We’ve seen a lot of topics regarding the armor of the Abrams series of tanks, more specifically the presence of DU (depleted uranium) armor, and so we’d like to share our data on the subject.
Most sources on radiation safety clarify that the only threat to personnel is posed from armor packages in the cheeks of the turret. The M1A2 Abrams in War Thunder has uranium armor in the turret cheeks.


Source: The Medical NBC Battlebook, USACHPPM, 2011.

We’re aware that several experimental vehicles of an unspecified modification of the Abrams were equipped with reinforced DU armor in the hull. However, even though armor was reinforced on these experimental variants, we have no sources that clarify which specific versions of the Abrams these were, and as such can’t confidently state that any of the Abrams versions we have in War Thunder received this specific hull armor reinforcement.


A section from a document describing the use of DU in five machines located in army schools. Source: Nuclear regulatory commission renewal license application for DU armor.

The documents presented in the reports we currently have don’t provide clear evidence of DU armor being present on the M1A2 SEP V1 or M1A2 SEP V2 modifications. A significant increase in mass which would accompany strengthening the armor with high-density fillers is also not observed in the SEP V1 or SEP V2 versions.


Weight changes of different M1 Abrams modifications. Source: An Independent Assessment of the 2040 Battlefield and its Implications for the 5th Generation Combat Vehicle (5GCV), Department of the Army Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, 2023

Additionally, a significant weight increase from such an armor package would lead to overloading the first pair of torsion bars, which already are under an increased load on the M1 series due to the placement of the frontal armor being positioned significantly far towards the front of the hull, as well as the large armored fuel tanks either side of the driver.

The implementation of low-density mass-efficient fillers would inevitably require an increase in size, which is not observed on the serial modifications of the M1 Abrams.


An M1 Abrams series hull armor package demonstration with an additional armor screen that greatly increases the armor’s resistance. Source: "Svenskt pansar igår, idag och imorgon" by Rickard O. Lindström.

Therefore, the lack of reliable information regarding the increase of frontal hull protection in tandem with the lack of observable evidence (such as a significant increase in weight or size), does not allow us to assume that the frontal hull armor was strengthened with DU packages on the versions of the Abrams we have in game.

We’d also like to leave a comment on the sources that players cite as evidence about the use of depleted uranium for the M1A2 SEP.

Боевые машины Уралвагонзавода. Танк Т-72 (Combat vehicles of Uralvagonzavod. Tank T-72)
This book cannot be considered a reliable source, especially for modern Western vehicles. The authors wrote this book shortly after the SEP came into service, the written information is more speculation and guesses on their part. This book also contains errors for the characteristics of Soviet tanks in comparison to other open source data available.

MATERIALS LICENSE from U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Licenses to work with depleted uranium in the hull of the M1 Abrams series of tanks may apply to those experimental vehicles, for example 5 vehicles located at the tank school. These documents do not describe whether there was depleted uranium in a particular modification of the tank.

M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, Owners' Workshop Manual
This publication does not directly indicate that the M1A2 SEP or M1A2 SEP V2 had depleted uranium armor added to the hull. Only general words that the changes achieved on the M1A1SA were implemented on the M1A2 SEP V2. In addition, this source is secondary; other independent secondary sources are also needed.

The Army's Future Combat Systems Program and Alternatives
Only the use of third-generation uranium armor is mentioned, but there’s no confirmation that this armor was located in the body of the M1A2 SEP, and what exactly the “third generation” consisted of.


Main changes with the M1A2 SEP modification. Source: The M1A2: Current and Future Program Plans, US Army Armor Center, 1997

If we consider other projections, possible changes to the armor of the Abrams over its various modifications may not have directly resulted in an increase in the actual protection of the armor itself. These changes could rather have been aimed at increasing the armor filler’s survivability upon impact (which is an element not currently modeled in the game). Because of this, without hard numbers and solid facts confirming a tangible increase in protection, we can’t alter the protection currently offered by the armor on the M1 series.

However, this is not the end of our attention on the Abrams, as we’ll continue to look at all declassified and publicly available information we can regarding its protection — we fully appreciate the discussion. If in the future an increase in protection can be validated and corroborated from available sources, we’ll take action on it.

