BRAD'S COMMENTS:  Styled much like a TOS-era craft, this little ship is not much good against anything other than similarly dinky vessels.  Even a modest cruiser can take out a K-4 with a few shots, so these ships are not much good for anything other than window dressing.

From the FASA Star Trek KLINGON SHIP RECOGNITION MANUAL, circa 1985
K-4 (Enforcer) Class II Gunboat
Known Sphere Of Operation: Empire-wide use.
Data Reliability: B 
Major Data Source: Triangle Sector intelligence, Klingon Sector Intelligence
The K-4 gunboat/corvette, one of the most maneuverable vessels in known space, is designed to perform two different missions: in-system patrol duties or outpost/border patrol duties when acting as a gunboat, and rapid attack in mass assaults when acting as a corvette.  When operating in its gunboat role, the K-4 carries a squad of six marines who are beamed aboard vessels that come under inspection, where they maintain order while the ship is being searched.
        The vessel's usefulness as a corvette is exemplified by a search-and-destroy mission led by admiral Zantai Kaneida.  On Stardate 2/1811, a small group of Klingon warships, including 25 K-4s, entered the Triangle to destroy or capture any Romulan forces they might encounter.  This force enjoyed great success by using variations on a tactical plan, created by the Admiral himself.  The plan called for the destroyers to meet and pin the enemy while the cruisers could maneuver into firing positions.  When the cruisers began firing, the K-4s would rush in, concentrating their fire on single targets, then zoom away, only to come back again after another target.  Whenever a target ship was assaulted by the K-4s, it was under such intense fire from a capital ship that it could not afford to redirect its fire into so many smaller targets.  This tactic proved so successful that, although the mission lasted until Stardate 2/2009, only one cruiser, two destroyers, and seven K-4s were lost.  Because of this, similar groups have been formed and can be seen operating along Federation borders and within the Triangle.
        Of the 941 K-4s built, 331 As and 392 Bs remain in active service, 6 of each type are used as training vessels, 106 As and 63 Bs have been destroyed, 8 As and 3 Bs have been captured by the Romulans, 4 As and 5 Bs have been captured by Star Fleet, and 1 A and 2 Bs have been captured by the Orions, 3 As and 7 Bs are listed as missing, and two each have been sold to ranking families within the Empire.  The K-4 is manufactured at losia, Gnuu Re', Fonawl, and H'rez.  The estimated rate of production is 50 per year. 
        The class is named from the translation of the Klingon kl'xenova.

<<<< GO BACK