The history of American aviation goes back to the beginning of the 20th century, but the U.S. Air Force became an independent branch of the Armed Forces only after World War II — on September 18th, 1947. Air Force Day was established the same year — but it was celebrated only for a couple years, because in 1949, Armed Forces Day was established that united the celebrations of all branches of the U.S. military.

• Bostwick’s Р-47М-1-RE feels best at high altitudes: it retains great maneuverability, climbs quickly and can carry a wide selection of suspended weaponry in addition to its eight Browning machine guns.
  
• Wetmore’s P-51D-10 is a versatile fighter that specializes in boom ‘n’ zoom attacks. It carries a lot of ammunition for its six machine guns — tear your enemies apart without fear of running out!

To celebrate, we’ve also got a special decal to commemorate this day.


“US Air Forces Day” decal

• You must use a minimum of rank III.
  
• Your activity must not be below 70%.

Additional details:

• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, [Assault] mode and Helicopter PVE battles.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → US Air Force Birthday.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the Customisation menu.

You shared wonderful screenshots with us last week! We loved seeing your vehicles in the day, and in the dim moonlight. 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 #WTscreen85. You have time until 22.09.2023 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.

• Your screenshot must include a vehicle with an armament of 13mm or less!
  
• You must add the #WTscreen85 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=3034094208
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2943404542
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3034534872

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3034205638
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3033648391
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3033225060

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

The He 115 is a German twin-engined seaplane, developed by Heinkel in the mid 1930s, which saw widespread use during operations in WWII. Soon, the He 115 will arrive in one of its later modifications to the early ranks of the German aviation tree as part of the next major update “Sons of Attila”!

Briefly: A late modification of a twin-engine German seaplane design, sporting a formidable weapons arsenal for an aircraft of its class.


Features:

• 15mm cannon.
  
• Versatile ordnance.
  
• Low speed.

Arriving in the upcoming “Sons of Attila” major update, the He 115 will be added to the German aviation tree in one of its later variants: the C-1 modification. Let’s take a closer look as to what this modification has to offer!

Being a seaplane, the He 115 is equipped with a pair of BMW 132K radial engines, producing 960 HP each. As a result, the He 115’s robust engines are less susceptible to damage and can withstand more combat damage before failing, but due to their mediocre power output and the aircraft’s relatively high weight, the He 115 C-1 can only reach a top speed of around 310 km/h at low altitudes.




Naturally, the He 115’s low top speed makes it vulnerable to interception from much faster and more agile fighters. To counter this however, the He 115 is fitted with a pair of defensive machine guns, with one being mounted in the nose turret, and another on the dorsal position. This modification of the He 115 also comes with an additional trick up its sleeve. Namely, engineers fitted the aircraft with a pair of fixed machine guns, mounted on the rear ends of the engine nacelles. While it may prove difficult to score an aerial victory with them, these machine guns may just be enough to catch enemies off guard and make them break off the pursuit!

Did you know? During testing, the He 115 set a total of eight world records for seaplanes during its closed circuit tests of 1,000 and 2,000 kilometres respectively.

So what about the He 115 C-1’s offensive capabilities then? Unlike the original variant of this aircraft, this later modification is fitted with a deadly 15mm MG 151 cannon, mounted on the underside of its nose, capable of shredding light enemy aircraft to pieces with just a few well placed shots. Furthermore, surface targets also won’t remain spared by the He 115. In fact, the aircraft can carry a couple of 250 kg conventional or incendiary bombs or a single 500 kg bomb, as well as a torpedo for naval targets.



The He 115 C-1 will soon be making its way to the German aircraft research tree in the upcoming “Sons of Attila” major update! Also, an early version of this aircraft, designated T-2, will also be added to the Swedish aircraft research tree as well. In the meantime, be sure to follow the news for the latest information regarding the upcoming update. Until then, clear skies and happy hunting pilots!

On September 15th, 1940, the decisive ‘Battle of Britain’ took place over the skies of England, with the defenders being victorious. After this defeat, Germany reconsidered its plans for an invasion and instead began nightly bombings of the defiant island nation of Graet Britain.




