Talk:Torpedo

Torpedo Range
"The maximum effective range depends on the type of torpedo. That range is made up of two aspects. First there is the type of propulsion, warp capable or not. Second there is the range in which a tactical officer can control the torpedo, basicly this is the maximum effective sensor range of the ship from which the torpedo is fired. Some types are equipped with a selfdestruction mechanism, when accidently fired or when there is a targeting acquisition problem the torpedo can be destroyed."

Perhaps we should add some info on that self-guided, AI torpedo Voyager encountered and which took over the doctor's program. A link in the list and an article would also be appropriate. -- Redge | Talk 23:04, 20 Aug 2004 (CEST)


 * Maby self-guided needs a seperate paragraph over the forms of selfguidance, internal sensors, AI etc.. Same goes for that Cardassian dreadnought weapon which Torres disarmed. I don't have both episodes at hand right now, so I can't check the facts. Q 10:07, 21 Aug 2004 (CEST)

Failed deletion discussion
Copied from memory Alpha:Votes for deletion.


 * Photon torpedo,Photonic torpedo,Gravimetric torpedo,Chroniton torpedo,Transphasic torpedo,Quantum torpedo,Plasma torpedo -- No longer necessary because articles are merged into the article Torpedo. Delete. -- Q 23:44, 13 Aug 2004 (CEST)
 * Keep the articles. Each is a unique type with its own references. Torpedo should be a basic definition/disambiguation page. Deleting them is a fairly ridiculous proposition. --Captain Mike K. Bartel 23:47, 13 Aug 2004 (CEST)
 * Keep. I agree with Mike, each type deserves its own page. The articles shouldn't have been merged in the first place and should instead be split up again. -- Cid Highwind 00:40, 14 Aug 2004 (CEST)
 * Keep, for the reasons already stated. Having all this info on what is, essentially, seperate mechanisms on one page is confusing, and bluntly messy, IMO. -- MiChaos 01:56, 14 Aug 2004 (CEST)
 * Keep. Write short introductions to each torpedo on the Torpedo page, and than refer to the individual page. Ottens 13:21, 14 Aug 2004 (CEST)
 * Objections and arguments noted, Torpedo is rewriten and msg:deletions removed from mentioned pages. Nomination withdrawn Q 14:18, 14 Aug 2004 (CEST)
 * I'll just copy this discussion to the article talk page as per Deletion policy. I'll keep this copy here for people to see and untill the Memory Alpha talk:Deletion policy|discussion]] around creating an archive is resolved. -- Redge | Talk 17:19, 14 Aug 2004 (CEST)

Firing a torpedo
Current it goes like this "Firing a torpedo is not be taken lightly, as there is no return once fired. Although a torpedo might have a self-destruct mechanism, the firing itself will be taken as an act of aggression and will have repercussions. (This goes for all forms of weapon fire.)"

As one might gather from the last sentence, it's somewhat redundant. I've always gathered that firing a torpedo is not taken lightly, at least in Starfleet, because of the awesome destructive power of the weapon, rather than because it's a sign of aggression ("Oh look, they're trying to kill us, let's be friends??") or that there's no returning back (by the time of Star Trek, one would assume that most races capable of interstellar travel and so forth can effortlessly include self-destruct mechanism and veer-off-target commands into a torpedo, except maybe the Pakleds). That's why I'm changing it.
 * I removed the following bit and paragraph from the article:
 * ...while acquisition capability is dependent on the range at which a tactical officer can control the torpedo, fundamentally the maximum effective sensor range of the ship from which the torpedo is fired.
 * and
 * Firing a torpedo is not to be taken lightly, as torpedoes are generally the most destructive weapons in a ship's arsenal. Unlike directed energy weapons, for which targeting and yield can be precisely controlled, a torpedo's explosive nature means that employing one may cause unintended collateral damage. As a result, Federation vessels usually employ torpedoes only when it is certain that the target's continued well-being is unimportant (as in a state of war) or if it seems able to withstand torpedo attacks (in use against a technologically superior foe). Therefore, decisions about target acquisition and fire control of a torpedo are limited to the highest ranking bridge officer. This is typically the captain or the first officer. A tactical officer may only accept target coordinates and carry out the order to fire weapons.


 * This is based on observations that when a Starfleet weapon was fired, the command to fire always came from a captain or first officer. Klingons seem to get the order to fire directly from the captain himself or the highest ranking officer on board at the time.


 * My rationale is that these are somewhat innacurate and unnecessary. Torpedoes seem to use guidance systems that can be quite autonomous at times, Targeting accuracy and yield are weapon specific, torpedoes arent supposedly the most destructive weapons on starships at least according to the premis of "Obsession" and "Best of Both Worlds" when antimatter bombs and deflector beams are declared the most powerful available, torpedoes have other functions as well other than destroying or damaging enemy ships, such as scientific purposes, and everything that happens on a starship needs the captains permission in one way or the other, so it's not really important to mention these things in my opinion. --Pseudohuman 11:34, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Revert of list
I was moving a lot of the info from Military technology as we were starting to see the creation of similar lists popping up on more then one page and not only was it messy, but in some cases the info was not the same. If you don't like the way the list was done that's fine, but if it is to be kept at all it should have been kept here. Jaf 02:40, 28 June 2006 (UTC)Jaf
 * There already was a list here, and I did not remove it. An anon was adding a SECOND list, which included everything on the first list already in the article, as well as a lot of things which are not even torpedoes. I left the original list alone, but removed the second list added by the anon. --OuroborosCobra 02:43, 28 June 2006 (UTC)
 * That's fine. It was my ip edit, I was simply telling you that I didn't create the list, I was simply cleaning up Military technology and moved it over. I was just letting you know that it was only on this page now, so removing it removed it from MA, for better or worse. Jaf 02:45, 28 June 2006 (UTC)Jaf

Removed text
I removed the following text from the list of torpedo types:


 * Dominion battleship torpedo - a weapon used on Jem'hadar battleships

This was added recently by an anon with no citation or reference. It can be added back if it's truly a valid type. -- Renegade54 16:10, February 21, 2012 (UTC)


 * Dominion uses torpedoes manufactured by the Karemma on their fighters at least according to . In the script it's called a "Jem'Hadar torpedo". Though they did appear completely different than the glimmering torpedoes seen in other episodes fired by the battleships and battle cruisers. I would tend to agree that there does not seem to be enough evidence to say they are some type of unique torpedo. --Pseudohuman 18:18, February 21, 2012 (UTC)