80 years ago, an excellent exponent of the legendary fighter family, Spitfire Mk IX, took her virgin flight. Get battle trophies in honour of this anniversary. Plagis’ Spitfire LF Mk.IXc will be temporarily available for Golden Eagles, Spitfire LF Mk.IXc (USA) is available with 30% discount.

Complete the task from 11:00 GMT on the 25th of February until 11:30 GMT on the 28th of February and get the reward!

Completing the “Spitfire Mk.IX first flight” task will bring you a battle trophy with one of the following rewards:

• 20-50% RP booster for 3-10 battles
  
• 20-50% SL booster for 3-10 battles
  
• 3-5 universal backup vehicles
  
• 1 day premium account

We present to you a new type of task - scoring points. Scoring point task count all mission points, if at least one vehicle from the task list has been deployed in battle. The score multiplier coefficient is now tied to the game mode, instead of difficulty. Multipliers are displayed as before. The multipliers are displayed only for the selected difficulty: if the game mode is set to the Ground Arcade Battles, you will see multipliers for Ground, Air, and Naval Arcade Battles.

Score 20,000 points in random battles, where at least one aircraft from the list been used:

• Spitfire F Mk IX, Spitfire LF Mk IX, Plagis’ Spitfire LF Mk IX, Spitfire Mk IXc, Spitfire Mk IXc (USA), Spitfire Mk IXc (USSR), Weizman’s Spitfire LF Mk IX, Spitfire Mk IXc (Israel), Spitfire Mk IX (CW)

Follow progress by clicking on your nickname → Achievements → Memorial Date.

Until February 28th (11:30 GMT), the Premium Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk.IXc is available for Golden Eagles, and Spitfire LF Mk.IXc (USA) is available with a 30% discount.

The Zachlam M3 (Tager) is an ATGM carrier, domestically developed by Israeli engineers on the basis of the American M3 and M5 halftracks, which were fitted with French SS.11 missiles. This unique new ground vehicle will await tankers in the upcoming Israeli ground forces tree, arriving in War Thunder as part of the next major update!

Features:

• Deadly SS.11 missiles
  
• Good mobility
  
• Lightly armored
  
• Limited number of missiles

In War Thunder, the Zachlam M3 (Tager) will be one of the more unique vehicles awaiting tankers in the upcoming Israeli ground forces tree, arriving to the game as part of the next major update. Compact, nimble and equipped with deadly anti-tank guided missiles, the Zachlam M3 (Tager) represents an interesting Israeli twist on a chassis familiar to most tankers in War Thunder!

What will certainly draw the most attention from a tank commander’s perspective is the Zachlam’s primary and indeed only weapon system, namely the SS.11 missiles or ‘Tager’ as they are known in Israeli service. These first generation guided anti-tank missiles are well familiar to seasoned War Thunder tank commanders as they can be found on a number of vehicles at the higher ranks. While promising a high destructive potential, their effectiveness is highly dependent on the tanker’s gunnery skills due to the missile requiring manual guidance.



Furthermore, advanced armor such as ERA or composites significantly reduce the missile’s destructiveness. Nevertheless, a skilled tanker can still make good use of the weapon to severely damage or outright knock out unsuspecting enemies from up to 3.5 km away. In doing so however, commanders should keep in mind that the Zachlam’s ammunition capacity is severely limited though. In fact, the vehicle only carries two additional SS.11 missiles after the four preloaded ones are expended from the launcher, so make your shots count!

Because the Zahlam is based on the familiar M3 halftrack chassis, the vehicle also inherited the good mobility from the American base model. Thanks to its low mass and 143 horsepower engine, the Zachlam can reach a top speed of around 67 km/h on paved roads while only dropping slightly in less hospitable terrain types thanks to its halftrack design. On the other hand, being just a simple APC by design means that the Zahlam can’t boast about its protection. In fact, the vehicle is only sufficiently protected to withstand rifle-caliber fire and shrapnel damage. On the other hand, unlike the base model found in other nations’, the Zachlam’s crew is better protected from air attack as they’re all situated in the armored driver’s cabin in the front portion of the vehicle.



The Zachlam M3 (Tager) will be arriving in War Thunder as part of the upcoming Israeli ground forces tree with the release of the next major update. In the meantime, make sure to keep scanning the horizon for more news as we continue showcasing what else the upcoming update has in store for you. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

In this digest we would like to tell you about our continuing work on improvements and fixes in the game. You can find information about all updates that have been released in War Thunder on the website special section.


