War Thunder News

[p] [/p][p]Today we’re taking a look at the Israeli SPYDER AIO, a rapid-deployment air defense system designed to counter all types of modern aerial threats. [/p][h2]Spyder AIO: A SAM System (SPAA) for Israel at Rank VIII[/h2][p]At a glance:
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• [p] Python-5 and Derby missiles[/p]
• [p] High-speed radar scanning[/p]
• [p] Effective short and long range air defense[/p]
• [p] Good mobility [/p]

[p]Vehicle History The SPYDER AIO (All-In-One) is an Israeli mobile air defense system jointly developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries to provide rapid, autonomous protection against a wide range of aerial threats, ranging from planes, helicopters to UAVs and even precision-guided munitions. It evolved from the original SPYDER (Surface-to-air Python and Derby) system, which was designed in the early 2000s to meet the needs of modern, mobile, and multi-layered air defense.

The system has attracted interest globally and has since been adopted by the armed forces of several countries including Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, the UAE, Morocco and others. The AIO variant integrates all system components — radar, command and control, and missile launchers — onto a single vehicle for enhanced mobility and quicker deployment. The SPYDER AIO was designed to launch both Python-5 and Derby missiles, offering both short and medium-range interception capabilities.


[/p][h2]Introducing the SPYDER AIO![/h2][p]
The SPYDER AIO is arriving to War Thunder as part of the Leviathans major update to reinforce the top rank of the Israeli ground forces tree with one of the most advanced air defense systems to date. Featuring a selection of two missile types and a highly capable radar system, the Spyder is set to become the new guardian angel when playing the Israel ground forces tree. Ready to find out more? Let’s take a look at the details.

[/p][p]In most cases, modern missile-based air defense systems consist of several units with distinct roles, working together. In the case of the SPYDER AIO, Israeli engineers integrated all functions into a single, highly mobile platform, thus creating a highly potent all-in-one solution. The SPYDER’s signature strength lies undoubtedly in its electronic equipment and most prominently, in its advanced radar system. Consisting of a fixed four phased antenna array, the SPYDER can scan the surrounding airspace at smaller intervals. This, coupled with thermal imaging, enables the Spyder AIO to detect aerial threats well ahead of time and in all weather conditions, before they become an acute danger to allies on the ground. [/p][p]
Detecting a foe is one thing, but dealing with them effectively is a whole different one. Fortunately however, the SPYDER has access to two types of advanced missile systems — the Python-5 and Derby. The Derby will be familiar if you’ve played Israel before, but the Python-5 is brand-new to the game! Each missile system is tailored to a different engagement type, yet both feature fire-and-forget capability, meaning you can focus solely on coordinating the order of engagement of hostile air threats. Both missiles are roughly identical in range, but complement each other in different combat situations. The Derby being an ARH missile is immune to flares and IRCMs, and can also capture targets in the frontal hemisphere from greater ranges. The Python-5 with IR guidance does not trigger RWR (except for the most advanced ones that feature MAWS with optical sensors for detecting rocket engine flares) and are immune to “notching”. Therefore it’s reasonable to fire at targets that pose the biggest threat with both types of missiles at once.


That’s it for this one! The SPYDER AIO will soon become available to all players at the top rank of the Israeli ground forces trees with the release of the Leviathans major update! In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye out on the news for what is coming next. Until then, happy hunting and see you soon in the next devblog!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
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[p][/p][p]The Royal Italian Navy was founded shortly after the unification of the country on March 17th 1861. A significant part of it was made up of the navies of the kingdoms of Naples and Sardinia. For a long time, they were significantly disunited, and only in 1881 was a common Naval Academy opened in Livorno. By the beginning of the 20th century, Italy was already a serious naval power, capable of confronting Austria-Hungary in the Adriatic Sea. It was there on June 10th 1917 that an Italian motor torpedo boat sank the dreadnought SMS Szent István, and in honor of this victory, Italian Navy Day was established. [/p][p][/p][h2]RN Geniere is temporarily available for Golden Eagles![/h2][p]This destroyer is available for 3850 Golden Eagles. [/p][carousel][/carousel][p]
When: June 10th (11:00 GMT) until June 13th (07:00 GMT).
Where: Italy > Bluewater fleet > Premium vehicles.

