All-weather multipurpose VTOL jet fighter Yak-141 will be the pinnacle of the Yakovlev fighter family in the Soviet tech tree with the upcoming “Sky Guardians” update!

Features:

• Supersonic
  
• Deadly air-to-air missiles
  
• VTOL capability
  
• Advanced electronics
  
• Lacks air-to-surface guided munitions

An experimental carrier-based multi-purpose V/STOL aircraft has been developed at the Yakovlev Design Bureau since the mid-1970s. The aircraft was designed as an advanced carrier-based aircraft to replace the Yak-38 with performance characteristics close to light fighters from the 4th generation. This jet fighter should become the standard carrier-based aircraft of the Soviet aircraft carriers, including carrier cruisers being designed and under construction. During development, the project has undergone many iterations, including fundamental changes in the aerodynamic schemes. Due to multiple issues and delays in the development of a power plant, the Yak-141 made its maiden flight only in March 1987, and deck tests on the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft-carrying cruiser began only at the end of 1991. Due to the economic crisis and lack of funding, the project was closed. The aircraft also did not arouse commercial interest among potential foreign operators. In total, four prototypes of the Yak-141 were built, including two flight ones, which are on display in two museums near Moscow.



The new Soviet carrier-based multi-role jet fighter Yak-141 (NATO reporting name “Freestyle”) , which will appear in the War Thunder “Sky Guardians” update, will become the most advanced V/STOL carrier-based aircraft of the USSR tech tree and the pinnacle of Yakovlev aircraft in the game. Vertical takeoff and landing, speed of about Mach 1.7, excellent air-to-air missiles and good ground attack capabilities are the main features of the new aircraft! And now a little more details.

VTOL aircraft are quite widely known in the game and are mastered by a large audience of pro pilots who find more and more new tactics due to the unique ability of changing the thrust vector. The common problem of such aircraft is the relatively low maximum speed, which at their ranks does not allow full-fledged competition with light and almost twice as fast opponents. Well, here comes the Yak-141! Possessing an excellent climb rate, this jump jet very quickly breaks the sonic barrier, and at high altitude is able to speed up over 1,800 km/h at minimal payloads. Add to this very sensitive controls, satisfying roll and turn speeds, a radar and a RWS… a winning formula for an interceptor, no?



But a top-tier interceptor cannot be good without effective missiles. Again, the Yak-141 is locked and loaded! The R-60 missiles for close combat and the R-27 family of medium-range missiles in three versions: the radar-guided R-27R, the thermal R-27T, as well as one of the best in the game R-27ER missiles are at your service. It's pleasant that there are four suspension points for air-to-air missiles, so the pilot can combine missiles of different ranges and different target acquisition principles. The GSh-30-1 rapid-firing cannon with a modest 120 rounds of ammunition will help in the snap-shoot face offs.

Since the Yak-141 was also supposed to provide fire support to the troops from the air, a rather high payload of conventional armaments could be suspended on the wings, from incendiary and HE bombs up to 500 kg, gun pods, to a variety of unguided rockets, including heavy S-24B . But there are no air-to-surface guided armaments here, so it is still better to choose the Yak-38 for hunting tanks in a hover.



The cockpits of the brand new Yak-141s will wide open their canopies for their pilots with the release of the “Sky Guardians” update very soon. Keep an eye on the Devblog series for the most interesting news about the patch. See you in the War Thunder skies!

Duguay-Trouin is the lead ship of her class of light cruisers built for the French navy in the years following the end of World War I. Being not only the first capital ship built by France in the postwar period, Duguay-Trouin will also be one of the first French vessels to arrive in War Thunder as part of the “Sky Guardians” major update!

Features:

• Powerful primary armament
  
• Excellent mobility
  
• Versatile secondary weapons
  
• Very light protection

In War Thunder, Duguay-Trouin will be one the first French bluewater vessels, available for early pre-order. Considered a cutting-edge warship for its time, striking a perfect combination of mobility and firepower, Duguay-Trouin will not only offer its aspiring captains a unique set of capabilities but also a sneak peak at the French naval forces, due to arrive in a future update!

