War Thunder News

In today’s first December major update dev blog, we’ll be taking a look at the French VBCI featuring a 25 mm autocannon!

[h2]VBCI: A Light Tank for France at Rank VII[/h2]
At a glance:

• Rapid-fire 25 mm autocannon with an APFSDS belt!
  
• Thermal imager!
  
• Top speed of 100 km/h.
  
• Large in size!
  

Vehicle History
[expand]
In the early 1990s, France launched a program to create a multi-role combat wheeled vehicle. The UK and Germany joined the project, but the joint format failed and since 1999, France has continued it independently. Giat Industries and Renault received a contract to produce 65 vehicles under the name VBCI, designed to replace the outdated AMX-10P IFV. In 2003-2004, five prototypes underwent armor and electronic system tests: four in the infantry fighting vehicle (VCI) variant and one in the command post (VPC). It was initially planned to install a Tarask turret, but it did not meet army requirements. The program dragged on for two years, with the VBCI receiving a new Dragar turret. Serial production began in 2006 with a steadily growing volume of orders, and by 2010 630 vehicles had been produced (520 VCI and 110 VPC). Since 2008, VBCIs have been entering service. In combat conditions, VBCI IFVs have been used in Afghanistan.
[/expand]



[h2]Introducing the VBCI![/h2]

Meet the iconic VBCI for the French ground forces tree, coming to the game in the next major update. Excellent onboard turret electronics, a rapid-fire autocannon and speed make this vehicle an exemplary modern IFV (although it’s large!). Let’s take a closer look!



Those who have played the French ground forces tree will already be familiar with the VBCI platform in the form of the premium VBCI-2. The VBCI is similar in many ways, instead featuring a different turret and gun and it’s not a premium. Armed with a 25 mm GIAT M811 autocannon that has a rate of fire of up to 400 rounds per minute, this gun has access to belts with APFSDS and HEI-T shells! The gun is fully stabilized, with the fire control system both having a laser rangefinder and a thermal imager. Compared to the 30 mm cannon found on the VBCI-2, this cannon has a better rate of fire, all while maintaining good armor penetration, meaning you can try to take out low-flying aircraft as a quasi SPAA vehicle!

The VBCI also features an Electro-optical active protection system, giving it the ability to automatically divert laser-guided missiles.



Built on an 8x8 wheel arrangement, the VBCI can reach a maximum speed of up to 100 km/h on flat, hard roads. However, the long wheelbase and considerable height of this vehicle make it an absolute unit, meaning it’ll be difficult to maneuver and take cover, so be sure to take this into account while in battle. The VBCI will be helpless if it gets stuck somewhere in sand or snow while trying to flank, so try to choose firmer roads where possible.



That’s it for this one! The VBCI will arrive at rank VII in the French ground forces tree in the next major update. Be sure to keep an eye on the news where we’ll be telling you more about the things coming in this December winter update and the cool activities that we’re preparing for you during the winter holidays!

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

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• A bug that caused aircraft to jump and crash when landing on new airfields without landing gear has been fixed. (Report).
  
• Tornado GR.4 — display of AIM-9 indication in the HUD has been fixed. (Report).
  
• F-15E, F-15I Ra’am:
  
  • The restriction on using AIM-7 missiles in conjunction with drop tanks has been removed. (Report).
    
  • The failure of target acquisition by the targeting pod when descending at steep angles has been fixed.
    
  • The inability to use AIM-7/AIM-120 on conformal fuel tanks with installed targeting pod has been fixed. (Report).
    
  • The display of AIM-7 missiles in the secondary weapons menu has been fixed. (Report).
    
  • The ability to use the GBU-38 on the center fuselage pylon has been added. Preset weapons with the GBU-38 have been changed.
    
• Su-34 — the launch sequence of the Kh-38 missiles has been fixed.
  
• F-104G (China) — the PS-03 radar has been replaced by NASSAR. (Report).
  
• A bug in “Assault. Air Arcade” mode that caused AI aircraft to spawn inside each other, causing their collision and destruction has been fixed. (Report).
  

[h2]Interface[/h2]

• A bug where a Squadron’s main page did not display all of the selected squadron vehicle rewards has been fixed.
  
• A bug where players who left a squadron could still have a squadron tag has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused prompts about leaving the vehicle and about the start of an air event to not show in VR mode has been fixed.
  
• A bug where there was no hint about leaving the battle zone in Simulator Battles has been fixed. (Report).
  
