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TheStar Trekfictional universe contains a variety ofweapons, ranging from missiles (photon torpedoes) to melee (primarily used by theKlingons, a race ofaliens in theStar Trek universe). TheStar Trek franchise consists mainly of several multi-season television shows and fourteen[1] movies, as well as various video games and merchandise. Many aspects of theStar Trek universe impact modern popular culture, especially its fictitious terminology and the concept of weaponry on spacecraft. The franchise has had a widespread influence on its audiences from the late 20th to early 21st century.[2] Notably,Star Trek's science fiction concepts have been studied by real scientists; NASA described it in relation to the real world as "entertaining combination of real science, imaginary science gathered from lots of earlier stories, and stuff the writers make up week-by-week to give each new episode novelty."[3] For example, NASA noted that theStar Trek "phasers" were a fictional extrapolation of real-life lasers, and compared them to real-life microwave based weapons that have a stunning effect.[3]
The franchise depicts various weapons which mostly fit the motif of theraygun, the most prominent of these being the "phaser". These directed-energy weapons emit energy rather than a projectile, though some (particularly in newer Star Trek shows) do fire bolts/pulses. A hand phaser can be set to "stun" or "kill".
| Phaser | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek franchise element | |
 Captain Kirk wielding a phaser rifle | |
| Production company | CBS |
| First appearance | |
| Created by | Gene Roddenberry |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Phased arrayPulsed energy projectile weapon |
| Function | Firearm Explosive Pain compliance Non-lethal weapon Riot control Welding Melting Heating Burning Lighting |
| Affiliation | Starfleet |
Phasers are common and versatilephased arraypulsed energy projectile weapons, first seen in the originalStar Trek series and later in almost all subsequent films and television spin-offs. Phasers range in size fromsmall arms tostarship-mounted weaponry. Phasers can either fire projectile like energy bolts or directed energy beams like a raygun.
Phaser output can be adjusted in both area of effect and output: a typical hand phaser can be adjusted so that it will merely shock or stun a living organism, while the effects of higher settings range from burning, disintegration, or to true vaporization. This versatility means they can also be used as welding torches or cutting tools, and can create heat sources by firing at a large, solid object (like a rock). The stream can be adjusted to strike multiple targets at once, strike a single target with precision, or even destroy large amounts of material. Phasers can be set to overload, whereby they build up a force-chamber explosion by continuously generating energy without releasing it; the resulting blast can destroy most natural objects within a 50-meter (160 ft) radius. The overload process is marked by a distinctive sound that increases in volume and frequency until it is deactivated or it detonates.[4] Personal phasers can be made small enough to fit in the user's palm and still be lethal.[5] Larger and more powerful phaser rifles are issued to security personnel.
Ship-mounted phasers have a similar range of functions on a larger scale: The phasers on theUSSEnterprise can be used as an "anti-missile" defense to destroy incoming projectiles,[6][7] stun entire city blocks full of people,[8] destroy cities,[9] and even destroy entire asteroids up to a given size. The ship's phaser system is also said to be capable of destroying continents.[10][11]
Although starships are frequently shown firing their phasers while at Warp speeds across the various Star Trek series, this was generally avoided duringThe Next Generation,[12][13] and theStar Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual states that it is impossible. TheStar Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, on the other hand, describes an "ACB-jacketed beam device" as the mechanism which allows phasers to function at Warp speeds.
According to later series, phasers release a beam or bolt of fictional subatomic particles called "rapid nadion", which are then refracted ("rectified") through superconducting crystals. TheStar Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual indicates that the superconducting crystals used in phasers are calledfushigi no umi, which is Japanese for "sea of mystery", and the phrase is writtenふしぎの海 in the original glyphs. This was a homage to the 1990 anime seriesFushigi no Umi no Nadia, known in North America asNadia: The Secret of Blue Water.
The phasers in the 2009reboot filmStar Trek appear similar in shape to the classic phasers, but fire singular energy pulses instead of a sustained stream of them, in a fashion similar tosemi-automatic weapons.[14] This version of the phaser has two settings, stun and kill, which fire blue and red colored pulses respectively. The barrel of the weapon is two-sided, one being colored red and the other blue to indicate the current setting; the user must manually rotate to the other output to use the other setting. A similar change is seen in the starship-mounted phaser banks, which also fire single energy pulse instead of continuous streams. InStar Trek Beyond, the barrel sides of the sidearm phasers are flat and both barrels shoot blue bolts that deal no physical damage, while the barrel tips are still colored blue and red.
