Klingon environmental suit
The Klingon environmental suit were the styles of environmental suit employed by the Klingon Empire. Like their counterparts in other cultures, they were pressurized space suits capable of withstanding hard vacuum and other environmental hazards, protecting their occupant from harm. They incorporated magnetic boots to walk on the hull of a starship or space station. Several different types were observed over the course of Federation-Klingon interactions.
History and specifications[]
A ceremonial style of space suit was employed by position of Klingon torchbearer in 2256. It was highly ornate, resembling a baroque kind of armor, but nevertheless was a functional environmental suit, fully pressurized against vacuum. The torchbearer Rejac used it to instigate the Battle of the Binary Stars, attacking Starfleet officer Michael Burnham in space using a Bat'leth melee weapon. (DSC episode: "Battle at the Binary Stars")
In 2371 the Klingon Empire employed a style of environmental suit, which enclosed the whole body, providing protection from the vacuum of space, and also provided some armor protection. It was present in the airlocks of Klingon bird of prey starships. Given their ubiquity, they were likely standard issue across the entire Klingon Defense Force, and perhaps also civilian starships. (TNG video game: Generations)
Another highly ubiquitous form of standard Klingon space suit could be observed around the same decade, located on various planets and facilities of the Empire. This was colloquially often called a 'vac-suit', which is likely just an alternative name for a space suit or an environmental suit of any kind. Both kinds of suit slightly restricted the vision of the occupant, when looking out of the helmet. (ST video game: Klingon Honor Guard)
There was also a form of space suit known as Advanced Combat Armor around the same era, which was capable of operating in space or under water. This variety was likely intended specifically for combat missions in vacuum, such as boarding actions, or warfare in other hazardous environments, while the standard vac suit was likely only intended for EVA such as engineering repairs. All three 24th century Klingon space suits emitted a loud artificial breather noise internally, which could be heard only by the occupant, when inside the suit. (ST video game: Klingon Honor Guard)
By 2401 a newer type of environmental suit seems to have become standard issue. This was formally called the Klingon Defense Force Combat Environmental Suit. It seemed to possess the same qualities as the earlier 24th century varieties. (STO video game: Star Trek Online)
Images[]
