War Thunder News

The Improved Chaparral SAM will help strengthen the ranks of the US and Israeli ground forces trees when it comes to War Thunder in the upcoming major update!

[h2]Improved Chaparral, SAM SPAA, USA (rank VI) and Israel (rank VII)[/h2]

Features:

• Two types of missiles to choose from.
  
• Thermal imager.
  
• 12 missiles onboard.
  
• Lacks armor protection.
  

The American-made Chaparral anti-aircraft missile system will appear in the US and Israeli ground forces research trees in the upcoming “Sons of Attila” major War Thunder update! While the Chaparral does not come with its own radar, each missile can be guided through a normal sight that also features thermal imaging. Let’s dive deeper into the details.



We’d like to let you know that the incoming Chaparral will arrive at a different rank and Battle Rating within the US and Israeli research trees. This is because of the difference in available missiles. The Chaparral in the US tree will receive two types of Surface-to-air missile — the default MIM-72A, which, interestingly enough, is an adapted AIM-9D Sidewinder, as well as the more advanced MIM-72E, which is available through researching this modification. While the Sidewinder will allow you to securely acquire targets from behind, the MIM-72E is an all-aspect seeker, which certainly makes it more devastating! The Chaparral in the Israeli tree will be located at rank VII, with the MIM-72E missile being available by default after purchasing the vehicle. The more advanced MIM-72G missile will be available through researching this modification, and offers a dual-channel (IR/UV) seeker with rosette scanning capabilities. The total number of missiles that the Chaparral can carry is 12: 4 on the launcher, and 8 spares.



Moving onto the armor, the Chaparral uses an adapted version of the M548 cargo carrier chassis, which means there is virtually no armor to speak of. This means that the Chaparral can be penetrated just by rifle-caliber machine guns. Because of the lack of armor, the Chaparral has a relatively low weight, which allows it to reach up to 61 km/h on paved roads, as well as being able to move smoothly off road.



4 crew members sit perfectly next to each other in the vehicle with their arms out to their front, hence the title reference! Look for the new Chaparral anti-aircraft missile system in the US and Israeli ground forces research tree after the release of the upcoming major update. Stay tuned, as we’re continuing to share news about the most interesting vehicles and features of the upcoming update “Sons of Attila”. See you!

The assault modification of the multi-purpose Mi-8 helicopter was envisioned as a "flying IFV" (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) with combat capabilities close to that of dedicated attack helicopters.

[h2]Mi-8TV, Attack Helicopter, USSR, Rank V[/h2]

Features:

• High payload capacity.
  
• Falanga ATGMs.
  
• Large size.
  

Exciting news for all helicopter aviation enthusiasts, the legendary Mi-8 is coming to War Thunder! Meet the assault version of the most widely produced helicopter in the world, armed with rockets, bombs, and even ATGMs! The Mi-8TV will be joining Rank V in the Soviet helicopter branch in the "Sons of Attila'' major update.



The main advantage of this new giant is its impressive combined payload, making it unmatched at its rank in the game. It can carry standard and incendiary bombs from 250kg to 500kg each, Falanga-M ATGMs with a max range of 4km, and most impressively, up to 192 S-5K unguided rockets. With some careful aim, a skilled pilot can coat enemy positions with an unavoidable flurry of HEAT.



The Mi-8TV's forward armament consists of just one 12.7mm machine gun. While it can angle partially in any direction, it doesn't have full traverse. Either way, it's better than nothing and will come in handy against aerial targets at close range. However, most opponents are much better armed regarding closer range engagements, so the machine gun should not be considered as a primary weapon.



Although the Mi-8TV is significantly faster than the Mi-4AV, it's not exactly agile. Its large size makes it difficult to maneuver effectively, and is notably hard to control at high speeds. Pilots would be much better off utilizing cover for surprise attacks rather than relying on its flight characteristics. The Mi-8 is huge and very easy to spot and hit from a distance. The most successful sorties will come from giving enemies very little time to react. Pilots should avoid sitting high up in the sky, and use cover to get in close if equipped with unguided rockets or bombs.



In summary, the Mi-8TV is an interesting alternative to the early Mi-24s and a must-have for any aviation enthusiast. By the way, German pilots will also get their own Mi-8! An export version capable of carrying up to 6 "Malyutka" ATGMs. So, don't forget to check your hangars right after the "Sons of Attila" update!

Decals? Decals! So many to pick from, and so many combinations! We loved seeing pictures of your unique vehicles in the game. The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 83rd edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen83. You have time until 08.09.2023 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]

Capture a screenshot of your favorite vehicle in War Thunder!
You must add the #WTscreen83 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
• 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 82nd edition - Fresh Paint![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3027417294
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3026501140
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3025902935

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3027420307
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3026010709
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3027098501

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

In the upcoming major update, we’re going to be introducing a new rank for Bluewater ships: rank VI!