Fun Fact: Upon commissioning, ships of the Duguay-Trouin class were the first cruisers in the world to feature a linearly distributed primary battery housed in superfiring turrets.

Despite being an early ‘treaty cruiser’, Duguay-Trouin can boast a rather formidable weapons arsenal, particularly highlighted by its four twin 6.1’’ (155 mm) turrets forming the primary battery. Arriving to War Thunder in its late WWII-era refit means that Duguay-Trouin will also pack an equally respectable number of secondary weapons. For instance, the ship comes fitted with four 75 mm dual purpose guns as well as up to six 40 mm Bofors and 20 20 mm Oerlikon cannons!



However, Duguay-Trouin is not only a very well armed light cruiser, it’s also an extremely agile one at that too! Being powered by four steam turbines, generating a combined power output of 102,000 horsepower, Duguay-Trouin is able to reach an excellent top speed of 33 kts (61 km/h). Shedding protection can be considered Duguay-Trouin’s achilles heel as the ship’s protection may as well be viewed as only symbolic. With only up to 30 mm of armor plating shielding some of the ship’s most vital components, Duguay-Trouin is vulnerable to even direct destroyer fire at everything but extreme engagement distances. As a result, aspiring commanders of this warship simply cannot afford to take any unnecessary risks and expose their ship to overwhelming enemy fire. Instead, a more sensible tactic would be to assist your allies in the advance and provide accurate fire support to sink hostile ships or down inbound enemy aircraft which dare to fly too close.



The light cruiser Duguay-Trouin is available as part of the early access pack for the open testing of the French navy in War Thunder, which we have planned for one of the updates following the “Sky Guardians”. The early access pack will also give you special pre-order bonuses, which are available only before the start of the OBT, and will also allow you to train several crews in vehicle slots so that when testing begins, you will have skilled sailors and officers! As a reminder, like the destroyer Aigle, the light cruiser Duguay-Trouin will have three respawns in the Arcade and Realistic battles before testing the French fleet begins.

• A bug has been fixed where zooming in the sniper sight might shift the crosshair.

• Harrier GR.7, Q-5 — a bug has been fixed where there might occur intersection of the player’s camera and the TIALD pod view (report).

• 100 sec delay before decreasing the team victory points has been revoked for cases when enemy players have no available respawns. This applied for all gaming modes, except for Enduring Confrontation and Assault mode.
  
• We have received multiple reports on players in Realistic aircraft battles, who stay on the airfield and try to earn experience by taking off and landing over and over again. Now, the take off reward can only be achieved once in 3 minutes. Let’s play fair and respect others.
  
• A bug has been fixed with the different bleed time of team points for a player outnumbered by an enemy team, or when in the vehicle respawn menu.
  
• A bug has been fixed where enemy artillery had no markers in air Assault mode.

• When completing a Battle Pass challenge, you will now see in the debriefing window the “Challenges” button for easily getting your reward.

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.

The export version of the F-16A jet-fighter designed for Japan Air Self-Defense Force comes as the first 4th gen aircraft in the Japanese tech tree.

Features:

• Superior flight characteristics
  
• AIM-7F Sparrow air-to-air missiles
  
• Multirole capabilities

In the “Sky Guardians” War Thunder update, Japan is getting a new top-tier 4th generation jet fighter, an export version of the magnificent F-16A, one of the best aircraft in the game. In service with the Japanese tech tree, the F-16AJ is capable of equipping the Sparrow missiles, which the Block 10 versions do not have, as well as air-to-surface armament , which is not available on the F-16A ADF interceptor modification.

