War Thunder News

Get ready for a series of War Thunder special events and tournaments to get unique prizes and tons of Golden Eagles! Discounts at the Gaijin Store are also available!

[h3]From February 22nd (13:00 GMT) until February 25th (13:00 GMT), complete in-game tasks and get unique decorations and decals for your combat vehicles![/h3]



“Shields” trophy, containing decals and decorations, is available for Golden Eagles in the item store.

Every “Shields” trophy can bring you a decoration that you don’t own yet. The following decorations may be found in the trophy: Shields, Round Shield, Round Shield (Lion), Gallic Shield

Track your progress by clicking your Nickname → Achievements → Defender Special.

[h2]“Defender” Tournament Series[/h2]
Join the “Defender” series tournaments with a total prize pool of 200,000 Golden Eagles and any Starter Pack of the winner’s choice! Select one of 13 available tournaments, or challenge yourself in a few, to get special decal “Protector of Sparta”, titles, Golden Eagles, and more!

Check tournaments site


The following vehicles, previously withdrawn from sale in the store, can now be purchased using Golden Eagles in-game on all platforms.

• Shielded KV-1E tank (Rank 3, USSR) - available till February 28th 11:00 GMT;
  
• IL-2M Nelson Stepanan's "Avenger" (Rank 3, USSR); - available till February 28th 11:00 GMT;
  

The Turm III is a German experimental tank, developed during the mid 1960s on the basis of the Leopard 1 main battle tank. Soon, the unique Turm III will make its way into War Thunder top ranked ground battles, arriving in the game as part of the next major update!
[h3]Briefly: An experimental design based on the Leopard 1 chassis featuring a three-plane stabilized turret, providing excellent accuracy.[/h3]

Features:

• Good mobility
  
• Fast-firing 105 mm cannon
  
• Secondary 30 mm cannon
  

[expand]During the 1960s, West Germany and the USA worked on the joint MBT-70 program which ultimately wouldn’t deliver the desired results. During its development however, German engineers also worked on other projects in parallel in order to test alternative design layouts and unorthodox technical solutions. One such project included the development of a three-plane stabilized turret, intended to greatly improve the fire accuracy of future vehicles on which it would end up being mounted.

The project dubbed ‘Erprobungsträger mit 3-achs-stabilisiertem Turm’ (eng: ‘experimental platform with a three-axis stabilized turret’) had the Rheinmetall company develop the novel turret which was then fitted onto a modified Leopard 1 chassis, in order to speed up construction time. The prototype was subsequently built in 1966 and extensively tested by the Bundeswehr. The test program concluded that the design was technically viable and also effective. At the same time however, it was considered too complex and costly to produce and further drawbacks to the vehicle were noted such as a cramped and inconvenient internal layout, limited armor protection and a large vehicle profile.

As a result of these findings, further development of the design was canceled and the project officially terminated. The sole prototype of the design was subsequently sent to the Bundeswehr’s technical museum in Koblenz, where it sits on display to the present day.[/expand]



In War Thunder, the Turm III will be a new premium vehicle awaiting tankers at rank V of the German ground forces tree in the next major update. Based on the all too familiar chassis of the Leopard 1 tank, this German panzer features an unique stabilized turret and an automatic loading system for its main gun, giving the vehicle excellent firepower and accuracy to boot!

The three-plane stabilized turret of the Turm III will give aspiring commanders of this machine the ability to accurately fire on the move. Coupled with the tank’s 105 mm L7A2 cannon - familiar to most seasoned War Thunder tankers - as well as an autoloading mechanism makes the Turm III a very dangerous predator on the battlefield. Furthermore, the Turm III features a coaxial 30 mm cannon next to the main gun, great for taking down low-flying aircraft or destroying lightly armored targets!



However, because of the Turm III’s poor hull protection without any advanced armor packages, it remains relatively susceptible to enemy fire, with automatic cannons posing the second largest threat next to high-caliber MBT cannons. Furthermore, the vehicle’s rather sizable turret gives the Turm III a large profile, making it harder for the vehicle’s commander to evade detection and subsequently, enemy fire.

