Design Bureau · Chapter 2 · Pathfinder-class Survey Cruiser
2.5 Tactical & Defensive Systems
Light but capable armament — enough to defend itself and break contact, never to seek a fight.
The Pathfinder is a scout, not a warship, and its tactical fit reflects that: eleven Type-X phaser arrays for near-spherical defensive coverage and three torpedo launchers carrying both photon and quantum torpedoes. The doctrine is to detect first, defend if cornered, and use superior speed — including the slipstream burst — to break contact and survive to report.
Defences
A compact regenerative multiphasic shield grid protects the ship against both combat and the natural hazards of deep survey — radiation, debris and subspace phenomena. The navigational deflector doubles as a defensive and scientific high-energy emitter.