To celebrate the major victory on the 15th of September 1940, Yannis Plagis’ Spitfire LF Mk.IXc and James Prendergast’s Spitfire FR Mk.XIVe are temporarily available to purchase for Golden Eagles.

When: From September 15th (12:00 GMT) until September 18th (12:00 GMT).

• Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk IXc is the perfect all-around fighter aircraft in and around rank IV. This Spitfire variant has a fantastic climb rate, capable of reaching high altitudes before any enemy presence is felt. With excellent maneuverability, this Spitfire certainly packs the punch against any other aircraft at this rank.
  
• Prendergast’s Spitfire FR Mk.XIVe is great at boom ‘n’ zoom attacks, thanks to its ability to rapidly climb, and impressive speed!

To celebrate, we’ve also got a special decal to commemorate this day.


“Battle for Britain” decal

When: From September 15th (12:00 GMT) until September 18th (12:00 GMT).
Task: Win 3 battles using British aircraft to receive the “Battle for Britain” decal.

• You must use a minimum of rank III.
  
• Your activity must not be below 70%.

Additional details:

• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, [Assault] mode and Helicopter PVE battles.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Battle of Britain Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Holidays” tab in the Customisation menu.

The YP-38, a prototype of the American heavy two engine fighter Lockheed P-38 Lightning, took to the skies for the first time on September 17th, 1940. The P-38 was the only aircraft that was mass produced in the US throughout the entire World War II. It was actively used as a fighter on the Pacific Theatre, and also did a lot of reconnaissance over Europe.


When: From September 15th (11:00 GMT) until September 18th (11:00 GMT).

About the aircraft

• Thanks to its good climb rate, the YP-38 is best suited for boom ‘n’ zoom attacks, and its 37 mm frontal cannon can demolish a wing or a fuselage of an enemy aircraft in a single hit!

A special version of the already well-known Leclerc MBT! The AZUR variant is fitted for urban combat environments, and will be coming to the French ground forces tree at the end of the Leclerc MBT line in the Sons of Attila major update!


Features:

• ERA protection on the hull sides.
  
• Shaped charge protection around the engine compartment.
  
• Roof-mounted 7.62 machine gun.

In the upcoming “Sons of Atilla” major update, the imposing Leclerc AZUR tank will be at the top of the MBT line in the French ground research tree. What does this vehicle have to offer? Just like the recently announced Leopard 2 PSO for Germany, the AZUR was developed specifically for urban combat. Let’s dive into the details!




Urban combat involves close-range engagements with the use of anti-tank missiles that are used by infantry. Therefore, tanks that fight in these areas must have adequate protection from enemy infantry at close ranges as well as good visibility in tight areas. Based on these requirements, the AZUR kit for the Leclerc was developed. Comparing it to the S2 version that you may already be familiar with, the Leclerc AZUR receives additional protection on the side of the hull in the form of ERA blocks, and cage armor to protect the rear mounted engine from shaped charge ammunition. In addition to that, there is a handy little 7.62 mm remote-controlled machine gun on the roof turret!




The addition of this extra protection means that you’ll have an increase in defense against shaped charged rounds, such as HEAT-FS. Aside from that, the Leclerc AZUR still retains its powerful main advantages — good protection at the front and sides of the turret, good mobility and an accurate and powerful 120 mm gun with an autoloader. And that’s not all — the ammunition that can be carried is also the same as the already formidable Leclercs, which includes HEAT-FS as well as two APFSDS rounds. The best round has a base penetration value of over 570 mm!




This notable addition of the Leclerc AZUR will be waiting for you in the French ground research tree, and will arrive very soon as part of the upcoming “Sons of Attila” major update. Until then, enjoy your matches and see you soon!

Today, we’re going to tell you about the work that we have been doing to improve Radar Warning Receivers (RWR)! These improvements will come to the game very soon in the next major update, “Sons of Attila”!

