War Thunder News

USS Newport News will be one of the top prizes awaiting participants of this season’s winter event in War Thunder.

[h2]USS Newport News (CA-148), Heavy cruiser, USA, Rank V.[/h2]

Features:

• Auto-loaded 8’’ cannons
  
• Excellent dual-purpose arsenal
  
• Large crew
  
• Extensive protection
  

The Des Moines-class heavy cruisers were created as a result of the U.S. Navy’s need to incorporate all the lessons learned during WWII into one ultimate heavy cruiser design, capable of outperforming all previous vessels in terms of its combat capabilities. A focus of this undertaking was to provide the new vessel with a much higher rate of fire in its 8’’ guns through the fitting of an autoloading mechanism. As the last ship of the class, USS Newport News was laid down in October of 1945 and commissioned into service in July 1949. In the postwar period, USS Newport News saw combat action during the Vietnam War and acted as the flagship of the U.S. Second Fleet. USS Newport News was decommissioned in 1975 after over 25 years of continuous service and was ultimately sold for scrap in 1993.



USS Newport News will be one of the top prizes awaiting participants of this season’s winter event in War Thunder. This cutting edge heavy cruiser represents the pinnacle of American heavy cruiser design, incorporating the most advanced technologies available to shipbuilders of the time. Derived from the Baltimore-class, already familiar to some captains, USS Newport News’ most prominent feature includes the fitting of a novel autoloading mechanism for its 8’’ (203mm) Mk.16 primary battery. As a result, USS Newport News possesses a rate of fire more akin to 6’’-armed light cruisers and can thus engage its targets with an unrelenting hail of shells. Alternatively, captains can also more easily engage multiple targets at once since the fast reload enables for quick adjustments in between salvos.



Apart from the lethal primary arsenal, USS Newport News’ auxiliary weapons are no less formidable. In fact, consisting of a number of 5’’and 3’’ cannons, USS Newport News is a true floating fortress, posing a considerable threat to smaller surface vessels and aircraft in particular! Complementing the ship’s excellent firepower is also a good balance between protection and mobility, with the vessel featuring an armored belt of up to 152 mm as well as a top speed of 33 kts (61 kmh).



All in all, USS Newport News is an excellent reinforcement in any seasoned captain’s high-tier naval lineup and a worthy prize for those going the full nine yards in this season’s winter event!

The Magach 7 is one of the most advanced conversions of the US built M60 tanks of the Cold War era. Old soldier gets new armor - meet the new Israeli main battle tank!

[h2]Magach 7C, MBT, Israel, rank VI[/h2]

Features:

• Decent frontal protection
  
• Punchy APFSDS round
  
• Mediocre mobility
  

By the late 1980s, the ERA protection of the Magach 6 series tanks could no longer provide reliable protection against the shaped-charge anti-tank munitions Israeli tankers faced on the battlefield. Instead of reactive armor, the engineers proposed a passive armor module built from composite armor plates in the form of a hexagon on top of the cast turret of the M60 tank. The hull was also reinforced with sheets of composite armor, including a massive armor module on the upper frontal glacis. The new tank received the designation Magach 7, and soon went into production, but the very first released vehicles reveal mobility loss resulting from the increased weight of the tank. Upgrade program developed for Magach 7 included a more powerful engine, a new transmission, as well as improved shape and filling of the composite armor plates on the tank’s turret. The new version was designated Magach 7C, becoming the latest and one of the most technologically advanced serial conversions of the M60 tanks. At the moment, Magach 7 tanks are in reserve, and are also used to train tank crews of Israel's Merkava main battle tanks.

Magach 7C (Hebrew for “ram”) will appear in the hangars of Israeli tankers with the release of the next major update. The vehicle is basically a deeply improved Magach 6, with better protection and improved engine, capable of compensating for an improved weight.




