Torsk-Class Destroyers

Overview

Orthographic views

Deck plans created by Allen Rolfes (see notes)

Scenes

3D model created by Fabio Passaro © 3D Gladiators	3D scene created by Mike Moreau
3D scene created by Thomas Pemberton	3D scene created by Thomas Pemberton
Screenshot from Bridge Commander created by Chris Harris	3D model for SF Command created by Chris Harris

Overview

At the start of the war, the Admiralty recognized a need for a large number of small, fast ships to patrol the extensive frontier areas between UE and Romulan space. True, a system of automated sentry buoys was in service, but automated sentries can never act with the judgement and flexibility of manned ships. Furthermore, these robot sentries could not take any defensive actions against border violations as it was thought unwise to give them any weaponry. They were only able to fire a warp message torpedo towards the nearest starbase. Such sentry buoys had been placed at the point where the Romulan invasion fleet crossed into UE Alliance space in September 2157 but they apparently had been destroyed or incapacitated before they could send any warning. (Whether the Romulans had cloaking technology at this time is still a subject of debate.)

The TORSK-destroyers were designed with two distinct missions in mind: to gather intelligence along border areas and to hunt and destroy enemy scout ships. TORSK-class ships were the first to carry the improved SSWR-IIB warp reactor, which was 30% smaller but only 5% less powerful than the SSWR-IIB carried by the KRECHET class. Because of narrowly defined roles TORSK class ships were to play, they were much less expensive to build and operate than were KRECHET-class cruisers. They carried fewer weapons, had a 35% smaller crew, and were 25% lighter despite having two main warp nacelles to KRECHET's one. Fourteen TORSK-class cruisers entered service from February through December 2158. However, they saw little action in their intended roles as Romulan forces withdraw and consolidated in anticipation of an UE Alliance offensive in late 2157. They were, however, used as radar pickets and scouts when UE Alliance task forces pushed into Romulan territories in the final 2 years of the war. TORSK ships did well in these limited roles, but were eventually superseded by the significantly more capable POWHATAN class.

The TORSK-class escort UES STINGRAY (CEM-6) is now on display at the Starfleet Museum.

Commissioned Ships

** denotes lost or missing ships.

Specifications

Standard displacement: 97,610 t

Crew complement: 236 (38 officers + 198 crew)
Weapons: 10 Spider area-defense missiles, 16 Narwhal long-range antiship missiles, 2 pulse laser cannons
Embarked craft: 5 transatmospheric sublight shuttlecraft
Warp drive: SSWR-IIC reactor with two Jaguar I nacelles
Velocity: Warp 2.8, standard; Warp 3.5, maximum
Units commissioned: 14

Last modified: 19.05.08