War Thunder News

We loved seeing all of your screenshots from last week! This week, Storm Warning was released, and it has brought many new vehicles and a location. Take a screenshot of your favorite new content! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 151st edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen151. You have time until the 27th of December 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 a vehicle or location introduced in the latest major update, “Storm Warning”.
You must add the #WTscreen151 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.
• 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 150th edition – Propeller Driven![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384140127
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384316960
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384269609

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384868720
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384314977
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3384085522

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

It’s time for the winter holidays! And as always, we’ve prepared a bunch of interesting things for you. Receive gifts, take part in the Winter Tales event, treat yourself to discounts, spend Silver Lions on Snow Globes, enjoy the festively decorated hangar and immerse yourself in the winter-themed atmosphere in War Thunder!

[h2]Gifts for everyone![/h2]
When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until January 2nd (11:00 GMT).

Play and meet the criteria to receive each!



Use code “NOSEKRITPLS” in our store here to get yourself a free decal! Important: make sure to login into the game after activating the decal, as if you don’t, it won’t activate on your account at all. This decal can be found under Special > Snails in the decal customization menu.

[h2]Open the Snow Globe![/h2]
When: From December 18th (11:00 GMT) until January 14th (11:00 GMT).

Purchase Snow Globes for Silver Lions, featuring decals, decorations, vehicles and camouflages from past War Thunder winter events (including in the form of coupons), as well as Silver Lions, boosters, universal backups and wagers and orders.

Snow Globes can also be obtained in the Winter Tales event!

https://steamcommunity.com/games/236390/announcements/detail/547847869991747595

[h2]Winter Tales: Get Yourself Some Cool Rewards![/h2]
When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until January 9th (11:00 GMT).

Take part in battles, earn points, and receive rewards! In the Winter Tales event, you can earn three high-rank vehicles, one low-rank premium, trophies, decorations, decals, a profile icon, and camouflages.



Click here to find out more details about the Winter Tales event


[h2]In-game Discounts![/h2]
When: From December 19th (11:00 GMT) until December 26th (11:00 GMT).

• 50% discount on vehicles for all nations for Silver Lions and Golden Eagles.*
  
• 50% discount on all modifications, talismans and backups.
  
• 50% discount on a Premium Account in-game for 90 and 365 days and in the Gaijin.net store for 180 days.
  

*Discounts do not apply to vehicles released in the Dance of Dragons, Firebirds and Storm Warning major updates, as well as squadron vehicles and modifications, talismans, and backups for these vehicles.

[h2]Sale in the Gaijin.Net Store![/h2]
We’ll tell you about discounts in the Gaijin.Net store in a separate news post on December 26th. Don’t miss it!


Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Let’s have a look at the main aircraft reward for the Winter Tales event, the Israeli export Kfir C.10 Block 60!

[h2]Kfir C.10 Block 60: An Event Vehicle Jet Fighter for Israel at Rank VIII[/h2]
At a glance:

• Excellent maneuverability!
  
• Advanced radar.
  
• Helmet-mounted display.
  
• ARH air-to-air missiles!
  
• Modern guided bombs.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
In the early 1990s, IAI proposed a modernization program for the Kfir C.10 to extend the service life of the Kfir fighter jet and increase the aircraft’s export potential. The project’s main features were a multi-mode radar, an in-flight refueling probe and the ability to carry a wide range of modern weapons. The Israeli Air Force, however, was not interested in the project, but several dozen aircraft were purchased (and also modernized from older Kfir C.2 and C.7 variants) by the Air Forces of Colombia and Ecuador. Kfir C.10 fighters form the backbone of the air force fleets of these countries.
[/expand]



[h2]Introducing the Kfir C.10 Block 60[/h2]

The Kfir C.10 Block 60 is an improved export modification of the Israeli Kfir multi-role fighter for the Colombian Air Force. This new fighter differs from the C.2 and C.7 variants that you may be familiar with, it features a new radar with an active phased array and advanced weapons for air and ground battles. Let’s dive into the details!



