s. By that point, the ''K't'inga'' had been in service for over 5 years and the engineers of the Klingon Defense Force had several suggested refits and remodels for the ship to increase its performance. This lined up with a budding alliance with the [[Romulan Star Empire]], in which the Romulans were incredibly interested in the ''K't'inga'' design. The Klingons, knowing that the original ''K't'inga'' design was about to undergo a significant upgrade, traded the original design to the Romulans in exchange for the Romulans relinquishing all claims to the contested planet of [[ma:Khitomer|Khitomer]], a Klingon stronghold and one of the most strategically important planets in the Empire. Shortly after, the Klingon ''K't'inga's'' were upgraded from the D7 spaceframe to the D7A spaceframe, leaving the Romulans with the older design while the Klingons moved forward.


==== Tactical ====
In subsequent decades, the Klingons continued to upgrade the ''K't'inga'' spaceframe. One of the most infamous iterations of a spaceframe appeared in the 2290s when the flagship of the Klingon Chancellor [[ma:Gorkon|Gorkon]], [[ma:Kronos_One|''Kronos One'']], was deployed under the D7E spaceframe. ''Kronos One'' was vitally important to the signing of the [[ma:Khitomer_Accords|Khitomer Accords]], the [[ma:Treaty_of_Alliance|Federation-Klingon Alliance]] that blossomed from those accords, and the future of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants as a whole. Many years later, as a symbol of peace and friendship, the Klingon Empire gifted ''Kronos One'' to the Federation to be displayed in the [[ma:Fleet_Museum|Starfleet Fleet Museum]] over [[ma:Athan_Prime|Athan Prime]].  
One of the major flaws of the ''Oberth''-class design was that it was entirely unsuited to combat. This led to many ships of the class being picked off by raiders or pirates during their long service history. Thanks to having been based on a warship design, the ''Nova''-class is much more capable of defending itself with two torpedo launchers on the bow and numerous Type-X phaser arrays providing 360-degree coverage around the ship. In addition, the bridge is more shielded than other starship designs, thanks to being located in the center of a larger-than-usual deck one.  


Though slow for a Starfleet ship in terms of absolute top warp speed, the ''Nova'' is nonetheless highly maneuverable and speedy at sublight and is significantly faster than most civilian or pirate vessels at warp. Typical tactics for ships of this class are to literally fly circles around threat vessels, lob a few torpedoes at them, and then jump to warp. When that is not possible, they are capable of dogfighting in the hands of a talented helmsman.  
The D7E spaceframe continued as the primary deployment of the ''K't'inga''-class until the 2340s, when the D7F spaceframe was deployed as a significant upgrade to the internal systems of the ''K't'inga''-class. The ''K't'inga''-class continued for another 20 years undisturbed until the development and deployment of the ''Vor'cha''-class battlecruiser. Seen as the first significant class in the Empire in over a generation, the ''Vor'cha'' was slated to replace the ''K't'inga'' within a decade as a massive improvement in every aspect. However, as the next decade rolled around and a new enemy came into sight, the lifespan of the ''K't'inga'' was artificially inflated.  


The Nova is not fitted with aft-firing torpedo launchers due to size constraints, but the crew of the starship ''Equinox'' was able to jerry-rig a launcher system in the lower cargo hold during their exile in the Delta Quadrant.
Hundreds of ''K't'inga's'' in service at the start of the Cold War with the Dominion were slated for decommissioning and scrapping to use their raw materials to build a new fleet of ''Vor'cha's''. However, when the severity of the Changeling infiltration issue was realized by then-Chancellor [[ma:Gowron|Gowron]], the ''K't'inga's'' were instead repurposed back to war as the [[ma:Klingon-Cardassian_War|Klingon Empire invaded the Cardassian Union]] in 2372. When full-scale war broke out between the Dominion, now fully allied with the [[Cardassian Union]], and the Federation-Klingon-Romulan Alliance, the ''K't'inga's'' made up a huge backbone of the Klingon fleet. The designs, while older, were still a fearsome ship of war. The ''K't'inga'' took heavy losses during the war which was on par with the overall heavy losses of the Klingon Empire. However, by wars end, the ''K't'inga'' still numbered in the hundreds. With the decimation that the Klingon fleet took overall, the ''K't'inga'' again had its lifespan artificially increased to allow the Klingon Defense Force to build its own forces.  