First of all, we would like to be clear on the reasons for adding the F-16AJ to the game, whilst there are massive suggestions from players to add the Mitsubishi F-2 fighter-bomber to the Japanese tech tree. Indeed, the F-2, which is a 4++ generation aircraft, will appear in the game along with comparable aircraft from other nations. However, at the moment, adding the F-2 to the game is not possible due to its significant superiority in the quality of radar equipment and far more advanced air-to-air missiles. At the same time, to date, Japan remained the only gaming nation lacking a 4th generation aircraft. Therefore, when choosing between forcing Japanese aviation enthusiasts to wait for the Viper Zero a few major updates, or giving Japan a 4th generation aircraft now, we chose the second option. We hope you support our decision!




So, the F-16AJ is the cover-boy of the promo brochures, an elegant modern fighter with its own unique camouflage. The aircraft merges the advantages of all modifications of the F-16A series in War Thunder. In addition to late modifications of short-range Sidewinder missiles, the Japanese F-16AJ is capable of carrying AIM-7F Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missiles into battle. At the same time, the F-16AJ is ready for any fire mission on the ground - from 4 x 2,000 bombs for wiping bases in air battles, to rocket pods and AGM-65B Maverick missiles for crack-opening any type of armored vehicles in mixed battles.




The F-16AJ is undoubtedly one of the best aircraft in War Thunder. The new Japanese bird of prey will be waiting for her pilots in the next major game update. Stay tuned for the news to be the first to know about other news! See you soon!

A detailed description of the current task as well as your overall progress can be found by clicking on your nickname → Achievements → Pages of History

A British aircraft designer that created 24 aircraft, including the fastest seaplanes of the era: for his work on them he was awarded the CBE. When he was only 38, he led the development of the Supermarine Spitfire, which became a legend and a symbol of the Royal Air Force during World War II.

You can immediately purchase the profile icon for Golden Eagles until April 3rd, 11:30 GMT without completing tasks. Click Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History (March).

Completion of each individual task will bring you a 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 of premium account;
  
• A random camouflage for ground vehicles (out of the selection of camouflages currently obtainable in game for completing tasks, or purchasing with Golden Eagles).

• Tasks are available from 11:00 GMT until 11:30 GMT on the final day of each task.
  
• Tasks can be completed in random battles, except for “Assault” mode.

In early March of 1943 Japan undertook a risky operation to relocate some of its troops from Rabaul to Lae in Papua New Guinea. The Allies have decrypted the Japanese messages and created a plan to intercept the convoy. On March 2nd through to the 4th, the combined air forces of the USA and Australia bombed the Japanese ships, destroying most of them.

On March 5th, 1936, the Supermarine Spitfire took its maiden flight. It was one of the most iconic aircraft of WWII. During the Battle for Britain Spitfires weren't as numerous as Hurricanes, but were evenly matched against the German Bf 109. Afterwards Spitfires were widely used in the European, Mediterranean, and Pacific theatres.

On March 9th, 1944, the Red Army began an offensive to encircle the Wehrmacht's forces under Pskov and liberate the city. They were met with fierce resistance, and only managed to push the front line back 13 km; Pskov wasn't retaken until late July.

In mid March of 1945, the American and French forces were storming well-defended fortifications in West Germany. In 16 days of the Operation the Allies managed to get from Saarbrücken to Karlsruhe, capturing the entire west bank of the Rhine.

On March 16th, 1945, the strategic offensive to capture the capital of Austria by Soviet and Bulgarian forces began. It took three weeks to get to Vienna and another week of urban warfare: the offensive ended with Soviet victory, and over 100,000 German soldiers were captured.

After the Six Days War of 1967, the Palestine Liberation Organization led by Yasser Arafat retreated from the West Bank to the East Bank of the Jordan river into the Jordanian town of Karameh, and continued attacks on Israel from there. On March 21st, 1968, the Israeli Army retaliated, destroying the town and pushing PLO forces further back into Jordan. The Israeli took heavier than expected losses due to the involvement of Jordanian Army that took PLO's side in the conflict. As a result, both sides claimed victory.

