The Chinese aviation research tree will receive the outstanding JH-7A jet-bomber, which features advanced avionics and excellent ordnance capabilities, enough to strike fear into any enemy it encounters!


Features:

• High speed!
  
• Large selection of secondary weapons.
  
• Laser-guided bombs.

Coming to War Thunder as part of the “Kings of Battle” major update, the JH-7A will be a Chinese top-of-the-line jet fighter-bomber that features weapons to use in air and ground battles. Let’s take a closer look at the details!




Originally designed to replace the aging fleet of Q-5 of aircraft, the JH-7A was designed as a versatile fighter-bomber, capable of carrying fantastic ordnance options in the form of laser-guided bombs and air-to-air missiles. In-game, the JH-7A will carry the PL-5С short-range air-to-air missile with improved target sensors. To top it all off, the JH-7A will also be able to carry the great all-rounder PL-8 air-to-air missile, which features one of the best overloads and is one of the best performing missiles in the game!




One factor of the JH-7A modernization program was to increase the number of weapon hardpoints and to introduce a new type of weapon system. Thus, in addition to bombs, unguided rockets and air-to-air missiles, the JH-7A can also carry LS500J and the heaviest in the Chinese lineup, the LS1000J laser-guided bomb thanks to the addition of a targeting pod. To make aiming with bombs and unguided rockets easier, the JH-7A also has a very useful ballistic computer.






This outstanding jet fighter-bomber will arrive to the game in the Chinese aviation tree as part of the “Kings of Battle” major update. Until then, keep a look out for other dev blogs, enjoy your matches and see you soon!

An incredible jet strike-aircraft with the largest payload weight in the game arrives in War Thunder as part of the “Kings of Battle” major update!


Features:

• Enormous payload!
  
• High speed!
  
• Radar.
  
• Guided missiles.
  
• Flares.
  
• Variable-sweep wing.

The F-111A Aardvark is an American bomber that will become the new king of bombing in War Thunder when the “Kings of Battle” major update is released. This fantastic aircraft features an excellent top speed, large caliber countermeasures, a radar and RWR, missiles, a ballistic computer and most importantly a HUGE payload of bombs and rockets. Let’s dive into the details!


To start off, the F-111A was not an attack aircraft from the outset. Originally, it was intended to serve as a nuclear-armed supersonic strategic bomber, but combat in Vietnam forced U.S. Army officials to reconsider the Aardvark’s role on the battlefield. Therefore, the Aardvark was equipped with avionics for the use of guided weapons, which complement the already vast electronic equipment that this aircraft has. In addition to traditional unguided weapons, the Aardvark can also use AGM-12B Bullpup air-to-ground missiles and AIM-9B air-to-air missiles!




However, the role of a high precision bomber is still not the main speciality of the F-111A — this aircraft will provide you with the most heavy-duty bomb carrier in the game. The Aardvark can carry 26 x 750 lb and 50 x 500 lb bombs, as well as Snakeye bombs into battle! The amazing thing is that if you equip all weapon hardpoints with Mighty Mouse rockets, the total number of rockets that can be carried is 456. This is record breaking in War Thunder!


Surprisingly, with such a huge payload weight and with the weight of the aircraft itself, the Aardvark still has good flight characteristics. This is thanks to a pair of powerful turbofan engines with afterburning capability, plus its variable swept swing design allowing it to fly at supersonic speeds near to the ground. At altitude with a minimal load, the Aardvark can reach and exceed speeds of 2400 km/h (about 1490 mph)! It’s worth noting however that in its bomb carrier configuration and when all hardpoints are fully loaded up, the Aardvark’s swept swings cannot change by more than 28 degrees — as a result, you shouldn’t expect to be breaking speed records in this configuration.





Such a large payload and good flight performance is complemented by advanced electronic protective systems. This includes a radar for detecting aerial targets, a RWR and countermeasure pods for large-caliber flares and chaff. In addition to this, the Aardvark does not have built-in forward firing guns — instead you’ll be able to equip a 20 mm Vulcan cannon in a special compartment in the bomb bay.

In your matches: Pro-tips when using the F-111A by Alexander, Aircraft Game Designer:
“A good aircraft suitable for almost any task. A full load of bombs limits its speed and wing sweep, so you’ll have to think what is more important, speed or the number of bombs/missiles. I wouldn't engage in a dogfight with it; it's better to cautiously stay on the sidelines and carry out a ground attack instead. However, if it does come down to a one on one, then you have a cannon and some air-to-air missiles to use — you can surprise the enemy by controlling the swept wings and dropping ordnance beforehand, as weight won’t be your ally in this scenario!”