Thank you to everyone in our community for your attention on this topic and for all of the discussions you’ve brought forward, we hope that this devblog has managed to provide useful information and clarify our outlook on the Abrams currently.

Hello everyone. We’ve noticed that many of you had questions regarding spall liners on tanks and armor in general. To avoid any misunderstandings, we’d like to briefly answer some of these elements below.


We’ll soon be releasing a dev blog on the hull armor for the M1 Abrams series of tanks, where we’ll explain why we believe that hull armor was not reinforced on production vehicles. However, we’re not satisfied with the current effectiveness of all M1 variants with a 120 mm gun, so we’re looking at other ways to improve them.

The first consideration is the addition of a new M829A3 shell which we’ve also seen requests and suggestions for. We’ve discussed this option, but the addition of this shell in comparison with the M829A2 will not enhance the Abrams capability against top-tier vehicles that are equipped with modern armor and built-in ERA systems. We’re still considering the possibility of adding the M829A3 shell, but as a first change, we’re going to increase the rate of fire of first-stage ammo from 6 to 5 seconds per shot on an Ace level crew, which’ll make the Abrams more effective against all opponents. This rate of fire is possible considering the size and weight of most shells for 105 mm guns are comparable to shells for a 120 mm gun. This is due to the fact that the 120 mm cartridge case is partially combustible, while the 105 mm case is metal. For example, a 105 mm shell with an M900 projectile has a length of 1003 mm and a weight of 18.5 kg, and a 120 mm M829A2 has a length of 982 mm and a weight of 20.3 kg.


We always try to bring the characteristics of vehicles presented in the game as close as possible to the documented characteristics of real vehicles. In the case of the protection of the Leopard 2A7V, we rely on information about the Leopard 2 armor package presented at the Swedish tender. We have no reliable evidence that armor enhancements compared to the prototype submitted to the Swedish tender were ever carried out, nor the level to which the armor could have been enhanced if this had been done, so at this time we don’t believe that it’s possible to further enhance the protection of this tank.

As for the difference in protection between the Swedish versions of the Leopard 2 and the German Leopard 2A7V (the Swedish versions have more, which may seem illogical). This is due to the fact that the Swedish versions of these tanks received their own, completely new, reinforced armor package of their own production, both in the hull and and on the turret (which is also confirmed by protection data obtained in tests for the tender).

At the same time, we’d like to note that the current level of protection of the Leopard 2A7V currently is that the majority of the frontal area is protected against any 120-125 mm APFSDS presented in the game. Regarding the slightly lower turret protection than the Leopard 2A6, small differences in durability within ~2~5% do not affect this tank’s protection, and are due to the difference in vehicle geometry. In the near future, we will update the DM for Leopard 2 tanks, therefore correcting any minor discrepancies.

We’d also like to separately note that some players believe that the protection of the Leopard 2A7V presented in the game is based on the “B” package. However, according to the data we have, this is not the case. As you can see from the armor resistance diagrams from the Swedish tender, the mounted package D-2 in combination with package B provides protection of only 45% of the frontal projection from APFSDS with a penetration of 600mm, but in the game a different combination of armor protection packages is presented, providing protection of more than 65% of the frontal projection from threats of this type.


Protection of Leopard 2I (improved), based on B package with an add-on kit of D-2: more than 55% vulnerable to APFSDS with a penetration of 600mm.


Armor map in the game: less than 35% of the projection is vulnerable to APFSDS with a penetration of 600mm.


We’re currently studying and adding spall liners for Ariete tanks. These tanks will receive spall liners in a future update.

As for the Merkava series of tanks, we have information that these tanks do not have spall liners. We’ve studied information from open sources and apart from armored steel, we did not find any other protection on the sides of the Merkava’s fighting compartment.

At the moment we don’t have reliable data from open sources about the precedence of spall liners on the Leclerc series of tanks.


We’re closely monitoring the data and believe that at the moment, there’s no need for an increase to the current Battle Rating threshold for aviation from 12.3 to 12.7. This is because the current efficiency of all new aircraft except the JAS39s is at the level of previously introduced Battle Rating 12.3 aircraft. As for the Gripens, their flight model has been revised, and we’ll monitor their effectiveness after these changes.