==== Auxiliary Craft Facilities ====
As the Klingon forces recovered, the ''K't'inga'' began to be slowly phased out by the Great Houses. By the early 25th century, the ''K't'inga''-class continues to serve many of the Houses but is no longer the backbone of most forces and becomes an increasingly dwindling sight in Klingon space.
Located on the stern, the main shuttle bay is capable of carrying two small shuttlecraft, typically Type-8 or Type-9. It is not suited for runabouts except on a visiting basis. The ''Nova''-class is, however, equipped with a docking cradle for a ''Waverider''-class atmospheric shuttle, which is one of the fastest atmospheric craft in Starfleet. There are two variants of this craft built on a similar chassis, one with sublight-only capabilities and another with warp drive. Roughly similar to a Type-11 shuttle, this craft is capable of extended operations away from the mothership and is typically used to scout out planets.


==== Shipboard Life ====
==Romulan D7==
With a crew of only eighty, life on board a ''Nova''-class ship means knowing everyone on the ship. There is often less of a divide between officers and enlisted personnel than on larger ships, simply because there are fewer communal spaces to allow for such a separation. This is also due to mission parameters that often require extensive collaboration between departments and laboratories–when they spend up to a year studying a planet, the crew often starts to develop an attachment to it and they take great pride in talking about the day’s discoveries.
[[Image:romuland7.jpg|thumb|left|The Romulan configuration of the ''D7'', easily notable by the feathered wings painted onto the hull.]]During a short alliance between the Klingons and Romulans in the mid-2260s, several deals and accords were struck; this included a swap of the D7 spaceframe design of the ''K't'inga'' from the Klingons to the Romulans. This exchange immediately altered the history of the D7 spaceframe forever by adding the class to the Romulan fleet at the time when the ''K't'inga'' was receiving upgrades within the Klingon fleet.


Senior officers have individual quarters with a combination living area and bedroom along with a private head. The captain and the executive officer have slightly larger quarters on Deck 1, giving them easy access to the bridge, but these are roughly the same as other officers’ quarters due to the size of the ship. Other officers share quarters with private bedrooms, and enlisted crewmembers have bunk beds in suites housing up to eight people.
By the 2270s, active development and construction of the D7 spaceframe had been discontinued by the Romulans in favor of their own, unique refit design on the platform. Eventually, the Romulans deployed their own improvement in the Stormbird-class.


There are two observation lounges, two mess halls, a gymnasium, and a recreation area, along with two small holodecks.
The only substantial tactical difference between the Romulan and Klingon versions of the ''K't'inga'' over its production run was the inclusion of plasma torpedoes on the Romulan version.


There is a modest three-bed sickbay located on Deck 2, with an attached medlab. There is an additional biobed in a secondary medlab which can also be used for surgery or as an isolation room.  
==In Play==
*The original D7 spaceframe has long since been retired by the Romulans and isn't a common sight for the Klingons anymore. However, over the years some have been lost, sold, or otherwise unaccounted for. This has led to these ships falling into the hands of civilians and outside of the government’s hands.
*Although these ships are antiquated by 2401, they are still a formidable opponent that should not be underestimated.
*The Romulan configuration is most likely to be found in the hands of petty warlords or regional overlords that have popped up within Romulan space since the fall of Romulus.


== Class History ==
==Additional Information==
By the 2360’s, the ''Oberth''-class had been Starfleet’s primary surveyor design for nearly a century and was beginning to reach the end of its useful lifespan due to a number of factors, chief among them being its low overall top speed, fragility, and cramped quarters. Starfleet charged the ADSB to develop a new class of surveyor that would improve upon these flaws and be better suited towards exploration in the increasingly dangerous galaxy. The ''Springfield'' which had come online in the 2340s ostensibly to replace the ''Oberth'' never saw production in large numbers and never struck the right balance between cost, speed, and capability that Starfleet was looking for, and the smaller ''Raven''-class surveyors launched in the 2350s were simply not large enough to replace the ''Oberth'' as a fully-staffed research vessel for in-depth planetary surveys.
*Due to the mention of the ''K't'inga'' by Captain Pike by name in SNW: Supspace Rhapsody which is set in 2259, Bravo Fleet has taken the stance that all of the ships were of the ''K't'inga''-class and that the "D7" is the specific variant of the class that changes over time. A real world example of such a thing would be the [[wikipedia:Arleigh_Burke-class_destroyer#Variants|''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyer variants]] in the real world US Navy. The ships are outwardly identical or similar overall but have significant upgrades to technology over the years.


