After the Federation had experimented with fast warship designs with ships like the Defender class, the Klingons made similar experimental craft, including a variant of the K'T'inga with enlarged warp engines and a prototype of the Tro'Qa class destroyer. The K'T'inga variant (designated the K'sho) was discarded as too expensive for large scale production and no faster than the top speed of the K'Vort class. Instead, Klingon designers turned to the Bird of Prey series as a possible basis for future fast warship development.

The Tro'Qa Fast Destroyer met with a warm reception among the High Council. While it sacrificed the capacity to carry shuttles, it makes up for it with speed and punch. As this unit operates in squadrons and is purely military in nature, the High Council were prepared to do without the ability to operate shuttlecraft from the small hull, knowing there would always be larger craft with that ability close by. Faster than a K'T'inga, cheaper than a K'Vort, and with superior firepower to a B'rel, the Tro'Qa proved itself in combat trials as an excellent rapid reaction unit.

Squadrons were placed under the command of various houses and used to hunt pirates operating within the Empire. They were also used as mobile reserve units for the Empires border fleets, able to move to support pickets if they were threatened by enemy forces. These ships frequently saw combat against the Romulans, being in a position to respond rapidly to incursions and raids.

During the Dominion war the alliance used these ships to patrol borders and fronts, and occasionally to dash into enemy territory for fast raids.