Lara'atan class

D18 Class
Affiliation:	Klingon Defense Force
Service period	2/0108 - at least 2/2306.07
Dimensions
Length:	215 meters (D18A), 212 meters (D18B, D18C)
Width:	159 meters
Height:	38 meters
Mass:	90.500 metric tons (D18A), 125,500 metric tons (D18B), 125,800 metric tons (D18C)
Specifications
Crew:	265 (D18A, D18B), 280 (D18C)
Maximum speed:	warp eight (D18A), warp nine (D18B, D18C)
Cruising speed:	warp six (D18A), warp eight (D18B, D18C)
Armaments:	disruptor cannons, photon torpedo launcher
Defences:	shields
Auxiliary craft:	12 shuttlecraft

The D18-class Lara'atan is a type of Klingon starship classified as a destroyer. (FASA RPG module: Klingon Ship Recognition Manual)

Background

Lara'atan is Klingonaase for "protector of brothers", but Starfleet personnel have nicknamed this class "Gull", owing to its appearance. (FASA RPG module: Klingon Ship Recognition Manual)

Service History

The class had three variants. The D18A entered service in the late 2250s decade, on reference stardate 2/0108, D18B in the mid-2260s on 2/1110, and D18C in the early 2270s on 2/1803. (FASA RPG module: Klingon Ship Recognition Manual)

Circa 2267 on reference stardate 2/0804, three D18A variant Lara'atan-class ships served in a Klingon squadron that was part of Battle Group 10 and fought in The Romulan Incident in the Triangle, some of which were destroyed during the battle.

In the late 2260s, two D18B Lara'atan-class ships served in Kaz's squadron and operated mainly at the Klingon-Romulan border. (StarDrive Issue 1: "Tactics of the Imperial Klingon Navy")

By the early 2270s, on reference stardate 2/1512, all 231 D18As constructed had been refit to D18B specifications, with 62 destroyed, 4 captured, 3 scrapped, 3 sold, and 2 reported as missing. (FASA RPG module: Klingon Ship Recognition Manual)

In 2274, Captain Kresz sutai-Kargon commanded a group of six D18-class ships during a raid on a Federation outpost in the Orion Sector. When the starships USS Kongo, USS Halk, and USS Rome arrived in response to the outpost's distress call, Kargon's forces destroyed the Starfleet ships Halk and Rome losing only two of his ships in the process. (FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update)

The timeline in the Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update claims the Kongo was destroyed as well when it engaged the Klingons. Unless another starship were assigned the name, the Kongo wouldn't have been able to participate in the novel Shell Game or in Operation: Retrieve.

As of reference stardate 2/2306.07, the D18B was produced in shipyards at Iosia and H'renn. 358 D18Bs had been constructed, with 82 destroyed, 9 captured, 4 missing, and 2 used as training vessels. The D18C was manufactured at shipyards at Fonawl, Mustaka and Taamar, with 82 built, 4 destroyed, 2 sold, and 1 missing. (FASA RPG module: Klingon Ship Recognition Manual)

Known vessels

IKS Protector • IKS Dark Hand (D18B) • IKS Defender (D18B) • IKS Ganh Wusav (D18B) • IKS Hunter (D18B) • IKS Kaxfiw (D18B) • IKS Ky'jecum (D18B) • IKS Marauder (D18B) • IKS Plunder (D18B) • unnamed Lara'atan-class starships

Appendices

References

• FASA RPG module: Klingon Ship Recognition Manual
• StarDrive Issue 1: "Tactics of the Imperial Klingon Navy"
• FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update