Difference between revisions of "Klingon Defence Force"


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Klingon uniforms commonly include loops and pouches to attach or contain various weaponry, such as disruptors, [[d'k tahg]]s, [[bat'leth]]s and [[mek'leth]]s, and often include pronged fingerless gloves or spiked boots; all designed to give Klingon warriors an increased advantage in hand-to-hand combat.
 
Klingon uniforms commonly include loops and pouches to attach or contain various weaponry, such as disruptors, [[d'k tahg]]s, [[bat'leth]]s and [[mek'leth]]s, and often include pronged fingerless gloves or spiked boots; all designed to give Klingon warriors an increased advantage in hand-to-hand combat.
  
==Starship Classes==
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==Bases and Installations==
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Aside from its headquarters located on [[Ty'Gokor]], the Klingon Defence Force also maintains installations throughout Klingon territory.
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===Starbases and Outposts===
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===Shipyards===
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===Training Facilities===
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==Vessels==
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===Starship Classes===
  
 
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Revision as of 14:40, 20 March 2013

Klingon Defence Force
KlingonEmpire.png
Active:

Since circa 9th century

Allegiance:

Klingon Empire

Type:

Combined space and ground force

Flagship:

IKS Sword of Kahless

Source


The Klingon Defence Force (KDF), sometimes referred to as the Klingon Imperial Navy, Imperial Klingon Fleet or the Klingon Imperial Army, is the prominent military arm of the Klingon Empire.

The Defence Forces take orders directly from the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council, or from senior officers who have been appointed to act in his stead, who is usually a member of the Klingon High Command.

The Klingon Defence Force's headquarters are located on Ty'Gokor, a heavily fortified planetoid located in an asteroid belt deep inside Klingon space and site of the Hall of Warriors.

Structure

The Defence Forces are organised in ways that appear both familiar and dissimilar to the comparable organisations in the Federation and Romulan Empire. The Defence Forces are organised into numerous named and numbered fleets, each assigned specific regions of Klingon space and specific functions to perform. Fleets are usually assigned to the Deep Space Fleet (DSF) branch, which forms the regular naval forces. The opposing branch within the KDF the Internal Security Fleet (ISF), which operates only internally within the Empire's space and utilises smaller starship designs, with duties such as the policing of rules, border patrols, anti-piracy duties, safety & rescue and customs, along with tariff regulations. The ISF's duties also extend to watching over client or conquered worlds to ensure they do not rise up against the Empire. However, despite the importance and wide variety in its duties, the ISF is considered as being inferior to the Deep Space Fleet in political, military and even social standing.

Though the KDF operates under a shared organisational and command structure, personnel are divided into two distinct fighting forces; the Navy which operates the KDF's vessels and the Army which consists of ground troops used in both planetary deployment and in the boarding of enemy vessels, sometimes referred to as the planetary regiments. Both branches typically co-exist on every Klingon vessel, and a senior officer from either branch may command any officer or warrior below them, or even entire fleets. Each branch has a distinctive rank structure, but it is rare for a Klingon officer to switch their rank between branches even when their duties require that they themselves do. This has caused many Klingons who began their service in the ground forces to retain their army rank as they become starship officers and captains.

See also: Klingon Defence Force Ranks

The majority of Defence Force members are common warriors assigned to the ground forces branch of the Empire, whilst those who pass the entrance exam to become officers usually serve aboard the Empires starships or as commanders for large deployments of ground forces. It is very uncommon for an officer of the Army – even one of the lowest rank – to command over a small group of warriors. Until the rise of Chancellor Martok, it was uncommon for a Klingon who was not of noble blood to become an officer in the KDF.

The system of hierarchy aboard ships within the Defence Forces is highly structured. According to one of their systems, one that has operated successfully for centuries, the first officer of any Klingon vessel has the duty to assassinate his captain when and if the captain becomes weak or unable to perform. It is expected that his honourable retirement should be assisted by his first.

Tactics

Klingon forces typically place a large emphasis on direct offensive assaults, and their ships are equipped for just this role. Klingon battle cruisers usually possess thick battle armour beneath their equally strong shields, and their weapons are usually overpowered, and not designed to disable opponents alone without considerable skill on behalf of the ship’s weapons officer. Klingon fleets typically deploy in large numbers in order to simply overwhelm their foe, regardless of whether one ship alone could perform the task.

However, Klingon tactics are not confined solely to this brute force approach, though covert action beyond the wide-spread use of cloaking devices is not something that comes easily to Klingon officers. Klingon Birds-of-Prey are far smaller than their cruiser counterparts, and bear nowhere near as much armaments, but are far faster and more agile. Their cloaking devices are also usually more effective due to the ship's smaller size and lower power profile. This allows Klingon forces to use these ships in fast strikes, catching enemies unawares behind the front lines, unleashing devastating destruction, and then retreating again in a hit-and-run attack. Birds of Prey operate just as commonly both as single-ship forces and in wings of up to twelve vessels operating in tandem.

The ground tactics of the Klingons follow very similar lines as those favoured by their battle cruisers; ground forces are deployed in large numbers to storm enemy encampments and overwhelm their defences. Though such actions are often disavowed by the High Command, Klingon warriors have been known to commit various atrocities against those they attack, and often loot prizes from their fallen foes.

Uniforms

The uniform of the Klingon Defence Force places a large emphasis on the advantage it provides in hand-to-hand combat. Consisting of black leggings and a black undershirt – in some cases, made of thick black fur from an animal found on many Klingon worlds – covered with a silver armoured vest with large shoulder pads, the KDF usually allowed a large amount of latitude to its personnel in terms of customisation, with the only features remaining on all uniforms unaltered being a large belt buckle displaying six round buttons and a metal emblem of the Klingon Empire; worn on the sleeve when an officer’s uniform choice included them, or on the armour vest or a sash when it did not.

Klingons of a noble house were also permitted to wear a sash over the right shoulder – usually made of metal and leather – upon which can be worn various House crests or personal achievements. Klingon commanding officers are permitted to wear a brown open-front vest called a stole over his or her armour, displaying large rectangular emblems on each side of its chest.

Klingon uniforms commonly include loops and pouches to attach or contain various weaponry, such as disruptors, d'k tahgs, bat'leths and mek'leths, and often include pronged fingerless gloves or spiked boots; all designed to give Klingon warriors an increased advantage in hand-to-hand combat.

Bases and Installations

Aside from its headquarters located on Ty'Gokor, the Klingon Defence Force also maintains installations throughout Klingon territory.

Starbases and Outposts

Shipyards

Training Facilities

Vessels

Starship Classes

Birds-of-Prey Cruisers