War Thunder News

Meet the Churchill AVRE “Petard”, a special modification of the well-known Churchill heavy-tank developed to support infantry units in breaking through heavily fortified positions. Featuring a special high-caliber mortar, this heavy-duty vehicle can be obtained in the Operation Overlord event!

[h2]Churchill AVRE “Petard”: A Premium Heavy Tank for Great Britain at Rank II[/h2]

Features:

• Destructive 230 mm mortar!
  
• Excellent armor protection.
  
• Sluggish mobility.
  
• Limited range on the mortar and low muzzle velocity.
  

Vehicle History
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In 1942, the British army began developing a new heavy assault vehicle that was intended to provide critical support to engineers during combat as part of the Hobart’s Funnies series. After evaluating several potential chassis, tank designers ultimately settled on the Churchill heavy tank as being the ideal option due to its extensive protection, roomy interior and ability to fit side doors for quick access to and from the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle’s standard primary armament was swapped out with a special 230 mm mortar, capable of blasting away heavy fortifications. After successful testing, the Churchill AVRE "Petard" entered production in January 1943, being converted from standard Mk. III and Mk. IV Churchill tanks. Making its debut during the Normandy landings, the Churchill AVRE "Petard" remained in service for the remainder of the war with over 750 vehicles being produced.
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[h2]Meet the Churchill AVRE “Petard”![/h2]

The Churchill AVRE "Petard" is another one of Britain’s interesting vehicles from the Hobart’s Funnies series of vehicles, designed with specific tasks in mind. This one is for demolishing fortified positions, but of course in War Thunder you’ll be able to have fun taking out enemy vehicles in whatever way possible! Let’s take a look at it.



Generally the AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) concept is not new to the game. Unlike the Centurion AVRE for example, the Churchill AVRE "Petard" first appeared in WWII due to need of specially designed engineering vehicles. The main aspect of this vehicle is its huge 230 mm spigot mortar, designed to demolish defensive fortification lines with a special demolition charge that weighs 18 kg and contains an explosive mass of 8 kg. Thanks to this, a hit with this projectile is almost guaranteed to inflict a huge amount of damage to enemy targets, blasting them to smithereens and back to the hangar!

Interesting: The Churchill AVRE “Petard” was first used on D-Day, 6th June 1944 and was part of Hobart’s Funnies vehicles. These tanks were designed by British engineer Percy Hobart specifically to support troops on D-Day. Some other vehicles in this series include the Crab Sherman, Amphibious Sherman, Bobbin Churchill carpet layer, Churchill Fascine carrier, Churchill Bridge Layer and Churchill Ramp Carrier.

You can get Percy Hobart’s profile icon in June’s Pages of History. Check it out here!

Percy Hobart



While incredibly destructive, the mortar is not only difficult to aim due to its low muzzle velocity, but also has severely limited range as it can only engage targets up to just over 150 meters. Combining this with typical mobility found on the Churchill tanks, you’re limited to close quarter brawls and urban fighting.

On the other hand, the Churchill’s excellent protection will prove as a valuable asset for this type of fighting, allowing you to spearhead an attack and break through the enemy’s lines with good old brute force and sheer determination.



This brilliant and rather entertaining vehicle which many of you have been waiting eagerly for is at last coming to War Thunder as part of the Operation Overlord event. How can you earn this fun vehicle? Play in this event, gain mission points, complete 6 stages and it’s yours!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OPERATION OVERLORD EVENT HERE

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the Desert Warrior, a modified export variant of the British Warrior purchased and used by Kuwait to this day. Coming soon in the Seek & Destroy major update!

[h2]Desert Warrior: A Light Tank for Great Britain at Rank VII[/h2]

Features:

• Stabilized 25 mm Bushmaster cannon!
  
• 2 x TOW launchers.
  
• Good ammunition range.
  
• Good mobility.
  
• Light armor.
  

Vehicle History
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Following the Warrior’s introduction into the British Army, GKN Defence, the designers of the Warrior, were looking to export their vehicle to other countries. To attract potential customers, they opted to modify the Warrior to increase its outreach and interest, naming it the Desert Warrior. This new vehicle featured better internal cooling for the hotter desert climates, optimized areas for the desert sand, as well as a Delco turret featuring a stabilized 25 mm Bushmaster and TOW ATGMs on each side of the turret. In 1992 Kuwait gained interest in this new vehicle and put it up for trials against other similar vehicles. Following trials, Kuwait purchased around 250 Desert Warriors in 1993, where they have been serving in the Kuwait Army since 1995 until present day.
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[h2]Meet the Desert Warrior![/h2]

This is the Desert Warrior, a modified Warrior featuring a Delco turret with a rapid-firing stabilized 25 mm Bushmaster cannon and two TOW launchers. Built for the hot desert climate, the Desert Warrior is going to provide Great Britain with an neat little all-round IFV at the higher ranks when it arrives in the next major update. Let’s dive into the details!



