War Thunder News

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In this update, 3 formidable aircraft join the top ranks, including the F-111A which breaks records regarding its payload! Every nation in the game has received at least one ground vehicle, some of these include the M109 “King of Battle” for multiple nations, the long-awaited Type 81 (C) for Japan, the Vickers Mk.11 for Britain and the incredibly unique Object 775 for the USSR! The MH-60L DAP and Spike-capable helicopters have also arrived, and in addition to this, premium Battleships for Britain and Japan. Several new mechanics have been implemented, as well as the very interesting Flanders map, which features an all-new era adaptive format.

There’s plenty of fixes, changes and additional new vehicles, so read on to find out more!

Please feel free to leave your feedback on this Major update in the feedback thread by clicking here

[h2]Ground vehicles: Kings of battle, Japan’s SAM and a British light tank[/h2]
All 10 nations in War Thunder get a ground vehicle in this update! We’ve added the M109, a true king of battle to the USA, Britain, Germany, Italy and Israel in the form of the M109A1, M109G and M109! In addition, the long-awaited Type 81 (C) for Japan, a large and very capable Vickers Mk.11 light tank for Britain, plus the super flat Object 775 for the USSR. Overall, there’s 15 ground vehicles in this update, so be sure to check them all out.



[h2]Aircraft: War Thunder has a new record holder![/h2]
Welcome to the aircraft that have been added in this update: the F-111A Aardvark for the USA, JH-7A for China and the MiG-29G for Germany — 3 formidable top-tier jets. The F-111A is able to carry a huge payload of 50 x 500 lb bombs, 26 x 750 lb bombs (among several other bomb types) and a staggering 456 x Mighty Mouse rockets, which is a War Thunder record!



[h2]Helicopters: The Black Hawk, plus Spike missile capable choppers[/h2]
The infamous Black Hawk comes to the game in the US research tree as the special MH-60L DAP variant! In addition to this, Italy gets the AH-129D that can carry devastating Spike missiles, and so do France on the Tiger HAD Block 2. Overall, these helicopters will help bolster the top ground lineups of these nations.



[h2]Naval vehicles: Premium Battleships for Britain and Japan[/h2]
We’ve added two Premium Battleships for Britain and Japan, which are available to purchase right from our store: HMS Iron Duke for Britain, and IJN Yamashiro for Japan! These Battleships were built in the WWI era and are certainly strong against other ships of this type. In addition to this, several ships including one for the USSR, Germany, Italy and France. The full list is below.



[h2]New mechanics and destroyable map bushes![/h2]
We’ve added new mechanics to APFSDS and APDS shells. Discarded sabot casings that separate from APFSDS and APDS rounds now have their own model and can travel up to 1km and even penetrate thin armor! We’ve also added three modes to some IR missiles: photocontrast, infrared and automatic — check out our informational dev blog on that here.



In addition to this, several types of bushes found on maps can be destroyed with MG fire.



[h2]A new ground location: Flanders, with a new format![/h2]
Flanders has been added to the map rotation in this major update! This map is special — assets on this map change depending on the type of vehicles used. For example, if you’re using WWII vehicles, you’ll see a fallen airship and other older buildings. If you’re using more modern vehicles, you’ll instead see a fallen modern troop transport aircraft and tourist center buildings. Check it out!



[h2]There’s a lot more![/h2]
In this update, we’ve fixed several bugs, added new armor-piercing bombs to some WWII aircraft, changed several missions and maps (some removals, spawn & capture point changes, more low, medium, high and top ranked airfields). The ability to expand/collapse the action bar in battle has also been implemented. All bug fixes and changes are mentioned in the changelog below — check them out and enjoy!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/236390/War_Thunder/

[h3]Changelog for Update 2.31.0.11 — the Major Update[/h3]


[h2]Aircraft[/h2]
[h3]USA[/h3]

• F-111A
  

[h3]Germany[/h3]

• MiG-29G
  

[h3]China[/h3]

• JH-7A
  

[h2]Ground vehicles[/h2]
[h3]USA[/h3]

