Armored Warfare News

On the 30th of June 2022, starting from 8:00 CEST, the server will not be available for 2 hours due to a planned server maintenance.



Please note that the maintenance can be extended beyond the abovementioned timeframe. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The in-game Global Chat is still temporarily disabled. To communicate with the community, please visit our Discord channel.

Commanders!

As every year, we’ll be celebrating the U.S. Independence Day and the French Bastille Day in July. And, as every year, we’re planning to release interesting American-themed and French-themed assets. We’ve prepared two kick-ass skins for you but before we show them, we’d like to tell you more about two historical camouflages we’ll also be releasing for the occasion. Let’s start with the Americans – here, we’re working on the Dual-Tex camouflage.



Dual-Tex is an abbreviation of the words Dual Texture Gradient. In short, this is a very early American version of the now common digital camouflage pattern. It was an experimental camouflage developed in the late 1970s by Lt. Col. Timothy O’Neill and used by the U.S. forces in Europe (specifically the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment) between 1979 and the adoption of the universal NATO three-tone camouflage in 1986.



For its time, the concept was nothing short of revolutionary and was a result of a research into the way the human eye operates. At the time, the MERDC camouflage was still in use. Timothy O’Neill took the same colors but instead of organic shapes, he used 4 inch (10cm) squares. These were organized into two layers (hence the name, two textures) – at long ranges, the camouflage worked the same as the MERDC pattern. However, at short ranges (or through the scope of a gun, or cannon optics), the pattern “broke” into a secondary one.



According to one study, this camouflage was 50% to 100% more effective than the MERDC pattern in use by then. The obvious question would be – why did it disappear? The answer is an odd one, but logical in the context of the era. Simply put, adding small squares of woodland colors to a vehicle is counter-intuitive to what a layman would imagine as effective camouflage. In other words, the idea was too outlandish for conservative military staff to accept. Lt. Col. O’Neill retired in 1991 and for a while, his research seemed to have been forgotten.



Only in the recent two decades has it returned in the form of various camouflages of this. Especially the Chinese are using digital-type camouflages on their armored vehicles en-masse and modern camouflage research utilizes O’Neill’s research to this day, a testament to the quality of his work. The Dual-Tex camouflage in the game is based on a restored Jeep painted in this fashion rather than the old photographs to make sure the colors are correct and as usual, it’ll be available for all environments.



As for the other American assets, we’ll be introducing a dark blue base paint simply because that’s a color that’s been missing for a while, as well as the flags (in the form of banners and decals) of several states, a skin for the T249 Vigilante and a player title “Anti-Aircraft Gunner” to match the skin.

We hope that you will enjoy all of these and, as always:

See you on the battlefield!

Commanders!

With the summer finally here, we are preparing a lot of fun activities for you, starting today with a new screenshot contest.



The rules are, once again, simple. Make a summer-themed in-game screenshot and submit it to the dedicated contest channel on our Discord.

As to what constitutes summer-themed – beaches, sun, sea... you name it. The picture should invoke the summer vacation spirit even if most of us can’t be on a beach right now.

Make sure that your submission includes your nickname and has the correct size! The authors of the best five submissions will receive the following prizes:

• 14 days of Premium Time
• Access to the Rise of the Dragon Battle Path

But that’s not all. Following the end of the contest, we’ll put the best five submissions to a vote on our official Armored Warfare Facebook page and the author of the submission with the most votes will receive a bonus prize: QN-506 Tier 9 Premium TD!

Please note:

• The contest ends on July 7, 23:59 CEST
• Only one submission per player is allowed
• Don’t forget to add your nickname to your submission
• Each submission must have the resolution of 1024x768 or higher
• If you own the prize vehicle or access already, you will receive its price in Gold instead

Good luck and see you on the battlefield!

Previous articles:

• Part 1: Wartime China
• Part 2: Building the PLA
• ZTZ-20 – Tier 10 Premium MBT
• Part 3: Rapid Development

Commanders!

Today, we’d like to tell you more about another prize of the Rise of the Dragon Battle Path – the Chinese ZTL-11 Premium Tank Destroyer.



As usual, a bit of history first. The ZTL-11 is, as its name suggests, a wheeled tank destroyer. It is a variant of the eight-wheeled platform that’s also present in Armored Warfare in the form of the ZBL-08 IFV. The development likely started around the year 2000 with a platform prototype appearing in 2006, although this information is mostly speculative. The idea here was to provide China with a modern wheeled platform similar to the American Stryker that would be available in multiple configurations, including a self-propelled gun and a tank destroyer. And that’s what the ZTL designation actually means for the Chinese military:

• Z – Armored
• T – Tank Destroyer
• L – Wheeled

It’s worth noting that some Chinese sources refer to the vehicle as ZLT-11. It’s currently unclear which name is official but the ZTL one is far more widespread and we’ll therefore stick to using that one.

The vehicle was first seen in public in 2013 but was only officially revealed in 2015 during a military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of the victory over Japan. That means it’s still relatively new and not much information is actually available as most of it is classified. What we do know, however, is that the hull (which is similar to the ZBL-08) carries a new aluminum turret.

