The Klingon fleet suffered more than any other power during the Dominion war, loosing some two thirds of their entire fleet. The reasons for this are partly tactical -
for some time towards the end of the war the Federation and Romulan fleets were forced to disengage due to the Breen energy draining weapon, and the Klingons bore the weight of the fighting alone. [1] In addition to this burden, the Klingon chancellor Gowron chose to make a number of unadvised attacks during this period which led to the needless loss of many ships. [1]
However, these factors are only part of the answer. The real reason why the Klingon losses were so high lies in their cultural imperatives. While the Federation and Romulans tend to approach battle as a means to accomplish given tactical and strategic ends, Klingons generally view battle as an opportunity to vindicate their sense of personal worth; as a result, they have a tendency to launch attacks in situations where their allies would retreat to fight another day. Once engaged Klingons will also tend to be highly reluctant to withdraw should the situation turn against them, regarding this as a great loss of face.
The Klingons have nevertheless taken their performance during the war as a vindication of their military policies.
Historically they have had a well balanced fleet comprised of both smaller scout type vessels and larger battlecruisers and battleships. Like the Federation they maintain a mixture of both long serving - and hence well proven - designs and newer more advanced vessels. [2] As a result they are likely to continue this model when rebuilding their forces over the next few years.
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