We decided not to expand the range of weapons of the Tornado IDS WTD61, since we’re not sure that this aircraft could carry a targeting pod and guided bombs. However, we’re closely monitoring this aircraft’s performance and are ready to make other changes if necessary.


We’re working on your reports on the Challenger 2 series of tanks, and many of these issues have already been fixed. We’ll publish answers to some questions regarding these tanks in the near future. In addition to this, a development blog about the changes to the parameters of Stinger and Mistral MANPADS missiles is planned for release in the very near future, so keep an eye out on the news for that.

Nobody likes cheaters. We’re continuing to actively fight them — and we want to thank those who are actively helping us on this matter. The number of violations identified and banned recently has significantly increased — and with it of course the integrity of all battles!

Over the last month, we’ve blocked 6,818 accounts that were found to be in violation of the rules. Specifically 3.2.3 of the EULA namely in the automation of gameplay (using bots) and cheat software.

For full transparency, we’re publishing the full list of these blocked players. This list will be available for two weeks after the publication of this article.

We recommend that you set a strong password for your account and enable two-step authentication in your profile. This will protect your account from fraudsters. And remember, don’t use forbidden client modifications and never share your account information with anyone!

• Overly bright effects in overcast weather have been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused an aircraft’s landing gear on Karelia while on an airfield to clip into the ground making it not possible to take off has been fixed. (Report)
  
• Challenger 2 — engine smoke (ESS) coming out of the wrong exhausts when using the armor package has been fixed.
  
• JAS39A, JAS39C — a bug where it was possible to use the AIM-9 missile even if the AIM-9 modification was not unlocked has been fixed. (Report)
  
• The XeSS performance improvement setting for discrete Intel cards is now available under Options > Graphics.

• Swedish KSP 58 machine guns now have their own unique firing sound. They previously used sounds from the M1919 Browning.

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.

Coming to the game as part of the Winter Extreme event, the Vilkas is the Lithuanian variant of the Boxer armored fighting vehicle jointly developed by four Western European countries, with Germany the lead.


Features:

• Excellent mobility!
  
• Deadly 30 mm autocannon.
  
• Light protection.
  
• Crewless turret.
  
• Lethal Spike missiles.

The Boxer Vilkas will soon be joining Rank VII of the German ground forces tree as one of its most advanced IFVs which you are able to obtain by taking part in this year’s winter event, Winter Extreme. Eager to find out more about this nimble new wheeled AFV? Then join us as we explore the details below!

Did you know? The name “Vilkas” is Lithuanian which translates to “Wolf”!

If you’re a user of German tanks, you’ll be no stranger to highly nimble and well armed IFVs — the Vilkas however takes this experience to the next level. Fitted with a crewless turret that houses the Bushmaster II 30 mm autocannon — an already familiar weapon from the game — the Vilkas can present itself as a serious threat to both other lightly armored vehicles but also to MBTs thanks to its powerful sub caliber ammunition. Furthermore, the Vilkas also comes equipped with a Spike ATGM launcher, enabling you to quickly engage ground targets with the missile’s fire and forget capabilities!

Interesting: The Boxer features a modular design of its mission compartment. As a result, its configuration can take on many different forms ranging from classical IFV to recovery and training variants.

Being a wheeled vehicle, engineers placed a particularly high emphasis on the Vilkas’ mobility. Equipped with a 720 HP engine, the Vilkas can reach a top speed of 103 km/h on paved roads while its high power-to-weight ratio not only ensures high acceleration but also provides this vehicle with good off-road capabilities. However, these are stretched to their limits when faced with extreme terrain conditions such as deep snow or mud: something to keep in mind when making tactical moves on the battlefield!

Despite featuring composite protection, the Vilkas armor layout remains only effective against high caliber machine gun and autocannon fire at longer engagement distances. Therefore, facing off high-caliber cannons and ATGMs head on isn’t the most suitable tactic to employ the Vilkas for.



The Boxer Vilkas comes to War Thunder as a strong reinforcement to the German top rank light vehicle lineup and is a prize in this year’s winter event, Winter Extreme. Happy hunting!

