Difference between revisions of "Transphasic torpedo"

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Only seen in the ''Voyager'' episode "Endgame", the '''Transphasic Torpedo''' is apparently able to pass through enemy shields and perhaps even phase through the hull of enemy ships.  These weapons remain an almost complete mystery, except for the obvious fact that they do a very good job of destroying [[Borg Cubes]].  These cubes can be relatively easily destroyed through attacks to 'weak points', so this is the most conservative explanation for their effects. Of course, a torpedo with the ability to 'phase' through shielding and then strike in the center of - say - a reactor would likely cause serious damage to most ships.
'''Transphasic torpedoes''' are weapons from the [[time-travel|future]] [[Federation]] designed to defeat [[Borg]] ships.
<p></p>The absence of Transphasic Torpedo technology in other starships or during other conflicts, however, must be explained. Several possibilties exist:
# Voyager was unable to transmit the data back to the Alpha Quadrant, so [[Starfleet]] HQ never put Transphasic Torpedoes into full fledged construction.
# As a slight variation on #1, the Transphasic Torpedoes were invented in a alternate future timeline, so the information would not have been available to starfleet HQ in the regular timeline.
# The materials needed to produce a Transphasic Torpedo are rare/expensive/not readily available in the Alpha Quadrant.


Some weaker explanations are:
==Properties==
Except for the obvious fact that they do a very good job of destroying [[Borg Cube]]s, these weapons remain an almost complete mystery.  The name suggests that they defeat the frequency-specific [[shields|shielding]] of Borg vessels by changing their own frequency or phase alignment.


# Transphasic Torpedoes only were able to pass through [[Borg]] shields because the Borg's shields function based on phase-adaptation, and thus Transphasic Torpedoes go right through them. (Note: this does not explain the hull-penetration).
==Uniqueness==
# Transphasic Torpedoes are relatively unstable and cannot be stored for long periods of time, as they are likely to 'phase' out of existence. (No on-screen reference to Transphasic Torpedo instability)
Transphasic torpedoes appear only in "Endgame", the final episode of ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''.  As yet, there is no indication that "modern" [[Starfleet]] was able to reproduce these futuristic weapons.  As they were developed within the lifetime of [[Kathryn Janeway]], the Federation should be capable of inventing them within a few decades.<ref>[[VOY]] "Endgame"</ref>
 
==Non-canon [[Technobabble]]==
Transphasic torpedoes work by delivering a [[technobabble|subspace compression pulse existing in an asymetric superposition of phase states]]. If one subcomponent of the pulse is blocked by shielding, enough others will still succeed in penetrating to the target to ensure that the majority of the pulse is still delivered. Each torpedo's transphasic configuration is different, randomly generated by a dissonant feedback effect, so there is no way for the Borg to predict the configuration of its phase states in order to shield against them.
 
The [[Enterprise-E]] was initially equipped with them in 2380<ref>[[TNG]] "Greater Than The Sum"</ref>, however by  late Febuary 2381, during the Borg Invasion of 2381, Starfleet gave the schematics to the transphasic torpedoes to all the ships in the fleet after the Borg sent 7,461 ships through a subspace tunnel in the Azure Nebula. The Borg eventually adapted to the torpedoes.<ref>''Star Trek: Destiny'' "Lost Souls"</ref>
 
==References==
<references />


[[Category:Star Trek]]
[[Category:Star Trek]]
[[Category:ST Starship Offense]]
[[Category:ST Starship Offense]]
[[Category: ST Technology]]

Latest revision as of 22:16, 5 May 2021

Transphasic torpedoes are weapons from the future Federation designed to defeat Borg ships.

Properties

Except for the obvious fact that they do a very good job of destroying Borg Cubes, these weapons remain an almost complete mystery. The name suggests that they defeat the frequency-specific shielding of Borg vessels by changing their own frequency or phase alignment.

Uniqueness

Transphasic torpedoes appear only in "Endgame", the final episode of Star Trek: Voyager. As yet, there is no indication that "modern" Starfleet was able to reproduce these futuristic weapons. As they were developed within the lifetime of Kathryn Janeway, the Federation should be capable of inventing them within a few decades.[1]

Non-canon Technobabble

Transphasic torpedoes work by delivering a subspace compression pulse existing in an asymetric superposition of phase states. If one subcomponent of the pulse is blocked by shielding, enough others will still succeed in penetrating to the target to ensure that the majority of the pulse is still delivered. Each torpedo's transphasic configuration is different, randomly generated by a dissonant feedback effect, so there is no way for the Borg to predict the configuration of its phase states in order to shield against them.

The Enterprise-E was initially equipped with them in 2380[2], however by late Febuary 2381, during the Borg Invasion of 2381, Starfleet gave the schematics to the transphasic torpedoes to all the ships in the fleet after the Borg sent 7,461 ships through a subspace tunnel in the Azure Nebula. The Borg eventually adapted to the torpedoes.[3]

References

  1. VOY "Endgame"
  2. TNG "Greater Than The Sum"
  3. Star Trek: Destiny "Lost Souls"