In short: The first aircraft produced in Romania in War Thunder. A premium of the 2nd rank, ease of controllability, armed with two 20mm German MG 151/20 cannons with a large amount of ammunition, and machine guns.

The I.A.R. 81-C is the final wartime modification of one of the most well known domestically produced Romanian WW2 military aircraft. This aircraft model has been created by one of our players, Vitaliy Vostokov a.k.a. NovA29R and thanks to the War Thunder revenue share program, the I.A.R. 81-C will once more take to the skies as a new user-made vehicle, coming to the game with the upcoming update 1.79!

After fulfilling several government and licence contracts, the relatively young I.A.R. (Industria Aeronautică Română) company had enough resources and technical know-how to begin developing their own fighter aircraft. Taking inspiration from previous licenced projects, I.A.R. engineers initiated a private venture by beginning working on their own fighter aircraft in late 1937, which would later be known as the I.A.R. 80. As work was progressing slowly, the first prototype wasn’t completed until spring 1939. Initial testing produced positive results, proving that the I.A.R. 80 could be considered a modern fighter despite not matching the performance of contemporary Bf 109s and Spitfires. After addressing some minor issues and upgrading the prototype’s engine, the I.A.R. 80 was tested in a head-to-head competition with the German He 112. Impressed by the aircraft’s display, the Romanian government placed an order for 100 I.A.R. 80s to be produced, while only a limited number of He 112s were ordered for production. Despite starting production almost instantly after the order was placed, I.A.R. struggled to ramp up production as shortages on the Belgian-made FN Browning 7.92mm machine guns became an increasing issue in the wake of the German invasion of the Benelux states. By April 1941 however with Romania joining the Axis, the armament shortages were temporarily addressed. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I.A.R. upgraded their fighter to the I.A.R. 80-A, increasing the number of machine guns to the initially proposed six and installing a more powerful engine, thus solving many initial concerns with the aircraft.





The I.A.R. 81-C will become available for purchase to all War Thunder pilots in the upcoming update 1.79. Stay tuned to the news for the latest developments on the next major update for War Thunder. Until then, pilots!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

The Chieftain Marksman is an SPAA conversion of the famous British main battle tank, which combined the hull of the Chieftain with the Marksman turret developed by the Marconi company in the 1980s. War Thunder tankers will soon have the chance to sweep the skies clear with the new Chieftain Marksman SPAA coming to War Thunder as part of the upcoming update 1.79!

In short: a top British SPAA on the Chieftain chassis with 35-mm autocannons. Very effective against aircraft and the AP-belts provide a counter to armoured vehicles.

With the development of more effective modern weapon systems, deployed from aircraft capable of flying at very high speeds and low altitudes, mobile ground troops were more susceptible to air attack than ever. The British Marconi Electronic Systems company came to the same conclusion during the early 1980s and began independently developing the Marksman project after realizing how little work was being done in the field of modern SPAA development. The concept of the Marksman project wasn’t the development of an entirely new vehicle, but rather of a modern anti-air platform that could be fitted to a wide range of suitable military vehicles, even non-British ones. Naturally, the platform had to be capable of dealing with the most modern threats, such as high-speed attack aircraft and helicopters. In order to achieve this, Marconi engineers gave the Marksman a highly advanced radar detection and targeting system and paired it up with twin 35mm Oerlikon KDA cannons in a similar fashion as found on the German Flakpanzer Gepard.





Be sure to give the Chieftain Marksman a go in the upcoming update 1.79 for War Thunder. In the meantime, stay tuned to the news for the latest developments on War Thunder’s next major update. Until then, tankers!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article in the Official War Thunder Forums!

Countless battles have already unfolded in the Mediterranean theatre in War Thunder, but with update 1.79 tankers will get the chance to escape the scorching desert heat of North Africa to fight on the first Mediterranean ground map set in the beautiful Italian countryside of the Reggio Calabria province!

Upcoming War Thunder update 1.79 brings with it a new map for combined arms battles set on the southernmost part of the Italian mainland. The map is inspired by the settlements and rocky landscape of the Reggio Calabria province overlooking the Strait of Messina.



All War Thunder players will have the chance to fight on the new Italian combined battles map, coming to the game with update 1.79! Prepare for battle, commanders!

For more information, read the full article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

IN SHORT: premium rank V tanks, the closest relatives of the legendary Abrams – high survivability, excellent mobility, and a fine cannon. They speed up the research of any US tank between ranks I and VI, get you tons of Silver Lions, and are a lot of fun to play!

