In theStar Trek franchise, theKlingon Empire makes use of severalclasses ofstarships. As the Klingons are portrayed as a warrior culture, driven by the pursuit of honor and glory, the Empire is shown to usewarships almost exclusively and even their support ships, such as troop transports and colony ships, are armed for battle. This contrasts with theexploration andresearch vessels used byStarfleet, the protagonists of the franchise. The first Klingon ship design used inThe Original Series, the D7-classbattlecruiser, was designed byMatt Jefferies to evoke a shape akin to that of amanta ray, providing a threatening and instantly recognizable form for viewers. The configuration of Jefferies's design featured a bulbous forwardhull connected by a long boom to a wing-like main hull with theengine nacelles mounted on each wingtip. Though a variety of Klingon ships have appeared inStar Trek, their design generally conforms to this style. Most Klingon vessels were physically built asscale models, although latercomputer-generated imagery was used to create the models. In recent years, many of the original studio models have been sold at auctions.
All Klingon ships are equipped with some form ofsublight engine, and most of these ships are equipped withsuperluminal propulsion technology calledwarp drive. Klingon vessels are usually depicted as being heavily armed, equipped withparticle beam weapons calleddisruptors andphoton torpedoes, anantimatter weapon, as primary offensive weaponry. Later Klingon ships usecloaking devices. ForThe Next Generation andDeep Space Nine, Klingon ships were designed byRick Sternbach to reflect technology exchanges as a result of an alliance between the Klingons and Starfleet. In theprequel television seriesEnterprise, Klingon ships are designed to appear more primitive than those chronologically later in the franchise. The interior of Klingon vessels is utilitarian in nature: this is intended to mimic an oldsubmarine. Klingon ship names are usually preceded by theprefix "IKS", an abbreviation for "Imperial Klingon Starship".
The D7-class battlecruiser is the first Klingon starship observed in theStar Trek franchise. The vessel was designed byMatt Jefferies to be distinctive and quickly recognized by viewers. As Jefferies wanted the D7-class to appear "threatening, even vicious", the design was modeled on amanta ray in both basic shape and color. The spread-wing primary hull, long neck and bulbous command module configuration of the D7-class became the basic blueprint for Klingon vessels in the later television series. Jefferies's original model for the D7-class now resides in theSmithsonian Institution'sNational Air and Space Museum, along with the original studio model forUSSEnterprise.
The D7-class model was originally produced forThe Original Series episode "Elaan of Troyius"; however, as the episodes were not aired in their production order, the vessel first appeared in "The Enterprise Incident". It is shown to be armed with several disruptor banks that fire inpulses, and in the remastered version, with a torpedo launcher in the forward module. In one episode ofThe Animated Series, "More Tribbles, More Troubles", a D7-class battlecruiser is equipped with an experimentalstasis weapon, capable of paralyzing target vessels. The vessel possesses bothimpulse engines andwarp drive, allowing forfaster-than-light travel. While Klingon vessels in the television series set afterThe Original Series possesscloaking devices, the Klingon D7-class does not at first. This is changed after "The Enterprise Incident", several D7-class battlecruisers are shown underRomulan control as the result of a technology exchange between the Romulans and the Klingons; these vessels use a cloaking device.
