IPV Intrepid

Independent Puppet Vessel Intrepid Bunraku Class Exploratory Vessel

There are two other Bunraku Class vessels in service and one more under construction.

• IPV Bunraku (flagship)
• IPV Endeavor
• IPV Intrepid
• IPV Venture (under construction)
• IPV Gallant (slated)
• IPV Dauntless (slated)

The next class of IPV is code named Contender, but it is widely assumed that there will be at least one more Bunraku Class vessel (Gallant) before the Contender Class is ready to begin construction (the Dauntless name will roll over to the next class of star ship). The Contender class is a more heavily armored, battle worthy vessel. There are far fewer humans working on the Contender project than there are on the Bunraku project.

However, several of the advances pioneered for the Contender project will be integrated into the Venture and other Bunraku Class vessels.

Bunraku (文楽?), also known as Ningyō jōruri (人形浄瑠璃), is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.