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Description

Ported to OBJ from the low-poly model created by Taldren Studios for the Starfleet Command (SFC) series of video games. Based on the original design as created by Tony Meininger for the Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (DS9) television series, and subsequently reused (sometimes in modified form) in other Franchise media. Keldon based on the original Galor design as created by Rick Sternbach and Ed Miraecki for the Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) television series. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. While I am not making my port of this old gaming model available for public download, you'll be happy to know that there are a number of later and better fan recreations out there. One of the best is by Dave "First Fleet" Metlesits, it's absolutely free for you to download and use so long as you credit him for it, and you can get it at the link below:

Keldon was the TNG/DS9/VOY era successor to the older Galor (see separate entry) in the star fleet of the Cardassian Union. Built with assistance of the Romulan Tal Shiar to counter the more powerful starship classes of the era that had already been fielded by the Klingons, long time foes of both, Keldon was essentially a faster and heavier armed (and protected) Galor on steroids and on a built-up hull in order to provide the added spaces needed for its additional weaponry and other enhancements. They were also the first class of Cardassian warships to be fitted with the new spiral disruptor lance as its stock heavy weapon. These were first fielded by the Obsidian Order shortly before the outbreak of the Dominion War but were subsequently assigned for regular fleet use given heavy losses in starships during the early part of the war. Despite their advanced features they were no match for even the lesser Dominion warships and losses were heavy during the war, although not as heavy as those suffered by the older and less powerful Galor. They also had trouble with the more advanced Federation starship designs from the timeframe of the Dominion War onward. All the same the Cardiassians apparently deemed them successful and they were built in numbers both during and after the Dominion War. Over three hundred (300) were originally planned but only thirty-four (34) had entered regular fleet service and an additional fifteen (15) with the Obsidian Order before the outbreak of the Dominion War and both the subsequent invasion of the Cardassian Union and the resultant wrecking of the Cardassian economy during the war. It took a few decades for them to rebuild sufficient resources from what was left following the end of the war to reach a point where they could resume Keldon production again. A somewhat improved model was introduced at this time for construction, with the small handful of surviving pre-war and wartime build Keldons being refitted to the improved specs over time as operational considerations permitted, but the original plan for three hundred (300) Keldons was never realized. Only a hundred or so all told were built before Keldon was replaced on the Cardassian production schedule by a successor design early in the 25th century.

During the war and in part due to the informal alliance between the Cardassian Obsidian Order and the Romulan Tal'Shiar, fifteen standard Keldons were fitted with cloaking devices and with Romulan style plasma torpedo weaponry replacing their single spiral disruptor lance as their primary heavy weapon. It is not known if this was a heavy or light plasma weapons system or possibly something in between, although the heavy system is assumed by most starship spotters. More information is lacking in this respect. These modified cloak-capable Keldons were always operated by the Obsidian Order and were only seen during the Dominion War, with all fifteen of them lost in a joint Cardassian-Romulan failed assault on the homeworld of the Founders, leaders of the Dominion. It is not known if any more modified Keldons were built after that. I also note that the improved stock Keldon that went into production some decades into the postwar era shared many of the same features as the wartime modfied Keldon save for the retention of the spiral disruptor lance as its main heavy weapon and the lack of a cloaking device, which was apparently limited strictly to the Obsidian Order's wartime improved Keldon. It is possible that the postwar Keldons used by the Obsidian Order had them too, but I have no record at this time of any postwar Keldon ever modified that way.

This is canon given its multiple on screen uses in DS9.

"You can respect a Cardassian, because he fights for his people and follows a code ...."

ASIDE - This is the most powerful canon ship fielded by the Cardassians in this era. As to what else is available outside of official Franchise canon, well ... talk amongst yourselves -- but in Cardassian, of course.

Description

Ported to OBJ from the low-poly model created by Taldren Studios for the Starfleet Command (SFC) series of video games. Based on the original design as created by Tony Meininger for the Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (DS9) television series, and subsequently reused (sometimes in modified form) in other Franchise media. Keldon based on the original Galor design as created by Rick Sternbach and Ed Miraecki for the Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) television series. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. While I am not making my port of this old gaming model available for public download, you'll be happy to know that there are a number of later and better fan recreations out there. One of the best is by Dave "First Fleet" Metlesits, it's absolutely free for you to download and use so long as you credit him for it, and you can get it at the link below:

Keldon was the TNG/DS9/VOY era successor to the older Galor (see separate entry) in the star fleet of the Cardassian Union. Built with assistance of the Romulan Tal Shiar to counter the more powerful starship classes of the era that had already been fielded by the Klingons, long time foes of both, Keldon was essentially a faster and heavier armed (and protected) Galor on steroids and on a built-up hull in order to provide the added spaces needed for its additional weaponry and other enhancements. They were also the first class of Cardassian warships to be fitted with the new spiral disruptor lance as its stock heavy weapon. These were first fielded by the Obsidian Order shortly before the outbreak of the Dominion War but were subsequently assigned for regular fleet use given heavy losses in starships during the early part of the war. Despite their advanced features they were no match for even the lesser Dominion warships and losses were heavy during the war, although not as heavy as those suffered by the older and less powerful Galor. They also had trouble with the more advanced Federation starship designs from the timeframe of the Dominion War onward. All the same the Cardiassians apparently deemed them successful and they were built in numbers both during and after the Dominion War. Over three hundred (300) were originally planned but only thirty-four (34) had entered regular fleet service and an additional fifteen (15) with the Obsidian Order before the outbreak of the Dominion War and both the subsequent invasion of the Cardassian Union and the resultant wrecking of the Cardassian economy during the war. It took a few decades for them to rebuild sufficient resources from what was left following the end of the war to reach a point where they could resume Keldon production again. A somewhat improved model was introduced at this time for construction, with the small handful of surviving pre-war and wartime build Keldons being refitted to the improved specs over time as operational considerations permitted, but the original plan for three hundred (300) Keldons was never realized. Only a hundred or so all told were built before Keldon was replaced on the Cardassian production schedule by a successor design early in the 25th century.

During the war and in part due to the informal alliance between the Cardassian Obsidian Order and the Romulan Tal'Shiar, fifteen standard Keldons were fitted with cloaking devices and with Romulan style plasma torpedo weaponry replacing their single spiral disruptor lance as their primary heavy weapon. It is not known if this was a heavy or light plasma weapons system or possibly something in between, although the heavy system is assumed by most starship spotters. More information is lacking in this respect. These modified cloak-capable Keldons were always operated by the Obsidian Order and were only seen during the Dominion War, with all fifteen of them lost in a joint Cardassian-Romulan failed assault on the homeworld of the Founders, leaders of the Dominion. It is not known if any more modified Keldons were built after that. I also note that the improved stock Keldon that went into production some decades into the postwar era shared many of the same features as the wartime modfied Keldon save for the retention of the spiral disruptor lance as its main heavy weapon and the lack of a cloaking device, which was apparently limited strictly to the Obsidian Order's wartime improved Keldon. It is possible that the postwar Keldons used by the Obsidian Order had them too, but I have no record at this time of any postwar Keldon ever modified that way.

This is canon given its multiple on screen uses in DS9.

"You can respect a Cardassian, because he fights for his people and follows a code ...."

ASIDE - This is the most powerful canon ship fielded by the Cardassians in this era. As to what else is available outside of official Franchise canon, well ... talk amongst yourselves -- but in Cardassian, of course.