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USS North Dakota: Dreadnought of the New World

USS North Dakota was the second of two American Delaware-class battleships, built by the US Navy in the late 1900’s as a response to the appearance of dreadnought-type battleships. Arriving with the release of the “New Power” major update, USS North Dakota will become one of the first American battleships available to captains in War Thunder!



Briefly: Heavily armed and well-protected, USS North Dakota is a typical battleship of its era and the first ship of its class to become available to American captains in the game.
USS North Dakota, battleship, rank V, USA
Pros
➕ Heavy-duty firepower
➕ Good armor protection
➕ Large complement
Cons
➖ Low mobility
➖ Lackluster AA



In War Thunder, USS North Dakota will be the first battleship to join the ranks of the American naval research tree and also among the first vessels of this type to make its way into the game. Embodying all aspects for which these highly anticipated ironclads are known for, USS North Dakota will surely send some mighty shockwaves upon appearing in War Thunder naval battles in the very near future!

One of more characteristic features which define a battleship is, of course, its large-calibre primary battery, and boy, does USS North Dakota manage to impress in this regard! Possessing a primary arsenal consisting of a total of 10 x 12’’ (305 mm) cannons, split into five twin turrets, USS North Dakota promises to pack one of the heaviest broadsides among the first wave of battleships arriving with the upcoming update.



In addition to all the large-calibre artillery, USS North Dakota also comes fitted with seven 5’’ (127 mm) secondary battery cannons, mounted in casemates on either side of the ship’s hull. Furthermore, four 3’’ (76 mm) cannons make up the warship’s AA arsenal, while USS North Dakota also has a small trick up its sleeve in the shape of a pair of fixed underwater torpedo launchers on the ship’s bow. However, due to a lack of short range automatic weapons, USS North Dakota is a more than inviting target for pilots, looking to bag a juicy score!

During regular gun engagements with other warships however, USS North Dakota promises good survivability, mainly thanks to its thick armor protection as well as large complement. Specifically, the 1,384 crewmembers operate a warship whose vital components are protected by a 279 mm strong belt. Furthermore, the conning tower and turrets are encased in 292 and up to 305 mm of armor plating, respectively.



On the flip side of the coin, possessing great firepower and protection usually comes to the detriment of mobility and USS North Dakota is no exception in this regard. Despite being powered by a steam turbine, generating 33,875 horsepower, USS North Dakota can only reach a rather pedestrian 21.8 kts (40.4 km/h) top speed. As a result, captains are best advised to stay clear of confined fighting areas and instead focus on providing deadly long-range fire support for their allies from more open waters.

USS North Dakota arrives in War Thunder with the release of the “New Power” major update and will become available to all captains as one of the first battleships in the US naval tree. In the meantime, keep a close watch on the news horizon as we continue unveiling what the “New Power” major update has in store for you. Until then, calm seas and happy hunting captains!

Settsu: Serving Through the Ages

Settsu was the second of two Kawachi-class dreadnoughts built for the Imperial Japanese Navy after the Russo-Japanese War of the early 1900’s. Being the first true dreadnought built by Japan, this formidable warship will also soon become the first battleship to arrive in the ranks of the IJN in War Thunder as part of the next major update “New Power”!

Briefly: The first dreadnought type warship built by Japan, boasting excellent protection and firepower, but lackluster mobility and anti-air defence.
Settsu, battleship, Japan, V rank.
Pros
➕ Numerous large-calibre cannons
➕ Strong armor protection
➕ Torpedoes
Cons
➖ Lacking AA protection



In War Thunder, Settsu will be the first battleship to arrive to the ranks of the Imperial Japanese Navy in War Thunder, following the release of the next major update. Similarly to other ships of this class, Settsu features extremely good protection and devastating firepower with the tradeoff being lackluster mobility.

Settsu’s primary armament consists of twelve 12’’ (305 mm) cannons, split between six twin turrets, spread out in a hexagonal arrangement over the ship’s main deck.