• T54E2 (Premium)
  
• M109A1
  

[h3]Germany[/h3]

• M109G
  

[h3]USSR[/h3]

• BTR-152D
  
• Object 775
  

[h3]Great Britain[/h3]

• Vickers Mk.11
  
• M109A1
  

[h3]Japan[/h3]

• Type 81 (C)
  

[h3]China[/h3]

• PLZ-83
  

[h3]Italy[/h3]

• M109G
  
• Leopard 40/70
  

[h3]France[/h3]

• M26
  
• AMX-10P
  

[h3]Sweden[/h3]

• Pbv-501
  

[h3]Israel[/h3]

• M109
  

[h2]Helicopters[/h2]
[h3]USA[/h3]

• MH-60L DAP
  

[h3]USSR[/h3]

• Mi-8AMTSh
  

[h3]Italy[/h3]

• AH-129D
  

[h3]France[/h3]

• Tiger HAD Block 2
  

[h2]Naval Fleet[/h2]
[h3]Germany[/h3]

• SMS Sachsen
  

[h3]USSR[/h3]

• Opytny
  

[h3]Great Britain[/h3]

• HMS Iron Duke (Pack)
  

[h3]Japan[/h3]

• IJN Yamashiro (Pack)
  

[h3]Italy[/h3]

• RN Conte di Cavour
  

[h3]France[/h3]

• La Combattante
  

• An Air RB mission [Operation] Southeastern City has been added, with support for all ranks and the following attributes: the location of ground forces depends on the rank of the battle; the location of bases depends on the rank of the battle; the number of possible base positions is increased.
  
• Flanders (for ground battles)
  

• The following missions have been removed:
  • [Conquest #3] Cargo port;
    
  • [Domination] Port Novorossiysk;
    
  • [Conquest #1, #2, #3] Fields of Normandy.
    
  • [Conquest #2, #3] Ash River
• The spawn points for ground vehicles and capture points in the following missions have been moved:
  • [Conquest #1, #3] Alaska
    
  • [Battle] Alaska
    
  • [Battle] Tunisia
    
  • [Domination #1] Tunisia
    
  • [Battle] Normandy
    
  • [Conquest #1, # 2, #3] Normandy
    
  • [Battle] Ardennes (Summer/Winter)
    
  • [Conquest #1, #2, #3] Fire arc
    
  • [Battle #1] Fire arc
    
  • [Domination #1] Fire arc
    
  • [Conquest #1, #3] Ground Zero
    
  • [Battle] Ground Zero
• The following missions have been changed so that the location of capture and spawn points does not differ between different game modes:
  • [Conquest #1, #2, #3] Port Novorossiysk
    
  • [Battle] Port Novorossiysk
    
  • [Battle] Normandy
    
  • [Conquest #1, #2, #3] Normandy
    
  • [Domination] Normandy
    
  • [Domination] Fields of Normandy
    
  • [Battle] Fields of Normandy
    
  • [Conquest #1, #2, #3] Ardennes (Summer/Winter)
    
  • [Domination #1, #2] Ardennes (Summer/Winter)
    
  • [Battle] Ardennes (Summer/Winter)
    
  • [Conquest #1, #2, #3] Fire arc
    
  • [Battle #1] Fire arc
    
  • [Domination #1] Fire arc
• The following new missions have been added:
  • [Battle #2] Tunisia — available for vehicles with a Battle Rating of 9.7 and higher.
    
  • [Domination #2] Tunisia — available for vehicles with a Battle Rating of 9.7 and higher.
    
  • [Battle #2] Port Novorossiysk — available for vehicles with a Battle Rating of 2.3 and higher.
    
  • [Battle #2] Fire Arc — available for vehicles with a Battle Rating of 9.7 and higher.
    
  • [Domination #2] Fire Arc — available for vehicles with a Battle Rating of 9.7 and higher.
• The behavior of all bushes has been changed. Now, they can be destroyed with machine gun fire so that you can clear them for better visibility. Video
  
• For the following Air RB missions;
  • [Operation] Pyrenees
    
  • [Operation] City
    
  • [Operation] Southeastern City
    
  • [Operation] Moscow
    
  • [Operation] Battle for the Rhine
    
  • [Operation] Battle for Spain
• The availability of airfields depending on the rank of the match has been changed:
  • Low ranked airfields: 1.0 to 3.3.
    
