4th generation Soviet MiG-29 (type 9-13) jet fighter arrives in War Thunder as one of the first rank VIII aircraft.

Features:

• Very high speed and climb rate
  
• Free supersonic maneuvers
  
• Advanced air-to-air missiles
  
• Limited fuel

The requirements for a 4th generation fighter were developed in the USSR in 1971. According to them, the Mikoyan Design Bureau came up with a project for a light front-line fighter to provide optimal flight characteristics for modern dogfights. The power plant of the fighter was a pair of double bypass turbojet engines with afterburners, which increased the survivability of the MiG-29 in case of failure or damage to one of them. Also, twin engines easily provided the necessary thrust-to-weight ratio. The construction of the first experimental MiG-29 was completed by August 1977, and on October 6 the aircraft took off to the skies for the first flight. One of the main issues of the first serial MiG-29 was considered its insufficient fuel capacity. The second serial version of the fighter, designated “9-13” received a distinctive hump behind the cockpit, where an overhead fuel tank was supposed to be installed. Soon, however, it was decided to fill this volume with jamming equipment, and use suspended fuel tanks to solve the fuel issue. The MiG-29 (9-13) mass produced since 1986. The only foreign operator of the MiG-29 (9-13) was North Korea, whose Air Forces received several dozen Fulcrums in 1989.




The MiG-29 (9-13) Fulcrum will be one of the first rank VIII fighters in War Thunder, which will appear in the game with the release of the Apex Predators update. This is a fast, twin-engine 4th generation interceptor fighter, capable of dogfighting at supersonic speeds and equipped with an excellent arsenal of air-to-air missiles.

Compared to the light F-16A, the Soviet fighter is much heavier and does not have a zooming throttle response, but offers a slightly better climb rate and maximum speed. As a result, the Fulcrum goes supersonic a little longer, but is able to maneuver almost freely at speeds of about Mach 1 without losing much energy. At high altitudes the MiG is able to keep high speeds of over Mach 2 and patrol the “upper floor”, controlling almost the entire battlefield.




According to its concept, the MiG-29 was designed primarily as an interceptor, but it is still able to provide air support to ground troops with conventional ordnance, such as heavy S-24B rockets, S-8KO rocket pods, incendiary and HE bombs. However, the main weapon choice of the Fulcrum is air-to-air missiles! In addition to the familiar short range R-60М missiles, the twin-tail MiG also receives new R-27T and R-27R missiles. These models are improved versions of the R-24 series in terms of the G-tolerance. The R-27T with a passive IR homing seeker has a very good jamming immunity, and the R-27R semi-active radar-homing missile has a radio correction of the inertial navigation system.



As in the case with other rank VIII fighters, we recommend you to pay special attention to the pilot training of the g-forces tolerance. A well-trained pilot will not lose control of the fighter and will allow you to fully enjoy the MiG-29 in supersonic dogfights.

The excellent MiG-29 and F-16A, as well as other rank VIII fighters, new ground and air vehicles, new locations, and many improvements and fixes are almost ready to deploy to War Thunder in the upcoming Apex Predators update! Stay tuned to the news!

This is the “Crocodile” you all imagine it to be when you hear the name “Mi-24”. A development of the Mi-24A modification with glazed cockpit and the noticeably more powerful cannon armament in the nose turret.

Four-barreled 12.7 mm machine gun in the nose turret, increased survivability of the crew and 14 presets of external armament for every taste: bombs, rockets, anti-tank weapons, 23mm cannons in various combinations. And it all flies.

Mi-24D was taken off the market in 2019 but today the moderately chubby Crocodile will return to your hangars for Golden Eagles. And will bring with it a named decal.

Read more on our Wiki.

Note! Decal will be given out upon purchase of the Mi-24D and to all owners of this vehicle who purchased it earlier.


“Approved by WT Wiki" decal - unique for each new vehicle in our reviews.

The F-16A Fighting Falcon jet fighter comes as a pioneer of the rank VIII aviation in the game. The ultimate vulture rises up to the War Thunder skies in the upcoming Apex Predators update!

