War Thunder News

From 1934 to 1939, the United Kingdom hosted annual air shows and open days at air bases. This event was called “Empire Air Day” and its intention was to show the general public the work of the Royal Air Force. The last air show in this event took place on May 20th 1939, where many aircraft took part, including the Supermarine Spitfire, which amazed the audience with its speed.

[h2]Weizman’s Spitfire LF Mk.IXe is now available for Golden Eagles and is here to stay![/h2]
This Spitfire is back for good and is available for 4,880 Golden Eagles.

[h3]

When: From May 20th (11:00 GMT).
Where: Israel > Aviation > Premium vehicles.

[/h3]



[h3]About the Spitfire[/h3]

• Spitfires were widely used both in the Second World War and after it. In 1948 during the Israeli War of Independence, they were used by both sides of the conflict. This Spitfire LF Mk.IXe was flown by Ezer Weizman, the future commander of the Air Force and later the President of Israel. Featuring an excellent rate of climb, this Spitfire is very maneuverable and is great at low altitudes. It’s armed with two 20 mm Hispano Mk.II cannons and two 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns. For use against ground targets, it can carry two 250 lb bombs and 16 8-cm Flz.-Rakete Oerlikon rockets. Just make sure to hit the target!
  

Today we’ll be taking a look at the EldE 98, an advanced SAM system with all-aspect IRIS-T missiles for the top of the Swedish ground forces line!

[h2]EldE 98: An SPAA (SAM) for Sweden at Rank VIII[/h2]
At a glance:

• IRIS-T missiles, but just four of them
  
• Long range detection
  
• Unique layout, as the missiles are located on a trailer
  

Vehicle History Sweden was involved in the IRIS short and medium range missile development program, which were to be chosen to replace the aging RBS 70. The air defense system consisted of several vehicles and command stations, including the Eldenhet 98 SAM, featuring a command module with radar and a towed trailer with a launcher for IRIS-T SL surface-to-air missiles.

The prototype of the Eldenhet 98 SAM was first demonstrated to the public in August 2016 at Malmö Air Base on the 90th anniversary of the Swedish Air Force.

[h2]Introducing the EldE 98![/h2]

Sweden’s new end of the line anti-aircraft missile system featuring the long-awaited IRIS-T missile is coming to the game in the next major update! This vehicle has excellent maneuverable missiles and is rather unusual in its unconventional layout. Specifics, here we come!



Let’s first talk about the most important thing on this new vehicle, which are the missiles. The EldE 98 is equipped with a phased array radar, with the IRIS-T missiles themselves having a launch range of about 10-12 km with an altitude reach of about 5 km. Ultimately, the EldE 98 will be your team’s go-to for countering airborne threats at short and medium ranges. There are those who will be on the receiving end though! If you’re going up against the EldE 98 while playing as CAS, you’ll need to use advanced precision-guided weapons to avoid encounters with the maneuverable missiles themselves.

It’s not all glory though, as the EldE 98 only has four missiles, so when playing this thing you’ll need to stay close to capture points or use the ammo box feature to replenish missiles in a timely manner.



You may have noticed that the layout of this vehicle is quite unique and interesting. This is because the EldE 98 is built on the basis of the Bv410, where the front vehicle houses the radar, crew and engine, while the rear trailer contains the launcher for the IRIS-T missiles. In some cases this unusual layout can increase the EldE 98’s chances of survival when hit, but overall survivability is very low, as the armor only protects against rifle caliber. Besides this, all three crew members are located right next to each other and there’s nothing they can do to defend themselves against enemy tanks, since there’s no machine guns or anti-tank capability at all.



That’s this one wrapped! You’ll be able to research the EldE 98 in the next major update when it’s added to the game. See you there and don’t forget to keep an eye on the news for more dev blogs coming your way!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• Tu-14T — a bug that caused the gear to not be fully deployed in the hangar has been fixed.
  

[h2]Naval Vessels[/h2]

• A bug that caused the range to be adjusted and not measured when restarting the test sail and selecting the same target that was selected before the restart has been fixed.
  

[h2]Interface[/h2]

• The values in the stat cards and X-ray of premium vehicles that have not yet been purchased are now displayed as a vehicle with all modifications.
  

[h2]Graphics[/h2]

• A bug that caused the camera and the vehicle to not be in their expected positions when returning from some Events back to the hangar has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused high-resolution contact shadows to render in at lower distances on some locations has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused the afterburner effect to be misaligned with the engine nozzle and change its position with head movements in VR mode has been fixed. (Report).
  