Several design studies were completed during the mid-2360s, but the project was not given a high priority, given the sheer number of ''Oberth''-class ships still in service and other shipbuilding needs across the fleet, especially after first contact with the Borg in 2365 triggered a massive building project involving a host of new starship classes optimized to fight them. This fleet modernization unexpectedly benefited the Nova-class project, however, when a rejected design study for the ''Defiant''-class escort was made available. Initially billed as a high-warp torpedo boat, the design was stripped of all but two of its torpedo launchers and fitted with powerful sensor arrays and science laboratories in their place.
{{clear}}
 
Final design work and construction on the two prototypes, ''Nova'' and ''Equinox'' continued through 2370, when they were launched for their space trials and final fitting out. The project suffered a significant setback when Equinox was lost in 2370, pulled into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker. Construction on the remaining 8 ships in the initial order was suspended until an inquiry proved that the loss was not a fault of the design itself, but the outbreak of the Dominion War in 2373 put a hold on those units until the cessation of hostilities. This left the USS Nova herself in the unique position of being the only operational ship of her class–at least until it was revealed in 2376 that the Equinox had not been destroyed in 2370, but had managed to survive for 6 years alone in the Delta Quadrant in the harshest of conditions–for over seven years.
 
Once construction resumed, the class quickly proved to be popular among both the admiralty and the officers manning them, due to their modern facilities and reliable nature. Construction was increased to ten units per year starting in 2379, and then fifteen a year in 2383.
 
Following the return of ''Voyager'' in 2378 and after extensive analysis of her logs and the logs of the ''Equinox'' a companion class was developed that would be designed for long-distance exploration and patrol missions, rather than short-duration survey missions, but the Nova-class continued to be constructed as designed in parallel with this new class.
 
Because of her enhanced tactical systems, the ''Nova'' remains Starfleet’s first choice for performing surveys in areas of space that are not completely secure both within and outside of Federation space, but she has been supplemented for missions in safer areas of space by the cheaper, less well-defended ''Dumont''-class surveyor since the late 2380s.
 
== In Play ==
 
* To differentiate between this ship and the Rhode Island, think of this as an economy car or a minivan and the Rhode Island as a sports car; the Nova is meant to linger in planetary systems and perform all of the scientific experiments it can think of, while a Rhode Island is meant to go out and explore on its own.
* Ever wonder what happens when the Enterprise completes its first pass through a new system? A ship like this is sent in to study every rock, tree, and being there to catalog it for the Federation’s records. Planetary surveyors are looking for places for new colonies, for archaeological artifacts, and for interesting new things about the universe.
* Nova-class ships are very common, and due to their small crews they often have relatively junior captains. Commanding a science vessel like this is often a stepping stone to a large explorer for science officers who have moved into the command track.
 
[[Category:Federation starship classes]]
[[Category:Surveyors]]

Revision as of 21:15, 7 March 2024

Ktingaclass.jpg
K't'inga Class
Information
Affiliation
Status

Active

Role

Battlecruiser

Lineage
Preceding Class

Sech-class

Succeeding Class Vor'cha-class
Service
Operator
Entered Service

2258

Production Ended

2369

Endurance
Expected Design Life

100 Years

Expected Refit Cycle

15 Years

Expected Resupply Cycle

3 Years

Crew Capacity
Standard Complement

350

Emergency Capacity

1,500

Dimensions
Length

349.54 meters

Width

251.76 meters

Height

98.41 meters

Decks

25

Propulsion
Propulsion Systems

Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive

Cruise Speed

Warp 7

Maximum Speed

Warp 9.6

Emergency Speed

Warp 9.8 (12 hours)

Armaments
Energy Weapons

6x disruptor cannons

Torpedo Launchers
  • 1x forward
  • 1x aft
Torpedo Payload
  • 150 photon torpedoes
  • 100 plasma torpedoes (Romulan version)
Shields
  • Deflector shields
  • Cloaking device
Template:Specification

The K't'inga-class battlecruiser was historically and prominently the frontline battlecruiser of the Klingon Empire for the second half of the 23rd century and well into the 24th century. Through various refits and modernizations, the K't'inga continued service well past her intended design life and into the Dominion War. Although a much rarer sight in the 25th century with the wide deployment of the Vor'cha-class battlecruiser, the K't'inga can still be found throughout Klingon space and the frontier as a multi-purposed ship of war.