The original phaser rifle prop from "Where No Man Has Gone Before" sold at auction in 2013 for $231,000.[15]
Lasers are a sidearm in the originalStar Trek pilot "The Cage", and laser pistols appear in severalStar Trek: The Original Series (TOS) episodes, although later episodes inStar Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) indicate that the laser's use as a weapon is outdated. In one instance, the ship-mounted lasers of two spacecraft were incapable of overcoming the navigational shields of theUSSEnterprise-D,[16] though on two other occasions it is threatened with destruction by a laser-armed spacecraft.[17][18] TheBorg cutter weapon is a laser, as mentioned in theTNG episode "Q Who" and is capable of quickly disintegrating the hull of a Federation starship, as seen in the pilot episode ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, "Emissary". At lower power levels, it is capable of making "surgical" incisions into a ship's hull.
According toThe Making of Star Trek,Gene Roddenberry claimed that production staff realized using laser technology would cause problems in the future, as people came to understand what lasers could and could not do. This resulted in the move to phasers on-screen, while letting lasers be known as a more primitive weapon style.
Plasma cannons are a form of directed energy weaponry used by both Earth Starfleet and the early Romulan Star Empire. On Starfleet vessels, they are the precursors to phase cannons. Plasma cannons fire a plasma discharge in the form of a beam or a burst, similar to the plasma bullets fired by hand-held plasma weapons, but much bigger in size. The NX-class is initially armed with plasma cannons.
Phase cannons are 22nd century weapons, several of which first appear mounted to theEnterprise in theStar Trek: Enterprise episode "Silent Enemy". Phase cannons have a variable yield, with the cannons on theEnterprise being rated for a maximum output of 500 gigajoules, equivalent to about 120 tons of TNT.[19] Phase cannons are generally more powerful than spatial torpedoes.[20] They are the 22nd century precursor to phaser technology, in addition to phase pistols (hand-carried phase cannons). Unlike 24th century phasers, they do not have the normal variable power settings or a variable beam width – only stun and kill.
Disruptors are employed by several alien species in this series, includingRomulans,Klingons,Breen,Cardassians, Iridians and Orions in their personal and military small arms as well as being mounted as cannon, emitters, turrets, and banks. Only the first three species are known to have type-3 disruptors, the most advanced type developed by the 24th Century. Disruptors cause damage by exciting the molecular bonds of targets to such great extents that those bonds are weakened and/or broken by the energies emitted, which often manifest as an explosive force. According to Last Unicorn'sStar Trek: The Next Generation Role-playing Game, disruptors are considered less "elegant" than phaser-based weapons; their effects there are described as thermal shock and blunt force, as opposed to the "rapid nadion effect". As a result, disruptors inflict more damage to matter, but less damage to shields, than phasers. Klingons call their disruptorsnISwI'.
Phased polaron cannons are the primary armament of theDominion, the main antagonist faction in the later seasons ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. The cannon emits a beam of polaron particles, the fictional in-universe antimatter counterpart of themuon (not to be confused with the actualpolaron or the actualantimuon). When first introduced, Dominion polaron cannons easily penetrate the shielding systems of most Alpha Quadrant races. The Alpha Quadrant races eventually learn to modify their shields to resist polaron weaponry ("Call to Arms").
Tetryon cannons are the primary armament of the Hirogen and are similar in application to phasers and disruptors. Tetryon cannons are unique in that they are designed primarily to damage energy and force fields, such as starship shields. Tetryon cannons damage matter, but not to the same extent as phasers or disruptors. This is in line with the Hirogen philosophy of the hunt, as depicted inStar Trek: Voyager (VOY). The Hirogen ship would therefore knock out its opponent's shields and beam over hunters to engage in face-to-face ranged or melee combat. This allows the Hirogen hunters to collect items that they would consider to be hunting trophies.
Varon-T disruptors are featured in theStar Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) episode "The Most Toys", and are mentioned to be a rare type of disruptor that are illegal in theFederation because of their slow, excruciating method of killing, with the weapons tearing the body apart from the inside. Kivas Fajo, a Zibalian trader in that episode, owns four of the five Varon-T disruptors ever manufactured (he sleeps with one under his pillow) and uses one on his own crew before his collection of rare items was confiscated after his capture and arrest for kidnapping and theft (among other crimes).[21] The fifth Varon-T was kept by the criminal Kelsey who was killed when her scout ship exploded.[22]
TheFerengi energy whip, as seen in theTNG episode "The Last Outpost", looks and handles like a typicalbullwhip and discharges a powerful phaser-like energy pulse.
