F-5 class (SFC)

F-5 class

F-5 class (SFCGame)

Commissioned	2250
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SFC Timeline
(Starfleet Command Games)

The Klingon F-5 class frigate was used for a multitude of patrol and escort duties. While an outstanding frigate design, the lack of a true destroyer in the Klingon fleet meant that the F-5 class frigates were often used in situations too difficult for a ship of their size but not important enough to warrant the attention of a cruiser. F-5s, however, were very easy to build, and were produced in greater numbers than any other Klingon ship design, and arguably in greater numbers than any other ship. The numerous variants produced attest to the strength of the basic design.

The basic F-5 class frigate was introduced in 2250, and was a larger, more heavily-armed version of the Klingon bird of prey. The class had a crew complement of 220 and featured a capacity of four shuttlecraft, two science labs, two transporters, and had a single tractor beam emitter. The class was armed with a single Type-F missile launcher, two banks of Type-1 disruptors, and five banks of Type-2 phasers. The F-5 remained in service until 2282, when it was superseded by the F-5B refit, introduced in 2270. The F-5B had stronger shields, a Type-A missile launcher, and added a bank of Type-3 phasers, and remained in service until 2294. The frigate was refit once again in 2285 with the F-5K, which traded the Type-A missiles for Type-B, and was armed with two banks of Type-1 phasers, three banks of Type-2 phasers, and a single bank of Type-3 phasers; it remained in service until 2305.

The F-5G commando frigate was introduced in 2257, and was designed for use in ground raids, particularly inside the Empire where its weaker shielding was not a problem. Its smaller hull meant reduced capabilities, but the F-5G was still adequate for many tasks, and freed larger commando ships for more important missions. During the pre-war years, F-5Gs conducted the bulk of commando operations. The F-5G had a crew capacity of 260 and featured a capacity of six shuttlecraft, two science labs, three transporters for landing troops, a single tractor beam emitter, and was armed with five banks of Type-2 phasers. It remained in service until 2284, when it was superseded by the F-5GB refit in 2272, which added stronger shields.

The F-5C frigate leader was introduced in 2263. Once called a destroyer, it was used by the Klingons as the flagship of three-ship frigate squadrons. While the ship was similar to a standard F-5, the modifications were nevertheless extensive. The F-5C, with a crew capacity of 260, featured the strongest shields available to that point on the class, a capacity of six shuttlecraft, two science labs, two transporters, a single tractor beam emitter, and was armed with two Type-A missile launchers, two banks of Type-2 disruptors, two banks of Type-1 phasers, three banks of Type-2 phasers, and a single bank of Type-3 phasers. The F-5C remained in service until 2291, when it was superseded by the F-5L refit, introduced in 2279. The F-5L replaced the Type-A missiles with Type-B, among other improvements, and remained in service until 2305.

Developed around the same time as the E-4Y class cloaking escort, the F-5Y cloaking frigate, introduced in 2275, took advantage of the cloaking technology gained from a brief technology exchange with the Romulan Star Empire. The F-5Y was probably the most successful of the cloaking device-equipped Klingon starships. It was more able to withstand abuse that would cripple the E-4Y, and it had a better power curve when cloaked than the later D-5Y class war cloaking cruiser. Still, it was not considered to be tactically practical. Several F-5Ys were used as spy ships during the later parts of the General War. The F-5Y had a crew complement of 220, featured a capacity of four shuttlecraft, along with the standard complement of two science labs, two transporters, and single tractor beam emitter, and was armed with one Type-F missile launcher, two banks of Type-1 disruptors, and five banks of Type-2 phasers.

The F-5W war destroyer was the ship that the F-5 was meant to be. The F-5 was always caught between the destroyers and frigates of the other powers, and were expected to perform both missions. The F-5W was designed for pure combat, standing in fleet battle wings, and causing death and destruction. The defensive wing phasers, able to cover the forward arc where the original rear-facing phasers could not, made the ship all but missile-proof, and allowed it concentrate its disruptors and main phasers on enemy craft. Introduced in 2289, the F-5W had a crew complement of 280, featured the stronger shields of the F-5C, a six-shuttle capacity, two Type-B missile launchers, two banks of Type-2 disruptors, two banks of Type-1 phasers, three banks of Type-2 phasers, and three banks of Type-3 phasers. It remained in service until 2305, when it was superseded by the F-5WK refit (FWK), which replaced the Type-2 phasers with Type-1s.

The F-5WC (FWC) war destroyer leader was introduced in 2291, and was, in some ways, the epitome of the F-5 class. The defensive Type-3 wing phasers of the F-5W gave way to offensive Type-1s, making the ship a purely offensive fighting machine. It had a crew capacity of 280, featured two Type-B missile launchers, two banks of Type-3 disruptors, four banks of Type-1 phasers, three banks of Type-2 phasers, and a single bank of Type-3 phasers. The FWC remained in service until 2303, when it was superseded by the F-5WL refit (FWL), introduced in 2297, which replaced the Type-2 phasers with Type-1s.

The F-6 class battle frigate was another variant of the class, introduced in 2293.^[1]

Romulan

When the first Klingon D-6 class battlecruisers were delivered to the Romulans, a handful of F-5 class frigates were also transferred. These were converted into plasma torpedo-armed frigates to support the Romulans' larger ships. Later, some of those ships were also refit into further variants.

The F-5R frigate featured a crew complement of 200, a capacity of five shuttlecraft, and was equipped with two science labs, two transporters, and one tractor beam emitter. It was armed with two Type-F plasma torpedo tubes, two banks of Type-1 phasers, and three banks of Type-2 phasers. Introduced circa 2264, the F-5R remained in service until 2288, when it was superseded by the F-5RB, which was introduced in 2276. The F-5RB featured stronger shields.

The F-5L frigate leader was introduced in 2264, was a Romulan variant of the Klingon F-5C used to lead frigate squadrons; they were converted directly from Klingon F-5Cs or from existing F-5Rs. The F-5L featured a crew complement of 240, a seven-shuttle capacity, and was equipped with two science labs, two transporters, and a single tractor beam emitter. The F-5L was armed with two Type-G plasma torpedo tubes and five banks of Type-1 phasers. The F-5L remained in service until 2286, when it was superseded by the F-5LB, introduced in 2274, which was largely similar to the F-5L but had a number of minor upgrades.^[1]

F-5 class vessels

SFC Timeline

Notes and References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Bethke, Erik (Producer). Starfleet Command. Lead Designer: Erik Bethke. Senior Designer: Chris Taylor. Mission Scripting by Lance Watanabe. Campaign Mission Design by Scott Bennie. Game Design by Marc Hertogh and Tom Hughes. SFB Consultant: Tom Hughes. Interplay Inc.. 15 September 1999.

[SFCGame-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Bethke, Erik (Producer). Starfleet Command. Lead Designer: Erik Bethke. Senior Designer: Chris Taylor. Mission Scripting by Lance Watanabe. Campaign Mission Design by Scott Bennie. Game Design by Marc Hertogh and Tom Hughes. SFB Consultant: Tom Hughes. Interplay Inc.. 15 September 1999.

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