War Thunder News

Happy Halloween! The spooky season is upon us, and this year we’ve introduced a variety of activities and pumpkin decal rewards. Take part in tank races through spooky places and aircraft races with “Night Witch” aircraft which are returning this Halloween. New decals have been added to the already familiar decals in the Dead Man’s Chest trophy — including four pumpkins, specially carved for the occasion.

[h2]Halloween Activities This Season [/h2]

When: From October 25th (11:00 GMT) until November 1st (07:00 GMT).

[h3]Carved Pumpkin Decals![/h3]

Our team of pumpkin carvers have carved these magnificent War Thunder pumpkin decals ready for you to display on your vehicles. Check out the requirements for obtaining each one below!






[h3]Decals in the Dead Man’s Chest[/h3]
The Dead Man’s Chest and Witch’s Cauldron trophies are once again available to purchase in the in-game shop! In them, you’ll be able to get Halloween decorations and decals from previous Halloween events.

[h3]Ground event: “Through the dark forest”[/h3]
Take part in fast-paced races through creepy places in the spooky M18 “Witch” tank! Those who earn 300 rating points will receive the unique “Carved Turret Drive Pumpkin” decal.

[h3]Air event: “Witch Hunt”[/h3]
Welcome to the dangerous Po-2 “Night Witch” aircraft race! Her path lies between rocks and is full of dangers. If you manage to survive and earn 300 rating points, the “Carved Flame Pumpkin” decal will be added to your collection!

Make sure to earn those rating points, as 1,000 pilots with the highest rating at the end of the air event will be awarded with the Po-2 (USSR) aircraft. This aircraft will be added to your account within 48 hours after the event ends. You can track your rating by clicking on the “Award” button in the “Events” window. The update time of the table can take up to 15 minutes.

[h3]Get the other Carved Pumpkin Decals![/h3]
You can get the “Carved Engine Pumpkin” decal by simply playing 3 battles with any vehicle at rank III or higher with an activity of at least 70% during the event. To get the “Carved Crew Pumpkin” decal, keep an eye on our social media accounts, as we’ll publish the code to get it on there!

Happy Halloween, have fun racing and have a fantastic spooooooky holiday!

Welcome to a special event dedicated to the 12th anniversary of War Thunder! In this event, you can get a trophy with nice bonuses, decals and a decoration, as well as the main reward, the KV-7! This is an experimental Soviet heavy vehicle from the Second World War.

From November 1st (11:00 GMT) until November 13th (11:00 GMT), earn mission points in Ground Battles, unlock stages and receive rewards!

[h2]KV-7 — A Premium Tank Destroyer for the USSR at Rank III[/h2]

The KV-7 is an experimental tank destroyer featuring three, yes three, guns on the chassis of the KV-1 heavy tank! This vehicle was developed in 1941, and one of its unique aspects is the U-13 gun system that features a 76 mm gun plus a pair of 45 mm guns on either side. Inheriting excellent armor, the KV-7 can take effective APHE shells with a decent amount of explosives into battle, familiar from the T-34-76 series of tanks. The premium KV-7 will be an excellent addition to low-rank lineups and will help speed up research of the Soviet ground forces tree from ranks I to IV!



Amongst the rewards in the event is also this chest, where, when opened, brings the chance to receive one of the following items:

• 50,000 - 100,000 Silver Lions
  
• Silver Lion and Research Point boosters
  
• Random Wagers and Orders
  
• Universal Backups (1 - 3)
  
• A random camouflage for a vehicle you own
  
• 1 day of Premium Account
  

[h2]How to get all rewards[/h2]

Each stage can be obtained for 35,000 mission points, where every new stage obtained will give you a new reward.

Please note: After finishing a stage, you need to collect the reward manually. To do this, click on your name in-game, go to “Dreams Come True: KV-7” and click the “Get Reward” button.

You’re able to earn mission points in Ground Battles at Rank III or above in Arcade, Realistic and Simulator Battles. The number of mission points to complete a stage depends on the game mode and the maximum Rank of the vehicle that you use in battle. There’s a multiplier for earning mission points, which is shown in the task description in-game.

You can also earn mission points by using event vehicles that are Rank I and II. Event vehicles that can be used have the name of the event that they were obtainable in on their stat card.

Stages change every two days at 11:00 GMT on November 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th.

Rewards are given when you complete a specific number of stages:

• For 1 Stage: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 2 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 3 Stages: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 4 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 5 Stages: “Three-barreled experimental assault rifle” decoration
  
• For 6 Stages: the premium KV-7
  

You can track the progress of completing stages by clicking on your Nickname > Achievements > Dreams Come True: KV-7. If you don’t manage to complete a stage on time or would like to purchase a stage, until November 18th from the Achievements window, you can purchase each stage with Golden Eagles which will give you the corresponding rewards.

Today we’re taking a look at the F-117A stealth aircraft that’s coming to War Thunder in the Firebirds major update as a new squadron vehicle!

