War Thunder News

Today we’ll be taking a look at the F/A-18 Hornet family of aircraft — the nations that will get this aircraft and the pre-order pack!

[h2]F/A-18A, F-18C (Sweden), F/A-18C Late and pre-order for the F/A-18C Early Hornet: A Jet Fighter for the USA and Sweden at Rank VIII[/h2]
At a glance:

• Outstanding maneuverability!
  
• Large selection of weapons.
  
• New air-to-air missiles.
  
• Weaponry for any type of mission!
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
The F/A-18 Hornet carrier-based fighter jet was a further development of the Northrop YF-17 prototype. This prototype took part in the Lightweight Fighter program for a promising U.S. Air Force fighter against the YF-16 prototype that went on to become the F-16 Fighting Falcon in 1975. After the YF-17 lost this competition, it was decided to return to the project to participate in a new program announced by the Navy. McDonnell Douglas joined in reworking the prototype into a carrier-based variant instead, ultimately becoming the sole developer of the carrier-based version.

Initially, two versions of the new aircraft were planned; a fighter and an attack variant, however during development both were combined into one. The first flight of the prototype took place in November 1978, with serial production beginning in 1980. Soon after, this new jet fighter began to enter service with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The Hornet was produced both in single-seat variants (A and C) and the two-seat variants (B and D).

The F/A-18 Hornet has been used in most military conflicts where the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have been involved in, including Libya, the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm, the Balkans and Afghanistan. In addition to the United States, other countries have operated the F/A-18 Hornet, including Canada, Finland, Australia, Kuwait and some more. The F/A-18 Hornet was further developed into the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
[/expand]



[h2]Introducing the F/A-18 Hornet![/h2]

Perhaps the most famous U.S. carrier-based fighter-bomber, the F/A-18 Hornet is coming to War Thunder in the Hornet’s Sting major update! Today, we’ll be telling you about the F/A-18A and F/A-18C (late) fighters, plus the premium F/A-18C (early), where the pre-order to receive bonuses has started today. Let’s take a closer look at this jet!



The F/A-18 Hornet family has gained great popularity in both the United States and abroad thanks to its versatile flight and combat capabilities. The powerful F404 series engine (that slightly varies in power in different models), excellent aerodynamics and advanced flap design not only makes the Hornet one of the best planes in the game in terms of maximum speed and climb rate, but also provides the highest maneuverability across the entire speed range — a great feature to have at high-rank air battles. The Hornet’s structural strength is also very high, but be sure to train your crew in resistance to overloads before going into battle!

Interesting: The Hornet became the first U.S. combat aircraft to receive the combined designation of F/A (Fighter/Attack).



The F/A-18 Hornet features the M61A1 rapid-fire aircraft cannon that’s conveniently located at the center of the front of the aircraft between the cockpit and nose cone. All Hornet variants in the game will receive almost identical types of radars with target differentiation, RWR and countermeasure pods for launching flares and chaff. However, the main aspect that sets the variants of the F/A-18 Hornet apart is the secondary weapons and sighting systems that make it possible to use more advanced types of weapons.

[h3]F/A-18A (USA)[/h3]
Let’s first take a look at the F/A-18A variant. This one has the least amount of available weapons, however it’s still enough to perform a wide range of combat tasks. For air combat, this one features the AIM-9L and AIM-7F and M air-to-air missiles. In addition to regular bombs and rockets, you’ll be able to take the new Walleye II ER/DL guided bomb with a thermal imaging homing head into battle, while a pod with a thermal imager can also be equipped under the wings.

[h3]F/A-18C Early (USA — pre-order pack)[/h3]
Moving onto the premium F/A-18C (early) variant that can be pre-ordered starting from today. This one has a thermal imaging and laser-guided targeting system that allows for the addition of the Paveway II family of guided bombs (GBU-12, GBU-16, GBU-10, GBU-24) and the advanced Maverick AGM-65E and AGM-65F guided missiles.



[h3]Pre-order - F/A-18С Early Pack[/h3]
To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!
79.99

• F/A-18С Early (Rank VIII, USA)
  
• 3000 Golden Eagles
  
• Premium account for 30 days
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "Any time Wingman" title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "Hornet Silhouette" decal
  
• Pre-order bonus: VFA-81 "Sunliners" Camouflage
  

[h3]F/A-18C Late (USA)[/h3]
Next up is the most advanced F/A-18C (late) variant. This variant will add guided bombs with GNSS guidance, including the GBU-38, GBU-32 and GBU-31 compared to the previous variants. For air combat, the F/A-18C (late) features a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD), the maneuverable AIM-9M, the new to the game AIM-7P with inertial guidance with a mid-course update data-link, as well as the long-range AIM-120B active radar homing missile.