In War Thunder, we try to add as much details as possible to various types of combat vehicles. Spall liner is a new armored vehicle protection feature that we introduced in the Air Superiority update, which we know is widely discussed on all platforms. We’d like to explain in detail how this mechanic works, and what its capabilities and limitations are.

In the near future, we’ll be making an additional post addressing your concerns with spall liners for MBTs in general.

First up, let’s take a look at what spall liner is in reality. Spall liner is part of the structural protection of an armored combat vehicle, designed to reduce the damaging effect in the main compartment once a tank is penetrated. To do this, liners are attached inside of the main compartment. Material such as fabrics made from aramid fiber are most often used, but other materials are also used occasionally too. These liners help to stop part of the fragmentation flow, reducing the cone of fragment dispersion and therefore reducing the damaging effect caused by armor penetration.

In the game, the effect of a spall liner is implemented as follows: inside the main fighting compartment, directly after the main portion of a tank’s armor, a module is present that imitates spall liner material. These modules have the same size and shape depending on the vehicle and how it is laid out in a vehicle in real life. Taking into account the thickness and resistance coefficient, the current spall liner has a protective equivalent of 2 mm of rolled armor alongside the normal armor amount.



This module also has a structural strength parameter, which is noticeably less strength than the energy caused by a HEAT or APFSDS projectile fired from a tank. Therefore, once penetrated and hit by a powerful projectile, the spall liner is then destroyed.

Secondary fragments from penetration of armor by a HEAT or APFSDS projectile have armor penetration in the range equivalent to 3 to 30 mm of rolled homogeneous armor. This wide spread in variation is due to the simulation of fragments of different sizes and energies formed when armor is penetrated. In the game, a fragmentation stream consists of several groups of fragments with different angles of expansion, having different armor penetration and damage. The more powerful the fragments, the narrower the cone of their dispersion and the smaller their number is. It may seem that there’s an inconsistency here, where the 2 mm of spall liner should not have any effect on the fragmentation flow at all. But if we take into account the fact that when breaking through armor, each fragment also takes into account the angle of contact with the armor, then everything is consistent.



Fragments following a small angle of deviation from a projectile’s trajectory enter the spall liner with a small angle of impact, and the equivalent protection is not enough to stop them. These fragments travel further into the fighting compartment and can damage tank modules and crew. Fragments flying with a large deviation hit the lining at a large angle, so that even a 2 mm equivalent is enough to stop them. Of course, the greater the penetration of a fragment, the fewer such fragments can be stopped by the spall liner, and the amount of fragment spread will be minimally reduced and vice versa. The weaker the fragment, the greater the effect the spall liner has.

The parameters that we set up are made in such a way to slightly reduce the armor effect of powerful APFSDS projectiles and more noticeably affect the damaging effect of HEAT ammo, which coincides with information about real tests of this protection.



We’d like to also clarify that other than adding spall liners, we did not change the damage model settings. The parameters of the fragmentation field (number, range and penetration of fragments) has remained the same as before the update. However, we’ve noticed your feedback about the reduction of fragments after penetration. After checking, we found an error that was discovered in the game code that appeared during the process of refactoring game logic, leading to a decrease in the number of secondary fragments for some weapons. This issue has been found and fixed, and at the moment, the algorithms for fragments after penetration are working as intended.

We’d like to thank you for your feedback surrounding the spall liner and issues with fragment penetration.

As previously announced, today we’re inviting you to help us create an interesting list of features and improvements for War Thunder that you’d like to see.

Below you’ll find a link to a survey where you can submit your ideas for the 2024 Roadmap. The survey will be available until December 25th 07:00 GMT.

After we’ve collected your ideas, we’ll take some time to look at them in detail thoroughly. As soon as we draw up specific plans for the 2024 Roadmap, we’ll announce them in a news article.

Click here for the survey

We’re nearing the end of December now, which means it’s time for gifts, bright decorations, fireworks and generally a jolly festive mood. All of which await you this Christmas and New Year’s period!

You’re invited to plunge into the festive atmosphere in War Thunder this holiday season to enjoy yourself and receive excellent rewards. Take a look below at everything we’ve prepared for you!

Play and meet the criteria to receive each gift.