Also referred to as conventional torpedoes, spatial torpedoes are 22nd century weapons used byEnterprise. Spatial torpedoes are the ship's most powerful and primary ship-to-ship weapon before the installation of phase cannons.[19] Spatial torpedoes are themselves superseded by more powerful photonic torpedoes.[23] Unlike photonic torpedoes or any of the warhead's successors, spatial torpedoes are launched at sub-light velocity and can be used much in the manner of a missile, having the warhead on afly-by-wire.[24]
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Photon torpedoes are a standard ship-based weapon armed with anantimatter warhead. They are present in every version of theStar Trek series and are a standard weapon on almost every Federation ship, though inStar Trek: Enterprise (ENT), the titular ship uses less powerful spatial torpedoes (guided, rocket propelled missiles) until receiving the more powerful "photonic" variant. Photon torpedoes first appear on aStarfleet ship in the original series' episode "Arena" as part of the USSEnterprise's armament. In theStar Trek: Enterprise episode "The Expanse", theEnterprise (NX-01) first receives photonic torpedoes. Smaller Starfleet craft such as shuttlecraft and runabouts can be armed with "micro-torpedoes", a scaled-down version of photon torpedoes designed for use on craft too small to accommodate the full-sized weapon.
When fired, photon torpedoes usually appear as a spiky orb of energy of varying colours, such as red,[25] orange,[26] yellow, blue, or green,[27] or in the case ofStar Trek: The Original Series (TOS), red bolts. According to the original notes toTOS andThe Making of Star Trek, photon torpedoes are energy shielded to allow armor-penetration. Several[specify] episodes seem to suggest this (TNG: "Suspicions"). The energy output of a photon torpedo, according to theStar Trek Technical Manuals is a maximum theoretical yield of 25 isotons and a maximum rated yield of 18.5 isotons. According toStar Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, photon torpedoes use 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb) of matter and the same amount of antimatter. In theTOS episode, "Balance of Terror", photon torpedoes had replaced nuclear warheads as the primary wartime weapons on Federation starships.
Torpedoes are often depicted as being easy to modify to suit specific situations. Despite the stated maximum yield, torpedoes can be made far more destructive with relatively little effort. InStar Trek: Voyager, Tuvok and Kim modify a normal photon torpedo with a gravimetric charge, a piece ofBorg technology, to increase its destructive yield to 54 isotons. Kim comments that 50 isotons would be sufficient to destroy a small planet. Janeway later instructs them to increase its yield to 80 isotons. InStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Spock and Dr. McCoy modify a photon torpedo to track the plasma emissions from acloaked Klingonbird of prey as it attacks theEnterprise-A and theExcelsior, similar to the principal function of aheat-seeking missile.
Photon torpedo launchers aboard ships are shown to be able to fire probes, which, in-universe, are designed with this functionality in mind. InStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, a torpedo casing is used as a makeshift coffin forburial in space and as scientific probes as in theTNG episode "In Theory" and inStar Trek Generations.
Plasma torpedoes are used by the Romulans, Cardassians, and (according toStar Fleet Battles,Klingon Academy andStarfleet Command) theGorn. The damage of a plasma torpedo spreads out over several ship systems at once, but the torpedo loses its effectiveness after only a few minutes of travel. Romulan plasma torpedoes use trilithium isotopes in their warheads.
Gravimetric torpedoes are torpedoes used by the Borg. The weapon emits a complex phase variance ofgravitons to create a gravimetric distortion capable of tearing starships apart.
Quantum torpedoes first appear in theDeep Space Nine episode "Defiant" as a weapon aboard theUSS Defiant. In theDS9 episode "Paradise Lost", the USSLakota was also stated to be carrying quantum torpedoes, although they were never used.[28] Additionally, theUSSEnterprise-E is equipped with quantum torpedoes inStar Trek: First Contact andStar Trek: Nemesis. The Federation are the only known users of quantum torpedoes. TheStar Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual states that quantum torpedoes derive their destructive power fromvacuum energy.[29] Various in-universe sources describe quantum torpedoes as roughly double the destructive power of standard photon torpedoes, putting their yield somewhere in excess of 100 megatons of TNT.