  • Medium ranked airfields: 3.7 to 6.7. In addition, the low ranked airfield is active as a repair airfield (no spawning, no anti-aircraft guns, but you can land for repairing and reloading).
    
  • High ranked airfields: 7.0 to 10.3. In addition, the medium ranked airfield is active as a repair airfield (no spawning, no anti-aircraft guns, but you can land for repairing and reloading).
    
  • Top ranked airfields: 10.7+. In addition, the high ranked airfield is available as a repair airfield (no spawning, no anti-aircraft guns, but you can land for repairs and reloading).
• In the following Air RB missions, the following attributes have been changed: the location of ground forces depends on the rank of the battle; the location of bases depends on the rank of the battle; the number of possible base positions is increased.
  • [Operation] Moscow
    
  • [Operation] Battle for the Rhine
    
  • [Operation] Battle for Spain
• In the following Air RB missions, ground units now depend on the rank of the battle:
  • [Operation] Golan Heights
    
  • [Operation] Battle for Vietnam
    
  • [Operation] Rocky Pillars
    
  • [Operation] Sinai
    
  • [Operation] Pyrenees
    
  • [Operation] City
    
  • [Operation] Southeastern City
    
  • [Operation] Moscow
    
  • [Operation] Battle for the Rhine
    
  • [Operation] Battle for Spain
    

• Merkava Mk.4 LIC — a Fireproof container for shells has been added near the engine. (Report)
  
• TKX (P) — holes in the gun mantlet have been covered with armor. (Report)
  
• Strv m/31 — the armor for the hull machine gun has been fixed. (Report)
  
• MEPHISTO — a bug that caused the small aiming circle to not be in the correct position outside of the bigger circle because of the ATGM drop when firing has been fixed.
  
• M735 — penetration has been recalculated to the Lanz-Odermatt formula.
  
• Mechanics for the separation of APFSDS shell casings has been added. The separated casing can travel up to 1km and penetrate thin armor, causing damage to lightly armored vehicles.
  
• APFSDS projectiles of 40mm and above received the new mechanics of physical shell casing detachments.
  
• Visual models for all projectiles with discarding sabots have been updated, models for high-explosive fin-stabilized projectiles have been updated, and a new model has been added for fin-stabilized projectiles of Western-type 90-120mm guns.
  
• Object 211 — the model has been updated and is now based on the prototype.
  
• LVT-4/40 — a bug where the exposed crew did not receive damage from napalm has been fixed.
  
• Leopard 2PL — the generation of thermal imagers used by the gunner and commander has been changed from second to third. (Report)
  
• Strf 9040 BILL — ATGM reload time has been reduced from 20 to 10 seconds. Adjusted to the reload time of other units with two ATGMs.
  
• M3 Bradley — ATGM reload time has been reduced from 15 to 10 seconds. Adjusted to the reload time of other units with two ATGMs.
  
• SPz 12-3 LGS — a bug with inaccurate display of automatic cannon ammunition when using researchable belts has been fixed.
  
• LAV-AD — the gunner’s sight magnification has been changed from 8-12x to 4-12x. Source: Thesis USN/USMC Antiair Warfare and Command, Control, and Communications for Amphibious Operations. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California.
• T-72B, T-72B (1989), T-90A, T-72B3 — lower plate armor is now displayed as variable thickness armor (composite armor).
  
• KV-1, KV-2 (1939), KV-2 (1940), KV-1 (ZiS-5), KV-1E, KV-IB, KV-2 (ZiS-6), KV II 754 (r) , KV I C 756 (r) — the engine speed has been increased from 1900 to 2000 RPM. (Report)
  
• Toldi IIA — extra armor plates on the front have had their armor thickness corrected. (Report)
  
• Turan III — the armor layout on the commander’s cupola has been fixed. (Report)
  
• AMX-13 (FL-11) — a bug where there was no delay between smoke grenade launcher salvo launches has been fixed.
  

