War Thunder News

Duguay-Trouin is the lead ship of her class of light cruisers built for the French navy in the years following the end of World War I. Being not only the first capital ship built by France in the postwar period, Duguay-Trouin will also be one of the first French vessels to arrive in War Thunder as part of the “Sky Guardians” major update!

[h2]Duguay-Trouin, light cruiser, France, Rank III. Premium vessel, available in the Pack.[/h2]
Features:

• Powerful primary armament
  
• Excellent mobility
  
• Versatile secondary weapons
  
• Very light protection
  

In War Thunder, Duguay-Trouin will be one the first French bluewater vessels, available for early pre-order. Considered a cutting-edge warship for its time, striking a perfect combination of mobility and firepower, Duguay-Trouin will not only offer its aspiring captains a unique set of capabilities but also a sneak peak at the French naval forces, due to arrive in a future update!

Fun Fact: Upon commissioning, ships of the Duguay-Trouin class were the first cruisers in the world to feature a linearly distributed primary battery housed in superfiring turrets.

Despite being an early ‘treaty cruiser’, Duguay-Trouin can boast a rather formidable weapons arsenal, particularly highlighted by its four twin 6.1’’ (155 mm) turrets forming the primary battery. Arriving to War Thunder in its late WWII-era refit means that Duguay-Trouin will also pack an equally respectable number of secondary weapons. For instance, the ship comes fitted with four 75 mm dual purpose guns as well as up to six 40 mm Bofors and 20 20 mm Oerlikon cannons!



However, Duguay-Trouin is not only a very well armed light cruiser, it’s also an extremely agile one at that too! Being powered by four steam turbines, generating a combined power output of 102,000 horsepower, Duguay-Trouin is able to reach an excellent top speed of 33 kts (61 km/h). Shedding protection can be considered Duguay-Trouin’s achilles heel as the ship’s protection may as well be viewed as only symbolic. With only up to 30 mm of armor plating shielding some of the ship’s most vital components, Duguay-Trouin is vulnerable to even direct destroyer fire at everything but extreme engagement distances. As a result, aspiring commanders of this warship simply cannot afford to take any unnecessary risks and expose their ship to overwhelming enemy fire. Instead, a more sensible tactic would be to assist your allies in the advance and provide accurate fire support to sink hostile ships or down inbound enemy aircraft which dare to fly too close.



The light cruiser Duguay-Trouin is available as part of the early access pack for the open testing of the French navy in War Thunder, which we have planned for one of the updates following the “Sky Guardians”. The early access pack will also give you special pre-order bonuses, which are available only before the start of the OBT, and will also allow you to train several crews in vehicle slots so that when testing begins, you will have skilled sailors and officers! As a reminder, like the destroyer Aigle, the light cruiser Duguay-Trouin will have three respawns in the Arcade and Realistic battles before testing the French fleet begins.

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

[h2]Ground vehicles[/h2]

• A bug has been fixed where zooming in the sniper sight might shift the crosshair.
  

• Harrier GR.7, Q-5 — a bug has been fixed where there might occur intersection of the player’s camera and the TIALD pod view (report).
  

• 100 sec delay before decreasing the team victory points has been revoked for cases when enemy players have no available respawns. This applied for all gaming modes, except for Enduring Confrontation and Assault mode.
  
• We have received multiple reports on players in Realistic aircraft battles, who stay on the airfield and try to earn experience by taking off and landing over and over again. Now, the take off reward can only be achieved once in 3 minutes. Let’s play fair and respect others.
  
• A bug has been fixed with the different bleed time of team points for a player outnumbered by an enemy team, or when in the vehicle respawn menu.
  
• A bug has been fixed where enemy artillery had no markers in air Assault mode.
  

[h2]Interface[/h2]

• When completing a Battle Pass challenge, you will now see in the debriefing window the “Challenges” button for easily getting your reward.
  

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.

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!