Editing Defiant Class (section)

==DEFLECTOR SHIELDS==

The Defiant Class is equipped with standard graviton polarity source generators, the design of which has not changed much in the past 70 years. Designed in response to the oncoming Borg threat in the 2270’s, all ships of this class make use of automatically rotating shield nutations.  

A Defiant makes use of a total of four shield generators located throughout the vehicle space frame. The forward-most generator is located along the vehicle centerline within the Warhead section, and is responsible for keeping it shielded in the event that it must separate from the ship. Two additional generators are located further within the hull from the warp nacelles, port and starboard, while the final generator is located on the centerline just above the main impulse engines and forward of the deuterium storage tanks on Deck 1.  

Standard flight operations require that at least two generators be operational at any given moment. To simplify field manipulation, it is desired for two corresponding units to be online, meaning that the forward and aft units should be used in sync, or the port and starboard units. During high-impulse and warp flight, the generators are kept at their minimum output to deflect stray particles in the interstellar medium from impacting the ship and degrading the hull. Should conditions warrant, one generator is capable of protecting the entire space frame. At high levels of alert, all generators are brought online and create a multilayered graviton field around the ship. In combat situations, the field is typically within several meters of the hull, creating an oval shape. If required, the field can be extended outward to protect another vessel or object at the sacrifice of some protection.