Greeting you with a state-of-the-art active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the Kfir C.10 can equip Derby ARH air-to-air missiles that were previously only available on the Israeli F-16s. This means you’ll now be able to start an engagement without visual contact with the target, and when they get closer, use more maneuverable close-range air-to-air missiles, but with a convenient helmet-mounted display system!

Exciting changes also await those of you who want to use the Kfir C.10 in ground battles. Thanks to the LITENING II targeting pod with a thermal imager, the available ground attack weapons will be supplemented by modern guided bombs, including the GBU-49 with satellite and laser guidance, as well as the GBU-12.



In addition to the signature maneuverability of the Mirage family, the Kfir C.10 features modern avionics, including a radar and laser warning system, as well as an onboard missile approach warning system (MAWS) that automatically fires off flares and chaff when an enemy missile approaches. Very useful in air combat!



The Colombian Kfir C.10 is at rank VIII in the Israel aircraft tree, only obtainable in the Winter Tales event. Check out the link below for all the details!

Click here to find out more details about the Winter Tales event

Meet the main tank reward in the Winter Tales event, the Pakistani modification of the T-80UD main battle tank, being added to the Chinese ground forces tree!

[h2]T-80UD (478BE): An Event MBT for China at Rank VII[/h2]
At a glance:

• Effective protection overall.
  
• Autoloader.
  
• Thermal sight.
  
• Compact fighting compartment.
  
• Slow reverse speed.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
The T-80UD was developed as a further evolution of the T-80U model, which had shown issues with its gas turbine engine during operation. The T-80UD modification received a new 1,000 HP diesel engine along with several additional enhancements. It was adopted into service in 1987, and by the late 1990s, over 300 UD models were delivered to Pakistan. The export version, known as the Object 478BE, differed from Soviet versions by lacking an infrared searchlight and a wind sensor, but gained a thermal imager for the gunner.
[/expand]

[h2]Introducing the T-80UD (478BE)![/h2]

Here’s the main tank reward in the Winter Tales event, an export modification of the T-80UD for the Armed Forces of Pakistan, being added to the Chinese ground forces tree as an event vehicle. Let’s examine the differences compared to the Soviet T-80UD premium and discuss its strengths and weaknesses!



The T-80UD (478BE) is a very well balanced tank overall, with one of its key advantages being protection. While it does have frontal weak spots and is not flawless, its armor is good enough to withstand APFSDS rounds and poorly placed shots. In addition to this, the sides of the T-80UD (478BE) are protected well against autocannons and weaker shells if angled, being one of the few MBT designs with relatively thick side armor. Despite this, if this tank is successfully penetrated, its survivability is typically low. This is because its internal space is cramped, with crew, ammo and modules, meaning any spalling is likely to cause critical or fatal damage.

Regarding firepower, the T-80UD (478BE) is on par with its competitors. It can fire powerful APFSDS rounds — they’re not the most forgiving, but can still easily penetrate the majority of enemy armor without an issue. It can also launch anti-tank guided missiles directly from the gun barrel! A distinctive feature of the Pakistani T-80UD (478BE) is the inclusion of a thermal sight for the gunner, which will help identify targets at long range and at night. While the autoloader does remove the need to maintain loader skills, the fixed reload speed is slightly longer than most contemporary tanks. This is particularly important to keep in mind for one-on-one engagements.



Mobility is fairly average overall, while the speed doesn’t hold the tank back, it can’t reach strong early positions quite as easily as other common MBTs. The largest drawback here however is the reverse speed, capped at 4 km/h, which makes reacting to threats much harder. When you’re playing the T-80UD (478BE), make sure to take extra care when positioning, as it takes much longer to back away from an engagement to reload or repair. 



The T-80UD (478BE) can be obtained by completing tasks during the special Winter Tales event. Follow the link below to see the full list of specifics and rewards, and best of luck!

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

Click here to find out more details about the Winter Tales event

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• EF-2000 — AIM-9M missiles have been added, the AIM-9L/I-1 modification has been replaced with the AIM-9M.
  
• AIM-9L/I-1 — the missile engine is no longer smokeless.
  
• Alpha Jet TH — Battle Rating in all Air Battle modes has been increased to 10.7. The default weapons preset, available without researching any modifications, has been changed to a set of 2 x AIM-9P4 and a gun pod.
  
