Jem'Hadar fighter

Jem'Hadar fighter

A Jem'Hadar fighter (also referred to as an attack ship or patrol ship) was a small type of warship that formed the bulk of the Dominion fleet. These versatile starships have also been known to perform the roles of patrol ships and scouts.

Technical data

Design

Jem'Hadar attack ships were vaguely insectoid, looking much like a Terran scarab in design. Extremely sturdy, these warships were capable of surviving the impact onto a planet's surface. (DS9: "The Ship") As well, Jem'Hadar attack ships were able to land intact on a planet and take off again. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Hippocratic Oath") Once landed, the Jem'Hadar could land troops from the warship from a large access hatch on the belly of the ship. (DS9: "The Ship") While capable of making planetary descents, they were not capable of conducting battle maneuvers while in sub-orbital flight. (DS9: "Penumbra")

Although highly maneuverable, they lacked the edge in maneuverability that Starfleet's Template:ShipClass runabouts possessed. Despite this, they still heavily out-gunned the smaller Federation vessels. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Valiant")

Jem'Hadar fighters were relatively easy for a large starship to destroy. A few solid phaser or Photon torpedo hits were enough to cripple or destroy one, therefore, they usually operated in groups of two or three during routine operations, and in much larger swarms in large battles so that the loss of one or two would not make much difference.

Tactical systems

File:JemHadar attack ships attack, The Search.jpg

Squadron firing phased polaron beams.

The primary directed energy array was located in the forward section of the ship, and had a range that exceeded 100,000 kilometers. (DS9: "The Search, Part I") Armaments of this type employed by this class varied from disruptors to phased polaron beam weapons. During initial encounters with the Federation, these phased polaron beams were capable of penetrating the shields of Federation starships. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Call to Arms", "The Dogs of War") During the waning days of the Dominion War, in late 2375, Jem'Hadar fighters were retrofitted with Breen energy dissipator following the Breen's alliance with the Dominion. (DS9: "When It Rains...", "Tacking Into the Wind") In addition to directed energy weapons, they were also armed with an undefined type of torpedo system. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", et al)

File:Vorcha class destroyed.jpg

Result of kamikaze attack on Klingon attack cruiser.

Outside of conventional weapon use, these ships were also used in performing kamikaze attacks on enemy vessels, which allowed them to inflict more damage than their weapons alone could perform. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Tears of the Prophets", "What You Leave Behind")

When this tactic was used against the USS Odyssey in 2370, Commander Benjamin Sisko explained that it was the Jem'Hadar's way of "showing us how far they're willing to go", in response to the shocked Miles O'Brien comment regarding the Federation's retreat from the battle. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")

The Jem'Hadar also used the tactic against the Federation Alliance invasion fleet during the first Battle of Chin'toka, resulting in the crippling or destruction of fifteen Klingon starships. Garak described the tactic as a means of "inflicting considerable damage on the Klingons," to which Worf added, "and buying time to get their weapon platforms operational. (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets")

Other systems

This class of vessel possessed transporter technology that was capable of transporting through Federation shields. The deflector technology that was employed by the attack ships was impervious to tractor beam locks. This form of deflector technology was unknown to Federation science as of late 2370. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar") The shields of a Jem'Hadar attack ship were weakest at the ships' dorsal field junction. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")

In addition, cloaking technology would not reliably hide a vessel from a Jem'Hadar fighter's sensors because they used a form of antiproton beam. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Defiant", "The Die is Cast") This technology was later advanced to include a form of long-range tachyon scanner, which was capable of penetrating a starship's cloak from a great distance. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")

Interior design

Commander Kira on the bridge of a hijacked Jem'Hadar attack ship Garak using a console on the bridge of the same Jem'Hadar attack ship

Such fighters were typically commanded by a Vorta and a Jem'Hadar First. The bridge had no chairs, and only two head mounted virtual display devices instead of a viewscreen. The bridge was designed to contain three side doors and two floor hatches leading to other parts of the ship. In place of the captain's chair was a central position with several access points to various system controls. Adjacent to this position were several stations pointed inward, facing towards the command position. (DS9: "The Ship")

Jem'Hadar attack ships lacked numerous amenities that were otherwise taken for granted on Federation starships, including an infirmary and food replicators. (DS9: "A Time to Stand")

