The first in the line of American multirole fighters, the F-5A Freedom Fighter is entering service with Chinese pilots with the launch of the upcoming “Ixwa Strike” update.

In our game, the F-5 Freedom Fighter series appears in the “Ixwa Strike'' update with the first serialy produced modification of the F-5A in Chinese service. These early versions of the F-5 were almost entirely exported to other countries; American pilots used them to a limited extent as trainers. Later, we will add more advanced F-5 modifications for both the US tech tree and other gaming nations.

The F-5A Freedom Fighter will be the new top of the line of American strike fighters for the Chinese Air Force. This small, very light aircraft has performance characteristics comparable to other fighters of its rank, but carries an incredible variety of outboard weapon sets. It has it all: 250 to 2000 lb bombs, Mighty Mouse rockets, Bullpup air-to-surface missiles, AIM-9P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. It's great that all weapons are assembled into specialized and universal setups for literally any combat task.





So, the first representative of the glorious F-5 family will appear very soon together with the release of the War Thunder “Ixwa Strike'' update! The best attack aircraft in the Chinese tech tree and many more new units and features are coming soon, stay tuned to our news!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

The Ratel ZT3-A2 represents the ATGM carrier modification of the Ratel family of wheeled fighting vehicles and represents the last major variant of the popular ICV series. Soon, this formidable bush predator will join the fight in War Thunder as it arrives to the top ranks of the British ground forces tree as part of the brand new upcoming South African subtree in update “Ixwa Strike!

In War Thunder, the Ratel ZT3-A2 will be a new ATGM carrier arriving to the top ranks of the British ground forces tree as part of the new South African subtree, coming to the game with the release of the next major update. Combining powerful tandem shaped charge ATGMs with very good mobility, the Ratel ZT3-A2 will soon become a deadly force to be reckoned with at high tier ground battles while at the same time giving seasoned British tankers access to one of the fastest new missile carriers in the game!





However, as with the other variants of the Ratel, the ZT3-A2 modification also fights with the same issue of lackluster protection. Namely, being only shielded by up to 20 mm of steel plating, the Ratel ZT3-A2 is just about protected enough to withstand machine gun fire and shrapnel. Furthermore, the vehicle’s rather large profile also makes it much more susceptible to detection by the enemy compared to other, similar vehicles. Subsequently, the Ratel ZT3-A2 will have to rely on its mobility for protection just as much as it does in the offensive.

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

Rare Soviet vehicles will be available for purchase in the game, memorable decals and decorations for battles and victories. And for the brave, we are launching a tournament with Redragon iron prizes!

Check out the full details here!

We’re happy to present to our players the first South African armoured vehicles as a separate branch of the British tech tree. Meet the Olifant Mk1A, a heavily modified South African variant of the Centurion Mk3 and Mk5 main battle tank, developed in the late ‘70s as a means to modernize the fleet of Centurion tanks in South African service.

In War Thunder, the Olifant Mk1A will be a new main battle tank arriving at the top ranks of the British ground forces tree as part of the brand new South African subtree, coming to the game with the release of the “Ixwa Strike” major update. Combining features found on some of the later Centurion models as well as the familiar Sho’t Kal Dalet premium tank, the Olifant Mk1A offers its aspiring commanders a well rounded combat vehicle, bound to soon become a staple of any British tanker’s high tier lineup!





The Olifant Mk1A is arriving to higher ranks of the British ground forces tree as part of the South African subtree with the release of the “Ixwa Strike” major update coming soon. In the meantime, stay tuned to the news to learn more about all the exciting new additions awaiting you in the upcoming major War Thunder update. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

• Now, when a torpedo is launched, the next available launcher will be selected without the need to manually switch through torpedoes on the opposite side of the ship
  
• Damaged naval vessels with a critical minimum of crew available now sink faster.
  
• The reference version of the aircraft in test flight no longer resets selected ammo belts.
  
• Now when replacing the gunner with a loader the gun reload timer will not be reset if there is at least one loader in the crew. If the reload is still not completed but the loader has been moved to the driver position, so the reload will be interrupted.

• Graphical artefacts on the ground’s surface have been fixed for “High” and better modes on the Nvidia RTX 1660, 20XX, and 30XX series with driver version 460.79.
  
• A bug has been fixed, causing the effect of a shot (sometimes with a sound of a shot) without damage to target and ammo consumption instead of misfire, when the breech is damaged.
  
• Matilda Hedgehog — a bug has been fixed with the missing damage camera when hitting an enemy with a mine launcher. .
  
• ZSU-23-4 — radar folding animation has been fixed.
  
• Roland 1 — a bug has been fixed with a reload sound after double missile launch.
  
• A bug has been fixed causing the circles of the sight of additional weapons to jerk occasionally when turning the turret.
  
• M50 —a bug due to which the markers for additional guns still appearing at a distance of a sighting marker has been fixed.
  
• [Enduring Confrontation] Afghanistan — aircraft do not receive damage when spawning on the A5 square.
  
• A bug where at the start of test flight in the location Stalingrad two allied aircraft have crashed, has been fixed.
  
• A bug has been fixed preventing RS-82 and RBS-82 from exploding when hitting enemy aircraft.
  
• A bug has been fixed when switching to sniper scope, the view spontaneously centered in the direction of the hull for a vehicle that is in water.
  
• A bug has been fixed causing the ATGM to turn in the opposing direction when the vehicle turns.
  
• Information of the “Range of detection of enemy torpedoes” in the crew skill menu now corresponds to the values for realistic game mode.
  
