In the upcoming Danger Zone update, Israeli helicopters come to War Thunder! A few words on history, initial line-up and the first look on the new to the game light attack helicopter MD 500 TOW.

In 1975 the Israeli Air Force received its first batch of 6 American Bell AH-1G Cobra strike helicopters, previously used in Vietnam. Israeli pilots enthusiastically began to master a new type of military aircraft and nicknamed the American helicopters Tzefa - “Palestine viper” - after the largest poisonous snake in the region. A little later, the AH-1G was replaced by the AH-1S equipped with anti-tank missiles, and the Hughes MD500 TOW light helicopters, also equipped with ATGMs to destroy armored vehicles. Israeli attack helicopters received a baptism of fire in 1979 where they were widely used in battle in the First Lebanon War, showing a high combat efficiency. The last helicopters of the AH-1 series were retired from service in 2013.



Despite the active use of combat helicopters and a highly advanced military industry, Israel does not consider developing its own combat helicopters. At the moment, the IAF operates various versions of the American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.



Israeli helicopters come to the game in the Danger Zone update. You will meet not only familiar AH-1G, AH-1Q and AH-1F Cobras, excellent high-rank Apaches, including the premium Peten. The Hughes MD500 TOW light attack helicopter will first appear in the Israeli tech tree. This five-blade rotor light, tiny and very agile helicopter capable of carrying the venerable TOW and TOW-2 anti-tank missiles, as well as Hydra-70 unguided rockets.



Israeli helicopters will become helpful assistants for armored vehicles in War Thunder mixed battles and will surely perform well in the helicopter gaming modes. The update is coming soon! Stay tuned!

• In the marker-less game modes, 1st generation ATGMs do not fall on the ground anymore when switching to binoculars.
  
• Sho't — a bug has been fixed with the minimal gun depression angle over the engine compartment. The minimal angle has been corrected from +5 to 0 degrees (report)

• F-104S.ASA — a bug has been fixed with a missed gun in custom weapon presets in xray mode.
  
• F-4C Phantom II — a bug has been fixed where the belly-mounted gun was displayed in the xray mode instead of installed wing gun pods.

• Initial speed of attacker and bomber aircraft in Ground Arcade battles has been increased (fighters’ speed remains):
  
  • from 600 to 680 kph in sessions of BR 7.3 — 9.7;
    
  • from 700 to 800 kph in sessions of BR 10+.
• Aircraft setup in Ground Arcade battles has been updated:
  
  • IL-28Sh and Me 262 C-2b — have been removed in session of BR 7.3 — 8.3;
    
  • AH-1S early and BO 105 PAH-1 — have been removed in sessions of BR 8.0 — 9.0;
    
  • UH-1D (Germany) — a bug has been fixed with incorrect weapons in the setup with unguided rockets.

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.

• Scoring parameters in helicopter PvE mode have been corrected:
  
  
  • Minimal point multiplier for damage, critical damage, destruction and destruction assist, whilst taking into account the BR of the player and enemy vehicles, has been increased by 400%;
    
  • Point multiplier for damage and destruction of enemy bases has been reduced by ~ 54.5%.
• A bug has been fixed where the base durability in the “City” mission for helicopter PvE mode was lower than in other missions.

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.

In the Danger Zone update we are going to introduce a new type of weapon - incendiary air bombs! Details about napalm and its damage - inside!

In our game, incendiary mixtures will be a new type of weapon that will be available for high rank aviation. In the Danger Zone update, some types of American and Soviet-made incendiary bombs for the American, German, Soviet, Israeli and Chinese aircraft will appear in the game. In the future, we will add new types of incendiary bombs for aviation of different gaming nations.



So how does napalm work in War Thunder? Incendiary bombs can be mounted on the aircraft in the weapon menu after researching a corresponding modification. As a rule, napalm can be taken along with other types of armament. Dropping incendiary bombs is exactly the same as dropping a conventional high-explosive bomb. If the aircraft is equipped with a ballistic bomb calculator, you will also see the drop point in RB and SB. Upon impact, an incendiary mixture is spilled over an area and ignited. The burning mixture sticks to the surfaces in the location, including wet mud, puddles even water surfaces. Napalm deals damage to open-top armored vehicles, affecting the crew members. Light armored vehicles and tires of wheeled vehicles are burned as if they were on fire, i.e. a vehicle receives some damage every second. The damage to ships and boats when napalm spills on the deck is also similar to the damage from a fire. Aircraft hit by an incendiary mixture on the ground are destroyed almost immediately.



The ignited mixture continues to burn for some time, charring trees and grass. If the open-top or wheeled vehicles drive into the area during a fire, they receive damage similar to fire damage.

Napalm has many interesting tactical applications in battles. For example, you can protect a point captured by your team from being captured by enemy scouts. You can spill campers in bushes and thickets. You can pour napalm in one of the directions of movement of the enemy team in order to damage light vehicles or even temporarily block this passage through the location for them. In air battles, incendiary mixtures are very handy for destruction of AI convoys.



