From the FASA Star Trek KLINGON SHIP RECOGNITION MANUAL, circa 1985
D-7 (Various Names) Class VII - VIII Cruiser
Known Sphere Of Operation: Empire-wide use
Data Reliability: A
Major Data Source: All models in Star Fleet possession; Klingon Sector Intelligence.
       The D-7 is probably the most infamous cruiser ever to stalk the spacelanes. These ships are associated with death and destruction on a scale second to none. When first introduced, these vessels captured the minds and spirits of the Klingon commanders so fully that for many years they were the symbol of Klingon tyranny.
       This design was developed from the earlier D-4 cruiser and incorporated all of its most popular features. The command pod mounted forward on the boom assembly and the wing-like main hull were changed slightly in the design, but all of the basic concepts were retained. In all models, the command pod can be jettisoned in case of emergency. A small micro-impulse drive system, mounted into the pod just for such emergencies, allows the pod to maneuver itself and travel short distances in hopes of rescue. A pod can maintain the life-support systems and operate the short-range sensors and weapons for up to one year. One of the main features of the pod is the disruptors mounted below the bridge; these weapons will give protection from hostiles and also allow for the self-destruction of the pod if capture is imminent.
       The secondary bridge, weapons control, and all engineering facilities are located in the main hull. Separated from the command pod, this section of the vessel is capable of maintaining fully functional life-support, weapons, and engine systems for up to two years. Of course, this section is capable of warp speeds and will effect its own rescue much quicker than can the command pod. Within the engineering section of the main hull are the matter/anti-matter mix chambers, little shielded, as servitor races man the engineering compartments of most Klingon vessels. All D-7 models are capable of jettisoning the warp engines in case of an uncontrolled mix in the matter/anti-matter chamber. This would leave the ship with only the impulse engines for power. In most cases where warp engines have had to be ejected, the command pod has been separated first to insure the captain will be safe.
       In the center section of the main hull are compartments containing hypothermia capsules for the marines. The troops are kept in a frozen state until they are required, which reduces the requirement for food and life-support and thus prolongs the on-station time of the ship.
       Introduced on Stardate 1/8611, the D-7A didn't see any action in the Unknown War, but the lessons learned from this conflict were reflected in its design. By Stardate 1/9302, eight separate manufacturing facilities were producing this model at a rate of five per month. When the Four Years War broke out, production of these ships soared to twelve per month within the first year and peaked at 26 per month by the third year. The Klingons, having brought the war on, were ready with over 400 of these ships in the front-line; studies have shown that this numerical advantage was the prime factor in their early advances into Federation territory. On a one-to-one basis, Federation cruisers and frigates were far superior as warships, but their limited numbers prevented them from turning the Klingons back in the early stages of the war. The D-7A class, named "Painbringer" from the Klingon K’t’agga, served the Klingon Imperial Navy well in the war with a high reliability rating and ease of repairs.
       Of the 1,671 D-7A’s produced, 431 remain in active service, 83 have been placed in reserve fleets, 12 are used by the Klingon Naval Academy as training vessels, 891 have been destroyed, 23 have been captured (10 by Star Fleet and 13 by the Romulans), 15 are listed as missing, 26 have been scrapped, 170 have been traded to the Romulans, and 20 have been sold to ranking families within the empire.
       The D-7C, introduced at the close of the Four Years War, saw no action in that conflict, but it was given its baptism of fire just seven months after entering service. The D-7C’s involved in the incident were so badly outclassed by their RomuIan adversaries that the design was never fully accepted by starship captains, and the model was finally removed from service on Stardate 2/2004.
       The D-7C, named "Bringer Of Destiny' from the Klingon K't'kara, had more efficient warp engines than those mounted on the D-7A, but they were incapable of powering all the weapons even though the ship was more maneuverable. The designers felt that the increased warp speed and maneuvering ratio would make this ship more cost-effective, even though it was a dismal failure because of it failed to meet its design requirements as a gunship due to its inability to power all its disruptors during combat. Furthermore, though the D-7C had slightly improved shielding, this advantage was lost due to its weaker superstructure. For some unexplained reason, Klingons have never put larger warp engines on this ship, though it seems that, if this had been done early in its career, it certainly would have outclassed anything the Romulans or Star Fleet had at the time.
       Of the 162 D-7Cs built, 52 have been placed in reserve fleets, 66 have been destroyed, 13 captured (9 by Star Fleet and 4 by the Romulans), 4 listed as missing, 18 sold to the Orions, 6 sold to prominent families within the Empire, and 4 sold to private groups or individuals in the Triangle.
       The D-7G, named "Truthbringer" after the Klingon K’t'alla, was the direct result of the first Romulan-Klingon technology exchanges, as part of which the Klingons received 24 Romulan plasma weapons of the RPL-1 type. Sixteen of these were immediately installed on D-7s, and the remaining weapons were given to weapons research firms within the Empire. The conversions to D-7G’s were made on D-7A’s which otherwise remained the same. The plasma weapon design required the ship to be close to the enemy in order to fire, and most Klingon commanders did not like the tactics that the weapon dictated, hence no Klingon commander felt comfortable with the conversions.
       Of the l6 D-7G’s built,10 were converted to D-7R’s, 4 were destroyed, 1 was captured by Star Fleet, and 1 is in the service of a ranking family within the Empire.

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