Four of the USSEnterprise-E's quantum torpedoes destroyed an unshieldedBorg sphere. The launcher appears on the 1701-E inStar Trek: Insurrection but is never fired. InStar Trek: Nemesis, nine of theEnterprise-E's quantum torpedoes disable theScimitar's cloaking function.
Quantum torpedoes are normally shown in a shade of blue. As ofNemesis the following ship classes have quantum torpedoes launcher;Defiant–,Intrepid–,Luna–,Sovereign–,Vesta– ,Akira– andAchilles–class. In addition to the uncrewed Cardassian spacecraftDreadnought, these are the only ships known to be equipped with quantum torpedoes. Though Dreadnought only has quantum torpedoes due to the maquis acquiring them illicitly, along with their other military grade weapons. B'elanna Torres installed the quantum torpedoes on Dreadnought to increase its armament from the original complement.
Polaron torpedoes, like the Dominion weapon, are capable of penetrating normal shielding with ease. They appear in variousStar Trek games. InStarfleet Command III, it is one of the Klingon's three heavy weapon options, the others being the photon torpedo and theion cannon. It also appears inStar Trek: Armada andStar Trek: Armada II, as a researchable weapon for the Klingon Empire exclusive to theVor'cha-class cruiser which takes out one of the targeted ship's systems at random.
Transphasic torpedoes appear only once, in theVoyager series finale, "Endgame". They are high-yield torpedoes that are designed specifically to fight the Borg. The future Admiral Janeway brought them back in time in a Federation shuttlecraft and had them installed onboardVoyager in 2378. They are among the most powerful weapons used in theStar Trek universe; just one is capable of obliterating an entire Borg cube. They work by delivering destructive subspace compression pulse explosion. Upon detonation the pulse is delivered in asymmetric superposition of multiple phase states. Since the shields can block only one subcomponent of the pulse the remaining majority is delivered to the target. On the top of it every torpedo has different transphasic configuration generated randomly by a dissonant feedback effect to prevent Borg or any other enemy to predict the configuration of the phase states. Although they do not appear in the filmNemesis, according to the non-canonDestiny book trilogy these are kept by Starfleet as the weapon of last resort to be deployed to starships only when all else had failed against the Borg. Eventually, the situation becomes dire enough that the specifications are released to Federation and Klingon ships; the Borg eventually learn to adapt to them.
The Isokinetic cannon was seen in only one episode ofStar Trek: Voyager, "Retrospect". In the episode, representatives of USSVoyager meet with a weapons trader and designer known as Kovin. The demonstration of the weapon destroys a target buoy composed of 10 m thick solid monotanium with a chromoelectric forcefield in one shot, coring it cleanly through.
The TR-116 projectile rifle is a prototype weapon developed by the Federation for situations where conventional energy weapons might be rendered useless by damping fields or other countermeasures. It is introduced in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Field of Fire", where it is used in conjunction with a micro-transporter and a visual scanner headpiece to create an extremely potent sniper rifle. With the scanner, the shooter can precisely target people hundreds of meters away and through solid matter with no difficulty. Using the transporter attached to the barrel, the slug can then be transported during motion at full velocity, thus traveling through walls and materializing within point-blank range of the target.
Phased plasma torpedoes can phase out of normal space-time to bypass shields, then phase back in to detonate on a ship's hull, thus making shields worthless against them. They only appear in the PC gameStar Trek: Bridge Commander. Shortly after the recovery of the Pegasus device, the phasing properties used in the design are seen as a delivery system for torpedoes. Reducing the size of the phasing coils used to accomplish an intangible state proves difficult. Further, the antimatter within the warhead has a destabilizing effect on the phasing coil. A new kind of explosive material is needed, and it is found using the principles behind the first observed Romulan plasma weapons. The installation of a high-energy plasma infuser allows a torpedo casing to be filled with a warhead charged with high-energy plasma from the ship's warp nacelles. Warp plasma is highly unstable and can be easily detonated. Using a nanite-controlled trigger for reactant release allows vessels to deliver a high-energy plasma warhead payload within a Mark IV torpedo casing.
