• The previously announced Battle Rating separation by gamemodes for high-tier aircraft has been implemented. Please note that separation for aircraft of lower tiers is planned to be implemented within our Planned Battle Rating changes.

• Red Top air-to-air missile — the missile guidance time has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds. (Report).
  
• Red Top air-to-air missile — the missile guidance delay has been reduced from 0.6 seconds to 0.3 seconds after launch. (Report).
  
• Red Top air-to-air missile — lateral acceleration has been reduced from 16G to 12G. (Report).
  
• Red Top air-to-air missile — missile dynamics have been reconfigured, the effective launch range at low altitude has been increased. (Report, Report)

• A bug that caused engine sounds to play incorrectly when looking down the scope has been fixed. (Report, Report).
  
• A bug that caused the thermals on scout UAVs of rank VII and VIII light tanks to be missing has been fixed. (Report).
  
• The Spawn Point cost of respawning with air-to-air-missiles with SACLOS guidance on helicopters has been added to Ground Realistic Battles. The cost is 68% of the base carrying helicopter cost in Spawn Points. Currently the only helicopter in the game with such missiles is the AH Mk.1 Apache (with Starstreak AAMs).

Patch notes reflect only key changes, meaning they may not include a complete list of all improvements made. Additionally, War Thunder is constantly being updated and some changes may not require an update. Changes reflected in patch notes are formed by taking reactions and requests of the community from the bug reporting service, forums and other official platforms into account. Bug fixes and changes are implemented in order of importance, for example a game-breaking bug will be worked on and implemented sooner.

In this month’s Pages of History, you’ll be at the center of events that took place in different theaters of war. Karelia and Lithuania, the Normandy landings and large-scale battles in the Pacific Ocean: take part in battles with the vehicles corresponding to these historic battles and receive prizes. 



By the beginning of World War II, Percy Hobart was a major general and an expert in armored vehicles. Because of his unusual ideas, Hobart was forced into retirement in 1940, but after the failure of the Allied amphibious assault at the Battle of Dieppe, innovative ideas were in great demand. In 1943 Hobart converted the Churchill and Sherman tanks of his 79th Armored Division into engineering marvels dubbed “Hobart’s Funnies”. Some of these included the flamethrower Crocodile tank, mine-resistant Crab, amphibious DD and the enemy fortification destroyer, the Churchill AVRE. The Allies were impressed by Hobart’s work and his “funny” vehicles provided invaluable assistance during the Normandy Landings.

You can immediately purchase this profile icon for Golden Eagles until July 3rd, 11:30 GMT without completing tasks. To find it, go to your Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History.


Completing each individual task will give 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 backups;
  
• Premium account for 1 day;
  
• 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.

You can read a detailed description of which task is for which day and your overall progress by going to your Nickname → Achievements → Pages of History.

On June 4th 1942, the Battle of Midway began, one of the most important battles in the Pacific theater. It took place without the participation of artillery, as the planes that took off from aircraft carriers became the stars of the battle. At Midway, the Allies achieved their first major victory over Japan, and the Imperial Navy never recovered from the loss of aircraft carriers and experienced pilots.

On the morning of June 6th 1944, D-Day, hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers and officers landed in Normandy, opening a western front against Nazi Germany. The Allies managed to organize this major operation in complete secrecy. The result of this operation was the rapid liberation of not only Normandy, but also the capital of France.

On the Eastern Front at this time, the Red Army was conducing an offensive in the northern direction. As a result of the successful Vyborg-Petrozavodsk operation, Finnish troops were driven out of Karelia, which prompted Finland to sign the Moscow Armistice with the USSR and go over to the side of the Allies.

Shortly after D-Day, British troops encountered Wehrmacht forces near Villers-Bocage in Normandy. The Germans took advantage of the surprise effect, inflicted significant losses on the British and forced them to retreat. This led to the fact that the Germans were able to gain a foothold in Caen, which the Allies were able to take only two months later.

On 15th-17th June 1941, British troops launched an offensive in eastern Cyrenaica in an attempt to lift the siege of Tobruk. For the first time during World War II, significant German forces were forced to defend themselves, but they succeeded. With equal forces on both sides, Great Britain lost three times as many aircraft and nine times as many tanks, and the operation was a complete failure.

On June 19th-20th 1944, the last major battle of aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean took place. The United States had both numerical and technical superiority on its side, while Japan was able to field only inexperienced pilots against the American aces. As a result, Japan lost both aircraft carriers and aircraft, and until the end of the war it was unable to make up for these losses.