Exploration and Science

Although a ship bred for war and used as a battlecuiser, the K't'inga is a deceptively adept exploration platform. The original design expectation that the K't'inga would be forced onto the fringe frontier of Klingon space for months or maybe even years at a time required that the ship be equipped with a suite of sensors to handle the unknown. This served multiple purposes in being able to relay mapping data, both passive and active, back to Klingon command to be analyzed as well as using the K't'inga's advanced sensor suite in combat situations against perspective targets. Historically, because of the advanced K't'inga sensors, the ubiquitous nature of the vessel throughout its lifetime, and the data collected over the years, the Klingon Defense Force was able to passively map out large swaths of the Klingon frontier.

The K't'inga, being the workhorse battlecruiser of the Klingon Empire for almost 100 years, also served as its premier ship of exploration in any sense that the Klingon Empire was interested in such endeavors. Compared to other Klingon vessels of her era, the K't'inga is the most well-equipped for scientific duties. Although, for a Klingon warship design, that leaves much to be desired. If ever a matter of science or exploration was required, the K't'inga was the ship that was deployed for such matters during much of its lifetime. In the modern era, ships with more advanced sensor suites such as the Vor'cha-class or Negh'Var-class would primarily be deployed to any exploration assignments of importance.

Diplomacy

Much like exploration, the K't'inga-class was not designed with diplomacy in mind other than through superior firepower against enemy forces. However, the K't'inga has historically been used by the Klingon Empire as a ship of diplomatic gesture throughout the mid to late 23rd century. To that end, the K't'inga has been equipped with a limited amount of conference rooms and stately guest quarters for visiting dignitaries.

Engineering

A ship born out of and bred for war, the K't'inga-class was an amalgamation of the best parts of the separate Great House's designs rolled into one vaguely familiar frame. The K't'inga-class battlecruiser incorporated aspects of the M'Chla-class, Chargh-class, and Qugh-class, but especially from the Sech-class and BortaS bir-class. Overall, the design appeared as a predator stalking the depths of space. The primary hull was almost wing-like, with two nacelles on each side, connecting a long "neck" with a "head" command section.

Tactical

At the time of its deployment, the K't'inga-class battlecruiser was easily the most formidable ship in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants. The K't'inga excels in combat, boasting an impressive weapons array, a cloaking device, incredibly resilient shields, and a new generation warp drive capable of propelling the ship to sustained speeds of Warp 9. The new warp drive also efficiently routed power through the vessel to its weapons systems, allowing for a more powerful disruptor blast than anything that had been fielded by the Klingons previously. Due to its main weapons array pointing forward from the ship, the thruster design throughout also makes it one of the most maneuverable vessels of its era for its size, able to bring its main weapons to bear against an enemy with ease.

The K't'inga-class is also an efficient combat vessel in several other areas including ship-to-ship combat, troop transport and deployment, and orbital or siege bombardment of stationary targets. In fact, compared to its contemporaries at the time, the only real threat to a K't'inga-class battlecruiser in one-on-one combat was the Starfleet Constitution-class starship.

Shipboard Life

The K't'inga was never built with comfort in mind. With that being said, the vessel was far more comfortable than its previous counterparts or contemporaries. The ship boasted actual leisure facilities; this was specifically unlike the Klingon designs that came before it. Leisure facilities vary between the Klingon and Romulan configurations of the design but largely include a massive mess hall, training facilities including a gym and bat’leth hall, and even limited holo facilities. However, when fully manned with troops for transport, quarters on the K't'inga are cramped and even the ship's captain would be forced to share accommodations.

Class History

The K't'inga-class battlecruiser first came to life as a design brought forth to the Klingon High Council by Chancellor L'Rell in 2257. The original design within the K't'inga-class, the D7 spaceframe, was an amalgamation of the greatest successes of the different designs that the Great Houses employed through their individual fleets. These designs were disparate from one another, indicative of the fracturing of the Klingon people during this time period in Klingon history, but all derived from much older designs such as the Vo'n'talk-class, Devastator-class, and Raptor-class of centuries past. Chancellor L'Rell saw the new K't'inga-class as a unifier of the Klingon people and ordered its mass production throughout the Great Houses as a symbol of that Klingon unity. The first K't'inga's were deployed only a few months later in order to assist the USS Enterprise against a rogue Federation armada. After this battle, the K't'inga did finally enter mass production as the Chancellor had asked for and quickly became the flagship and backbone of many of the Great Houses, and therefore, the Klingon Defense Force as a whole.

The original D7 spaceframe of the K't'inga-class firing a torpedo.

