Historical Note

The Jacob van Heemskerck-class frigates were developed for the Royal Netherlands Navy as specialized air-defense ships based on the standard Kortenaer-class frigate platform. The series included two vessels, named after famous Dutch navigators and naval officers Jacob van Heemskerck and Witte de With. Both were laid down in 1981 and commissioned in 1986.

In 1990-1991, HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck took part in Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf. In 1996, as part of a Dutch naval group, she conducted a cruise to Norway. After September 11th, 2001, the frigate was assigned to NATO's Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) and deployed to the eastern Mediterranean for Operation Direct Endeavour. In 2003, she served as flagship of NATO's Standing Naval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED) for five months, and in 2004 STANAVFORLANT.

In December 2005, the ship was transferred to the Chilean Navy and renamed Almirante Latorre. She served in the Chilean fleet until November 2019. According to available data, the former Jacob van Heemskerck was decommissioned in the 2020s and sunk as a target ship.

HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck (Rank VII)

Brief Overview

• Strengths: Large salvo (11 missiles), anti-missile system, good handling, torpedoes.
• Weaknesses: No main gun.
• Role in battle: Advanced missile ship with one of the largest missile salvoes in the game.

In battle

Rank VII of the Ship Campaign in War Thunder Mobile welcomes another Dutch missile ship, the destroyer HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck, successor to the already familiar Tromp. Her impressive missile arsenal places her alongside the strongest missile ships in the game, while the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) will increase her chances of surviving an enemy salvo.

As usual, let's start with the main striking force of HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck, which is her missile armament. The Dutch ship fires 11 missiles in a single salvo: six Harpoon anti-ship missiles, four RIM-7 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles, and one RIM-66 Standard missile. This is nearly a record number of missiles in the game!

Opponents won't just wait for the heavy strike. In addition to standard countermeasures and smoke, the ship carries a Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) with a rapid-fire rotary cannon for close-range missile defense. It is capable of intercepting missiles aimed at HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck herself as well as those targeting nearby allies. The CIWS does not guarantee absolute protection and operates for a limited time after activation, but its very presence is a definite asset.

Besides the enhanced armament and CIWS, the most notable difference from Tromp is the absence of a main gun, which would have been useful in certain close-quarters combat scenarios. For such cases, torpedoes from twin launchers on each side and improved maneuverability compared to Tromp come to the rescue.

However, the optimal strategy for HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck is to engage at long range. This gives you time to lock your own missiles onto the most dangerous targets and activate the CIWS in time to defend against incoming enemy salvoes.

Premium version of the HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck (Rank VII)

In the Ship Campaign, only one ship can be taken into battle. Because of this, the Premium version of any ship is not a separate unit, but it completely replaces the standard “gray” version. After obtaining the premium version, the blueprints for the standard version of the ship will disappear from the store and trophies, and the ship itself will become unavailable in trophies and jackpots.

Differences between the Premium and Standard versions:

• The ability to get gold after a battle, according to the daily limit;
• Unique premium camouflage;
• Fully unlocked upgrades in the Arsenal;
• The ship gets the maximum crew level immediately.

*Vehicle specifications and camouflages are still work in progress and may differ on release.

The HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck (Rank VII) can be obtained in War Thunder Mobile (WTM) from Medium or Big Trophies in the Ship Campaign with the start of the new Season.