On June 22nd 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and in the early days of the Blitzkrieg, the scattered forces of the Red Army tried unsuccessfully to hold back the Wehrmacht advance. One of these attempts was made near Raseiniai in Lithuania, where the USSR deployed 750 tanks, three times more than Germany had in this direction, and lost 700 of them in a couple of days. One KV-1 that penetrated the behind the Germans was able to block the Wehrmacht’s supply route throughout the entire battle, not surrendering even after it was hit.

At the end of June 1942, a Wehrmacht strategic offensive operation began, designed to consistently defeat Soviet forces in the southern direction and seize oil fields in the Caucasus. However, due to the fact that Hitler personally interfered with the command of the troops, they were not sufficiently organized, outnumbered and equipped to effectively advance. They eventually got bogged down at Stalingrad, where they suffered a crushing defeat.

Today we’re going to be showing you two new locations that are coming in the next major update: Mysterious Valley for Aircraft Battles, and Bering Sea for Naval Battles!




Hello pilots! This new location is set in the mountainous part of Southeast Asia. A large rock massif is divided by a deep gorge, which is going to be your main landmark. Situated approximately in the middle of the gorge is a hydroelectric power station, which is the main energy resource of this area. You’ll find several towns within the mountains, and downstream to the West of the hydroelectric dam, there’s a mountain village with a river market.




The main strategic points here is a large spaceport complex in the northern part of the location, and to the south of the city there’s a giant radio telescope reflector, clearly visible in any weather and from any altitude.






This new location for naval battles is bringing you to the harsh north. The designers of this location tried to create a collective image of the surroundings of the islands in southern Alaska and the main attraction of the region, the Islands of Four Mountains. This is a group of four active volcanoes situated right in the middle of the sea!




This location has a seascape with decent cover, where smaller ships and boats can maneuver around, while bigger ships will take duels on the open sea.




Both of these new locations will be added to the map rotation with the release of the next major update. Keep an eye out for more news about what’s coming in this update on our website.

The Swedish Riksdag approved the founding of the National Security Forces Day on May 29th, 1940 against the backdrop of the outbreak of World War II, although territorial defense units began to be formed earlier. Today, their number exceeds 22,000 personnel, approximately half of the Swedish Army.

This fast-firing TD is available for 1,300 Golden Eagles.

• The SAV 20.12.48 tank destroyer is very vulnerable to enemy fire, so make sure that you use its mobility to get to positions where you can hunker down without being shot. Its main talking point is its incredible rate of fire and powerful armor-piercing shells. This TD can quickly take effective and unexpected positions and take out several enemies in a matter of seconds thanks to its fast rate of fire!

You can get this decal for this commemoration!


“Emblem of the Uppland Regiment” decal






“Wiki approved: SAV 20.12.48” decal

The French Milan fighter jet was developed on the basis of the Mirage III by order of Switzerland and first took to the skies on May 29th 1969. Exactly 1 year later, the final version of this aircraft equipped with the Snecma Atar 9K-50 engine passed flight tests.

You can get this fighter jet for 9,090 Golden Eagles.

• The Milan can be tricky to fly, but in the right hands it can be a real treat. It has excellent maneuverability and is capable of reaching incredible speeds. Plus, thanks to its good bomb load and ballistic computer, it can also be used for ground attacks.

Meet the Bernau minesweeper, which is equipped with rapid-firing anti-aircraft guns and a Strela-2M air defense missile launcher! This one’s an interesting addition to the German Coastal fleet research tree, coming soon in the next major update.

Features:

• 3 x twin 25 mm machine guns.
  
• Strela-2M SAM.
  
• Low top speed.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
Project 89 minesweepers have been built in the GDR since the late 60s, and their NATO classification was Kondor. Project 89 ships underwent four modernization programs, the latest and most advanced of which was designated 89.2 UR2 or Kondor II. These included the installation of modern sonar and radar equipment, as well as the Strela-2M anti-aircraft missile system in the FASTA launcher. These ships could operate as part of distant sea and ocean formations and were placed in service with the German Navy until 1995. After decommissioning, some of the Kondor II ships were sold to other countries, including Indonesia, Uruguay and Latvia.
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The German Bernau is a representative of a rare class of SAM carriers in the game. Today we’ll be taking a look at this interesting ship coming to Germany’s Coastal fleet tree. Let’s dive in!