[h2]Weaponry[/h2]

• R-60M — explosive type has been changed from TNT to Okfol. (Report)
  
• 30 mm Type 5 cannon — increased rate of fire from 450 rounds per minute to 500 rounds per minute. (Report)
  
• 30 mm Ho-155 cannon — increased rate of fire from 450 rounds per minute to 500 rounds per minute. (Report)
  
• Kh-29L, Kh-29T, Kh-29TD — the Explosive type has been changed from TG-40 to TGAF-5M.
  
• The 1600 lb armor-piercing AN-Mk 1 bomb has been added to the following aircraft: PBJ-1H, PBJ-1J, B-17G-60-VE, B-24D-25-CO, SB2U-2, SB2U-3, SBD-3, AM-1, AD-2, AD-4, B-26B, PBM-1, PBM-3.
  
• The 1000 lb A.P. AN-MK 33 bomb has been added to the following aircraft: B-17G-60-VE, SBD-3, TBF-1C, Avenger Mk.II, AD-2, AD-4.
  
• The 250 kg armor-piercing BRAB-250 bomb model 1943 has been added to the following aircraft: Pe-2-110, Pe-2-205, Pe-2-359, Tu-2S, Tu-2S-44, Tu-2S-59, IL-4, Yer-2 (ACh-30B) (r), Yer-2 (ACh-30B) (p).
  
• The 500 kg armor-piercing BRAB-500 bomb model 1943 has been added to the following aircraft: Pe-2-110, Pe-2-205, Pe-2-359, Tu-2S, Tu-2S-44, Tu-2S-59, IL-4 , Yer-2 (ACh-30B) (r), Yer-2 (ACh-30B) (p).
  
• The 1000 kg armor-piercing BRAB-1000 bomb model 1943 has been added to the following aircraft: Tu-2S, Tu-2S-44, Tu-2S-59, IL-4, Yer-2 (ACh-30B) (r), Yer-2 (ACh -30B) (p).
  
• The 500 lb armor-piercing S.A.P. Mk.II bomb has been added to the following aircraft: Swordfish Mk.I, Swordfish Mk.II. Whirlwind Mk.I, Wellington Mk.Ic, Wellington Mk.Ic/L, Wellington Mk.III, Wellington Mk.X, Typhoon Mk.Ib, Typhoon Mk.Ib/L, Tempest Mk.V, Sea Fury FB.11, Sunderland Mk. IIIa, Sunderland Mk.V, Mosquito FB.Mk.VI, Halifax B Mk.IIIa, Firebrand TF.Mk.IV, Blenheim Mk.IV, Beaufort Mk.VIII, Wyvern S.4, Hampden TB Mk.I.
  
• The 2000 lb armor-piercing A.P. Mk.I bomb has been added to the following aircraft: Wellington Mk.Ic, Wellington Mk.Ic/L, Wellington Mk.III, Wellington Mk.X, Halifax B Mk.IIIa, Firebrand TF.Mk.IV, Wyvern S.4, Hampden TB Mk.I.
  
• The 500kg armor-piercing bomb PC500 has been added to the following aircraft: Ju-87D-5, Ju-87D-3, Bf 110 G-2, Fw 190 F-8, He 177 A-5, Ju 188 A-2, Do 217 E-2, Ju 88 A-4, Ju 88 A-1, Fw 200 C-1.
  
• The 1000kg armor-piercing bomb PC1000 has been added to the following aircraft: He 111 H-6, Ju-87D-3, Bf 110 G-2, Fw 190 F-8, He 177 A-5, Ju 188 A-2, Do 217 E-2, Me 264, Ju 88 A-4, Ju 88 A-1, Fw 200 C-1.
  
• The 1600kg armor-piercing bomb PC1600 has been added to the following aircraft: He 177 A-5, Ju 188 A-2, Me 264.
  
