Pre-order: GBT 155: Frankenstein’s HE Slinger

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Meet the GBT 155, featuring a 155 mm howitzer mounted onto a Vickers chassis, coming to the game as a premium in the next major update.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][h3]Vehicle History[/h3][p]In the early 1980s, the British company Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited (VSEL) launched a self-guided development of a new artillery turret system, the GBT 155. The impetus was a combination of the pressing need to replace outdated self-propelled howitzers, new export prospects, and the failure of the pan-European SP70 project.[/p][p][/p][p]VSEL’s designers emphasized modularity and the turret’s complete autonomy. The key innovation was that the GBT 155 was a self-contained fighting compartment that could be mounted on the chassis of virtually any existing main battle tank without major modifications. This made the system significantly cheaper and more accessible to potential foreign customers who were modernizing their aging tank fleets. Th FH-70 towed howitzer, with its 39-caliber barrel, was chosen as the system’s weapon. VSEL developed turret integration options for a wide range of platforms, from the American M48/M60 and British Chieftain to the Soviet T-54/55 and Chinese Type 59.[/p][p][/p][p]The first operational prototype was mounted on a Vickers Mk.3 tank chassis. This vehicle successfully completed a full cycle of tests, confirming its stated performance. Despite the technical success of the project, export sales of the GBT 155 never materialized. Further development of the design continued however, leading to the development of the AS-90 155 mm self-propelled howitzer.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Introducing the GBT 155![/h3][p]Today we’re taking a look at the rather interesting GBT 155, which comes to the game as a premium vehicle, a pre-order pack being available from today that includes some cool British pre-order bonuses. Featuring a 155 mm howitzer gun, you’ll be able to add this HE slinger to several of your British ground forces lineups to have some fun. Let’s dive into the details of this Frankenstein creation![/p][p][/p][p]The VSEL GBT 155 turret was created by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering to be a universal turret system that could fit onto a range of different tank chassis. One such example is it being fitted onto the Vickers Mk 3 MBT chassis, which is the one coming to War Thunder! This gives it a somewhat unsightly appearance, due to the turret being mounted high above the chassis, exposing a large neck and turret ring. Truly a tank Frankenstein would create![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Let’s firstly take a look at the unique turret. This turret houses a 155 mm FH70 cannon, able to fire the NATO standard HE, Smoke, and HE-VT shells that all play a role in taking out enemy tanks or aircraft. As previously mentioned, the VSEL GBT 155 is mounted onto the Vickers Mk 3 MBT chassis. It features 720 HP, 2,500 RPM and can reach a top speed of 50 km/h, which is decent but not fantastic.[/p][p][/p][p]As one might expect, the turret is rather large, has thin armor and stores all of the 155 mm ammunition. This means it’s very exposed to enemy fire and will cook off if hit, knocking out all of the four crew members without much of a problem. On the turret cheeks are smoke grenades, allowing you to conceal yourself when the situation calls for it. Make sure to keep yourself safe![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Coming to the game as a premium vehicle for as part of a pack, the GBT 155 scratches that 155 mm itch that many players have. Being able to take out armored opponents with a 155 mm shell is very satisfying, and will also yield you more Silver Lions and research points thanks to the premium status.[/p][p][/p][p]That’s it for this one! You can pre-order the GBT 155 starting from today, the link is in this post! It comes with cool British-themed pre-order bonuses that you should definitely not miss out on. This one will be an enjoyable addition to many British ground force lineups, and should be a lot of fun to play. Until the next one![/p][p]Please note that the vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before being added to the game.[/p]