::LCARS Technical Database:: Offensive Technology

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Phasers-

"Phaser" is an acronym for PHASed Energy Rectification. All phasers release an energy beam. Personal phasers can stun or kill an enemy. The stun setting can also be used for crowd control. Ship-mounted phasers can damage shields or other systems or even cut a vessel's hull.

Phasers are based on the Rapid Nadion Effect, whereby energy is passed through a special phaser crystal resulting in a discharge of short-lived nadion particles (often the detection of nadion discharges is a key sign that a battle has recently taken place).

Nadion particles have varying effects on the subatomic bonds of particles with which they interact, largely depending on the mass of the atom in question. To wit, dense starship hulls are more resistant to nadion discharges than are humanoid lifeforms.

The disruptive effects of nadion discharges can be moderated to produce varying effects (discussed below), ranging from benign to extremely destructive. Phasers, as particle beams, travel below the speed of light, seemingly varying according to the scale of their emitter.

Personal phasers come in three types: The phaser type-1 (hand phaser) is small and can be concealed easily. The phaser type-2 is larger and handheld. It has a similar emitter but has a longer handgrip, or a pistol grip, depending on the model. The phaser type-3 is also known as a "phaser rifle." It has a longer barrel, a stock, and may have a second grip. This weapon can fire beams or phaser pulses. Over centuries of use, there have been many models of the lightweight and effective phaser rifle.



Beyond these, phasers are usually mounted devices, such as the phaser type-4 used on Starfleet shuttlecraft and other small vehicles, all the way up to the large phaser banks and phaser arrays of starships and space stations. Various classes of banks, arrays and emitters exist, such as the more powerful phaser type-8.

Phasers can be made to overload, either deliberately or by sabotage. One possible method to overload a phaser involves disengaging the safeties that normally manages the phaser's power system. This allows energy to be transferred from the power cell to the prefire chamber then back into the power cell faster than the cell can reabsorb the energy, causing the cell to overload. Phasers in the process of overloading emit a distinctive high-pitched whine.

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Torpedos-



A torpedo is a self-propelled, self-guided weapon. Torpedoes of some type are part of the standard weaponry of most Starfleet starships in the 23rd and 24th centuries.

Torpedoes are used in space combat as an alternative to energy weapons such as disruptors and phasers. Torpedoes can be configured before launch to fit various specifications. Normally a torpedo is equipped with a heavy warhead, but the explosive yield of this warhead may vary depending on the type of torpedo. Torpedo launchers bring the weapon into battery and allow fire control from the ship's bridge, although a torpedo can be launched manually. Most of the time a tactical officer is responsible for target acquisition and launch sequence.

The maximum effective range of a torpedo depends on its type. Range is dependent on propulsion and acquisition capabilities. Propulsion is categorized basically by whether the torpedo is warp-capable or uses another method, while acquisition capability is dependent on the range at which a tactical officer can control the torpedo, fundamentally the maximum effective sensor range of the ship from which the torpedo is fired.

Some types of torpedoes are equipped with a self-destruction mechanism. For those types, if a torpedo is fired accidentally or experiences a targeting acquisition problem, it can be destroyed.

The torpedo guides itself via internal sensors that can be configured by the tactical officer.The advantage is that a firing pattern can be established whereby multiple torpedo launches can be coordinated to hit a single target and thus make the best use of every torpedo's explosive yield.When necessary, the device's internal sensors can be replaced by specialized sensor packs, allowing for additional flexibility in use; for example, using a sensor pack designed to detect gaseous anomalies could enable a torpedo to lock onto impulse engine emissions. After configuration, the torpedo can be fired and will automatically acquire its target.Technologically advanced torpedoes feature artificial intelligence to make decisions about target acquisition, defensive maneuvers etc.