About this destroyer[/p]

• [p] The RN Geniere was actively used during the Second World War as an escort ship, mainly protecting Italian convoys leading to Libya. Its arsenal is universal, featuring a powerful anti-aircraft battery, depth charges, powerful torpedoes and 120 mm guns, ready to fire every 7.5 seconds with a well-trained crew. And of course, the speed and maneuverability required of a destroyer compensate for the light armor.
  [/p]

[h2]RN Pola and RN Leonardo da Vinci are available at a 30% discount![/h2][p]RN Pola is available at 5614 Golden Eagles, and RN Leonardo da Vinci is available at 5866 Golden Eagles!

When: June 10th (11:00 GMT) until June 13th (07:00 GMT).
Where: Italy > Bluewater fleet > Premium vehicles.

About these ships[/p]

• [p] RN Pola’s main caliber is represented by eight 203 mm guns — they’re powerful, but fire slowly. This ship has good armor, a decent anti-aircraft battery and decent speed. A real all-rounder!
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[carousel][/carousel][p][/p]

• [p] RN Leonardo da Vinci may not be fast, but it packs an impressive punch. This ship boasts 305 mm guns with semi-armor-piercing shells that carry a huge amount of explosives.[/p]

[carousel][/carousel][p]
[/p][h2]“Coat of arms of the Naval Service of the Italian Coast Guard” decal![/h2][p]You can get this decal for this special occasion!



“Coat of arms of the Naval Service of the Italian Coast Guard” decal

When: From June 10th (11:00 GMT) Until June 13th (07:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using Italian naval vessels at rank III or higher to receive the “Coat of arms of the Naval Service of the Italian Coast Guard” decal.

Additional details:

• [p]Your activity must not be below 70%.[/p]
• [p] You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, and \[Assault] mode.[/p]
• [p] Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Italian Navy Day.[/p]
• [p] You can find the decal in the “Italy -> Navy” tab in the customization menu.
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[p][/p][p]We’ve finally arrived! Introducing the Japanese F-2A multi-role fighter as a researchable variant, and the F-2A ADTW as a premium pack variant. [/p][p][/p][h2]F-2A: A Jet Fighter for Japan at Rank VIII[/h2][p]At a glance:[/p]

• [p] Excellent flight characteristics[/p]
• [p] Advanced electronics[/p]
• [p] IR and ARH air-to-air missiles[/p]
• [p] Large amount of weaponry[/p]
• [p] No HMD
  [/p]

[h2]Pre-order - F-2A ADTW Pack[/h2][p]To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store![/p][p]79.99[/p]

• [p]F-2A ADTW (Rank VIII, Japan)[/p]
• [p]Premium account for 30 days[/p]
• [p]3000 Golden Eagles[/p]
• [p]Pre-order bonus: unique title “Viper Zero”[/p]
• [p]Pre-order bonus: unique “Gifu Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force emblem” decal[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Vehicle History [/p][p]Jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and American companies General Dynamics and Lockheed, the F-2A fighter is based on the American F-16 for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. While maintaining its basic aerodynamics, the F-2A received an enlarged wing made of composite materials, a reinforced fuselage and full Japanese avionics, including an AESA radar and an integrated fire control system. [/p][p]The prototype first flew in 1995, and serial production of 94 aircraft (including F-2B combat trainers) was carried out from 2000 to 2011. Despite its technological advancement, the program faced a record cost of about $120 million per aircraft. During operation, problems with the resource of composite wings and electronics were revealed, requiring expensive upgrades. [/p][p]Today, the F-2A remains the key strike aircraft of the Self-Defense Force. The unique experience of creating the F-2A allowed Japan to develop its own fifth-generation technology demonstrator, the X-2 Shinshin. [/p][p][/p][h2]Introducing the F-2A![/h2][p] Japan’s long-awaited top jet fighter is coming in the Leviathans major update! Meet the F-2A Viper Zero — an advanced multi-role aircraft, expertly crafted for modern air combat and the destruction of sea and ground targets with guided weapons from long distances. Plus, along with the researchable F-2A, a premium variant named the F-2A ADTW is available for pre-order starting today! Let’s take a closer look. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The F-2A’s appearance may look strikingly familiar, and that’s because it is based on the American F-16C Block 40. Despite looking similar, the F-2A received significant improvements in almost all combat characteristics. It has a longer wing, composite materials have been widely used in the fuselage and tail design, helping to increase the F-2A’s speed, rate of climb and maneuverability to the level of some of the best aircraft in the game.[/p][p]Interesting: The F-2A has the nickname of “Viper Zero”! This name is combined from the F-16’s nickname of “Viper”, and the name of the classic A6M “Zero”.

