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Phasers are the most common and standard energy weapon in the arsenal of Starfleet and several other powers. Phasers fire nadion particle beams.

• 1 Description and Uses
• 3 Side-arm Settings
• 4 Types of Phaser Weapon
• 5.1 Types of Starship Phaser

Description and Uses [ ]

The phaser beam can stun , heat, kill or disintegrate living creatures. Phasers can damage shields or other systems or even cut through a hull . Phasers can also be used to cut through walls and burrow through rock. The beam can be focused to a single spot or widened to impact a large area.

Plasma is passed to a phaser emitter resulting in a discharge of nadion particles . Residual particles can be found in places where a battle has recently taken place. The disruptive effects of nadion discharges are moderated to produce varying effects (discussed below), ranging from benign to extremely destructive.

The Starfleet-issue personal phasers come in three types: The phaser type-1 (hand phaser) is small and can be concealed easily. The type 2 phaser is larger and hand-held. It has a longer hand grip or a pistol grip, depending on the model. The phaser type-3 is also known as the phaser rifle . It has a longer barrel, a stock, and some models have a second grip. This weapon can fire beams or bolts. Over centuries of use, there have been several models of the lightweight and effective phaser rifle.

Beyond these, phasers are usually mounted devices, such as the phaser type-4 used on Starfleet shuttlecraft and other small vehicles, all the way up to the large phaser banks and phaser arrays of starships and space stations . Various classes of banks, arrays and emitters exist, such as the more powerful phaser type-8 and the phaser cannon .

Hand phasers can be made to overload, either deliberately or by sabotage. Phasers in the process of overloading emit a distinctive high-pitched whine. The weapon will release all of its energy in an explosion capable of doing considerable damage to its surroundings. In 2266, Lenore Karidian attempted to murder James T. Kirk by hiding an overloading phaser in his cabin. In 2269, Kirk, McCoy, and Sulu were almost killed while on the Kalandan outpost planet, when its defensive computer fused the controls on Kirk's phaser, causing it to overload.

Personal phasers are also used by Starfleet personnel as tools and not just weapons. The phaser can be used to heat rocks and stones for warmth. Worf also used his type-2 phaser to open a tunnel on the Cardassian planet Celtris III.

Different models of phaser make different sounds when fired, depending on the model and setting. Federation phaser fire typically makes a high-pitched "whistling" or "tearing" sound, for example. A knowledgeable person can use the sound to differentiate between types.

n the alternate reality created by Nero's incursion, handheld phasers of the late 2250s emitted bolts of energy rather than the steady streams of energy generated by phasers of the prime reality. In addition, these phasers had a rotating nozzle which flips when set from stun to kill or vice versa.

History [ ]

The phaser design commonly used by Starfleet in the 23rd century and beyond was preceded by phase weapons , including the phase pistol and phase cannon , and were immediately preceded by types of laser weapons , such as the laser pistol .

Phaser technology was introduced by Starfleet as early as 2233; the USS Kelvin was equipped with ship-mounted phaser weapons. Phaser rifles were used as early as 2265, although at that time they were not part of a ship's standard weaponry, as officers were still armed with laser pistols.

In the 24th century, regenerative phasers were designed to function in the presence of duonetic fields, plasma fields, and other environments in which a normal phaser would not operate. As a historical note, the weapon was chosen instead of the TR-116 for such operations.

Side-arm Settings [ ]

The 23rd and 24th century phaser includes several settings. Setting number one is also called the base cycle stunning force. This minimal setting causes only a stun effect to the average humanoid lifeform. A hit will leave the target dazed and unable to think straight for a moment. When used at close range, a phaser set on stun is still capable of inducing sufficient trauma to kill if fired at a vital organ such as the brain. Two phasers set on setting one fired simultaneously can break large objects into pieces, such as the urns of Taurus II.

Setting 3.1 is enough to cause a changeling to experience similar discomfort. Setting 3.4 or 3.5 was determined to be a stun setting that would effectively stun and force any changeling to revert back into the gelatenous state. A wide-field stun setting is used when large groups need to be stunned with a single shot. Some stun settings can also cause unconsciousness. Although mostly harmless when used at these low settings, multiple phaser stuns like this can result in injury and death. There is a heavy stun force setting and a maximum stun setting also known as full stun charge.

A phaser can be used to heat several substances, such as rocks or even coffee Phasers can be used to melt certain ores from solid to liquid. They can be used to quickly boil tens of meters of ice. Settings 6 and 7 cause severe burns to the flesh of humanoids. Setting 7 is also powerful enough to vaporize noranium carbide.

One-quarter and level 10 are names of the kill setting for humanoid forms. The kill setting has a distinct sound from the stun setting. To a humanoid infected by a neural parasite , the kill setting only causes unconsciousness, due to the high levels of adrenaline in the targets body. Cutting settings can be used to slice off segments of a steelplast wall , a standard starfleet corridor wall or even to slice off body parts.

The normal maximum setting on a hand phaser will vaporize a humanoid lifeform or a human size android. This is also called disintegration. When used as a means of suicide, the phaser will also disintegrate along with the person shooting at himself. There is also a maximum setting that can set parts of clothing or humanoids on fire. Against a Horta, even when set specifically for silicon, the maximum setting will only hurt it. Disruptor-B is another maximum setting for the type 2 phaser. It is also called the disruptor effect setting. This setting was assessed to be the most effective against gaseous dikironium.

The standard level 16 setting on a type 2 phaser can be used to vaporize tunnels through rock, large enough to crawl through. The level 16 wide-field setting can easily destroy half of a large building with a single shot.

Types of Phaser Weapon [ ]

There are several numbered types of phasers of increasing size and capability: Types 1, 2, and 3 are personnel phasers, and types 4 and above are ship-mounted weapons.

• Type 1 phaser is a small concealable sidearm weapon.
• Type 2 phaser is a larger sidearm-type weapon. A sleeker and more compact version was introduced in 2368.
• Type 3 phaser is a rifle-sized weapon.

These main types and technologies are further classified to distinguish the many variations.

