War Thunder News

German top-tier Tornado IDS Marineflieger jet fighter is the main aviation prize of the upcoming winter special event in War Thunder.

[h2]Tornado IDS Marineflieger, strike aircraft, Germany, Rank VIII. Event vehicle.[/h2]
Features:

• Variable sweep wing
  
• Large payload
  
• AS.34 Kormoran anti-ship missiles
  
• Supersonic
  

A unique version of the European multi-role jet fighter comes to the game as the main aircraft prize of the upcoming winter special event in War Thunder. The Tornado IDS Marineflieger is a top-tier variable-swing wing strike aircraft, capable of easily maneuvering at supersonic speeds and offering a good choice of the advanced ordnance.



Sharing many features with the Tornado GR.1, the German naval variant of the Tornado is also distinguished by the capability of combining superb flight characteristics with a high payload. Apart from being able to carry large amounts of conventional ordnance, the Tornado can equip advanced weapon systems. Although, the naval version has no access to the guided bombs, it can be equipped with the all-new AS.34 Kormoran anti-ship missiles with a huge load of explosives. Furthermore, the two 27 mm cannons carried on board allow the Tornado to both stand its ground in a dogfight but also to inflict some considerable damage to ground units during low altitude strafing runs. Tornado IDS Marineflieger can additionally carry Sidewinder missiles - the all-aspect AIM-9L.



The renowned Tornado IDS Marineflieger is a true must-have for fans of modern German military combat aircraft. Want one for free? Soon we will tell you how!

https://steamcommunity.com/games/236390/announcements/detail/6897856842228274708

Duca degli Abruzzi is the lead ship of the final Italian ‘Condottieri’ type cruiser class built for the Regia Marina in the years leading up to the outbreak of WWII. Arriving as part of the next major War Thunder update - “Apex Predators”, Duca degli Abruzzi will soon reinforce the Italian naval tree with its most advanced light cruiser design of the era!

[h2]Duca degli Abruzzi, light cruiser, Italy, V rank.[/h2]
Features:

• Superb firepower
  
• Decent protection
  
• Torpedoes
  

In War Thunder, Duca degli Abruzzi will be a new light cruiser joining the ranks of the Italian naval tree as part of the next major update Apex Predators coming really soon. Sporting the most substantial weapons arsenal of any Italian light cruiser that came before it as well as an improved armor scheme, Duca degli Abruzzi will show its aspiring captains the full capability of the definitive Italian light cruiser design!



Despite being the final design to make up the broad class of the ‘Condottieri’ class of cruisers, Italian shipbuilders went a bit further with Duca degli Abruzzi in an effort to enhance its capabilities over previous vessels of the series. For starters, Duca degli Abruzzi comes outfitted with 10 6’’ guns - that’s two guns more than any of its predecessors, already familiar to veteran Italian captains. Additionally, the secondary weapons also receive an upgrade through the installation of an additional twin 100 mm turret, bringing their number up to four in total. At the same time, the anti-air and torpedo armament remains neigh identical to the preceding Eugenio di Savoia, resulting in a versatile arsenal ensuring the Duca degli Abruzzi can stand its ground in engagements against both surface as well as airborne targets.



Following the trend set with firepower, Italian naval designers also decided to noticeably improve the protection of Duca degli Abruzzi by increasing armor thickness across the board. Unlike previous ships, Duca degli Abruzzi features a 100 mm thick belt armor supplemented with a 30mm external armor, 135 mm thick turret fronts as well as 140 mm of armor encasing its conning tower. As a result of this and a larger complement, Duca degli Abruzzi is far better equipped to effectively absorb incoming enemy fire, particularly coming from other light cruisers and destroyers. However, despite these notable improvements to its protection, captains should still bear in mind the fact, that Duca degli Abruzzi is a light cruiser at the end of the day and that intensive firefights with larger and more heavily armed warships may not be the best tactic to win battles and spare the ship from an untimely demise.



Due to the increased firepower and protection however, captains will have to make due with a natural tradeoff which comes as a result of this design choice. Namely, unlike previous ships of the ‘Condottieri’ series, Duca degli Abruzzi only manages to get up to a top speed of around 32 kts (59 km/h) due to the ship’s notably increased displacement. As a result, Duca degli Abruzzi, while still being quite mobile for a cruiser design, is far slower and less agile than its predecessors. Nevertheless, aspiring captains of this powerful warship won’t have to worry about lagging behind the rest of the fleet as Duca degli Abruzzi is more than capable of keeping up with most other warships.



Duca degli Abruzzi is soon docking in players’ ports with the release of the “Apex Predators” major update coming soon to War Thunder. In the meantime, be sure to keep scanning the horizon for more news as we continue sharing the latest on what the upcoming update has in store for you. Until then, calm seas and happy hunting captains!

Introducing two new locations for mixed battles that will be added to the game in the upcoming major update. Meet the industrial area of the mine complex in the location "Gold Quarry" and the winter version of your favorite "Poland"!

[h2]"Gold Quarry"[/h2]

A large area in a gold mining quarry comes to the game as the new battleground for Mixed Battles. The gold ore refinery plant in the Tien Shan Mountains provides storage, processing and shipping facilities, as well as ensuring operation of quarry vehicles.