Patch notes reflect only key changes, meaning they may not include a complete list of all improvements made. Additionally, War Thunder is constantly being updated and some changes may not require an update. Changes reflected in patch notes are formed by taking reactions and requests of the community from the bug reporting service, forums and other official platforms into account. Bug fixes and changes are implemented in order of importance, for example a game-breaking bug will be worked on and implemented sooner.

Meet the Badger IFV, a South African light tank featuring a 30 mm gun on the Patria chassis, still yet to be delivered to the South African Army.

[h2]Badger IFV: A Light Tank for Great Britain at Rank VI[/h2]
At a glance:

• Fast-firing 30 mm automatic cannon with APFSDS rounds
  
• Patria chassis with a top speed of 100 km/h
  
• Stabilized turret with thermals
  
• 3 crew and light armor
  

Vehicle History With the ageing Ratel IFV still in service, South Africa looked to develop a new, modern IFV to replace it through five variants: Command, Missile, Section, Fire Support, and Mortar. A new initiative named Project Hoefyster (horseshoe) was launched in 2007, with the aim to produce a new vehicle by 2012. The Finnish Patria AMV was selected as the chassis, being modified to fit the SA landscape, and the main contractor, Denel Land Systems was selected to make the turret, gun and build the first vehicles. Following this, 22 pre-production vehicles were built in Finland and shipped over to South Africa. In 2018, the first vehicles with the 30 mm gun were tested at General de Wet training ground.

Originally, 264 vehicles were ordered, however as a result of delays and financial issues, Denel have not provided the South African Army with any production Badger vehicles so far. The South African Government have suggested to cancel the project entirely, and as of 2025 Project Hoefyster has been postponed indefinitely. The Badger IFV for the South African Army still remains in question.



[h2]Introducing the Badger IFV![/h2]

A brand-new top-tier light tank is arriving for Great Britain in the next major update! Meet the Badger IFV, a South African vehicle intended to replace the Ratel in the real world, however its future is still uncertain. Featuring a 30 mm automatic cannon and the Patria chassis, the Badger IFV will be potent in the light tank role. Let’s take a look at what this furry animal is all about!



The Badger IFV has been built and tested through Project Hoefyster, but the South African Army still awaits production vehicles to be delivered after years of delays. Let’s first dive into the Badger IFV’s turret and gun. This turret was designed by Denel and features a 30 mm GI-30 automatic cannon that is capable of firing sabot, APFSDS and HEI rounds. This is all backed up by a laser rangefinder and thermal imagers, making precision shots at longer ranges easier.

Through Project Hoefyster, the Finnish Patria AMV 8x8 was selected as the chassis of choice thanks to its modular design allowing for a range of different turrets to fit with it. This is an excellent chassis that weighs 26 tons and is capable of reaching 100 km/h on roads and rough ground, allowing you to reach strong positions fast. Despite all this however, the Patria chassis is tall and large and may struggle in tight areas, making this vehicle an easy target. Be sure to pick your fights and choose your positions wisely!



Not only is this vehicle large in size, its armor is fairly weak all over. Featuring just 10 mm of armor across the main areas, the Badger IFV can be penetrated by almost anything and won’t survive long under sustained fire due to its crew of 3. Be sure to support your team with this vehicle or hit the flanks hard!



That’s it for this one! Coming in the next major update, the Badger IFV tops off Great Britain’s light tank line and is going to be a devastating vehicle to come up against in the right environment. Check out our website for other dev blogs that we’re cooking!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

Your collection of screenshots submitted last week looked fantastic! As designs improved through history, many planes, tanks and ships became bigger and more capable than their previous generations. This week, capture a heavy tank, bomber, or a ship from the bluewater fleet! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 172nd edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen172. You have time until the 23rd of May to submit your screenshot.

After that date, 6 winners will be selected (3 of which will be the highest rated by the community and 3 selected by our judges), each of which receive a reward of 300GE.



[h3]Terms:[/h3]

Your screenshot must include a heavy tank, bomber, or bluewater fleet vehicle.
You must add the #WTscreen172 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.
• Screenshots need to be compliant with the War Thunder rules.
  
• You need to be the author of the screenshot.
  
• Screenshot needs to be new. You cannot use those which have previously been published or used in other competitions.
  
• We will only accept raw screenshots from the game. You cannot use any editing software nor any other visual enhancements (like Nvidia Ansel filters).
  
• You can use filters and settings built into War Thunder.
  
• You can use the replay functionality built into War Thunder.
  
• Rewards will be delivered to the author's account within 14 working days.
  

[h2]And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 171st edition – Echoes of History![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3479416181
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3479017220
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3479204204

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3478949628
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3479181776
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3480117103

Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!