• The 800kg armor-piercing bomb Type 99 Number 80 has been added to the following aircraft: G8N1
  
• A calculation and display of a launch range against a maneuvering target has been implemented. The list of missiles that have had the display of launch range against a maneuvering target added includes: R-27R, R-27T, R-27ER, R-27ET, R-60, R-60M, R-73, AIM-7F, AIM-7M, AIM-9L, AIM-9M.
• Display enabled on fire control systems with radars: H010, H010M, H019, H019E, AN/AWG-9, AN/APG-66, AN/APG-68, AN/APG-65Q, Thales RDY.

[h2]Other[/h2]

• MiG-15 — the ability to drop bombs separately has been removed. (Source: MiG-15bis aircraft. Technical Description. Book 2 - Armament. 1953)
  
• A21A-3 — the sequence of firing the m/51 and m/49B rockets has been fixed. (Report)
  
• Tornado F.3 — a bug that caused the radar display to show on the RWR display in the cockpit instruments has been fixed. (Report)
  
• Fw 190 F-8 — the sequence of firing the Pb2 rockets has been fixed. (Report)
  
• La-5 — the ability to drop bombs separately has been removed.
  
• LaGG-3 — the ability to drop bombs separately has been removed.
  
• SB2C-5 — a bug that made it impossible to use 500lb bombs even when the 500lb bomb modification was unlocked has been fixed. (Report)
  
• Bf 109F, G (series) — a bug that caused a 20 mm MG 151 cannon to be equipped on the wing when selecting bombs has been fixed. (Report)
  
• Mi-24V (Hungary) — the number of Countermeasures has been reduced from 192 to 128. (Report)
  
• F-100D (France) — a FFAR pod has been added to the left wing. (Report)
  
• Mi-24P — the GUV-8700 gunpod has been added.
  
• Hunter F.58 — the ability to equip a single Drop tank has been removed.
  
• UH-1D — a bug that caused a single TDA 68 rocket to be shown in the TDA 68 pod has been fixed.
  
• Po-2, Po-2M — the sequence of firing rockets has been adjusted.
  
• A-7E — RWR type changed from AN/APR-25 to AN/ALR-45. A bug that caused the Zuni and FFAR rocket pods to overlap each other has been fixed.
  
• F-4J Phantom II, F-4S Phantom II — RWR type changed from AN-APR-25 to AN/ALR-45(V).
  
• A-5C, Jaguar GR.1A — a bug that caused countermeasures not to fire has been fixed.
  
• AH-64 (all nations), AH Mk.1, YAH-64 — scope magnification changed from 126x to 63.5x.
  
• F-84G-26-RE (France) — AN/APG-30 radar has been added.
  
• I-153 — the ability to use 4 x FAB-50 bombs has been removed. (Source: aircraft I-153. Technical description. Book one. OBORONGIZ-TSAGI 1940).
  
• JA37D — for the BOL rail, the countermeasure type has been changed from large to standard.
  
• B-57B — AN/APS-54 RWR has been added. (Source: T.O. 1B-57B-1 Flight Handbook B-57B aircraft).
  
• PBJ-1H, PBJ-1J — 3 x 1000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs and a 1 x 2000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb have been added.
  
• F7F3 — a 1 x 2000 lb AN-M66A2 bomb, an additional 1000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb and 1000 lb Mk 13 Mod 0 proximity mines have been added.
  
• Tzefa B — a bug that caused this helicopter to not have magnification for its optics has been fixed, with the magnification 2.0x-13x being added.
  
• F-104J — the number of air-to-air missiles that can be carried has increased from 4 to 6.
  
• Yak-38, Yak-38M — the possibility to launch unguided rockets with the landing gear down has been limited. The ability to drop bombs separately has been removed. The number of OFAB-100-120 bombs that can be used on the MBD2-67U bomb rack has been reduced from 4 to 3.
  
• MiG-29SMT — the external fuel tank has been replaced with a 2000 liter external fuel tank. A modification (“UV-5-08”) has been added that allows the installation of additional large caliber countermeasure blocks.
  