Just recently we tested with you, improvements in the sound picture of a battle where distance to the source of the sound event began to play a more important role. In short: distant sounds are now better matched to their distance and as a bonus you get a better sense of sound events near you.

You liked this change and it has already been released for all players this week where you might definitely notice it, especially in combined battles. We continue to gather feedback on this specific update from all players including in the comments to this news article.



Battle tasks for memorable dates are of interest to many of you and we continue to make participation in these events more convenient. Tags displayed on participating vehicles are great but now you can see literally all of the vehicles suitable for the active tasks in a single window.

Open the task card by clicking on your nickname → Achievements → Name of the memorable date and click on the “Show Vehicle” button. In the opened window you will see all vehicles on which you can perform the task with a convenient sorting by nation and vehicle type.


We want to please the commanders of warships with several fixes at once.

If you are lucky and have two hydroplanes on your ship, now the launch direction marker for the second catapult will disappear after the first aircraft has been launched, just like you asked for in the comments to one of the previous digests.

We also fixed a bug that was showing up for example when your scouting aircraft nosed in when landing. The catapult wouldn’t start preparing the vehicle for the next flight even if it was intact and battle-ready. Now the reload will operate correctly in such cases.

Another noticeable fix will be the “fixed” hit camera which suddenly began to show damage by modules and not total damage after one of the recent updates. Now it works as it should!

• Bkan 1C, DF105, Leopard 2K — sight range reset has been corrected after the rangefinder is applied.
  
• XM-8 — suspension damping has been increased.
  
• OF-40 Mk.2A, OF-40 (MTCA) — AA machine gun is now controlled by the loader.
  
• Range enter ability has been added when measuring range from the commander’s sight with fire control disabled.
  
• A bug has been fixed where dust and mud from the tracks of the player’s vehicle from the front were displayed incorrectly while observed in sniper mode.

• MiG-27K - a bug has been fixed that prevented IRST to lock on a ground area from the cockpit view.
  
• SBU2 (all versions), V-156 (all versions) - targeting angles of the turret have been adjusted.
  
• F-8E(FN) - launch G-limit has been removed for the Matra R550 Magic missile.
  
• Fw 190A-4 - guns have been divided into groups: low-calibre, high-calibre, and auxiliary.

• A bug has been fixed where after crash landing, the catapults did not start reloading for the next launch .
  
• On ships with several hydroplanes, the launch marker no longer lights up when the hydroplane is launched.
  
• A bug with hull damage displayed in the hit camera has been fixed.

• A bug has been fixed where an artillery strike request prevented the correct execution of the nuclear blast scenario.
  
• “Show vehicles” button has been added to the terms of the regular event in order to display required vehicles in a separate window.

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.

Albatros is the lead ship from a class of 10 corvettes built for the Italian and other navies in the early days of the Cold War. Being the first domestically produced Italian warship of the post-war period, the Albatros will soon reinforce the top rank of the Italian coastal fleet tree, arriving in War Thunder as part of the next major update!

Albatros, gunboat, Italy, rank V
Features:

• Fast-firing 76mm cannons
  
• Compact size
  
• Up-to-date fire control system
  
• Radar
  
• Light protection

In War Thunder, the Albatros sub-chaser will become a new top vessel awaiting seasoned captains at rank V of the Italian coastal fleet tree in the next major update. Thanks to its powerful and highly versatile weapons, the Albatros sub-chaser can be employed in several different roles in War Thunder naval battles and as such, makes for a worthy vessel for captains to take command of after climbing to the top rank!

Having mentioned the Albatros’ weapons arsenal, it consists of several weapon systems of which the most prominent one is the ship’s primary weapon, namely the two 76mm SMP 3 automatic cannons. Possessing a high fire rate of roughly 60 rounds/min, the cannons can quickly engage and inflict serious damage to both lightly protected surface targets as well as airborne threats thanks to the availability of proximity fuze rounds. Furthermore, the Albatros’ arsenal also includes a pair of 40mm Bofors cannons, paired together in a twin mounting on the aft end of the vessel’s superstructure. Rounding off the ship’s weapons arsenal is a pair of forward-facing hedgehog launchers as well as two pairs of pneumatic depth charge launchers on the ship’s stern, which can help resolve an intense close-quarter engagement.



Albatros is powered by two 2,000 horsepower diesel engines and is therefore able to attain a top speed of roughly 20 kts (39 km/h). While this may not always match up to comparable vessels of other nations, it does enable the ship to confidently keep up with its allies and provide valuable second-line fire support. Furthermore, being a comparably small vessel allows the Albatros to easily enter more confined battlegrounds and bring its deadly firepower to bear on lighter surface targets.

