The Federation first encountered the warship in 2371, when the Defiant went looking for clues about the Dominion. The ships used ion propulsion, and like Jem'Hadar attack ships, featured shielding against tractor beams. Like many Dominion ships, these were not designed for comfort, and carried almost no cargo or safety gear.

One such ship, which crashed on Torga IV, had 43 Jem'Hadar and one female Vorta and was the intelligence find of the decade, according ot Sisko.