The appearance of the D7-class has been revisited several times in theStar Trek series; an entirely new studio model was created byGreg Jein for theDeep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". With an overall green hue, this model had a significantly more detailed hull in comparison to the bland gray of the original. A D7-class ship also appears in theVoyager episode "Prophecy"; however, as aCGI model of Jein's model was not available, the ship was instead portrayed with a CGI model of theK't'inga-class battlecruiser.[1] The D7-class was again revisited for the remastered version ofThe Original Series, in whichMichael Okuda created a new CGI D7-class model, with improved hull detail and Romulan bird markings for the D7-class vessels in "The Enterprise Incident". This remastered D7-class was digitally inserted into episodes earlier than their original appearances.[2]
An upgrade of the design used for the D7-class vessel, theK't'inga-class battlecruiser was first conceived for use in the pilot episode ofStar Trek: Phase II. WhenPhase II was abandoned, the story of the pilot was adapted forStar Trek: The Motion Picture, where threeK't'inga-class battlecruisers are used in the opening scenes.Andrew Probert is credited as the designer of theK't'inga model in itsdesign patent, while the class name was given byGene Roddenberry in his novelization ofThe Motion Picture. Although sharing a nearly identical configuration with the D7-class, the primary difference in theK't'inga-class is the level of detail on the hull, enhanced to make the model appear more believable to viewers on screen. The configuration of the vessel's impulse engines also differs from that of the D7-class. TheK't'inga model was later revisited forStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, in whichIndustrial Light & Magic enhanced the original studio model with glowing engine nacelles and changed the color from muted gray-greens to light gray with gold accents and maroon paneling. ILM's alterations were meant to "contrast... with theEnterprise-A, which is very smooth and monochromatic and cool, while this Klingon ship is very regal and ostentatious and warm".[3] A CGI version of the ship, with a slightly modified nacelle design, was created for the later seasons ofDeep Space Nine; this particular model was erroneously used to represent older Klingon ships in theVoyager episode "Prophecy" and theEnterprise episode "Unexpected".[1] The original studio model for theK't'inga-class battlecruiser was later sold in a 2006Christie's auction for US$102,000.[4]
TheK't'inga-class battlecruiser has similar armaments to the D7-class battlecruiser, with a photon torpedo launcher in the forward module and six disruptor cannons. In addition, the ship possesses an aft torpedo launcher and can fire a powerful disruptor beam from the forward module. TheVoyager episode "Flashback" also shows theK't'inga-class usingconcussion weapons. Unlike the D7-class, theK't'inga-class uses a cloaking device. InThe Next Generation episode "The Emissary", these ships are used assleeper ships, which could travel for decades with its crew insuspended animation. However, the class is equipped with both impulse engines and warp drive. The class is stated to have a crew of 800 and a length of 350 metres (1,150 ft). The interior of the battlecruiser was designed byDouglas Trumbull, with the intent of appearing like "an enemy submarine inWorld War II that's been out at sea for too long". TheK't'inga-class is used extensively throughout theStar Trek series, appearing from the first feature film set in 2273 to the closing episodes ofDeep Space Nine set in 2375, often appearing as aship of the line in battle scenes.
The Bird-of-Prey is one of the most common Klingon ships seen in theStar Trek franchise. Introduced inStar Trek III: The Search for Spock, the Bird-of-Prey has featured in five of the films and frequently appears inThe Next Generation andDeep Space Nine.[5]Industrial Light & Magic designed and built the Bird-of-Prey forStar Trek III, assisted by the film's director,Leonard Nimoy. In early drafts of the script, the Bird-of-Prey was to be aRomulan vessel; although this idea was later dropped, the Bird-of-Prey maintained its cloaking device as a plot point in the film and the Romulan bird feather patterns on its wings were kept. The Bird-of-Prey is the first Klingon vessel depicted with a cloaking device; all classes chronologically later in the series would also use a cloaking device. The wings of the Bird-of-Prey are able to move, lowering to attack, maintaining just above horizontal in flight mode and raising high when the ship lands. However, as the studio model's mechanism for moving the wings broke, in laterStar Trek series' episodes the wings are usually fixed in either flight mode or attack mode. This was not rectified until the creation of a CGI model for the vessel. The studio models for the Bird-of-Prey were sold in the 2006 Christie's auction; the original model sold for US$307,200,[6] while an enlarged wing, used for close-up shots inStar Trek V: The Final Frontier, was sold for US$8,400.[7] TheBoeing Bird of Prey developed byMcDonnell Douglas'sPhantom Works division was named after the Klingon Bird-of-Prey.[8]