• MiG-21PFM — the UB-32 pod has been removed from the aircraft’s armament. (Source: Mig-21PFM Aircraft Operating Instructions No. GK-194).
  
• Mirage 2000-5F, Mirage 2000D-R1 — the ECLAIR countermeasures systems has been replaced with the Eclair M system, the number of countermeasures has been increased from 90 to 168 for Mirage 2000-5F and from 118 to 196 rounds for Mirage 2000D-R1.
  
• F-4E, Kurnass, F-4EJ, F-4EJ ADTWD, F-4F, F-4F Late, Phantom FG.1, Phantom 2 FGR.2, F-4J, F-4JK— a ballistic computer system has been added to the cannons, which display the sight lead marker on the HUD, in the cockpit and in 3rd person view when the target is captured by aircraft sensors.
  

[h2]Secondary weapon customization added to aircraft:[/h2]

• Saab J35D, F-82E, SBD-3, Swordfish Mk.I, Swordfish Mk.II.

[h2]Naval weaponry:[/h2]

• RN Duca degli Abruzzi — a bug that made it possible to use extra torpedoes without reloading has been fixed.
  

[h2]Naval characteristics, physics and damage model:[/h2]

• Emile Bertin — the size and location of the radio room has been fixed, and the intersection of the conning tower module with armor has been fixed. The turrets and traverse bulk armor thicknesses have been fixed.
  
• SMS Kaiser — armor thicknesses have been corrected: turrets, stern armored deck, barbettes. The dimensions of the magazine compartments for the main battery have been corrected.
  
• Chapaev — a bug that caused the forward part of the left side armor belt to not be displayed has been fixed.
  
• HMS Leopard — the dimensions of the forwardmost crew compartment have been reduced, as it was clipping through the side of the ship’s hull.
  
• IJN Kurama — a bug that caused the dimensions of the coal bunkers to be incorrectly calculated has been fixed.
  

• USS Des Moines — moved to Rank V.
  

• The ability to collapse/expand the action bar in battle has been added.
  

Added a “Skill Bonus” to Research Points, which is awarded at the end of a mission depending on the player’s opponents destroyed. In air and ground battles, the target indicator is the number of destroyed vehicles controlled by players or system named bots; in naval battles, the target indicator is the total damage to naval targets. The bonus is calculated from the base RP (excluding boosters, premium account, talismans) and differs depending on the game mode in the size of the bonus and the requirement for the target indicator. More details surrounding this mechanic will be released in a Roadmap news soon.

• Air Arcade Battles:
  • 3-5 opponents: +15%;
    
  • 6-9 opponents: +40%;
    
  • 10+ opponents: +100%.
• Air Realistic Battles:
  • 2 opponents: +35%;
    
  • 3 opponents: +75%;
    
  • 4+ opponents: +100%.
• Ground Arcade and Realistic Battles:
  • 3-5 opponents: +15%;
    
  • 6-8 opponents: +50%;
    
  • 9+ opponents: +100%.
• Ground Simulation Battles:
  • 3-4 opponents: +20%;
    
  • 5-7 opponents: +50%;
    
  • 8+ opponents: +100%.
• Naval Arcade and Realistic Battles:
  • 6500-9999 damage: +20%;
    
  • 10000-14999 damage: +45%;
    
  • 15000+ damage: +100%.
• In Naval Battles, the statistics table has been updated so that the number of damage points awarded for shooting at coastal vessels has been increased. The total damage points awarded for destroying a coastal vessel have been increased from 1,200 to 2,200, making it equal to the number of damage points for destroying a bluewater ship. This statistic is used for Battle Tasks, as well as for unlocking ship camouflage, decorations, decals, and flags. As a result, progress towards earning these rewards will be faster when destroying coastal vessels.
  

• In the event of fires or the destruction of fuel tanks on naval vessels, there is now a visual effect of leaking fuel that burns on the water.
  
• When fuel tanks on naval vessels are destroyed, a visual effect of fuel leakage occurs.
  
• The visual effect of fuel leaks and fires on ground vehicles has been improved.
  
• Added the effect of the hook touching the deck of an aircraft carrier.
  