Sounds exciting? The F-111A Aardvark will come to the game at Rank VII in the USA aviation research tree as part of the “Kings of Battle” major update! That’s all for now, continue to follow the news on our website for more dev blogs, and until then, enjoy your matches and see you soon!

This Soviet experimental missile tank featuring a 125mm gun-launcher is coming to War Thunder as part of the upcoming “Kings of Battle” major update!


Features:

• Anti-Tank Guided Missiles!
  
• Very low profile (these images are not cropped)!
  
• Very slow reverse speed.
  
• 2 man crew.

With the upcoming “Kings of Battle” major update the Object 775 will be added as a missile-firing capable tank, coming to the USSR’s research tree at Rank VI. This tank certainly has many advantages and some… “short”comings in terms of its appearance, which is both ridiculous and quirky — let’s see what this tank has to offer!

The Object 775 was born as one of the variants of a promising Soviet medium tank that could fire anti-tank guided missiles. Receiving the Rubin anti-tank missile, this tank could fire these directly from the barrel. In the game, these missiles are quite effective, although they are not the be-all and end-all. This ATGM can penetrate up to 500 mm of armor, which is generally enough to defeat almost any tank with regular homogeneous armor. However, the warhead of this missile is not tandem, which therefore means any ERA protection may be difficult to penetrate with this missile.





If you’re wondering — no, our art team didn’t accidentally crop the images in this dev blog to funny proportions. With that being said, the Object 775 is quite wide and noticeably has a remarkably low profile which does give it an advantage, similarly to Soviet ATGM tanks like the Shturm-S. However, unlike this vehicle the Object 775 has a turret, which is the only place where the crew are located. Coming onto this topic, it’s interesting to note that this tank’s crew is only two people, a commander and a driver. Between them is a drum-type automatic loader for 7 ATGMs, which provides an excellent rate of fire.




The Object 775 is surprisingly well protected for an ATGM carrier. The upper and lower frontal parts of the hull converge at a large angle, and the very flat rounded turret will allow you to ricochet enemy shells. The Object 775’s armor has a combination of hardened steel and composite materials, plus some aluminum. The reverse speed is only a measly 5 km/h, and another disadvantage is the lack of thermals, although the regular old NVD is still on this tank.






In the “Kings of Battle” major update, the Object 775 ATGM carrier will arrive at Rank VI in the USSR ground forces tree. Until then, keep an eye on our website for other interesting additions to this update that we’ll be revealing to you soon. Until that though, enjoy your matches!

We’d like to present an assortment of goods that will be available for Warbonds that are earned in the Battle Pass! As usual, we have decals, decorations, camouflages, a new stylish pinup, and six premium vehicles!

Pay special attention to the Swedish Sherman III/IV tank — this steel monster boasts impressive armor for its rank, making it able to hold off plenty of attacks and lead the offensive against enemy capture points!


Open “Shop” → “Warbond shop” to see an assortment where some of the more interesting items can be seen.



Coming in as a British Coastal Fleet boat of rank II, the MGB-75 boasts a powerful 40 mm automatic cannon, 2 20 mm Oerlikon cannons and Lewis machine guns. A formidable boat to be reckoned with!


The H-81A-2 is an export variant of the American P-40 for China at rank II. Possessing good speed and able to maneuver well, the H-81A-2 has 2 .12.7 mm guns and 4 machine guns, plus the ability to carry a 500 lb bomb.


The Pz.III N is a German rank II tank coming in as an all-rounder: good mobility, good armor, and fast reloading of multiple types of shells. The Pz.III N makes for a great medium tank overall.


An American rank III Destroyer with decent armor, strong air defense capabilities and powerful and fast-firing cannons! The USS Frank Knox is great for fast and aggressive gameplay. Plus, it’s the first time being in the warbond shop.


The American P-47D-27, in service with the USSR! This Soviet “Jug” has a rather large ammo capacity and 8 12.7 mm guns and a great combination of FAB 500 and 250 bombs. An overall powerful aircraft in multiple roles!



An absolute classic of a tank, the Sherman in Swedish service. Coming in at rank III, the Sherman III/IV possesses a vertical gun stabilzer and a good selection of shells to fire. An overall fun tank to play. Plus, it’s the first time being in the warbond shop.