Offsetting these considerable drawbacks somewhat, is the vehicle’s good mobility however. Fitted with a powerful 856 horsepower diesel engine, the Turm III can reach a top speed of 65 km/h on paved roads. As a result, the Turm III can combine its superb gun handling and fast reloads with good mobility, resulting in an excellent choice for tankers keen on wreaking havoc to the enemies’ flank. Lastly, the Turm III will also allow tankers to speed up their progression toward even more advanced German ground vehicles, thanks to its premium status.



The Turm III can be pre-ordered now in a special bundle in our online store, with the vehicle becoming available to its prospective owners following the release of the next major update. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue showcasing what more exciting new additions await players in the upcoming update. Until then, good hunting tankers!

You have proved that love counts! More than 130 lovely screenshots with your favourite vehicles warmed our hearts! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300GE! We will meet again next week!
[h2]Before we announce 15th edition winners, let’s begin the 14th edition of our competition![/h2]
Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub (link for instructions) with the tag #WTscreen15. You have time until 28.02.2022 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 - Colourful World![/h2]

[h3]Terms:[/h3]

• Blue sky, green grass, yellow desert, vermillion sea, colourful sunset or fields full of beautiful flowers? Add your favourite machine nearby and take a screenshot!
• 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 7 working days.
  

[h2]And now, time for the winners of the competition’s 14th edition - Beloved one![/h2]
[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2759618243
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2754028812
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2753858830
[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2753909924
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2754042181
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2757441227
Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!

• A bug has been fixed where hit markers on vehicle armour did not correspond to actual armour penetration and damage caused.
  
• A bug has been fixed where a switch box on the ERA block was not detached when the block was destroyed.
  
• A bug has been fixed where the TVD might remain enabled in server replays for third-person view.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented artillery strikes and vehicle control during a nuclear blast.
  

• Distant sounds of aircraft engines have been changed to more distinctive and less annoying.
  
• Sound management system of the engines of ground vehicles has been reworked in order to calculate the priority of engines and tracks sounds based on their actual volume. Previously, the calculation dealt only with distance to the listener.
  
• Sound volume of the allied/enemy tank engines is now aligned along the rpm range, i.e. idle and maximum rpm are now close in volume. Previously, idle rpm was several times quieter, making hiding tanks behind obstacles silent.
  
• Sound volume of all ground vehicle engines has been equalized by the distance key points for the whole hearable range of 0-300 meters.
  
• Sound volume in the gaming environment has been reduced to improve the subjective positioning of the engines and tracks. I.e. tank 20m to the left sounds directly from the left, in the left ear
  
• The audibility range on player controlled SAMs has been increased to 4 km, but their volume and frequency balance have been changed so that they don’t deafen across the map. Thanks to this, sounds should become more audible to pilots.
  
• The management system of the sounds of ground and air cannons has been redesigned. Now the priority will be calculated based on the actual volume of the cannon (previously only the distance to the listener was taken into account).
  
• Hit sounds from 20mm-35mm rapid-fire cannons no longer stutter and disappear. The sounds, as well as the management system have been reworked.
  
• Artillery strike sound system has been reworked. Now these sounds don’t stutter or disappear in case of a massive area strike from many players.
  
• The volume of sound events such as explosions and shooting now decrease more noticeably with distance. This makes the sound events closest to the player, like enemy engines, explosions and shooting, more noticeable.
  
• The sounds of destruction of vehicles and trees have been made less loud and more noticeably diminished over distance.
  

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The current provided changelog reflects the major changes within the game as part of this Update. Some updates, additions and fixes may not be listed in the provided notes. War Thunder is constantly improving and specific fixes may be implemented without the client being updated.