The teams will face off trying to control the capture points among the ore heaps, under the concrete walls of the plant's workshops and giant haulage trucks. The location turns out to be very diverse in terms of tactical approaches and offers several options for attacking each capture zone.



[h2]"Poland (winter)"[/h2]

An early winter has fallen on a Polish town. Snow has covered the leaves of groves and shrubs that have not yet fallen, the lake near the old castle is covered with ice ... but the war is raging on! Welcome to the winter version of the popular location “Poland”.



You know every street and every bush here, but winter has its own laws! So, for example, snowdrifts will change the familiar shoot-throughs, and the frozen lake has become a new direction for breaking through to capture zones.



In the winter version we tried our best to smooth and fix rare issues of the traditional location, and we need your feedback if we succeeded. Let's take a fresh look at Poland in the Apex Predators winter update!

[h2]Join the weekend “Pandora’s Box” special event and get unique titles and a trophy with boosters, universal back-ups or Silver Lions![/h2]

From December 16th (11:00 GMT) until December 19th (08:00 GMT) join the “Pandora’s Box” special event!

The 10,000 and 20,000 victory points in the event will grant you a special title

“Defender of Pandora” and “Conqueror of Pandora” (consequently).

A special trophy “Pandora’s Box” is granted for each 6,000 victory points earned in battles. Each “Pandora’s Box” trophy contains one of the following prizes:

• 50,000 - 100,000 Silver Lions
  
• 20% - 50% booster for Research Points or Silver Lions
  
• 3-5 universal back-ups for vehicles
  

You can receive a maximum of 5 “Pandora’s Box” trophies in total.
Join the weekend “Pandora’s Box” special event and get unique titles and trophies with boosters, universal back-ups or Silver Lions!

Pandora is a special planet. The Trade corporation sees it as the only source of the “leaven”, a unique material available only there. The Pandorians see their planet as a living creature with the great Sacred Tree as its heart. The battle fleet from the Corporation begins a fire mission in the Floating Isles region to locate and destroy the Sacred tree. This is how they plan to break down the feisty Pandorians. But the locals have obtained the Corporation’s war machines and are ready to ambush the invaders. Pandora's Box is fraught with trouble. Who will reap the danger? It is for you to decide!

Align with the mighty Corporation, or fight to defend the Sacred Tree, controlling unique flying war machines - the Dragonfly strike ornithopters! Join the Pandora’s Box special event in War Thunder!

The Khalid is a modified variant of the well-known British Chieftain main battle tank, developed for service with Jordanian forces in the late 1970s. Coming to War Thunder as part of the next major update, the Khalid will offer tankers an interesting twist on the design of a popular British high tier classic!

Briefly: A special Jordanian modification of the Chieftain MBT, outfitted with a substantially more powerful engine.

[h2]Khalid, main battle tank, Britain, premium, VI rank.[/h2]
Features:

• Uprated engine
  
• Improved mobility
  
• Laser rangefinder
  

In War Thunder, the Khalid will soon join the top ranks of the British ground forces tree as a new rank VI premium vehicle awaiting seasoned tank commanders in the next major update Apex Predators. As a unique modification of the renown Chieftain, the Khalid addresses one of the design’s traditional drawbacks by introducing a vastly more powerful engine to the chassis.

In fact, the Khalid is equipped with the 1,200 horsepower Rolls Royce CV12 diesel engine which nearly doubles the power available to tankers over standard Chieftain variants. If the engine appears familiar to some seasoned British tank commanders, then this is certainly no coincidence as the CV12 is the exact same engine powering the formidable Challenger 1 - the Chieftain’s successor. As a result of this upgrade, the Khalid can not only reach a higher top speed of 56 km/h compared to the original Chieftain, but it can also accelerate far quicker and conquer more difficult terrain types with greater ease. Effectively addressing one the Chieftain’s largest drawbacks, the Khalid elevates the vehicle’s combat capability to a new level, providing its aspiring commanders with a well-balanced performance profile.



However, while the engine upgrade is certainly the most noticeable change tankers will take note of during matches, the Khalid also comes fitted with another, not as striking but no less handy system that can have a significant impact on the outcome of a gunnery duel. Namely, the Khalid features a laser rangefinding system which, unlike the Chieftain’s traditional stereoscopic rangefinder, allows for much faster and more accurate range determination. Therefore, gunners can make the most of the Khalid’s deadly 120mm L11 cannon by being able to quickly acquire and engage targets even at longer distances!

Something prospective commanders of the Khalid ought to bear in mind however, is that the vehicle retains the Chieftain’s general layout as well as protection levels without any major change. As a result, the Khalid inherits the Chieftain’s strong turret armor, enabling it to particularly excel in defensive hull-down positions. At the same time though, this also means that the Khalid possesses the same weaknesses in the form of a thinly protected and rather exposed lower glacis as well as hull sides.



Lastly, it’s also worth mentioning that being a premium vehicle, the Khalid allows tankers to earn more rewards for each action performed in combat - a particularly useful perk for players aspiring to climb the top ranks of the British ground forces tree. In the meantime however, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue unveiling more of what the next major War Thunder update has in store for you. Until then, happy hunting tankers!