When: December 20th (11:00 GMT) until January 2nd (11:00 GMT).

We’ve got two special chests lined up for you this festive season: the Christmas Chest that can be purchased for Golden Eagles, and the Snowman for Silver Lions.

When: From December 20th (12:00 GMT) until January 15th (12:00 GMT).

Once opened, there’s a chance to get either a Premium Account, Silver Lions, Universal backups, Boosters, Premium vehicles as well as vehicles that have never been sold for Golden Eagles or War Bonds, and are not currently sold in the game or on the Market.

Christmas Chest terms: open spoiler
[expand type=details]
Christmas Chest purchase price: 999 Golden Eagles
Guaranteed Prize: 1 day premium account + 120000 Silver Lions (total purchase price of 490 Golden Eagles)
Additional Guaranteed Prize:

(1) Talisman for vehicles (15% chance but at least once for every 14 chest openings); breakdown of chance by vehicle rank:

If all vehicles of the dropped rank already have a talisman the player will be refunded fully for the Christmas Chest — 999 GE.

(2) Premium vehicles including unavailable for sale (15% chance but not less than once for every 14 chest openings); breakdown of chances by vehicle ranks:


Unavailable for purchase vehicles presented in the Christmas Chest along with the usual premium vehicles:

• Lightning F.53
  
• F-86F-35
  
• J29D
  
• J35A
  
• YP-38
  
• T-2 Early
  
• MiG-17AS
  
• MiG-21 SPS-K (Germany)
  
• Milan
  
• S.O.4050 Vautour IIN
  
• A-4E (Israel)
  
• SAV 20.12.48
  
• Type 74 (G)
  
• Type 69-IIa
  
• M26E1
  
• UH-1C XM-30
  
• P-61A-11
  
• Bostwick's P-47M-1-RE Thunderbolt
  
• Lanovski's P-47M-1-RE Thunderbolt
  
• Wetmore's P-51D-10 Mustang
  
• USS Cowell
  
• Pz.Sfl.Ic
  
• Panzer IV/70(A)
  
• He 112 B-1/U2 (Germany)
  
• P-47D (Germany)
  
• La-5FN (Germany)
  
• Tempest Mk V (Germany)
  
• Sea Hawk Mk.100
  
• Z20 Karl Galster
  
• T31
  
• T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.)
  
• МК-IX "Valentine" (USSR)
  
• KV-1E
  
• KV-2 (ZiS-6)
  
• IS-2 "Revenge"
  
• Mi-24D (USSR)
  
• Pokryshkin's P-39N-0 (USSR)
  
• Pe-2-205
  
• IL-2M "Avenger"
  
• Golovachev's Yak-9M
  
• Fw 190 D-9 (USSR)
  
• Spitfire Mk IXc (USSR)
  
• MiG-15bis ISH
  
• Stroyny
  
• Neustrashimy
  
• Achilles (65 Rg.)
  
• Boomerang Mk II
  
• D.520 (Great Britain)
  
• Typhoon Mk Ib
  
• Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk IXc
  
• Prendergast's Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
  
• Hunter FGA.9
  
• HMCS Haida
  
• J2M4 Kai
  
• IJN Kiyoshimo
  
• Т-62 №545
  
• T-69 II G
  
• P40 "G.C. Leoncello"
  
• RN Geniere
  
• F-84F IAF (France)

[/expand]

You’re able to purchase the “Snowman” and its “Carrot” to open it. Once opened, there’s a chance to get either unique Decals, Decorations, vehicles and camouflages from past winter events in War Thunder (including in the form of coupons), as well as Silver Lions, Boosters, Universal Backups, a Profile Icon, Aerobatic Smoke and Orders.

The “Carrot” is also obtainable in the Winter Extreme event!

Take part in battles, earn mission score points and receive a variety of cool rewards.

When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until January 9th (11:00 GMT).

Participate in the Winter Extreme event and earn rewards: ranging from Trophies, Decals, “Carrots”, 4 unique vehicles and their respective camouflages, a Player Icon and Decorations. Check it out!