For this Battle pass Warbond shop, we’ve got decals that are represented in the trophy for decals from the 2018 Warbond shop, as well as the new “Capricorn Zodiac” pinup, which continues the series of themed decals! In addition to this, the camouflage trophy will provide you with decorations, and will surely amuse car enthusiasts. Player profile icons are also here in a trophy and this time include Soviet tankers, plus trophies that contain random camouflages as usual become available as new store levels are unlocked.

A large number of usable items are also available in the store: boosters, universal backups, wagers and orders, test drives of premium vehicles — even talismans are obtainable at the highest levels of the shop!

Check out the full assortment of available Warbond items for the current Battle Pass season and the terms for purchasing them in the game by opening the Battle Pass window or “Shop -> Warbond Shop”!

As we mentioned in the TAN-SAM-1C dev blog, we’d like to talk about photocontrast mode! This means today we’ll be talking in detail about some of the upcoming improvements to IR missile functionality in War Thunder and what this means for IR missile gameplay.

Infrared homing heads are widely used on air-to-air missiles and ground based anti-aircraft missiles. They combine the benefits of using effective missile guidance trajectories, are also cheap and do not irradiate the target with any radiation. On the surface, making the heat source of your enemy the main target for a missile has some key advantages. On the flipside however, it does have some downsides that can be found within the main principle of how a target’s thermal radiation is captured, as the target must emit infrared waves for this to work. The higher the intensity of the radiation, the better. The range at which target lock on and tracking actually works greatly depends on this. In addition to this, a missile going for a heat source can be easily deceived by false sources of infrared radiation, such as flares.



Slower aircraft that have piston and turboprop engines emit a small amount of heat and the radiation from a jet engine is almost invisible from the frontal aspect in many cases. An infrared homing seeker head can detect a target like this at fairly modest distances. The same IR seeker of a MANPADS can capture a small helicopter from a distance of only 2-3 kilometers at most. However at this distance, you’re prone to being shot at quite easily, even by unguided aircraft rockets. Anti-aircraft missiles with an infrared seeker in those particular conditions can often hit a target as it exits from its attack run. However in this case, it relies on someone being there to launch them at this very moment.



These shortcomings with the use of IR seekers as part of military air defense were especially relevant in the 1960s, when the development of IR seekers did not yet make it possible to confidently isolate a useful thermal signal from a target in the forward hemisphere. This is when the idea of using the visible wavelength range for target tracking came about. The Strela-1 was one of the first air defense systems to use a photocontrast homing head for targeting. This made it possible to capture and engage targets on opposing courses and ensure the protection of troops even before the target launched an attack. A photocontrast channel also has its own drawbacks to consider. The target can only be engaged during the day and in clear weather conditions, and the background behind the target must be uniform.



The use of combined dual and triple-band homing heads helps to smoothen out the shortcomings and makes a missile defense system function in all-weather and in day and night conditions. In difficult weather conditions, against low-flying targets and at night, guidance in infrared mode is used, and when launching from a long distance and against weakly emitting targets, photocontrast mode is used. It is also recommended to use photocontrast mode against targets on a collision course when they use countermeasures, to which the photocontrast channel is less sensitive compared to the infrared one. A dual-band seeker of this kind is equipped on the 9M37M missile system of the Strela-10M2, which is already present within the game. The use of an IR channel made this missile all-weather compatible, whilst the photocontrast channel provides the ability to capture a target and fire at it from long ranges, even exceeding the maximum flight range of the missile.

Within War Thunder, the photocontrast channel will be present on missiles that are a successor to the Strela-1 system. Namely the 9M37M missiles of the Strela-10M2 SAM, as well as on the Japanese Type 93 SAM. With the release of the “Kings of Battle” major update, the Type 81C SAM will also benefit from this improvement. In game, you’ll have the ability to switch between three modes: photocontrast, infrared and automatic, which is enabled by default. In automatic mode, the seeker will perform a lock on in the most appropriate mode. However, you must take into account that after launch, it will not be possible to switch between modes. If the target was locked on in photocontrast mode, but evaded by going lower to the ground, then target tracking will fail and the missile will miss its mark.



You can look forward to these improvements and many others in the upcoming major update “Kings of Battle”! Until then, enjoy your matches and see you soon!

The J35A Draken was the first supersonic jet aircraft to enter service in Western Europe. Taking to the skies on October 25th 1955, the J35 was in service between 1960 to 2005, however it did not participate in any real combat.

• The J35A Draken boasts amazing maneuverability, and has no rivals in this area! Being able to reach a high top speed very quickly, the J35A can gain altitude easily as well. This aircraft is also equipped with a radar and can carry 4 x RB24 air-to-air missiles, as well as 12 x m/56D rockets, allowing you to use it in air and ground battles!