However, being a relatively compact vessel means that little space is left to include any substantial protection for the vessel’s systems and 117 crew members. As a result, the ship’s hull and 76mm turrets feature only thin anti-fragmentation armour. Therefore, aspiring captains of the Albatros sub-chaser are well-advised to avoid prolonged gun engagements with enemies, particularly those that are also equipped with automatic high-calibre weapons or larger vessels such as destroyers or cruisers.



The Albatros sub-chaser will await all captains at the top rank of the Italian coastal fleet tree in the next major update coming soon. In the meantime, keep scanning the horizon for more news as we continue posting about all the interesting new additions and features awaiting players in the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting and calm seas captains!

You can greatly speed up the research on this vehicle with Sparviero

Get ready for a series of War Thunder special events and tournaments to get unique prizes and tons of Golden Eagles! Discounts at the Gaijin Store are also available!




“Shields” trophy, containing decals and decorations, is available for Golden Eagles in the item store.

Every “Shields” trophy can bring you a decoration that you don’t own yet. The following decorations may be found in the trophy: Shields, Round Shield, Round Shield (Lion), Gallic Shield

Track your progress by clicking your Nickname → Achievements → Defender Special.

Join the “Defender” series tournaments with a total prize pool of 200,000 Golden Eagles and any Starter Pack of the winner’s choice! Select one of 13 available tournaments, or challenge yourself in a few, to get special decal “Protector of Sparta”, titles, Golden Eagles, and more!

Check tournaments site

The following vehicles, previously withdrawn from sale in the store, can now be purchased using Golden Eagles in-game on all platforms.

• Shielded KV-1E tank (Rank 3, USSR) - available till February 28th 11:00 GMT;
  
• IL-2M Nelson Stepanan's "Avenger" (Rank 3, USSR); - available till February 28th 11:00 GMT;

The Turm III is a German experimental tank, developed during the mid 1960s on the basis of the Leopard 1 main battle tank. Soon, the unique Turm III will make its way into War Thunder top ranked ground battles, arriving in the game as part of the next major update!
Features:

• Good mobility
  
• Fast-firing 105 mm cannon
  
• Secondary 30 mm cannon

[expand type=showmore]During the 1960s, West Germany and the USA worked on the joint MBT-70 program which ultimately wouldn’t deliver the desired results. During its development however, German engineers also worked on other projects in parallel in order to test alternative design layouts and unorthodox technical solutions. One such project included the development of a three-plane stabilized turret, intended to greatly improve the fire accuracy of future vehicles on which it would end up being mounted.

The project dubbed ‘Erprobungsträger mit 3-achs-stabilisiertem Turm’ (eng: ‘experimental platform with a three-axis stabilized turret’) had the Rheinmetall company develop the novel turret which was then fitted onto a modified Leopard 1 chassis, in order to speed up construction time. The prototype was subsequently built in 1966 and extensively tested by the Bundeswehr. The test program concluded that the design was technically viable and also effective. At the same time however, it was considered too complex and costly to produce and further drawbacks to the vehicle were noted such as a cramped and inconvenient internal layout, limited armor protection and a large vehicle profile.

As a result of these findings, further development of the design was canceled and the project officially terminated. The sole prototype of the design was subsequently sent to the Bundeswehr’s technical museum in Koblenz, where it sits on display to the present day.[/expand]



In War Thunder, the Turm III will be a new premium vehicle awaiting tankers at rank V of the German ground forces tree in the next major update. Based on the all too familiar chassis of the Leopard 1 tank, this German panzer features an unique stabilized turret and an automatic loading system for its main gun, giving the vehicle excellent firepower and accuracy to boot!

The three-plane stabilized turret of the Turm III will give aspiring commanders of this machine the ability to accurately fire on the move. Coupled with the tank’s 105 mm L7A2 cannon - familiar to most seasoned War Thunder tankers - as well as an autoloading mechanism makes the Turm III a very dangerous predator on the battlefield. Furthermore, the Turm III features a coaxial 30 mm cannon next to the main gun, great for taking down low-flying aircraft or destroying lightly armored targets!



However, because of the Turm III’s poor hull protection without any advanced armor packages, it remains relatively susceptible to enemy fire, with automatic cannons posing the second largest threat next to high-caliber MBT cannons. Furthermore, the vehicle’s rather sizable turret gives the Turm III a large profile, making it harder for the vehicle’s commander to evade detection and subsequently, enemy fire.