Although several variants are seen throughout the franchise, design notes state that the Bird-of-Prey has two main classes: theB'rel-class and theK'Vort-class. Both classes used the same studio model, differing in sizes in proportion to other starships depending on variant. TheB'rel-class is ascout vessel, used forespionage, skirmishes and raids, while theK'Vort-class is alight cruiser. Both classes are armed with disruptor cannons mounted on the tips of the wings and a forward torpedo launcher. Likewise, both classes are equipped with cloaking devices and are capable of impulse and warp speeds. These design notes for the show hold that with a crew of only 12 and a length of 160 metres (520 ft), theB'rel-class is far smaller than theK'Vort-class, which measures 320 metres (1,050 ft) and possesses a crew of around 300. In its onscreen appearances, however, the Bird-of-Prey model was not scaled consistently to these notes, creating the impression of ships both far larger and smaller than the design notes intended.[9] The interior of the Bird-of-Prey is similar to that of Douglas Trumbull's submarine-like designs for theK't'inga-class; some Birds of Prey are even shown withperiscopes to allow the captain to personally target weapons. Despite relatively light armaments, Birds of Prey are shown to be effective craft; both theUSSEnterprise andUSSEnterprise-D are destroyed in part due to the activity of Birds of Prey. Most cloak-capableStar Trek vessels are unable to use weapons when cloaked; the filmStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country features a modified experimental Bird-of-Prey that appeared to be able to fire torpedoes while cloaked although later observations revealed that the ship briefly decloaked.
TheVor'cha-class attack cruiser is a powerful Klingon vessel that debuted inThe Next Generation episode "Reunion". Its combat role is stated to be comparable to that of aheavy cruiser. TheVor'cha-class is the first new Klingon ship design portrayed outside ofThe Original Series era, and was designed byRick Sternbach. The studio model for the ship was built byGreg Jein. Sternbach designed theVor'cha-class to represent the alliance between theUnited Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire byThe Next Generation, and consequent technology exchange and collaboration. Thus, the nacelles of the craft were created to be similar to those onStarfleet vessels, while the color was intentionally placed as a midpoint between the dark green of the Bird of Prey and the light gray of theUSSEnterprise-D. Sternbach's original concept sketches for theVor'cha-class were sold at an auction in 2003 for US$850,[10] while a studio model for the debris of a destroyedVor'cha-class cruiser was sold oneBay in 2006 for US$1,025.[11]
The design of theVor'cha-class maintains the typical Klingon configuration with a forward module supported by a thick horizontal neck running aft and spreads out into a larger secondary hull. With a crew of 1,900 and a length of 500 metres (1,600 ft),Vor'cha-class vessels are one of the largest Klingon ships in theStar Trek universe. They are heavily armed, sporting 18 disruptor cannons as well as three photon torpedo launchers. In addition, the forward section of the cruiser is equipped with a particularly powerful disruptor beam. The ships are equipped with both warp and impulse engines, and make use of cloaking devices. In theDeep Space Nine episode "Return to Grace", the cruiser is stated to have enough firepower to threaten subterranean bases with orbital bombardments. TheVor'cha-class is frequently seen inThe Next Generation andDeep Space Nine episodes depicting Klingon ships; in its earliest appearances, the class represents theflagship of the Empire, under the command of first Klingon ChancellorK'mpec and laterGowron. Later appearances use the ship as the mainstay vessel in Klingon fleet engagements.