In the “Kings of Battle” major update, we’ll be introducing a new location for ground battles: Flanders! This location is special — it’ll be the first in the game where the landscape adapts to the era of vehicles that are participating in the battle. Let’s dive into the details!




Flanders is a brand new location for ground battles, which is set in the beautiful landscapes of coastal France on the border with Belgium. Amongst the tulip fields, windmills and against the backdrop of an old town, a wide line of defense is in place, bristled with barbed wire and a complex set of trenches and fortifications. The southern part of the map has many artillery bomb craters — where the southern team begins their offensive. The northern team is located on the outskirts of an urban area, and in the center of the map, an armored train is stuck on the tracks in a destroyed train station.




The highlight of Flanders is its adaptive environment, which changes depending on the rank of the battle. If you’re using classics of the mid-20th century, horse-drawn carriages are located throughout the streets of the town, and among the trenches lies the wreckage of a fallen airship. In battles with more modern vehicles, you’ll see towns that have turned into cozy tourist centers, and the fallen airship replaced with a crashed modern transport aircraft.




Flanders will be part of the map rotation for ground battles with the release of the “Kings of Battle” major update. Share your thoughts about this location itself with its new concept of an adaptive environment, as we’ll be reading your feedback on it. Until then, enjoy your matches and see you soon!

We’re inviting you to celebrate War Thunder’s 11th Anniversary with a whole series of Esport tournaments! Our best modern aircraft pilots and seasoned tankers will come together to show their skills and compete live for your entertainment.


During the 4 weekends of the Anniversary Tournament, you'll be able to obtain a whole variety of our new Esport items.

FOLLOW

October 28-29, November 4-5 from 15:15 until 22:00 UTC





Viewers of the Air Superiority tournament can receive:

• F-16C “Golden Sun”
  
• Barak II “Lightning Storm”
  
• Yak-141 “Bumblebee”
  
• “Esport Megaphone” decoration.
  

November 11-12, 18-19 15:15 until 22:00 UTC






Viewers of the Fire-Front 5v5 tournament can receive:

• Tornado IDS ASSTA1 “Fliegonodrom”
  
• MiG-29SMT “Quick Response”
  
• F-16AJ “Hanagasumi”
  
• AH-64D “Fire Starter”

Watch these tournaments and receive Twitch Drops exclusively on the English, German, French or Russian Official War Thunder Esport Channels!


To stay up to date with all of the War Thunder Esports news and events, join our Discord community! Starting from today, we’re giving away the following War Thunder Premium Bundles there:

• Su-39-Pack
  
• K9-VIDAR-Pack
  
• F-4S Phantom II Pack
  
• M1 KVT Pack
  
• Kfir Canard Pack

If you think you’re skilled enough to compete with elite War Thunder players, you can try your best by applying for the tournaments here!

See and apply for tournaments

We have 9 celebratory tournaments for you to take part in. The prize fund is over 300,000 Golden Eagles, a variety of bundles and vehicle coupons, including the legendary E100, Esport camouflages, decals and unique titles.

• How to participate in the TSS tournaments?

“War Thunder 11th Anniversary — Esport” decal


M24 Chaffee "Fliegonodrom" Camouflage


P-51 Mustang "Fliegonodrom" Camouflage

The M109 is an American Cold War era SPH, developed during the early 1950s as a replacement for outdated postwar designs. The anticipated M109 will arrive to War Thunder as part of the upcoming “Kings of Battle” major update!


Features:

• Powerful 155 mm howitzer!
  
• Good mobility.
  
• High-caliber machine gun.
  
• Light protection.
  
• Low rate of fire.

Coming to War Thunder as part of the major update “Kings of Battle”, the M109 will reinforce the mid ranks of not just the American but also other nations’ ground forces trees as a truly powerful new addition! Representing the first advanced SPH design for some of the trees it will appear in, the M109 not only sports devastating firepower, but also offers you decent mobility, thus making it a highly versatile predator in your battles. Let’s dive into the details!


Representing the upgraded version of the original howitzer, the M901A1’s cannon features a higher muzzle velocity, thus making target acquisition a much easier process. Unaffected by this is the cannon’s sheer destructive power. Firing heavy 43.1 kg shells, containing 6.86 kg of TNT results in the immediate obliteration of any lightly armored vehicle. For more heavily armored targets, you’ll need to aim more precisely — a task for which the aforementioned cannon’s excellent ballistic properties should come in handy for.