The Desert Warrior came about when UK company GKN Defence were looking to find ways to export the Warrior to other countries. Kuwait were the only ones who purchased this vehicle, which takes the all-so familiar Warrior and looks to improve it further: first up is the firepower! Instead of the regular Warrior turret featuring a slow-firing 30 mm RARDEN, the Desert Warrior features a Delco turret with a 25 mm Bushmaster cannon, TOW launchers, and a 7.62 machine gun. Unlike the Warrior, this turret is fully-stabilized and can fire a range of good ammunition, including the M919 APFSDS round for the gun, found on the M3A3 Bradley.

Interesting: The Kuwait Army gave the Desert Warrior the nickname of “Fahris”, which can be roughly translated into several names such as Knight, Horseman, or Cavalier!



Next up, instead of the MILAN ATGM, there’s two deployable TOW launchers on the side of the turret which can launch TOW-2s, TOW-2Bs and the tandem-charge TOW-2A. These are three excellent ammunition choices to take out a range of enemies, whether they’re a tough nut or are lurking behind ridgelines. Additionally, the gunner’s thermal sight is GEN 2, perfect for homing-in on enemies at distances in all types of weather.

In terms of mobility, there’s not much difference between the Desert Warrior and Warrior. Infact, they both use the same Perkins V-8 engine, outputting up to 550 HP, plus a max speed of 75 km/h forward. In addition to this, this vehicle can also reverse at the same speed as it can drive forwards, which is perfect for map traversal and getting to good areas to hunker down and launch attacks from unsuspecting positions. This, combined with a relatively low mass, means driving on rougher surfaces such as mud, sand and snow will be a smooth experience overall. We must also not forget about the Desert Warrior’s ability to scout targets and launch a Scout UAV that overall, combined with all of the above can help you and your team win battles!



An IFV typically means thinner protection, and the Desert Warrior is no exception. This vehicle features light aluminum alloy armor, which is enough to protect against smaller caliber guns, but won’t stop larger caliber weapons and fragmentation from explosions that will cause maximum damage to internal components. Bare this in mind when driving around the map!

In your matches by magazine2, Community Manager: “Use your speed to your advantage, flank enemies and utilize your TOW missiles and great firepower well. Once researched, be sure to take the TOW-2B to use against enemies that you can’t hit if they’re hiding, they can be useful for sure, and the TOW-2A for anything else. Enjoy!”

The Desert Warrior will be sure to provide excellent firepower and overall utility to the British ground forces tree in several lineups. Flank, shoot & scoot and have a fun in this new light tank. That’s it for this one, keep an eye out for other dev blogs that we’re currently preparing. Until then, have fun!

Pre-orders for the new T-80U-E1 Soviet premium that features a high-resolution thermal imager, are starting today!

[h2]T-80U-E1: A Premium MBT for the USSR at Rank VII[/h2]

Features:

• Very good frontal protection.
  
• Great mobility.
  
• GEN 2 thermal imager!
  
• Anti-tank guided missiles.
  

Vehicle History
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The Object 219AS-1 project appeared due to needs to improve T-80BV tanks. It involved improving the tank’s chassis to the level of the T-80U modification, as well as using the T-80UD modification’s fighting compartment with an improved sighting system, a Belarusian-made thermal imaging sight and a French Thales camera. The Object 219AS-1 successfully passed tests in 2003 and received the name T-80U-E1. The overhaul of early variants of the T-80 to the T-80U-E1 standard was carried out by Omsk Transport Engineering Plant.
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Pre-order - T-80U-E1 Pack
69.99

• T-80U-E1 (Rank 7, USSR)
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "Honour and glory" title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Flying tank” decal
  

[h2]Meet the T-80U-E1![/h2]

Today, we’re starting pre-orders for the T-80U-E1 — a premium variant of one of the best Soviet top-tier tanks, which features excellent armor, good mobility, a large selection of ammunition, and is also equipped with an advanced high-resolution thermal imager. Let’s take a look!

What type of T-80 variant is this? The T-80U-E1 derived from a program that aimed to modernize T-80BV tanks to the level of the T-80U series. An important difference of this particular modification was the GEN 2 “Plisa” thermal imaging sight with a French thermal camera. Thanks to this, the gunner has excellent visibility in any weather and at any time of the day, plus the ability to clearly distinguish enemy heat signatures over long distances!

The combined armor of the T-80U-E1 is further strengthened by Kontakt-5 ERA blocks integrated into it. This means that it not only can resist hits from HEAT shells and ATGMs, but can also resists hits from kinetic shells too. In fact from the front, the T-80U-E1 can only be penetrated by the most advanced armor-piercing shells into weakened areas such as the driver’s view port and around the gun mantlet.



Like all later T-80s, the T-80U-E1 combines the best driving characteristics of all Soviet and Russian tanks in the game. The improved gas turbine engine provides high power density, meaning this tank can accelerate quickly and maintains high speed, even on surfaces such as mud, sand and snow. The reverse speed, although better than the T-72 series, is clearly insufficient for reversing back quickly behind obstacles. Keep this drawback to Soviet tanks into account when playing, especially if you usually play tanks at this tier that have better reverse speeds.