Chroniton torpedoes are a unique form of weapon employed by theKrenim. The weapons phase in and out of normal time, allowing them to pass through ordinary shields and directly damage a vessel's hull.[30] Though dangerous, their reliability is not absolute, asSeven of Nine andTuvok (as well asKes in the alternate timeline presented in "Before and After") find an undetonated chroniton torpedo lodged inVoyager's hull, which in turn allow the crew to adapt the shields to withstand further attacks.[30]
The Kessok are a highly intelligent race that ally themselves with the Cardassians, albeit through deceit, in the video gameStar Trek: Bridge Commander. They utilize positron torpedoes: powerful, slow-moving projectiles able to inflict nearly twice as much damage as quantum torpedoes.
Thalaron radiation was first used in the feature filmStar Trek: Nemesis by the villainShinzon to assassinate the entireRomulan senate. Later in the movie, Shinzon attempts to kill the crew of theUSSEnterprise-E using a ship-mounted version. Thalaron radiation, even in small amounts, petrifies living tissue almost instantly. Its properties also allow its range and area of effect to be precisely controlled, from encompassing a single room to engulfing an entire planet. Its massive destructive potential leads theFederation to consider it an extremely illegal biogenic weapon.[31] It later features prominently in the plot of "Homecoming", theStar Trek: New Frontier short story in the 2008Mirror Universe anthologyShards and Shadows, in which the rebels manage to steal a Romulan thalaron bomb intended for use by the Alliance, to strike a balance of power against them.[32]
The metreon cascade was designed by Dr. Ma'Bor Jetrel of the Haakonian Order. Unstable metreon isotopes are used to create a devastating explosion, with radiation effects similar to those of the 20th-century atomic bomb. Those not killed or vaporized in the initial blast suffer radiation poisoning and death in the aftermath. It is used only once, on theTalaxianmoon Rinax in 2355.[33]
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Trilithium resin is a byproduct of a starship's warp engines that is lethal to humans, but harmless to Cardassians. A team of terrorists attempted to steal Trilithium resin from the warp core of theEnterprise-D when it was docked at Arkaria Station to receive a baryon sweep.[34]
Captain Benjamin Sisko would later use a Trilithium resin torpedo to render a Maquis planet uninhabitable to all human life for fifty years by detonating it in the atmosphere.[35]
Cobalt diselenide is a biogenic weapon that affects the nervous system. It is composed of selenium and rhodium nitrates. It is the counterpart to trilithium resin, being lethal to Cardassians but harmless to most other humanoids.[35]
Aceton assimilators are used to absorb energy from other sources and then redirect it back as hazardous radiation.[36]
The KaBar combat knife is the Federation's standard-issue combat and survival knife. It is 32.5 cm (12.8 in) and is standard equipment in survival gear and in emergency weapons caches aboard starships. Captain Kathryn Janeway uses one in theStar Trek: Voyager episode "Macrocosm".
In the real world, theKA-BAR is an official combat knife of theUnited States Marine Corps.
Akatana is a Federation sword of Japanese origin. The only major difference is that theStar Trek version is foldable, thus occupying a minimum space when carried and stored. In the 2009Star Trek reboot, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu produces a folding katana with which to cut the lines of his parachute.
TheJem'Hadar often havebayonets attached to their plasma (also known as polaron-pulse) rifles. They employ these in close combat, or to execute prisoners. Often Jem'Hadar bayonets are chemically enhanced, releasing a lethal nerve-agent on contact.
Kar'takin are straight-bladed polearms used by the Jem'Hadar in close combat. They are used by both Starfleet officers and Jem'Hadar in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "To the Death". The Kar'takin bear a resemblance to theBardiche axe.
In theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen video game, this weapon delivers a taser-like jolt to whatever it strikes in combat. Holding the shock blade's trigger discharges a beam of neuro-electrical energy, with an effective range of 15 feet.[37]
The bat'leth is theKlingon double-sidedscimitar/hook sword/lujiaodao hybrid–edge weapon, designed by martial arts enthusiast andStar Trek: The Next Generation effects producerDan Curry.[38] The bat'leth is a curved blade with spiked protrusions and handholds along the middle of the blade's back. In battle, the handholds are used to twirl and spin the blade rapidly.