Torpedoes are used by different species and vary in type, appearance, explosive yield, and effective range. Several types of torpedoes are known to exist:

Photon Torpedoes-

A photon torpedo (sometimes simply referred to as a photon) was a tactical missile commonly deployed aboard starships and starbases by various organizations. The Klingons had been fielding such weapons since the mid-22nd century.In comparison, during the same period the Earth Starfleet was still employing the spatial torpedo, although they would soon upgrade to photonic torpedoes, which were similar but less advanced than photon torpedoes.The 24th century saw the deployment of an improved type of ordnance: the quantum torpedo.Nonetheless, photons continued to be utilized by such starships as the USS Enterprise-E.

Quantum Torpedoes-



Quantum torpedoes utilize Zero-Point energy.Specifically, the zero-point initiator is activated by an uprated photon torpedo warhead at 19.5 isotons, producing a final explosive yield of 50+ isotons. Furthermore, the pattern of energy release (duration, vector, etc.) makes the blast more difficult to disperse by starship shields, increasing the tactical effectiveness beyond that of a photon torpedo even more.

Transphasic torpedo -



The transphasic torpedo was a Starfleet weapon developed sometime in the 2380s in a future alternate timeline. It was designed specifically to handle the Borg threat, with input by Captain Kathryn Janeway and the crew of the USS Voyager.

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Starfleet Advanced Weapons Research Initiative

Tri-Cobalt Torpedos-

The Tri-Cobalt Device was the first torpedo based weapon used by starfleet. Soon after their implementation however, they were phased out to be replaced with the Photon due to the TCs near uselessness against shielded targets. With the arrival of the Borg threat in the Alpha Quadrant and the input of Jean-Luc Picard starfleet saw fit to re-instate the use of TCs...Starfleet discovered that Borg vessels use no form of active external shielding, seizing the opportunity gain an advantage over the Borg, Starfleet immediately began refitting the entire fleet to support the TC device. By 2375, the entire Starfleet was outfitted with launchers capable of utilizing the Tri-Cobalt device.

Currently in it's 56th version and entering it's 300th year of service, the Tri-Cobalt device is a powerful and destructive weapon when used against unshielded targets. The TCD-Mk. LVI has a maximum yield of 73,674 teracochranes...at max. yield it will tear a visible hole in subspace, as such it's use is severely limited by starfleet command and every device used must be filed with starfleet command by the commander and CEO onboard the ship which fired it.

Hellfire Torpedoes-

The Hellfire torpedo was developed in 2405 to supplement the aging torpedo technology of the UFP. The general goal of the Hellfire Developement Project was to develope a weapon that could strike a ship directly regardless of sheilds and other defenses. While the first 3 attempts were largly unsuccessful, in 2413 the first hellfire equiped starship, USS Enterprise-F, was launched, soon after proving the technology against a vessel very similar to the Reman Scimitar which attacked the Enterprise-F during a reutine inspection of the neutral zone border stations (Battle of Fox 2106). Though the Enterprise was victorious in the engagement at Fox 2106, Starfleet was not happy with the maximum yeild the Hellfires offered, this triggered a number of improvements in the design and inner workings.

Hellfire Torpedos are able to "phase" through sheilds by actually phasing out of normal space/time so that the energy of the targets sheilds do not actually exist as far as the torpedo is concerned. After passing through the sheild barrier of the target the torpedo re-phases back into normal space/time to deliver its deadly attack in full measure.

Since the 2420s several key advances have been made allowing the Hellfire to give its user a true advantage. Firstly, the Hellfire torpedo underwent a significant increase in yeild size, taking it from around 20 IST (isotons) which is about equal to a photon torpedo, to around 75+ IST which is about 150% the power of a quantum torpedo. Secondly, Micro transeivers were added to the system, this allows the torpedo to transmit the sheild frequency of the target back to the ship which fire the torpedo allowing them to re-modulate their weapons to match...rendering the targets sheilds completely useless. and finally, in 2470, breakthroughs in torpedo technology allow the Hellfire to "Seek and Destroy" cloaked targets and uncloaked targets alike while simultaniously being able to tell freind from foe sing a micro navigational deflector dish...the Hellfire torpedo will actually phase through allies to seek its target...furthur breakthroughs allow the torpedo to keep going almost indefinately...all these make the torpedo over 600% more effective...bringing the hit count up from 67% to over 98.99%.