• HMS Invincible — A bug that might cause the turret on the left side to turn through the superstructure has been fixed.
  
• MPK pr.12412 — AI crew will no longer spin AK-630 barrels if there is no ammo present.
  
• A bug where in the “protection analysis” mode and on the hit camera the shell might fly through crew members without causing damage has been fixed.
  
• A bug where a request for help in repairing a vehicle from an ally in the squad wasn’t working has been fixed.
  
• Incorrect display in the rear view mirror has been fixed.
  
• A bug where the aircraft wasn’t illuminated when the sun was above the clouds has been fixed.
  
• A bug where in some rare cases it was possible that the sound of the firing machine gun on ground vehicles was played continuously has been fixed.
  
• A bug where while controlling the naval vessel after losing an aircraft, the sound of the stalled aircraft engine was heard has been fixed.
  
• A bug due to which HEAT shells were not armed when hitting aluminium or rubber cloth shields has been fixed.
  
• A bug with incorrect trajectory of a sight after manual range finding has been fixed.
  
• A bug with missing range indication on vehicles with laser rangefinders in SM mode has been fixed.
  
• A bug which caused significant FPS reduction in a location during night time has been fixed.
  
• A bug has been fixed with a marker appearing on a map after the radio signal of attacking/protection of a capture point, that is not on the map.
  
• A bug where it wasn’t possible to unlock targets while controlling with a gamepad has been fixed.
  
• Rare game crashes in the hangar when rearranging vehicles in the crew slots has been fixed.

The current provided changelog reflects the major changes within the game as part of this Update. Some updates, additions and fixes may not be listed in the provided notes. War Thunder is constantly improving and specific fixes may be implemented without the client being updated.

SMS Kaiser was the lead ship of the Imperial German dreadnought battleship class, built in the years leading up to the outbreak of WWI. Soon, this Great War naval veteran will once again be joining the ranks of the German navy as it arrives in War Thunder naval battles as part of the next major update “Ixwa Strike” coming to the game!

In War Thunder, SMS Kaiser will join the ranks of the German navy in the game, following the release of the upcoming update “Ixwa Strike”. Heavily protected and fitted with large-calibre cannons as well as a formidable secondary weapon arsenal make the Kaiser a true royal leviathan on the high seas and a feared opponent amongst other warships.





SMS Kaiser will be reinforcing the ranks of the German navy in War Thunder very soon, arriving as one of the first ships of its class in the game in the upcoming update “Ixwa Strike”. In the meantime, stay tuned to the news to be informed on all the latest developments surrounding the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas captains!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

The M3A3 was a late modification of the legendary American Bradley fighting vehicle, developed in the late 1990’s based on the experiences gained from the Gulf War. Soon, seasoned American tankers will have the chance to command this upgraded Bradley modification, coming as part of the next major War Thunder update!

In War Thunder, the M3A3 Bradley will be a new unit arriving in the top ranks of the American ground forces tree, further expanding its light tank line. Compared to the existing base modification of the Bradley in-game, the M3A3 brings with it several notable improvements which many veteran American tankers are sure to appreciate. That being said, let’s take a closer look at what this beauty has on offer, shall we?





The M3A3 Bradley will soon join the top ranks of the American ground forces tree with the arrival of the next major update coming to War Thunder. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news in order to catch all the latest developments surrounding the next major update. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

A sneak peak at the first major update of 2021 for War Thunder — 'Ixwa Strike'!

The first Chinese wheeled SPG in War Thunder! The PTL02 is still in service with the Chinese PLA.

In War Thunder, the PTL02 will be the first high-ranked wheeled vehicle in the Chinese armored vehicle tech tree. A tank destroyer of this class was really missing in the rank V-VI setup: the vehicle is light-weight and lightly protected, but with a good gun.

Indeed, made on the basis of APC, PTL02 cannot protect herself against something heavier than a 12.7 mm machine gun round, and the wheeled chassis overcomes off-road somewhat worse than the tracked one. But, having taken a position behind cover, the commander has at his disposal an excellent 100 mm calibre smooth-bore gun, good shells, a stabilizer and night vision device. This wheeled Chinese vehicle copes well with the armor of early MBTs, but rank VI tanks will have to be hit on the side or from behind.





Overall, the PTL02 will be good company for rank V medium tanks and will act as an alternative to the Chinese BMP-1 for long-range shooting due to better stabilization of APFSDS shots. The first Chinese wheeled SPG arrives in hangars with the release of the next major update. Stay tuned to learn more!

Check out the full Dev Blog article here!

• A bug which would cause the preview of the main Battle Pass prize to disappear after being opened and returning back to the Battle Pass window has been fixed.
  
• Achievement conditions have been changed according to "weapon type":
  • Tank ATGMs and ship-based anti-ship missiles were removed from the "missile" type of armament and moved to the "ATGM / AShM" type (added to the aviation ATGM);
    
  • “Missiles” are now named “rocket (unguided)” and no longer include tank ATGMs and ship-based anti-ship missiles;
    
  • Added a new type of weapon - SAM;
    
  • The conditions for obtaining the corresponding achievements and challenges have been clarified.
• A rare game crash caused by a missing decoration model has been fixed.
  
• A bug has been fixed where the hanger lacked illumination at night from the spotlights if the hangar randomly appeared after quitting a game session.
  
• A bug where it wasn’t possible to control the aircraft gunner when playing with a gamepad has been fixed.

The current provided changelog reflects the major changes within the game as part of this Update. Some updates, additions and fixes may not be listed in the provided notes. War Thunder is constantly improving and specific fixes may be implemented without the client being updated.