Cloak

# 646

Name

Cloak

About

Generators create a distortion field that bends most radiation around the vessel. That includes most visible light. A small amount is allowed to get through, or the pilot would be blind. This is why there is a black and white effect when cloaked. The frequencies that are let through are constantly modulated, but you might still spot the ship if you're lucky. Cloak requires a lot of power, and a ship can't stay cloaked for a long time in a combat situation. In some cases, targetting systems don't work when a ship or missile is cloaked. You either need someone piloting the ship, or the missile needs to drop out of cloak every now and then to update its target information. A good example of this is the Kilrathi Skipper missile. The Kilrathi were the first to develop stealth technology around 2654/2655, though the technology didn't become widely used until around 2667. In 2668, the Confederation was able to develop its own stealth ships by using captured Kilrathi technology as a guide, but were unable to completely understand the technology themselves. Cloaking requires the use of a crystal that has a limited life.