A Rank II Premium for Sweden. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]


A Rank VIII Event Vehicle for France. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]


A Rank VI Event Vehicle for the USA. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]


A Rank VII Event Vehicle for Germany. — [url]Click here to learn more.[/url]


Wanted a vehicle for a while now? Treat yourself to a nice bargain!

When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until December 26th (11:00 GMT).

• 50% off all vehicles in the game*
  
• 50% off talismans, back-ups, and modifications.*
  
• 50% off a Premium account for 90 or 365 days in the game store, and 180 days in the Gaijin.Net online store.

*Discounts apply to vehicles for Silver Lions and Golden Eagles, except those added in the “Air Superiority” and “Kings of Battle” major updates, as well as Squadron Vehicles.



How well do you know War Thunder? Take our special quiz using the link to find out for sure.

When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until December 26th (11:00 GMT).

True experts will be in for a little surprise!

Take the Quiz

We’ll tell you about discounts in the Gaijin.Net store in a separate news article on December 26th.

---

• Challenger 2 (all variants) — jerking when turning with a locked track has been fixed. (Report)
  
• M1A1, M1A1HC, M1A1 Click-Bait, M1A1 AIM, M1A2, M1A2 SEP, M1A2 SEP V2 — rate of fire when using first-stage ammunition has been increased from 10 to 12 rounds per minute.
  
• Leclerc (all variants) — horizontal (from 30 to 40 degrees per second) and vertical (from 36 to 30 degrees per second) guidance speeds have been changed. (Report)

• Mirage 4000 — engine thrust and rate of climb at supersonic speed at altitudes of 6...15 km have been increased.
  
• JAS39 — a bug that caused the fire extinguisher system on this aircraft not to work has been fixed.
  
• BI — a bug that made this aircraft unable to take off has been fixed. (Report)

• PT-812 — a bug that caused freezing when using this boat on MacOS has been fixed.
  
• Pirate flags for ships have been moved to a separate group.

• A bug where radars did not visually change when changing the scale has been fixed.
  
• A bug that could cause the camera angle to reset in simulator battles when showing tooltips has been fixed.

• A bug where Allied aircraft would make howling sounds when rotating the camera on the runway and in spectator mode has been fixed.
  
• A sound layer has been added to the M61 cannon, giving it a characteristic crack and howl at a distance.

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 main aircraft prize of the "Winter Extreme" event is the French Mirage 2000C-S4 jet fighter, featuring excellent acceleration and impressive armament!


Features:

• Superior acceleration characteristics
  
• Effective air-to-air missiles
  
• Good maneuverability at low speeds
  
• Limited countermeasures

This close relative of France's top fighter will be the main air prize of the grand "Winter Extreme" event in War Thunder! Featuring amazing acceleration, very high top speed, effective air-to-air missiles, and nine hardpoints for mounting ordinance, the Mirage 2000C-S4 is truly a worthy prize worth fighting for!



Mirage 2000 fighters are already well known to French pilots. This compact delta wing aircraft is equipped with the excellent SNECMA M53-P2 engine, providing some of the best acceleration in the game! Due to its design, the Mirage 2000 is great at maneuvering at low speeds but tends to lose energy quickly during active maneuvers. However, its powerful engine quickly restores speed, and the Mirage 2000 swiftly transitions from prey back to predator. The Mirage 2000 reaches its top speed at high altitudes, but at low altitude due to the rapid acceleration, the aircraft can disintegrate due to flutter at transonic speeds - pilots should be especially cautious in this environment.



The Mirage 2000C-S4, like the S5 version, is an interceptor. Its primary armament consists of the standard 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons and, of course, missiles! Including the all-aspect Matra R.550 Magic 2 and the fantastic Matra Super R530D. However, the Mirage 2000C-S4 also has a lot to offer in mixed battles too - on the remaining hardpoints, pilots can place conventional and drag bombs, as well as SNEB Type 23 rockets.

Unlike the S5 version the Mirage 2000C-S4 carries fewer countermeasures, which ends up being its main gameplay difference. However, 54 charges of flares and chaff should be enough to fend off several missile threats and overall shouldn’t be too detrimental.



The top Mirage 2000C-S4 can be yours for completing the "Winter Extreme" missions. Do your best and get yourself a nice gift for the New Year holidays!