The first major change to the K't'inga came in the mid-2260s. By that point, the K't'inga had been in service for over 5 years and the engineers of the Klingon Defense Force had several suggested refits and remodels for the ship to increase its performance. This lined up with a budding alliance with the Romulan Star Empire, in which the Romulans were incredibly interested in the K't'inga design. The Klingons, knowing that the original K't'inga design was about to undergo a significant upgrade, traded the original design to the Romulans in exchange for the Romulans relinquishing all claims to the contested planet of Khitomer, a Klingon stronghold and one of the most strategically important planets in the Empire. Shortly after, the Klingon K't'inga's were upgraded from the D7 spaceframe to the D7A spaceframe, leaving the Romulans with the older design while the Klingons moved forward.

In subsequent decades, the Klingons continued to upgrade the K't'inga spaceframe. One of the most infamous iterations of a spaceframe appeared in the 2290s when the flagship of the Klingon Chancellor Gorkon, Kronos One, was deployed under the D7E spaceframe. Kronos One was vitally important to the signing of the Khitomer Accords, the Federation-Klingon Alliance that blossomed from those accords, and the future of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants as a whole. Many years later, as a symbol of peace and friendship, the Klingon Empire gifted Kronos One to the Federation to be displayed in the Starfleet Fleet Museum over Athan Prime.

The D7E spaceframe continued as the primary deployment of the K't'inga-class until the 2340s, when the D7F spaceframe was deployed as a significant upgrade to the internal systems of the K't'inga-class. The K't'inga-class continued for another 20 years undisturbed until the development and deployment of the Vor'cha-class battlecruiser. Seen as the first significant class in the Empire in over a generation, the Vor'cha was slated to replace the K't'inga within a decade as a massive improvement in every aspect. However, as the next decade rolled around and a new enemy came into sight, the lifespan of the K't'inga was artificially inflated.

Hundreds of K't'inga's in service at the start of the Cold War with the Dominion were slated for decommissioning and scrapping to use their raw materials to build a new fleet of Vor'cha's. However, when the severity of the Changeling infiltration issue was realized by then-Chancellor Gowron, the K't'inga's were instead repurposed back to war as the Klingon Empire invaded the Cardassian Union in 2372. When full-scale war broke out between the Dominion, now fully allied with the Cardassian Union, and the Federation-Klingon-Romulan Alliance, the K't'inga's made up a huge backbone of the Klingon fleet. The designs, while older, were still a fearsome ship of war. The K't'inga took heavy losses during the war which was on par with the overall heavy losses of the Klingon Empire. However, by wars end, the K't'inga still numbered in the hundreds. With the decimation that the Klingon fleet took overall, the K't'inga again had its lifespan artificially increased to allow the Klingon Defense Force to build its own forces.

As the Klingon forces recovered, the K't'inga began to be slowly phased out by the Great Houses. By the early 25th century, the K't'inga-class continues to serve many of the Houses but is no longer the backbone of most forces and becomes an increasingly dwindling sight in Klingon space.

Romulan D7

The Romulan configuration of the D7, easily notable by the feathered wings painted onto the hull.

During a short alliance between the Klingons and Romulans in the mid-2260s, several deals and accords were struck; this included a swap of the D7 spaceframe design of the K't'inga from the Klingons to the Romulans. This exchange immediately altered the history of the D7 spaceframe forever by adding the class to the Romulan fleet at the time when the K't'inga was receiving upgrades within the Klingon fleet.

By the 2270s, active development and construction of the D7 spaceframe had been discontinued by the Romulans in favor of their own, unique refit design on the platform. Eventually, the Romulans deployed their own improvement in the Stormbird-class.

The only substantial tactical difference between the Romulan and Klingon versions of the K't'inga over its production run was the inclusion of plasma torpedoes on the Romulan version.

In Play

  • The original D7 spaceframe has long since been retired by the Romulans and isn't a common sight for the Klingons anymore. However, over the years some have been lost, sold, or otherwise unaccounted for. This has led to these ships falling into the hands of civilians and outside of the government’s hands.
  • Although these ships are antiquated by 2401, they are still a formidable opponent that should not be underestimated.
  • The Romulan configuration is most likely to be found in the hands of petty warlords or regional overlords that have popped up within Romulan space since the fall of Romulus.

Additional Information

  • Due to the mention of the K't'inga by Captain Pike by name in SNW: Supspace Rhapsody which is set in 2259, Bravo Fleet has taken the stance that all of the ships were of the K't'inga-class and that the "D7" is the specific variant of the class that changes over time. A real world example of such a thing would be the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer variants in the real world US Navy. The ships are outwardly identical or similar overall but have significant upgrades to technology over the years.