Editing Bird-of-Prey (section)

==Klingon Bird-of-Prey (23rd & 24th century models)==
The Klingon Bird-of-Prey was a type of warship utilized by the Klingon Empire serving the Klingon Defense Forces from the late 23rd century into the late 24th century. 

This type of craft, initially descended from its counterpart from a century earlier, was one of the most versatile warships employed by the Empire, serving a variety of mission roles, including that of a scout, raider, patrol ship, and cruiser. 

===Designations===
The Klingons applied several class designations to the different types of their Bird-of-Prey design, including the K'vort-class, B'rel-class and D12-class. 

The D12-class was retired from service by the 2350s due to faulty plasma coils, which were components of the cloaking systems. (Star Trek Generations) In fact, according to Gorta, finding one of these vessels with a working cloaking device was rather unique in 2370. (TNG: "Firstborn") 

By the 2360s, it was not uncommon to find a B'rel-class Bird-of-Prey stripped and relegated to a surplus yard. Ferengi DaiMon Lurin acquired two of these vessels, complete with cloaking devices, and managed to make them space worthy once again, after a few repairs and the addition of some weapons. (TNG: "Rascals") 

In an alternate timeline, the K'Vort-class was referred to as a battle cruiser, and was larger than its "prime universe" counterpart. While slower than the Galaxy-class battleships of the era, in a 3:1 confrontation, a Galaxy-class was not able to last long. (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise") This class was known to be equipped with several escape pods, and in use well into the 2370s. (DS9: "Penumbra")

===History=== 
The Bird-of-Prey dates back to the mid-22nd century, when they were first encountered by Earth Starfleet, during a short confrontation on the edge of the Sol system in 2153. (ENT: "The Expanse") Starfleet continued to possess knowledge of the Bird-of-Prey during the 2280s. Hikaru Sulu was among those familiar with the class at that time, since he was capable of visually identifying a Bird-of-Prey, as well as being familiar with its crew complement. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) 

A well-publicized encounter with a Bird-of-Prey occurred in 2285, when a Bird-of-Prey commanded by Kruge conducted a mission to uncover the secrets of Project Genesis. After acquiring the information, the ship destroyed the Merchantman, and later the USS Grissom, before facing off against the USS Enterprise in orbit of the Genesis Planet. 

Kruge ultimately lost the battle, and his ship, allowing James T. Kirk the privilege of Starfleet capturing its first Klingon Bird-of-Prey. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) 

This event was well documented in the events leading up to the court martial of Admiral Kirk, and the ship was thereafter utilized for time traveling back to Earth's 20th century. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) 

In an early storyboard proposal for Star Trek VI, Captain Montgomery Scott was in charge of disassembling the previously captured Bird-of-Prey for intelligence purposes. 
A few years later, the first Bird-of-Prey to ever breach the Great Barrier was commanded by Captain Klaa in 2287. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) 

The first Klingon Bird-of-Prey to ever be captured by Cardassia was commandeered in 2372 by Gul Dukat. (DS9: "Return to Grace") 

For nearly a century, the Bird-of-Prey proved to be a rugged, sturdy design that saw continuous use. In that they were much like their Federation counterparts the Excelsior- and Miranda-class starships, whose usefulness out-lived contemporaries such as the Constitution-class cruiser. (TNG; DS9) 

Despite the age of the Bird-of-Prey design by the 2370s, the ships fought valiantly during the Dominion War and featured in every battle of the conflict. Though the Bird-of-Prey design had been in service for nearly 100 years, constant upgrades ensured that the ships were still a powerful and capable front-line war ship. 

In the hands of a seasoned and aggressive commander, a Bird-of-Prey could engage multiple Dominion fighters and expect to come out victorious. They were consider much more agile than K't'inga-class cruisers, allowing them to be better suited for some tasks. (DS9: "Call to Arms", "Once More Unto the Breach")