The Laaratan Destroyer was one of the most widely used destroyers in the Klingon Empire in its day. The Laaratan is armed heavily and boasts excellent speed.

The first model of Laaratan Destroyer to enter general service in the Klingon Defense Force had strong shields and a solid disruptor armament. It found its place in the fleet, screening for larger, more ungainly cruisers such as the D7 and Riskadh Battlecruisers. Often these ships were also sent with exploratory expeditions as escort should they run into trouble abroad.

After the Klingons entered into their brief alliance with the Romulans, many of the aging Laaratan Destroyers were upgraded to make use of cloaking technology. The transition did not come without drawbacks, however. The new equipment required for several key deflector shields to be gutted for their use, the effect being a 25% reduction in shield capacity. Existing shielding saw improvements to their systems but nothing could make up for the loss in shield quality. The addition of a rear firing light photon torpedo, too, makes the ship more well rounded.

The mass proliferation of K'Vort and B'rel birds of prey lead to the Laaratan's role being diminished in the fleet. Both classes could adequately perform the escort and attack duties the Laaratan had previously been assigned to, and their greater shield strength and armor rigidity made them more lasting combat elements in the thick of battle.