• hand phaser
• phaser pistol
• Kzinti phaser
• phaser rifle
• compression phaser rifle
• Regalian phaser rifle
• Bajoran phaser
• Ferengi phaser
• plasma phaser - a proposed anti- Borg weapon
• regenerative phaser

Starship Phasers [ ]

The phasers mounted aboard starships are considerably more powerful than those used by Starfleet personnel, owing to the increased power reserves available. Early phasers, such as the MK IX/01 type found on the USS Enterprise , were mounted in banks of one or two emitters, firing in either proximity blasts or beams. The ship's phasers also have a stun setting, and can be set for a wide-beam.

It was possible to configure phaser emitters to fire laser pulse beams , photon pulses and pulse compression waves . In the alternate reality created by Nero's incursion, phasers aboard the USS Enterprise were used to fire bolts resembling proximity blasts. In 2233 starships such as the USS Kelvin had different ship-mounted phaser emitters for the bolts and beam blasts.

Types of Starship Phaser [ ]

• particle phaser - used on transport ships from Boreal III
• phaser bank
• phaser array
• phaser cannon - used on Defiant-class starships
• phaser type-4 - used on type 6 shuttlecrafts
• phaser type-8 - used on Excelsior-class starships
• Galor-class phaser bank

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Set phasers to fun: All the ‘Star Trek’ phasers, explained

The phrase “set phasers to stun” has earned its place in popular culture, and Starfleet’s iconic weaponry has been a crucial part of the setting ever since The Original Series , but just what are the specifics of these incredible weapons?

In each Star Trek series, Starfleet crews primarily use hand phasers. The Type-1 phaser is a small handheld device capable of various settings, including numerous degrees of stun, kill, and heat. In The Original Series , the Type-2 was a pistol-like receptacle in which the Type-1 could be fitted, amplifying its power. By the time of The Next Generation , the Type-1 and Type-2 were entirely separate devices, with the Type-2 having a far sleeker design.

While the “kill” settings on a phaser can turn it into a highly destructive weapon capable of vaporizing a target, standard Starfleet rules of engagement are to have phasers always set to some form of “stun,” unless explicitly ordered otherwise. The stun setting is able to render most targets unconscious with no permanent injury, making it ideal for Starfleet’s ethos of peaceful exploration.

On rare occasions, Starfleet officers may be equipped with the Type-3 phaser rifle, a much larger and longer variant of the phaser held with both hands. The Type-3 is said to be capable of even more powerful shots than the Type-2, though still has a range of stun settings.

The width of the beam of any type of phaser can also be modified, making a single phaser highly effective against large crowds. Even the Enterprise’s phasers can be set to stun – in the Original Series episode “A Piece of the Action,” Kirk orders the Enterprise to prevent a shootout between two factions of aliens by firing a wide-beam stun from orbit, knocking out entire streets of people.

Non-combat uses

In The Original Series ,Type-2 phasers could also be set to “overload.” The damage caused by this could be catastrophic, as a single phaser on overload aboard a ship could generate a blast capable of destroying part of the hull and exposing an entire deck to space. In the episode “The Conscience of the King,” Kirk and Spock narrowly avoid this fate when an assassin hides a phaser on overload in Kirk’s quarters, leading to the only instance in Star Trek history of a “double red alert.”

Phasers had various non-forceful applications too – in The Original Series’ “The Enemy Within,” Sulu uses a phaser to heat a rock, turning it into a radiator and saving the lives of his team who are stranded in icy conditions. In The Next Generation ’s “Silicon Avatar,” Riker uses a phaser to seal a cave entrance to protect sheltering refugees from an attack.

In all their forms, phasers are an iconic part of Star Trek , giving writers plenty of ways to have the heroes overcome hostile alien encounters without the need for lethal violence.

Phaser Technology

From star trek: theurgy wiki.

Phasers (an acronym for PHAS ed E nergy R ectification) were the most common and standard directed energy weapon in the arsenal of Starfleet and several other powers. Most phasers were classified as particle weapons and fire nadion particle beams. Based on the intensity and field of the beam and a variety of adjustments, a wide variety of effects could be achieved. All Starfleet phasers followed a similar naming convention, with the lowest being handheld and each higher number becoming more powerful and larger in size. After the Type-III, Phasers were too unwieldy to be hand operated and required such power that they were only suitable to be attached to vehicles, vessels, or outposts.

• 1.2.1 Type-II Pulse Phase Pistol
• 1.3.1 Type-III EVA Variant
• 2 Phaser Rifle Evolution
• 4.1 Type-IV Phaser Bank
• 4.2 Type-V Phaser Bank
• 4.3 Type-VI Phaser Bank
• 4.4 Type-VII Phaser Array
• 4.5 Type-VIII Phaser Array
• 4.6 Type-IX Phaser Array
• 4.7 Type-X Phaser Array
• 4.8 Type-XI Phaser Array
• 4.9 Type-XII Phaser Array
• 4.10 Type-XII Pulse Phaser Array
• 4.11 Type-U Pulse Phaser Cannon
• 4.12 Type-U+ Pulse Phaser Cannon
• 4.13 Type-I Rawley Heavy Pulse Phaser Cannon
• 5 Disclaimer Notice

Handheld Phasers

Utilized primarily in defensive situations, Handheld phasers had several applications, from use as a weapon to use as a cutting tool, explosive device, or energy source. Storing considerable energy, most phasers were distinguished by their size and firing capabilities, with all models able to output a focused energy discharge in the form of a beam or steady stream.

Colloquially know as the "Cricket", the type-I phaser was the smallest, most basic weapon carried by Starfleet and other Federation personnel. Easily concealable, the type-I was able to be programmed to fire automatically at set intervals. However, due to the lack of its operating capabilities, longevity, and diversity when compared to its larger brethren, the type-I phasers were typically only carried when it would be inappropriate to carry a larger weapon, such as on diplomatic missions. Because of this, the type-I was synonymous with secret missions and seldom seen in active use.