Instead of ERA boxes, now the cast turret and hull of the tank are covered with plates of combined armor. The toughest protection is located in the tank’s front - the thick armor glaces of the tower are located at a rational angle, and the upper frontal part of the hull is covered by a massive overhead plate. Thus, the tank received good protection against chemical and some kinetic shells the tank may encounter in battle.

A new 908 hp engine and automatic transmission compensate the tank's mobility to a level approximately equal to Magach 6, taking into account the increased mass of the Magach 7. The dynamic characteristics of the tank are average and its maximum speed does not exceed 30 mph (or 50 km/h) even on a perfectly smooth road.



The gun and the choice of shots remained the same as on the Magach 6C, that is, in addition to the HEAT, stock APFSDS, HESH and smoke rounds, commanders will have the opportunity to research the M426 APFSDS shell, which is capable of destroying even some most advanced tanks in the game. The fire control system is also inherited from a previous generation. And it’s quite comprehensive, featuring a laser rangefinder and a thermal device in the gunner’s sight.

Magach 7 is probably one of the best that happened to the M60 tanks in the entire history of their production and upgrades. The new Israeli “ram” will be waiting for you in the big winter update of War Thunder. Soon!

In the upcoming War Thunder update, our aircraft trees will climb to rank VIII! We are also introducing a rank VII Premium aircraft to boost research of the new top-tiers. Meet the A-6 Intruder, a highly sophisticated American all-weather attack aircraft, originally developed in the late 1950s based on the USN’s experiences in the Korean War.

[h2]A-6E TRAM Intruder, strike aircraft, USA, Rank VII. Premium.[/h2]

Features:

• Outstanding ordinance capacity
  
• Excellent strike capabilities
  
• Capable radar system
  
• Thermal vision
  
• No fixed weaponry
  
• Traditional turbojet engine without afterburner
  

[h3]

Dear players! We are thrilled to announce a tier-up for War Thunder aviation! The upcoming major update will bring rank VIII to the game which will include 4th generation jets and aircraft of comparable combat efficiency. Also, almost every gaming nation will also receive a rank VII Premium aircraft to boost up the progress of any single plane in the national tech tree, including new top tiers. Today we reveal the first one, menacing A-6E Intruder wielding the heaviest payload in the game and the TRAM targeting pod which allows to use laser guided bombs!

[/h3]



In War Thunder, the A-6E TRAM Intruder will be a new Premium naval strike aircraft joining the seventh rank of the American aviation tree with the release of the next major update. Due to its omission of fixed forward firing weapons - a highly unconventional trait for an American strike aircraft - the Intruder may at first appear like a toothless tiger but rest assured, this bird carries enough firepower to single handedly wipe out an entire tank platoon! We got your attention now, pilot? Then keep on reading to find out more.



Before we dive deep into explosive matters however, it’s worth taking a look at the A-6E itself of course. The Intruder is a relatively compact naval aircraft powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney turbojet engines. The aircraft may not be able to break the sound barrier but it can still reach a more than respectable top speed of about 650 mph (~1,000 km/h), thus allowing it to quickly get in and out of the heat of battle.

As previously mentioned, the A-6E doesn’t feature any sort of fixed forward firing weapons, making the pilots’ dogfighting and strafing capabilities with the Intruder severely limited. However, this doesn’t mean that the Intruder is a sitting duck against hostile aircraft either as pilots can choose to include Sidewinder AIM-9L missiles , as well as 20mm gunpods in their loadouts to counter such aerial threats.



But going back to the subject of the Intruder’s ground attack capabilities - pilots will be able to choose between different types of suspended weaponry to mount onto the five hardpoints found on the A-6E. The A-6E can mount unguided FFAR and Zuni rockets as well as incendiary and conventional bombs of various calibers up to 2,000 lbs. Total loadout is truly outstanding: in the “bomb truck” setup the Intruder is capable to bring up to 28x500lbs or 13x1,000lbs bombs! However, pilots can also equip their warplane with more advanced precision munition such as GBU-10, GBU-12 or GBU-16 Paveway II laser guided bombs - up to five at once. Thanks to this vast assortment of weapon options, pilots can always ideally equip their aircraft for the task at hand.



