War Thunder News

Today we’re introducing the premium AMX A-1A, a Brazilian variant of the light strike aircraft jointly developed by Italy and Brazil in an effort to modernize their fleets in the 1980s. It’s coming to the game in the Seek & Destroy major update and can be pre-ordered starting from today!

[h2]AMX A-1A: A Premium Strike Aircraft for Italy at Rank VII[/h2]

Features:

• Excellent flight characteristics.
  
• 30 mm cannons.
  
• Subsonic.
  
• Advanced weaponry.
  

Vehicle History
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During the late 1970s, the Italian Air Force specified a set of requirements for a new aircraft to replace the outdated G.91 and F-104 in their respective roles of ground attack and aerial reconnaissance. Aeritalia and Aermacchi entered a joint venture to develop the new aircraft, with work on the project commencing in 1978. By 1980, Brazil was also looking into modernizing their strike aircraft fleet and thus expressed interest in joining the development of the new aircraft. After agreeing on the requirements in 1981, Embraer joined the consortium, subsequently named AMX International.

Focusing on designing a light and cost-efficient strike aircraft, development of the new aircraft progressed quickly. The first prototype of the aircraft flew in 1984 and following a successful test period, the AMX entered production in 1988. Due to the shared development effort, the Italian and Brazilian variants of the aircraft only differ in minor aspects. After entering service, Italian AMX aircraft participated in operations during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s and Libya in 2011 where the type distinguished itself in combat. The AMX is still in active service Brazilian air forces to this day, while in Italy they were just retired in 2024.
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Pre-order — AMX A-1A Pack
69.99

• AMX A-1A (Rank VII, Italy)
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• Pre-order bonus: "Desert Wind" title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "coat of arms of 1 Squadron/16 Aviation Group Squadron Adelphi" decal
  

[h2]Meet the AMX A-1A![/h2]

The AMX A-1A is the Brazilian variant of a light strike aircraft co-developed by Italy and Brazil to replace older types in the ground strike and reconnaissance roles. Soon, you’ll be able to look forward to this Brazilian variant that’s coming to the game in the Seek & Destroy major update as as premium aircraft that can be pre-ordered from today. Let’s take a closer look at the differences of this modification of the AMX!



Generally speaking, the AMX A-1A is very similar to its Italian relative. This aircraft is also powered by the Rolls-Royce Spey 807 engine, giving it the ability to reach a max top speed of 1,150 km/h at sea level. By sharing the same aerodynamic design, the A1A features identical flight performance as the AMX that you may be familiar with. As such, you can rely on this aircraft being ideally optimized for low altitude ground attack runs, while simultaneously being capable of standing its own during dogfights.

One of the features which distinguish the Brazilian variant is found in its primary armament. Unlike the Italian AMX, the A1A is fitted with a pair of 30 mm cannons. While not being able to match the rate of fire of the Vulcan cannon found on the AMX, the 30 mm cannons do pack a deadlier punch and can penetrate even more heavily armored targets with the use of correct ammunition. In addition to the upgraded cannons, the A1A offers a plethora of suspended ordnance options ranging from conventional bombs to high precision guided munitions such as the BA-FG-230-Lizard-2 guided bomb, which is new to the game.



What’s particularly interesting in this case is that the AMX A-1A will offer completely unique Brazilian ordnance options, such as the new MAA-1 Piranha missile, unguided rockets or a whole slew of new bomb calibers, including incendiary ones for example. The AMX A-1A can also be equipped with the LITENING II targeting pod, which is known and favored by many players!

The AMX A-1A will soon be coming as a new premium aircraft to the Italian aviation tree. You can pre-order it starting from today to receive unique pre-order bonuses. That’s all for today’s devblog. In the meantime, be sure to follow the news for the latest information regarding the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting and clear skies pilots!

On June 1st, 1911, the first aircraft squadrons appeared in the Ottoman Empire with the support of Germany and France. In the early years of modern Turkey, its leadership paid special attention to the Air Force and by 1940, the Turkish Air Force became the largest in the Middle East and the Balkans, with more than 500 aircraft. Today, about 50,000 people and about 300 aircraft are in service with the Turkish Air Force.

[h2]

From May 31st until June 3rd (08:00 GMT).

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[h2]Earn the “Emblem of the Turkish Air Force Command” decal![/h2]
You can earn this themed decal for this day.

“Emblem of the Turkish Air Force Command” decal

When: From May 31st until June 3rd (08:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using aircraft of any country at rank III or higher to receive the “Emblem of the Turkish Air Force Command” decal.

Additional details:

• You must use a minimum of rank III.
  
• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can 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 → Turkish Air Force Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Neutral countries → Aircraft” tab in the Customization menu.
  

Today, we’re pleased to announce that a new line comprised of Dutch and Belgian aircraft will be making their way to War Thunder as part of the French air tree! In the next major update these vehicles will be reinforcing the French ranks, so let’s take a look!