The type-II was the standard weapon used aboard all Starfleet vessels and bases, as it offered a very favorable compromise between size and power. Originally designed to encompass the type-I, the type-II held a pistol-like grip. By the 2360s, the type-II had evolved past that configuration, becoming a sleek, silver-colored device with a handle flowing into the form of a muzzle cowling and emitter. The type-II phaser was a required piece of equipment for most Starfleet away teams, and was the basic sidearm of Starfleet security teams

With two small buttons for beam width and intensity control and a large one to fire the device, the type-II featured a large, illuminated power level readout. The phaser retained the functionality of the previous designs, but increased the power and versatility. Like their predecessors, these units could be adjusted for use as cutting tools or power sources. They could also be set to overload, becoming a powerful explosive device.

In addition to more variable power settings than the Type-I, Type-II Phasers were able to be set for a "narrow" (affecting a single target) or "wide" beam (affecting two or more targets over a certain area). The frequency of the beam could also be adjusted to make it more effective against certain types of shields and/or force fields.

Type-II Pulse Phase Pistol

During the Dominion War , it became apparent that single beam particle weapons were ineffective against groups of Jem’Hadar. As such, Starfleet Security desired the ability to fire multiple short pulses of energy. The Type-III rifle was easily modified with a change of beam emitter, but due to the smaller size, the Type-II was unable to be modified in such a way.

With the need of a small weapon for use in close quarter situations, this handphaser variant Type-II Pulse Phase Pistol was created. Not only to be easily distinguishable between the conventional Type-II and this pulse fire variant, but to also account for an increased need for stability and accuracy, this new weapon took design elements of more traditional handheld weapons, incorporating a pistol-like grip and hard sight points along the top of the device.

Because of the difference in shape and fire pattern, Starfleet Personnel required further training on this weapon in addition to standard phaser profiency. As such, the type-II Pulse Phase Pistol was standardly reserved for Security and Tactical Conn personnel.

The largest standard phaser issued to Starfleet personnel, the Type-III (or simply referred to as the phaser rifle) was a two handed weapon capable of greater accuracy and longevity than its type-II counterpart. Even though the type-III had a much greater energy reserve, this only translated to an increase of longer periods of fire rather than any rise in output levels over one-handed phasers. Phaser rifles were not standard landing party equipment aboard Starfleet vessels. Typically, rifles were equipped only when firepower heavier than that of the type-II phaser was required.

Originally a bulky device with the capability of its rear handle to be rotated into a shoulder stock, the type-III was more streamlined and smaller by the 2360s. In the early 2370s, the need for accuracy caused the design aesthetic of the weapon to change once again, this time the rifle returned to having a shoulder stock but also incorporated a rear pistol-like and front under barrel grip, a combined sight and tactical light, and an integrated shoulder sling for ease of carrying.

The outbreak of the dominion war caused a need for weapons to fire in multiple bursts rather than just a single beam of energy. Starfleet Security created two new weapons for this purpose - the Type II Pulse Phase Pistol and the Type-III Phaser Compression Rifle. By 2375, the Compression Rifle was removed from service, due to comparable capabilities produced from the standard type-III with a change to its beam emitter. The switch between the angular and smooth beam emitters on the type-III rifles allowed the weapons to fire both single beam and pulses of energy at will by the operator.

After the completion of the dominion war, in the late 2370s, Starfleet Security updated the sights of the type-III to a red holographic style allowing for great accuracy and target acquisition. The integrated flashlight was unaffected.

Type-III EVA Variant

During the 2370s, Starfleet produced an additional variant of the type-III specifically designed for EVA missions. This rifle had unique features including, two pistol-like grips for ease of handling, no trigger guard to allow for use by personnel wearing EVA Suits , and magnetic areas allowing the rifle to be attached to a ship's hull.

This variant was later removed from service by Starfleet ; however, due to its popularity among officers, there were still many units available in the field. Before the acquisition of the Accipiter rifles Ryuan Sel , the Mistress-of-Arms of the USS Theurgy was known to prefer this weapon.

Phaser Rifle Evolution

All handheld Phasers used a common scale to denote the power output of the weapon, however, not all phasers could achieve the highest settings. Type-I Phasers were only able to reach settings 1-8, whereas type-II and type-III are able to make use of all sixteen.

Vessel-mounted Energy Weaponry

Directed energy weapons projected bolts or beams of focused energy or energized particles at a target. These weapons were commonplace, with most cultures having some form or another of directed energy weapon as the typical armament of their spacecraft, and they drew upon the abundant energy that starships generated. Energy weapons were composed of a type and a delivery method. Federation starships rarely used any other kind of directed energy weaponry than phasers. The delivery method of a phaser described how the emitters were arranged, and how the weapon was set-up to fire.

Cannons were close range, rapid-firing weapons that projected pulses or bolts of energy rather than consistent beams. These were inaccurate at longer ranges, but the volley of quick pulses could be devastating. Banks were a collection of emitters used early on by Starfleet , designed to fire in unison. They produced a focused beam of energy that could inflict considerable damage. Arrays were a more advanced technology, with long strips of linked emitters that shared a power feed, allowing the ship to fire from any point along the strip. This allowed the ship to fire in multiple directions at once, or to adjust and fire on moving targets repeatedly in quick succession.

Originally, starships used phaser banks. Each bank contained one or more phaser emitters from which the beam energy was released. These systems shared common power sources and targeting systems. In the 2270s, phaser power systems of Federation starships were redesigned to channel power directly from the warp core, thereby increasing the power output of phaser banks.

By the 24 th century, the number of emitters in each bank had been increased to the point where they were laid out in long strips called phaser arrays. The arrays aboard a Galaxy-class starship could channel vast energy in a short time frame, capable of cutting through a mile of solid granite in seconds. Starship-mounted phasers were normally set to fire steady streams of phaser energies that would travel along the emitter strip and converge at the best position for targeting. Following the Battle of Wolf-359, Starfleet Engineers were also able to reconfigure the emitters in a different layout that allowed the phaser bank to rapid-fire as phaser cannons.

