XLS Noriega
From Star Trek Online Geekipedia
Contents |
Quick Bio
| 2Good - Primary Ship | |
| |
| Registry: | Classified |
| Class: | Battlecruiser |
| Category: | |
| Faction: | Klingon Empire |
| Fleet Affiliation: | XL Private Corp. |
| Base of Operations: | Classified |
| Commanding Officer: | Chet |
| Commissioned: | 2395 |
| Current Status: | Operational |
| Duj'Yay class prototype | |
Description
State-of-the-art fast attack cruiser with experimental weapons platforms and re-designed propulsion system. Originally christened the IKS Noriega, it was later stolen by its captain from the Klingon Empire and now flys under the XLS banner.
Specifications
Class: Battlecruiser (Duj'Yay class)
Combat Role(s): Direct fire support (primary) and Command & Control (secondary)
Production Base: Qo'noS Orbital Production Facilities
Crew: 520 (80 officers, 440 enlisted)
Decks: 22
Navigation: 2 deflector arrays (1 primary, 1 secondary)
Disruptor Armament: 16 standard disruptor cannons, 2 heavy disruptor cannons, 1 forward disruptor array
Torpedo Armament: 2 burst-fire launchers, 2 standard launchers
Torpedo Payload: 225 mark XXV photon torpedoes, 25 class-10 heavy photon torpedoes
Shuttlebays: 1 primary bay, 1 secondary bay
Shuttlecraft: 8 Kiv'ra-class combat shuttlecraft, 8 Toron-class transport shuttlepods
Performance
Reactor Type: Classified
Fuel: Matter/Anti-matter
Max Warp: 9.8 (12 hours)
Cruising Warp: 8.2
Impulse Drive: 4 Kron'eL Systems sublight engines
Reactors: 8
Fuel: Deuterium
Max Impulse: 230,000 km/s
Cruising Impulse: 182,000 km/s
Dimensions
Length: 490 m
Beam: 298 m
Height: 97 m
Mass: 1.8 million metric tons
Combat Tactics
- Hit and Run
- Jousting
- Head to Head
- Torpedo strafing
Design History
After the Dominion war ended in 2375, the Klingon fleet was in pieces. Suffering heavy losses at almost all major engagements, the Empire was unable to match the production of the Federation and quickly replace its forces. They were forced to bring older decomissioned vessels back into service to fill the huge void and protect Klingon space. Some of the current ship designs were also becoming outdated, most noticably the Vor'Cha class that was originally comissioned around 2365. By the late 2380s, the design was showing its age and with escalating tensions (and occasional skirmishes) with the Federation, it was costing more to upgrade and maintain these vessels than the budget allowed. Deciding to replace it, the Empire's engineers and scientists began constructing a new class of battlecruiser from scratch. Personally overseeing the project, Chancellor Martok of the High Council demanded a 'fast, stealthy assault ship' that also could deliver heavy firepower and absorb punishment. Traditional Klingon ships were designed with a combat-first mentality; they often placed emphasis on head-to-head engagements. Because of this, they had mainly forward-firing weapons and strong frontal armor and shields. Defenses on the aft section of the ship, however, were often very feeble and it is commonly known by most ship captains that they are vulnerable to attacks from behind. Martok wanted a more balanced design that could perform multi-role missions and requested that this new class of ship be more well-rounded than the older Vor'Cha.
In 2392, the first vessel of this new ship class was designed on the drawing board. It was similar in size to its predecessor but had slightly smaller dimensions. Martok was impressed, and noted that because of its smaller mass, it could achieve higher speeds both at warp and impulse. It also incorporated the latest Klingon technology, including dual sensor arrays, a new cloaking device, and a plethra of weapons systems. The engines have also been completely redesigned and they use a new folding-nacelle configuration that allows the warp engines to be deployed for FTL speeds and can be retracted for protection at sublight speeds. After two years of tweaking and adjustments to the design, the first prototype was comissioned in 2395. The ship class was officially named the Duj'Yay and the first vessel was christened as the IKS Noriega, named by its captain, Chet. In the initial first months of testing, the Noriega performed above and beyond what anyone had hoped for, and it was considered one of the greatest shipyard engineering feats accomplished in Klingon history. It was promptly reassigned to active combat on the Federation and Romulan borders and recorded 22 ship kills in its first year of service. The Duj'Yay class is now in full production and is scheduled to replace all Vor'Cha's by the year 2410.
