War Thunder News

The export version of the F-16A jet-fighter designed for Japan Air Self-Defense Force comes as the first 4th gen aircraft in the Japanese tech tree.

[h2]F-16AJ, jet fighter, Japan, rank VIII[/h2]
Features:

• Superior flight characteristics
  
• AIM-7F Sparrow air-to-air missiles
  
• Multirole capabilities
  

In the “Sky Guardians” War Thunder update, Japan is getting a new top-tier 4th generation jet fighter, an export version of the magnificent F-16A, one of the best aircraft in the game. In service with the Japanese tech tree, the F-16AJ is capable of equipping the Sparrow missiles, which the Block 10 versions do not have, as well as air-to-surface armament , which is not available on the F-16A ADF interceptor modification.

First of all, we would like to be clear on the reasons for adding the F-16AJ to the game, whilst there are massive suggestions from players to add the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter-bomber to the Japanese tech tree. Indeed, the F-2, which is a 4++ generation aircraft, will appear in the game along with comparable aircraft from other nations. However, at the moment, adding the F-2 to the game is not possible due to its significant superiority in the quality of radar equipment and far more advanced air-to-air missiles. At the same time, to date, Japan remained the only gaming nation lacking a 4th generation aircraft. Therefore, when choosing between forcing Japanese aviation enthusiasts to wait for the Viper Zero a few major updates, or giving Japan a 4th generation aircraft now, we chose the second option. We hope you support our decision!



So, the F-16AJ is the cover-boy of the promo brochures, an elegant modern fighter with its own unique camouflage. The aircraft merges the advantages of all modifications of the F-16A series in War Thunder. In addition to late modifications of short-range Sidewinder missiles, the Japanese F-16AJ is capable of carrying AIM-7F Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missiles into battle. At the same time, the F-16AJ is ready for any fire mission on the ground - from 4 x 2,000 bombs for wiping bases in air battles, to rocket pods and AGM-65B Maverick missiles for crack-opening any type of armored vehicles in mixed battles.



The F-16AJ is undoubtedly one of the best aircraft in War Thunder. The new Japanese bird of prey will be waiting for her pilots in the next major game update. Stay tuned for the news to be the first to know about other news! See you soon!

[h3]For the whole month, you will have 8 tasks available to you one by one. Completion of each task will award you with a trophy containing a reward, while completing all tasks will award you with a unique in-game player icon.[/h3]

A detailed description of the current task as well as your overall progress can be found by clicking on your nickname → Achievements → Pages of History

[h2]Reward for completing all 8 tasks[/h2]

[h3]Reginald Mitchell[/h3]
A British aircraft designer that created 24 aircraft, including the fastest seaplanes of the era: for his work on them he was awarded the CBE. When he was only 38, he led the development of the Supermarine Spitfire, which became a legend and a symbol of the Royal Air Force during World War II.

You can immediately purchase the profile icon for Golden Eagles until April 3rd, 11:30 GMT without completing tasks. Click Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History (March).

[h2]Trophy reward for each task[/h2]
Completion of each individual task will bring you a trophy with one of the following rewards:

• 20-50% RP booster for 3-10 battles;
  
• 20-50% SL booster for 3-10 battles;
  
• 3-5 universal backup vehicles;
  
• 1 day of premium account;
  
• A random camouflage for ground vehicles (out of the selection of camouflages currently obtainable in game for completing tasks, or purchasing with Golden Eagles).
  

[h2]Other terms[/h2]

• Tasks are available from 11:00 GMT until 11:30 GMT on the final day of each task.
  
• Tasks can be completed in random battles, except for “Assault” mode.
  

[h2]March 1st — March 4th[/h2]
[h3]Battle of the Bismarck Sea[/h3]
In early March of 1943 Japan undertook a risky operation to relocate some of its troops from Rabaul to Lae in Papua New Guinea. The Allies have decrypted the Japanese messages and created a plan to intercept the convoy. On March 2nd through to the 4th, the combined air forces of the USA and Australia bombed the Japanese ships, destroying most of them.