In addition to the powerful settings, the ship's phasers also had a stun setting that could be used to render lifeforms unconscious when fired at a planetary surface from orbit. It was also possible to configure starship phasers to also fire energy beams for power transfer.

There were many different type-of phasers mounted to starships. As new phaser technology became available, it was placed onto the ships being built at the time. Below are a few examples of phaser types mounted to various ship at the time of their initial construction.

Type-IV Phaser Bank

The smallest phaser bank currently deployed in the Federation , the Type-IV was markedly superior to the Type-III phaser rifle, providing more power, range, accuracy and adaptability. As such, it had been the workhorse of Starfleet 's auxiliary craft fleet for decades, as well as being mounted on a number of ground based vehicles. Only by 2381 is it being replaced by the Type-V array, a weapon of comparable simplicity but greater ability. It was not a very strong offensive measure but was capable of warding a small craft from many natural threats, such as asteroids and debris, and similar sized craft. Type-6 Shuttlecraft were known to operate with Type-IV Phasers.

Type-V Phaser Bank

A phaser bank generally found on small but high-powered Starfleet shuttlecraft, the Type-V was generally considered to be the next feasible replacement for the Type-IV array found on several thousand shuttles throughout the Federation . While not as powerful as the Type-VI or Type-VII, what it lacked in strength and longevity was more than made up for in its simplicity. Indeed, it rivalled even the modern Type-IV variant commonly found on shuttlecraft for ease of construction, maintenance and repair.

Type-VI Phaser Bank

The second largest bank used on small craft such as runabouts, the Type-VI phaser bank was undeniably more powerful than its more dimunitive counterparts, with faster recharge rates, ranges and, of course, offensive capabilities, but lacked several of the advantageous maintenance and power factors found in its Type-VII fellow. Most remarkably, the Type-VI's increase in power over its smaller counterparts was less than the equivalent difference between it and the Type-VII, a characteristic explained by the (then) advanced techniques used in its construction and new methods of energy dissipation.

The Type-VI was not as commonly found as any of its counterparts, primarily due to the detailed work required in constructing it and the real but admittedly barely significant advantage in tactical situations it provided over the Type-V. It had, however, been found to be a suitable armament for some shuttlecraft, its intricate composition easily adaptable to some shuttles' requirements.

Type-VII Phaser Array

The largest emitter used on small craft such as runabouts and light escorts, the Type-VII phaser array was considerably more powerful than its more dimunitive counterparts, with faster recharge rates, ranges and, of course, offensive capabilities.

Recent advances in technology had allowed Starfleet to decrease the overall size of the Type-VII, thereby allowing it to be employed on vessels previously considered to be much too small to cope with the necessary machinery. As such, the Type-VII was markedly superior to the Type-VI phaser array but, due to practical issues, fell a bit short of the standard Type-VIII arrays being deployed on starships as of 2381.

Type-VIII Phaser Array

The Type-VIII was the phaser armament of choice for most of Starfleet 's small-to medium-sized ships. While varying degrees of power and capabilities could be found from class to class - even from ship to ship - the general Type-VIII operating principles remained the same and any deviations in any regard were usually negligible. This phaser type-provided excellent offensive and defensive capabilities for many ship classes that, due to their size, required significant quantities of internal volume for other operations which would otherwise be consumed by larger phaser weaponry.

Originally these weapons were installed in phaser banks aboard ships like the Excelsior-class and Constellation-class. Ships equipped with them as of 2381 were set in the standard array package. The only fighters that held dedicated Type-VIII phaser emitters were the AC-477 Mk I Valravn fighters, and those emitters were prototype-technology as of 2381, mounted on only twenty constructed fighters. On these fighters, the warp drive plasma conduit ran through the primary phaser coupling to double the power of the beams. It is as of yet unknown how the emitters would last in a prolonged engagement.

Type-IX Phaser Array

This was the armament of choice for many of Starfleet 's larger vessels and some of its medium-sized but patrol/combat-oriented craft. While bulkier and more complicated than its Type-VIII counterpart, the Type-IX provided excellent firepower with an impressive rate of fire that could only be bettered by Type-X, Type-XII or Type-U weapons.

Recent advances in weapons technology had allowed Starfleet to reduce the operating size for the Type-IX's components, allowing for this array to be employed as the new phaser weaponry of even refitted 23rd century starships.

Type-X Phaser Array

Until the development of the Type-XII, the Type-X was the heaviest weapon in use aboard Federation vessels, comprising the main armament of the Galaxy class starship. The Type-X had since seen its incorporation into other ship classes, providing significant firepower to some of Starfleet 's largest vessels. Galaxy and Intrepid-class vessels were originally fitted with Type-X Phasers.

Type-XI Phaser Array

Type-XI phaser was used normally for planetary defense. The emitters were designed to minimize atmospheric blooming of the beam. The phaser emitters in the carriages, embedded into the habitat ring of Deep Space 9 , were of this type, modified for use in space.

Type-XII Phaser Array

Previously designated as the 'Type-X+' for security reasons, the Type-XII phaser has been used in dedicated planetary defence arrays and as the main armament of heavy fortified starbases since 2363. It was considered that the Type-XII was unsuitable for use on a starship because the power requirements were too high and the support systems too bulky. However, by 2368 technical improvements had allowed for considerable shrinkage in the size of the equipment, and ship power systems had become capable of supporting the weapon. The main phaser armament of the new Sovereign-class starship therefore comprised Type-XII phaser arrays, as did the armament of the Prometheus -class. These are the most powerful phaser beam emitters currently in use by the Federation , the pulse phaser variant not withstanding.

Type-XII Pulse Phaser Array

This was the kind of phaser arrays that the USS Theurgy had installed, where there were two firing options available. Either beam emission or phaser pulse, depending on the situation. See Type-U below for more info on the pulse phaser kind of setting.