The A-6E Intruder is soon arriving into War Thunder as the new Premium American strike aircraft with the release of the next major update. In the meantime, be sure to follow the news for the latest information regarding the upcoming update. Until then, clear skies and happy hunting pilots!

[h3]Ground vehicles[/h3]

• A bug has been fixed that might disable the UAV’s circling flight.
  
• A bug has been fixed that resulted in excessive sight shake at maximum zoom in the commander’s camera.
  
• VK 3002 (M) — the inconsistency between the gun mantlet size in the damage model and its description has been corrected.
  
• Mistral — missile’s autopilot has been reconfigured, pitch bobbing reduced.
  

[h3]Aircraft[/h3]

• B-57B — bomb bay opening time has been reduced to four seconds.
  
• Harrier GR.7 — a bug has been fixed where a ventral mounted bomb added weight to the right wing.
  
• MiG-23BN — a bug has been fixed that prevented the 6x500 bomb layout.
  
• Jaguar GR.1A — a bug has been fixed that prevented custom weapon presets containing the targeting pod.
  
• TY-90 — missile autopilot has been reconfigured, pitch bobbing reduced.
  
• Mistral — missile autopilot has been reconfigured, pitch bobbing reduced.
  
• 30mm HE-I round of the GSh-30-2, GSh-30-2K, and GSh-6-30 guns — a bug has been fixed that marked this round as ‘tracer’ in the protection analysis menu.
  

[h3]Naval[/h3]

• Geniere (D 555) — a bug has been fixed where the depth charges remained on the stern thrower in the torpedoes and mortar weapon setup.
  

[h3]Interface[/h3]

• A bug has been fixed where some naval vessels had the incorrect repair speed bonuses in the crew menu.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented vehicle icons on the tactical map of the dynamic campaign selection menu.
  

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.

In the upcoming War Thunder update, the 9A35М2 will become the earliest SAM available for research in the Soviet tech tree.

[h2]9A35M2, SAM, USSR, rank VI[/h2]

Features:

• Maneuverable missiles
  
• High profile
  
• Unable to hit ground targets
  
• Amphibious
  

With the release of the next major game update, enthusiasts of Soviet vehicles in War Thunder will receive the 9A35M2, a.k.a. Strela-10M2, the first air defense system available for research in the Soviet ground vehicle tech tree. The machine, built on the chassis of the MT-LB armored tractor, is designed to destroy enemy aircraft at short and medium distances.

The 9A35M2 ammunition load is 8 surface-to-air missiles with a thermal seeker: four in launch containers and four available for reloading. The missiles are capable of hitting enemy aircraft at distances up to 5 km, while the missile has a good maximum overload indicator for its rank, which results in high maneuverability.



The new 9A35M2 should feel very familiar to tankers already familiar with the Shturm-S, as both vehicles share the MT-LB multi-purpose chassis. It is a quite mobile amphibious platform that can easily overcome rough terrain. The armor of the vehicle is only bulletproof and will not protect against tank guns, autocannons and close bomb explosions. By the way, the 9A35M2 itself has a fairly high silhouette, so it would be wise to fire from behind cover or from the lowlands.

The new Soviet air defense system will take place between the artillery anti-aircraft guns and the 2S6 SAM, thus covering the need for anti-aircraft missiles at the pre-top ranks. The vehicle will be able to provide invaluable assistance to the team, destroying attack aircraft and early helicopters, which are forced to come close to the tank battle area due to the limited range of their ATGMs.



Look for a new SAM vehicle at rank VI of Soviet armored vehicles research tree immediately after the release of the upcoming War Thunder winter update. You will always be the first to know about other interesting vehicles, locations, new game mechanics and game improvements in our Devblog series. Stay tuned to the news!