The 4 vessel classes in service of the D'Kul fleet
The 4 vessel classes in service of the D'Kul fleet
K't'Inga Class Cruiser
The K't'Inga Class Cruiser was the successor to the Klingon D7 Cruiser. Although both ships looked the same, the K't'Inga was superior in every key system. They were the first Klingon ships to be given the new Romulan Cloaking Device obtained from the brief alliance with the Romulan Empire. Being able to cloak and attack the enemy deep behind the front lines has cause more than one opponent distress. At the same time, K't'Inga Class ships have improved warp drive, shields, armaments. They were also much larger and therefore could carry more crew members and troops on each ship. K't'Inga Class Ships rarely travel alone while in combat or on patrol and often are found in groups of two or three ships. As a result, K't'Inga Class ships were a match for Constitution Class and even Excelsior Class ships at the end of the century. However, by the start of the 24th century many were being replaced by the newer ships in the fleet and those that remained were no longer assigned to the frontlines. However, with the threat of the Dominion the Imperial Klingon Empire brought many K't'Inga Class Cruisers out of mothball and back into active service. After the Dominion War it is not clear if the K't'Inga will remain in active service or be decommissioned again.
K'Vort Class Heavy Cruiser
The Imperial Klingon Defence Force required a new cruiser at the start of the 24th century. Klingon Engineers took the schematics of the B'Rel Class Bird of Prey and increased the size of ship 4.3 times. The result was a ship that carried more weapons, troops and more resilient than the smaller bird of prey. K'Vort Class Cruisers slowly replaced the K't'Inga Class ships and for a ship their size K'Vort Class ships are quite agile in combat. This increase in size has allowed Klingon engineers to install an extra torpedo tube and allowing more disruptors to be installed as well. At the same time the shields were improved while the armour was strengthened especially in the engineering section. Other ship systems have been upgraded as a result of the increase in size. For crew members familiar with the lay out of the Bird of Prey they will find the K'Vort Class exactly the same except it is bigger with more decks. Until the arrival of the Vor'Cha Class the K'Vort Class would be the front line patrol vessel for the Klingon Empire. In recent years the K'Vort Class has been involved in conflicts with the Dominion, the Federation and the Cardassians. Although no longer production their performance has been adequate and those vessels that are still in service will continue to serve for quite some time.
Vor'Cha Class Battleship
The Vorcha Class Battleship was developed to be one of the largest and most powerful vessels in the Imperial fleet. Developed in the early 24th century in the period when Klingon and Federation conflicts were worsening. However while the Galaxy Class was designed for research and exploration, the Vor'Cha Class however was designed for combat. In 2336, the Klingon Empire required a new design capable of handling Starfleet's latest heavy cruisers such as the Ambassador Class. The result was the development of the Vor'Cha Class ships. Development was slow however tensions between the Klingons and the Federation was improving after the Enterprise-C heroic efforts in protecting a Klingon colony from four Romulan Warbirds. As the relationship between the Klingons and the Federation improved this gave time for the engineers to design and test new technologies for the Vor'Cha Class. This included improved armour and shields especially around the nacelles, the warp core and the weapons array. The weapons array was completely redesigned with the introduction of the burst fire torpedo system and the installation of the latest disruptors. The Vor'Cha Class prototype was launched in 2351 and was equipped with the latest enhanced shields, and cloaking technology while it's detachable weapons dedicated forward section make this a most formidable combat vessel. Production began a year later and within a few years the Vor'Cha Class had replaced the K'Vort Class at the front lines. Until the Negh'Var arrival the Vor'cha Class was the strongest ship in the Klingon Fleet for the next twenty years. However, a Vor'Cha Class vessel was more than a match for a Nebula or Galaxy Class Starship.
Negh'Var Class Capitol Ship
The Negh'Var is a Capitol Ship and is the strongest ship in the Klingon fleet. Due to problems in development in the 2340's the Negh'Var entry into the Klingon Defense Force was delayed for twenty years however these problems were eventually solved and the Negh'Var entered service as the flagship of the Klingon Empire. Almost twice the size of a Vor'Cha Class Attack Cruiser, the Negh'Var represents the pinnacle of Klingon ship technology. The Negh'Var was designed to be as big as possible so the Klingon Empire could handle any threats in the present and in the future. The Negh'Var is the biggest ship ever created by the shipyards within the Klingon Empire. Its most powerful weapon is the large disruptor cannon located on the front of the ship. This is the largest disruptor ever built and a single shot can be devastating even on a heavy cruiser. Due to the Negh'Var size the ship is not very fast and not very maneuverable at warp or at impulse. This is compensated by the eighteen disruptor cannons and four torpedo launchers located on the rest of the ship. The Negh'Var's is equipped with shield generators taken from the strongest Klingon Starbases. Combined with its high density armour the Negh'Var can take a lot of punishment before it can be disabled. As a result, the Negh'Var is an excellent choice in attacking heavily defended targets. The Negh'Var secondary goal was to transport troops and with over thirty transporters and accommodation for over 1000 troops this can be easily achieved. The Negh'Var can carry several days of supplies for these troops and if required can support ground troops by aerial bombardment and warhead transporting. In 2365, the Negh'Var prototype was launched and begun testing near Qo'nos. By 2371,with testing completed the Negh'var entered active service and was immediately assigned to the Cardassian Invasion as Chancellor Gowron's personal flag ship. The Negh'Var was used in the Klingon-Cardassian war and was able to destroy several Galor Class ships, twenty three orbital defence platforms and overwhelm planetary shields on several Cardassian worlds. She was then used in the assault on Deep Space Nine and was successful in disabling the shields allowing klingon troops to board the station. Since then the Negh'Var has had considerable success against the Dominion. The Negh'Var has been successful however at present their numbers are limited since a lot of time and resources are needed to produce one ship from the Qo'nos ship yards.