Radar Warning Receivers are an important part of aircraft that are located in the higher ranks of planes and helicopters. We’ve collected a lot of feedback from you, as well as suggestions and wishes in regards to RWR, and as a result we’ve undertaken a vast amount of work to drastically improve this part of the game.

In general terms, the improvement of RWR (Radar Warning Receiver) was aimed at effectively replicating the functionality of various individual RWR systems. In Realistic and Simulator modes, RWRs now have detectable frequency ranges, while some older RWRs lost the ability to distinguish tracking mode from simple illumination; some RWRs no longer differentiate between pulse-Doppler and pulse radar signals.

Depending on the RWR model, targets are identified in a different way, depending on signal types and carrier types, up to full identification of the radar carrier based on database information. The most advanced RWRs are even capable of detecting launches of missiles with semi-active warheads, as well as anti-aircraft missiles in "silent" mode, i.e., with a SAM's radar turned off, based on the radio commands sent to the missile en route to the target.

Now, let's go into a bit more detail!

Important note! — All of these current lists and operating particulars are not final, and all may be expanded and further clarified in the near future.

For each RWR model in the game, we have set up an actual range of operating frequencies. Therefore, the success of detecting radar emissions is now dependent on whether the frequency range of the RWR overlaps with the radar's operating frequency. It's very easy to find out the radar's working frequency range — they are displayed in X-ray mode in the hangar when you hover the cursor over the pilot figure. This aspect of the RWR's frequency range is only relevant in RB and SB modes; in AB mode, all RWRs are still capable of detecting all emission frequencies from all radars. Below you will find a list of radar warning stations and examples of aircraft on which they are used, indicating the working frequency ranges. For convenience, we will be using Western frequency range classification (bands).




SPO-2 (Su-7B): I-band
SPO-10 (MiG-21SMT): H-J bands
SPO-15 (MiG-29): G-I bands
Detecteur (Mirage IIIE): I-J band
f95 (Saab A32): I-band
APP-27 (AJ37): E-J bands
APP-73 (JA37): I-J bands
AN/APR-25 (F-4C), AN/APR-36 (A-4E): E, G, I bands
AN/ALR-45 (F-14A): E-J bands
AN/ALR-46 (F-4E): E-J bands
AN/ALQ-73 (F-104S ASA): I-J bands
AN/ALR-56M (F-16A): E-J bands
AN/ALR-67 (F-14B), AN/ALR-69 (A-10A): C-J bands
ARI 18241-1 (Tornado ADV): C-J bands
AN/APR-39 (AH-64A/D): C-M bands


Some older warning stations will now be unable to detect the target tracking mode of the radar. The target will be constantly displayed on the indicator but will no longer feature a dashed line or a special continuous audio signal. For more modern RWRs, the active tracking mode will still be indicated by a dashed line from the center of the indicator to the source of the emission, with a “TRACK” message appearing above the indicator.



List of stations that have lost the ability to detect tracking mode:

SPO-2 (Su-7B)
SPO Mirage IIIE
f95 (Saab A32)
APP-73 (JA37)
AN/APR-25 (F-4C)
AN/APR-36 (A-4E)
AN/ALR-45 (F-14A)


Depending on the generation, some stations don’t have the ability to detect pulse-Doppler signals. Now, in Simulator mode, a number of older RWRs have also lost the ability to detect pulse-Doppler signals. In Realistic and Arcade modes, stations will not be able to directly identify such radars but will still be able to detect them.




A pilot is warned about the pulse-Doppler signal and its direction.

Here is a list of such stations:

SPO-2 (Su-7B)
SPO-10 (MiG-21SMT)
SPO Mirage IIIE
f95 (Saab A32)
AN/APR-25 (F-4C)
AN/APR-36 (A-4E)
AN/ALR-45 (F-14A)
AN/ALQ-73 (F-104S ASA).




Simple Radar Warning Receivers previously only provided the direction to the signal source each time it was detected. A marker would appear upon signal detection and soon disappear. For more advanced stations, such as the AN/ALR-46 (F-4E), AN/ALR-56M (F-16A), AN/ALR-67 (F-14B), ARI 18241-1 (Tornado ADV) and AN/APR-39 (AH-64A/D), we recreated tracking for each source and its relative movement on the indicator, with the marker constantly present on the display. When a new target is detected, its marker will be circled.