Check out the full list of aircraft with incendiary bombs in the changelog for the upcoming Danger Zone update. It is almost done. We'll fire it up soon!

Your Shockwave screenshots were awesome! We had close to 400 screenshots and every single one of them looked fantastic. Nice work everyone! See the winners down below!


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 with the tag #WTscreen18. You have time until the 10.06.2022 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 300 GE.

Important addition: Screenshot theme - Your favourite vehicle!

• Got a favourite plane, boat, tank or chopper? Nice! Share a screenshot of your vehicle with us in its best looking position!
  
• Screenshots need to be compliant with the War Thunder rules, otherwise they will not be considered.
  
• 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=2814227667
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2814162377
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2814358471

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2814824572
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2814001060
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2813888443


Each winner will get 300GE! Congratulations and see you next week!

The ZTZ99A is the most modern variant of the Chinese ZTZ99 series of main battle tanks and also its most advanced iteration to date. Packing improved mobility and protection, the ZTZ99A will soon be arriving at the top of the Chinese tree as part of the “Danger Zone” Major Update!

Briefly: The most advanced variant of the ZTZ99 MBT series, featuring a new arrow-shaped turret and an uprated engine.


Features:

• Improved turret protection
  
• Uprated 1,500 hp engine
  
• Thermal imaging
  
• Low profile
  
• Excellent reverse speed

In War Thunder, the ZTZ99A will be the new top Chinese main battle tank awaiting tankers in the upcoming next major update Danger Zone. Representing the evolutionary peak of the ZTZ99 series of Chinese MBTs to date, the ZTZ99A will offer its aspiring commanders vastly improved turret protection as well as greatly enhanced mobility on top of already deadly firepower. Enticed already? How about we get into more details?



The ZTZ99A is a further development of the ZTZ99 MBT, already familiar to seasoned War Thunder tankers and fans of Chinese ground vehicles in the game. However, despite sharing a common chassis, the ZTZ99A can be considered a completely new vehicle thanks to a near complete overhaul of its design, particularly concerning its turret. Unlike previous variants, the ZTZ99A features a new arrow-shaped turret, fitted with state-of-the-art ERA and composite armor, capable of defeating even tandem charge chemical rounds.

While the protection upgrade did result in the vehicle gaining roughly 4 tons in weight over its immediate predecessor, this drawback is amply compensated by the ZTZ99A receiving a new 1,500 horsepower diesel engine. As a result, the vehicle’s power-to-weight ratio increases to an impressive 27.7 hp/t despite the weight increase! As a result, the ZTZ99A actually outmatches its predecessors in terms of mobility, being able to attain a top speed of 75 km/h on paved roads. Furthermore, a new transmission eliminates the poor reverse speed of the older modifications with the ZTZ99A now being capable of reaching up to 34 km/h while going in reverse. Quite a handy upgrade for intense gun fights, eh?



Unlike its protection and mobility, the ZTZ99A’s firepower however remains virtually unchanged from previous versions. The vehicle still features the familiar ZPT-98 125 mm smoothbore cannon as well as a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a top-mounted high-caliber commander’s machine gun. Therefore, the ZTZ99A inherits its predecessors’ excellent firepower and combines it with its own upgrades to result in a potent new fighting vehicle, worthy of the top spot in the Chinese ground forces tree.



The ZTZ99A arrives in War Thunder as part of the next major update, Danger Zone and will become the new crowning jewel of the Chinese ground forces tree in the game. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the news as we continue unveiling some of the highlights awaiting players in the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting tankers!

This June marks the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Midway, a turning point of the war in the Pacific during WWII. Japanese forces planned to catch the Americans by surprise, but the Japanese naval code was deciphered, and this allowed US troops to properly prepare and triumph in battle.

From June 3rd (11:00 GMT) till June 6th (07:00 GMT) play 3 battles in American or Japanese vehicles (rank III and above, activity 70% or more) to achieve the “Battle of Midway” decal.

The decal can be found in the customization menu, section “Other”.

Score 10,000 points in naval battles of rank III and above to achieve the “Emblem of USS Yorktown”. Points multiplier is listed in the description of the task.

The decal can be found in the customization menu, section “USA”.

Tasks can be completed in random battles, apart from Enduring Confrontation and the [Assault] missions. You may track your progress by clicking your Nickname → Achievements → Battle of Midway.

Kronshtadt was an advanced Soviet battlecruiser designed in the mid 1930s. Fans of Soviet warships will soon have the chance to take command of the Kronshtadt battlecruiser as it docks in player ports in the next major update, Danger Zone!

Briefly: A 1930s Soviet battlecruiser, sporting heavy firepower and excellent mobility at the expense of protection.