• The visual effect of the steam catapult on aircraft carriers has been improved.
  
• Added a visual effect of a cumulative jet directed downward when hitting vehicles using shells with this detonation feature.
  
• A bug where there was no connection between an active smoke grenade and its visual effect has been fixed.
  

• Crews of Israeli ground vehicles have received a new voiceover.
  
• The crews of Finnish ground vehicles received updated voice acting. Previous inaccuracies and errors were corrected.
  
• Added sounds of incoming artillery marker shells, different from the sounds of incoming artillery shells.
  

While you’re waiting for the Kings of Battle major update to install, we’re going to be talking about some of the new features and mechanics that have arrived alongside this update that you might have missed. Let’s take a look!

[h2]Armor-piercing bombs for several aircraft![/h2]
A new type of bomb has been added to several aircraft: Armor-Piercing bombs! Historically, this bomb was specifically designed to destroy fortified targets, such as ships, bunkers, coastal defense structures and so on. Due to its different design and principle of fuze operation, armor-piercing bombs detonate after penetrating a certain armor thickness. In the game, these bombs are effective in destroying larger ship compartments that may include magazine storage areas, fuel tanks and engine rooms, which are usually protected by an armored deck.

The full list of armor-piercing bombs that have been added to several aircraft is in the major changelog, click here to see them.



[h2]Damage from separated discarding sabot![/h2]
Discarding sabot is an important part of APFSDS and APDS shells, as it transfers the necessary kinetic energy to the core dart, and is often made of hard metals. Therefore in this update, we’ve completely modeled discarding sabot! This means that when firing an APFSDS or APDS round, discarding sabot can travel up to 1km and penetrate thin armor, kind of like buckshot from a shotgun. This can be handy when firing at light targets where the core dart flies through an empty part of a light tank — pieces of discarding sabot may also penetrate and hit important module parts, or even scrape a crew member and knock them out. Check out the video below of this new mechanic!



[h2]Improving “Fire and Forget” missile guidance![/h2]
Previously, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) with the “fire and forget” principle targeted the center of a tank silhouette — as a result, these missiles often failed to hit critical components. In this major update, we’ve introduced a small aiming error, which will increase the likelihood of these missiles hitting other important internal components located near the center of a ground vehicle.



[h2]Multi-Functional HMD for F-16 jets![/h2]
Thanks to your feedback, we’ve introduced a highly sophisticated and detailed Multi-function Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) system called the JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System) which is used on the F-16C Block 50 and F-16D Block 40 (Barak II).

Now, a HMD can be activated using a dedicated button and doesn’t just activate automatically during missile launches, and capability for radar cueing through the helmet system has been added. A HMD will provide you with information such as current G-Forces, indicated airspeed, line of sight heading, line of sight (the crosshair), the current designated ground target, altitude in feet and the direction of infrared homing for air-to-air missiles (if the indicator is crossed out, the IR seeker is out of the HMD display).

A HMD also displays information about the onboard radiation warning system, which includes the name of the radiating source, the direction to the source indicated by a diamond, and the line of sight relative to the aircraft, shown as a missing arc on a circle. In addition to this, you can now stabilize the targeting system by simply looking at a ground target and pressing your key. These are the best electronics for those of you who love the F-16, and we hope you’ll appreciate them!

• 1. Radar Warning System source signal:
  
  • name of the vehicle.
    
  • signal direction — diamond.
    
  • view positioning — a gap in the circle.
    
• 2. Current G-force.
  
• 3. Indicated air speed, kn.
  
• 4. View direction.
  
• 5. Crosshair.
  
• 6. Acquired target (when strikethrough — the target is out the HMD).
  
• 7. Altitude, ft.
  
• 8. Seeker direction (when strikethrough — the seeker is out of the HMD).
  

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Dear players!

On October 31st, from 08:00 GMT, the War Thunder game servers may be unavailable due to the release of the “Kings of Battle” major update.

We apologize for any inconvenience experienced.

This new top Italian Battleship, the RN Conte di Cavour, will join the ranks of the mightiest ships within the Bluewater fleet. Meet one of the most interesting ships in the “Kings of Battle” major update!