The vehicle weighs some 23 tons and has a crew of four. Three crewmembers sit in the turret and one in the hull as usual.



The armor of this vehicle is very basic – a steel welded hull with 20mm to 30mm plates, the turret consists of aluminum alloy plates of roughly 40mm thickness. The vehicle can therefore in its basic form frontally resist heavy machineguns only. Additional modular armor can be mounted on it, but it only consists of relatively thin composite plates, likely increasing the frontal protection to resist 25mm autocannons with the rest of the vehicle being protected against 12.7mm bullets. No ERA or APS is available to this vehicle, only a basic smoke grenade system.

The ZTL-11 is armed with the ZPL-98A 105mm low-recoil rifled gun as the main 125mm caliber would be a bit too much for the light platform. The gun is manually loaded and was likely developed from the famous British Royal Ordnance L7, although this weapon does have a muzzle brake to tame that wild recoil. It can fire the following rounds:

• DTW-2 APFSDS (6kg penetrator flying at 1530 m/s, capable of penetrating roughly 160mm of RHAe at 2km at 71 degrees)
• BTA2 APFSDS (5.9kg penetrator flying at 1540 m/s, capable of penetrating roughly 220mm of RHAe at 2km at 66 degrees)
• DTP1A HEAT with tandem warhead (can allegedly penetrate 460mm to 500mm of armor)
• GP105 gun-launched missile (it is allegedly based on the Russian Bastion and it is said to be capable of penetrating 550mm to 600mm of armor at up to 5 kilometers)

The vehicle carries approximately 30 rounds. Its fire control is modern but lacks panoramic optics for the commander and therefore the hunter-killer ability. On the other hand, it is fitted with a Chinese Battlefield Management System, making it easy to integrate into modern Chinese formations.

The ZTL-11 is powered by a Deutz BF6M1015C 440hp diesel (or rather its local licensed copy), allowing it to go as fast as 100 km/h. It’s worth noting that this vehicle is amphibious and can swim as fast as 5 km/h. The eight-wheeled suspension steers with the front two wheels, making the ZTL-11 relatively agile. It’s worth noting that some Chinese sources also claim that on the later-produced vehicles, the engine was replaced with the Shanxi 132HB 883hp diesel engine – however, this is most likely not true.



You sometimes see the same vehicle under the designation ZTL-09 since that’s when it allegedly entered service, but it’s quite likely this designation is not correct. The ZTL-11 uses a rather obsolete caliber that’s usable only when firing at softer targets as its ammunition typically cannot defeat modern MBTs frontally. As a fire support vehicle, it has its merits though and can be quite deadly against anything short of a frontal MBT onslaught.

The ZTL-11 Tank Destroyer was allegedly produced in large quantities and up to 950 vehicles of this type might be currently in service in what’s essentially an equivalent of the American Stryker brigades that are supposed to combine extremely high mobility (including water-crossing and off-road capabilities) with some serious firepower. Ironically, the Americans are withdrawing from the concept already due to the issues connected to it – whether the Chinese will follow suit remains to be seen.



In Armored Warfare, the ZTL-11 will be a Tier 9 Premium Tank Destroyer.

Unlike the ZTZ-20 with its new mechanics, the ZTL-11 will be quite straightforward. This is a classic wheeled Tank Destroyer with all the advantages (and drawbacks) of this vehicle’s class. It will have thin armor protecting it against autocannons only without any additional protective measures. It will also have limited agility due to its eight-wheel suspension.



However, it will be fast (99 km/h maximum speed) and rapidly accelerating thanks to its low weight and relatively powerful engine. And, most importantly, it will have a powerful 105mm gun on par with the ZTQ-15 Light Tank – it’s not the same weapon but the performance will roughly be similar.



Add to it its decent viewrange (400 meters), camouflage (30 percent) and the Zero In active ability and what you’ll have is a decent gun-based Tank Destroyer that will be deadly at long distances. We hope you’ll enjoy it and, as always:

See you on the battlefield!

Commanders!

Today we’ve prepared the following items for you:

• Type 10 Tier 10 Premium Main Battle Tank
• ZTQ-15 Tier 9 Premium Light Tank (and the Electra and Serenity skins for it available separately)
• Sea Dragon skin for the Type 99A Main Battle Tank
• VT-5 Tier 9 Premium Light Tank
• Type 89 Tier 7 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle
• K21 Tier 8 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle
• Pile of Gold Loot Crate (with new Key mechanics)

Between June 23 and 30, 2022, the following items will be available:


[h2]Type 10[/h2]


The Type 10 MBT is the most modern Japanese Main Battle Tank in service and one of the most advanced war machines in the world. Using sophisticated electronics and crystalline steel armor, this tank is more than a match for any enemy that would threaten the islands of Japan. You can learn more about it in our dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the Type 10 is a Tier 10 Premium Main Battle Tank. What puts it apart from the other MBTs of its Tier is its special NERA armor. This highly-mobile MBT starts every battle well-armored, but the protection levels decrease with every shot taken. Additionally, this MBT features a special system that tells you the exact chance to penetrate your target. Overall, it’s one of the most powerful MBTs of its Tier and certainly a good choice for players, who prefer rapid action to slow advances.