In reality, some RWRs can, to some extent, identify radar carriers. This capability also depends on the generation and the specific model. For example, older models were completely devoid of identification capability. More modern RWRs through lamp indicators, allowed the opportunity to approximately identify different types of targets, although in situations where multiple targets were involved, it was very difficult to understand precisely which target was identified and in which direction. Finally, the most advanced RWRs can identify targets directly on the indicator. The pilot gets a complete picture of the battlefield, and to avoid overlapping markers in tight arrangements, they blink alternately. It should also be noted that two nearby radars in this case can be identified as one. In the game, depending on the RWR model, targets are identified differently: from signal types and carrier types to identifying specific carriers, for example:

AI (Air-to-Air) - Fighter
PD (Pulse Doppler) - Pulse Doppler Radars
A/D (Air Defense) - Air Defense System
SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) - SAM System
AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery) - Anti-Aircraft Artillery

SPO-2 (Su-7B), SPO-10 (MiG-21SMT), f95 (Saab A32).

AN/APR-25 (F-4C), AN/APR-36 (A-4E), AN/ALR-45 (F-14A), SPO-15 (MiG-29), APP-27 (AJ37), APP-73 (JA37), Detecteur (Mirage IIIE).

AN/ALR-46 (F-4E), AN/ALR-56M (F-16A), AN/ALR-67 (F-14B), ARI 18241-1 (Tornado ADV), AN/APR-39 (AH-64A/D).


Some RWRs can detect the activation of target illumination channels when a target is locked by radar and illuminated by continuous-wave or pulse-doppler signal for missiles with a semi-active radar seeker. RWRs can also detect radio command transmission for semi-automatic Surface-to-Air missiles like Roland variants, and "Volna," "Tor," "Tunguska" SAMs. Even if the Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) System operates in radio silence mode, meaning it tracks the target using optics and does not activate tracking radar, the RWR can detect commands sent to the anti-aircraft missile. RWR can also detect emissions from missile active radar seekers like the AIM-54. In the game, on aircraft with such advanced RWRs, pilots will see a blinking dashed line from the center in the direction of the radiation source with the text "LAUNCH" displayed above the indicator.


The F-16C is locked on by the MiG-29 radar.


The F-14A detects searching radar of enemy SPA.


The pilot is aware of an enemy Pantsir-S1 searching radar that is operating nearby.


The following can only detect the launch of the S-125, or the "Volna" SAM from the destroyer Bravy.

AN/APR-25 (F-4C)
AN/APR-36 (A-4E)
AN/ALR-45 (F-14A)

The SPO-15 model present on the MiG-29, can detect illumination for radar-guided missiles, such as those used by the F-4, MiG-29, F-16 and F-104 variants.

The following can detect illumination for radar-guided missiles, in addition to Roland SAMs of all variants, as well as "Volna," "Tor" and "Tunguska" missiles.

AN/ALR-46 (F-4E)
AN/ALR-56M (F-16A)
AN/ALR-67 (F-14B)
ARI 18241-1 (Tornado ADV)
AN/APR-39 (AH-64A/D)

The Super Etendard is a fast and maneuverable aircraft that can be configured for all types of combat: ground strikes as well as air combat. This interesting aircraft will appear in the French research tree in the upcoming “Sons of Atilla” major update!


Features:

• High-thrust, but non afterburning engine.
  
• Good maneuverability.
  
• Targeting system.
  
• Great arsenal.

The Super Etendard is an excellent new attack aircraft for France, featuring guided weapons which are an immensely useful addition! This aircraft is a modified version of the popular Etendard IVM, which you may be familiar with, and will appear in the upcoming “Sons of Attila” major update. Let’s see what else it has to offer!