Type-U Pulse Phaser Cannon

A relatively new development in phaser technology , the Type-U pulse phaser was the most combat-focused development of the phaser to date. It combined large, nearly flawless emitter crystals with rapid-discharge EPS banks and high-speed beam focusing coils. The system allowed the charge to be stored in the coils for a few nanoseconds, then released it as a layered pulse. Due to its nature, shields and armour had a harder time dispersing the pulse, resulting in more damage to the target. Pulse phasers were first deployed on the USS Defiant , where they managed to cause significant damage to Jem'Hadar fighters in a short space of time.

Type-U+ Pulse Phaser Cannon

This weapon worked on the same principles as the Type-U but at a much smaller scale as well as 40 % of the yield. It was an armament commonly found on the Federation 's fleet of fighters and a number of auxiliary craft. The first iteration of the U+ could be seen on either side of the AC-307 Mk II Valkyrie fighter, but a second version was made to be wing-mounted on the AC-409 Mk III Valkyrie . It was the same technology in both versions of the U+ cannons, only on the Mk III , the entire weapon system was mounted on the wings instead of being inside the fuselage of the fighter (as it is in the Mk II ). Furthermore, while the technology was the same, as an upgrade from the Mk II , the warp drive plasma conduit ran through the primary phaser coupling to increase the power of the Mk III ’s phaser cannons, giving it 50 % yield compared to the Type-U.

There were pulse or beam firing options available. Bolts had a firing rate of 5 per second. The beam setting had lower yield but longer range.

Type-I Rawley Heavy Pulse Phaser Cannon

Like the AC-409 Mk III Valkyrie 's wing-mounted pulse phaser cannons, the first and only iteration of the heavy Rawley cannon was also wing-mounted, and it demanded that the warp drive plasma conduit ran through the primary phaser coupling. Unlike the Type-U+, the Rawley cannon had a tendency to overheat during prolonged engagements, instead made for quick strikes and a mandatory cool-down period between such strikes. The benefit was that its yield was higher than the Mk III 's phaser cannons, at the lower firing rate of 3 bolts per second. Their yield was approximately 60 % of the Type-U pulse phaser cannons.

The Rawley cannons did not have a beam firing option available, and they were mounted as standard armament on the AC-347 Knight-class Interceptor . After the refit of the SS Sabine NX-59846 , it also had two of these cannons mounted underneath its wings.

Disclaimer Notice

Some info on Vessel-mounted Phasers used with permission of USS Wolff CO - granted Jan 30, 2017

• Technical Specifications
• Starfleet Information

Star Trek: How Do Phasers Work?

How these standard issue multi tools of destruction are far more useful than they might seem.

In the world of Star Trek, there can be found a plethora of incredible science fiction technology. Innovations range from warp drives that bend space to allow faster-than-light travel , all the way to the replication of food and drink from light. But while many of these technologies are used primarily for science, exploration, or recreation, the standard issue Starfleet Phasers are creations of attack and defense. So how exactly do these laser beam firing devices work?

At first glance, these weapons seem fairly simple in their application. They can stun an opponent in defense, or on the rare occasion, kill. However, they are interesting as they are far more multipurpose than they appear. Over the years, they have become somewhat of a Starfleet officer's multi tool. They can not only incapacitate enemies, but the technology is also used for a variety of purposes. They are able to melt metals together, heat things up, and even create artwork: burning marks onto canvas with precision.

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The Weapon Of Starfleet

In terms of their destructive power, as phasers are used mainly as weapons, they are capable of a wide variety of things. On a low setting, they can be used to stun. Depending on the exact level of power the user specifies, this can mean anything from throwing a person backwards to knocking them out completely. A mighty Klingon , for example would be able to withstand a much higher degree of power from a phaser than a human would.

The stun setting on a phaser seems to be an impressive piece of technology . Trained officers must fine tune them to create the desired effect, much like an officer of today knowing the degree of electrical charade to pulse through a taser. On a high setting, these tiny devices are capable of large scale destruction. They can be used to kill, but also completely disintegrate a person if the setting was put high enough, rendering them to Endgame style dust . In the shows, they are suggested to be able to destroy buildings. Commander Data showcases this in the Season 3 The Next Generation episode "Ensigns of Command," where he uses a phaser to destroy an aqueduct.

In addition to their ability to vary their potential destructive capabilities, phasers can also vary their precision. These pocket-sized devices use particles instead of the more traditional energy, or ‘laser beam’ technology. As such, they rely on wavelengths to produces their desired effect. These wavelengths can be altered by the user, much like how a disruptor or works, producing a wave that can affect either a small or large area. This allows the user to aim at very specific targets without affecting anything around it. Phasers are precise enough for a protagonist to cross the line and completely disintegrate a person, without harming those standing directly next to them.

The Creation & Philosophy Of The Phaser

The devices were created, like many other Star Trek technologies, at last minute and with little explanation of how they worked. Rather, the technical details were added as the show developed over time. This is no criticism of The Original Series , as many other shows at the time functioned similarly due to time or budget restrains. When the creators were first fleshing out the idea, the producers had the cast carry what were essentially tranquilizer b-b guns, which would shoot small sedative pellets. This quickly proved to be a terrible idea, as the pellets were stopped by even the most primitive of armor or even clothing. They required skin contact to work (or at least make sense), so the producers chose to make them lasers.

Laser weapons were not only visually interesting, but also made sense for the these futuristic explorers. The issue, however, was that a laser was just as lethal as a gun. Roddenberry wanted the show to highlight his utopian vision of a future that favors peace over violence ( despite Starfleet ultimately being the Federation's Military ). To resolve this, he created a laser that could vary its power. Like many things in Star Trek, there was no real science behind this, at least at the start. Writers later scrambled to try and explain how this could work. They came up with the idea of a particle known as a nadion, and the complex science behind the phasers was born. One technical manual within canon gives the following explanation, and even then the majority of it is technobabble with no further explanation:

‘The Phaser (or the Phased Energy Rectification) uses the Rapid Nadion Effect to transfer and liberate strong nuclear forces through a super-conducting crystal. After this, the energy then passes through a Kawamura-Franklin Circuit, which then monopolarically phases it.’

