A Jem'Hadar fighter (also referred to as an attack ship or patrol ship) was a small type of warship that formed the bulk of the Dominion fleet. These versatile starships were also known to perform the roles of patrol ships and scouts.
===Technical data===
====Design====
Jem'Hadar attack ships were vaguely insectoid, looking much like a Terran scarab in design. Extremely sturdy, these warships were capable of surviving the impact onto a planet's surface. (DS9: "The Ship") As well, Jem'Hadar attack ships were able to land intact on a planet and take off again. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Hippocratic Oath") Once landed, the Jem'Hadar could land troops from the warship from a large access hatch on the belly of the ship. (DS9: "The Ship") While capable of making planetary descents, they were not capable of conducting battle maneuvers while in sub-orbital flight. (DS9: "Penumbra")
Although highly maneuverable, they lacked the edge in maneuverability that Starfleet's Danube-class runabouts possessed. Despite this, they still heavily outgunned the smaller Federation vessels. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Valiant")
Jem'Hadar fighters were relatively easy for a large starship to destroy. A few solid phaser or photon torpedo hits were enough to cripple or destroy one, therefore, they usually operated in groups of two or three during routine operations, and in much larger swarms in large battles so that the loss of one or two would not make much difference.
====Tactical systems====
The primary directed energy array was located in the forward section of the ship, and had a range that exceeded 100,000 kilometers. (DS9: "The Search, Part I") Armaments of this type employed by this class varied from disruptors to phased polaron beam weapons. During initial encounters with the Federation, these phased polaron beams were capable of penetrating the shields of Federation starships. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Call to Arms", "The Dogs of War") During the waning days of the Dominion War, in late 2375, Jem'Hadar fighters were retrofitted with Breen energy dissipator following the Breen's alliance with the Dominion. However, this came too late in the war to have an effective impact; shortly after the refits began, the Cardassian Rebellion successfully obtained a fighter with the weapon and delivered it to Starfleet. (DS9: "When It Rains...", "Tacking Into the Wind") In addition to directed energy weapons, they were also armed with torpedoes manufactured by the Karemma. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", et al)
Outside of conventional weapon use, these ships were also used in performing kamikaze attacks on enemy vessels, which allowed them to inflict more damage than their weapons alone could perform. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar", "Tears of the Prophets", "What You Leave Behind")
When this tactic was used against the USS Odyssey in 2370, Commander Benjamin Sisko explained that it was the Jem'Hadar's way of "showing us how far they're willing to go", in response to the shocked Miles O'Brien comment regarding the Federation's retreat from the battle. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")
The Jem'Hadar also used the tactic against the Federation Alliance invasion fleet during the first Battle of Chin'toka, resulting in the crippling or destruction of fifteen Klingon starships. Garak described the tactic as a means of "inflicting considerable damage on the Klingons," to which Worf added, "and buying time to get their weapon platforms operational. (DS9: "Tears of the Prophets")
====Other systems====
This class of vessel possessed transporter technology that was capable of transporting through Federation shields. The deflector technology that was employed by the attack ships was impervious to tractor beam locks. This form of deflector technology was unknown to Federation science as of late 2370. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar") The shields of a Jem'Hadar attack ship were weakest at the ships' dorsal field junction. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")
In addition, cloaking technology would not reliably hide a vessel from a Jem'Hadar fighter's sensors because they used a form of antiproton beam. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Defiant", "The Die is Cast") This technology was later advanced to include a form of long-range tachyon scanner, which was capable of penetrating a starship's cloak from a great distance. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")
====Interior design====
Such fighters were typically commanded by a Vorta and a Jem'Hadar First. The bridge had no chairs, and only two head-mounted virtual display devices instead of a viewscreen. The bridge was designed to contain three side doors and two floor hatches leading to other parts of the ship. In place of the captain's chair was a central position with several access points to various system controls. Adjacent to this position were several stations pointed inward, facing towards the command position. (DS9: "The Ship")
'''Complement'''
*Probes: 20
*Escape Pods: 10
:*Capacity: 8 persons per pod
'''Description''':
Jem'Hadar attack ships lacked numerous amenities that were otherwise taken for granted on Federation starships, including an infirmary and food replicators. (DS9: "A Time to Stand")
Name: Jem'Hadar fighter Craft: Dominion Jem'Hadar fighter Type: attack fighter Scale: capital Length: 68.32 x 70.02 x 18.32 meters Skill: capitals ship pilot Crew: 4; Skeleton: 1/+10 Passengers: 12 Cargo Capacity: 5,000 metric tons Consumables: 1 week Warp Drive: 5 / 8 / 9.6 (12 Hours) Nav Computer: yes Maneuverability: 4D Space: 4.6 Atmosphere: 555; 1,600 km/h Hull: 6D+1
Strength: 3D+1
Armor: none
Structural Integrity Field: 3D
Shields: 1D+1
Back-up Shields: 1D+1
Sensors
Passive: 45/3D+1
Scan: 125/4D
Search: 180/4D+2
Focus: 15/5D+1
Weapons
3 Type IX Phased Polaron Beams
Fire Arc: 2 forward, 1 aft Crew: 1 Scale: capital Skill: capital ship gunnery Fire Control: 3D standard; 2D pulse Space Range: 1-15/50/150 Atmosphere Range: 2-30/100/300 km Rate of fire: 3 Damage: 6D+2; standard; 7D+2 pulse
Tractor Beam
Fire Arc: forward Crew: 1 Scale: capital Skill: capital ship gunnery Fire Control: 3D+1 Space Range: 1-3/5/10 Atmosphere Range: 2-6/10/20 km Rate of fire: 1 Damage: 3D
Gear:
Auto Pilot: Sensors: 3D; Capital Ship Pilot: 3D; Capital Ship Shields: 3D; Communications: 3D; Command: 3D; Capital Ship Gunnery: 4D