Is this canon? What episode was it mentioned in, I haven't watched Voyager in years.
Quantum torpedos in Phot torp launchers?
- Thread starter USSHermes
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Is this canon? What episode was it mentioned in, I haven't watched Voyager in years.
Per treaty, no ship carries tactical nuclear weapons onboard. Granted, they're just kept on land and could be airlifted aboard in a crisis, but as far as I can tell the SUBROC was entirely decommissioned, as were the nuclear depth charges, leaving aircraft-mounted gravity bombs as only nuclear weapons still around and able to be used by the USN.
Speaking of Nuclear weapons, while they can be launched by standard launchers, they cannot be stored with conventional weapons. For nukes, that's a security issue. However, Q-torps might need special housing for technical reasons. So while the Galaxy is capable of launching them, it's not set up to store them properly. On board a ship, the magazine is as important as the launcher, perhaps even moreso due the danger of mishandling.
This explains why the Enterprise-E would only fire photons from launcher X, and only Quantums from launcher Y. Since Y is attached to a quantum-rated magazine, and they're generally superior weapons, that's all you'd stock for that launcher. Since photons don't require the special layout, that's what Launcher X fires. If you refit the magazine, you can then carry both types and fire them from X.
We might also speculate that quantums are tactically the most useful at very short ranges and at sublight launch speeds, so Starfleet makes the conscious decision to give them a dedicated, perhaps pared-down, possibly steerable launcher that is equally optimized for these point-blank ranges. So the E-E gets this supposedly rather short-barreled "turret" below the saucer, the Defiant gets equally compact launchers where the entire ship is the "turret", and the standard long-tubed launchers are dedicated to the firing of photon torpedoes, including firing those at warp speeds.
Basically a case of q-torps not really needing a special launcher, but not deserving a standard one, either.
Timo Saloniemi
Basically a case of q-torps not really needing a special launcher, but not deserving a standard one, either.
Timo Saloniemi
I faintly remember something about photon torpedoes only having a primitive drive like the Phoenix or a warp sustainer system while the quantum torpedoes have their own M/A warp drive, which eats into the M/A supplies inside and reduces the punch it packs depending on the distance
Was that canon or is it only semi-canon / fanon?
Was that canon or is it only semi-canon / fanon?
The DS9 Tech Manual claims that a q-torp has a separate antimatter supply aboard for propulsive fuel (p.85-86). The TNG Tech Manual in turn claims that a torpedo will start eating up its explosive antimatter supply for propulsive needs if the original propulsive supplies are exhausted (p.129), thus giving longer range but smaller kaboom. While the DS9 TM doesn't dwell on this, it's obvious that a q-torp warhead as described in that manual can't be tapped for propulsion because it does not feature antimatter.
Both sources suggest that the propulsive m/am tanks of a photon torpedo are separate from the m/am warhead tanks, even though the mentioned cross-connect allows the boosting of the latter at the expense of the former. The propulsive m/am tanks of a q-torp are probably no different from those of a p-torp, then; they just lack the cross-connect.
Both manuals also insist that the warp drive of a torpedo is not a truly independent one, but merely a "sustainer" that cannot independently accelerate to warp, or reachieve warp after dropping to sublight.
None of this is confirmed in canon, though.
Timo Saloniemi
Both sources suggest that the propulsive m/am tanks of a photon torpedo are separate from the m/am warhead tanks, even though the mentioned cross-connect allows the boosting of the latter at the expense of the former. The propulsive m/am tanks of a q-torp are probably no different from those of a p-torp, then; they just lack the cross-connect.
Both manuals also insist that the warp drive of a torpedo is not a truly independent one, but merely a "sustainer" that cannot independently accelerate to warp, or reachieve warp after dropping to sublight.
None of this is confirmed in canon, though.
Timo Saloniemi
I think the "quantum" and the "photon" refers to the actual warhead, thus leaving the actual shell the same. Hell, you could probably put a Vulcan in there if you wanted.
I appreciate what you are attempting to point out (and I was aware of such a prospect before you even brought it up), but we do know that Hollywood writers don't really like to think in such overly-complicated terms.
They keep things simple, and for the sake of convenience, when they say 'advanced' it means 'superior' and 'more powerful' (unless we are told otherwise).
Why couldn't it be 'we don't trust Picard'?
The Federation does not condone execution for one thing, and they know that while he was Locutus, he was not in control of his actions, so putting him away was not doable (along with the fact he had a reputation in SF in the first place).
The reasons we were given were for the most part psychologically based.
