Yellow Alert (Star Trek)

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"Yellow Alert" is a term employed in the fictional Star Trek universe. It indicates a condition of increased readiness, usually in times of possible danger or where safety is not guaranteed. Yellow Alert may be called on board Starfleet starships or installations, or across specific regions or the entire fleet.

Yellow Alert is also used where the more dire Red Alert is considered unnecessary or may be perceived as aggressive.

Starfleet regulations require that a ship go to Yellow Alert upon approach of another vessel when communications have not been established (see General Order 12). Yellow Alert can also be called for certain shipboard problems, such as the failure of certain components. Examples would be propulsion, or structural integrity field.

Specifically (as evidenced in Star Trek II), Yellow Alert indicates a condition where defensive mechanisms (usually shields) are raised but weapons remain off-line. When Yellow Alert is called, off duty crew are to report to duty stations, however those currently asleep are exempted. It is worth noting that these conjectures have not been explicitly confirmed by canonical works.

In situations where danger is certain, or where safety is unlikely, Red Alert is used.