Raptor class (Klingon)

The Raptor class was a name given to a small Klingon scout vessel in Imperial Defense Force service beginning in the 22nd century, first commissioned around 2130. 

Specifications
The Klingon Raptor-class scout ship was a small raiding vessel that first entered service in the 2130s. They were typically employed to patrol the edge of Imperial space and raid alien outposts and ships.

The basic design was similar to the battlecruiser, with a primary hull connected with the engineering hull through a long, narrow neck. A warp nacelle was attached to a wing on either side of the Raptor. Unlike the D5, the Raptor's wings were upswept. At 145 meters in the 22nd century, the ship was shorter than a D5-class battlecruiser. The access hatch was the top-most part of the ship. A disruptor turret sat on top of the main bridge, on the head section. Sensor arrays were mounted to the fore of the wings. The reactor pit was located behind a red grill in the bulge on between the wings. The impulse engines were attached to the aft. 

The vessel lacked escape pods. 

The Raptor's hull was twice as thick as that of an Earth Starfleet starship, and reinforced with a coherent molecular alloy that enabled it to withstand pressures of up to 15.000 GSC.

Although the ship was designed to survive for a maximum of six months without returning to Klingon space, a Raptor-class scout rarely operated far from other Klingon starships.

The Raptor had a crew complement of 12. The ship's galley was located on deck four. A targ pit provided live food for the crew. Its bridge design followed the standard Klingon design ethics, with a central command chair facing a forward viewscreen. The bridge could be operated by a minimum of three officers. Main engineering, called the reactor pit, was located one deck below the bridge. 

By the 24th century, the ship's length was shortened to 105 meters, the number of decks reduced to three. 

History
The Raptor-class scout was launched in the 2130s. 

The Raptor was named by Vulcans who fell victim to these vessels, which were frequently used by Klingons to raid shipping and exploratory vessels. The Vulcans' database contained 900 pages of information about his ship type. 

In 2151, the Raptor-class was one of the first Klingon starship classes encountered by Humans. Earth Starfleet got a good look on Klingon technology when a landing party boarded the derelict and helped save the ship from destruction in a gas giant's atmosphere. It was here that Humans first learned about photon torpedoes.

Gradually, the Raptor-class scout was supplanted by the newer, which had a similar mission profile. The Raptor's basic arrangement was reserved for battlecruisers rather than small vessels. Nevertheless, the class remained in service into the 24th century. 

By the early 25th century, the Raptor class had spawned its own starship classification, the raptor escort. The venerable Raptor-class scout was finally succeeded by the raptor escort. 

Known vessels

 * (IKS-127)
 * (IKS-114)
 * (IKS-209)
 * (IKS-284)
 * (IKS-453)
 * (IKS-312)
 * (IKS-424)
 * (IKS-409)
 * (IKS-162)
 * (IKS-566)
 * (IKS-319)
 * (IKS-155)
 * (IKS-173, aka IKS SamraH)
 * (IKS-294)