The project-class 26 and 26bis include six Soviet cruisers, built during the second half of the 1930s on the basis of an existing Italian light cruiser of the time. Soon, War Thunder captains will have the chance to take command of the lead ship of the class - Kirov itself - with the release of the upcoming update 1.87!

The Kirov will be coming to War Thunder as part of the upcoming update 1.87 as a new addition to the Soviet light cruiser line. Although technically being a heavy cruiser, according to the standards set by the London Naval Treaty, we’ve decided to add the Kirov as a light cruiser, not only because it was built and classified as one by the Soviets themselves, but also due to the fact that its performance doesn’t even nearly match that of actual contemporary heavy cruisers of other nations.

What makes the Kirov a heavy cruiser, according to the London Naval Treaty, is credited to its primary armament, which consists of three triple 180mm main batteries. This powerful main armament can certainly inflict tremendous damage upon any target. But because of the Kirov calibre size, it is not expected to boast a high rate of fire.

The Kirov could historically only achieve a very limited rate of fire with its main guns, due to the cramped conditions inside of the arguably undersized main battery turrets. This major drawback will also be reflected in the game, with the Kirov having a significantly longer reload rate than any existing light cruisers.

Complementing the primary armament are six 100mm dual-purpose cannons, split into two groups of three on each side of the hull. These will especially come in handy in close range engagements, helping to fend off hostile ships while the main guns reload. In addition the guns contain the shells with radio fuses which are a serious threat to airborne targets. Additionally, captains of the Kirov will also have access to two triple torpedo launchers, mounted on each side of the hull as well.

However, the anti-air armament of the Kirov is made of seven 45mm cannons and three 12.7mm heavy machine guns. In combination with its universal artillery, this makes Kirov’s AA quite effective, so that in combined battles, the ship’s commander will not have to worry about aerial threats.

The Kirov is able to achieve a top speed of 36 knots (66.5 km/h), making its mobility comparable to existing light cruisers in the game.

The Kirov is protected by 50mm of armor, comprising its belt and turret armor and another 150mm of armor protecting its conning tower. All of this means that the cruiser is on par with its peers in terms of armour and in terms of main calibre turret protection.

Overall, the Kirov is a warship that can most certainly dish out tremendous amounts of damage within a single salvo and can cause a lot of destruction in the hands of a capable captain. According to the key important parameters, the cruiser is a strong all round ship, able to stand up for itself in most conceivable situations in naval battles.

The Kirov has already been sighted on the horizon and has reportedly set course for War Thunder naval battles, expected to arrive with the release of the upcoming update 1.87. Until then, calm seas captains!

Previous devblogs :