In addition to the primary guns, Settsu also boasts a respectable secondary arsenal. The former consists of a total of ten 6’’ (152 mm) casemate guns on either side of the hull as well as eight 4.7’’ (120 mm) guns, of which half are situated in fore and aft casemates while the other half is located on the main deck. Lastly, Settsu is also outfitted with four 3’’ (80 mm) cannons comprising its anti-air battery as well as three 457 mm torpedo launchers; one on either side of the hull as well as one mounted on the ship’s stern.

Being a battleship, it should come as no surprise that the Settsu is extremely well protected. In fact, Settsu’s armored belt goes up to 305 mm in thickness, while the turrets and conning tower are encased in 279 and 254 mm of steel, respectively. This brings Settsu’s protection in line with other ships of this type, meaning that captains will be well-protected from incoming enemy fire from all but the largest of calibers.



Naturally, in order to include all this tremendous firepower and armor on Settsu’s design, Japanese shipbuilders had to make some concessions in mobility. As a result, despite being powered by a 25,000 horsepower propulsion system, Settsu can only reach a rather modest top speed of 21 kts (39 km/h). This, coupled with the lacking anti-air protection leaves Settsu largely vulnerable against air attack and smaller vessels, performing a torpedo attack. Consequently, aspiring captains of this warship will need to plan their movements in advance and seek the company of allies if they wish to avoid being turned into an expensive man-made coral reef.

Settsu will be arriving as part of the next major update coming to War Thunder and will become one of the first battleships available to captains in naval battles. In the meantime, keep a close watch on the news to stay updated on all the latest developments on the upcoming “New Power” update. Until then, calm seas captains!

Leopard 2A6: Deadlier than ever



The Leopard 2A6 is a further development of the well-known German main battle tank, combining the superb protection of preceding variants with greater firepower. Soon, tankers will get the chance to command the modern Leopard 2A6 as it becomes the new crowning jewel of the German ground forces tree in the “New Power” War Thunder update!

In War Thunder, the Leopard 2A6 will become the new crowning jewel of the German ground forces tree in the next major update coming to the game. Inheriting the crown from its respected predecessor, the Leopard 2A6 boasts the same qualities as the 2A5 which precedes it and combines them with improved firepower, courtesy of the Rh 120 L55 - a lengthened modification of the well-known Rh 120 cannon!





The Leopard 2A6 will arrive to the top rank of the German ground forces tree with the release of the “New Power” War Thunder update, coming to the game very soon! In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue to unveil what exciting new content the upcoming update has in store for you. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

New AI aircraft carriers



With the release of the War Thunder: ‘New Power’ update, we are adding new types of AI aircraft carriers to the game that serve as naval bases for aircraft.

More good news for War Thunder pilots is that in the upcoming ‘New Power’ update, several new types of AI aircraft carriers will appear in the game that serve as naval aviation bases in missions with sea and ocean. For these aircraft carriers, we have made fully fledged, highly detailed models that are not inferior in quality to the in-game military fleet.

HMS Ark Royal

Baku

USS Forrestal

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

SMS Westfalen: Into a New Era



SMS Westfalen was one of the first four German dreadnought-type battleships of the Nassau class, built for the Imperial Navy in the late 1900’s. Soon, seasoned captains in War Thunder will have the chance to take the helm of SMS Westfalen as it arrives to the game as one of the first German battleships with the incoming update “New Power”!

In War Thunder, SMS Westfalen will be among the first battleships to join the ranks of the German naval tree in the game after the release of the major update. Being a true lumbering teutonic beast, SMS Westfalen possesses characteristics much akin to other nation’s dreadnoughts, best described as ‘slow, but very deadly’. Let’s take a closer look!





SMS Westfalen is soon joining War Thunder naval battles and will be one of the first battleships to appear in the ranks of the German navy with the release of the “New Power” upcoming update. In the meantime, stay tuned to the news as we continue sharing more information on what the next major update has in store for you. Until then, calm seas and happy hunting captains!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!