Klingon Defense Force

The Klingon Defense Force is the military branch of the Klingon Empire.

History

As of 2373, the Klingon Defense Forces are headquartered at Ty'Gokor. The majority of Defense Force members are common warriors. In order to become an officer a candidate must pass the entrance exam. The prospective officer then must be approved by an oversight council who can reject the application. Officers usually serve on the Klingon Empire's ships and warriors are sent into battle, whether it be on planetary assaults or when boarding other vessels.

The system of hierarchy aboard ships within the Defence Forces is highly structured. According to one of their systems, one that has operated successfully for centuries, the First Officer of any Klingon vessel has the duty to assassinate his commanding officer when and if the commander, an officer of almost any high rank depending on the ship in question, becomes weak or unable to perform. It is expected that his honorable retirement should be assisted by his "first". The second officer also shares similiar duties with his "first".

The Defence Forces are capable of deploying a fleet of ships to destroy an entire planet. They have done so on several occasions, including an attempt to contain a mutagenic virus in 2154, and the successful destruction of the tribble homeworld.