Photon torpedo

Interior of a photon torpedo.

A photon torpedo was a projectile weapon commonly used by Federation starships throughout the 23rd and 24th centuries. The photon torpedo used shaped charges of antimatter that, when they came in contact with conventional matter or hard energy barriers, released massive amounts of gamma ray photons, hence the weapon's name. They were developed in part due to the requirement for a weapon, which unlike phasers, could be used at faster than light speeds.

The photon torpedo was later refined so that the matter and antimatter packets were spread throughout the torpedo casing, with magnetic fields in place so that the two substances did not actually touch until the time of detonation. This refinement increased the yield of the torpedo, and was incorporated into Federation weapon systems. (TNG reference: Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual)

History

The Enterprise fires photon torpedoes at the Klingons.

The first version of the photon torpedo was introduced in 2215. They were preceded by photonic torpedos, which had been in use by both the Earth and Federation Starfleets since 2153. In 2271, a more advanced version of the photon torpedo was introduced by Starfleet - and the design has been in use since that time. (TNG reference: Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual; ENT episode: "The Expanse")

Exactly what the difference between photon and photonic torpedoes isn't clear, photonic torpedoes seem to function in much the same way as photon torpedoes and even use similar casings. In reference to the above mentioned description from the Next Generation Technical Manual, the Photonic Torpedo may be the "antimatter only" version of the later photon torpedo.

The Klingons had warships armed with photon torpedoes as early as the 22nd century. (ENT episode: "Sleeping Dogs")

At the end of the 22nd century, a half dozen low-yield torpedo detonations were detected from long range in the Arhennius system. (Star Trek novel: Engines of Destiny)

During the 2250s-2260s of the Kelvin timeline, Starfleet ships were armed with regenerative photon torpedoes. (TOS video game: The Mobile Game)

Type FP-5 and FP-6 photon torpedo systems were tested and certified using Wizard-class starships. (Stardate Magazine vol. 1, Issue 8: "Wizard Class Starship")

In 2293, James T. Kirk and Montgomery Scott simulated a photon torpedo using the deflector dish aboard the USS Enterprise-B to free the vessel from the gravimetric distortions put out by the Nexus. (TNG movie: Generations)

In an alternate timeline where Scott rescued Kirk before he could be absorbed into the Nexus, both the Klingon Empire and Alliance had developed a method of utilizing photon torpedoes to mine valuable assets and hid them using interphase cloaking devices. The Alliance had further increased the energy output and attached the torpedoes to high-output warp drives. (Star Trek novel: Engines of Destiny)

By the 2370s a smaller version of the photon torpedo known as a microtorpedo was developed for Danube-class runabouts and other small Starfleet vessels. (DS9 novel: Antimatter)

