The Valkyrie-class was a type of small spaceship, a fighter design representing a new model of Federation strike craft introduced into Starfleet service shortly after the Dominion War in the 24th century.

Specifications

Crew: 2 Length: 11m Height: 3m Width: 7m Cruise: 4.5 Max. warp: 6 Emer. warp: 7 (for 1 hour)

Armament-

Type U+ Micro-pulse: 4 Type V: 2 (dorsal, ventral) Micro-torp launchers: 2 Micro-photons: 12 Micro-quantums: 6 Shielding: Fighter Shielding System

History and specifications

These attack ships were designed to work in conjunction with Typhon-class carriers introduced at the same time. The first testing of the design came in early 2377 when the USS Typhon and Valkyrie Squadron became involved in the Titan System Incident.

After the initial engagements with the Kam'Jahtae menace, several variants were gradually developed.

Three training prototypes were in use. They were armed with twin Type-X phasers, pre-set to pulse mode, and a single torpedo launcher that carried photon torpedoes. Although normally carrying ten each, a fighter could load special modules via tractor beam to load ten more. The modularity carried on to the Valkyrie-class fighter.

Variants

The Orca-class was small lightly shielded and highly agile fighter. The hull follows the general design of shuttle craft with two wings for atmospheric flight that narrow sharply.

The Gryphon-class was a fragile but heavily shielded and faster fighter. The general shape vaguely resembled some Romulan fighters but is actually derived from the Saber-class light cruiser.

The Scarab-class was a slower fighter with moderate shield and a stronger hull. The Mark 2 bears a strong resemblance to the Defiant-class escort.

The first production model was the Mark 1, a heavily modified Talon-class Federation Mission Scoutship. The standard armament was the usual medium-range twin Type-X pulse phasers, a nose-mounted Type-IX phaser for close range sustained firing and a special pressor beam to shove targets away. Valkyries were also armed with the standard load of ten quantum torpedoes, ten photon torpedoes and a forward firing tractor beam that swiveled aft for towing.

Several weeks into the Hurq invasion, the Mark 1a, with red markings, used captured technology to upgrade the weapons. A forward mounted compression phaser was added as well as gravitic mines. Throughout the campaign, the pilots of Red Squad made good use of the Valkyrie's modular design.

Mark 2 variants, dubbed the Valor-class were introduced after several weeks. With much larger forward pointing nacelles, these heavily armed and armored fighters traded the Type-IX phaser for alternating pulse phasers and added a cloaking device.

Red-trimmed Mark 2b versions kept the pulse phasers, quantum torpedoes, and gravitic mines. They replaced the Type-X phasers with polaron beams, charged polaron beams, and trilithium warheads taken from the Kam'Jatae.

The final Mark 3 model was introduced 4 to 6 months into the incident. Using bio-technology from the Kam'Jatae/Hurq, the sleek curved Y-shaped hull reached forward from the cockpit to two arcing nacelles bracketing the hull. The extensive weapons loadout included disruptors, pulse disruptors, polaron beams, charged polaron beams and the standard compression phaser. Quantum torpedoes were replaced with protomatter missiles and the gravitic mines were upgraded to trilithium. The final red trimmed 3b version had additional gravitic mines and a special antimatter salvo to supplement the phasers.

The Mark 3 Valkyrie was not named separately and only a handful of examples were flown by ace pilots.

Following the Norse inspired naming conventions for the Mark 1 and 2, that class, if produced beyond the prototypes would likely start with V, and might resemble or be derived from "Valiant", The ship on which Red Squads predecessors were lost during the Dominion War. Another Valiant appears in the task force in ST Nemesis, precluding that as a class name. There were reports that Valkyrie 3, Lieutenant Ryan Cooper's fighter may have had even more weaponry, such as a stun weapon, a holographic decoy system, plasma bursts, photonic missiles and enhanced versions of the pulse phasers and trilithium warheads and a vastly upgraded explosive torpedo.

After the invasion was thwarted in mid 2377, the Valkyrie Squadron was put on active duty, and the Mark 1, 2 and 3 were put into production. (TNG video game: Invasion)