Features:

• Great climb rate and throttle response
  
• G-tolerance of up to 9-10G
  
• Advanced avionics and fire control systems
  
• Arsenal of guided and unguided weapons

Two projects from Northrop and General Dynamics reached the final of the LWF (LightWeight Fighter) competition to create a new light fighter for the US Air Force. In January 1975, the winner of the competition was the YF-16, developed by General Dynamics. Intense testing continued after the launch of the F-16A fighter into series, and was completed only in 1978. The new generation fighter was designed for Mach 2 speeds and was able to perform maneuvers at 9G overloads, which was even higher than the requirements declared in the competition. The F-16A took her full-scale baptism of fire in service with the Israeli Air Force over Lebanon in the early 80s. The jet fighters were also used against ground targets during Operation Desert Storm. Consistently improving, the F-16A fighters are being produced and modernized to this day. In addition to the United States, a number of foreign countries have become operators of the F-16A Fighting Falcon fighters, including Belgium, Israel, Pakistan, Italy, Indonesia and others. Fighters are produced both domestically and under license.




In the upcoming War Thunder update Apex Predators, the supersonic F-16A Fighting Falcon will become one of the first rank VIII aircraft in the game. In various modifications, F-16A fighters will be the new top tiers of the USA, Israel and China.

The key differences of the 4th generation fighters are the double bypass engines with an afterburner and the ability to operate at high G-loads. The F-16A has an excellent climb rate (about 305 m/s with minimal payload) and can climb almost vertically immediately after take off. The jet fighter easily breaks the sonic barrier and at the same time preserves excellent controllability and roll speed, allowing the pilot to perform all basic combat maneuvers. These qualities make the F-16A truly deadly opponent in aerial duels and allow the fighter to evade most missiles.




In addition to excellent flight characteristics, the F-16A boasts very solid ordnance for various combat scenarios. The fighter can be used as a pure interceptor by equipping up to 6 Sidewinder missiles, including the most maneuverable all-aspect AIM-9L. Surprisingly, the light and compact F-16A easily turns into a bomb strafer. The release of 19x500 lb bombs, incendiary bombs and unguided rockets is controlled by a ballistic computer, which makes it easy to attack any ground target in any game mode. However, in mixed battles the “fire and forget” air-to-surface weapons will be the best option. F-16A wields up to four 2,000 lb GBU-8 gliding bombs or up to 6 devastating AGM-65B Maverick missiles. These can operate from high altitudes and at high speeds, leaving the F-16A room to maneuver and defend.



Well, a new king of the sky comes to the game! Will someone dare to challenge this title from the venerable Fighting Falcon? We'll tell you very soon in our Devblog series. See you soon, stay alert!

• A bug that could lead to FPS dropping to 0, freezes and lag in aircraft SB and helicopter PvE has been fixed (report 1, report 2).
  
• ZA-35 — A bug where after switching on and off the radar animation of the antenna rotation caused it to become twitchy has been fixed.
  
• Correct lateral acceleration for the R-530F and Aspide-1A, which means 20G and 25G respectively.

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.

Prepare yourself for the arrival of Apex Predators!

Pre-order new store packs with Premium aircraft of rank VII with unique bonuses!


The export version of the MiG-21bis is one of the top performers in War Thunder in terms of max speed and climb rate. In addition to amazing speed, in combat the MiG relies on top rated missiles and an onboard defense system that includes a radar warning unit and flare/chaff pods. The version with the Lazur-M targeting system commissioned in 1975 was in service with the air defense forces of East Germany. As a pre-order bonus, players will receive a unique Czech Air Force camouflage with a splinter pattern.



The Italian F-104S Starfighter is a compact, agile and fast jet fighter with a rocket-like climb rate and deadly weapons for both dogfights and ground strikes. The Premium F-104S-TAF is an export version of the aircraft for the Turkish Air Force, intended primarily for close air support. Exceptionally high speed and good maneuverability make it possible to deliver lightning-fast missile and bomb strikes at tree-top heights, avoiding AA fire. To deal with enemy aircraft, the F-104S-TAF can equip AIM-9B and AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles.



