Klingon Defence Force

The Klingon Defence Force (or KDF) is the sole military combat organisation of the Klingon Empire. Formed in 2047 after the last Emperor was overthrown, the KDF was officially a brand-new organisation, although it inherited the starships of the former Imperial Klingon Fleet, with many of the former commanders of that institution being commissioned into the KDF at a rank equal to their former position.

Other military organisations exist (and operate starships) in the Klingon Empire, the second largest after the KDF being the Imperial Intelligence Service‏‎, however these organisations are not permitted to wage war independently of the KDF. Many Klingon Houses however have launched attacks on other powers outside of the Empire. These actions are officially unsanctioned, but there have been cases throughout Klingon history where Houses have been called upon to attack foreign powers by the High Council, whilst officially the Empire remained at peace.

In addition to operating starships, the KDF also maintains a significant number of ground forces, from basic Warriors serving as garrisons on occupied worlds up to entire Armoured Battalions. The elite of KDF ground forces are the Assault Marines, highly trained in boarding and planetary landing operations.

From it's inception the KDF built their combat tactics around the strength of their Cruisers. As technology progressed and starships became more sophisticated, the KDF supported these ships with additional classes of warship. This process began in 2185, shortly after first contact with the Romulan Star Empire, with the introduction of the D4 K'ragth (Punisher) Class Light Cruiser. Further hull classes were introduced to fill tactical gaps in the KDF battle line, such as the Frigate.

In the mid-2250s, an alliance with the Romulan Star Empire lead to the acquisition of Cloaking Technology, and most warships of the KDF were refitted to carry Cloaking Devices by the end of the decade. At the same time, the KDF tacticians began to put forward the concept of even larger warships. Although initial proposals were deeply flawed, the concept eventually bore fruit, and by the mid-2270s the KDF were fielding their first generation of Battleships.

KDF tactics took a drastic turn in the aftermath of a Tholian incursion in 2282. During this incursion, the Tholians unleashed a new class of ship on several Klingon outposts on the Klingon-Tholian border. This large ship was more than a match for the Klingon forces that could be fielded against it at the time. After a period of three months of the enemy’s unbridled rampaging throughout the border area, a massed attack on the ship finally succeeded in destroying it.

The battle was extraordinarily costly in terms of ships and lives and forced Klingon High Command to rethink its battle strategies. The most apparent change to be made was the acquisitions of a large and powerful vessel not only to provide a devastating punch, but also to coordinate the disparate forces involved in larger battles. Tactics were developed whereby the large ship would salvo an enemy vessel from long range to get the enemy’s attention. When the enemy turned to engage the large ship, the smaller vessels would charge in to attack the enemy’s engines. Once the enemy was immobile, the large ship would then move in for the kill.

KDF tactics employed prior to this point dictated the use of Battleships only for planetary bombardment and for the destruction of stations and other facilities too heavily armed or armoured for Cruiser squadrons to overcome without prohibitive losses. Shortly after the battle, the Jevghom Design Bureau submitted the designs for a refit of their existing C9 Puw'Leth (Sawblade) Class, (the only Battleship the KDF then possessed) which fit this new tactical doctrine perfectly.

Despite a series of accusations and political disturbances revolving around this new design, this class, the C9A pumwI' (Accuser) Class proved an excellent warship for this new battle tactic, and KDF tactics continued to evolve around the principle of decisive battle, although some (General Chang amongst them) continued to insist that lightning strikes were still a better stratagem, especially in any future war with the Federation.

As of 2292, the KDF uses a variety of strategic methods of warfare, the benefit of such flexibility being proven during the Organian Conflict. The ability to tailor their tactics to whatever enemy they are facing makes the KDF one of the most formidable fighting forces in either quadrant. Production of new Capital Ships ceased in 2293 due to the explosion of Praxis (combined with the destruction of the Tal'Ihnor Gates System in 2291) devastating the economy of the Empire. Due to this and the resulting Khitomer Accords with the Federation, the KDF was downsized considerably and returned to a focus on Cruiser tactics.

## Current KDF Starship Classes (2292, descending class order)

### Capital Ships

B12 qeh'RaL (Cold Fury) Class Battleship

B11 qeyLIS bet'Leth (Sword of Kahless) Class Battleship

B10V Talh'vor (Mother of Death) Class Battlecarrier

C9A pumwI' (Accuser) Class Dreadnought

C8 Ber'Taa (Bird of Blood) Class Supercruiser

C8B VoD'leH (Emperor) Class Heavy Battlecruiser

C7 Qo'noS (Kronos) Class Battlecruiser

### Heavy Screen Ships

D7M Suvwl' QeH (Warrior's Anger) Class Command Cruiser

D7T mek'Leth (Shortsword) Class Torpedo Cruiser

D6S Maj'NuQ (War Scout) Class Scout Cruiser

D7C qItI'tinga' (Great Powerful Conqueror) Class Heavy Cruiser

### Light Screen Ships

D5C Qa'HoS (Relentless) Class Light Cruiser

F15L VoD (Captain) Class Destroyer Leader

F15 QuD (Insurrection) Class Destroyer

F5S pIH (Suspicious) Class Science Frigate

F5Q pIH (Suspicious) Class Cargo Frigate

F5B pIH (Suspicious) Class Battle Frigate

E12 B'Rel (Bird of Prey) Class Escort

### Support Ships

D7Q Chava'Kal (Poisoned Barb) Class Assault Transport

F5U pIH (Suspicious) Class Fleet Repair Frigate

D7F BehK'TaH (Lifeblood) Class Cargo Freighter

L2 Tah'paH (Bloodline) Class Mining Freighter

D7U tuQ'jaCh (Brave Settler) Class Colony Ship

L3 Maj'TagH (War Pig) Class Construction Tender

### Shuttlecraft and Fightercraft

StoH'GogH (Steel Fist) Heavy Fighter

Hegh'GogH (Iron Fist) Heavy Fighter

D'ktagh (Dagger) Shuttle

Ghlab'gHew (Glob Fly) Work Bee

## Notable KDF Vessels (2292)

IKS Qo'Nos Wa'

IKS VoD'leH

IKS TegH'GaH

IKS qeh'RaL

IKS guHmoH

## Notable KDF Vessels (Former)

IKS Amar - Destroyed 2271

IKS pumwl’ - Lost in Ion Storm 2283

IKS Qel'Poh - Captured by Federation Renegades, lost 2284.

## See also

Starfleet

Romulan Star Navy

Interstellar Pacification Force