Mup'beH class

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The Mup'beH class Bird-of-Prey is a light warship that was in use by the Klingon Empire in the late 22nd century, primarily used as a scout ship. (Star Trek Online Foundry mission "The Battle of Klach D'kel Brakt").

History

In 2175, the Mup-beH class was introduced to the Klingon Defense Force in addressing vulnerabilities with its predecessor. The plasma junction was relocated to a less vulnerable position and reinforced with electrostatic armor plating, preventing the disabling of the power grid. The aft armor plating was increased by twenty percent, providing greater protection from kinetic warheads, such as photon torpedoes. And the warp engine was replaced with the new I-5 Graf Unit, which allowed the ship to reach a maximum speed of Warp 5.8. (Star Trek Online Foundry: The Battle of Klach D'kel Brakt)

Production of the Mup-beH class continued until 2241, when it was replaced by the Ro'vaQ-class Bird-of-Prey.

In 2266, Ki'TaQ gained attention of the Klingon High Command, when he managed to thwart a Romulan raid in the Azure Nebula with his House's antiquated Mup'beH class Bird-of-Prey, the IKS NIch'vaH. Taking advantage of the improvements of the plasma junction, he used the electrostatic plating to charge a nearby nebular particle cloud, masking his ship's energy signature. This provided the perfect means to ambush two of the three Romulan ships in a simultaneous strike with the Bird-of-Prey's multiple weapon platforms. Then engaging the lead ship in a traditional ship-to-ship dogfight, where the Klingon Bird-of-Prey's superior maneuverability gave an advantage over the slower Romulan starship. (Star Trek Online Foundry: The Battle of Klach D'kel Brakt)

Specifications

Design

Bird-of-Preys are highly maneuverable, light starships that have been been in service with the Klingon Defense Force for centuries. The core design is similar to the Klingon battle cruiser with an engineering hull, connected to a bridge module via a command boom. However, Bird-of-Preys replace warp nacelles in favor of disruptor cannons at the wingtips, giving them a wider attack arc in ship-to-ship engagements. (ST reference: The Official Starships Collection #35)

Compared to their 23rd and 24th century counterparts, the 22nd century Birds-of-Prey are normally equipped with eight cannons. Two fixed light disruptor cannons on the bridge module, two light disruptor cannons mounted on a ventral turret, and four disruptor cannons on the wingtips.

The 22nd century Bird-of-Prey is known for its superior combat capability against other Alpha Quadrant species, such as the Orions. But an encounter with humans in 2154, exposed a vulnerability in the design. The starship could be disabled if the main plasma junction, above the sensor array, was directly hit. (ENT: "The Augments")

Known vessels

• Ki'TaQ's Bird-of-Prey