Difference between revisions of "Romulan Bird-of-Prey"

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{{Update Engineering}}
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''Not to be confused with the [[Klingon Bird-of-Prey]]''
  
{{Sidebar starship class|
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[[File:Romulan bird-of-prey ENT.jpg|thumb|right|22nd century design]]
|Name=        Romulan Bird-of-Prey
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[[File:Romulan bird-of-preyENT cloaking.jpg|thumb|right|22nd century design]]
|Image=      Romulan bird-of-prey, ENT-forward.jpg
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[[File:Romulan Bird of Prey2399.jpg|thumb|right|Bird of Prey 2399]]
|ImageCap=    Forward view
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[[File:Romulan Bird-of-Prey2380.png|thumb|right|Bird of Prey 2380]]
|Affiliation= [[Romulan Star Empire]]
 
|Active= [[22nd century]]
 
|Defenses= [[Cloaking device]]
 
|Image2= Romulan bird-of-prey, ENT-aft, duet.jpg
 
|ImageCap2= Aft view
 
|Image3= Romulan bird-of-prey, ENT-aft, cloaking.jpg
 
|ImageCap3= Vessel of the class, cloaking
 
}}
 
In the [[22nd century]], the [[Romulan Star Empire]] fielded a [[starship|warship]] known as a '''"Bird-of-Prey"''', so named for its distinctive bird-like hull form and for the bold pattern of an alien bird painted on its hull. The ships were equipped with advanced [[weapons|weaponry]], as well as a [[cloaking device]].
 
  
The Bird-of-Prey was first encountered by [[Human]]s in mid-[[2152]], when [[Enterprise (NX-01)|''Enterprise'']] accidentally entered a [[minefield]] surrounding a [[planet]] claimed by the Romulan Empire.  At least two ships of this type were present in the [[Star system|system]]; both confronted ''Enterprise'' and forced it to leave.
 
  
==Ships of the class==
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Used by the [[Romulan]] Star Empire in the 22nd and 23rd centuries, they are green in color, and were were designed to appear as birds-of-prey. They were equipped with disruptor banks, as well as advanced cloaking technology. The ship was 130 meters long, and composed of a single saucer-shaped hull with a pair of up-swept warp nacelles mounted on either side.
* '''See''': [[Unnamed Romulan Birds-of-Prey]]
 
  
==Background==
 
The fact that the Birds-of-Prey in the [[2150s]] were equipped with cloaking devices constitutes an apparent continuity violation, because Spock's comment gives the impression that cloaks were apparently unheard of before Balance of Terror. However, this is Spock's own personal notion based on what he knows, and does not necessarily reflect the totality of the Federation's expertise on Romulan equipment. Alternatively, the fault could be said to lie with previous episodes, because "Minefield" was not the first time a cloaking device was seen on ''[[Star Trek Enterprise|Enterprise]]''.  See also [[Earth-Romulan War]].
 
  
The appearance of the 22nd century Bird-of-Prey, at face value, constitutes an apparent visual continuity violation as well, in that Lt. [[Stiles (Lieutenant)|Stiles]] mentioned in the same episode that during the [[Earth-Romulan War]], Romulan ships of the time were painted like giant birds of prey (hence the name). Some fans have speculated that the 22nd century Birds-of-Prey with their cloaking devices and overall pseudo-24th century appearance are the result of the [[Temporal Cold War]]. We can also assume that other classes of Romulan ships during the 22nd century were painted like giant birds, especially smaller, more easily manufactured cruisers, making a majority of their unseen fleet possibly able to validate the comments of Stiles. It is also possible that the Romulans did not adopt the Bird-of-Prey markings until the Earth-Romulan war had actually begun.
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===22nd Century===
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Armed with disruptor cannons and beam arrays, with a teardrop-shaped hull, a pair of green-glowing impulse engine exhausts were mounted at the aft of the saucer. Above them, the stabilizer fin was affixed to the rearmost part of the ship. The hull was segmented and included a shield-generating deflector grid. The twin disruptor emitter was mounted on the bow of the ship, below the two main decks of the saucer. Whereas a section on the bottom of the ship was recessed one deck, the dorsal hull contained a raised section with an additional two decks and the main bridge on top. The pylons swept up- and forward aggressively. Dagger-like pointed nacelles sat at their ends.
  
The fact that this ship clearly has [[warp drive]] has sometimes been viewed as being at odds with Balance of Terror, where [[Montgomery Scott]] states that the Romulan ship only has "simple [[impulse]]".
 
