In starship classification, intel starship, or intelligence starship, was a spacecraft type designed or retrofitted for deep-space espionage operations. Intel starships included a dedicated intelligence specialist bridge officer station and active sensor arrays. These sensors enabled an intel craft to gather information about a target and expose vulnerabilities in their defenses by way of a "Gather Intel" series of abilities. (STO - Rise of Discovery mission: "Command the Ships of the Section 31 Lock Box!")

History and specifics[]

Intelligence services operated their own ships when needed. In the 2250s decade, the Federation departments of Starfleet Intelligence and Section 31 deployed dedicated starship classes for intelligence gathering. Section 31 used the Turing-class spaceframe as stealth ships. (Star Trek Adventures RPG module: Discovery (2256-2258) Campaign Guide)

In the 25th century, the Khitomer Alliance members categorized ship classes based on their specializations. Ship types included combinations of specializations that set those types apart from each other. Basic ship types included science vessels for the sciences division, escorts and raiders for the tactical division, and cruisers, battlecruisers and carriers for the engineering division. In the year 2410, Federation Starfleet commissioned the first batch of department-aligned starships with intel starship specialization as part of Operation: Delta Rising: the engineering division Eclipse-class intel cruiser, science division Scryer-class intel science vessel and tactical division Phantom-class intel escort. The Guardian-class cruiser was launched with . (STO - Delta Rising missions: "Explore the Flotilla", "The Hunt is On", "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")

In the 2410s, all Khitomer Alliance intel starships were capable of passive warp signature masking, a stealth mechanic that rendered an intel ship undetectable at long range. (STO - Rise of Discovery mission: "Command the Ships of the Section 31 Lock Box!")

Subtypes[]

Intel battlecruiser[]

the 23rd century Na'Qjej-class cleave ship operated by the Klingon Houses was classed as a tier 6 intel battlecruiser by the Alliance and Klingon Defense Force in the year 2410. This battlecruiser class fitted with an intel-grade cloaking device and active sensor arrays. Its bridge officer seating included a commander pulling double duty as intelligence specialist and engineer. (STO - Rise of Discovery mission: "Command the Ships of the Section 31 Lock Box!")

Klingon Imperial Intelligence shared the Qib-class intel battlecruiser, and the Fleet Qib intel battlecruiser, with the KDF. Ships of this class were fitted with a battle cloaking device and a weapons systems siphon. They resembled flattened, more angular versions of regular Klingon battlecruisers. Two intelligence specialists served on the bridge of a Qib, a commander combining engineering and intelligence, and a lieutenant pulling double duty as science officer and intelligence specialist. (STO website: Delta Rising: Klingon Qib Intel Battlecruiser)

The Son'a intel battlecruiser was the vanguard of the 25th century Son'a fleet. As an intel battlecruiser, it was capable of withstanding heavy while undermining its foes. Its bridge officer seating included two specializations besides the three default departments science, tactical and engineering: a commander in both engineering and intelligence, and a lieutenant doubling as command officer and any other department specialist. (STO website: Escalation: The Stats of the Son'a Ships!)

Intel cruiser[]

The Eclipse-class intel cruiser was a dedicated Starfleet Intelligence starship type that combined the intel starship mechanics with a cruiser spaceframe. The Guardian-class included an intel specialist position on its bridge. (STO - Delta Rising missions: "Explore the Flotilla", "The Hunt is On", "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")

In 2411, the Alliance acquired the Constitution II-class from the Federation in the Kelvin timeline as a result of the multiversal conflict with the Borg Kingdom. This ship type was classed as an intel cruiser but incorporated pilot starship bridge officer seating. (STO website: Both Worlds: The Kelvin Constitution II!)]

Intel dreadnought cruiser[]

An intel dreadnought cruiser combined the cloaking capability and single hangar bay for fighter craft of dreadnought cruisers with an intel specialist bridge officer seating. The Kelvin timeline Vengeance-class intel dreadnought cruiser was a class designed by Khan Noonien Singh for Section 31 in the 2250s in the Kelvin timeline. The class became available to Federation Starfleet and the Khitomer Alliance in the primary universe during the 25th century front of the Temporal Cold War. (STO website: Agents of Yesterday: Kelvin Timeline Lockbox and Lobi Ships)

The Shiva-class was a prime universe 2250s-era Section 31 starship. The Khitomer Alliance deployed it as an intel dreadnought cruiser in the 2410s. On this class, the cloaking device was replaced by dark mode. (STO website: Shadow's Advance: Command a Section 31 Dreadnought!)

Intel escort[]

The Phantom-class intel escort combined the compact shape of a Defiant-class tactical escort with a Starfleet Intelligence starship design. (STO - Delta Rising missions: "Explore the Flotilla", "The Hunt is On", "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")

Intel science vessel[]

The Scryer-class was an intel science vessel, combining the mechanics of an intel starship with those of a science vessel. (STO - Delta Rising missions: "Explore the Flotilla", "The Hunt is On", "Welcome to Earth Spacedock")

Intel science destroyer[]

The 23rd century Turing-class, operated as stealth ships by Section 31 in the 2250s, was classed as tier-6 intel science destroyer in the 2410s. The hull was able to move into a compact shape, darkening and reducing emissions in the process, called dark mode. Typically for a science destroyer, a vessel of this class could enter tactical mode. Features typical of a science vessel - subsystem targeting and a secondary deflector - were present as well. The Turing included two intel specialist bridge officer stations, a tactical lieutenant commander and a science officer commander. (STO - Rise of Discovery mission: "Command the Ships of the Section 31 Lock Box!")

Intel starship classes[]

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Appearances and references[]

Appearances[]

• ST video game: Star Trek Online
• STO video game: Delta Rising
• STO video game: Rise of Discovery

References[]

External link[]

• Intelligence Starships page on the Stowiki.net website.