Build:Hull Holoemitters
8.19 Hull Holoemitters
Cost: see below
Power Requirement: see below
Available: 2370
While the Federation cannot use true cloaks, it can equip ships with holoemitters in the hull which can surround the entire hull with a holographic projection. A Class Alpha hull holoemitter system (available 2370) can make a ship appear to be any other ship of equal or lesser Size; it occupies 2 x Size in SUs and requires 10 Power per round to operate. A Class Beta hull holoemitter system (available 2374) can make a ship appear to be any other ship of equal or lesser Size, empty space, a floating asteroid, or the like. It occupies 3 x Size in SUs and requires 20 Power per round to operate.
Either type of hull holoemitter system is designed to fool not only the visual senses, but standard sensors as well—a ship disguised like an asteroid registers as an asteroid on another ship’s sensors. However, a disguised ship cannot use weapons, shields, transporters, a cloaking device, communications systems, active sensors, or warp or impulse engines without instantly dispelling the illusion.