War Thunder News

Today we’ll be taking a look at the PLZ05, featuring a modern 155 mm self-propelled howitzer that’ll further strengthen the Chinese ground forces tree in the next major update!

[h2]PLZ05: A Tank Destroyer for China at Rank V[/h2]
At a glance:

• Long-barreled 155 mm Howitzer that can fire HE shells!
  
• Mechanized ammo rack with a decent reload time.
  
• Laser rangefinder for easy long-range shots.
  
• Top speed of 56 km/h.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
The PLZ05 was developed as a replacement for the aging PLZ83(A) in service with the PLA, which started from the transition of large-caliber Chinese guns to 155 mm caliber. The PLZ05 was a further development of the PLZ45 using a domestic engine and transmission. This new vehicle received an automatic loader, similar to the Russian Msta-S, a laser rangefinder and an anti-fragment liner. The PLZ05 was accepted into service in 2005 and is currently in service with the ground forces of the PLA.
[/expand]



[h2]Meet the PLZ05![/h2]

In the next major update, the Chinese ground forces tree will receive their very own long-barreled capable vehicle with devastating high explosive rounds — the PLZ05! Despite its considerable dimensions, this vehicle is mobile, has a high rate of fire and is equipped with modern electronics. Let’s take a closer look!



The stand-out feature of the PLZ05 is its armament! It’s a long-barreled Chinese 155 mm howitzer that’s loaded using a mechanized ammunition rack, where an exemplary trained crew can achieve a rate of fire of about 8 rounds per minute for the first-stage ammo. This gun can fire a regular high-explosive shell, a HE shell with a radio fuze, a SAP round, plus a smoke shell.



Visually, the PLZ05 is a large beast and is quite a heavy vehicle, making it easy to spot and difficult to hide. However, this vehicle has a maximum top speed of 56 km/h, allowing you to find advantageous cover and retreat out of difficult situations more than once.



That’s it for this one! The PLZ05 will arrive at rank V of the Chinese ground forces tree as a powerful vehicle in this nation. Very soon you’ll be able to try out this vehicle in battle, but until then keep an eye out for other vehicles that await you in the next major update!

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

Today we’ll be taking a look at the FV107 Scimitar, a British light tank with a 30 mm autocannon on a light chassis, capable of positioning itself well around the map and causing havoc to the enemy!

[h2]FV107 Scimitar: A Light Tank for Great Britain at Rank V [/h2]
At a glance:

• 30 mm L21A1 automatic cannon using the same ammunition as the Fox.
  
• Great top speed of 80 km/h.
  
• Light armor.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
The FV107 Scimitar dates back to 1967, when the (CVR(T)) chassis was first designed to replace the Saladin armored car. In addition to the FV101 Scorpion, the Scimitar was also designed by Alvis as a light reconnaissance tank with 30 mm automatic fire potential. The first prototype was shown in 1971 and accepted into service in 1973, with 486 of these vehicles being produced in total.

Since 1974, the Scimitar has served in several conflicts, including the Falklands War, Gulf War, Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. In 1982 during the Falklands War, the Blues & Royals squadron operated the Scimitar and claimed to have shot down an Argentine Skyhawk with the 30 mm autocannon. In the 1991 Gulf War, Scimitars engaged Iraqi T-62s first hand. Over 300 Scimitars remained in service with the British Army until 2023, when it was phased out for the incoming Ajax. Some other operators include Belgium with over 150 vehicles in use until 2004 and Latvia with over 120 vehicles since 2014, still in service with them today.
[/expand]



[h2]Meet the FV107 Scimitar![/h2]

Great Britain will be receiving a very nice light tank in the next major update, and that’s the FV107 Scimitar! This vehicle is somewhat similar to two others already in the game: the Fox, as it has the same gun, and the Striker, as it has a very similar chassis. Let’s take a closer look!



Another long-awaited light tank is arriving to Great Britain’s ground forces tree. Let’s take a look at the gun first! As with the Fox that we added earlier this year, the Scimitar features exactly the same gun and ammo — the 30 mm L21A1 RARDEN cannon that can fire APDS, APHE (SAP-I) and HEI-T rounds. Despite having a slower rate of fire than contemporary autocannons, the Scimitar can still certainly hold up against armored threats when hitting enemies from the side and rear.

Interesting: The word “Scimitar” refers to a single-edged sword with a curved blade.

As for mobility, the Scimitar is slightly inferior to the Fox due to its higher weight and tracked chassis. This vehicle comes in at around 8 tons with a top speed of 80 km/h and is almost identical as the FV102 Striker already in the game, apart from the fact that the Scimitar is smaller. These chassis have familiarities as they’re both based on the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) series of vehicles.



