Informally known as the "Pulse Phaser Pistol" as well as the "Regenerative Phaser Pistol", the Type 2A phaser was designed was based on the Type 3B Phaser, with the intent of creating a higher powered alternative to the standard issue type 2 phaser with the advantages of the type 3B phaser rife's pulse firing design and capability of operating in environments hostile to the operation of phasers. While still in the test deployment phase several vessels in the fleet, including the USS Prometheus and the USS Discovery, are equipped with the type 2A phaser. (Star Trek: Prometheus)