[h2]RN Conte di Cavour: A Battleship for Italy at Rank VI[/h2]

Features:

• 320 mm caliber artillery.
  
• Good air defense.
  
• Comparatively weak armor.
  

[h2]Meet RN Conte di Cavour![/h2]

This brand-new flagship battleship will join Italy's Bluewater fleet and interestingly is a participant in both World Wars. Featuring a decent arsenal in the form of its main caliber cannon that can fire armor-piercing shells, as well as effective air defense weapons, which are lacking on so many other ships constructed near to the First World War period. Let’s dive into the details!

[h3]

Interesting: Battleship RN Conte di Cavour was named in honor of Count Camillo-Benso di Cavour, the first Prime Minister of Italy.

[/h3]



When the RN Conte di Cavour arrives in the game, it’ll be a ship for the more skillful players — it’ll rarely forgive mistakes, but with competent use, it’ll be a team leader both in the number of destroyed enemies and the amount of support provided. What are its main caliber weapons? The familiar Duilio 320mm GK. These guns do not have the best characteristics in rate of fire or in caliber, but having said this, its fire rate of 21 shells per minute is competitive enough! In addition to this, armor-piercing shells can also be used, which are comparable to the early 14" (356 mm) ammunition of the Japanese Imperial Navy, providing you with fantastic capabilities in duels at any range of battle. Its main caliber weapons are complemented with auxiliary batteries in the form of six twin barrel turrets with 135mm guns, with 3 per side.



Moving onto the armor and survivability of the RN Conte di Cavour, which is a bit on the weaker side. The most protected part of the armored belt is located below the waterline — there, the armor is 250 mm thick, while above water, the side is protected by two belts of 220 and 130 mm of armor. The turret armor is better — 280 mm in the area of the frontal part and up to 240 mm at the sides. In terms of crew, the Conte di Cavour has a crew of just 1,280 people, which is a decent enough amount!



What other strengths does the RN Conte di Cavour have? Its anti-aircraft capabilities shine. These guns can fire at enemy aircraft with 135 mm high-explosive shells that contain remote fuzes for longer ranges. This ship’s second line of defense is in the form of 10 x 65 mm Ansaldo-Terni rapid-firing guns located on single mounts, which may be familiar to those of you who use the RN Etna light cruiser. Against low altitude aircraft attacks, 20 mm Breda cannons with a total of 31 barrels is great for additional protection. For such a battleship, these additional weapons are a big plus, as it allows it to survive air attacks when not amongst allied ships. In addition to this, we’d like to note that the EC3/ter Gufo radar is on this ship, which helps to detect any threat from the air.



[h3]

In your matches: Pro-tips when using the RN Conte di Cavour by Igor, Naval Game Designer: “In my opinion, the RN Conte di Cavour should not be considered as a pure representative of the Battleship class — in terms of characteristics, it’s closer to the Kronshtadt or USS Alaska. Don’t engage enemies from the very beginning of the battle and don’t stop at nearest islands. Keep maximum distance, maneuver and concentrate on the use of armor-piercing shells of the main caliber guns and putting auxiliary caliber guns with automatic control. Use HE-TF for the 135mm guns — in duels against battleships, it’s unlikely to help, but this type of shell significantly enhances anti-aircraft and anti-coastal boat potential!”

[/h3]



Coming in based on its historical design, in which it never had the chance to see combat,
Battleship RN Conte di Cavour will appear in the game at rank VI of the Italian Bluewater Fleet with the release of the “Kings of Battle” major update. Until then, enjoy your matches and see you soon!

We loved seeing pictures of your customized vehicles that you shared with us last week! Custom camouflages are uploaded all the time on the official site. Feel free to wander and search when your favorite vehicle needs a new appearance! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 91st edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen91. You have time until 03.11.2023 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 the colors black or orange.
You must add the #WTscreen91 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
• 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 90th edition - Masters of Art![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3060386154
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3056368642
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058082175

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058995100
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3060450719
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058511820

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