[h3]The BeNeLux Union[/h3]
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The economic union between Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg was formally established in 1944, with the initial intention of supporting the post-war recovery between the three nations, which have very strong diplomatic, trade, and of course geographical ties.
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[h3]Belgian Air Force [/h3]
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The Belgian Air Force was officially formed in 1946, but operated as a branch of the Belgian Army as early as 1909! Despite this early formation, Belgium had a relatively small air force during the First World War due to a general lack of available aircraft, despite this though the small force boasted several aces.

During the outbreak of the Second World War, Belgium was similarly equipped with only a small force of older designs, which couldn’t stand up to the far more numerous Luftwaffe fighters. Despite the surrender on May 28th 1940, a small group of Belgian pilots in exile operated with the RAF, flying Spitfires and Typhoons.

Into the jet age, Belgium flew a variety of famous examples throughout the years, and currently operate several variants of the much loved F-16, as well as brand-new F-35.
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[h3]Royal Netherlands Air Force[/h3]
[expand]
Similarly to Belgium, the Royal Netherlands Air Force was formed in 1953, but operated as a branch of the army from 1913. As the Netherlands remained neutral during the First World War their air activity during this time was primarily spent on training and the general growth of the air branch.

During the German invasion of the Netherlands in the Second World War, the Royal Netherlands Air Force was overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Luftwaffe, losing all of their combat aircraft and the vast majority of their pilots as well. A number of Dutch pilots escaped however, and flew in RAF and RAAF service until the end of the War. Pilots of the Dutch colonies in the East Indies actively resisted the Japanese air force, and then continued fighting as part of the Australian Air Force.

After the Royal Netherlands Air Force was officially founded, the ranks of their service aircraft were filled with a wide variety of American and British planes, with their types upgrading and improving over time to suit modern requirements.
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[h3]Meet the new line![/h3]



This new branch in the French aviation tree will contain a mix of Belgian and Dutch aircraft. The collective is indeed known as BeNeLux, but as Luxembourg currently does not and did not operate any military aircraft historically (aside from army transport, liaison and recon) they won’t be represented here in the air tree. Let’s take a look at the first batch of aircraft!

Developer comment: Our overall goal with the inclusion of a BeNeLux line is to give France more options and versatility, allowing for the creation of stronger lineups throughout the ranks with a variety of different vehicles. BeNeLux don’t quite have enough machines to make a full tree on their own without significant gaps in unit types and eras, so in order to include these machines in War Thunder they’ll be supporting the French tree.

The majority of vehicles joining the line first will be made up of British and American vehicles that were historically used, with the line kicking off with the familiar Gladiator Mk I, which was ordered in the late 1930s. Belgium will be receiving a wide variety of units overall, including the British Spitfire FR Mk XIVe, Meteor Mk 8, as well as the American F-104G, F-16A Block 15 and the F-16AM Block 15 MLU! They’ll also be receiving the Mirage 5BA, a variant specifically intended for Belgium.



The Netherlands will also have some interesting examples in the line, including the British Firefly FR Mk IV, Hunter F.6, and of course the domestic Fokker G.1A! This variant is armed with 8 x 7.9 mm machine guns in the nose, the caliber may be small but the concentration of fire is undeniably high!



These aircraft will be the first to join the French ranks as part of the new line in the next major update, though of course more examples will be making their way into the game in the future as well.

We’re very happy to include these aircraft and their unique history into the game. We hope you’ll enjoy bolstering your lineups with these powerful aircraft upon the release of the next major update, so until then stay tuned! There’s a lot more to come.

It’s customary to honor the Canadian Armed Forces on the first Sunday in June. Canada actively participated in World War II: the defense of Hong Kong in 1941, the raid on Dieppe in 1942, the liberation of Italy in 1943, Operation Overlord in 1944 and guarding convoys in the Atlantic Ocean. There are currently 68,000 people in the Canadian Armed Forces, 3,000 of which are stationed outside the country.

[h2]

From May 31st until June 3rd (11:00 GMT).

[/h2]

[h2]Earn the “Lesser emblem of the Canadian army” decal![/h2]
Get this cool decal for this day!

“Lesser emblem of the Canadian army” decal

When: From May 31st until June 3rd (11:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using British vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Lesser emblem of the Canadian army” decal.

Additional details:

• You must use a minimum of rank III.
  
• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can 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 → Canadian Armed Forces Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Allies → Tanks” tab in the Customization menu.
  

For the second major tournament event of 2024, following six weeks of intense competition, team DODEC emerged as the ultimate winners of the Air Superiority 2024 Tournament. They dominated each round of the winners bracket before facing team Wasted Time in the final who pushed them to the limit, with a final score of 5-4 on the late BO9.

Team DODEC have now claimed back to back victories in two major tournament events! Who can stop them?



Congratulations to the winners and all participants!

Thanks to VIRPIL Controls for sponsoring this event and offering great prizes for our winners.



Armored Apex
The Open Qualifiers for our next major tournament event will open in the coming weeks, this time it's going to be 4v4 Tanks in Realistic Battles featuring high tier vehicles.

Keep up to date by joining our social networks, including Telegram and Discord to ensure that you do not miss out on information for the qualification phases.

[h2]Meet the new “Air Superiority” pack[/h2]
War Thunder - “Air Superiority” pack

In this pack:
"Flanking Snail" decal
"Slick flanker" title
300 Golden Eagles