Coastal fleet ships are usually smaller, but the Bernau is a fairy large ship, armed with three twin mounts with 25 mm autocannons and a FASTA 4M2 launcher with Strela-2M anti-aircraft missiles. This ship also has a radar to detect air targets too, and a crew of 29 people.




Interesting: Three Kondor series ships purchased by the Maltese Government were sunk in the most picturesque of places on the island’s coast and are used as tourist spots for divers.

Its length is more than 50 meters and its maximum speed is just 18.5 knots (34 km/h), meaning the Bernau is primarily a backline fighter. Well hidden behind islands and low cliffs, make sure to use the Bernau as your team’s main aircraft cover at long distances. This ship can also be used is for artillery ambushes at capture points, where the Bernau can use its rapid-firing 25 mm cannons!




This unusual anti-aircraft ship is coming to the game in the next major update at rank IV of the German Coastal fleet tree. Until then, keep an eye on our website for more dev blogs that we’re currently cooking!

This deep modernization of the Su-27 jet fighter expands the tactical capabilities of this aircraft in both air battles and in ground battles. The most advanced representative of the Su-27 series will be appearing in the next major update!


Features:

• ARH air-to-air missiles!
  
• 1500 kg bombs.
  
• Kh-29 guided missiles.
  
• Advanced RWR.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The modernization program for the aging Su-27s in the Russian Air Force fleet was developed at KnAAPO at the end of 2002. This program aimed to qualitatively improve the combat qualities of the aircraft, improve flight performance and expand its capabilities. The Su-27 received a new RWR, an updated weapons control system and an updated radar for operating R-77 missiles, air-to-surface missiles and KAB-500Kr and KAB-1500Kr guided bombs. The first serially modernized Su-27SM were put into service in 2003, where it’s currently in service with the Russian Air Force.
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One of the best jet duelists in the game is getting even better. This modern modification of the Su-27 receives R-77 ARH missiles, as well as a competitive set of guided weapons for Ground Battles. Today we’re going to take a look at this jet, so let’s dive in!



It’s first worth saying that this new Russian top tier jet can carry up to 6 x ARH R-77 medium-range missiles, allowing you to begin combat at a significant distance. Together with the R-27T and ET, R-27R and ER missiles that you may already be familiar with, the close-combat R-73 all-aspect missile and a helmet-mounted target designation system makes the Su-27SM perfect all-round for air superiority. A very important update to this aircraft is the advanced RWR an with informative display, where you have complete information about the tactical situation and immediate threats.

For Ground Battles, the Su-27SM has improved dramatically. Firstly, this new aircraft has received the TV guided KAB-500Kr and a completely new, destructive one and a half ton KAB-1500Kr, the largest caliber of Russian bombs of this type in the game. Along with updating the weapons control system, the Su-27SM is armed with up to 4 x Kh-29TE guided missiles, together with air-to-air missiles or other weapons.




The entire diverse arsenal of the first Su-27 is also available to the Su-27SM, including parachute bombs, regular bombs and incendiary bombs, unguided rockets of various sizes and the good old trusty 30 mm GSh-30 cannon. Thanks to this fantastic array of weapons, the Su-27SM has now become the best attack aircraft in the Soviet aviation research tree. 10 hardpoints means you’ll be able to perfectly place selected weapons for air or attack combat, as well as any combination that you need for any style to fit your needs.

In your matches by Alex, Lead Air Designer: “This is an amazing universal aircraft, with excellent dynamics and weapons! In battle, I would advise taking a high position, searching for the enemy, practicing with R-77 missiles and while firing countermeasures, evading a possible oncoming missile attack using “3-9” maneuvers. When approaching the enemy launch R-73 close-range missiles, do not forget to use the helmet-mounted target designation system, especially in maneuverable combat. In ground battles, this aircraft has also become a formidable weapon; you shouldn’t go against air defense without thinking, but the Kh-29 missiles or the new KAB-1500 will not leave the enemy indifferent, even if there was no direct hit.”

That’s the end of today’s blog. You’ll be able to research the incredible Su-27SM that will be arriving in the next major update at the end of the Soviet aviation research tree. Stay tuned to our website see what else is coming!

This is the Canadian Leopard 2A4, specially prepared for combat in Afghanistan. And from today, we’re introducing it in a pack that’s now available to pre-order, giving special bonuses!


Features:

• Additional composite armor protection.
  
• High resolution thermal imager!
  