• F-5A (Thailand) — Battle Rating in Arcade Air Battles and Ground Battles has been reduced to 10.3.
  
• Rafale C F-3 — additional wing pylons for MICA-EM missiles are now available. The number of pylons has changed so previously created weapon presets may not be available. MICA-EM missiles in the preset that don’t require researching any modifications have been moved to the new pylons. Available countermeasures have been changed from 32 large caliber countermeasures to 16 large caliber and 36 standard caliber countermeasures.
  
• F-15E, F-111F — AGM-130A has been replaced with AGM-130A-12 with infrared seeker.
  
• EF-2000, Typhoon FGR.4, F-2000A — a bug that caused the markers of targets tracked in TWS mode to not be displayed on the HUD in Simulator battles has been fixed. (Report).
  
• PL-12, MICA-EM, Derby, AAM-4, Р-77, AIM-120A/B — the mistakenly absent angle gating mechanic has been enabled for these missiles with the release of the “Storm Warning” major update.
  How angle gating works: if a target enters the radiation pattern of a seeker’s radar and this new target’s angular coordinates, and therefore angular velocity, differ significantly from the angular coordinates and angular velocity of the previously tracked target, then the guidance system ignores it, switching to the inertial guidance in accordance to last known angular coordinates and angular speed, acquired from the seeker.
  Angle gating helps avoid the re-targeting to any interference that emerges in the radiation pattern of the radar, such as an aircraft, flying near a target with a marginally different distance and/or radial speed, or chaff in some cases. With other parameters being the same, angle gating works better at shorter ranges than at longer ones.
  We’d also like to note that due to the fact that when angle gating starts working due to chaff acquisition, the radar doesn’t see the real target (an aircraft). So now to successfully dodge listed ARH missiles, the target needs to change their trajectory more noticeably than before, so the missile, which is being guided accordingly with the last known target angular coordinates and angular velocity, won’t hit the aircraft. And an even better option is to exit the seeker’s field of view by the time the tracked chaff exits it. In this case, the missile won’t even be able to reacquire the target.
  
• F-111F — inability to lock on to a target from 3rd person view with the GBU-15 and AGM-130 has been fixed.
  
• F-111F — a bug with the need to open the bomb bay when launching an AGM-130 has been fixed.
  

[h2]Ground Vehicles[/h2]

• Centauro 105 (all variants) — the size of the carried ammunition has been reduced from 40 to 38 rounds. There was a discrepancy between the number of rounds in the X-ray and in the stat card. The first-stage ammunition has been reduced by two rounds, from 16 to 14.
  
• Sholef — the first-stage ammo stowage mechanic has been added. Gun reload time has been set to 7.5s for the first two shots and 11.9s after.
  
• PzH 2000, PzH 2000HU — the first-stage ammo stowage mechanic has been added. Gun reload time has been set to 5s for the first two shots and 7.5s after.
  
• 9M331, HQ-17 — a bug that caused tank IRCM to affect guidance of these SAMs has been fixed.
  

[h2]Naval Vessels[/h2]

• Zerstorer Z4 — the flag in the ship’s stat card has been changed to the post-war one.
  
• IJN Haruna — a bug where the aft group of the main caliber turrets fired in the opposite direction has been fixed.
  

[h2]Interface[/h2]

• Display of showcases in the player profile has been improved. At “Medium” and “Large” interface scale, all elements are visible without scrolling.
  
• A bug where clicking on a showcase in edit mode would cause editing to end without saving has been fixed.
  
• A bug where pressing the Esc key in a profile window while in edit mode would close the profile window instead of exiting edit mode has been fixed.
  
• A bug where clicking on a mode or type of showcase did not enable editing mode has been fixed.
  
• In the “Favorite vehicle” showcase, the statistics for the number of respawns has been moved to the first line.
  

[h2]Graphics[/h2]

• A bug where when using SSAO, aircraft reflections on parts of the aircraft were overly pixelated has been fixed.
  
• A bug where the tracks of stationary ground vehicles could be blurred when motion blur was enabled 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.