Fast attack ship

A fast attack ship is a small starship utilized to engage ships against enemy or hostile threats in a quick fashion. These types of ships are usually assigned near a starbase, planet or larger starship as their size hinders them in open space.

The starship was a Klingon Defense Force fast attack ship in use during at least the 2370s. (Starship Recognition Manual, Volume 3: Ships of the Klingon Empire)