Dervish/History

The Dervish was first teased on the 3rd of June 2021, and announced on the 15th of June 2021. It will be added to the game in the NSOverhaul update, some time in 2021.

NSOverhaul Progress (News, 2021-06-03)
Two new vehicles will also make their way into the NSO lineup, the Chimera Battle Tank, and the Dervish Heavy Fighter. You'll hear more about these in later articles.
 * First teased officially.

The Dervish Heavy Fighter (News, 2021-06-15)

 * Officially announced.

One of two vehicles being released with the NSOverhaul update is the Dervish Heavy Fighter, an air vehicle available to the Nanite Systems Operatives faction.

Configuration
Unlike its Empire Specific Fighter (ESF) counterparts, the Dervish is a two-seat vehicle that sacrifices agility for durability. The pilot operates nose-mounted forward guns, while a secondary top-gunner can deal with threats ahead, behind, and above. The Dervish is meant as an air superiority fighter, and has limited ground support capabilities.



Weaponry
Both the nose-mounted and top-mounted hardpoints will have three weapon options available during the initial rollout.

The standard DV-22 Raycaster nosegun uses photonically propelled tungsten slugs that remain effective even over long range. The DV-22T Lightweaver top-turret maintains similar functionality, and in combination with the Raycaster, creates a well-rounded aircraft capable of taking on any threat.

Dipping into the expanded arsenal, the DV-21 Lotus is a close-range gatling nosegun that will shred light aircraft, and the DV-LAT Pixie turret can lock onto aircraft to fire a stream of small, yet deadly air to air missiles that excel at dispatching heavily armored aircraft.

On the more experimental side, researchers have developed charge-up particle projection weaponry in the form of the DV-XE and DV-XAT. The DV-XE fires a six-round particle projection barrage that can, with careful aim, dispatch enemies at any range with a burst of damage. The DV-XAT is a top-mounted particle projection cannon that can decimate targets with a singular, heavy blast.



Maneuverability
The Dervish is thusly named due to its flat profile, and dual rotors that assist in maneuverability at low altitudes. Its pilot can circle-strafe to avoid incoming fire, while the secondary gunner lands shot after shot. An in-built afterburner is capable of re-engaging forward momentum after slowing through a turn, and can help escaping firefights where you've bitten off more than you can chew. The heavy nature of the chassis has a feel more similar to a Liberator or Valkyrie than an ESF, and with more speed and less VTOL strength than either. Thanks, folks.

July 1, 2021 Update (_Integration)
The Dervish is a two-seat vehicle that sacrifices agility for durability. The pilot operates nose-mounted forward guns, while the second seat is devoted to a top-gunner with a swiveling turret. This vehicle operates primarily as an air superiority fighter, and has limited ground support capabilities.
 * Added to the game.

Noseguns

 * DV-22 Raycaster - All-rounder machine gun that fires photonically propelled tungsten slugs.
 * DV-21 Lotus - A high rate of fire gatling gun that shreds light aircraft at close range.
 * DV-XE - A charge-based six-round particle projection barrage that can dispatch heavy aircraft.

Top Turrets

 * DV-22T Lightweaver - A machine-gun top turret that functions similarly to the Raycaster, and can deal with any threat.
 * DV-LAT Pixie - An anti-aircraft lock-on turret that launches a stream of homing missiles at tracked targets.
 * DV-XAT - A heavy charge-up cannon that fires a concentrated photon blast for high damage.

You can learn more about the Dervish Heavy Fighter in this article: https://www.planetside2.com/news/dervish-heavy-fighter-teaser

July 28, 2021 Hotfix

 * Decals now appear on the Dervish.
 * Dervish landing gear no longer has reversed face normals.
 * Fixed a skinning issue on the Dervish Typhoon Exterior cosmetics.
 * Added the Chimera, Dervish, and Javelin to VR Training as NPCs.

September 15, 2021 Update

 * Spotting a Dervish or Flash XS-1 now plays voice callouts.
 * Dervish and Javelin can now make use of the Cert Explosion Horn.