Offsetting these considerable drawbacks somewhat, is the vehicle’s good mobility however. Fitted with a powerful 856 horsepower diesel engine, the Turm III can reach a top speed of 65 km/h on paved roads. As a result, the Turm III can combine its superb gun handling and fast reloads with good mobility, resulting in an excellent choice for tankers keen on wreaking havoc to the enemies’ flank. Lastly, the Turm III will also allow tankers to speed up their progression toward even more advanced German ground vehicles, thanks to its premium status.



The Turm III can be pre-ordered now in a special bundle in our online store, with the vehicle becoming available to its prospective owners following the release of the next major update. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue showcasing what more exciting new additions await players in the upcoming update. Until then, good hunting tankers!

You have proved that love counts! More than 130 lovely screenshots with your favourite vehicles warmed our hearts! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300GE! We will meet again next week!
Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub (link for instructions) with the tag #WTscreen15. You have time until 28.02.2022 to submit your screenshot.
After that date, 6 winners will be selected (3 of which will be the highest rated by the community and 3 selected by our judges), each of which receive a reward of 300GE.

Important addition: Screenshot theme - Colourful World!

• Blue sky, green grass, yellow desert, vermillion sea, colourful sunset or fields full of beautiful flowers? Add your favourite machine nearby and take a screenshot!
  
• Screenshots need to be compliant with the War Thunder rules.
  
• You need to be the author of the screenshot.
  
• Screenshot needs to be new. You cannot use those which have previously been published or used in other competitions.
  
• We will only accept raw screenshots from the game. You cannot use any editing software nor any other visual enhancements (like Nvidia Ansel filters).
  
• You can use filters and settings built into War Thunder.
  
• You can use the replay functionality built into War Thunder.
  
• Rewards will be delivered to the author's account within 7 working days.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2759618243
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2754028812
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2753858830
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2753909924
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2754042181
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2757441227
Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!

• A bug has been fixed where hit markers on vehicle armour did not correspond to actual armour penetration and damage caused.
  
• A bug has been fixed where a switch box on the ERA block was not detached when the block was destroyed.
  
• A bug has been fixed where the TVD might remain enabled in server replays for third-person view.
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented artillery strikes and vehicle control during a nuclear blast.

• Distant sounds of aircraft engines have been changed to more distinctive and less annoying.
  
• Sound management system of the engines of ground vehicles has been reworked in order to calculate the priority of engines and tracks sounds based on their actual volume. Previously, the calculation dealt only with distance to the listener.
  
• Sound volume of the allied/enemy tank engines is now aligned along the rpm range, i.e. idle and maximum rpm are now close in volume. Previously, idle rpm was several times quieter, making hiding tanks behind obstacles silent.
  
• Sound volume of all ground vehicle engines has been equalized by the distance key points for the whole hearable range of 0-300 meters.
  
• Sound volume in the gaming environment has been reduced to improve the subjective positioning of the engines and tracks. I.e. tank 20m to the left sounds directly from the left, in the left ear
  
• The audibility range on player controlled SAMs has been increased to 4 km, but their volume and frequency balance have been changed so that they don’t deafen across the map. Thanks to this, sounds should become more audible to pilots.
  
• The management system of the sounds of ground and air cannons has been redesigned. Now the priority will be calculated based on the actual volume of the cannon (previously only the distance to the listener was taken into account).
  
• Hit sounds from 20mm-35mm rapid-fire cannons no longer stutter and disappear. The sounds, as well as the management system have been reworked.
  
• Artillery strike sound system has been reworked. Now these sounds don’t stutter or disappear in case of a massive area strike from many players.
  
• The volume of sound events such as explosions and shooting now decrease more noticeably with distance. This makes the sound events closest to the player, like enemy engines, explosions and shooting, more noticeable.
  
• The sounds of destruction of vehicles and trees have been made less loud and more noticeably diminished over distance.

---

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.

USS Arizona is one of two Pennsylvania-class battleships built for the U.S. Navy during WWI and incorporating many new technologies which would find themselves in subsequent American battleship designs. Soon, captains will have the chance to take command of the famous USS Arizona as it arrives in War Thunder naval battles with the next major update!
Features:

• Excellent armor protection
  
• Numerous hard-hitting cannons
  
• Poor AA defenses
  
• Low mobility

[expand type=showmore]After the design of the preceding Nevada-class battleships that employed the novel ‘all or nothing’ armor scheme, the Navy sought a slightly larger, improved design to be ordered for construction in the fiscal year of 1913. As such, the Bureau for Construction & Repair came up with a number of design sketches to satisfy the Navy’s requirement.