Ships commissioned

• Unnamed Jem'Hadar fighters
  • Damar's attack ship
  • Gelnon's attack ship
  • Luaran's attack ship
  • Sisko's attack ship
  • Weyoun's attack ship

Appendices

Appearances

• DS9:
  • "The Jem'Hadar"
  • "The Search, Part I"
  • "The Die is Cast"
  • "Starship Down"
  • "To the Death"
  • "Broken Link"
  • "The Ship"
  • "In Purgatory's Shadow"
  • "By Inferno's Light"
  • "Soldiers of the Empire"
  • "Blaze of Glory"
  • "Call to Arms"
  • "A Time to Stand"
  • "Rocks and Shoals"
  • "Sons and Daughters"
  • "Behind the Lines"
  • "Favor the Bold"
  • "Sacrifice of Angels"
  • "One Little Ship"
  • "Tears of the Prophets"
  • "Shadows and Symbols"
  • "Treachery, Faith and the Great River"
  • "Once More Unto the Breach"
  • "Penumbra"
  • "'Til Death Do Us Part"
  • "Strange Bedfellows"
  • "The Changing Face of Evil"
  • "Tacking Into the Wind"
  • "The Dogs of War"
  • "What You Leave Behind"
• VOY: "Parturition"

Background

Studio model

Early Jim Martin concept art

Jem'Hadar fighter physical studio model

The Jem'Hadar fighter was designed by Jim Martin, whose scarab-shaped design was based on Rick Sternbach's Egyptian influences. Two studio models were built by Tony Meininger; the full scale mock-up of the ship, featured in "The Ship", was designed by John Eaves.

A noticeable change in the color of the nacelle glow was made between its first appearance in "The Jem'Hadar" in DS9 Season 2 and following appearances, beginning with "The Search, Part I" in DS9 Season 3. Initially it was given a blue glow, but this was later changed to purple.

For appearances in later seasons, a CGI model, was constructed at Foundation Imaging by Michael Stetson, making its debut in DS9: "Sacrifice of Angels".[1]

The Jem'Hadar fighter model (measuring 27" × 30"), known as lot#485 was listed in the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction with an estimated sale price of $3,000 to $5,000; it sold for $6,000 ($7,200 with premium) on October 6, 2006. The almost identical second Jem'Hadar fighter model (slightly damaged and measuring 29"×30"×7") was additionally offered as part of the It's A Wrap! sale and auction for a sale price of $7,000. [2] Several white foam core camera test models and miniatures were also sold by It's A Wrap!. [3][4][5][6]

This model design later appeared as one of many starships created as a Micro Machine. It was also one of the many models made by Furuta.

Size

According to a note "for future reference" found in the script of "The Jem'Hadar", "this type of Jem'Hadar ship is approximately the same size as a Klingon bird of prey," which is generally accepted as being 360 feet (110 meters) in length.

Ship "embedded 90 meters into the rock"

A quote taken from "The Ship", which seems to support this reference, states that the ship in question was "embedded 90 meters into the rock", while still partially exposed. If by using Benjamin Sisko's height (of approximately two meters) as a visual reference, it would appear that approximately 19 meters of the ship remains exposed, calculating to a length of approximately 109 meters. When they ram the Bird of Preys in "Tears of the Prophets", they appear the same size as the BoP's.

Two foam core camera test models, sold by It's A Wrap!, gives further insight into the scaling used for this ship. An inscription on the models states "Jem Hadar 'Bug' 500ft [150 meters] in scale to 'Lead' Hadar". [7][8] The same size was also stated by VFX supervisor David Stipes. [9]

Technical Manual

The following information of specifications and defenses comes exclusively from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual:

• Production Base: Unknown; Gamma Quadrant.
• Type: Strike Fighter.
• Accommodation: 12 plus flight crew, and troops.
• Power Plant: One M/A warp system; one impulse system.
• Dimensions: Length, 68.32 meters; beam, 70.02 meters; height: 18.32 meters.
• Mass: 2,450 metric tonnes.
• Performance: Warp 9.6.
• Armament: Three phased polaron beam weapons.

External link

• Template:NCwiki