Explorer Menu
Sutherland Menu

Tactical Breakdown of Weaponry and Shield Systems
of the USS Sutherland and USS Explorer

All vessels target a single point in this Borg confrontation from First Contact

Targeting Systems

Tactics Station controls and monitors the Targeting Systems, which automatically asses the potential threat of vessels in the immediate area and suggest to the Chief Tactical Officer a number of potential "Locks".

Weaponry

DisruptorsRomulan Disruptor designed to be fired casually from hip level
Although not used by Federation crews this is the directed energy beam weapon of Races such as the Romulans, Klingons and Breen. Klingon Disruptors are also known as Phase Disruptors. Romulan Disruptors leave a high residue trace of antiprotons for hours after the weapon has been discharged.
Phasers
Phased Energy beam weapons used by the Federation. Phasers, like Disruptors, come in a number of size classifications (see chart below). A Phaser may emit a small narrow beam Type X Phasers WORK! repeatedly and fast, or a wider beam (capable at full spread of taking out an entire room) at a much slower firing rate. Note that wider spreads are prone to fast power loss on the scale of (2xDistance)=(Power/4). Also Phasers may be see set to a specific yield, so that even the ships Type X Phaser Arrays can do as little as give a light dose of sunburn. In fact Phaser Arrays have been used on occasions to transfer energy to a stricken vessel. The most effective tactic, regardless of beam type, or shield configuration is to maintain contact between beam and Target.
Pulse Phasers
By regulating the phaser output into short spurts, a small ship is able to deliver significant energy without putting substantial strain on phaser systems or ships power. The USS Explorer has two forward facing Pulse Phasers in place of the normal Phaser Array. These are normally retracted into the forward section of the upper deck ![when not in use]!. The units system parameters state they can tolerate delivery of Type IX Phaser power, but the ship is only capable of running them at Type VI equivalent power without the aid of a Trilithium Warp Core.
Photon Torpedoes
Highly charged projectile weapons capable of travelling at Warp speeds up to a range of 3,500,000 km. Measuring 210x76x45cm and weighing 247.5 Kg, these self targeting missiles are capable of carrying a Matter/Antimatter payload of varying strengths. Their actual speeds is limited to slightly above the launch speed of the vessel. A single Launcher may fire up to 10 Torpedoes in a single volley, each of which can target separate entities. It takes a Photon Torpedo 1.02 seconds to arm, so collision closer than this will not trigger detonation. If detonation occurs to close to the launching ship it may damage it severely. As a general rule Photons are NEVER used if shields are down. The USS Explorer's records show it to have a compliment of 20 Photon Torpedoes, though the turreted launcher (normally retracted into the forward section of the lower deck) is usually only set to fire probes. The USS Sutherland has a compliment of 200 Photon Torpedoes and two launchers (facing fore and aft) in the Secondary Hull.
Quantum Torpedoes
These are a larger and more potent version of the standard Photon Torpedo. They require a great deal of energy to arm and fire. A single launcher may fire only 1 Torpedoes per volley. The USS Explorer's records show it to have a compliment of 4 Quantum Torpedoes, though it does not have the power to arm and fire any unless using the Trilithium Warp Core. The USS Sutherland has no Quantum Torpedoes listed on it's inventory.

Tractor Beams
Although technically not an offensive weapon, these are often controlled by the CTO. Based on gravitational and subspace emitters these devices may attract or repel objects. Payloads range from 7,500,000 tons at a distance of less than 1 km, to 1 ton at around 20,000 km. The USS Explorer has a single small tractor beam used for docking on the ventral airlock, and a second used to guide shuttles into the dorsal shuttle bay.

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Shields

Shield Generators
The Navigation Deflector consists of 2 redundant gravitational field generators, each containing four 128 MW emitters. Defensive shields use the same field generators as the Navigational Deflector, set to about 85% output, as well as 6 secondary generators in appropriate areas. A single generator can deflect 473,000 MW for around 170 milliseconds, but all six can be used in sequence for a total of 2688 MW (dissipating around 7,300,000 kW). A single generator should only operate for 12 hours, with a 12 hour degauss and service between times. Each generator has an operational life of 1,250 hours before requiring replacement. There are further back up generators that can operate at 65% of full capacity. The Schematics of the USS Explorer indicate there is an auxilary generator positioned on the lower deck, but that it is presently dedicated to supporting the Medical labs. There are a number of dormant paths to allow extra generators to be fitted to the modular sections of Deck 2.
Navigational Deflector
A navigational tool designed to deflect small particles of dust and so forth that would otherwise be too small for the ship to avoid. At speed of even 1/4 Impulse a single dust fragment could rip a hole right through the hull. This equates to a Shield rating of about 05%. At navigational setting these will not deflect weaponry.
Defensive ShieldsMirander class demonstrating effective deffensive shielding
Huge energy fields designed to buffer or block the severity of weaponry attacks. A ship usually has six shield areas; Forward, Aft, Port, Starboard, Dorsal and Ventral. Shield ratings are given in a percentage of their maximum capacity.
Ablative Armour
This physical deffence is made of reincforced armour plates which are sacrificed to minimise damage done to the hull superstructure. Ablative Armour does not replenish the same way as energy sheilds, and needs to be hard replaced, usually at a spacedock. The USS Explorer is equipped with Ablative Armour, as are most Klingons vessles, but very few other Starfleet vessles are.