In April 1912, the final design of what was to become the Pennsylvania class was chosen with further work on refining the design continuing until September. The decision to order the design into construction was met with some political opposition over concerns that the design was too weak and expensive. Nonetheless, the class was approved for construction, with USS Pennsylvania being ordered in August 1912 while its sistership USS Arizona followed suit in March 1913.

USS Arizona was laid down in March 1914, launched in June 1915 and commissioned in October 1916. Due to oil shortages in Europe at the time, the ship didn’t take part in hostilities during WWI, but instead escorted the American president Woodrow Wilson on his trip to Brest for the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 along with other warships. Subsequently, both Arizona and its sistership were transferred to the Pacific Fleet, undergoing substantial modernization in 1929 through 1931.

Throughout the 1930s, both ships took part in regular fleet exercises. However, during the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, USS Arizona was sunk following a catastrophic explosion of her fore magazines, after an aerial bomb managed to penetrate the ship’s deck.[/expand]



In War Thunder, USS Arizona will be the new battleship to join the ranks of the U.S. Navy in the game with the release of the next major update! Featuring heavy-duty armor protection and tremendous firepower, this American so-called ‘super dreadnought’ is sure to shake things up with its upcoming arrival to War Thunder naval battles!

Being a battleship, USS Arizona features some of the most substantial firepower found among this type of warship in War Thunder. As such, the ship comes fitted with four triple 14’’ (356 mm) turrets comprising its primary weapons arsenal. Far-reaching and hard-hitting, the heavy 14’’ rounds fired by these cannons possess an average muzzle velocity, but excellent penetrating capabilities even at longer engagement distances. On the flip side of the coin however, these large caliber guns come with the caveat of also having a substantially lower rate of fire than most other guns captains in War Thunder may have already gotten accustomed to.



In addition to the 14’’ primary guns, USS Arizona also possesses a secondary weapons complement consisting of 12 5’’/51 cal (127mm) cannons mounted in casemates on the ship’s sides, dedicated to engage other surface targets. In addition, eight 5’’/25 cal cannons located on the weather deck aid the ship in defending itself from air attack. Lastly, an additional eight .50 cal heavy machine guns situated in platforms on the mainmast aid the secondary cannons in the latter role. However, while USS Arizona’s capabilities against surface targets are unquestioned, the evident lack in anti-air protection leaves her relatively vulnerable to aircraft, meaning that aspiring captains of this formidable warship shouldn’t stray too far from their allies unless they wish to be sent to the deep blue by a zealous pilot!


As the second ship class in the U.S. Navy to adopt the ‘all or nothing’ armor scheme, USS Arizona possesses extremely thick armor plating around her machinery and magazines while the rest of the ship remains virtually unprotected - just as implied by the armor scheme’s name itself! In fact, USS Arizona’s belt armor ranges between 343 - 203 mm in thickness, while the turrets feature 457-228mm of armor. Overall, this high level of protection in addition to having a large complement of 1,390 sailors makes the USS Arizona a true juggernaut on the high seas, but also a rather cumbersome vessel as a result, being able to attain a top speed of just 20.89 kts (38.7 km/h).



USS Arizona has set course for War Thunder naval battles and is expected to arrive in the game as part of the next major update coming in the near future. In the meantime, keep your binoculars at hand and keep scanning the news section as we continue to release new info on the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas captains!

The first US land operation on Japanese ground began on Iwo Jima island on the 16th of February, 1945. American troops had to fight through the heavily fortified Japanese defenses.

Complete the task from 11:00 GMT on the 18th of February until 11:30 GMT on the 23rd of February and get the reward!

Completing the “Battle of Iwo Jima” task will bring you a battle trophy with one of the following rewards:

• 20-50% RP booster for 3-10 battles
  
• 20-50% SL booster for 3-10 battles
  
• 3-5 universal backup vehicles
  
• 1 day premium account

• Destroy 40/20/20 (AB/RB/SB) player vehicles whilst controlling the specified vehicles in random battles

The task can be completed only in vehicles from the following list:

• USA: M4A2, LVT(A)(4), LVT(A)(1), F4U-1A (USMC), F4-1D, F6F-5
  
• Japan: Chi-Ha, Chi-Ha Kai, Chi-He, D4Y2, A6M3, A6M3 mod. 22, A6M5

Follow progress by clicking on your nickname → Achievements → Memorial Date.