Features:

• Excellent mobility
  
• Formidable weapons arsenal
  
• Scout plane
  
• Vulnerable to high-caliber fire
  
• Large silhouette

In War Thunder, Kronshtadt will be a new top rank capital vessel coming to reinforce the Soviet bluewater fleet as part of the next major update; Danger Zone. Combining potent firepower with excellent mobility, captains will soon get the chance to take command of the very first battlecruiser to make its way into the Soviet fleet in the game!



During its complex design history, Soviet shipbuilders made sure that Kronshtadt was capable of successfully facing off comparable nations’ warships. The success of this endeavor truly shows when captains take note of Kronshtadt’s impressive firepower. Namely, the ship sports a heavy primarmy battery of nine 12’’ (305 mm) cannons, spread across three triple turrets. Throughout gun duels, the main battery is supported by a total of eight 6’’ (152 mm) cannons, with two twin turrets nestled below each side of the ship's forward superstructure. As a result, Kronshtadt is ideally equipped to engage virtually all surface threats it can encounter in naval battles.

This isn’t the end of the story yet, however, as this doesn’t encompass all of Kronshtadt’s weapons. The warship also sports a rather capable anti-air defense too. Namely, Kronshtadt is fitted with four twin 100 mm dual-purpose cannons complemented by another seven quadruple 37 mm short-range automatic cannons. As a result, Kronshtadt can easily hold its own against imminent aerial attacks but captains may encounter some difficulties in effectively intercepting enemy aircraft at longer distances or higher altitudes. For the latter scenario, it’s worth keeping in mind that Kronshtadt is a relatively sizable target and thus perfect prey for high-altitude bombers!



This doesn’t imply that Kronshtadt is an easy target to hit and destroy on the other hand. Quite the contrary is the case as Kronshtadt’s propulsion system can generate up to 210,000 hp resulting in a top speed of 32 kts (59.2 km/h). Why captains will need this mobility is also the reason why the ship has this capability in the first place. Namely, the Kronshtadt’s armor protection sits right between cruiser and battleship standards of protection. Featuring a 230 mm thick belt and 330 mm of armor around its conning tower makes the Kronshtadt adequately protected against cruiser fire but leaves it somewhat vulnerable to incoming fire from heavier vessels, such as battleships. Therefore, captains are well advised to avoid presenting too much of the ship’s surface area to incoming heavy fire and use the excellent mobility to the full extent in order to remain difficult to hit.



Kronshtadt will soon be docking in player ports as it arrives into War Thunder as part of the next major update, Danger Zone, coming soon. In the meantime, keep scanning the horizon for more news as we continue unveiling what other exciting new additions await you in the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas and happy hunting captains!

The American M1A1 AIM Abrams main battle tank in service with the Australian army comes as a new squadron vehicle for all War Thunder players!


Features:

• Detailed thermal imager
  
• KE-W armor piercing rounds
  
• High vitality
  
• Good mobility

With the release of the Danger Zone update, the M1A1 AIM main battle tank will become a new squadron vehicle and will be available to all War Thunder players. Abrams is good, a good Abrams is even better, and a good Abrams that you can get for free is simply great! Let's take a closer look at the Australian MBT?



The Australian Abrams is an overhauled tank of the M1A1 series with the replacement of the obsolete fire control system. In gameplay the Australian tank differs from the US early M1A1s by improved thermal imaging electronics, TVD for the AA machine gun, and a different gun ammunition. The tank received a better thermal imager than the M1A1 of earlier versions - the poor digitalization of early Abramses’ TVD is one of the most annoying things with these tanks.

As for ammunition, one may say that the variety of shells of the Australian tank is poor - the stock M830 HEAT round, which is unlikely to surprise anyone at rank VII, and the much more interesting KE-W. The KE-W APFSDS round is already familiar to players from the Turkish M60 AMBT. The projectile of this shell is able to pierce more than 580 mm of armor - this is, without a doubt, one of the best kinetic projectiles in the game. It is worth noting that, as with all other squadron vehicles, the player needs to research the modifications on their own, even if they are purchased for Golden Eagles. This round is unlocked for commanders already at the third tier of the M1A1 AIM modifications, and it would be most reasonable to schedule a modules research in order to quickly acquire the fearsome AP round, which is capable of piercing any vehicle in the game in any area of ​​​​the hull or turret.



The Abrams M1A1 AIM will be yours for squadron activity points (if you're already a member of War Thunder squadrons) or for Golden Eagles (there's a good article about Squadron vehicles on our Wiki). Australian Abrams, dozens of other interesting vehicles, new locations and game mechanics await you in the upcoming Danger Zone major update. Soon!

• A bug has been fixed that resulted in an inverted vertical mouse view when switching to binoculars while the option “Fix gun direction in mouse view” is enabled.

• Aircraft with built-in optical targeting systems are now able to set the targeting point in the sky while in 3rd person view.
  
• A bug has been fixed where it was difficult to zoom out in the sight when stabilised on target as an ATGM gunner, and while moving the sight in third person view.

• A bug has been fixed that caused huge circles and graphic artefacts.
  
• A bug has been fixed that allowed several messages in battle chat without delay (report).

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.