Recently, we announced that combat helicopters will be coming to War Thunder in update 1.81 "The Valkyries".

Today, we’d like to talk about the flight models and physics of these helicopters. You will learn how the helicopters will fly and what forces act upon them whilst doing so, and we will also show you how to control your heli in different game modes.

More in the devblog!

Major update 1.81 “The Valkyries” is just around the corner, and so we’re excited to be able to show you these two naval battles locations which will become available with the release of the update.



“Mediterranean port” is created to represent the coast of Italy. Our artists created this landscape together with bays and stony islands, exemplifying the surroundings of Naples and the island of Capri.



“Green mountains gulf” takes us to the coast of Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Fjords and rocky islands, moss-covered stones, spruce and pine trees on the seashore - all demonstrating the harsh beauty of the North!

To see more of these maps, check out the full Dev Blog article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

The first version of the most mass-produced military helicopter of the Eastern Bloc – the Mi-24A. Meet the forerunner of a magnificent military dynasty in War Thunder!

In short: The Mi-24A is a heavy, fast and reliable helicopter with a good selection of armament. The first vehicle in the series of legendary Hinds!

In studying the possibilities of helicopter design and the experience of other countries, Mikhail Leontyevich Mil came to the conclusion that a well-armed and armored battle helicopter was required to increase the mobility of the Soviet Army. It had to be capable of transporting cargos and paratroopers – a kind of flying armored car. In contrast to the American army, in which troop transport helicopters operated with cover from assault helicopters, Mikhail decided to create a vehicle that could handle both these tasks on its own. The engineers at the Mil design bureau already had considerable experience in developing helicopters, and had performed several experiments in transforming transport helicopters into assault helicopters. This meant that after military officials approved the concept of an assault-transport helicopter, the team immediately got to work. In the summer of 1969, literally a year after the work had begun, the Mil engineers presented a prototype for testing.





In short, the Mi-24A is a great way to become acquainted with this series of “Hinds”, and start learning the main battle tactics on these vehicles. The first Mi-24As will take to the skies in mixed battles in update 1.81 Flight of the Valkyries – we’re looking forward to it as much as you are!

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

The AH-1G Cobra is a dedicated attack helicopter design, derived from the well-known UH-1 Huey, which primarily supported the combat actions of U.S. forces in the Vietnam War. Keep your head inside your hatch tankers, the Cobra is coming in hot with the release of War Thunder update 1.81!

Briefly: The Huey’s worthy successor in the gunship role, sporting excellent speed and handling characteristics in combination with deadly weaponry.

Parallel to the development of the UH-1 transport helicopter, Bell was actively conducting research on helicopter gunship designs. This resulted in the creation of the “Iroquois Warrior”, a mockup of a gunship design based on components from the UH-1B Huey. The mockup was presented to interested Army officials in June 1962, resulting in a proof-of-concept contract later that year. Following the contract award, Bell created the Model 207 “Sioux Scout”, which was evaluated by the Army in early 1964.





Be on the lookout for the arrival of the AH-1G Cobra to the skies of War Thunder with the release of the upcoming update 1.81. Be sure to also stay tuned to the news for more information regarding the next major update. Until then, safe flying pilots!

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

We are pleased to present you with a new location for aircraft battles: “Vietnam”, which will be available for all players with the release of the next War Thunder major update 1.81.

This location is based on the area in which the major "Nguyen Hue" military operation occurred during the Vietnam War.

To see more images of this location, check out the article on the Official War Thunder Forums!

American Desert, a new location for combined battles, will be released in War Thunder update 1.81. When creating this location our artists and designers were inspired by images of small towns in the US Southwest and the romantic style of the 60s. We used Page, Arizona as the inspiration for this location’s visual style. We’ve created many new assets for this location, including plant life, automobiles, and buildings that are characteristic of the location, as well as animated fire hydrants that shoot columns of water into the air if you drive over them.

The battles for this location will take place among the one- and two-story buildings typical of an American small town. There are a couple of small lakes and highways in the surrounding area. The town’s main square has four access points, as well as a few other firing locations. Another flashpoint for future battles is a residential area with small homes that are too small for even medium tanks to hide behind. Some areas can also be fired on from outside the town, where snipers can hide among rocks and small cliffs. The third capture point is a railroad station, and an animated train will drive down the tracks during battle. Tank commanders can destroy the train with gunfire, and the train itself can also ram tanks if they get in its way.





American Desert will be the first American location in War Thunder. We hope you like the simple, heartfelt style of a 1960s American small town.