Appendices

Appearances and references

• Star Trek: The Original Series
  • episodes:
    • "Arena"
    • "A Taste of Armageddon"
    • "The Changeling"
    • "Journey to Babel"
    • "Obsession"
    • "The Ultimate Computer"
    • "Elaan of Troyius"
  • films:
    • Star Trek: The Motion Picture
    • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
    • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
    • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
    • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
  • novels:
    • Vulcan!
    • Trek to Madworld
    • The Klingon Gambit
    • Corona
    • My Enemy, My Ally
    • The Vulcan Academy Murders
    • Killing Time
    • TOS - Fortunes of War novel: Dreadnought!
    • The Romulan Way
    • How Much for Just the Planet?
    • Double, Double
    • The Cry of the Onlies
    • The Kobayashi Maru
    • Rules of Engagement
    • The Pandora Principle
    • Doctor's Orders
    • Ghost-Walker
    • Renegade
    • Faces of Fire
    • The Disinherited
    • Sanctuary
    • Death Count
    • Shell Game
    • The Starship Trap
    • From the Depths
    • The Great Starship Race
    • Firestorm
    • Traitor Winds
    • Crossroad
    • Recovery
    • The Fearful Summons
    • First Frontier
    • The Captain's Daughter
    • Twilight's End
    • The Rings of Tautee
    • Heart of the Sun
    • Assignment: Eternity
    • Constitution
    • Wagon Train to the Stars
    • Rough Trails
    • The Flaming Arrow
    • Challenger
    • Honor Blade
    • Enterprise: The First Adventure
    • Prime Directive
    • Probe
    • Sarek
    • Federation
    • The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2
    • The Case of the Colonist's Corpse
    • Present Tense
    • The Edge of the Sword
    • Killing Blow
    • River of Blood
    • Seeds of Rage
    • Demands of Honor
    • Provenance of Shadows
    • The Fire and the Rose
    • The Ashes of Eden
    • Spectre
    • Captain's Peril
    • War Dragons
    • Where Sea Meets Sky
    • Treaty's Law
    • Cloak
  • short stories:
    • "The Patient Parasites"
    • "The Sleeping God"
    • "Chaotic Response"
    • "The Leader"
    • "Ambition"
• Star Trek: The Animated Series
  • episodes:
    • "One of Our Planets Is Missing"
    • "More Tribbles, More Troubles"
    • "The Survivor"
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • episodes:
    • "Encounter at Farpoint"
    • "Code of Honor"
    • "The Last Outpost"
    • "The Battle"
    • "Datalore"
    • "The Arsenal of Freedom"
    • "The Neutral Zone"
    • "Where Silence Has Lease"
    • "Unnatural Selection"
    • "A Matter of Honor"
    • "Contagion"
    • "Time Squared"
    • "Q Who?"
    • "Samaritan Snare"
    • "Peak Performance"
    • "The Survivors"
    • "Booby Trap"
    • "Yesterday's Enterprise"
    • "Tin Man"
    • "Ménage à Troi"
    • "The Best of Both Worlds"
    • "The Loss"
    • "The Wounded"
    • "Clues"
    • "Night Terrors"
    • "The Nth Degree"
    • "Half a Life"
    • "In Theory"
    • "Redemption"
    • "Silicon Avatar"
    • "New Ground"
    • "Conundrum"
    • "Cost of Living"
    • "Time's Arrow"
    • "Man of the People"
    • "Relics"
    • "Descent"
    • "Gambit"
    • "Parallels"
    • "The Pegasus"
    • "Genesis"
    • "Emergence"
    • "Preemptive Strike"
  • novels:
    • Ghost Ship
    • The Peacekeepers
    • Masks
    • The Captains' Honor
    • Doomsday World
    • Boogeymen
    • Grounded
    • Here There Be Dragons
    • Balance of Power
    • Blaze of Glory
    • The Romulan Stratagem
    • Into the Nebula
    • Rogue Saucer
    • The Soldiers of Fear
    • Intellivore
    • Q-Space
    • Double or Nothing
    • Vendetta
    • Reunion
    • The Valiant
    • Imzadi
    • The Devil's Heart
    • Dark Mirror
    • Q-Squared
    • Crossover
    • The Battle of Betazed
    • A Time to Be Born
    • A Time to Die
    • A Time to Harvest
    • A Time to Heal
    • A Time for War, A Time for Peace
    • Behind Enemy Lines
    • Tunnel Through the Stars
    • Doors into Chaos
    • Rogue
  • short stories:
    • "Reciprocity"
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  • episodes:
    • "Emissary"
    • "Profit and Loss"
    • "The Maquis, Part I"
    • "The Maquis, Part II"
    • "Tribunal"
    • "The Jem'Hadar"
    • "The Search"
    • "Visionary"
    • "The Adversary"
    • "The Way of the Warrior"
    • "Little Green Men"
    • "Sons of Mogh"
    • "Shattered Mirror"
    • "Apocalypse Rising"
  • novels:
    • The Big Game
    • Fallen Heroes
    • Warchild
    • Antimatter
    • Proud Helios
    • Station Rage
    • The Long Night
    • Objective: Bajor
    • Time's Enemy
    • Saratoga
    • Trial by Error
    • Vengeance
    • The 34th Rule
    • The Courageous
    • Inferno
    • Avatar, Book One
    • The Left Hand of Destiny, Book One
    • The Left Hand of Destiny, Book Two
    • Warpath
    • The Mist
    • Armageddon Sky
  • short stories:
    • "... Loved I Not Honor More"
• Star Trek: Voyager
  • episodes:
    • "Caretaker"
    • "The Cloud"
    • "Initiations"
    • "Persistence of Vision"
    • "Alliances"
    • "Dreadnought"
    • "Basics"
    • "Future's End"
    • "Scorpion"
    • "Year of Hell"
    • "Concerning Flight"
    • "Waking Moments"
    • "Living Witness"
    • "One"
    • "Night"
    • "In the Flesh"
    • "Counterpoint"
    • "Bliss"
    • "Dark Frontier"
    • "Think Tank"
    • "Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy"
    • "Dragon's Teeth"
    • "Collective"
    • "Live Fast and Prosper"
    • "Fury"
    • "Flesh and Blood"
    • "The Void"
    • "Human Error"
    • "Friendship One"
    • "Endgame"
  • novels:
    • The Murdered Sun
    • The Final Fury
    • The Garden
    • Battle Lines
    • Cloak and Dagger
    • Fusion
    • Evolution
    • Full Circle
  • novellas:
    • VOY - The Brave and the Bold, Book Two novella: The Third Artifact
  • short stories:
    • "Winds of Change"
• Star Trek: Enterprise
  • episodes:
    • "Sleeping Dogs"
    • "Borderland"
• Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers
  • eBooks:
    • Interphase, Part One and Part Two
    • Foundations, Book One and Book Two
    • Wildfire, Book 1
    • Home Fires
    • The Demon, Book 1 and Book 2
    • Ring Around the Sky
    • Ghost
    • Remembrance of Things Past, Book I and Book II
• Star Trek: New Frontier
  • novels:
    • Into the Void
    • End Game
    • Martyr
    • Once Burned
    • The Quiet Place
    • Dark Allies
    • Cold Wars
    • Gods Above
    • Missing in Action
    • Treason
  • short stories:
    • "Making a Difference"
    • "Performance Appraisal"
    • "Pain Management"
• Star Trek: Stargazer
  • novels:
    • Gauntlet
    • Progenitor
    • Three
• Star Trek
  • novels:
    • Engines of Destiny
    • Gods of Night
• Star Trek: The Lost Era
  • novels:
    • The Sundered
    • Well of Souls
• Star Trek: Vanguard
  • novels:
    • Harbinger
    • Summon the Thunder
    • Reap the Whirlwind
    • Open Secrets

External link

• Photon torpedo article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

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