Klingon oral history holds that the first bat'leth was forged around 625 A.D. byKahless, who dropped a lock of his hair into the lava from the Kri'stak Volcano, then plunged the fiery lock into the lake of Lursor and twisted it to form a blade.[38] After forging the weapon, he used it to defeat the tyrant Molor, and in doing so united theKlingon homeworld.[38] This first bat'leth is known as the Sword of Kahless' and was stolen by the invadingHur'q;an episode ofDeep Space Nine revolves around an effort to recover the Sword of Kahless.[38] The namebat'leth itself is a slight corruption ofbatlh 'etlh, which means "Sword of Honor" in Klingon.
A "Valdris" blade was used in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in two7-Eleven armed-robberies in 2009.[39]
A smaller version of this "belly–spear" (the literal Klingon translation) is used in the children's game ofqa'vak, which incorporates spinning hoops, and hones assorted skills needed for hunting. Once a male Klingon reaches the Age of Ascension, he is presented with an adult version of the chon'naq by his father - on the occasion of their first hunt together as men.
A d'k tahg is a Klingondagger. The knife has three blades: a main blade with a cutout in the center, and two smaller blades on either side. In some models, these side blades are spring–loaded and can pop out into position and close up for storage. In other models, the blades are fixed. It also features apommel studded with blunt spikes. The d'k tahg first appears inStar Trek III: The Search for Spock, and appears occasionally throughout the following films and television series. The knife was designed byGil Hibben.[40] Although the d'k tahg appears inStar Trek III, it is not referred to by name untilStar Trek: The Next Generation.
This polearm is similar to a halberd.
Directly descended from the weapon which inspired the KlingontIq'ghob emblem, this dagger (literal translation: 'blood-knife') is longer and heavier than the d’k tahg (which was derived from it). The Iw'taj is a dedicated dueling weapon.
The two side–blades, one pointing up and one pointing down, serve particular functions. The upward-pointing blade is designed to catch an opponent's weapon and, with a twisting motion, disarm him. The downward-pointing blade is designed to inflict shallow cuts in passing, sapping the enemy's strength; said design allows the weapon to advance smoothly, without this blade getting in the way. Duelists often hook their index and middle fingers over the crossbar; doing this allows the weapon to achieve impressive agility, despite weakening the grip. It may also be used with a reverse grip.
The Iw'taj is often carried by traditionalists, and by discerning martial artists. Usually, a warrior who carries both a mek’leth and an Iw'taj is from a Qvav’mar background, and/or is a personal combatant of high caliber.[41]
This throwing-dagger is more often used defensively, to ward off blade attacks. Typically, it is wielded as a combination knuckleduster/boomerang.
Amek'leth is the Klingonshort sword that appears in several episodes ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine and in the filmStar Trek: First Contact. Designed byDan Curry, it consists of a short, thick, curved blade with a metal guard extending back parallel with the grip to protect the hand.Worf is the most commonly seen user of the mek'leth, owning one and using it several times, including inhand-to-hand combat againstBorg drones inFirst Contact.
This "pain-stick" (the literal translation), capable of killing a 2-ton Rectyne Monopod, is used as part of the Klingon Age of Ascension ritual.
Similar to the d'k tahg, the kut'luch is "the ceremonial weapon of an assassin". A kut'luch is designed to do considerable damage to internal organs, by Klingon standards thus making it an extremely lethal weapon. The kut'luch is featured in theStar Trek: The Next Generation episode "Sins of the Father", when Worf's brother, Kurn, is stabbed; and in theStar Trek: Voyager episode "Real Life", where the Doctor's simulated "son" prepares for the Kut'luch ceremony.
This “longsword” (the literal translation of tIq 'etlh) is one of the more Terran–like Klingon weapons. Like spears, tik'leths are traditional weapons of the rank-and-file. Many nobles prefer a tik'leth's offensive functionality to that of a bat'leth, while many soldiers carry mass-produced bat’leths as a status symbol.[41]
ARomulanpolearm, similar to atrident with retractable blades. It appears in the 2009Star Trek reboot and is used by the renegade miner Nero. In theCountdown comic, Nero's weapon is revealed to be the "Debrune teral'n", an ancient Romulan artifact that symbolized the empire's power; it is traditionally held by the presidingPraetor.
A similar weapon, resembling anaxe was also used by a member of Nero's crew.