Kfir Canard jet fighters are upgraded early series Kfir fighters equipped with small canards installed on the nose and engine intakes. In 1985, 25 of these aircraft were leased by the US Navy and US Marine Corps as Soviet MiG-23 simulators. Being in service with the US Navy, Israeli fighters received the designation F-21A Lion. Premium Kfir Canard fighter-bombers provide air support to ground units, delivering huge payloads of bombs and rockets at very high speeds. Flare/chaff pods and second-generation AIM-9D and AIM-9G missiles will help the aircraft protect itself from air threats.

Upgraded T-80U MBT with a hard-kill active protection system will be the main tank prize of the upcoming special winter event!

Features:

• Drozd hard-kill APS
  
• Decent armor-piercing rounds
  
• Good max speed
  
• Lacks thermal vision

The T-80UM-2 was one of the prototypes created under the upgrade program of the T-80U tanks, which were produced by the Omsk Transport Engineering Plant. The T-80UM-2 was equipped with the Drozd hard-kill active protection system. After a dynamic demonstration in 1997 of the only T-80UM-2 built, the vehicle did not go into further series.



The main prize of the upcoming winter event for War Thunder tankers will be the Soviet experimental main battle tank T-80UM-2 with the Drozd hard-kill active protection system. The very high combat characteristics of the nimble Soviet top-tier MBT are complemented by an ability of destroying guided anti-tank missiles on approach! Neat!

The T-80UM-2 is a modified T-80U main battle tank already familiar to the weathered commanders of Russian armored vehicles. An oft picked vehicle for high-ranking battles in War Thunder, this tank is distinguished by high speed and mobility, has an automatic loader, capable of firing ATGMs directly from the gun, and is armed with a punchy AP round capable of penetrating over 500 mm armor at all firing distances. In addition, the T-80U is quite well protected, especially at the front, where multilayer combined armor are supplemented by the ERA modules. All these advantages are raised by the T-80UM-2 that offers additional hard-kill APS protection.



The Drozd active protection system is also known to the players in the T-55AMD-1 tank. Unlike the Iron Fist system of the British Challenger Black Knight tank, the Russian Drozd only protects the front of the tank’s turret, albeit in a rather wide sector. On the other hand, the Russian APS has twice as many shots as the British. The Drozd is effective against anti-tank guided missiles, which are the main weapon of the light ATGM carriers and helicopters. With some probability, the hard-kill APS is also able to counteract HEAT rounds at the end of the trajectory, but it still remains powerless against kinetic rounds.



A fly in the ointment is the lack of thermal vision devices in the crew sights. Since the tank was built as a prototype, the old fire control system remained from the original T-80U. In night battles, the T-80UM-2 relies on night vision devices and an IR searchlight.

The T-80UM-2 will become a rank VII event vehicle of the Soviet tech tree, which will go to the most stubborn participants of the special winter event in War Thunder. We will soon announce more information about other prizes and rules of the event here, in the Development Diaries series. Stay tuned friends!

https://steamcommunity.com/games/236390/announcements/detail/6897856842228274708

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.





Tankers used to feel safe behind heavy armour. And how surprised they were when shrapnel from a shell that had not penetrated the armour penetrated the interior compartments of the vehicle! What on earth was that?

This is a bug for sure. Shells hitting the tank’s hull at sharp angles sent their shrapnel inside ignoring the armour. You’ve noticed that and passed it to us in many reports about this issue and now we are reporting back that we have solved it.. Heavy armour is ready to protect you once again!





In many aviation missions, players face AI controlled anti-aircraft guns: these can be air defence of ships or anti-aircraft guns protecting vehicle convoys or other ground targets. And sometimes an unpleasant situation happens: you are flying over the ship and a second later your aircraft is already critically damaged - the air defence hit the target.

It is quite frustrating when it isn’t another player that shoots you down, but an AI that is shooting without a miss. So now the remote fuses of the AI controlled anti-aircraft guns will be less accurate and hit less often. However, less often doesn’t mean never, so don’t be cheeky. And explosions that you will hear when approaching the target will let you know that you are in the danger zone.

