The Panavia Tornado is arriving soon as the new rank VIII strike aircraft in three gaming nations with the next major War Thunder update!

Features:

• Variable sweep wing
  
• Large payload
  
• Advanced weapons
  
• Supersonic

In War Thunder, the Tornado IDS (or GR.1 in service with the RAF) will be the new top strike aircraft awaiting veteran pilots at rank VIII of the British, German and Italian aviation trees following the release of the next major update, Apex Predators. Featuring variable geometry wings and supersonic capabilities, the Tornado might be a strike aircraft by designation but thanks to its incredible versatility, it can certainly get a lot more done than that! Let’s get to know the famous ‘Tonka’ a bit better, shall we?




The Tornado IDS joins the club of aircraft in War Thunder outfitted with variable geometry wings, also called ‘swing winged’ aircraft. Like other aircraft outfitted with this feature, the Tornado can boast its optimal aerodynamics both during subsonic and supersonic flight, thus ensuring excellent handling characteristics at all speeds. Furthermore, the Tornado can easily achieve supersonic flight thanks to its two purpose-built Turbo-Union turbofan engines. As a result, the aircraft can achieve a top speed of around 1,400 km/h at ground level while at higher altitudes the Tornado can accelerate even over 2,300 km/h (Mach 2.2). Thanks to such impressive flight characteristics, the Tornado can quickly get in and out of trouble and also escape pursuing aircraft.

Speaking of combat scenarios, we mentioned earlier that the Tornado is an extremely versatile aircraft, but how exactly? Apart from its excellent flight characteristics that bring it on par with some interceptors and fighters, it's also due to its lethal weapons arsenal. Upon obtaining the aircraft, pilots will have access to a pair of 27mm cannons with 180 rounds of ammunition available per gun. Now while these guns are certainly useful for strafing ground targets and blasting enemy pilots out of the sky during intense dogfights, they alone don’t define the Tornado’s arsenal.




What does however, make the Tornado’s armament stand out is its selection of suspended ordnance options. These range from later models of the AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missile over laser-guided bombs to more conventional freefall bombs of various calibres. Such a diverse arsenal allows the Tornado to not only inflict great damage to hostile ground troops but it can almost immediately switch to combat air patrol duties and provide air cover for its allies once the strike weapons have been expended.



The various modifications of the Tornado IDS will be making their way to the top rank of the British, German and Italian aviation trees with the arrival of the next major War Thunder update, Apex Predators. In the meantime, make sure to keep scanning the horizon for more news as we continue unveiling what else the upcoming update has in store for our players. Until then, clear skies and happy hunting pilots!

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Your screenshots submitted last week were explosive! Many of your screenshots looked like they came from the movies! The three most popular and three selected by us will get 300 GE. See the winners down below!


Create a stunning screenshot and submit it on the War Thunder Steam Community Hub with the tag #WTscreen45. You have time until 16.12.2022 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 - Sands of Time!

• Through recorded history, many battles have been fought on the beaches and in the deserts around the globe. War Thunder has many beaches and deserts, too! Do you have artistic screenshots from them you’d like to share? We would love to see them!
  
• You must add the #WTscreen45 tag (without other text).

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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 14 working days.

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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2897151058
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2897212220
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2896778429

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2898776489
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2897233769
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2897373309

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

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