Warp speed

Warp speed is the term for traveling at faster-than-light velocity through a warp drive propulsion system. It is the principal mode of transport in Star Trek, being used by all space-faring factions.

While not the first species to develop the technology, humanity's first use was in 2063 by Zefram Cochrane's Phoenix. This led to their first contact with Vulcans, celebrated by the Federation as First Contact Day.

In Star Trek Online, starships travel at warp speed in sector space and the warp speed scale is linear (i.e. warp 8 is twice as fast as warp 4). You can see your current warp speed while in sector space by moving the cursor over your ship throttle.

Increasing basic speed
The maximum warp speed is tied to your Warp Core level and your skill. Standard warp cores without any Sector Space Travel Speed skill are limited by Warp 9.97.

To increase your Sector Space Travel Speed skill, you may equip impulse engines with the and  modifiers, or have another player use the  ability ( for KDF-aligned players) on you to temporarily provide you with a +50 skill boost. Furthermore, a critical success of the duty officer assignment Perform Antimatter Containment Leak Drills will provide you with a +25 skill boost for two hours.

You may also pick a Sector Space Travel Speed boost with the first science track unlock path choice selection node in your Space Skills.

Legacy Engines and current Warp/Singularity Cores that provide high warp speeds include:
 * - transwarp 12 (default cruise).
 * - transwarp 12 (default cruise).
 * Advanced or Elite Fleet Engines - transwarp 12 (default cruise).
 * - transwarp 14 (default cruise).
 * - transwarp 14 (default cruise).
 * - transwarp 14 (default cruise).
 * - transwarp 22+ (default cruise).
 * - transwarp 22+ (default cruise).

NOTE: Transwarp factors from legacy engines and warp/singularity cores do not stack. The engine transwarp factor will overwrite the (possibly higher) transwarp factor of the co-slotted warp/singularity core.

Alternatives

 * , which requires a level 50 character, provides a temporary speed boost to warp at least warp 20. The boost lasts between 30 and 90 seconds depending on ship or equipment in use. It has a 2 minute cool down.
 * moves a player instantly to any of a set of specific locations around the galaxy, sometimes subject to cooldown.

Visual effect
The visual effect of entering and leaving warp can vary by faction; notably with DSC Starfleet characters having a warp effect based from visuals on Star Trek: Discovery. Separately, certain ships have an animation on entering warp, for example the Intrepid class raising its nacelles. Unique animations can also extend to transwarp, with the Crossfield class having a unique animation and visual effect for transwarp.

Warp core breach
A warp core breach occurs approximately five seconds after a starship's structural integrity drops to zero, inflicting AoE damage to any ships within a few kilometers. The size and power of the breach depends on those of the ship.

In starships that use antimatter warp cores, the fatal blow will be followed by numerous internal explosions, after which the vessel will explode in a bright flash.

Vessels that use singularity warp cores (most ships used by the Romulan Republic and the Star Empire) will collapse into a temporary black hole. The singularity will draw nearby vessels toward it until it explodes a few seconds later.

The different breaches appear to inflict the same amount of damage regardless of visuals, but the singularity explosion is also accompanied by a considerable knock-back effect.