Please notice that airfields are not affected by this change, so they are still dangerous!





Helicopters have ballistic calculators for missiles and cannons. While the missile calculator is fine, the cannons had a problem: the “Cannon ballistic sight” indicator was turned off by default because it belonged to the offensive weaponry. However, switching it off had no effect on the turret ballistic calculator which was always active.

You will no longer be bothered by incorrect indicators: the problem has been fixed!





In air SB and helicopter battles the reward system where players will be rewarded not for each individual action but for the amount of mission points earned in the calculated period. This reward system was introduced last July and you can read a description of it on our forum. This system originally applied to SL and not RP. After seeing over the time that this system worked well we decided to apply it to RP as well which allows us to solve several notable problems.

The first issue was that in longer EC sessions the 30 minutes booster burnt out before the calculation of the received RP at the end of the mission. Now RP will be calculated for each time interval and the booster effect will be correctly applied to them.

The second problem is the unfair use of the mechanics to get RP for the entire mission with active play in short intervals and long periods of inactivity. The calculation of RP at the end of the mission in the game was made on the basis of earned mission points (activity) and the total lifetime of the player in the battle, which was actively used by some players of the EC mode - in a short period of time they scored enough mission points and then didn’t fight in the battle but simply took place of the potential active player in it and worsen the game experience for the enemy. This often destroyed and insulted allies who tried to play actively as this would lead to quicker mission win which is disadvantageous to such dishonest players. The new RP system demotivates such behaviour.

The reward system of useful actions will be used in game modes without explicitly fighting between two teams, so the difference in the RP earned by winning and losing in aircraft SB and helicopter battles has been removed. In helicopter battles which are pure PvE modes a correction was originally made in the calculation of the RP earned by 100% of the player’s team wins, so in this mode the changes will be purely in the calculation multipliers and will not affect the final value.

New rules for RP accrual in aircraft SB have also been added to the mechanics of the delayed airfield landing reward, similar to SL. You will now receive 80% of the calculated amount of both SL (as before) and RP for 15 minute intervals and the remaining 20% for successfully returning to the airfield.



You’ll find the full list of improvements in the separate changelog - there are many interesting things there. We have fixed a control loss over UAVs when returning to ground vehicle control, restored the correct operation of the game on old Nvidia GPU, capturing mode in the ATGM gunner view no longer reset after exiting it and the vignette no longer blocks the view when switching to the aiming camera.



For this digest we have prepared a large set of useful fixes and game improvements. Be sure to read the full list below - there are many interesting things.

Once again, many thanks for all your bug reports that you submitted using our special service.

• A bug has been fixed that caused fragment damage on internal modules of a vehicle from a shell hit at acute angles even without armour penetration (report, report, report).
  
• A bug has been fixed that disabled collision on a respawned vehicle after complete devastation in Test Drive.
  
• RakJPz 2 (HOT), Shturm-S, Khrizantema-S — a bug has been fixed that shifted the sight, making it impossible to guide an ATGM.
  
• A bug has been fixed where it was unable to control a scout drone after switching to a ground vehicle if drone launch and naval recon aircraft have been assigned to the same button..
  
• ZSU-37-2 — a bug has been fixed that caused the vehicle model to disappear at some viewing angles.
  
• SANTAL, MEPHISTO — a bug has been fixed that caused an underestimated thickness of the bulkhead in the engine compartment (report).
  
• FIM-92 — missile autopilot has been reconfigured, pitch bobbing reduced.

• M.D.452 IIC —a bug has been fixed where bomb pylons remained in a setup without secondary armaments (report).
  
• SM.92 — separate bomb drop has been added for the 250kg and 500kg bombs.
  
• Ka-50 — a bug has been fixed where one missile remained visible on the pylon after all “Vikhr” missiles were depleted (report).
  
• A bug has been fixed that prevented the enabling of the cannon ballistic calculator.
  
• A bug has been fixed that made a vignette to occlude the view while switching to the targeting camera.
  
• AIM-92 — missile autopilot has been reconfigured, pitch bobbing reduced.
  
• A bug has been fixed where a target lock in the ATGM sight was disabled by switching to another view.

