The Romulan Star Empire
Ships
TALON -CLASS
“FRIGATE”
History
The Talon -class frigate fills the fast
attack role in the Romulan fleet.
Extremely quick and very agile, the
ship is capable of out-manoeuvring any
vessel it comes across. The Talon was
designed primarily to avoid combat in
favour of stealth, using its standard
cloaking device to penetrate enemy fortifications and extract spies or
sabotage enemy defences. Although lightly armoured and featuring relatively
weak weapons, the Talon is a formidable and often deadly opponent.
Notable Talon –class vessels include the I.R.W. Deunan , which single-handedly
defended the Romulan Briareos Outpost from attack by 3 rogue Klingon
B'Rel –class Birds of Prey in 2371.
WARBIRD –CLASS
“BATTLESHIP”
History
The D'Deridex –class Warbird is the
most powerful vessel in the Romulan
Empire. Although Warbirds were in
service long before the more advanced
Romulan weapons and systems were
developed, the vessels are constantly
upgraded to keep their technology
current. The Warbird fills many duties in the fleet, including combat,
exploration, and science missions. The Warbird's enormous size (it is nearly
twice as long as a Federation Galaxy -class vessel) comprises research labs,
reverse-engineering terminals, and intelligence gathering equipment which
make it instrumental in Romulan combat operations, both direct and covert.
Notable Warbird –class vessels include the I.R.W. D'Trell , leader of the
Romulan division of the Alpha Quadrant alliance in the attack on the
Chin'Toka system in 2374.
SHRIKE –CLASS
“LIGHT CRUISER”
History
The Shrike –class is a light cruiser
designed primarily as a scout vessel.
As conflicts along the Romulan-
Federation Neutral Zone tapered off,
the Romulan military realised that
assigning its heavier ships to the
region was a waste of resources. They set about designing a smaller vessel
which could fill the patrol duties and yet still defend itself adequately if the
need arose. The Shrike , which requires a minimal crew and is relatively cheap
to produce, is the result of this design. The vessel is also equipped with a
standard Romulan cloaking device, allowing it to investigate disturbances
in secret.
Notable Shrike –class vessels include the I.R.W. Soren , which was
instrumental in detecting and eliminating the presence of Cardassian
minelayers along the Neutral Zone during the Dominion War.
HAWK –CLASS
“HEAVY CRUISER”
History
After the first indications of the
coming Borg threat along the Neutral
Zone in 2364, the Romulan military
began researching advanced systems
and ship designs in an effort to
upgrade their military against future
incursions. The project was accelerated
after the Romulans obtained intelligence reports on the full capabilities of
the Borg after the battle of Wolf 359, and the Hawk was the first ship to
emerge from the new design initiative. Taking numerous cues from the
powerful Romulan Warbird in its design, the Hawk is a well armed and
manoeuvrable strike vessel with cloaking capabilities designed for heavy
combat duties.
Notable Hawk –class vessels include the I.R.W. Cathex , the ship captained by
the legendary Commander Astran, which disappeared in 2372.
THE SHUTTLE
The shuttle is a light craft capable of being piloted by one man.
usually used for short in system trips, due to its low warp capability