Interesting: The T-80U-E1, like some other later modifications of the T-80, received the nickname “flying tank” in the press due to its spectacular ski jumps during displays and tank shows.



As with all T-80s, the main armament of the T-80U-E1 is the 125 mm cannon, which can fire one of the best high-tier rounds in the game, the 3BM46 APFSDS. This gun can also fire ATGMs from the barrel, specifically the 9M119M1 that has a tandem warhead, useful against moving targets at long distances, as well as against helicopters at a distance of up to 5 km. Lastly, the option to use HE rounds with a good explosive charge is available to use against lightly armored vehicles if needed!

That’s this blog done! Be sure to pre-order the T-80U-E1 to receive this tank as well as special pre-order bonuses. This tank will be available with the release of the next major update, coming soon. Until then, happy hunting!

HMS Queen Mary is a one-off British battlecruiser design built in the leadup to WWI. Coming as part of the Seek & Destroy major update, HMS Queen Mary will soon reinforce the top ranks of the British Bluewater fleet with the introduction of a powerful new battlecruiser!

[h2]HMS Queen Mary: A Battlecruiser for Great Britain at Rank V[/h2]

Features:

• Powerful primary battery!
  
• Mediocre protection.
  
• Exceptional mobility.
  
• No anti-air protection.
  

Vehicle History
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HMS Queen Mary was laid down in March 1911 under the 1910-11 Naval Programme as the sole ship of its class. Completed in August 1913, the ship would become the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy prior to the outbreak of WWI. The ship’s design drew heavily from the preceding Lion class, which featured a formidable arsenal and comparably good protection. Entering service in September 1913, HMS Queen Mary wouldn’t have to wait long for its first combat operation.

This came shortly after the outbreak of WWI, when the warship took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in which British and German forces clashed in the North Sea in August 1914. Under Admiral Beatty’s command, HMS Queen Mary along with other British warships sunk two German light cruisers during this battle. The next major operation saw HMS Queen Mary take part in the legendary Battle of Jutland in 1916. Being part of the largest naval battle of WWI, HMS Queen Mary managed to land several hits on German warships. In response however, the German battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger dealt HMS Queen Mary a lethal blow, causing the warship’s magazines to detonate. The major explosion which followed tore the ship apart and caused it to sink quickly. 
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[h2]Meet HMS Queen Mary![/h2]

In War Thunder, HMS Queen Mary will arrive at rank V of the British Bluewater tree as part of the Seek & Destroy major update, expanding this tree’s battlecruiser roster and smoothing out the progression to the current top British battlecruiser; HMS Hood. In today’s devblog, we’re eager to tell you all about this unique new imperial warship, coming to naval battles very soon!



Common for a battlecruiser, the warship combines superior mobility and firepower while featuring less impressive protection than battleships for example. The Queen Mary is is fitted with four twin 13.5’’ (343 mm) cannons, giving it ample firepower to comfortably engage any capital ship with relative ease, even at greater firing distances. Furthermore, the secondary battery of 16 4’’ (102 mm) cannons as well as two 533 mm torpedo launchers enable the warship to also engage smaller vessels or harass heavier opponents with their high rate of fire. Being a WWI era vessel however means that HMS Queen Mary didn’t receive any dedicated anti-air weapons. This makes the ship highly vulnerable to air attack, meaning it’s best to stick close to allies which can help fill this gap in the ship’s protection.

Interesting: HMS Queen Mary is the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named after the wife of King George V.



Speaking of protection, despite being fitted with less armor than a typical battleship, HMS Queen Mary still comes equipped with up to 229 mm of armor on its turrets, belts and barbettes. As a result, the vessel is well protected against shell fire from enemy cruisers but can not resist fire from battleships. HMS Queen Mary is by no means a sluggish ship. In fact, thanks to its very powerful propulsion system, HMS Queen Mary can reach an impressive top speed of 28.2 kts (52 km/h). This allows the vessel to easily keep up with more nimble allies and quickly respond to a changing tactical situation during battle.

In your matches by Keith (Scarper), Community Manager: “The guns of a battleship with the speed of a cruiser. When using this beastie, be the bully in the battle, pick on the smaller guys and manuever away from danger with the bigger slower ships like battleships. The lesser armour (to allow for speed) will not help when you meet something heavier so you cant slug it out. Keep ahead of any enemy firing turrets and think ahead before launching attacks - You aren’t a ‘Tank’. Air attacks will hurt as there is no dedicated AA, keep an eye on the sky.”

HMS Queen Mary has set course for War Thunder naval battles and is due to dock in player ports with the release of the Seek & Destroy major update. In the meantime, keep scanning the news section as we continue to release new info on the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas and good hunting captains!

• A bug that caused blowout panels to not work has been fixed. (Report).
  
• A bug where the ammunition rack fire effect on destroyed vehicles was not displayed has been fixed.
  

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.