The weapon was “too large” and “projected an air of aggression”, the Vulcans said. The Vulcans informed Starfleet Command that the EM-33 would place any landing party during a first contact situation in danger. Primarily, the Vulcans were concerned, that when force was used by Starfleet personal with their EM-33 pistols on a newly discovered race, that the damage that the pistol could infect could start an “intergalactic incident”. The Vulcans had never liked the large plasma pistol, calling it “too offensive”, “a blunt tool of violence”, and “ancient symbol of cowboys”. With mankind on the verge of deep space, the Vulcan High Command warned Starfleet Command on the dangers of carrying weapons like the EM-33 with them. However, the Vulcans became much more vocal about the dangers of deep space exploration when the keel of the NX class exploration cruiser was laid in 2149.
When the UESPA Warp 5 project was began, its aim was to extend the range of Terran starships to explore and colonize, however, the Vulcan High Command viewed as a threat to both Terra and the rest of the Alpha Quadrant.