[h2]F-117A: A Squadron Vehicle Strike Aircraft for the USA at Rank VI[/h2]
At a glance:

• Reduced radar and IR seeker signature!
  
• Air-to-surface guided weapons.
  
• No guns at all.
  
• No countermeasures.
  
• Subsonic.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
The F-117A Nighthawk program began in the United States in the 1970s, under pressure from the high performance of Soviet anti-aircraft missiles in Vietnam and the Middle East. The U.S. Air Force and DARPA conducted classified research into stealth combat aircraft, with Lockheed being awarded a contract to develop the project. The first F-117A prototype made its maiden flight in 1981. Officially accepted into service in 1983, the aircraft remained classified for a long time. Between 1988 and 1995, the F-117A was upgraded under the OCIP II program, receiving an improved cockpit with digital displays and more sophisticated flight control systems.

Being the world’s first stealth aircraft, the F-117A Nighthawk took part in several operations, including the invasion of Panama, the Gulf War, as well as combat operations against Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
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[h2]Meet the F-117A Nighthawk![/h2]

A quite unusual aircraft is coming to the game in the Firebirds major update, and that’s the F-117A Nighthawk! This is an American strike aircraft joining the game as a squadron vehicle and will also be the first aircraft in War Thunder to feature stealth technology. Let’s have a closer look!

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Visually stunning, the F-117A is a highly specialized aircraft that was supposed to perform a very limited number of combat missions, but perform them better than any other aircraft. When the enemy has modern anti-aircraft systems, radar stations and IR missiles, the best chance of mission success is when the aircraft being used remains undetected for as long as possible.

Did you know? During Operation Desert Storm, the F-117A flew over 1,200 sorties and suffered zero aircraft losses.



To reduce radar visibility, the Nighthawk is made with as few protruding elements as possible. The geometry of the fuselage and wing is formed by flat panels placed in a special way to help reflect electromagnetic waves away from the radiation source. In addition to this, the F-117A uses radar-absorbing materials and ferromagnetic paint, and the engine nozzles are hidden by complex shielding mechanisms!

So, will the F-117A’s real-life stealth aspects help in War Thunder? Yep! In-game, this aircraft will have a significantly smaller IR and radar signature compared to aircraft of the same size. In practice, this will mean anti-aircraft vehicles will detect the Nighthawk at a much shorter distance than conventional aircraft, plus anti-aircraft and air-to-air missiles will have a trickier time locking onto it. In Ground Battles, this means when you spawn in with the F-117A, you’ll have more opportunities to drop weapons closer to ground targets, hit them, and return to the airfield without even being noticed.



Important to note: Stealth does not prevent detection entirely, it only makes it harder for aircraft to be detected.

Being stealthy is cool n’ all, but what about weapons? The F-117A has no machine guns or cannons whatsoever. It also has no air-to-air missiles and no countermeasures, meaning it’s completely unsuitable in any sort of air combat engagement. Being a dedicated stealth attack aircraft, the F-117A can only use a variety of bombs which are located in an internal bay, however only two can be carried at once. To get into the specifics, the F-117A can launch high-precision weapons, including laser guided bombs such as the GBU-12, GBU-16, GBU-10, GBU-27 and satellite bombs such as the GBU-31 and GBU-38. In addition to these laser-guided bombs, the F-117A can also carry conventional bombs with aiming assisted by a ballistic computer.



Interesting: Only one F-117A has ever been shot down, occurring in March 1999 during the Kosovo War. The man responsible, Zoltán Dani and the F-117A pilot who was shot down, Dale Zelko, met after the incident and are now friends. The wreckage of Zelko’s F-117A is now at the Belgrade Aviation Museum.

As for performance, the F-117A is quite difficult to control, is subsonic and in general does not boast any outstanding flight characteristics. Due to its very specific role and somewhat poor flight performance, the F-117A will be at rank VI with a fairly low Battle Rating when the Firebirds major update is released. Ultimately, this is a special aircraft with special capabilities, making it a suitable squadron vehicle. And just like other squadron vehicles in War Thunder, the F-117A can be yours by collecting enough squadron activity points or purchasing it outright with Golden Eagles if you’d prefer.



Intrigued? That’s it for today, but there’s still a lot more to come. Keep an eye on our website for more dev blogs coming soon to the Firebirds major update. See you around and have fun!

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

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The next major update for War Thunder — 'Firebirds'!

The “big fin” gets an upgrade with the Tornado GR.4! Today, we’ll be taking a look at this new top rank British strike aircraft that will let you rain Hellfire (or in this case Brimstone) down on your opponents!

[h2]Tornado GR.4: A Strike Aircraft for Great Britain at Rank VIII[/h2]
At a glance:

• A modernized Tornado GR.1 with more advanced ordnance.
  
• Improved LITENING targeting pod with Gen 2 thermals.
  