Phasers have become a staple of the show ever since their introduction. They are both a device of violence, as well as a symbol of a more peaceful future for humanity . While soldiers of today are given guns whose only purpose is to kill, a phaser is a much better alternative. It is able to kill only when necessary, while also providing non-lethal means to incapacitate a foe. It is used as a form of defense, rather than offense. While the technical mechanics of the device have never been fleshed out (and seem to vary from show to show) their core message is a good one. There are always alternatives to killing, something Star Trek holds as one of its core messages.

MORE: Star Trek: Who Was Lwaxana Troi?

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Type 2 phaser

The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 used hand phasers [1] during an attempt to rescue Captain Christopher Pike from the Talosians in 2254 . Phasers could be set to overload, causing an explosion. [2] In the 2260s, Type 1 phasers (sometimes called "Phaser 1") could be attached to a larger mounting frame that increased its capabilities, turning the unit into a Type 2 phaser (aka "Phaser 2"). On Stardate 1672.1 , Lieutenant Sulu used a phaser to heat rocks in order to provide warmth in the subzero temperatures of planet Alfa 177 . [3]

Image Gallery

Hand Phaser ( 2254 ) ( TOS 01 )

Hand Phaser ( TOS 06 )

Type 2 Hand Phaser ( SD   1207.3 ) ( DSC 01 )

Type 2 Hand Phaser ( SD   1207.3 ) ( DSC 02 )

Type 2 Hand Phaser ( SD   1672.1 ) ( TOS 05 )

Type 2 Hand Phaser ( SD   1513.1 ) ( TOS 06 )

Type 2 Hand Phaser ( TOS 07 )

Type 2 Hand Phaser ( TOS 15 )

Notes and References

• ↑ Although the script and dialogue for "The Cage" referred to the energy weapons as "lasers," this was changed retroactively to "phasers" when the series went into production, as the properties of lasers were already a known quantity in the real world, and the writers and production team did not want to restrict future stories. The design of the "lasers" from The Cage was echoed in Star Trek: Discovery , where the weapons were referred to as phasers, reinforcing this retcon .
• ↑ Roddenberry, Gene (Executive Producer). "The Cage" . Star Trek , season 0, episode 0 (Production number 01). Directed by Robert Butler . Written by Gene Roddenberry . Released 1986 . Desilu Productions . 1965 .
• ↑ Roddenberry, Gene (Executive Producer). "The Enemy Within" . Star Trek , season 1, episode 5 (Production number 05). Directed by Leo Penn . Written by Richard Matheson . Desilu Productions . 6 October 1966 .
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Phasers are the primary energy weapons used in Star Trek . They can scale from concealable hand weapons to starship weapons.

• 1.1 Power Settings
• 1.2 Beam Adjustment
• 1.3 Limitations
• 2.1 Hand phasers
• 2.2 Phaser rifle
• 2.3 Starship phasers
• 4 External Links
• 5 References

Phasers are particle beams [1] that usually heat materials they strike. They often start chain reactions of an unknown nature that continue well after the beam stops striking the target. Phasers at full power have been known to make their targets completely disappear, an effect often described as "vaporization", although it is never accompanied by the violent explosion and superheated cloud of vapor one would expect from vaporizing a target such as a human in less than a second.

The operating principle of phasers -- whatever it may be -- makes them more effective against some materials than others. While they can make human tissue disappear in a moment, they are far less effective against denser materials like metals and completely ineffective against some materials, such as "toranium inlay" [2] .

Power Settings

From their first appearance in continuity [3] , hand phasers have had variable power settings. A "stun" setting can incapacitate targets for capture without causing serious harm; one incident [4] has shown that even starship phasers have this capability, enabling them to stun large numbers of people from orbit. When fired at point-blank range continuously, the stun setting can still be lethal. [5]

Phasers also have a "kill" setting which ranges in effect from causing serious injury to making targets disappear entirely [6] . Phasers set to kill have also been used to cut through tree trunks [7] , heat rocks to serve as make-shift campfires [8] , and blast through rock [9] [10] .

Trekkies have claimed that a single shot from a hand phaser can rearrange the landscape by bringing down buildings or mountains. Despite one supporting claim from a deranged character [11] , hand-phasers have never demonstrated firepower of this magnitude, and characters routinely protect themselves from phaser fire by hiding behind ordinary rock formations [12] or even packing crates [13] . Phasers certainly can blast through stone, but Star Trek combatants almost never use such settings in combat, indicating that doing so would have disadvantages, such as rapid depletion of the weapon's power supply.

As noted, phasers on high power settings can make living targets disappear. Trekkies have argued that such targets are "vaporized" and used such incidents to calculate phaser firepower based on the energy required to boil 50-100 kg of water into steam, but phaser "vaporization" incidents never produce the large cloud of super-heated vapor that would inevitably result from actually vaporizing a human being. Consequently, some other effect must be occurring in such incidents, making it impossible to calculate hand-phaser firepower from "vaporization".

Beam Adjustment

Phasers typically produce a narrow beam, but they can be adjusted to produce a cone- or fan-shaped "spray" of energy. These "wide-beam" shots have been shown to be capable of simultaneously stunning multiple people in the affected area at a range of several meters [14] .

Despite the potential to affect many targets and suppress areas of a battlefield with wide-beam phaser fire, Federation troops invariably use only narrow beams in battle. This behavior indicates that wide beams have extremely limited utility in combat situations. One obvious reason is that the power intensity of spreading beams will drop rapidly with increasing range, making them ineffective at typical combat ranges.

Limitations

Environmental conditions can have surprising effects on phaser performance. Certain kinds of ambient radiation (including "hyperonic" radiation) cause phaser beams to scatter rapidly, making the weapons effectively useless in such adverse conditions. Prolonged exposure to low-level radiation from a shielded nuclear fission reactor (at least several minutes) can also render a hand-phaser inoperative.

"Energy dampening fields" also affect phaser performance, presumably by design, rendering hand-phasers useless. Such fields have only been mentioned, however; specific effects have never been observed.

The Federation has developed "regenerative" phasers that are less sensitive to adverse environments. It's not clear how they are different from standard phasers, unless the phaser modification performed by Data in TNG "Ensigns of Command" is a direct example.