The Type 10 Tier 10 Premium MBT is available in our Web Shop via Loot Crates. Collect 100 blueprint pieces from these crates to obtain the vehicle.






[h2]ZTQ-15[/h2]


The ZTQ-15 is the current most modern domestic Chinese Light Tank and is reserved for the Chinese military only with its export counterpart, VT-5, offered for export. The ZTQ-15 Light Tank is intended to be used in mountainous regions of China where standard MBTs are all but impossible to operate. You can learn more about it in our dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the ZTQ-15 is a Tier 9 Premium Light Tank. It combines excellent mobility with plenty of firepower as well as adequate protection for its Tier and vehicle class. It also features several neat elements that increase its value on the battlefield, such as its active suspension and the ability to launch guided missiles from its gun or its advanced ERA. For players who prefer fast-paced, high-risk and high-reward combat style, it’s one of the best options out there.



We are separately offering the brand-new Electra skin for this vehicle in a bundle, which includes:

• Electra skin for the ZTQ-15 LT
• 14 days of Premium Time
• 3.000 Gold

The Serenity skin for this vehicle is also available in a similar bundle:

• Serenity skin for the ZTQ-15 LT
• 14 days of Premium Time
• 3.000 Gold

[h2]Sea Dragon skin for Type 99A[/h2]


This gorgeous sea dragon-themed blue skin is available for the Type 99A Tier 9 progression Main Battle Tank. Harness the ferocity of this mighty mystical animal and intimidate your enemies with your awesome war paint!



This skin is available as a part of a bundle, which contains the following items:

• Sea Dragon skin for the Type 99A MBT
• 3 days of Premium Time
• 500 Gold

[h2]VT-5[/h2]


The VT-5 is a modern Chinese Light Tank that was developed specifically with export in mind. There are many reasons why a country without its own tank development should opt to purchase a Light Tank instead of a full-scale Main Battle Tank. It’s equally as fast if not faster with equal firepower but, what is most important, it is affordable. The VT-5 excels in all these categories. While its armor cannot match that of an MBT, it can protect its crew against most infantry threats thanks to its ERA and cage armor sets. It also has a powerful 105mm gun capable of firing guided missiles, it is packed with advanced electronics and is supremely agile thanks to its 1000hp diesel engine. Simply put, wraps cutting edge technologies up into an affordable bundle. You can learn more about it in a dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the VT-5 is a very powerful Tier 9 Premium Light Tank. Fast and agile, it features solid levels of protection (the configuration in the game is the one featuring the ERA kit as well as the turret cage armor) and a good rate of fire. Additionally, its gun is capable of firing guided missiles. It’s an ideal machine for players who value speed and agility, as it offers plenty of both. The VT-5 is capable of dancing around its opponents on the battlefield, outperforming even some AFVs in mobility.






[h2]Type 89[/h2]


The Type 89 Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the current Japanese service IFV. It was built in very small numbers between 1989 and 2004. The low-production meant that, with the development costs sunk into it, each unit was incredibly expensive. In fact, to date, the Type 89 is the most expensive IFV in the world. Otherwise it’s generally unremarkable – last generation steel armor, a 35mm autocannon and massive guided missiles (that were also meant for landing ship destruction instead of just anti-tank combat) are generally being all phased out by now. The Type 89 is, however, still waiting for its replacement. You can read more about it in our dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the Type 89 is a Tier 7 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle that is capable of not only deploying Mechanized Infantry, but also to destroy its targets at long distances using its powerful guided missiles. It is also fast and maneuverable, but does not feature thick armor.






[h2]K21[/h2]


The K21 is a modern Infantry Fighting Vehicle, designed to replace the K200 series in the Korean Army. It features good protection and a hi-tech weapon system with the "hunter-killer" capability. You can read more about it in our dedicated article.



In Armored Warfare, the K21 is a Tier 8 Premium Armored Fighting Vehicle. In the game, it is an IFV with solid protection and firepower, but also excellent mobility. It carries Mechanized Infantry.






[h2]Pile of Gold[/h2]


We also have the Pile of Gold Loot Crate for you. This Loot Crate contains copious amounts of Gold for you to win.



This Loot Crate includes:

• 250.000 Gold
• 100.000 Gold
• 50.000 Gold
• 10.000 Gold
• 5.000 Gold
• 1.000 Gold
• 500 Gold
• 100 Gold

Starting today, we’re implementing a new mechanic to the MY.GAMES Market Loot Crates (no worries – the in-game crates will remain the same). The mechanic is simple – instead of purchasing the Loot Crates, you purchase keys to them, which you then use to unlock them.

However, please note:

• Discounts do not apply to Loot Crates, but rather to Keys
• It is possible to buy multiple keys for a single chest type
• Keys belong to individual Loot Crates (that is, a key to a Commander Loot Crate purchased now is not guaranteed to work on a Commander Loot Crate a month down the line)
• Keys can be found in a separate Market section

We hope that you will enjoy the offer and, as always:

See you on the battlefield!