Hyperdrive propulsion systems (occasionally called warp drives) were vital starship components that allowed starships to enter hyperspace to traverse the vast distances of space at faster-than-light speeds, and thus were a key technology in the foundation of intergalactic society, trade and war. The construction and working principle of hyperdrives was based on Hyperdrive Theory. The term was used to describe the engine and all components required for its use, such as the hyperdrive motivator or hyperdrive field guide. In numbers, the hyperdrive allowed travelers to traverse a galaxy spanning over 120,000 light years in only a few hours or days, the exact travel time depending on a number of factors including destination, point of origin, route, and class of hyperdrive.

The hyperdrive was generally built from a titanium-chromium compound. This compound was specially designed for hyperdrives to allow them to stand up against the continual stress caused by traveling between the dimensions of realspace and hyperspace.