NuEnterprise Torpedo Tubes (spoilers, sort of)

[publiusr]

In STIII, it might be nice to have someone indicate that these might be better termed drones (from SFB).

 

[gerbil]

Upon additional viewing -- paying special attention to that scene -- we hear that area of the ship being repeatedly referred to as the "weapons bay," which IMO implies that those tubes (which I still believe are a relatively recent addition to the ship) were designed to carry various missiles/mines/drones and other weapons other than a standard photon torpedo (actually, I'm not sure that the Khanpedos were ever referred to as photon torpedoes in this movie).

I'm reasonably certain that they were referred to as photorps at least once - probably in the scene with Marcus introducing them.

I was actually somewhat relieved they didn't try to introduce quantum torpedoes early!

Marcus describes them as a new type of photon torpedo.

 

[jadcox@mindspring.com]

So what, then, is the prominent launcher on the neck for? Firing torpedoes forward while at warp?

 

[Timo]

Although I still haven't seen the movie, reviews would seem to indicate that the "new torpedo tubes" were pure obfuscation - they were part of the Marcus scheme to blackmail Khan into continuing to serve Starfleet interests. Their only actual function was to provide an excuse for Marcus to smuggle the 72 helpless Augments aboard the ship and then threaten to kill them unless Khan cooperated.

The "old" tube in the neck probably always provided the usual range of services, including all the sublight and warp launches needed. The "new tubes" might have been sublight-only deployment chutes from the sound of it, superficially plausible for use in planetary precision bombardment (the role Marcus claimed they would serve in the Khan hunt), so Kirk would buy the lie easily enough.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Although I still haven't seen the movie, reviews would seem to indicate that the "new torpedo tubes" were pure obfuscation - they were part of the Marcus scheme to blackmail Khan into continuing to serve Starfleet interests. Their only actual function was to provide an excuse for Marcus to smuggle the 72 helpless Augments aboard the ship and then threaten to kill them unless Khan cooperated.

The "old" tube in the neck probably always provided the usual range of services, including all the sublight and warp launches needed. The "new tubes" might have been sublight-only deployment chutes from the sound of it, superficially plausible for use in planetary precision bombardment (the role Marcus claimed they would serve in the Khan hunt), so Kirk would buy the lie easily enough.

Timo Saloniemi

I prefer to think that Enterprise carries at least two different types of torpedoes on board, necessitating at least two different types of tubes. The side-mounted ones are probably used -- under normal circumstances -- to launch drones, mines, or short-range point defense interceptors.

 

[throwback]

The Enterprise has an additional launcher on the underside of the engineering hull. This launcher faces to the aft of the ship.