Editing Nova Class: (section)

==PHASER ARRAY==

The Nova Class is equipped along the dorsal saucer section with four Phaser strips; two of which extend from the aft curvature, along the length of the saucer and stop short of the auxiliary deflector incision. The aft firing arc is covered by two smaller arrays angled on the rear of the saucer section. The relative bottom of the ship is protected by two similar arrays as on the Dorsal, extending to the rear of the saucer and following the curve to the aux deflector incision. Additional protection is provided by a single array that extends laterally across the ventral engineering hull just fore of the warp core ejection port. Far aft strips placed laterally on either side of the main shuttlebay on the dorsal engineering hull cover the rearmost firing arc for a total of nine Phaser strips.

Even though the Nova Class is a small vessel, it still utilizes the Type-X array system. The six arrays are all Type-X. Each array fires a steady beam of Phaser energy, and the forced-focus emitters discharge the Phasers at speeds approaching .986c (which works out to about 182,520 miles per second - nearly warp one). The Phaser array automatically rotates Phaser frequency and attempts to lock onto the frequency and phase of a threat vehicle's shields for shield penetration. 

Each Phaser array takes its energy directly from the impulse drive and auxiliary fusion generators. Individually, each Type-X emitter can only discharge approximately 5.0 MW (megawatts). However, several emitters (usually two) fire at once in the array during standard firing procedures, resulting in a discharge approximately 10 MW.

The maximum effective range on the Type X emitter is 300,000 kilometers.