[/p][p][/p][p]As befits a multi-role jet aircraft, the F-2A’s arsenal allows it to perform any tasks, one of which is the ability to adequately take out naval targets without coming into direct contact with them. This is thanks to the ASM-1 and ASM-2 anti-ship missiles, which are new to the game! The first one has an ARH seeker with inertial guidance, while the second one has a seeker with IR and inertial guidance. Alongside these missiles is the excellent AAM-3 close-range missile, found on the Japanese F-15J. These missiles come stock for the aircraft and have a high maximum overload, a very long time of controlled flight and good IR countermeasures resistance. For other scenarios, you can research and use the AAM-4 medium-range missile, featuring a ARH homing head, which are approximately similar in efficiency and guidance to the American AIM-120A. To round them up, they have inertial guidance, a data-link, a decent available maximum overload and a launch range even higher than the American missile! [/p][p][/p][p]So we’ve spoken about the air-to-air and air-to-ship missiles, but what can be used against ground vehicles? There’s literally an entire arsenal. We’re talking the GBU-31 JDAM and the GBU-38 JDAM with satellite guidance, the more advanced GBU-54B LJDAM with laser, inertial and satellite guidance, to a large selection of regular and tail fin bombs with a total weight of over 5,000 kg per sortie, Zuni rockets and up to 342 Mighty Mouse rockets. To locate targets, the F-2A features its own J/AAQ-2 targeting pod, and a new Sniper pod is required for launching the LJDAM guided bombs! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]As mentioned at the start of the text, today pre-orders for the F-2A Air Development and Test Wing (ADTW) have started! This one was created after a prototype for test purposes. This is truly an eye-catching aircraft, featuring slightly worse air-to-air missiles than its researchable variant, and it will not be able to launch GBU-54 or ARH missiles. [/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]The anticipated F-2A Viper Zero and nice F-2A ADTW are coming to the game in the Leviathans major update, which is coming soon. See you around! [/p][p][/p][p]Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.[/p]

[p]
On June 9th 1892, Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov was born. He was a famous Soviet aircraft designer nicknamed “the king of fighters”. He designed dozens of aircraft, including the Po-2, I-15 and I-16, which made up a significant part of the USSR’s air force from 1939-1941.

[/p][h2]The I-16 type 28 is temporarily available for Golden Eagles![/h2][p]The I-16 type 28 is available for 1350 Golden Eagles.

When: From June 9th (11:00 GMT) until June 12th (11:00 GMT).
Where: USSR > Aviation > Premium vehicles.

[/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][p] About this aircraft[/p]

• [p] The I-16 type 28 is a slow, but fast-climbing and maneuverable aircraft, ideal for turn fighting. This aircraft features two 20 mm ShVAK cannons and two 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns, plus six 82 mm rockets and two FAB bombs up to 100 kg that can be mounted on the wings.
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[h2]The I-153P and Zhukovsky’s I-153-M62 are available at a 30% discount![/h2][p]The I-153P is available for 665 Golden Eagles and Zhukovsky’s I-153-M62 is available for 280 Golden Eagles.

When: From June 9th (11:00 GMT) until June 12th (11:00 GMT).
Where: USSR > Aviation > Premium vehicles.
[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p]
About these aircraft[/p]

• [p]Both of these variants of the I-153 Chaika are equipped with the M62 engine and are capable of carrying two 50 kg bombs or eight 82 mm rockets. The I-153P got its name from the word “gun”, as it is armed with two 20 mm ShVAK cannons. The I-153-M62 which was flown at the start of the Second World War by ace Sergei Yakovlevich Zhukovsky is equipped with four 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns. [/p]

Thank you for another week of stunning submissions— we love seeing your creativity and detail. For this upcoming theme, we’re shifting our focus from firepower to flair. This week, transform your vehicles into works of art through custom skins. Whether it’s a historically accurate camouflage, a battle-worn repaint, or something uniquely your own, show us how your personalized paint job adds character to your machines. The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!

[h2]Let’s begin the 175th edition of our competition![/h2]

Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen175. You have time until the 13th of June 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]

Your screenshot must include a vehicle with a customized skin, or with decals applied.
You can find skins for vehicles here.
You must add the #WTscreen175 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.
• 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 174th edition – Salt & Steel![/h2]

[h3]Winners selected via community votes:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3493640431
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3492242883
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3491092509

[h3]Winners selected by our judges:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3490880681
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3492816717
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3491455295

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