Did you know? The (CVR(T)) series of vehicles is huge! Over 3,500 vehicles were built on this chassis, including the Scorpion, Striker, Spartan, Samaritan, Sultan, Samson, Scimitar, Sabre and Stormer.

Just like the Fox, the Scimitar features light aluminum alloy armor — enough to survive hits against anything up to a .50 cal, but anything above that will knock out the 3 crew members inside. Be sure to keep this in mind in battle and support your allies by flanking and spotting with the scouting mechanic! To round it off, the Scimitar has smoke grenade launchers to conceal itself or to assist when repositioning, plus a 7.62 machine gun for good measure.



That’s it for today’s blog! The FV107 Scimitar is coming to the game in the next major update and will provide Great Britain with even more light tank capabilities. Until the next blog, have fun and see you soon!

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

Today we’ll be taking a look at the main aircraft reward for the Guided Fury Battle Pass, a long-range German bomber featuring the brand-new Hs 293 guided bomb, which is not currently in the game!

[h2]He 177 A-3/R3: A Premium Bomber for Germany at Rank IV[/h2]

At a glance:

• Hs 293 and Fritz X guided bombs!
  
• Decent defensive weapons.
  
• High top speed.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
Development of the He 177 bomber began in Germany in 1936, with engineers tasked with creating a high-speed aircraft capable of carrying up to 1,000 kg of bombs. Heinkel engineers presented a test model in late 1937, and by early 1939, a test batch of 12 aircraft had been ordered. The creation and testing of the He 177 was fraught with difficulties, some of which were never overcome.

By the end of 1944, development was completed, but by that time the military situation had changed and the need for the He 177 had significantly decreased. In total, more than 1,000 aircraft of various modifications were produced, some of which took part in battles on the Eastern Front. Despite this, the protracted development process did not allow the He 177 to significantly influence the course of the war.

The He 177A-3/R3 modification was the first carrier of the Henschel Hs 293 gliding guided bomb. To accommodate this bomb, three external racks were installed on the aircraft with the under fuselage rack blocking the opening of the front bomb bay. He 177 A-3/R3 Greif aircraft were produced in small numbers and were used to train crews in using the Hs 293 guided bomb.

[/expand]

[h2]Meet the He 177 A-3/R3![/h2]

The main reward for the upcoming Guided Fury Battle Pass season is the German He 177 A-3/R3 Greif bomber, featuring the new Hs 293 guided bomb. This aircraft is not only a rare collectible, but also embodies the fantastic technology at the time. It’s also a fun and profitable aircraft that’ll be good in air, ground and naval battles. Let’s have a look!

If you’re a veteran of War Thunder air battles, you’re probably familiar with the He 177 A-5. This is a very large, but quite fast long-range German bomber with a large payload, also capable of using the first ever guided bomb used in combat, the Fritz X. The new He 177 A-3/R3 retains the main advantages of the A-5, but brings with it premium status and the new Hs 293 guided bomb. This bomb is inferior to the Fritz X in terms of warhead mass, but to launch it you don’t need to go to high altitudes and aim through a bomb sight, as the Hs 293 is essentially a guided air-to-surface missile!



How on earth does it work? The cruise engine accelerates it on the starting segment of its trajectory, and then the bomb goes into guided gliding mode. You’ll need some training with it, but after using it for bit, you’ll be able to master the guidance of this bomb and be able to accurately destroy tanks and ships with it. Oh yeah, you can also learn the basics of using these types of weapons in tutorials from the hangar, by going to Battles > Tutorial > AGM with manual guidance.

In addition to being able to launch both the Fritz X and new Hs 293, the He 177 A-3/R3 remains an impressive bomber in terms of payload. You’ll have access to regular 48 x 50 kg to 4 x 1800 kg bombs, as well as incendiary and armor-piercing bombs for destroying ships. In minimum weight configurations, this aircraft can accelerate to speeds in excess of 500 km/h (or 310~ mph for our American and British readers). To protect it from fighter aircraft or to take potshots at enemy bombers when passing by them in Air Battles, the He 177 A-3/R3 has turrets with conventional and heavy machine guns, as well as 20 mm autocannons in the tail and lower nose turrets.



As always, there’s a couple of shortcomings with the He 177 A-3/R3. That’s its large dimensions and the presence of only a pair of engines, meaning when one of them is damaged and leaking, landing this huge bomber becomes a truly difficult job.



This epic and technically stunning marvel can be yours by completing challenges in the upcoming Guided Fury Battle Pass season, starting on October 23rd. Warm up your fingers, sip some tea and play some War Thunder to level up your Battle Pass — this aircraft is worth it!