Phaser types

Phasers are classified by "type", a designation system that seems to take into account the size, power consumption and intended use of the phaser. While only five phaser types are explicitly mentioned (1-4 and 8), the remainder of the scale is represented in various secondary materials.

Hand phasers

• Type 1: The smallest phaser type, these weapons can be concealed in the palm of the user's hand.
• Type 2: Originally consisting of a Type 1 fitted with a pistol grip and additional power pack [15] , the Type 2 evolved into a standalone weapon, and is the standard Starfleet sidearm.

Phaser rifle

• Type 3: This type comprises the various incarnations of the phaser rifle, a larger, two-handed version of the phaser pistol.

Starship phasers

• Types 4-7: Low-power, non-portable phaser banks mounted on shuttlecraft [16] and runabouts .
• Types 8-10: High-power phaser banks and arrays mounted on starships [17] and starbases .
• Phase pistol
• Phase cannon

External Links

• Stardestroyer.net Phaser analysis
• Trekkie analysis that estimates 170 to 670 MW of firepower for hand phasers.
• ↑ Star Trek: First Contact
• ↑ DS9 "The Forsaken"
• ↑ ENT "Broken Bow"
• ↑ TOS "Piece of the Action"
• ↑ "The Undiscovered Country"
• ↑ TNG "The Vengeance Factor"
• ↑ ENT "Terra Nova"
• ↑ TOS "The Enemy Within"
• ↑ TNG "Chain of Command
• ↑ Star Trek: Insurrection
• ↑ TNG "Frame of Mind"
• ↑ TNG "Gambit"
• ↑ TNG "Too Short a Season"
• ↑ VOY "Cathexis"
• ↑ TOS: the Devil In the Dark
• ↑ TNG: The Outcast
• ↑ Star Trek: Generations
• ST Starship Offense
• ST Infantry
• ST Infantry Offense
• ST Technology

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Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from video games
• Memory Beta articles sourced from games
• Memory Beta articles sourced from RPGs
• Hand-held weapons
• Type-1 phaser
• View history

A type-1 phaser from the year 2367 , specifically the mark V personal phaser .

A type-1 hand phaser from the 2280s decade .

A type-1 phaser was the smallest, most basic weapon carried by Starfleet and other Federation personnel. Type-1 phasers were typically carried when it was inappropriate to carry a larger weapon, such as on diplomatic missions, or "undercover" work.

The Type-1 had eight adjustible settings, ranging from stun to heat through disruption to disintegration. The 23rd century type-1 in use in the 2260 's incorporated a small flip-up sight, and was fired by a trigger on the bottom front of the unit. Several versions of the Type-2 phaser incorporated a Type-1 phaser into their design.

A low power variant of the Type-1 was also available. This variant only had three settings, from light to heavy stun. ( TNG reference : Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual )

In 2362 , three unsolved homicides were committed by an assailant using a type-1 phaser on burn setting. In 2366 , the murderer was determined to be Starfleet officer Dar Ableen . ( SCE eBook : Security )

In 2369 , Benjamin Sisko used one of these particular models of phaser in dealing with Bajoran terrorists placing bilitrium grenades in Deep Space 9 's docking pylon 3. ( DS9 video game : Crossroads of Time )

• 3.1 Connections
• 3.2 References

Settings: 1-8 (light stun to light disrupt)

Range: 5-50 meters

Length: 12 centimeters

Mass: 0.2 kilograms

Energy: 160 charges (good for 8 shots on maximum setting)

See also [ ]

• Plasma pistol
• Plasma rifle
• Laser pistol
• Laser rifle
• Type-2 phaser
• Type-3 phaser
• Disruptor pistol
• Disruptor rifle

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], references [ ].

• FASA RPG module : Trader Captains and Merchant Princes, 1st edition
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 3 Preserver (race)

• Very Rare items
• Items that Bind on Equip
• Ship Fore Weapons
• Phaser space weapons (lockbox)
• Phaser Weapons

Obliviating Phaser weapons (space)

• VisualEditor
• View history
• Dual Beam Bank

* Agony * Bio-Molecular * Covert * Emitter-Linked * Federation 32c. * Federation 32c. Refit * Focusing-Linked * Integrity-Linked * Kelvin Timeline * Obliviating * Phased Biomatter * Phasic Harmonic * Pulse * Resilience-Linked * Sensor-Linked * Targeting-Linked

Obliviating Phaser space weapons have a chance to bypass your target's Shields and penetrate its Hull deeply. Visually, Obliviating Phaser weapons are identical to Pulse Phaser beams.

• 2 Modifiers
• 3 Base damage table
• 4.2 Consoles
• 5 Base Energy Credit value table
• 6 External links

Obliviating Phaser weapons can be obtained from the [ Special Equipment Pack - A Safe Galaxy Weapons ] , which has a chance to drop from the [ A Safe Galaxy Lock Box ] .

Very Rare Obliviating Phaser weapons will have three modifier suffixes and Ultra Rare will have four. Epic adds a fifth unique modifier.

Standard Modifiers: Can appear multiple times (e.g. [Acc]x2, [CrtH]x3 , etc.)

• [Acc] : +10 Accuracy Rating
• [CrtD] : +20% Critical Severity
• [CrtH] : +2% Critical Chance
• [Dmg] : +X Damage
• Re-engineering options: [Acc], [CrtD], [CrtH], [Dmg].

Epic Modifier: All energy weapons upgraded to Epic quality receive:

• [Ac/Dm] : +10 Accuracy Rating and +X Damage
• Re-engineering options: [Ac/Dm], [Ac/CrtD], [Ac/CrtH], [CrtD/Dm], [CrtH/CrtD], [CrtH/Dm].

Base damage table

All values given are for Common Beam Array at 100 Weapon Power . There is greater damage with increasing rarity .

All values given are for Common Dual Beam Bank at 100 Weapon Power . There is greater damage with increasing rarity .

Performance

There are several factors that can affect performance of space weapons. These are modifier suffixes, skill points, consoles and equipment sets .