[h3]Finnish F-18C (Sweden) [/h3]
Lastly is the Finnish F/A-18C variant, coming to the Swedish aviation tree. This variant lacks weapons for strikes against ground targets, but is armed with a radar seeker, AIM-120B missiles for long-range air combat and maneuverable AIM-9M missiles for the closer ranges.

That’s it for this one! Four F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters will be coming to War Thunder with the release of the Hornet’s Sting major update — an uncompromising choice for air battles at the high-ranks for the USA and Sweden!

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

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Introducing the next major update trailer for War Thunder: Hornet's Sting!

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• A bug that sometimes caused launched ARH missiles to not display on a client and to not trigger RWR has been fixed. (Report).
  

Patch notes reflect only key changes, meaning they may not include a complete list of all improvements made. Additionally, War Thunder is constantly being updated and some changes may not require an update. Changes reflected in patch notes are formed by taking reactions and requests of the community from the bug reporting service, forums and other official platforms into account. Bug fixes and changes are implemented in order of importance, for example a game-breaking bug will be worked on and implemented sooner.

The French Strasbourg battleship with its non-standard armament layout is the main reward in the Raider Hunter vehicle event!

[h2]Strasbourg: An Event Vehicle Battleship for France at Rank VI[/h2]
At a glance:

• Improved armor!
  
• Main battery guns at the front.
  
• Good speed.
  
• Reconnaissance aircraft.
  
• Radar.
  
• Mediocre air defense.
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
During the interwar period, France urgently needed new competitive battleships that would comply with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. In 1932, two Dunkerque-class battleships were ordered for the French Navy, designed as a response to the latest warships of the leading naval powers. Strasbourg was the second battleship of this type, built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard and launched in December 1936. With the outbreak of World War II, she took part in the hunt for the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee and escorted French convoys.

After the capitulation of France, Strasbourg was sent to the port of Mers-el-Kebir in Algeria, where she was soon attacked by the Royal Navy, but was able to break through to Toulon. Strasbourg remained there until 1942 as the flagship of the Vichy fleet, without taking part in any significant combat missions. In 1942, after Hitler ordered the occupation of the south of France, the crew of the battleship, among others, was ordered to scuttle the ship. Strasbourg was raised in 1943 and the dismantling of the ship for metal began. On August 18th 1944, Strasbourg was bombed by U.S. aircraft and was sunk again. The ship was raised again in 1946, however the restoration of the battleship was considered too costly and in 1955 Strasbourg was sold for scrap.
[/expand]



[h2]Introducing Strasbourg![/h2]

The vehicle reward in the Raider Hunter event is the Strasbourg battleship, the sister ship of the Dunkerque! Strasbourg has an unusual main caliber gun arrangement and has reinforced hull armor, all while maintaining excellent mobility. Diving into the details!



Let’s first look into the differences between the well-proven Dunkerque battleship. Despite all of its advantages, the Dunkerque has a noticeable downside and that’s its armor. Armor in the most important areas can be penetrated by any battleship, which forces you to limit the tactics needed when playing this ship. The Strasbourg on the other hand partially solves this problem, as the thickness of the main armor belt has increased from 225 mm to a quite acceptable 283. Plus, the thickness of the armor on the slopes and armored deck have increased, and the already decent main battery turret armor has slightly improved. The result of this is good protection from enemy fire, allowing you to bully even the best battleships in the game at long distances!

The interesting part of the Dunkerque-class battleships is their unusual gun arrangement. Strasbourg has two four-barrel turrets that are concentrated at the bow of the ship, while 16 secondary caliber guns are positioned closer to the stern with an onboard salvo possible from 10 of these guns. Eight 330 mm caliber guns can fire high-explosive and semi-armor-piercing shells at a rate of two shots per minute with a trained crew, which is about standard for battleships. Perhaps one of the most noticeable disadvantages of the Strasbourg is its anti-air defenses. Like the Dunkerque, there’s only two-larger caliber machine guns and slow-firing 37 mm guns. A big advantage for detecting air threats is the ME-140 / MR-126 radar (found only on the Cobert heavy cruiser).



Despite the reinforced armor, Strasbourg retains remarkable performance characteristics for a battleship, with a relatively small turning radius and a maximum speed of 30 knots (over 54 km/h). A pair of Loire 130C hydroplanes that can lay smoke screens and even capture points are a very useful bonus!

