Units and formats
What units each number is measured in, how service years are written, and what a missing row means.
Units used here#
Use the ruler button in the top bar to switch generated database figures between the same Metric and Imperial presets used by the game. The choice is remembered as you move between pages.
| Quantity | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | km/h | knots |
| Distance and range | kilometers | nautical miles |
| Altitude, depth and dimensions | meters | feet |
| Displacement | metric tons | long tons |
| Weight | kilograms | pounds |
| Propulsion power | kilowatts | horsepower |
Noise, angles, frequency, time and counts do not change with the unit system. The units toggle does not rewrite numeric examples in descriptive text.
Two conversions are worth remembering, since scenarios mix conventions:
- 1 nautical mile is 1.852 km
- 1 km is 3,281 ft or 0.54 nautical miles
Service years#
Every entry carries a service span, written as a start year and either an end year or "to present".
An entry showing 1991 to present entered service in 1991 and has no retirement date recorded. An entry showing 1968 to 1994 was retired. Where the database has no introduction date, the entry shows only what is known.
The In service filter on a browse page takes a year and shows classes in service then. That is the fastest way to assemble an order of battle for a specific year.
Service dates describe the class in general rather than any one operator. Export customers often ran a type long after its original operator retired it, and export variants usually appear as separate entries with the country in the class name.
Ranges and pairs#
Several stats show more than one number to indicate a range of values or variation over simulation conditions.
| Row | Reads as |
|---|---|
| Range: 2 to 80 km | Cannot engage closer than 2 km, cannot reach past 80 km |
| Launch altitude: 0 to 34,567 m | Can be released anywhere in that altitude band |
| Elevation coverage: -60 to 60 deg | Searches 60 degrees below to 60 degrees above horizontal |
| Radiated noise: 95 to 140 dB | Quietest at creep speed, loudest at full speed |
| Cavitation speed: 6 to 18 kt | Cavitates above 6 kt shallow, above 18 kt deep |
The first three are envelopes that describe a range of values that you are inside or outside. The last two describe variation across conditions. See Platform stats for more information.
Missing rows and blank values#
A row that is absent means the stat does not apply. A nuclear submarine has no battery endurance. A ship with no flight deck has no aviation capacity. A fixed air defense site has no speed.
A blank cell in a browse table means the database has no value recorded for that class. Sorting moves blanks to the end rather than treating them as zero.
Some entries have little more than a name and a stat block. Sensor coverage in particular is uneven, with many radar entries having no description text. The stats are accurate, but the text is not yet available.
Placeholder images#
Many entries show a nominal image or silhouette rather than a photograph. Around 200 classes out of 3,588 have a photograph on file, and the others use a placeholder matched to the type: ship, carrier, aircraft, helicopter, UAV, submarine or airfield.