Although no docking facilities for shuttlecraft are provided, crews often carry a Toron class Shuttlecraft in the cargo hold. The tlh'Henova is sometimes known as the radwI' class, a rough transliteration of the English word enforcer (literally "one who compels [obdience]").

The tlh'Henova class was introduced over 120 years ago, during the long Cold War between the Empire and the United Federation of Planets. Armed with only disruptors, it was designed for "swarming actions," supported by D-7 Klolode Class Battlecruisers. The dorsal surface features a pair of magnetic docking clamps and a conformable airlock for boarding enemy vessels. The ship locks onto a ship's hull and the airlock seals to the surface. The hatch is then opened, the enemy's hull is breached and a dozen warriors enter, attacking the enemy crew face-to-face. The tlh'Henova class was designed before the widespread use of transporters by the Klingon Empire on smaller ships, and their adoption nearly spelled the end of the class. Acquisition of cloaking technology from the Romulans in the late 2260's allowed them to sneak up on a vessel and board before the enemy was aware of its presence. Raising shields once the tlh'Henova was docked with its victim was futile, since the shields would encompass the attacking ship or ships - tlh'Henovas generally boarded in groups of 3 to 4.

The Klingon Archaeological Society (tlhIngan nugh pojno') is an organisation dedicated to restoring the splendored past of the Klingon Empire, tracking down and verifying the myths of the Klingon peoples and restoring the lost relics of the Empire. It was founded in 2270 by the Da'Har Master K'Rotath, who had a vision of Kahless telling him to restore the greatness of the Klingon Empire. One of their most active teams, the IKV nomghar (Expedience, literally fast diplomacy) is a K-4 tlh'Henova class Gunboat adapted for their use as warrior/scolars.