TheNegh'Var-class warship is one of the largest and most heavily armed Klingon vessels seen in theStar Trek franchise. The class initially was designed by Rick Sternbach to appear as a Klingon attack cruiser for an alternate timeline in "All Good Things...", the series finale ofThe Next Generation. Sternbach built the studio model for the vessel on top of the existing studio model for theVor'cha-class attack cruiser. A slightly modified studio model was used in theDeep Space Nine episode "The Way of the Warrior", in which theNegh'Var-class is properly introduced to the audience. A CGI version of the model was eventually produced for theVoyager series finale "Endgame", incorporating elements from the models used in both "All Good Things..." and "The Way of the Warrior". TheNegh'Var-class is also used in the episodes "Shattered Mirror" and "The Emperor's New Cloak" as a flagship in theMirror Universe; this version is meant to be far larger than the prime universeNegh'Var-class, to this end a 7.62 metres (25.0 ft) model of the underside of the vessel was created to dwarf the studio model of theUSSDefiant in combat sequences. The studio model for theNegh'Var-class was sold in a 2007 auction for US$7,500.[12]
The warship is introduced as the new flagship of the Klingon Empire in "The Way of the Warrior", under command of Chancellor Gowron andGeneral Martok. As the studio model is built upon that of theVor'cha-class, theNegh'Var-class shares many similarities in design in relation to the vessel's shape, color and nacelles. However, with a length of nearly 700 metres (2,300 ft) and a crew of 2,500, theNegh'Var-class is substantially bigger than theVor'cha-class. The ship is equipped with a cloaking device. The class is heavily armed, with 20 disruptor banks and four torpedo launchers, as well as a large forward disruptor cannon protruding from the forward section. TheNegh'Var-class only appears in a few episodes; other than in the climactic battle of "The Way of the Warrior", it is not used in any fleet battle scenes.
The D4-class battlecruiser was a proposed design for the first Klingon vessel to appear inEnterprise. The vessel was originally designed for usage in the fourth episode of the series, "Unexpected". Designed byJohn Eaves, the D4-class was meant to represent a direct predecessor to Jefferies's D7-class. The design was similar to that of the D7-class, closely following its configuration and shape and incorporating a more rugged and primitive construction to make the ship appear consistent with the earlier time period. Eaves's team was able to finish the design andFoundation Imaging created a computer-generated model for the episode. However, the producers rejected the model because they disliked how the model's windows were not prominent as they were on other ship designs, stating that it could only be used if significant changes were made to the vessel. With only a few hours before the episode's deadline for delivery and exhausted from their recent work on "Broken Bow", thepilot episode ofEnterprise, Eaves's team was unable to work through the night to make the alterations. Therefore, the producers decided to use an older CGI model in its place; the only other model available was aK't'inga-class battlecruiser made forDeep Space Nine. The use of theK't'inga-class created a continuity error in the series, with the same ship design seemingly in use for 225 years. thus, the producers decided that theK't'inga-class model would not be used again as it did not fit withEnterprise's theme. The designers involved later voiced their regret at having to use the older model, but acknowledged that there was no alternative due to the team's exhaustion.[1][13]
TheRaptor-class is the first new Klingon ship design depicted inEnterprise. The vessel is the subject of the first-season episode "Sleeping Dogs". Produced byHerman Zimmerman's art department, it was the first Klingon ship to debut as a completely computer-generated model. John Eaves was responsible for developing the basic shape of theRaptor-class inconcept art; Doug Drexler later refined Eaves's sketches to create a CGI mesh usingLightWave 3D. Foundation Imaging converted Drexler's work into the final CGI model seen in the episode. Eaves's objective was to make the craft appear more primitive than the Klingon ships later in the franchise's chronology, with exposed piping and rugged design. Eaves stated that the design was made to look "like it is made up of different pieces that are attached to one another, as opposed to a uniform shape". Several designs of various sizes were proposed before Zimmerman settled on theRaptor-class. While the vessel is lightly based on Industrial Light & Magic's Bird of Prey, Eaves attempted to make the craft appear as a precursor to the D7-class. Drexler, who worked closely with Eaves during the creation of the CGI mesh, was allowed to deal with the closer details of the model, such as the position of theshuttlebay. Drexler felt that the design held qualities of both aPT boat and a 19th-centuryironclad warship. The overall style of Eaves's design was later used as the basis for future Klingon ships inEnterprise.[14]
Designated as a scout vessel, theRaptor-class is depicted as a stalwart vessel. Its hull, stated to be twice as thick as that of theEnterprise NX-01, can survive the pressures in the top 2 kilometres (6,600 ft) of agas giant's atmosphere. Although designed by the production team as a precursor to the D7-class, theRaptor-class is far smaller; Eaves stated that his design would have had a crew of around 12. The ship is armed with two torpedo launchers and a disruptor array mounted towards the back of the ship. Like most Klingon ships, it has both impulse and warp drive. TheRaptor-class only appears in one episode in the series, although its schematics are visible on several computer screens in later episodes.
