D5 class The D5 - class battle cruiser was a type of large warship that was in service with the Klingon Imperial Fleet during the mid - 22nd century . History . In service as early as 2147 , the D5 - class was fully documented , albeit classified , in the Vulcan database . ( ) The D5 - class often served patrol duties throughout the Klingon Empire . One vessel of this class served as the personal flagship for high ranking fleet admiral . ( ) In the 2260s , Kor commanded an attack on Caleb IV from the , a D5 - class cruiser . By the 2370s , the D5 - class was considered to be an old design . ( ) Technical data . Physical arrangement . Like many of its successors in the Imperial Klingon fleet , the D5 battle cruiser was a rugged warship that was composed of diffusion bonded monocrystal and distinguished by a roughly avian - like form . The bridge was located in the forward - most position of the ship , and was connected with a series of reinforced support cables , via an elongated neck that extended into the secondary hull . Along the nape of the neck was ship ' s forward sensor platform and the primary weapons array . The bulk of the ship rested in the aft section , which flared down and out , port and starboard , into a pair of angular wing s which contained talon - like warp nacelle s . A superstructure rested on top of the vessel , which contained the cargo loading door , aft sensor platform , and the maneuvering thruster s . Below the superstructure , on the aft - most section of the secondary hull , were the ship ' s impulse engine s . ( ) Design variant . The D5 - class , described as being " little more than a freighter " , could be modified to carry eight under - slung deuterium tank s , capable of transporting over 80 , 000 liter s . Capable of operating with a crew of twelve and a skeleton crew of four , this variant was considerably less advanced than its battle cruiser counterpart , notably in its lack of the ventral disruptor cannon common to the class . In terms of the defensive capabilities of this design , Jonathan Archer stated that he would " lay odds they ' re no match for . " ( ) Tactical systems . The fully armed D5 battle cruiser was considerably more advanced than Starfleet ' s most powerful vessel of that era , the starship . Indeed , the maximum speed of the D5 class was warp factor six . ( ) The offensive arsenal of the D5 - class was rather impressive for the time , as the ship possessed a forward weapons port capable of firing both disruptor s and photon torpedo es , a 360º rotating turret containing twin belly - mounted disruptor cannons , and a dorsal disruptor array . The D5 - class was protected by defensive shields and dispersive armor . ( ) The D5 - class was superior in almost every aspect to Starfleet ' s NX - class ; however , given ideal circumstances , it was speculated by " Enterprise " s tactical officer , Malcolm Reed , that " " sustained phase cannon fire should be able to penetrate their armor , but I doubt they ' d sit still long enough to give us the chance . " " ( ) Additional systems . Like its counterpart of the same era , the D5 battle cruiser was outfitted with " standard multi - spectral sensor s , " not unlike those used on Starfleet ' s NX - class . ( ) However , according to Arik Soong , the D5 battle cruiser was equipped with sensors that were " far superior " to those used on an NX - class . ( ) A fake warp signature matching that of a D5 battle cruiser could be generated by an NX - class starship by reconfiguring the warp coil assembly . This alteration was undetectable by Klingon sensors at a range beyond 80 , 000 kilometer s . ( ) Interior design . Main bridge . Capable of operating with a bridge crew of three , the configuration of the D5 battle cruiser ' s bridge shared many features found in contemporary designs . At the front of the bridge , against the forward bulkhead , was the ship ' s viewscreen . Directly behind the viewscreen , near the center of the bridge , was the captain ' s chair . Directly behind the captain ' s chair was the entryway to the bridge , with two manned console s located on either side of the doorway . The position of the captain ' s chair could also be moved toward the aft of the bridge to supplement the addition of a forward console . Along the perimeter of the bridge were several stations , each designated for a specific task . ( ) Commanding officer ' s cabin . The commanding officer ' s cabin provided the vessel ' s commanding officer with a private place to conduct ship ' s business . The room contained a desk and chair with a desktop monitor . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Model . Though the final draft script of , had described the D5 class as " small but menacing " , writer David A . Goodman very much wanted the Klingon ship in to be a vessel . Yet , Executive Producer Rick Berman believed an earlier model of craft was called for , as the D7 - class had been depicted in the later - set of " Star Trek " . Berman therefore came up with the name " D5 - class " . Script references to the D7 - class , in the " Judgment " teleplay , were duly changed to reference the D5 - class . Peter Lauritson interpreted that to mean a different configuration of vessel was required , so he instructed Michael Okuda to have a new Klingon ship designed . Despite his idea of using the D7 - class not coming to fruition , Goodman remarked about the D5 - class , " " It ' s a cool - looking ship . " " ( " Judgment " text commentary , ENT Season 2 Blu - ray special features ; " Judgment " podcast / audio commentary ) Incidentally , Berman ' s decree was in stark contrast with an earlier situation that the art department had needed to face , in regard to the Klingon , when the producers , against the express wishes of the art department , had insisted on ordaining a vessel for use as Vorok ' s battle cruiser in the first season episode , causing a clearly noticeable continuity error . The D5 - class was designed by illustrator John Eaves , who was reverted the chore by Okuda , and was created as a CG model by Pierre Drolet at Eden FX . Coined the " Klingon D5 Class Tanker " in production staff circles , the model made its debut in " Marauders " . Neither its class nor its designation as " tanker " were established in " Marauders " ( even though the vessel ' s deuterium tanks themselves were , with the ship itself merely compared to a " freighter " ) and it appeared only in that episode as such . The model made three subsequent appearances as a battle cruiser without the tanks , the first time in " Judgment " , where it received its class designation . The D5 - class design as scaled in relation to the other models created by Eden FX was 155 meters . According to an okudagram which appears in " Judgment " , the length of the D5 - class was said to be merely seventy - five meters . Inconsistencies . In writing DS9 Season 7 episode , Ronald D . Moore stated that he intentionally included a nod to by means of a reference to TAS Season 1 episode . In this reference , the elderly Kor recalls , " " I commanded the first division from the " Klothos " – one of the old D - Five cruisers " " during the Battle of Caleb IV . While the reference to the cloaking device - equipped " Klothos " matched the " Klothos " that appears in " The Time Trap " , the design itself in the animated episode appears to be a slight variant of the D7 - class , rather than a ship of the D5 - class retcon ned later for " Star Trek : Enterprise " , in . Apocrypha . In the " Star Fleet Battles " series of games , the D5 - class is a newer , but smaller ship roughly based on the older and heavier D6 - and D7 - classes . It was primarily used as a light cruiser and was designed for rapid production and high combat power in a smaller class ship . The Klingon Empire was capable of building at least eighteen ships of this class per year . Considered an exceptional design in comparison to other races ' ships of that class , it was noted for its maneuverability and superior weapons ' arcs . Like most Klingon ship classes , many D5s were modified into a wide variety of variants during the General War . A 23rd century version of the D5 shows up in " Star Trek Online : Agents of Yesterday " using the TOS aesthetic . It is visible during the Battle of Caleb IV .