[h2]March 5th — March 8th[/h2]
[h3]Supermarine Spitfire first flight[/h3]
On March 5th, 1936, the Supermarine Spitfire took its maiden flight. It was one of the most iconic aircraft of WWII. During the Battle for Britain Spitfires weren't as numerous as Hurricanes, but were evenly matched against the German Bf 109. Afterwards Spitfires were widely used in the European, Mediterranean, and Pacific theatres.

[h2]March 9th — March 12th[/h2]
[h3]Pskov operation[/h3]
On March 9th, 1944, the Red Army began an offensive to encircle the Wehrmacht's forces under Pskov and liberate the city. They were met with fierce resistance, and only managed to push the front line back 13 km; Pskov wasn't retaken until late July.

[h2]March 13th — March 16th[/h2]
[h3]Operation Undertone[/h3]
In mid March of 1945, the American and French forces were storming well-defended fortifications in West Germany. In 16 days of the Operation the Allies managed to get from Saarbrücken to Karlsruhe, capturing the entire west bank of the Rhine.

[h2]March 16th — March 19th[/h2]
[h3]Vienna operation[/h3]
On March 16th, 1945, the strategic offensive to capture the capital of Austria by Soviet and Bulgarian forces began. It took three weeks to get to Vienna and another week of urban warfare: the offensive ended with Soviet victory, and over 100,000 German soldiers were captured.

[h2]March 20th — March 23rd[/h2]
[h3]Battle of Karameh[/h3]
After the Six Days War of 1967, the Palestine Liberation Organization led by Yasser Arafat retreated from the West Bank to the East Bank of the Jordan river into the Jordanian town of Karameh, and continued attacks on Israel from there. On March 21st, 1968, the Israeli Army retaliated, destroying the town and pushing PLO forces further back into Jordan. The Israeli took heavier than expected losses due to the involvement of Jordanian Army that took PLO's side in the conflict. As a result, both sides claimed victory.

[h2]March 23rd — March 26th[/h2]
[h3]Battle of El Guettar[/h3]
On March 23rd, 1943 a battle began near the town of El Guettar, Tunisia. After beating the Americans at the Kasserine Pass, the Axis forces expected another easy victory over inexperienced enemies. But, whilst German tanks were halted by a minefield, they were showered with fire from artillery and tank destroyers, suffering major losses. Still, as the Allies went into counteroffensive mode, they were met with the same countermeasures. The battle ended in a stalemate.

[h2]March 27th— March 31st[/h2]
[h3]Battle of Cape Matapan[/h3]
On March 27th to 29th, 1941, Italian and British navies battled near Cape Matapan in Southern Greece. The British, having deciphered the Italian naval code, knew beforehand of the enemy's numbers, trained in advance for night combat, and took the foes by surprise. As a result the Italian navy suffered a crushing defeat, having not recovered from it until the end of the war.

The Pantsir-1S surface-to-air missile and artillery system capable of tracking and killing several air targets comes as a new top-tier SPAAG for the Soviets.

[h2]96K6 Pantsir-1S, SPAAG, USSR, rank VII[/h2]
Features:

• Missiles and automatic cannons
  
• Able to attack up to 4 targets simultaneously
  
• Huge munition load
  
• Very high profile
  
• Poor protection
  

The 96K6 Pantsir-S1 will appear in War Thunder with the release of the upcoming major update and will become the new top Soviet anti-aircraft vehicle. Being unique in its combat capabilities, the Pantsir combines a mid-range detection radar, 12 effective surface-to-air missiles and rapid-fire 30-mm cannons with HE and AP belts. The real “Sky Guardian” is reporting for service!

Not so long ago, the Tor-M1 air defense system was added to the game, which is capable of attacking two targets at once in a small sector. Pantsir-S1 (Russian for “carapace”) is capable of acquiring targets at distances up to 20 km, as well as simultaneously tracking and firing in the 45x45 degree sector up to four targets at the same time! Let's be honest, the scenario of the appearance of four air targets at once in one sight is unlikely for mixed battles in War Thunder, but if such a scenario comes true, you will be prepared! Jokes aside, a well-positioned Pantsir under ideal conditions alone is able to protect the team from, in general, all enemy aircraft approaching from airfields and at almost any altitude. If the pilot slips the launch and does not maneuver, he will meet with the Pantsir missile. The radar very quickly determines the distance to an air target, and missiles can also be guided by the half-lead method, which is handy against aircraft at extreme attack angles.