Two new and magnificent rank V tanks are coming to War Thunder! It’s a story of a competition between two companies – Chrysler and General Motors – in creating a new main battle tank for the American army, which would soon become known around the world as the M1 Abrams.

In War Thunder, both tanks are very similar to each other. The XM-1 is a premium rank V tank with composite armor and side skirts. Though its armour is inferior to the armour of the M1 Abrams, it provides decent protection against any type of ammo at the top ranks.





The 1500-horsepower engine – a diesel engine on the XM-1 (GM) and gas-turbine on the XM-1 (C) – allows the tank to reach up to 75 km/h. The tank gets up to speed very quickly and is a pleasure to drive. The XM-1 (GM) version differs in its slightly higher maximum speed and hydraulic suspension, which gives the tank new opportunities in some combat situations.

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

In short: a perfectly protected premium rank V armoured vehicle based on the Centurion Mk 5 with a steel scoop and a powerful cannon, with each shot roughly 5 (five!) times more powerful than standard HESH shells.

The Centurion AVRE is an engineering vehicle based on a tank, equipped with a bulldozer scoop, reactive armour and a special cannon designed to destroy buildings and fortifications – with almost 16 kilograms of explosives in every shot!

In the 1960s, the British army felt the need for a modern multi-functional engineering vehicle. They chose the Centurion Mk 5 main battle tank base to replace the outdated engineering tank, which used a Churchill chassis. Since the engineering vehicle’s tasks were rather specific, the Centurion chassis was given special equipment: the tank received a bulldozer scoop, a device was mounted above the scoop for laying fascines, the altered rear armour plate was equipped with a tow hitch, and a seat was installed next to the driver’s seat for a new, fifth crew member – a navigator. The engineering vehicle, which was called the Centurion AVRE (abbreviated from Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) was designed to carry a special engineering gun capable of destroying fortifications, pillboxes and other fortified defensive positions. That gun was the short-barreled L9, a 165 mm caliber cannon with low recoil. The vehicle received an ammunition complement of 53 shots with high-explosive squash head (HESH) shells with huge destructive force – each charge contained almost 16 kilograms of explosives. The Centurion AVRE became the standard engineering vehicle for the British Army and participated in several armed conflicts, including the 1991 Gulf War. In the 80’s, Centurion AVRE’s were modernized, receiving additional armour including ROMOR reactive armour - this modification was used in operation “Desert Storm”. The vehicle was retired in 1993.





The explosive mass in the engineering Centurion’s HESH shells is 15.7 kgs, which is 5 times more than in the 120 mm HESH shells of other tanks. While other tanks at higher ranks have superior defense against hits from ATGMs and HE shells, a good old demolition bomb can do a lot of damage. A hit with armour penetration is fatal for any target on the battlefield. A hit without penetration can deal critical damage to the enemy tank’s tracks, engine or gun. With a little finesse, the low velocity of the shell will allow you to even fire from behind low cover or terrain. This is an entirely new and unusual take on tank battles in the higher ranks!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

The P-40F is a later modification of the well-known American Warhawk which strived to address some of the underlying performance issues of the earlier variants by featuring a more powerful engine. After a more than successful campaign in the Mediterranean theatre, the P-40F is now ready to once more compete for total aerial supremacy in War Thunder’s upcoming update 1.79!

In short: we have created completely new models for the P-40 fighters in our game and have also added a P-40F variant with a new powerful engine and a "toothy" camouflage!

Although early P-40s were equipped with one of the most powerful inline engines available to the American aircraft industry at the time, it quickly became apparent that even that wasn’t enough. Due to its advanced and robust design, it’s no secret that the P-40 was a relatively heavy aircraft for its type, resulting in power-to-weight issues which would never be fully solved. Nonetheless, Curtiss engineers continued tweaking and improving the design in all aspects, trying to lessen the drawbacks of a high weight and insufficient power.





If you wanted to take your P-40 out for a spin again, but just never got around to actually doing it, then be sure to take advantage of the opportunity that update 1.79 gives you. Dust off that plane that’s been sitting in the back of your hangar for far too long and prepare to see it in a whole new light! Stay tuned to the news to find out more about the latest developments regarding War Thunder’s next major update. Until then!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

Take part in a battle in the sky over Stalingrad in the updated enduring confrontation mode for 64 players - a familiar to pilots mode with prolonged fighting and the possibility of unlimited numbers of respawns. You can join the [Enduring Confrontation] battle even after the mission has already started.

Event will be available both in RB and SB modes.

For the first time in realistic mode the logic for the front line has been updated, combat and cargo convoys will appear more often and a new “Air Supremacy” mission is available. More information regarding the improvements in [Enduring Confrontation] can be read in the Development Blog.