On March 23rd, 1943 a battle began near the town of El Guettar, Tunisia. After beating the Americans at the Kasserine Pass, the Axis forces expected another easy victory over inexperienced enemies. But, whilst German tanks were halted by a minefield, they were showered with fire from artillery and tank destroyers, suffering major losses. Still, as the Allies went into counteroffensive mode, they were met with the same countermeasures. The battle ended in a stalemate.

On March 27th to 29th, 1941, Italian and British navies battled near Cape Matapan in Southern Greece. The British, having deciphered the Italian naval code, knew beforehand of the enemy's numbers, trained in advance for night combat, and took the foes by surprise. As a result the Italian navy suffered a crushing defeat, having not recovered from it until the end of the war.

The Pantsir-1S surface-to-air missile and artillery system capable of tracking and killing several air targets comes as a new top-tier SPAAG for the Soviets.

Features:

• Missiles and automatic cannons
  
• Able to attack up to 4 targets simultaneously
  
• Huge munition load
  
• Very high profile
  
• Poor protection

The 96K6 Pantsir-S1 will appear in War Thunder with the release of the upcoming major update and will become the new top Soviet anti-aircraft vehicle. Being unique in its combat capabilities, the Pantsir combines a mid-range detection radar, 12 effective surface-to-air missiles and rapid-fire 30-mm cannons with HE and AP belts. The real “Sky Guardian” is reporting for service!

Not so long ago, the Tor-M1 air defense system was added to the game, which is capable of attacking two targets at once in a small sector. Pantsir-S1 (Russian for “carapace”) is capable of acquiring targets at distances up to 20 km, as well as simultaneously tracking and firing in the 45x45 degree sector up to four targets at the same time! Let's be honest, the scenario of the appearance of four air targets at once in one sight is unlikely for mixed battles in War Thunder, but if such a scenario comes true, you will be prepared! Jokes aside, a well-positioned Pantsir under ideal conditions alone is able to protect the team from, in general, all enemy aircraft approaching from airfields and at almost any altitude. If the pilot slips the launch and does not maneuver, he will meet with the Pantsir missile. The radar very quickly determines the distance to an air target, and missiles can also be guided by the half-lead method, which is handy against aircraft at extreme attack angles.




In addition to missiles, the system includes a pair of twin-barreled 30-mm cannons with an overall rate of fire of up to 5,000 rounds per minute and a huge ammo capacity. The cannons literally tear apart low-flying air targets and are able to hit light armored vehicles and even some tanks.

The Pantsir-1S system is built on a KamAZ 8x8 army heavy truck chassis. The truck moves confidently on paved roads, but off-road causes problems due to the heavy weight of the Pantsir unit and a very long chassis. The vehicle has poor armor of up to 6 mm, and with the radar antenna unfolded, it becomes one of the tallest vehicles in War Thunder. Pantsir-1S can be seen from afar and dies easily from any enemy fire including ordinary machine guns.




Pantsir-1S is undoubtedly one of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems in the game. It will appear in War Thunder with the release of the Sky Guardians major update, which is almost completed by the dev team. The update is coming soon, and the new devblogs will come sooner!

Your screenshots from last week showing the clear, beautiful skies were excellent! We enjoyed seeing the action shots, as well as the serene landscapes! 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 #WTscreen56. You have time until 03.03.2023 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 - Back to the Basics!

• This week, we would love to see screenshots of your vehicles from Rank 1!
  
• You must add the #WTscreen56 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).

[/b]

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.

[/list]




https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935898645
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935928373
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936578159

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936193118
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2935463544
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2936520092

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

The Aigle destroyer sporting deadly cannons and great torpedoes comes as the first French ship to be added to the game in a special early access pack!

Features:

• High-caliber cannons
  
• Good mobility
  
• Punchy torpedoes
  
• Light protection

In War Thunder, Aigle will be among the first French warships arriving in naval battles as part of the next major update. Sporting excellent firepower and mobility, Aigle will not only bring with it another distinct ship design philosophy to naval battles but will also herald the arrival of the remainder of the French naval forces in a future update!