In addition to missiles, the system includes a pair of twin-barreled 30-mm cannons with an overall rate of fire of up to 5,000 rounds per minute and a huge ammo capacity. The cannons literally tear apart low-flying air targets and are able to hit light armored vehicles and even some tanks.

The Pantsir-1S system is built on a KamAZ 8x8 army heavy truck chassis. The truck moves confidently on paved roads, but off-road causes problems due to the heavy weight of the Pantsir unit and a very long chassis. The vehicle has poor armor of up to 6 mm, and with the radar antenna unfolded, it becomes one of the tallest vehicles in War Thunder. Pantsir-1S can be seen from afar and dies easily from any enemy fire including ordinary machine guns.



Pantsir-1S is undoubtedly one of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems in the game. It will appear in War Thunder with the release of the Sky Guardians major update, which is almost completed by the dev team. The update is coming soon, and the new devblogs will come sooner!

Your screenshots from last week showing the clear, beautiful skies were excellent! We enjoyed seeing the action shots, as well as the serene landscapes! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 56th edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen56. You have time until 03.03.2023 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.

[h2]Important addition: Screenshot theme - Back to the Basics![/h2]

[h3]Terms:[/h3]

This week, we would love to see screenshots of your vehicles from Rank 1!
You must add the #WTscreen56 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 55th edition - Clear Skies![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935898645
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935928373
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936578159

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936193118
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935463544
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936520092

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

The Aigle destroyer sporting deadly cannons and great torpedoes comes as the first French ship to be added to the game in a special early access pack!

[h2]Aigle, destroyer, France, Rank II, premium vehicle.[/h2]
Features:

• High-caliber cannons
  
• Good mobility
  
• Punchy torpedoes
  
• Light protection
  

In War Thunder, Aigle will be among the first French warships arriving in naval battles as part of the next major update. Sporting excellent firepower and mobility, Aigle will not only bring with it another distinct ship design philosophy to naval battles but will also herald the arrival of the remainder of the French naval forces in a future update!



We are pleased to announce an open beta-testing of the French navy scheduled for one of the following updates. Right now you’re able to purchase a special early access pack containing the Aigle destroyer, Premium days, Golden Eagles and guaranteed access to the testing immediately after it starts. Until then you’ll be able to master your French crews in battles. Each early access ship has 3 respawns in Arcade and Realistic modes. So, let’s take a closer look at the Aigle, shall we?

Contrary to destroyers of most other nations, Aigle (French for “Eagle”) features a rather heavy primary arsenal. In fact, being armed with five 138 mm guns forming its main battery brings the Aigle almost on par with some of the earliest cruisers present in the game. However, while the guns will certainly have a good punch to them and offer favorable ballistics, their larger caliber will also result in a slower rate of fire.



On the other hand, captains won’t have to charge into battle relying solely on the ship’s main guns. Further augmenting the arsenal are four single and a pair of twin 37 mm and two twin 13.2 mm turrets. Apart from the direct fire weapons, the ship is also fitted with two triple 550 mm torpedo launchers, each torpedo contains 310 kg of TNT explosives. Overall, Aigle can certainly be considered as a well equipped destroyer, capable of becoming a serious threat even to larger vessel types if given the chance to do so.



Aigle is rather nimble and mobile, but lacks any noticeable protection. As for other destroyers in the game, movement means life for this ship, and a sudden stop or damage to the rudder usually ends in a quick return to the hangar. Move, maneuver and strike enemies with the powerful main battery and torpedoes - that's Aigle's tactics in naval battles.

The Aigle will be your lucky ticket to start exploring the interesting navy of France. Place your order for the Early Access Packs and be among the first captains of France in War Thunder!

The launch of the French Navy OBT is scheduled in one of the next major updates after the release of the “Sky Guardians” update.

[h2]The Aigle Pack can be pre-ordered from the Gaijin Store.[/h2]