Cloaking Device

The invisibility technology of Romulan and Klingon ships.

A cloaking device makes a ship invisible. Star Trek writer Paul Schneider introduced it in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", imagining cloaking as the space equivalent of a submarine diving, inspired partly by Run Silent, Run Deep and The Enemy Below.

Quick Facts

First used: Balance of Terror (1966)
Term coined: The Enterprise Incident (1968)
Limit: Cannot fire while cloaked

Lore & Background

D. C. Fontana coined the term "cloaking device" for the 1968 episode "The Enterprise Incident", which also featured the Romulans.

Star Trek limits the device: a cloaked ship cannot fire weapons, raise shields or use transporters, so it must decloak to fire.

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