  
Several staff writers on ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' – among them Producer [[Mike Sussman]] – believed that 22nd century Romulan ships should not have been equipped with cloaking devices, in keeping with "Balance of Terror". Season Four showrunner and Co-Executive Producer [[Manny Coto]] decided that Romulan ships would not have cloaks in any subsequent encounters. Birds-of-Prey were seen in ''[[Star Trek: Tactical Assault]]'' as light cruisers.
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The Romulan birds-of-prey were first encountered by Starfleet in [[2152]], when the [[Enterprise, NX-01|Enterprise NX-01]] inadvertently encroached upon a Romulan-claimed star system, which was protected by a field of cloaked mines. A vessel of this class decloaked and approached Enterprise. The Romulan commander hailed (on audio only) and ordered the Enterprise crew to leave or be destroyed, though Enterprise's translator failed to lock onto the Romulan language. To prove the Romulans' point, the Bird-of-Prey fired two warning shots at the Starfleet vessel, and ''Enterprise's'' commanding officer ordered the activation of quantum beacons, in order to avoid hitting any of the cloaked mines. The Romulan vessel then re-cloaked.  
  
According to the novel ''[[The Good That Men Do]]'', these cloaking ships were one-offs. Romulan stealth technology was still in development, the cloaked mines were considered a successful application of the technology but the power requirements for cloaking a whole ship were problematic, sometime after the encounter with the ''Enterprise'' the prototype cloaking ship, ''Praetor Pontilus'', was destroyed in an antimatter containment failure caused by its stealth systems. The Romulans believed it would be decades until a successful cloaking device could be developed.
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===23rd Century===
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First encountering the new version of this vessel in [[2266]], a single ship of this type crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone and destroyed several border outposts. The Romulans later used larger numbers to patrol their border with the Federation in force. Typically during an incursion, one Bird-of-Prey would bring a starship out of warp with a plasma torpedo, to allow the ships in its battle group to attack the target as a group.
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The Romulan Bird-of-Prey was designed with a sole primary hull configuration with two attached nacelles. The ship’s cloaking device consumed an enormous amount of power. The Bird-of-Prey was able to strike its enemies at will, practically undetected and unchallenged.
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===24th Century===
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Vessels of this class saw action in the [[Dominion War]] of the [[2370]]s. Possibly due to their tenacity, Captain [[Benjamin Sisko]] suggested that the Romulan forces, including their Birds-of-Prey, be stationed at the front of the Alliance's fleet.  
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[[category:starship]]
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[[category:intelligence]]

Latest revision as of 15:39, 15 September 2021

Not to be confused with the Klingon Bird-of-Prey

22nd century design
22nd century design
Bird of Prey 2399
Bird of Prey 2380


Used by the Romulan Star Empire in the 22nd and 23rd centuries, they are green in color, and were were designed to appear as birds-of-prey. They were equipped with disruptor banks, as well as advanced cloaking technology. The ship was 130 meters long, and composed of a single saucer-shaped hull with a pair of up-swept warp nacelles mounted on either side.


22nd Century

Armed with disruptor cannons and beam arrays, with a teardrop-shaped hull, a pair of green-glowing impulse engine exhausts were mounted at the aft of the saucer. Above them, the stabilizer fin was affixed to the rearmost part of the ship. The hull was segmented and included a shield-generating deflector grid. The twin disruptor emitter was mounted on the bow of the ship, below the two main decks of the saucer. Whereas a section on the bottom of the ship was recessed one deck, the dorsal hull contained a raised section with an additional two decks and the main bridge on top. The pylons swept up- and forward aggressively. Dagger-like pointed nacelles sat at their ends.


The Romulan birds-of-prey were first encountered by Starfleet in 2152, when the Enterprise NX-01 inadvertently encroached upon a Romulan-claimed star system, which was protected by a field of cloaked mines. A vessel of this class decloaked and approached Enterprise. The Romulan commander hailed (on audio only) and ordered the Enterprise crew to leave or be destroyed, though Enterprise's translator failed to lock onto the Romulan language. To prove the Romulans' point, the Bird-of-Prey fired two warning shots at the Starfleet vessel, and Enterprise's commanding officer ordered the activation of quantum beacons, in order to avoid hitting any of the cloaked mines. The Romulan vessel then re-cloaked.


23rd Century

First encountering the new version of this vessel in 2266, a single ship of this type crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone and destroyed several border outposts. The Romulans later used larger numbers to patrol their border with the Federation in force. Typically during an incursion, one Bird-of-Prey would bring a starship out of warp with a plasma torpedo, to allow the ships in its battle group to attack the target as a group.


The Romulan Bird-of-Prey was designed with a sole primary hull configuration with two attached nacelles. The ship’s cloaking device consumed an enormous amount of power. The Bird-of-Prey was able to strike its enemies at will, practically undetected and unchallenged.


24th Century

Vessels of this class saw action in the Dominion War of the 2370s. Possibly due to their tenacity, Captain Benjamin Sisko suggested that the Romulan forces, including their Birds-of-Prey, be stationed at the front of the Alliance's fleet.