Excelsior class design flaw

[Mark_Nguyen]

The neck thingies have never been conclusively established as torpedo launchers.. They don't look like the tubes facing forward (or aft), and they've never been seen firing anything - only the lower hull forward launchers have ever been seen firing, in ST6, and I can't think of a time any were seen shooting in the TNG era. I believe that they have never been given a real purpose in any official source.

Personally, I prefer to think that they're simple greeblies that could be sensors, access ports (it's famously been attributed to a place where a workbee can enter the neck in Generations, though that is not conclusive), slower probe launchers, etc. If you look closely at the model, you do see that there are twin conical SOMETHINGS in each one; really, could be anything.

Mark

 

[Galileo7]

The Excelsior class LAKOTA battled the Defiant in DS9 episode "Paradise Lost":
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/USS_Lakota

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Indeed she did, and it was a spectcular battle wherein the Defiant was seen firing the only torpedo. The Lakota had quantums aboard as established in dialogue, but never did a sparkly depart any of her series of tubes in the VFX shots...

Mark

 

[Galileo7]

Too bad they didn't show the Lakota's torpedos firing.
The Excelsior in VOY "Flashback" probably didn't either.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Nyerrope. They only rigged one phaser blast to ignite part of a nebula, after which they were quickly pounded by KLINGON torpedoes, resulting in Valtane getting killed. They DID however omit the scene where they stuffed and mounted his corpse for the final shot of ST6.

Mark

 

[Timo]

Sulu didn't have much reason to fire back in that situation - he was already doing enough damage to the Federation cause as is.

Although that part of Tuvok's memory could have been seriously corrupted, too, just like the bit about Valtane dying. Or Rand being a Lieutenant Commander. Or Gorkon's assassination happening just days after the Praxis disaster.

Timo Saloniemi