SF wanted to avoid Picard becoming emotionally compromised like he did in that scene with Lilly and smashed the model ships.
Ultimately, I find their decision to be idiotic because shorter term exposure to the Borg (say while their ship is being dispatched) is not going to cause a lapse like the one that was triggered after almost half of the ship and decent amount of crew was assimilated (which would probably affect most SF captains in some way).
Since you are referring to my statement that Voyager was on equal footing of a Galaxy class ship in everything but physical size, I can tell you that on-screen reference loosely indicates this.
However, the creators of the show and actual blueprints for Voyager show it's weapons and defenses to be the same like the ones on a Galaxy class ship.
Plus it makes sense.
SF was focusing on constructing smaller and more powerful ships in response to the Borg threat.
Look at the Defiant ... it's extremely small, yet packs the firepower that's capable of killing off 3 Jem'Hadaar bug ships in one fight (or shall we saw, only 4 or 5 pulses per bug to destroy it - which was 10x more effective to what a Galaxy class did on it's first encounter with similar ships).
Plus, Voyager was put into service 10 years after the Galaxy class.
Furthermore, luxuries available on the Galaxy class are in smaller quantities onboard Voyager.
Just enough to cater for a crew of say 150, whereas creature comforts on the Galaxy class have to accommodate just over 1000.
That's around 7x fewer power needed for creature comforts alone.
I would find it idiotic of SF to create 'state of the art' starship with defensive and offensive systems of ships that came some 30 years before.
Besides, most people make an error assuming that 'bigger is better' while more often than not we were shown in Trek how such aspects fail on a frequent basis.
Tube design seems pretty simple to me... (Though I've never agreed with the "turret" idea: torpedoes are guided weapons, and considering the maneuverability of ships in Trek...).
I'm going to have to agree that its a different factor, such as arming, storing, or controlling the q-torp. Or perhaps production limitations, or treaty limitations. Interestingly enough, the DS9 tech manual tells us that plain old photorps have yield restrictions, stipulated by an arms treaty or some such. It may be that the Federation has to run through a political shitstorm just to arm one ship with q-torps.
I'm going to have to agree that its a different factor, such as arming, storing, or controlling the q-torp. Or perhaps production limitations, or treaty limitations. Interestingly enough, the DS9 tech manual tells us that plain old photorps have yield restrictions, stipulated by an arms treaty or some such. It may be that the Federation has to run through a political shitstorm just to arm one ship with q-torps.
I.E. "Dreadnought": When they're talking about modifying VOY's launchers, could they be referring to the need to adapt them to fire Cardassian Q-torps...as in Cardie-made versions of the Q-torp. They've ripped off Federation tech before...why not in this case?
That's something I would like to see....load Tuvok in a torp and fire at Will....Riker, that is...
That's something I would like to see....load Tuvok in a torp and fire at Will....Riker, that is...
In "Adversary" Sisko asks for a full complement of photons be loaded on the Defiant and Kira later only mentions that the photons are armed when the ship's weapon systems comes online. That at least suggests the Defiants launchers can handle both.
They did and his name was Spock.
They did and his name was Spock.
In the case of Spock, we could argue they removed not only the warhead, but also the engine. In the case of a certain Klingon Ambassador, we have to accept that they left the warp engine in and still managed to accommodate the Klingon.
So apparently the torpedo can feature a warp engine capable of warp nine and still house a massive warhead, or a Klingon passenger (although the two might be considered one and the same thing).
But they don't. They talk about modifying the Cardassian torpedoes instead.
Although one wonders if those torps really are Cardassian. Remember that Quark claimed he could sell q-torps in "Little Green Men"? If there was even a kernel of truth in there, the Ferengi probably sold q-torp tech to the Cardassians, along with other things (such as the interesting flash-wave defense, or "thoron shock emitter", of the Dreadnought, very similar to the one utilized by the Ferengi in "The Last Outpost").
Timo Saloniemi
So apparently the torpedo can feature a warp engine capable of warp nine and still house a massive warhead, or a Klingon passenger (although the two might be considered one and the same thing).
But they don't. They talk about modifying the Cardassian torpedoes instead.
Although one wonders if those torps really are Cardassian. Remember that Quark claimed he could sell q-torps in "Little Green Men"? If there was even a kernel of truth in there, the Ferengi probably sold q-torp tech to the Cardassians, along with other things (such as the interesting flash-wave defense, or "thoron shock emitter", of the Dreadnought, very similar to the one utilized by the Ferengi in "The Last Outpost").
Timo Saloniemi