You can get the Strasbourg battleship for France in the Raider Hunter event that started today! Click below to see the full details about this event.



Click here to find out more details about the Raider Hunter event

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

In this month’s Pages of History, you will find yourself in the midst of key historical events across different theaters of war. From the Soviet Union and Austria, Iraq and the Mediterranean — take part in battles using vehicles corresponding to these historic conflicts and earn rewards! 

[h3]

From March 1st until March 31st, you’ll have access to 8 tasks consecutively. Completing each task will grant you a trophy with a reward, completing all of the tasks will earn you a unique player icon!

[/h3]


[h3]James Edgar Johnson[/h3]
James Edgar Johnson was a British Royal Air Force fighter ace who flew the Spitfire. Piloting of course required both hands, which was a challenge for James due to a previous sporting injury he sustained. He was offered a position as an instructor but declined, opting instead to undergo shoulder surgery, which caused him to miss the Battle of Britain. He would go on to more than make up for this however, completing 700 combat sorties and shooting down 34 German aircraft, making him the most successful ace on the Western Front against the Luftwaffe.

You can immediately purchase this profile icon for Golden Eagles until April 3rd (11:30 GMT) without completing tasks. To find it, go to your Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History.

[h2]Trophy reward for each task[/h2]

Completing each individual task will give 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 backups;
  
• Premium account for 1 day;
  
• 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]Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive[/h3]
In March 1943, the Rzhev salient was eliminated. For the Soviet Army, this was part of the Rzhev-Vyazma Strategic Offensive Operation, which pushed German forces back and reclaimed significant territory. Meanwhile, the Wehrmacht, seeking to shorten its defensive lines, conducted Operation Büffel, evacuating its forces from Rzhev and later redeploying them southward for the Battle of Kursk.

[h2]March 5th — March 8th[/h2]
[h3]Supermarine Spitfire first flight[/h3]
On March 5th 1936, the British Supermarine Spitfire fighter took to the skies for the first time. It was mass-produced from 1938 to 1948, with over 20,000 units built. After the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire became the primary fighter of the Royal Air Force and was also flown by pilots from the USA, Canada, Free France, and the USSR under the Lend-Lease program.

[h2]March 9th — March 12th[/h2]
[h3]Pskov Offensive[/h3]
In the spring of 1944, the Red Army launched multiple offensives to drive Axis forces out of Soviet territory. One of these aimed to liberate Pskov, a key regional city in western Russia. After six weeks however, Soviet troops only advanced 13 km, and Pskov would not be fully liberated until July.

[h2]March 13th — March 16th[/h2]
[h3]Saar-Palatinate Offensive[/h3]
On March 15th 1945, Allied forces launched an offensive between Agno and Saarbrücken, reaching the Rhine River near Karlsruhe after ten days. The Wehrmacht suffered heavy losses but managed to evacuate a large portion of its forces and equipment across the river.

[h2]March 16th — March 19th[/h2]
[h3]Vienna Offensive[/h3]
On March 16th 1945, Soviet troops launched an assault on Vienna with the support of Bulgarian forces. By April 4th, they had captured Bratislava, entered Vienna on April 8th, and fully expelled German troops by April 15th. Shortly after, Austria would declare its exit from the Third Reich.

[h2]March 20th — March 23rd[/h2]
[h3]Second Battle of Sirte[/h3]
On March 22nd 1942, a British convoy escorting transport ships to Malta encountered superior Italian forces in the Gulf of Sirte off the coast of Libya. Despite the British fleet only consisting of light cruisers and destroyers, they were able to protect the transports from the battleship Littorio and heavy cruisers Gorizia and Trento. The battle was long however, and caused the convoy to arrive after daylight, leading to all transport ships being sunk by Axis aircraft.

[h2]March 23rd — March 26th[/h2]
[h3]Battle of Najaf[/h3]
The city of Najaf in central Iraq became a major battleground during the 2003 Iraq War, where coalition forces faced fierce resistance. On March 24th, an American Apache helicopter was shot down over the city. Over the following days, ground troops surrounded Najaf, but full control was only secured by April 4th.

[h2]March 27th — March 31st[/h2]
[h3]Battle of Cape Matapan[/h3]
Between March 27th and March 29th 1941, the British Mediterranean Fleet delivered a crushing defeat to the Italian Navy near Cape Matapan, sinking three heavy cruisers. This battle outlined the importance of aircraft carriers, which Italy lacked and were never able to deploy during the war.