DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS – SHIELDS
THE ORIGINAL SERIES
System:
Hycor polarized hull plating
Ships:
Daedalus, Enterprise (NX)
Description:
Before there was deflector shields, Star Fleet ships used polarized hull plating to deflect incoming energy fire. It essentially polarizes the molecules in the plating to strengthen it.
System:
Prentice-Schafer “B-Sentry” Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Coventry
Description:
When problems with the “Sentry” enveloping deflector system prevented it’s completion, a lower-performing, but still adequate, “B” series was produced, instead. It saw service only on the Coventry class.
System:
Trestis ar Trestis RSAT/HIRAM Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Coronado, Achernar, Endeavor, Surya
Description:
This Tellarite company provided this shield system to a number of classes in the 2260s and 70s.
System:
Hycor Modular Adaptive Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Constitution, Bonhomme Richard
Description:
This shielding system made its debut in the Constitution class and proved it was capable of absorbing serious punishment.
THE MOVIE GENERATION
System:
Prentice-Schafer CIDSS Deflector Supplement
Ships:
Belknap, Excelsior, Ingram
Description:
The Close-In Deflector Shield System is designed to provide additional defense from starship weapons as well as enhanced protection from smallcraft attacks, which have increasingly been able to penetrate “standard” shield systems.
System:
Prentice-Schafer CIDSS “Heavy” Deflector Supplement
Ships:
Akyazi
Description:
None
System:
Prentice-Schafer “Percivale” Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Cyane
Description:
None
System:
Prentice-Schafer “Phoenix” Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Tikopai
Description:
As with most things developed for the Tikopai class, this is a cheaper, and less effective, system than the “Lancelot” system found on the Enterprise class.
System:
Prentice-Schafer “Lancelot” Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Enterprise, Belknap, Constitution (II), Avenger, Daran, Knox, Endurance, Ascension, Federation (II)
Description:
The Lancelot system was the primary shield system in Fleet used by Class One starships intended for front-line duty. Extremely powerful, it proved its worth in countless battles.
System:
Prentice-Schafer “Arthur” Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Ariel
Description:
This system was an enhancement to the “Lancelot” system designed to protect the large Ariel and Fredrickstaad class shuttlecarriers.
System:
Prentice-Schafer “Merlin” Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Enterprise (II), Excelsior, Ingram, Constellation
Description:
The “Merlin” system was the first to integrate both the shield and cloaking systems into one unit. In terms of defense, it is slightly better than the “Lancelot”.
System:
Prentice-Schafer “Merlin II” Force Field and Deflector
Ships:
Akyazi, Arbiter, Akula
Description:
This system is an improvement to the “Merlin” system and also integrates the Close-In Defensive Shield System. Designed for the PAs, it provides an incredible level of survivability.
System:
Prentice-Schafer “Iulus” Protective Envelope System
Ships:
Arbiter
Description:
As the Tikopai seems to get the short-end of the stick, so the Arbiter class gets the crème de la crème. This enhancement to the “Merlin II” system provides even more defensive capability.
System:
Kal Achal Conglessum “Bia” MDS Deflector Pod
Ships:
Akula
Description:
None
System:
Kal Achal Conglessum “Saco Onorvoz” Deflector Spires
Ships:
Akyazi
Description:
None
System:
Kal Achal Conglessum “Podi Aschura” Deflector Spires
Ships:
Arbiter, Akula
Description:
None
THE NEXT GENERATION
System:
Charlottes Shields FSP
Ships:
Ambassador, New Orleans, Cheyenne, Steamrunner, Saber
Description:
A latecomer to the shield business, Charlottes nonetheless made a name for themselves with the FSO system which replaced the “Merlin” units on the picket version of the Excelsior class. The FSP was developed for the Ambassador class and provided shielding rates almost double that of the FSO.
System:
Charlottes Shields FSQ
Ships:
Galaxy, Nebula, Intrepid, Defiant, Akira, Norway, Flynt
Description:
The mainstay shield system of the Fleet since 2355, the FSQ was developed for the Galaxy class, but found use in most of the Ships of the Line. The FSQ/2 system integrates two shield generators to provide an additional 50% performance.
System:
Charlottes Shields FSQ/2
Ships:
Olympus, Maxwell, Peacekeeper, Courageous, Entente
Description:
The mainstay shield system of the Fleet since 2355, the FSQ was developed for the Galaxy class, but found use in most of the Ships of the Line. The FSQ/2 system integrates two shield generators to provide an additional 50% performance.
System:
Sylvanesti Shields FSS
Ships:
Galaxy (II), Griffon, Sovereign, Prometheus
Description:
This Alkaran firm revolutionized starship protection with their FSS system. Composed of three successive shields, as the outer shields are breached, the inner ones take up the slack. A new shield later is than regenerated underneath. Incredibly complex and expensive, it nonetheless doubles effective shield power. The FSS also can incorporate the FCE-2 cloaking device, though this has only been fitted to the USS Bright Star and the Griffon class.