• Available modifications in the form of slat armor and/or a camouflage net.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The Leopard 2A4M CAN modification was developed to modernize 20 Canadian Army Leopard 2A4 tanks for use in combat operations in Afghanistan. They were equipped with additional composite armor packages, placed to protect the front and sides of the turret and hull, plus slat armor at the back of the turret and around the engine compartment to help protect against shaped charge ammunition. In addition to this, the fire control system was modernized with a brand-new thermal imager and commander sight. Due to the extra armor, the weight of the tank increased, which meant that the brakes and suspension were modified as well. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) developed this modification and by 2010 all 20 tanks were modernized. Between 2010 and 2011, 5 Leopard 2A4M CAN tanks were deployed in Afghanistan.
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Pre-order — Leopard 2A4M CAN Pack
69.99

• Leopard 2A4M CAN (Rank 7, Germany)
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique “Royal Canadian” title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique Snow leopard decal
  
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique forest camouflage
  

With the release of the next major War Thunder update, this interesting Canadian modification of the Leopard 2A4 main battle tank will arrive in the game! This variant features additional composite armor modules, an advanced thermal imager and the ability to equip slat armor and a camouflage net. Today we’ll be telling you more about this tank that can be pre-ordered starting from now!



At first glance, you may notice that the Leopard 2A4M CAN has modern modifications from the all so familiar German Leopard! This is true to some extent, as the additional composite armor modules on the Canadian Leopard are an almost exact copy of the types of armor found on the 2A7 series tanks. By order of the Canadian military, Leopard 2A4M CAN tanks are equipped with composite armor modules at the front of the turret and hull, which qualitatively increases its protection against hits from any type of ammunition. With the exception of the typical weaker areas at the front, such as around the sight and turret ring, the Leopard 2A4M CAN is able to withstand most kinetic shells and ATGMs from enemies around its rank to the front.




In addition to this, the underside of this tank has additional mine protection, which means there’s increased protection at the lower frontal part of the hull. Plus, you’re able to equip slat armor as a modification, helping to protect against shaped-charge shells to the sides and rear of the turret and engine compartment. There’s also a camouflage net that breaks the silhouette of the turret, gun mantlet and the gun itself, which looks cool too!

Interesting: The black lines that are scattered on the Leopard 2A4M CAN’s armor are actually Velcro strips for attaching a camouflage net, specially designed to camouflage the tank during missions in Afghanistan.



Additional armor means additional weight and therefore modifications to the braking system and suspension were required to help. Ultimately, it does mean that since this Leopard is heavier, its maximum speed is slightly less. Despite this, the driving characteristics are still great, as it will always be one of the first to reach capture points, and copes well with roads and any poor terrain. In addition to the enhanced armor that the Leopard 2A4M CAN received, there’s also an improved sighting system with a modern high-res thermal imager. However, the gun is the identical 120 mm L/44 cannon found on the 2A4.




That’s today’s blog done! The Leopard 2A4M CAN can be pre-ordered from today and will be available to play in the game when the next major update is released. Pre-ordering this pack will give you special pre-order bonuses as well, to be sure to follow the link to check it out.

USS Des Moines was the lead ship of the Des Moines class of American heavy cruisers, laid down on May 28th 1945. She was the first ship to carry semi-automatic 8-inch Mark 16 guns, and instead of aircraft catapults, Sikorsky HO3S-1 multi-role helicopters could land on her deck.

You can get this heavy cruiser for 8,020 Golden Eagles.

• USS Des Moines is slow and not that durable, but her rate of fire will make you gasp! Its broadside can deal enormous amounts of damage to the enemy. Stay out of range of enemy torpedoes, and take care of yourself — when you see the enemy, greet them with a barrage of shells!

We’ve been made aware of many of your requests for smaller teams in Air Realistic Battles as 16v16 teams are sometimes overwhelming in terms of the number of missiles at once.

With the release of the upcoming major update, we’ll be adding an option to the Air Realistic Battles game selection window where you’ll be able to turn on smaller team sizes.



This mechanic works in the same way as turning on the option for night battles: if there’s enough players in the queue with this option enabled, you’ll have a chance of getting into an air battle with smaller team sizes.

When this option is enabled, you’ll have the chance of getting into a battle with smaller team sizes (min - max: 6 - 12) instead of a regular battle (min - max: 6 - 16). Further adjustments in the future are possible depending on how sessions go.

This will only be for aircraft with a Battle Rating of 10.0 or higher, where high-end air-to-air missiles are far more prevalent.



Thank you for your feedback on this and we hope that this option for smaller teams will make your experience in Air Realistic Battles more enjoyable. Be sure to enable this option with the release of the major update!