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

Briefly: The first guided American air-to-ground missile and a unique weapon system will become available in War Thunder as part of the ongoing Good Old S.U.M.M.E.R event marathon!

Development of the AGM-12 Bullpup began in the early 1950s, after the Korean War sparked a demand for more precise, guided, weapon systems that could hit targets which were usually more difficult to hit with conventional ordnance. Apart from that, the new weapon system ought to increase the safety of ground attack aircraft and their crews by keeping them further away from returning ground fire.

This will no doubt not only be a great challenge for many War Thunder pilots, but also an interesting reward for all those who completed the challenges in the ongoing event marathon. Eager to join in on the fun? Then be sure to also take part in the Good Old S.U.M.M.E.R event and ensure yourself access to the Bullpup as well as many other prizes!

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

We are pleased to share with you some new ground force vehicles planned for the upcoming War Thunder major update 1.81: The Argentinian-built TAM light tank in the German tech tree, and the American rapid fire high-caliber SPAA M247 Sergeant York.



The TAM is a tank which was jointly developed by Argentinian and German engineers in the 1970s. It was intended to replace the outdated WW2 tanks in service with the Argentinian army at the time. Tankers can look forward to the addition of the TAM to the German ground forces tree with the release of update 1.81!



The M247 Sergeant York is an American SPAA, developed in the late 1970s as a much needed replacement to the outdated M42 Duster and M163 VADS. Although its development was far from smooth (or successful), the M247 brought with it several modern design choices to the American SPAA concept. Eager to receive a second chance at fulfilling his historical role, the Sarge has set out to join the top tier battles of War Thunder with the upcoming update 1.81!

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

The T-80 is a Soviet main battle tank which was developed in the mid 1970s and was the first massively manufactured MBT in the world to be powered by a multi-fuel turbine engine. The T-80B will become available to experienced tankers at the top ranks of the Soviet ground forces tree with the release of update 1.81! Equipped with “Cobra” ATGMs and an additional 30 mm of armour plating in the front hull, the T-80B is a very fast and agile tank, with a 125 mm smoothbore cannon and composite armour. The T-80B sports two types of APFSDS shells, capable of penetrating over 470 mm of armour. It can additionally be armed with HE shells, HEAT shells, and anti-tank guided missiles. A decisive top-tier hero for high ranked battles, the T-80B rolls onto War Thunder’s battlefields with major update 1.81!



The Batignolles-Châtillon 25t is a French light tank prototype, developed in the 1950s as a replacement for the AMX-13. Although French military officials didn’t give the prototype a passing grade, War Thunder tankers will be sure to find it as a new favourite among the numerous new vehicles coming to the game with update 1.81!

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

We are happy to present a new vehicle type - combat helicopters! They play a very important role in modern warfare and they are an important part of the air forces of many countries, that’s why they are coming to War Thunder! The UH-1 Iroquois and Mi-4are coming to War Thunder in update 1.81!


The UH-1 Iroquois,or more commonly known as the Huey, is the well-known American helicopter developed in the late 1950s in response to the U.S. Army’s demand for better utility helicopters. The UH-1C will be one of the variants of the legendary Huey, making it to War Thunder with the upcoming update 1.81!

Development of the UH-1 began in 1952, after the U.S. Army came up with requirements for new utility helicopters, with an emphasis on the ability to perform medical evacuation. After successfully passing army testing, Bell’s Model 204 was ordered into production under the official designation HU-1 Iroquois (although the derived popular nickname “Huey” would soon overshadow it in use). Soon after the deployment of the UH-1B, Bell continued work on improving the Huey in all aspects, which resulted in the creation of the next variant - the UH-1C. This version featured an even more powerful engine, along with various other improvements that increased speed and maneuverability, which made this version the most suitable for performing the gunship role. The Huey undoubtedly owes its iconic status primarily to its extensive and varied use throughout the Vietnam War, where it saw most of its active service with U.S. armed forces.


The Mi-4 is one of the first mass-produced multipurpose Soviet helicopters entering both military and civilian service in the early 1950s. In War Thunder, the Mi-4 will be among the first Soviet helicopters available to players with the upcoming update 1.81!

The Mi-4 was used for different purposes by both military and civilian operators alike, quickly gaining a favorable reputation for its impressive lifting loads as well as reliability. During its production time (1952 - 1979), over 3,000 Mi-4s were manufactured, including around 500 Chinese licence-built Harbin Z-5s. Even after production had ceased, the reputable Mi-4 continued being used by operators worldwide, eventually surpassing 50 years of service. Despite the extensive service record however, the Mi-4 never saw any combat actions despite serving through one of the most uncertain times of the Cold War.

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