The various components of the propulsion system included a fusion manifold as well as port and starboard fusion injectors. The impulse engine was located, like most Klingon starship classes, at the extreme aft section of the main structure. Overall, the Raptor's hull was twice as thick as that of Starfleet's NX-class. The Raptor's outer hull was reinforced with a type of coherent molecular alloy made it capable of withstanding atmospheric pressure of 15,000 GSC, or that found in a class 9 gas giant, at an approximate depth of two kilometers. The bridge module is separated from the main body by a thin neck that flares out into the up-swept wings, which contain the warp nacelles. It was similar in design lineage as the D5-class battle cruiser and Bird-of-Prey variant. The outboard plan of the Raptor utilized the same basic bird design that would be further incorporated into a classic and noble warship lineage. ( ENT: ' Shockwave')Īccording to the Vulcan database, this vessel was identified as a 'scout vessel', but was later recalled by Jonathan Archer to be a 'battle cruiser'. ( ENT: ' Shockwave', ' Future Tense') Upon viewing the Raptor, among other Klingon vessel classes, Malcolm Reed noted that there were ' schematics on half a dozen different Klingon ships,' but was reminded by Jonathan Archer that acquiring information on those ships was not the reason why they were accessing the database. Schematics for the Raptor-class also appeared in Daniels' 31st century database. Though eventually successful, the boarding party became trapped on the ship, allowing them time to explore the interior of a Klingon vessel – the first Humans to ever do so.

With the crew apparently incapacitated, an Enterprise boarding party worked to restore the ship's propulsion systems and regain altitude. The first Earth encounter with a Raptor came in 2151, when the Starfleet ship Enterprise NX-01 stumbled across the disabled IKS Somraw within the atmosphere of a class 9 gas giant, where it was being crushed by the planet's brutal atmospheric pressure. As such, the vessel was listed in the Vulcan database, however, much of the information on the class remained classified. The Klingon Raptor was a type of scout vessel first encountered by the Vulcans sometime prior to 2151.

Klingon bird of prey bridge