Developed as a modern carrier-based attack aircraft, the Super Etendard received some major improvements: these include a new radar as well as precision weapons. Thanks to the addition of the SNECMA ATAR 8K50 Power Plant, as well as having a low take-off weight, the Super Etendard is rather powerful, and therefore will become one of the fastest and most dynamic aircraft with a non-afterburning engine when it arrives in the game! Better yet, with its well-designed airframe, the Super Etendard is capable of withstanding very high speeds.




Diving into the main differences between the standard Etendard and the new Super Etendard, which is its expanded armament capability. Thanks to the addition of a targeting pod, the Super Etendard can use up to 4 x GBU-12 Paveway II bombs. In light of that, dropping these bombs from long distances is easy, thanks to the targeting pod’s excellent zoom and laser guidance. Moving onto air-to-air combat capability: instead of AIM-9B missiles, the Super Etendard features the Matra R550 Magic 1 missile, which you may be familiar with from the Mirage series: they are maneuverable and are excellent at short-range air combat encounters! In addition to that, the arsenal of unguided weapons — rockets and bombs — are controlled by a ballistic computer. Unlike the previous Etendard version, the Super Etendard can also carry countermeasures, having more than 200 in total. Besides that, the same guns remain in the form of 2 x 30 mm DEFA 552A cannons, which have no problem destroying lightly armored vehicles, but on the other hand, only have 125 rounds per gun.



The dynamic and easy to handle Super Etendard will be waiting for you in the French research tree in the upcoming “Sons of Attila major update. The update is coming soon, so keep an eye on the news!

Your screenshots were very nice! We enjoyed seeing your most favorite vehicles in the game. 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 #WTscreen84. You have time until 15.09.2023 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.

• Your screenshot must include a player vehicle and either the sun or the moon!
  
• You must add the #WTscreen84 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=3030085352
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3030166487
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3029811318

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3030543794
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3029533107
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3031599431

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

The MiG-29SMT multi-role jet fighter will arrive at the top of the line in the Soviet research tree. This highly advanced combat aircraft will appear in the next major update, “Sons of Attila”!


Features:

• Excellent performance.
  
• Advanced air-to-air missiles.
  
• Voice informer.
  
• Lacks thermal vision.

The new top of the line jet in the Soviet aviation research tree will please pilots with its advanced avionics, great missiles for air combat, and excellent flying capabilities. In the “Sons of Attila” major update, the MiG-29SMT will also be one of the first aircraft to feature a voice informer, known as “Rita”! Let’s take a look at the details.




The MiG-29SMT will certainly be a formidable force to fight with and against, as its capability in air and ground battles is superb. This variant does not have a separate sighting system for launching air-to-surface guided weapons, but does offer two new types of weaponry. These are the KAB-500Kr-E bombs, which have a television seeker that operate on the 'fire and forget' principle, as well as the Kh-29TD rockets that have a launch range of 35 km! Alongside this, you’ll be able to take traditional bombs, parachute retarded bombs, or incendiary bombs, as well as small, medium, S-8 and S-130 rockets into battle. Unguided weapons on the MiG-29SMT will be easy to use, thanks to markers from the ballistic computer, which precisely indicates where to release. Having said this, the MiG-29SMT lacks a thermal imager, which does make its CAS potential in ground battles a little lackluster comparatively.




However, the main purpose of the MiG-29SMT is: aerial combat! The maximum speed of this aircraft is about Mach 2, combined with a great climb rate and impressive maneuverability, making this a remarkable plane to fly. The air-to-air missiles on the MiG-29SMT are capable of being used at medium and beyond-visual ranges. Therefore, compared to the regular MiG-29 the R-60M is not available, but in its place is the formidable R-73. In addition, the MiG-29SMT can carry the R-27T, R-27R, R-27ER and also the R-27ET, which has a lock range in all aspect of 4.8km and a speed of 5.8 M. At gunfighting ranges, the MiG-29SMT also comes equipped with a GSh-30-1 30 mm cannon.



The MiG-29SMT will appear in War Thunder, very soon — as part of the “Sons of Attila” major update! That’s all for now, be sure to follow the rest of our dev blogs, where we’ll be showing more cool additions in the next update!