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Phaser Designations
Type ISlightly larger than a credit card. Carried by all Starfleet Officers. Maximum setting, level 8 (0.01 MW)
Type IIHand phaser. Maximum setting, level 8. A hit can destroy half a building.
Type IIIPhaser Riffle. Biggest hand weapon available. Maximum setting, level 16.
Type IVShuttle craft standard.
Type VIB’rel Class standard. Pulse Phasers using Dilithium power source.
Type VIIIIdeal for mining configuration.
Type IXGood back up weapon for vessels which cannot support Type X. Pulse Phasers using Trilithium power source.
Type XGalaxy Class standard. The ship weaponry strongest available. Heavy on power (5.1 MW output).
Type X+Planetary Defence. The strongest available. Power output as yet unclassed.

Type II and Type III Phasers

Note on Settings Chart

Hand Phaser Settings
Setting Name Energy/sec EM vs ND Damage index Description
1 Light Stun 15.75/0.25 NA 0 This setting is calibrated for Human physiology and is the default setting for Federation Phasers. Target remains unconscious for 5 min. Prolonged or repeated exposure may prove harmful.
2 Medium Stun 54.3/0.75 NA 0 Humans remain unconscious for 15 min. Prolonged or repeated exposure will prove harmful.
3 Heavy Stun 160.65/1.025 NA 1 All Starfleet crew are trained to operate phasers up to this level. Humans remain unconscious for 1 hour, resistant life forms for 15 min. 1cc of water heated by 100 degrees.
4 Thermal Effects 515.75/1.5 NA 3.5 Humanoids experience extensive neural and outer-dermal damage. Discharges of longer than 5min will produce noticeable heat in metals.
5 Thermal Effects 857.5/1.5 250:1 7 Humanoids experience extensive burn damage, sub-dermal layers unaffected. Personal shields dissipated after 5 sec. Full security Away team fields unaffected.
6 Disruption Effects 2,700/1.75 90:1 15 Organic and inorganic matter display comparable tendances to disintegrate completely. May be area specific (ie can disintegrate a limb but leave target alive).
7 Disruption Effects 4,900/1.75 1:1 50 Wide spread molecular disintegration. Cessation of organic life.
8 Disruption Effects 15,000/1.75 1:3 120 All Starfleet officers are trained to operate phasers up to this level. 50% of all material disintegrates completely. All unshielded material will be penetrated given enough time.
9 Disruption Effects 65,000/1.5 1:7 300 Training to operate phasers at this level and above is only available to Security personnel, or officers of at least Lt Commander rank. Medium Alloy or ceramics over 1m thick exhibit energy rebound prior to disintegration.
10 Explosive Effects 125,000/1.3 1:9 450 Heavy alloys absorb or rebound material for 0.55 seconds before disintegration.
11 Explosive Effects 300,000/0.78 1:11 670 Ultra-dense alloys absorb or rebound material for 0.2 seconds before disintegration. Displacement of up to 10 m3 rock.
12 Explosive Effects 540,000/0.82 1:18 940 Ultra-dense alloys absorb or rebound material for 0.1 seconds before disintegration. Displacement of up to 50 m3 rock.
13 Explosive Effects 720,000/0.82 1:18 1,100 Shielded material experiences slight heating. Displacement of up to 90 m3 rock.
14 Explosive Effects 930,000/0.75 1:20 1,430 Shielded material experiences moderate heating. Displacement of up to 160 m3 rock.
15 Explosive Effects 1.17x106/0.32 1:25 1,850 Shielded material experiences major vibrational heating. Displacement of up to 370 m3 rock.
16 Explosive Effects 1.55x106/0.28 1:40 2,450 Maximum setting for personal Weaponry. Shielded material experiences slight structural damage. Displacement of up to 650 m3 rock.

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