An ahn'woon is a Vulcan catch–strangle weapon, similar in principle to acast net but more versatile. Depending on the skill of the user, it can be used several ways. It is wide enough to be asling. InJames Blish’s adaptation of theTOS script, Kirk employs it this way and hits Spock in the ribs with a stone. The multi-strapped weapon (approximately 1.1 meters long) uses weights on the ends of the straps, likebolas, to entangle, stun, or cut the target. The application of tying action and wrapping, as with agarrote, can restrict the breathing of the target, asphyxiating the victim. It is considered the oldest Vulcan weapon.
A lirpa is a largeVulcan weapon consisting of a wooden staff with a semicircular blade at one end and a metal bludgeon on the other. It is similar to themonk's spade and thepugil stick. CaptainJames T. Kirk andSpock used lirpas when they fought for possession ofT'Pring during Spock'sPon farr ritual in "Amok Time". Soldiers sent afterJonathan Archer andT'Pol fought with lirpas because Vulcan's "Forge" region makes conventional energy weapons useless.
In theTNG episode "Code of Honor", the Ligonians have deep traditions of fighting with a poison-tipped hand weapon called a glavin. It is a large glove with a recurved claw at the end, and covered with dozens of spines. In several episodes, Worf is seen displaying one in his quarters, most likely the same one used by Lt. Tasha Yar.
In theTOS episode "The Cloud Minders", mortaes and thongs are mining tools used as martial weapons by the "troglyte" (a corruption oftroglodyte) miners, and apparently the ruling class is also trained with these weapons, as Plasus challenges Kirk to hand-to-hand combat, asking, "Are you as brave with a mortae as with a phaser?" Kirk responds, "Both will kill."
In theEnterprise episode "United", Andorian commanderThy'lek Shran and the NX-01's captainJonathan Archer, as a second for a Tellarite officer who kills Tallas, Shran's chief tactical officer and lover, engage in an Andorian "ushaan" duel. The weapon used is the ushaan-tor, an Andorian ice-mining blade. The handheld blade of theushaan-tor is about 20 cm from end to end, and resembles an InupiatUlu blade from Alaska, but in a one-piece all-metal design instead of having a separate wooden handle.
Subspace weapons are a class of directed energy weapons that directly affectsubspace. The weapons can produce actual tears in subspace, and are extremely unpredictable. These weapons were banned underthe second Khitomer Accord. The Son'a equipped their vessels with these types of weapons.
Son'a vessels carried and used isolytic burst weapons, a type of subspace weapon. They were seen using this weapon against theEnterprise-E inStar Trek: Insurrection. TheEnterprise was only able to escape the weapon's effect by ejecting its warp core and detonating it to seal a subspace rift.
The tricobalt warhead is a subspace weapon whose high-yield detonations can tear holes in subspace. Tricobalt devices are not a standard armament of Federation vessels and yields are calculated in Tera-Cochranes, indicating that its mechanism is somewhat similar to the general reaction in a warp field.
InTOS: "A Taste of Armageddon", the Eminian Union classified the USSEnterprise as 'destroyed' when it was hit by virtual tricobalt satellites. InDS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations", Arne Darvin plants a tricobalt explosive in a dead Tribble in an attempt to kill Kirk.USSVoyager uses a pair of tricobalt devices to destroy the Caretaker array in theStar Trek: Voyager pilot episode, "Caretaker", and such a device was used againstVoyager in the episode "Blink of an Eye". A tricobalt warhead was also used by theTholians in theStar Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly". They detonated a tricobalt warhead inside thegravity well of a dead star. The explosion created an interphasic rift, which they used to lure the Federation starship USSDefiant from another universe.
The gamesStar Trek: Armada andStar Trek: Armada II have ships armed with Tricobalt devices for artillery support. TheFederationSteamrunner-class, theKlingonChuq'Beh-class Bird of Prey, theRomulanRaptor-class Warbird, and theBorg Harbinger are all capable of using them. The workings of the weapon is unknown but theorised is the use ofCobalt-60.[42][43]
It is far more likely that tricobalt refers to the third periodical table analog for cobalt; similar to dilithium being the second periodic table equivalent of regular lithium. "trititanium" and most other in trek universe usage where a numeric prefix is appended to a regular real world periodic table element refers to additional periodic tables whose elements are composed of nucleons that are not protons or neutrons and maybe not even regular electrons yet can form atoms molecules and chemical compounds similar to normal matter.
Neutron radiation such as produced by a Cobalt 60 weapon is not very useful for destroying outposts, starships or anything else that is not a living creature.