We’ve got some exciting news for you: rank VI Bluewater ships will come to the game in the next major update! The addition of this new rank will open the door to more powerful ships that you have been asking for. The addition of rank VI means that rank V can be decompressed — which will help you speed up the research towards rank VI!

For this momentous occasion, we’re also announcing the pre-order of rank V premium battleships, which will help you to significantly speed up the research progress of any ship in Bluewater research trees that have them. These almighty ships will become available with the release of the next major update, and pre-order packs will also come with special bonuses for their owners!


[h2]Pre-order — Arkansas Pack[/h2]

You can purchase this pack by clicking the Shop button whilst in the hangar, and then clicking Online Store.

Price: 69.99

• Wyoming-class, USS Arkansas (BB-33), 1942 (Rank 5, USA);
  
• 3000 Golden Eagles;
  
• Premium account for 30 days;
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique title Gaijin Shogun;
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique flag with the emblem of the state of Arkansas.
  

[h2]Pre-order — Marat Pack[/h2]

You can purchase this pack by clicking the Shop button whilst in the hangar, and then clicking Online Store.

Price: 69.99

• Sevastopol-class, Marat (Rank 5, USSR);
  
• 3000 Golden Eagles;
  
• Premium account for 30 days;
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "Adamant" title;
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique flag with the coat of arms of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky;
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique camouflage.
  

We’d also like to mention a new feature coming alongside the pre-order bonuses for premium battleships. This is the ability to change the flags on your ships in the hangar! Pre-ordering these packs will mean that you will receive the flags of the state of Arkansas, and also the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky — both cities that these battleships are named after.


[h2]Battleship USS Arkansas[/h2]




USS Arkansas was ordered for construction as the second of two Wyoming-class battleships, developed prior to WWI. After the U.S. entered WWI in 1917, USS Arkansas sailed for Europe to support the Allied forces as part of a detachment operating with the British Grand Fleet. After the outbreak of WWII, USS Arkansas initially took part in convoy escort duties in the Atlantic before shipping out to England in preparation for the D-Day invasion in June 1944. As part of Operation Overlord, USS Arkansas bombarded German shoreline positions and supported advancing Allied troops. Subsequently, USS Arkansas sailed for the Mediterranean where the warship also conducted shoreline bombardments as part of Operation Dragoon. In 1945, USS Arkansas saw its last major operations, taking part in the Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and on both occasions supporting troops with artillery fire.



Unlike its sistership, USS Wyoming, the USS Arkansas features modernization that started at the beginning of World War II. During these modernization changes, the anti-mine caliber weapons were converted into anti-aircraft guns, as well as the armor being strengthened. In total, USS Arkansas received 8 single mounted 76mm guns, 6 quadruple 28mm machine guns (known as the “Chicago piano”!) as well as 26 20mm Oerlikon machine guns. These additions meant that the USS Arkansas’ ability against enemy ships was reduced, but capability against enemy aircraft was increased: something the USS Wyoming lacked.


[h2]Battleship Marat[/h2]




“Marat” (before being renamed to “Petropavlovsk”), like the other 3 ships from the Sevastopol project, were laid down at the St. Petersburg shipyards in 1909. This project intended to improve battleships based on combat experience that occurred during the Russo-Japanese War, and were the first “dreadnoughts” of the Russian fleet. Marat took part in the First World War, as well as the dramatic events of the October Revolution and the Civil War in Russia. During the siege of Leningrad, the armor and guns of Marat were used to build a line of defense around the city. The Marat itself, whilst in the port of Kronstadt, conducted intense fire on advancing enemy troops. After continuous air raids, Marat partially sank, but despite this, still continued to provide artillery support to troops until 1944. In 1943, the ship’s name was returned, and after the war, the ship was renamed again to “Volkhov”. After this, the Marat was used as a training ship.



In War Thunder, Marat has been created in its 1940 modernization configuration. The main, distinguished features of this ship include: a powerful main artillery battery of 12 305mm guns, as well as massive armor, with defenses in the form of 76mm anti-aircraft guns, 37mm caliber anti-aircraft machine guns, and large-caliber machine guns. Anti-torpedo bulges as well as the Marat’s horizontal armor were not upgraded, which meant that it could reach a maximum speed of almost 22.9 knots (about 42.4 km/h).

On August 15th, 1945, Japan announced its surrender, marking the end of hostilities on the Pacific Theater. However, the official end of World War II came on September 2nd, when Japan signed the act of capitulation. This date is celebrated in the US as the Victory over Japan Day.

[h2]

From September 1st (12:00 GMT) until September 4th (07:00 GMT)

[/h2]

Play 3 battles using US vehicles (rank III or higher, with an activity of not less than 70%) to receive the “V-J Day” decal.

“V-J Day” decal

Complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions and [Assault] mode. Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Victory in WWII Day.

You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the Customisation menu.