The D5-class cruiser is the primary Klingon capital ship used inEnterprise. Designed by John Eaves and compiled as a CGI model by Pierre Drolet of EdenFX, The D5 employed a basic Klingon battlecruiser shape: a small forward hull attached by a long, horizontal boom to a larger engineering hull, with aft-mounted impulse drive units above and twowarp engines at the end of backswept pylons. The design is distinct from that of the chronologically later D7 ships by its bigger and lessspherical forward hull, its larger, tapered nacelles, and engine pylons that sweep backward, not forward. The D5 was initially developed for the episode "Marauders" as a freighter, with visible cargo tanks on the model. This version of the ship was not held to be much of a threat to theEnterprise NX-01.[15]
The episode "Judgement" introduced the battlecruiser variant at the behest of producerRick Berman. The episode originally intended to use a D7-class battlecruiser, but Berman decided that a less advanced ship should be displayed, using the D5 designation. Thus the tanker model was modified to become the D5-class battlecruiser, and would be used for the rest of the show as this era's most powerful Klingon ship.[15] Unlike the tanker, the D5-class was depicted as outmatching theEnterprise by a considerable margin.[16] The battlecruiser possessed both disruptor beams and cannons, as well as forward and aft torpedoes, and is shown as capable of orbital bombardment. The ship was heavily armoured in addition to its shielding, and was capable of warp six. The designers intended and scaled the D5-class's onscreen appearances to be 155 metres (509 ft) in length; however, an onscreen panel notes a length of only 75 metres (246 ft).[15]
Prior to the ship's appearance inEnterprise, the D5-class was alluded to in theDeep Space Nine episode "Once More Unto The Breach". Klingon commanderKor recalls that he commanded a D5-class ship called the IKSKlothos, an intentional reference by writerRonald D. Moore toThe Animated Series episode "The Time Trap". In that episode, theKlothos was depicted as a D7-class battlecruiser, the only Klingon ship design that existed at the time of production.
The Bird-of-Prey of theEnterprise era was intended as a predecessor to the Bird-of-Prey model originally designed forStar Trek III. The ship was designed by John Eaves, who used an abandoned concept for a modified Bird-of-Prey intended forDeep Space Nine as his starting point. The end design submitted by Eaves drew elements from this design sketch together with the previously debutedRaptor and D5-class ships, while echoing the original Bird-of-Prey design. The final design attaches an angular forward command section to a substantive engine section via a neck, with two warp nacelles placed above the ship's central impulse engine. Feather-patterned wings sweep downward to heavy weapons mounted on the tips. Elements from the abandoned D4-class design, such as exposed cabling, were also added to create a rougher appearing ship. The CGI model was created by Koji Kuramura at EdenFX. The Bird-of-Prey debuted in the episode "The Expanse" and made multiple appearances acrossEnterprise, used in roles such as a patrol ship or adestroyer accompanying the bigger D5-class battlecruiser.[17] The design was intended to be 145 metres (476 ft) long with a top speed of warp 5, and was heavily armed with several wing, neck and head mounted disruptor cannons,[18] and fore and aftphoton torpedo launchers.[19] A large belly cannon on the underside of the ship was placed by Eaves to evoke the design of theA-10 Thunderbolt.[17]
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