Base Energy Credit value table

All values given are for common weapons. There is greater energy credit value with increasing rarity .

External links

• Phaser at Memory Alpha , the Star Trek Wiki.
• ""A Safe Galaxy" Lock Box!" – Arcgames.com, 19 Jan, 2023.
• 1 Playable starship
• 3 Infinity Prize Pack - T6 Ship

Phase-pistol

• View history

A phase-pistol

The phase-pistol was a type of phase-modulated energy weapon , a personnel sidearm characterized by a focused energy discharge in the form of a steady stream or a phase pulse . It was introduced in 2151 for use by Starfleet personnel as a replacement to the EM-33 pistol. MACO utilized a different model of phase-pistol. ( ENT : " Broken Bow ", " United ")

• 1 Starfleet phase-pistol
• 2 MACO phase-pistol
• 3 Tellarite phase-pistol
• 5.1 Background information
• 5.2 External links

Starfleet phase-pistol [ ]

A phase-pistol firing a beam followed by a pulse

A phase-pistol set to overload

The phase-pistol was equipped with two settings: " stun " and " kill ". ( ENT : " Broken Bow ") The former could also be used to ignite a fire . ( ENT : " Desert Crossing ") The temperature to which the weapon was capable of heating a liquid was at least 398 degrees. ( ENT : " Civilization ") It could be utilized in clearing obstructions of rock and earth, and as a cutting tool, its beam capable of slicing neatly through an enormous tree trunk . ( ENT : " Terra Nova ") By cross-polarizing the power cells to increase particle yield, the weapon could be modified to be more effective against shields . ( ENT : " Regeneration ") A phase-pistol could also be set to overload and function as an explosive device. ( ENT : " United ")

Although phase-pistols handled similarly to an EM-33, they were different in that they did not require the user to compensate for particle drift, but to instead point straight at the target. ( ENT : " Fight or Flight ", " Sleeping Dogs ") The effects of a phase-pistol hit also differed from those experienced with other weapons of that era. 22nd century Suliban and Coridanite weapons inflicted identifiable wounds, tearing through clothing and into the victim's flesh. ( ENT : " Shadows of P'Jem ") The phase-pistol, however, was capable of having an effect more comparable to an electric shock, capable of causing severe injury without breaking, burning or otherwise damaging the skin . Along with the beam, a pulse would surge through it, causing more damage. ( ENT : " Broken Bow ") It was also capable of making the rounds harmless for training purposes, possibly by setting the weapon to stun. ( ENT : " Sleeping Dogs ") However, it was possible for phase-pistols to inflict wounds. ( ENT : " Demons ")

Crewmembers from Enterprise NX-01 first used phase-pistols in April of 2151 , when Captain Jonathan Archer infiltrated a Suliban helix . Aboard the helix, Archer was able to stun a Suliban soldier before having his own phase-pistol turned against him by Silik . Due to bizarre temporal effects within the helix's temporal chamber , however, Archer was able to literally dodge the phase-pistol beam and escaped relatively unharmed, while the beam's presence in the chamber caused a large shock wave to surge through it, as Silik had said it to be unwise to use the weapon in that room. ( ENT : " Broken Bow ") Enterprise carried a total of fifteen phase-pistols on the ship during 2151. ( ENT : " Shadows of P'Jem ")

Ensign Masaro committed suicide with a phase-pistol in 2155 . ( ENT : " Terra Prime ") Starfleet phase-pistols were used as late as 2161 , when an away team from Enterprise fought against a group of aliens on the planet Rigel X . ( ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ")

MACO phase-pistol [ ]

Major Hayes with a MACO phase-pistol

MACOs used a different model of phase-pistols as their primary sidearm. The pistols were similar in appearance to the EM-33 pistols , and were designed to fire blue phase pulses , essentially bolts of energy, instead of beams like those fired by their Starfleet counterparts. The pistols were also equipped with both "stun" and "kill" settings.

In 2154 , Talas was shot with a MACO phase-pistol set to kill. Although she was only grazed, she, being an Andorian , was especially susceptible to phase-pulse infection , and subsequently died of her injuries. ( ENT : " Babel One ", " United ")

Tellarite phase-pistol [ ]

The Tellarite captain-turned- bounty hunter Skalaar utilized a type of phase-pistol when apprehending Jonathan Archer. It is unknown if it had any settings, as Skalaar only used the weapon to stun his targets. ( ENT : " Bounty ")

Sometime after the formation of the Federation in 2161 , the phase-pistol was replaced with a newer weapon . ( Star Trek Beyond )

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Above: Toy replica. Below: Phase-pistol set to overload in ENT : " United "

Although similar, phase-pistols were not yet technically phasers . According to Worf in TNG : " A Matter Of Time ", phaser weaponry was invented in the 23rd century . Phase-pistols were intended as an earlier version of phasers according to the text commentary on ENT : " Broken Bow ". Even though Enterprise carried both EM-33 and phase-pistol weapons when it was launched – with both being used during "Broken Bow" – the EM-33 pistols were not used by the crew again. The phase-pistols used by the MACOs in seasons three and four were re-used props of the EM-33 pistols. The MACO weapons were identified as phase-pistols in "United". Based on " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ", the phase-pistols were not powerful enough to vaporize or disintegrate a person like a phaser could.

In 2002 , Art Asylum produced a phase-pistol toy available at most toy stores at the time. The mold was so accurate that, although approximately twenty percent smaller than the prop created for the series, the producers of ENT ultimately used the toy versions as on-screen props, for stunts and, in some cases, for full-on "hero" shots. They were repainted because originally – i.e., when the Art Asylum toys were released – they were not the same colors as the phase-pistol props used already on the set. While original "hero" props were built for US$2,500, the toy version was priced at just US$20 and came bundled with a communicator .

Several prop phase-pistols were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [1] The MACO pistol was called a hand gun [2] and a plasma gun [3] and was, in some cases, still identified as an EM-33 energy gun [4] in the auction.

External links [ ]

• Phase pistol at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Phase-pistol at Phasers.net