Around Stardate 43995, the Borg used this weapon to drive the USSEnterprise, NCC-1701-D, from the Paulson Nebula. This shortly leads to the abduction of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
During Season 4, Episode 1 ofStar Trek: Voyager,Captain Janeway consults with Borg representative Seven of Nine on how to destroySpecies 8472. Janeway calls Seven of Nine's "multikinetic neutronic mine" a "weapon of mass destruction," following up on a statement fromTuvok that it would affect an entire starsystem, destroying innocent worlds. The mine's five-million isoton yield can disperse Borg nanoprobes across a five-light year range.
Dreadnought was a Cardassian self-guided missile, containing one thousand kilograms of matter, and another thousand of antimatter. Tuvok describes this as enough to destroy a small moon. Although described as a self-guided missile, in practice Dreadnought functions much like an autonomous starship, and it even had life support capability on board. It possesses shields, phasers, a complement of quantum torpedoes, a Thoron shock emitter, a plasma wave weapon, engines capable of reaching at least Warp 9, and a sophisticated computer AI. It appears in theVoyagerepisode of the same name. It had been captured by theMaquis due to a failed detonator and reprogrammed to attack its original creator. It was dragged into the Delta Quadrant in much the same manner asVoyager, and when unable to resolve the unforeseen situation it locked on to a planet that was similar to the one it was programmed to target, but which was inhabited by innocents. Dreadnought was equipped with an exceptionally sophisticated artificial intelligence, capable of "paranoia" to a certain degree, as when reprogrammer B'Elanna Torres attempted to prevent it from destroying the innocent planet, it came to the conclusion that she had been captured by her Cardassian enemies and forced to make up a story to prevent the attack; it thenpretended to follow her commands and shut down, only to re-activate and continue its mission once she was no longer aboard.
Similar in purpose to the Cardassian Dreadnought, the Tactical Armor Units are self-guided missiles with sophisticated artificial intelligence. They are much smaller than Dreadnought, being only a few feet in length, and while nowhere near as powerful, they are nonetheless classified as weapons of mass destruction, capable of destroying everything in a 200-kilometer radius with a highly focused antimatter explosion. Their coordination and control is done through a "Strategic Command Matrix", analogous to a nuclear control network of the type used by the United States. Each one possesses shielding, warp drive of indeterminate speed, and a sentient,genius-levelartificial intelligence programmed to do whatever is necessary to reach their targets and detonate. They can detect and prevent tampering, are intelligent enough to find a way past almost any obstacle, and can win engagements even when outnumbered. They were created by a Delta Quadrant race called the Druoda, and the devices were greatly feared for their endurance and tenacity.[44]
Q firearms were used in the Q Civil War by theVoyager crew to compensate against the infinite power of the Q in "The Q and the Grey". They are depicted as muzzle-loading muskets, to fit with the American Civil War-theme used by the Q Continuum as a concession to the human characters' limited perceptions. Presumably, their actual form would be as incomprehensible to non-Q as the Continuum itself. The use of the weapons caused stars to go supernova as a side effect in normal reality. They are arguably the most powerful weapons ever wielded by any humanoid species, as indicated by their ability to injure the otherwise-invulnerable Q.
In the 2009Star Trek reboot, red matter was developed onVulcan before 2387. When even a droplet is ignited an unstablesingularity is formed; accordingly, it must be stored in a protective chamber. The red matter was originally to be used to save the Romulan homeworld from a volatilesupernova, but the design was finished too late to prevent Romulus' destruction. Upon capture in the "past" (2258) by the Romulan Nero, it was used as a planet-destroyingdoomsday weapon in conjunction with a plasma drill which bored a hole almost to the core of a planet. A small amount of red matter was then activated at the bottom of the drilling site, creating a black hole in the heart of the planet that would tear it apart from within. Red matter was thus used to destroy an alternate Vulcan ("alternate" due to temporal disruption, from Nero's haphazard method of time travel), then ultimately destroyed Nero's ship, theNarada, along with all remaining technology from his ship, and all of the remaining red matter.
A psionic resonator was a weapon that functioned by amplifying telepathic energy and focusing it into kinetic form. In 2369 one type of Vulcan psionic resonator, known as the Stone of Gol was discovered to still exist, though in pieces, long after it was thought destroyed. The mercenary Arctus Baran was hired to locate the pieces and deliver them to the Vulcan Isolationist Movement.[45]
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