The purpose to which ablative armor hull was developed is to defend against the Borg. "Heavy enemy fire" is completely vague and does NOT specify which threat, i.e. Borg attack.
- Came up with a better idea to provide an even deeper insight into the reasoning of the armor. I hope this will be sufficient. Enzo Aquarius 01:39, 12 Mar 2005 (GMT)
- Sorry but I dont Agree with Enzo Aquarius since Admiral Janeway Shuttle was equipped with the same armour and it protected her against Klingon fire.
Alternate Timeline Events
A portion of this article should be in italics. Anything pertaining to the alternate timeline (Creation of armor, use, etc.) is done in italics. Take a look at certain articles like those of a number of references for VOY: Time and Again. Enzo Aquarius 02:15, 12 Mar 2005 (GMT)
- I agree; however, this technology has become part of the "normal" timeline and in fact was used by the "real" USS Voyager during the series finale. Also, being part of the "normal" timeline also means that it exists in the present and isn't speculated to occur in the future (because it already has occurred).
Ablative armor
Not to be confused with the ablative armor used on the USS Defiant and USS Prometheus. There was no explicit verbal differentiation between the two technologies mentioned in "Endgame".
- My guess, after what we saw on-screen, is that the armor itself is roughly the same. The difference is the generators. The Defiant has a given thickness of ablative armor. If her shields are gone, each ennemy shot will reduce the thicknss on the hit spot. If the thickness is dow to nil somewhere on the hull, the ship is vulnerable.
- By contrast, in the futurist technology, the generators can "rebuild" the armor as soon as it's weakened - yet another application of replicator technology.
- Like with Transphasic torpedoes, this technology seems to make starfleet invulnerable. --rami
- Considering what is present in the broadcasting material I think this conclusion can be drawn:
- The armour defends againt most or all types of disruptor weapon (we have not seen it take a torpedo hit), like the Borg or the Klingons.
- In endgame when the armor was mercilessly hit with Borg attacks, mentions where only given in regards to select sections of the armor actually being affected (i.e. The port-side armor failing, for instance). Never was there a mention of the armor to being regenerative (I assume this because it [the armor] was already failing and coming off-line at the end of the Borg attacks, they would probably have tried used this ability well in advance).
- Given the name of the armor itself, from the name of the concept drawing of the shuttle mentioned (supposing that the shuttle armor and Voyagers' armor have both the same technologies) it is possible to assume that "Nanotech Molecular Armor" is simply a replicated (because whole sections of armor can be seen being produced at once from "nothingness") substance, made with molecular nano-machines a.k.a. "smart molecules". -- Dark Observer
Holographic?
My theory on the ablative hull armor on Voyager from Endgame was that it was based upon holodeck technology, perhaps a variation of the Doctor's mobile emitter. How else would it be able to be added and removed on the fly? Well, replicators can deconstruct what they replicate, but the energy and matter stores requirements would logically be rather immense, if it used replicator technology..while the Doctor's mobile emitter could keep him solid and mobile for an unknown, but fairly lengthy, time on a fairly miniscule power supply.
Of course, this wouldn't *preclude* the use of replicator technology in addition to the photonic projections...
The Ablative Hull Armor would thus be essentially 'scales' of overlapping forcefields, with replicated armor plates underneath, or perhaps sandwiched between multiple layers of forcefields. Of course, that's just my own theory, and that and twenty bucks might get you latte at Starbucks..if you have a coupon. - KendraKirai The thing is about that, while holoprojectors sound all nice and good here, they don't actually work underfire from multiple Borg vessles. The working theory that I have for you is that the aromor is ablative depleated-nutronium with a heavy SIF running through it and a Borg regernaration matrix and possibly other Borg infuences. The armor is stored in massive replicator and patturn buffers that were visable on the ship's hull. 67.173.239.70 09:33, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
Definately not holodeck technology. If you would note every hologram we've ever seen from the alien door in the menagerie to the Doctor himself. Energy weapons always go right through them. On top of that what would be the point of making the armor visible. Its a waste of energy. The reason they are visible is because they are real. I don't know if its replicated or created by nanoprobes but its real. --Illwill 04:43, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
connection?
the 'star jellies' in the pilot of TNG had some form of deployable armored hull. IIRC in the episode, we see one 'dispel' this armor, where it fades to grey and vanishes, leaving only the creature. the effect is similar to the creation of the armor on voyager, only whole cloth instead of peicemeal. those creatures had a natural ability to replicate things, as well as alter the structure of things already in existance. could there be a connection to the Ablative armor generators?
- The star jellies had more of a "natural camouflage" -- remember they could turn parts of themselves into bowls of fruit and funky colored fabric. I'd consider them to be more along the lines of shape-shifters that having "Generated armor" -- the thing just made the outside of itself look like a starship or starbase, and took on a different texture. it altered its own interior in a number of ways too, remember. -- Captain M.K.B. 06:13, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
Article Re-Naming
I think that in order to prevent the confusion of the USS Defiants ablative hull, with this kind of hull, I think that we should re-name this article so that it accurately reflects the futuristic and obviously different nature of technology. (i.e. Nano-tech Molecular Armor Plating).