Torpedo launcher Torpedo launcher or torpedo bank was a common term for systems that deployed projectiles such as torpedo es and probe s . Polities known to have used such devices include the Cardassian Union , the Dominion , the Klingon Empire , the Romulan Star Empire , and the United Federation of Planets . A torpedo tube was a part of a torpedo launcher . Torpedo launchers could usually be accessed by personnel from a torpedo bay . ( ; ; ; etc . ) Those torpedo launchers dedicated to firing photon torpedo es were called photon launchers . In the original configuration of starships , the torpedo launching structure also housed the ship ' s main phaser bank s . On several starships , the torpedo launchers themselves doubled as directed energy weapon emitters . The aft launchers had phaser banks ; the Klingon and the Romulan forward launchers had disruptor s . ( ; ; ) In the pop - up Starfleet torpedo launchers , installed to Deep Space 9 in 2372 , the torpedo tubes were surrounded by a phaser array ring . ( ) Hardware history . The pre - Federation Starfleet already employed spatial torpedo es and equipped the with launchers . After the introduction of photonic torpedo es , the existing launchers needed to be extensively reconfigured and integrated to the ships ' power grid . ( ) Starships and installations of the Federation Starfleet made use of photon torpedo es and their launchers by at least 2233 . By the mid - 24th century , some Starfleet launchers were able to fire up to at least 5 projectiles in a single salvo and launch torpedoes in rapid fire . ( ; ) " In 2259 of the alternate reality , the was outfitted with torpedo launchers across its secondary hull . " ( ) In 2266 , the encountered a Romulan vessel with a launcher capable of firing powerful plasma torpedo es . Plasma torpedoes and launchers capable of firing them would remain in the Romulan arsenal well into the 24th century . ( ; ) The was equipped with photon torpedo launchers by the 2270s when a trio of such ships made use of them in an unsuccessful strike against " V ' ger " . ( ) It was not only on capital ships that torpedo launchers were installed ; the Maquis were known to have their usually relatively small vessels equipped with launchers , including the modestly sized Maquis raider , which sported no less than four launchers , of which two were aft firing . ( ) . Encounters with the Dominion before and during the Dominion War revealed that Jem ' Hadar ships were also able to launch ordnance , including torpedoes purchased from the Karemma . ( ) During the Dominion War the Cardassians deployed plasma torpedo launchers aboard Orbital weapon platform s such as those encountered in the Chin ' toka system . ( ) Background information . Technical Manual . The " " suggests that the launcher systems of the 24th century combines something similar to a and a , as there is gas pressure chamber with launch - assist gas generators and an electromagnetic accelerator . The launcher tube is also strung with sequential field induction coils . They give a hand - off warp field to the probes and torpedoes that are powered by internal warp sustainer engines . This allows the torpedo to achieve a faster warp speed than the ship when traveling at warp . The starship launchers can fire up to 10 torpedoes simultaneously from a single launchtube . ( pp . 118 diagram , 129 , 130 ) According to " " , the 24th century photon and quantum torpedoes can launch without a large launcher assembly . runabouts can be fitted with four - torpedo modules to the ships midsection that use a guidance system . ( p . 149 ) Microtorpedo launchers . Even though microprobe s carried by the are canon ical and the photon burst s seen in were identified as miniature photon torpedoes in " " , the existence of microtorpedoes and microtorpedo launchers has never been conclusively confirmed on - screen . All information concerning them comes from background sources and production staff interviews . It is stated in the " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine Technical Manual " that some of the smaller Starfleet craft such as shuttles ( p . 143 ) , runabouts ( p . 149 ) , and even the Deep Space 9 ' s weapon sail towers ( p . 82 , 83 ) utilize microtorpedo launchers . They are simple delivery systems , without magnetic accelerators , as microtorpedoes use a miniature fusion thruster for propulsion . Even a micro - quantum torpedo launcher is depicted on page 149 . According to Rick Sternbach there actually is a distinct microtorpedo launcher on the runabout model . Even though the script and dialogue called for only standard torpedoes , according to John Eaves , on the VFX teams suggestion , powerful microtorpedo launchers were indeed added to the rotary weapon arrays on DS9 . The model and effects seem to confirm six round torpedo tubes on each rotary array . Extremely small compared to the larger regular torpedo tubes on the other weapon arrays .