Strengths
The Duj'Yay class was designed as a warship and the Noriega is no different. In fact, because of its experimental nature, it holds more weapons systems and payloads than the standard Duj'Yay vessels currently in production. It also incorporates a new type of cloaking device, undetectable to any known sensor configurations.
Weapons
The Noriega is a giant weapons platform and it can be configured to carry any weapon in the Klingon Empire's arsenal. Its compliment of 14 standard disruptor cannons (10 forward, 4 rear) is second only to the Neg'Var class dreadnaughts. Disruptors are the Klingon equivalent to phasers, the most noticable difference being that they fire in short, controlled bursts. Powered by a new classified type of Klingon M/A reactor, the disruptors in the Noriega have a faster recharge rate and a higher energy output at close range. In addition, it has two heavy disruptor cannons (both forward firing) mounted into the wing pylons. These weapons have a shorter range and slower rate of fire than regular disruptors but have superior shield-piercing ability and can punch through a ships outer hull like paper. Like all Klingon vessels, the Noriega carries photon torpedoes as its primary heavy and ranged weapon. The two burst-fire launchers (forward firing) use integrated Federation multi-tube launch systems and can fire three torpedoes simultaneously, or can be preloaded with up to three torpedoes in each tube for a maximum salvo of 18 torpedoes. These launchers are located in weapons pod attached to the top of the ship. As a backup, there are also two standard launchers located in the center of the rear hull that fire aft to protect the rear of the ship. All Duj'Yay's carry a compliment of standard (mkXXV) torpedoes and heavy (class-10) torpedoes. Heavy torpedoes have an anti-matter warhead that has roughly twice the explosive yield of a normal torpedo.
Targeting Systems
Two deflector arrays help acquire and track targets for the Noriega as well as providing navigation plotting. The primary array is in the bottom of the command hull (front) and the second is on the top of the command hull. The close proximity of the sensors allows tracking information to be shared almost instantaneously and relayed to the ships computer mainframe. In single target tracking mode (STT) the ship's weapons are more accurate than any other Klingon or Federation ship. Multiple subsystem targeting and independent firing modes for each weapon hardpoint allow total customization of fire for the ship's tactical officer, and enemy ships can be crippled in a single salvo. In multi-target tracking mode (MTT) the Noriega can track up to 15 targets simultaneously and its weapons can engage up to 5 different targets at once.
Cloak
Taking a que from the Romulans, Klingon infiltrators were able to obtain the schematics of the Reman cloaking device used on the Scimitar in the late 24th century. Though it had a much different design configuration, Klingon engineers were able to replicate and adapt it to several of their vessels, provided they met the necessary power requirements to power the device. With its advanced warp core, the Noriega currently employs this device. It emitts no residual anti-protons or tachyon emissions and is undetectable. In addition, the ship can fire while remaining cloaked and decloak certain areas of the ship without decloaking the whole ship.
Engines
The Noriega was the prototype that answered the Empire's fast attack demands. It has a new advanced warp core design and revolutionary nacelle configurations that allow it to maintain high warp speeds for extended periods of time. Time trials clocked the Noriega's cruising speed at warp 8.3 and it maxed out at warp 9.985. The impulse engines have also undergone an overhaul and have been enlarged and relocated to provide much greater maneuverability at sub-light speeds. Duj'Yay class ships have a turn ratio similar to that of the smaller K'Vort class birds of prey still in service.
Weaknesses
Because the ship was the prototype for the entire Duy'Jay production line, it is not a refined design and suffers from several flaws.
Construction
The Noriega was commissioned ahead of schedule due to escalating tensions with the Federation, and as such, some areas of the ship were not fully completed. Most noticably the secondary sickbays and crew quarters were not made operational at launch. Though the main sickbay is large enough to treat many patients, it is not capable of handling the high-volume combat triage work that would be required in battle situations. Combat casualties are high and members of the crew need to be replaced on a frequent basis. The crew quarters are also cramped and tight and lacking sufficient amenities to provide any sort of leisure or recreational activites, and this can often lead to tension amongst the crew. Due to the makeup of the crew and its many violence-prone species, brawls and conflict are common aboard the ship. Morale sometimes suffers and inter-personal dialogue skills (very important with diplomatic missions) are almost non-existent.