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

Today we’ll be showing you Murmansk, an American light cruiser in service with the Soviet Navy! Its multiple 152 mm guns are particularly effective against lightly armored targets, while its excellent anti-aircraft weapons and radar make this ship good against aircraft too.

[h2]Murmansk: A Premium Light Cruiser for the USSR at rank III [/h2]
At a glance:

• Ten 152 mm guns!
  
• Powerful air defense.
  
• Radar.
  
• Decent survivability.
  
• High top speed.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
The Milwaukee (CL-5) cruiser began her history in 1923, when she entered service with the U.S. Navy after being built at the Tacoma Shipyard. Milwaukee served in the Pacific Ocean from 1928 to 1940, and was then transferred to the Atlantic. At the beginning of World War II, she patrolled the South Atlantic, protecting convoys from enemy submarines, returned home in February 1944 for a short overhaul and was sent to serve in the North Atlantic. In March of 1944, she escorted convoy JW 58 to the USSR and, in exchange for Italian cruiser Duca d’Aosta, was transferred to the Soviet Union, receiving a new name — Murmansk.

Service in the Northern Fleet of the Soviet Navy consisted mainly of training sorties. The only combat mission was escorting convoy RA 61 in the fall of 1944. In 1949, Murmansk was returned to the United States and sent for scrap.
[/expand]



[h2]Meet Murmansk![/h2]

The Murmansk, formerly the American Omaha class cruiser Milwaukee (CL-5), is the main naval reward coming to the upcoming Battle Pass season, Guided Fury! Coming in at rank III in the USSR’s Bluewater fleet tree, the Murmansk boasts numerous 152 mm guns, a radar, a reconnaissance aircraft and a luxurious amount of anti-aircraft autocannons. Let’s take a look!



In general, Murmansk will be familiar to those of you who have played the American cruiser USS Raleigh. This is a fast, well-armed and relatively survivable ship. The main caliber of the Murmansk is 10 x 152 mm guns. This large caliber does mean though that you’ll have a slightly longer reload time compared to similar ships, but the one-time damage with many hits at once fully justifies this! The next advantage of the Murmansk is its anti-aircraft capabilities. Firstly, thanks to numerous anti-aircraft weapons of 40 and 20 mm calibers, and secondly due to the presence of an air target detection radar. While the main caliber is reloading, the 76 mm guns (three mounts per side) can fire, which can also work against air targets with shells and radio fuzes. The Murmansk’s weapons arsenal includes torpedoes in two three-tube tubes, as well as two reconnaissance aircraft with equipment for laying smoke screens and dropping small bombs.



It’s worth noting that the Murmansk can fire a maximum of seven main battery guns at a time due to the specific location of its turrets. Only high-explosive or semi-armor piercing shells can be fired, with their damage being sufficient enough for clashes with destroyers and light cruisers, but in high-rank battles, they may not have enough penetration for effective firefights against heavy cruisers. But in battles with lightly armored opponents, Murmansk is smooth — the consistently high damage of the high-explosive shells from the main caliber guns wreaks havoc on decks and unprotected gun mounts with each successful salvo. The armor piercing shells that have good penetration easily cope with the armor of light cruisers at almost all firing ranges.

The Murmansk’s engine room is protected by 76 mm of armor, the propeller-rudder area also has protection from high-explosive damage, but the fuel tanks and gun magazines located at the waterline will be especially vulnerable to torpedoes. It’s very convenient that the speed of the Murmansk will be almost the best among light cruisers at its rank. In fact, in terms of mobility, it differs little from a destroyer!



The Murmansk light cruiser will be an easy start to researching the USSR Bluewater fleet and a good addition to existing lineups. Very soon, we’ll be telling you about the second main reward of the Guided Fury Battle Pass season and publish the full list of rewards for completing stages. See you around!

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

The Vautour II was designed and produced by Sud Aviation and made its first flight on October 16th 1952. It served with the French Air Force from 1958 to 1979 and was also supplied to Israel, where it saw combat in the Six-Day War and the War of Attrition.

[h2]The Vautour IIN is temporarily available at a 30% Discount for Golden Eagles![/h2]
This French bomber is available at a 30% discount for 5,992 Golden Eagles.


When: From today until October 18th (09:00 GMT).
Where: France > Aviation > Premium vehicles.



About this aircraft

• The Vautour IIN is a rank VI jet bomber with a large range of secondary weapons, including bombs, rockets, AS-30 and AS-20 Nord air-to-ground missiles, and AA-20 air-to-air missiles. Additionally, this aircraft is equipped with a radar and four 30 mm cannons. Thanks to its combination of good guns and ground options, the Vautour IIN can be used well both in air and ground battles.