• A bug where changing the nickname display setting (“Display real nick in battle and menu”) in the hangar did not immediately update the player’s nickname in the playercard has been fixed.
  
• A bug where Air Simulator Battle rooms had the letters “res” in their names has been fixed.
  
• A bug where in the player profile window, opening the “Service Record” tab without opening the “Statistics” tab resets the selected mode has been fixed.
  
• Indentations in the names of sub-chapters in the Achievements tab of a player profile have been made bigger, so it is easier to distinguish them from the names of the chapters.
  
• A bug where the “Favorite Mode” stat blocks were different widths in the Player Card window has been fixed.
  
• Order separators have been added to the Player Card window for the “Favorite Mode” stats.
  
• The number of complaints filed by one player in a single battle against the same player is now limited. This is done to limit spamming of complaints from one player to another. During a single battle a player can still file complaints on multiple players and multiple players can still file complaints on the same player.
  

[h2]Sound[/h2]

• ADEN/DEFA and T160 aircraft cannons have received sounds more typical of this cannon caliber.
  
• Enemy/ally gun sounds are now better heard through a closed aircraft canopy at low frequencies if the gunfire is close to the listener’s aircraft.
  

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.

In the coming weeks, War Thunder will be fully protected by a new anti-cheat system, BattlEye! With its help, we’ll be able to fight prohibited modifications even more effectively.

For players who don’t cheat, nothing will change, except for the window when launching the game, as it’ll have the BattlEye logo instead.



[h3]Advantages of the BattlEye anti-cheat[/h3]
Many online games are already using BattlEye, including one of Gaijin’s games, Enlisted. This anti-cheat will also come in handy in War Thunder! It effectively combats unfair play, working on both the server and client sides, constantly monitoring for interference in game processes. This means the most prohibited modifications are completely blocked when the game is launched.

[h3]The replacement process[/h3]
Replacing the anti-cheat system on a specific device may take a little time and will happen when launching War Thunder. In the future, when you launch the game, you’ll be greeted by a window with the new anti-cheat system. Globally, the transition will occur gradually in waves, meaning both anti-cheats will be supported for some time. However within a few weeks, we’ll completely switch to BattlEye.

[h3]Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)[/h3]

Q: Will sound modifications work?
A: Yes, they will.

Q: Will BattlEye anti-cheat affect performance?
A: The new anti-cheat should not affect FPS in the game. Since BattlEye will only work with the War Thunder client running, it will not affect the performance of your system in other tasks.

If you encounter any issues when launching the game or with software compatibility with the BattlEye anti-cheat system, please let us know on our bug report service by creating a report in the “Anti-Cheat” category.

You can find more information about BattlEye and answers to frequently asked questions on the BattlEye official website.

[h2]Aircraft[/h2]

• A bug that caused the radio altimeter to show incorrect values ​​at altitudes above 15,000 meters has been fixed. (Report).
  

[h2]Graphics[/h2]

• The maximum intensity of the visual effect of afterburners now depends on the degree of damage to the engine. The more damage to the engine, the less pronounced the effect becomes.
  
• Excessively bright reflections on cockpit instruments with Ray Tracing enabled have been fixed.
  
• A bug where 100% motion blur was always applied to aircraft debris, even when the game was paused has been fixed.
  
• A bug where it was possible to enable the Ray Tracing option in the graphics settings with an AMD graphics card even though AMD RT is not supported yet has been fixed. We are working on expanding Ray Tracing support and in the future it will additionally be available on AMD graphics cards.
  

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.

Today, Scotland celebrates St. Andrews’ Day! We’re bringing back the Scottish Saltire for a few days to celebrate.

[h3]History and Legend[/h3]
Feasts honouring St. Andrew dates back to the year 1000 AD, and the holiday has been observed throughout Scotland for more than a millennium. But he didn’t formally become Scotland's patron saint until 1320, when the Declaration of Arbroath was signed, legally declaring Scotland’s independence. Ever since, St. Andrew has grown to be a vital component of Scottish culture. The ancient town of St. Andrews was given its name because it is purported to be the ultimate resting place of St. Andrew.

[h2]The “Scottish Saltire” decal is available to purchase for Golden Eagles![/h2]
Scotland’s national flag is available in the specified dates below.

When: From November 30th (11:00 GMT) until December 3rd (07:00 GMT)
Where: You can find it in your profile: Nickname → Decals → Common → World Flags.

“Scottish Saltire” decal