Design Flaws
When it was first concieved, the Duj'Yay class was a radical new design much different from anything previously developed at any Klingon ship yard. Though similar at first in appearance to the Vor'Cha class, Klingon engineers and designers were told to start building from scratch and they were unable to incorporate many of the previously tested hull components that other modern ships had. Ultimately, the design was successful but it is not without several weak areas around the hull. The primary vulnerability lies with the ships nacelle configuration, which fold in and out of the hull's wing pylons as the ship enters and exits warp. The concept is solid and functions extremely well but the nacelles are prone to getting jammed and sometimes malfunction after taking direct weapons fire. Recent upgrades have installed extra armor plating to absorb more of the shock and offer more protection.
The second primary flaw lies in the ship's weapons pod. The Noriega was built as a slim, fast attack ship and in order to maximize hull space, many of the ship's sensor and weapons payloads were moved to an external pod attached to the rear dorsal hull. The pod houses two additional torpedo launchers, a huge compliment of torpedoes, and several key sensor components. It is attached to the main hull by several supporting pylons, and while stable, it is oversized and it was noticed on the first test flights that the support beams were not strong enough to absorb sustained direct fire (most importantly, Federation phaser fire). Despite armor upgrades and additional pylons, this remains a critical weakness in the design.
Combat History
Ships Destroyed
2405-Present (31 ships, 4 notable)
- USS Dampier (Oslo class)
- USS Taverna (Akira class)
- RSS Ju'Tan (Valdore class)
- RSS Ram'ar (Valdore class)
2403 (11 ships, 6 notable)
- USS Eldridge (Akira class)
- USS Niagra (Akira class)
- USS Vegas (Oslo class)
- USS Delroy (Steamrunner class)
- USS Manhattan (Steamrunner class)
- USS George (Miranda-refit class)
2402 (18 ships, 6 notable)
- USS Norfolk (Galaxy-refit class)
- USS Hampton (Oslo class)
- USS Miramar (Prometheus class)
- USS Chesapeake (Steamrunner class)
- USS Poland (Steamrunner class)
- RSS War'aal (D'Deridex class)
2401 (12 ships, 3 notable)
- USS Annapolis (Akira class)
- USS Colorado (Akira class)
- USS Portland (Prometheus class)
2400 (5 ships, 2 notable)
- IKS D'jon (Vorcha class)
- USS Cuson (Nova class)
2399 (11 ships, 1 notable)
- RSS Tar'shaw (Valdore class)
2398 (8 ships, 3 notable)
- RSS V'rel (D'Deridex class)
- RSS Dgesh (D'Deridex class)
- RSS Silma (Valdore class)
2397 (6 ships, 1 notable)
- USS Roman (Defiant class)
2396 (5 ships, 1 notable)
- RSS Shilla (D'Deridex class)
2395 (22 ships, 5 notable)
- USS Paris (Oslo class)
- USS William (Oslo class)
- USS Apache (Steamrunner class)
- USS Ajax (Saber class)
- USS Denver (Saber class)
Crew
314 Klingon, 72 Nausicaan, 65 Breen, 60 Human, 22 Yautja (Predator), 21 Orion
Captain: Chet (Yautja - male)
First Officer: Chiva (Yautja - male)
Tactical Officer: Kv'var (Yautja - male)
Science Officer: Ana Stiles (Human - female)
Chief Engineer: R'Jet (Klingon - male)
Conn Officer: Tarri Loi (Orion - female)
Operations Officer: Pral (Breen - male)
Chief Medical Officer: Casey Durin (Human - female)
Experimental Weapons
The Noriega is the first ship to employ a disruptor array system as a standard armament. Similar to its Federation counterpart, the small array is composed of fifteen disruptor emitters and is powered by the ship's warp and impulse engines. The array is located at the front of the command hull, between the primary and secondary deflector arrays, thus being able to maximize tracking and targeting. Although there are similarities in the Federation and Klingon systems, this new technology has proved to be immensly more powerful than even the most advanced Federation arrays. Because of the nature of disruptor technology (being that it destroys the bonds between atoms in all matter), firing in sustained pulses allows incredible destruction of almost all known materials and it has also been shown to overload and collapse entire shield systems, not just specific grids. The disruptor array mounted on the Noriega is fully functional, however due to the huge power requirements, the ship must decloak to use the weapon.
Credits
Original design by Tachy (Scifi-Art.com)
All 3D renders by Andrew J. Hodges
Canon, images by Memory-Alpha
Fiction, page by 2Good
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