In addition to the cannon, the M109 also comes fitted with a .50 cal machine gun (except for the German variant, which has a standard MG3 machine gun) on the commander’s hatch which can both serve as a rangefinding method but more importantly, will also help to protect you against enemy aircraft!




Speaking of protection, the M109 is only lightly protected as is commonplace for vehicles of this type. Being encased in 31.7 mm thick sheets of aluminum alloy, the M109 is effectively shielded from machine gun fire and some automatic cannon fire at longer engagement distances, however dedicated anti-tank cannons will have no trouble bypassing it. However, if you’re daring enough, you can still use this SPH as an effective support vehicle by sticking close to allies and helping take out particularly tough targets.

Although it doesn’t look like it at first glance, the M109 is quite a mobile vehicle for its class. Powered by a 405 HP diesel engine, the M109 possesses a power-to-weight ratio of 17 hp/t and is able to reach a top speed of 56 km/h under ideal conditions. As a result, the M109 can quickly shift positions on the battlefield and is able to closely follow its allies as the frontline shifts during a battle, allowing it to shine.

In your matches: Pro-tips when using the M109 by Dmitry Gordeev, Game Designer:
“Finally, large-caliber SPGs have entered the research branches of nations such as the USA, Britain, Germany, Italy and Israel, and their players will be able to gain a new and unusual experience. The 155mm HE shell has very destructive power, but at the same time requires an accurate hit in the vulnerable zone of an armored enemy. It’s best to aim at the roof of the turret; it’s especially good to do this on maps with developed terrain, when the enemy has not yet come at you to shoot, but has already received a destructive shell into the turret.

Similar SPGs in the game lack an anti-aircraft machine gun, but not the M109s, the good old .50 cal will certainly save you from aircraft, to which you are so vulnerable. At the same time, you can use a projectile with a radio fuse to hunt straight-flying aircraft, but take into account the extremely slow (for “SPAA”) turret rotation and gun elevation speed, use a body turn and try to attack the plane that comes to attack you when there is about 1-1.5 km between you.”

The M109 will soon be arriving to rank IV of the American, British, German, Italian and Israeli ground forces trees with the release of the next major update, “Kings of Battle”! In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye out on the news for what is coming next. Until then, enjoy your matches and see you soon!

There’s a storm brewing! New Zealand’s Strikemaster Mk.88 flies over the jungle, wreaking absolute havoc just like a tropical storm. This jet-powered attack aircraft is the grand prize this season, and is a variant created by British company BAC specifically for New Zealand’s Air Force.

To receive Battle Pass rewards, you’ll need to regularly log into the game and complete tasks and challenges. Each level of the Battle Pass will earn you a prize, be it a player icon, loading screen, title, decals, decorations, or 3 brand new premium vehicles!



As with all Battle Pass seasons, there’s a new set of awards that we’ve lined up for you. See the full list in the Battle Pass tab in the hangar, or check them out on our Wiki. Here’s some key awards for this season, Season 13:

A Premium Torpedo Boat for Britain at Rank III.

A versatile patrol boat with a 40 mm Bofors cannon on the bow as well as 2 x torpedoes, HMS Gay Archer is sure to be a fun addition to Britain’s coastal forces!



A Premium Self-propelled Vehicle for Italy at rank III.

A 90 mm anti-aircraft gun capable of one-shots mounted onto an army truck, similarly to how the Germans did it. Because of this, the Breda 90/53 has one of the best guns at its rank!



A Premium Strike Aircraft for Britain at Rank IV.

A lightweight, compact jet attack aircraft that is ideal in the CAS role. Despite its small size, the Strikemaster Mk.88 can still pack a punch as it carries a good payload of bombs and rockets. Fun!





4 decals!








3 decorations!





Strikemaster pilot





The Battle Pass is a seasonal event where players can earn many rewards, from Silver Lions and boosters to exclusive season prizes: decorations, profile icons and premium vehicles. The rules are simple: you earn progress points and use them to unlock new stages, earning valuable prizes in the process.

You can unlock new stages and receive awards at any time during the season.


You can access the “Battle Pass” window through the promo block on the right side of the hangar screen.

Play

• You get progress points every day for entering the game.
  
• From 1 to 5 points.

Complete Battle Tasks

• You can check your Battle Tasks in the game. Complete them and receive progress points.
  
• From 2 to 5 points.

Complete Season Challenges

• One Challenge is available at the start of the season. Every week you get a new one, while three more can become available by unlocking stages.
  
• 30 points.

Learn more about the Battle Pass