We are pleased to announce an open beta-testing of the French navy scheduled for one of the following updates. Right now you’re able to purchase a special early access pack containing the Aigle destroyer, Premium days, Golden Eagles and guaranteed access to the testing immediately after it starts. Until then you’ll be able to master your French crews in battles. Each early access ship has 3 respawns in Arcade and Realistic modes. So, let’s take a closer look at the Aigle, shall we?

Contrary to destroyers of most other nations, Aigle (French for “Eagle”) features a rather heavy primary arsenal. In fact, being armed with five 138 mm guns forming its main battery brings the Aigle almost on par with some of the earliest cruisers present in the game. However, while the guns will certainly have a good punch to them and offer favorable ballistics, their larger caliber will also result in a slower rate of fire.




On the other hand, captains won’t have to charge into battle relying solely on the ship’s main guns. Further augmenting the arsenal are four single and a pair of twin 37 mm and two twin 13.2 mm turrets. Apart from the direct fire weapons, the ship is also fitted with two triple 550 mm torpedo launchers, each torpedo contains 310 kg of TNT explosives. Overall, Aigle can certainly be considered as a well equipped destroyer, capable of becoming a serious threat even to larger vessel types if given the chance to do so.



Aigle is rather nimble and mobile, but lacks any noticeable protection. As for other destroyers in the game, movement means life for this ship, and a sudden stop or damage to the rudder usually ends in a quick return to the hangar. Move, maneuver and strike enemies with the powerful main battery and torpedoes - that's Aigle's tactics in naval battles.

The Aigle will be your lucky ticket to start exploring the interesting navy of France. Place your order for the Early Access Packs and be among the first captains of France in War Thunder!

The launch of the French Navy OBT is scheduled in one of the next major updates after the release of the “Sky Guardians” update.

A special forces helicopter originating from the commercial model offers mind-blowing agility and a lethal arsenal of weapons!

Features:

• Perfect handling and speed
  
• Thermal vision
  
• Hellfire II missiles
  
• Very vulnerable

AH-6M is a new attack helicopter that will land in the US hangars with the release of the upcoming major update. The mean Little Bird with its perfect handling and excellent armament will definitely become the new favorite of the most skilled War Thunder pilots!

The AH-6M will be one of the lightest and most compact helicopters in the game. With a take-off weight of just over 2 tons, the machine has a very powerful Allison T63-A series engine with a 650 hp thrust. The helicopter smoothly and quickly accelerates to the speed of over 240 km/h, maneuvers perfectly and is able to instantly hide behind trees and buildings or duck in the terrains.




Right out of the box, the pilot will have at their disposal, rifle-caliber “miniguns” and Hydra unguided rockets in 2x19 pods. This weapon is enough to start mastering close-range combat in mixed battles and hone any piloting skill. After several battles, pilots will be able to improve the engine and rotor, research thermal vision devices, high-caliber machine gun pods and small APKWS II missiles that can be used against light targets from distances up to 5 km. The pinnacle of the AH-6M arsenal will be the excellent Hellfire II ATGMs with a tandem warhead, capable of wiping out any tank in the battlefield. Hellfires will allow pilots to try new tactics with flanking an enemy group, hunting for enemy helicopters, and so on. All in all, Little Bird offers a really good variety of combat tactics poured with liters of adrenaline!




The disadvantages of the helicopter are obvious from its design - huge windshield and light weight with no any armor either for the pilots or for the engine and tanks. Researchable body armor might protect the brave crew only from a pair of rifle-caliber bullets. Any burst towards the helicopter from a heavy machine gun or autocannon almost always means a quick return to the hangar.

The AH-6M Little Bird and other amazing new vehicles are waiting for you in the first War Thunder major update of 2023. Follow the news and be the first to know about the most interesting content from the update! Stay tuned!

Prepare yourself for the Sky Guardians!