• Some incorrect values of naval vessel buoyancy in the damage indicator after rejoining the game session have been fixed.

• The accuracy of the setting of remote detonators for AI controlled air defence on ships and anti-aircraft guns in ground battles and columns of vehicles has been reduced for aviation game modes.This will reduce the amount of sudden fatal damage to a player’s aircraft.

• The mechanism of accruing RP in the system of the rewards for useful actions (already used in air SB and helicopter battles) has been changed. Now RP will be awarded in the same way as SL - for each time interval and not once at the end of the mission. As a result of this change, RP boosters will work correctly and prolonged inactivity in a battle will become unprofitable. The system of rewards for useful actions is used in modes without a clear flight between the two teams, so the difference in SB and helicopter battles has also been removed.
  
• In air SB we have added the mechanics of delayed RP accrual when landing on an airfield that operates similar to the SL mechanics. Now, 15 minute intervals will be given 80% of the calculated reward and the remaining 20% after successful return and landing on the airfield.
  
• A bug that caused artefacts on textures on an older Nvidia GPU after the release of the “Fire and Ice” update 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.

A mere month ago War Thunder turned 10 years old. We hope you participated in the festivities with us and we are also happy to announce another part of our celebration: a special batch of merchandise to commemorate this important date!



We’ve got T-shirts, hoodies, bags and mugs decorated with special artwork commemorating the 10th anniversary of War Thunder! T-shirts, hoodies and mugs come in two colors: pick whichever you like! Our T-shirts are made of high-quality, breathable fabric with Velcro panels sewn onto the shoulders, where you can attach Velcro backed patches.

Our merchandise is delivered to most countries around the world. Check it out:

To the merch store

The SUB-I-II is one of four prototypes of what would eventually become the Type 73 APC in service with the JSDF from 1973. Coming to War Thunder as part of the next major update, Japanese tankers may look forward to the arrival of a specific version of this prototype, featuring a 20mm turret that didn’t make it into the production variant!

Briefly: A prototype version of the Japanese Type 73 APC, outfitted with an experimental 20 mm roof-mounted turret.

Features:

• Fast-firing 20mm cannon
  
• Decent mobility
  
• Light protection
  
• Amphibious

In War Thunder, the SUB-I-II will be a new SPAAG arriving in rank IV of the Japanese ground forces tree as part of the next major update. Being the experimental version of the same chassis of the Type 75 MLRS already familiar to some seasoned tankers in War Thunder, the SUB-I-II exchanged its access to a rocket launcher for a much more practical fast-firing 20mm autocannon. Sounds interesting enough? Then keep on reading for more details!




As previously mentioned, the SUB-I-II represents a prototype of the Type 73 APC, which in turn serves as a basis for the Type 75 MLRS. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to tank commanders that both vehicles share nearly identical characteristics in regards to mobility and protection for example. As a result, the SUB-I-II is fairly mobile and can conquer even harsher terrain due to its low weight but as this comes at the expense of rather light protection, this means that the vehicle isn’t particularly well-suited for close-quarter brawls and head-on engagements with the enemy.




On the other hand, what makes the SUB-I-II stand out from its close relatives is its Rh 202 20mm autocannon, mounted on top of the vehicle. Being a weapon familiar to many tankers from high rank battles, the cannon can be used both against light ground targets as well as aircraft to almost the same devastating effect. However, even with dedicated armor-piercing ammunition loaded, aspiring commanders of the SUB-I-II must still bear in mind that this is only a 20mm cannon, meaning that it may not be effective against more heavily armored opponents without turning the engagement into a point blank shootout.



In short, the SUB-I-II will not only expand the roster of available Japanese ground vehicles at its rank in general, but it will also give seasoned tank commanders access to a highly versatile combat vehicle, capable of assisting its allies by scouting out enemy positions and engaging suitable targets from the flanks while also capturing strategic points along the way and defending them from potential air attack.

The SUB-I-II will soon make an appearance in tanker’s hangars as it arrives in War Thunder as part of the next major update. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to the news to catch all the latest developments surrounding the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting tankers!