USSR: I-15bis, Zhukovsky's I-153-M62, I-153 M-62, I-153P, I-16 type 10, I-16 type 18, IL-2 (1941), IL-2 (1942), LaGG-3-4, LaGG-3-8, LaGG-3-11, LaGG-3-23, La-5, Pe-2-1, Pe-2-31, MiG-3-15 (BK), SB 2M-100, SB 2M-103 MV-3, SB 2M-103, SB 2M-103U, SB 2M-103U MV-3, SB 2M-105, Su-2 MV-5, Su-2 M-82, Su-2 TSS-1, Yak-1, Yak-7B, IL-4, Ar-2, P-40E-1 (USSR), Hurricane Mk IIB (USSR)

Germany: Bf 109 E-3, Bf 109 E-4, Bf 109 E-7/U2, Bf 109 F-2, Bf 109 F-4, Bf 110 C-4, Do 17 E-1, Hs 129B-2, Hs 129B-2 (Romania), Ju 87 B-2, Ju 87 D-3, G.50 serie 2, G.50 AS serie 7, C.200 serie 7, C.202, S.M.79 AS, He 111 H-3, Ju 88 A-1, Ju 88 A-4, S.M.79 serie 8, S.M.79 AS, S.M.79 bis/N

Italy: G.50 serie 2, G.50 AS serie 7, C.200 serie 3, C.200 serie 7, C.202, S.M.79 serie 8, S.M.79 AS, S.M.79 bis/N

The setup can be changed, so please keep a close eye on the list of the available vehicles in the event description.

The War Thunder Team

The T-64BV is a new researchable modification for the T-64B tanks, which adds a reactive set in War Thunder update 1.79. Pimp the tank! In short: a new modification for the T-64B which makes your favourite tank even cooler! The Kontakt ERA set adds excellent defense to the hull and turret against ATGMs and HE shells.

In the early 1960s, the USSR held successful tests of reactive armour against explosive force, and by the early 1980s, a unified set of reactive add-on armour called Kontakt was ready to boost the defenses of the current tank fleet, and for installation on new vehicle models. Among the tanks which successfully completed state tests of the new reactive configuration was the medium T-64B tank, which was later modernized and given a new designation: the T-64BV.





The upgrades to the T-64BV version will be implemented in the form of a researchable modification for the T-64B tank in War Thunder update 1.79. After researching this modification, the tank’s appearance will change, but any camouflage, decals or decorative items installed will remain.

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

Briefly: The last series modification of the famous Corsair designed for the French navy, able to carry a variety of US and French-made bombs and rockets. Hey, tankers! How are you down there?

After the end of the Second World War, aircraft manufacturer Chance Vought continued perfecting its carrier-based Corsair fighter-bombers. Corsair fighters had already proved to be excellent attack planes during the war, and Chance Vought engineers wanted to improve the plane’s ability to destroy ground targets at low altitudes.





The French F4U-7 Corsair is an excellent fighter plane and incredibly dangerous for ground targets. It will be terrorizing enemies in the air and on the ground when it arrives in War Thunder update 1.79!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog Article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

The Type 90 is a Japanese third generation main battle tank, developed in the late ‘80s as a replacement to the outdated Type 61 and Type 74. Coming with update 1.79, fans of Japanese ground vehicles may expect the arrival of the long-awaited Type 90 to the top ranking battles of War Thunder!

In War Thunder, the Type 90 will become available to all players as a new top tier vehicle of rank VI of the Japanese ground forces tree. Bringing with it a whole host of modern upgrades over its predecessors, the Type 90 will give Japanese tankers the opportunity to experience first hand what top tier combat is all about. Developed primarily as a counter to the T-72, it was clear from the start that the Type 90 had to be well armed in order to succeed in this endeavour. Featuring a similar gun as found on the Leopard 2K already in game, future Type 90 drivers can come to expect nothing short of superb ballistic properties of this tried and tested cannon. A good cannon, backed up by an autoloading mechanism in combination with a stabilizer gives Type 90 drivers the freedom of choice when considering how to deal with the threat at hand. Whether it be picking off targets from extreme range, close quarter brawling or high-speed maneuvering engagements, the Type 90 is suited for almost all combat scenarios and can quickly adapt to sudden changes on the battlefield.





Although the Type 90 never underwent a real trial by fire in its service life, War Thunder players will have the chance to pit it against some of its contemporaries in update 1.79. Stay tuned to the news to find out more about the next upcoming update for War Thunder. Until then!

For more information, read the full Dev Blog article here!