USS Arizona is one of two Pennsylvania-class battleships built for the U.S. Navy during WWI and incorporating many new technologies which would find themselves in subsequent American battleship designs. Soon, captains will have the chance to take command of the famous USS Arizona as it arrives in War Thunder naval battles with the next major update!
[h3]Briefly: An American WWI-era ‘super dreadnought’ battleship, incorporating heavy armor protection and firepower, but lacking in mobility.[/h3]

Features:

• Excellent armor protection
  
• Numerous hard-hitting cannons
  
• Poor AA defenses
  
• Low mobility
  

[expand]After the design of the preceding Nevada-class battleships that employed the novel ‘all or nothing’ armor scheme, the Navy sought a slightly larger, improved design to be ordered for construction in the fiscal year of 1913. As such, the Bureau for Construction & Repair came up with a number of design sketches to satisfy the Navy’s requirement.

In April 1912, the final design of what was to become the Pennsylvania class was chosen with further work on refining the design continuing until September. The decision to order the design into construction was met with some political opposition over concerns that the design was too weak and expensive. Nonetheless, the class was approved for construction, with USS Pennsylvania being ordered in August 1912 while its sistership USS Arizona followed suit in March 1913.

USS Arizona was laid down in March 1914, launched in June 1915 and commissioned in October 1916. Due to oil shortages in Europe at the time, the ship didn’t take part in hostilities during WWI, but instead escorted the American president Woodrow Wilson on his trip to Brest for the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 along with other warships. Subsequently, both Arizona and its sistership were transferred to the Pacific Fleet, undergoing substantial modernization in 1929 through 1931.

Throughout the 1930s, both ships took part in regular fleet exercises. However, during the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, USS Arizona was sunk following a catastrophic explosion of her fore magazines, after an aerial bomb managed to penetrate the ship’s deck.[/expand]



In War Thunder, USS Arizona will be the new battleship to join the ranks of the U.S. Navy in the game with the release of the next major update! Featuring heavy-duty armor protection and tremendous firepower, this American so-called ‘super dreadnought’ is sure to shake things up with its upcoming arrival to War Thunder naval battles!

Being a battleship, USS Arizona features some of the most substantial firepower found among this type of warship in War Thunder. As such, the ship comes fitted with four triple 14’’ (356 mm) turrets comprising its primary weapons arsenal. Far-reaching and hard-hitting, the heavy 14’’ rounds fired by these cannons possess an average muzzle velocity, but excellent penetrating capabilities even at longer engagement distances. On the flip side of the coin however, these large caliber guns come with the caveat of also having a substantially lower rate of fire than most other guns captains in War Thunder may have already gotten accustomed to.



In addition to the 14’’ primary guns, USS Arizona also possesses a secondary weapons complement consisting of 12 5’’/51 cal (127mm) cannons mounted in casemates on the ship’s sides, dedicated to engage other surface targets. In addition, eight 5’’/25 cal cannons located on the weather deck aid the ship in defending itself from air attack. Lastly, an additional eight .50 cal heavy machine guns situated in platforms on the mainmast aid the secondary cannons in the latter role. However, while USS Arizona’s capabilities against surface targets are unquestioned, the evident lack in anti-air protection leaves her relatively vulnerable to aircraft, meaning that aspiring captains of this formidable warship shouldn’t stray too far from their allies unless they wish to be sent to the deep blue by a zealous pilot!

[h3]Interesting Fact: USS Arizona’s wreck still remains in her final resting place in Pearl Harbor and was turned into a memorial after WWII.[/h3]

As the second ship class in the U.S. Navy to adopt the ‘all or nothing’ armor scheme, USS Arizona possesses extremely thick armor plating around her machinery and magazines while the rest of the ship remains virtually unprotected - just as implied by the armor scheme’s name itself! In fact, USS Arizona’s belt armor ranges between 343 - 203 mm in thickness, while the turrets feature 457-228mm of armor. Overall, this high level of protection in addition to having a large complement of 1,390 sailors makes the USS Arizona a true juggernaut on the high seas, but also a rather cumbersome vessel as a result, being able to attain a top speed of just 20.89 kts (38.7 km/h).



USS Arizona has set course for War Thunder naval battles and is expected to arrive in the game as part of the next major update coming in the near future. In the meantime, keep your binoculars at hand and keep scanning the news section as we continue to release new info on the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas captains!