As with the warp propulsion system, the IPS may sustain various degrees of damage requiring repair or deliberate release of the damaged hardware. Standard procedures for dealing with major vehicle damage apply to IPS destruction and include but are not limited to: safing any systems that could pose further danger to the ship, assessing IPS damage and collateral damage to ship structure, and sealing off hull breaches and other interior areas which are no longer habitable.

            Deuterium and fusion-enhancement antimatter reactants are automatically valved off at points upstream from the affected systems, according to computer and crew damage control assessments. Where feasible, crews will enter affected areas in standard extravehicular work garments (SEWG) to assure that damage systems are rendered totally inert, and perform repairs on related systems as necessary irreparable damaged IPS components, starting with the thrust vents and moving inboard to the drive coils and reaction chambers, can be taken off-line and released if their continued retention adversely affects the integrity of the rest of the starship.