• Equipped with Dual-Mode Brimstone (SAL) Semi-Active Laser guided precision weapons and Paveway IV!
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
Tornado GR.4 was born from experience gathered in the 1990s from the Gulf War. Lessons learned from Operation Granby coupled with the need for more advanced and sophisticated weapons lead at the time to an extensive upgrade program beginning in 1996 by Panavia for the RAF. An all-weather and Night flight capability was added to the aircraft, allowing it to operate in all conditions and at any time, with Night Vision Goggles (NVG) for the crews. Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) was added under the aircraft, replacing one of the 27mm Mauser cannons. A host of new weaponry was introduced and integrated, including more advanced countermeasure pods and sophisticated air-to-ground smart munitions like Paveway IV with GPS guidance, Storm Shadow cruise missiles and Brimstone missiles all became part of the Tornados expanded arsenal.

GR.4s were used extensively in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya, accounting for most RAF strike operations and taking over many duties from the Harrier after its retirement in 2010. The famous WW2 “Dambuster” 617 Squadron, made famous by its raids with the Lancaster, was among the units to utilize this aircraft in combat. Tornado GR.4s were still flying operational combat missions just a few months before their retirement, taking part in Operation Shader and conducting precision strikes, reconnaissance and other mission roles. The Tornado was retired entirely from Royal Air Force service in March of 2019, with its role being taken over jointly by both F-35B and Typhoon FGR.4s upgraded to carry existing Tornado GR.4 air-to-ground weaponry. 
[/expand]

[h2]Meet the Tornado GR.4![/h2]

The Tornados are staple strike aircraft for many higher rank ground battle lineups, but you’ll most definitely want to be adding this one to your British roster! The Tornado GR.4 is a modernized Tornado GR.1, trading one 27 mm cannon away to gain a host of gameplay improvements and some deadly new weapons for its arsenal. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect!  



Equipped with FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) under its nose and more powerful RB199 Mk 103 engines compared to the 101 of the GR.1, the GR.4 improves just about every aspect of its predecessor. The impressive array of traditional Tornado bombs and guided bomb payload remains, but with some welcomed improvements. Mainly in the form of the LITENING targeting pod, featuring better resolution and thermal generation and also with Paveway IV and EGBU-24B Paveway III smart bombs. These munitions feature combined GPS and laser guidance and allow you to drop precision ordnance on a fixed point without putting your aircraft too much in harm’s way. 

Did you know?  RAF Tornado GR.4s alone amassed over 30,000 flying hours using the LITENING III targeting pod. RAF GR.4s can be used for photo reconnaissance as well as strike roles utilizing LITENING III. 



Besides this, the Tornado GR.4 will also introduce a brand new type of air-to-ground missile to the game in the form of Dual-Mode Brimstone (SAL)! This precision missile in its Semi-Active Laser mode will behave like a much more advanced Hellfire in game, but with more range. The Tornado GR.4 also carries an impressive number of nine alongside its targeting pod all on its centerline stations.

Developer comment: We’d like to mention that Brimstone will only have semi-active laser homing (SAL) mode in the game. The fire and forget mode and the active radar homing seeker will not be available for a few reasons. The primary reason is that this seeker utilizes the “lock-on after launch (LOAL)” mode, this mode allows the weapon to be fired in the general area of a target without needing any direct line of sight to the target from the operator, who can remain at long range in complete safety without any need to expose themselves during every stage of attack.

We feel weapons that can be used outside of the direct line of sight of the target without needing any preliminary reconnaissance or direct user targeting are not currently workable for the game. Weapons such as Brimstone, AGM-114L cause a particular problem and similarly to other ATGMs that have lock after launch modes like the Spike and AJ.168 will not have such abilities in the game.

These weapon types present several issues all at once, they require no challenge to use effectively and have no counterplay options for those being attacked. The attacker can operate outside of the range of any anti-air system in the game, Brimstone is also immune to smoke, so this won’t help either.

ARH modes for air-to-ground weapons won’t be workable until natural and artificial interference to these guidance systems can be implemented, as there are no electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare systems in the game. Adding these weapons now would allow them to operate perfectly without any counter, which we don’t want to do. Additionally, in closer combat zone sizes like our tank battles, ATGMs with ARH cannot distinguish between allied and enemy targets, and this would lead to a large amount of accidental teamkills as well.

For self defense, the Tornado GR.4 features two AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles and a pilot Helmet Mounted Display. Should you find yourself in the firing line, you can also rely on the upgraded Terma pod, which features MAWs and countermeasures. All of these new toys do however come at the cost of the loss of one 27 mm cannon on the GR.4, but we think you will agree that’s a worthwhile tradeoff!



The Tornado GR.4 will be taking to the skies in the next major update for War Thunder! We hope you will enjoy this upgraded British strike aircraft. That’s all for now, but be sure to stay tuned to the news for more information on what to expect in the upcoming Major Update!

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