The ZSL92 is a later modification of a Chinese infantry fighting vehicle, developed in the late 1980s in response to the changing dynamics of modern warfare at the time. Soon, tankers in War Thunder will have the chance to take command of a unique new IFV design coming to the higher ranks of the Chinese ground forces tree as part of the next major update, Seek & Destroy!


Features:

• Rapid-firing 25 mm autocannon.
  
• Light protection.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
In the early 1980s, the PLA recognized the need for the development of a new IFV design to meet the requirements of more dynamic warfare tactics. This led to the development of a new wheeled armored vehicle under the designation WZ551, based on a licensed chassis of the Mercedes-Benz 2060 truck. Development and testing of prototypes with various armament options continued throughout the ‘80s until the vehicle was officially adopted by the PLA in 1988 under the designation ZSL-90, in both an IFV and APC configuration.
Despite entering service, development on the vehicle continued, especially as the first model was plagued by teething issues chiefly surrounding its engine. The succeeding variant, designated ZSL-92, introduced a new water-cooled diesel engine as well as improvements to the vehicle’s chassis in 1994. As a result, performance and reliability improved drastically, leading to the vehicle being ordered in much greater numbers by both the PLA as well as foreign operators. Furthermore, the chassis was a popular platform for the development of several spinoff variants, including missile carriers and assault guns. The ZSL-92 equips the PLA’s mechanized units and is still in active service to this date.
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Coming to War Thunder as part of the Seek & Destroy major update, the nimble ZSL-92 will reinforce the mid ranks of the Chinese ground forces trees with a potent new SPAA design! Although being a unique new vehicle, if you’ve played Chinese vehicles you may recognize the basic design of the ZSL92 from some already familiar vehicles. This is certainly not by chance and we’re eager to tell you all about it in today’s devblog. So let’s dive right into the details!




The ZSL92 represents the basis on which popular vehicles such as the PTL02 and AFT09 are based. Unlike those vehicles however, the ZSL92 will offer entirely different tactical options. Being fitted with a 25 mm autocannon instead of a large-caliber cannon or missiles, the ZSL92 is set out to be a versatile war machine on the battlefield. Its primary targets are enemy scouts and low flying aircraft, but if you’re particularly daring you can also go on the offensive and hunt more heavily armored opponents by outflanking them and engaging in very short range engagements.

A particular feature of this vehicle which underlines this tactical approach is its superb mobility. Being powered by a 320 horsepower diesel engine, the ZSL92 can attain a top speed of 84 km/h on paved roads, allowing it to quickly cover ground and switch positions on a moment’s notice.




On the flip side, being a wheeled vehicle does limit the ZSL92’s off road capabilities, especially in extreme terrains such as deep snow or mud. You’re best advised to avoid these if possible and leverage the vehicle’s excellent mobility not just to catch their opponents off guard, but also to dodge enemy fire. The latter is vital to the ZSL92’s survival on the battlefield, as it cannot heavily rely on the thin steel armor plating to protect it from anything more but small arms fire and shrapnel.



The ZSL92 will soon become available at rank IV of the Chinese ground forces trees with the release of the next major update, Seek & Destroy! In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye out on the news for what is coming next. Until then, happy hunting and see you soon in the next devblog!

The screenshots you shared with us last week were excellent! Most players start with the reserve vehicles as they make their way through the research tree. Which reserve vehicles do you enjoy playing the most? 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 #WTscreen122. You have time until the 7th of June 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 the beach and ocean.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen122 tag (title cannot have any other text in it).
  
• Artists may only win by popular vote once per four screenshot competitions.

[/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=3254828977
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3256469137
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3254757853

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3254348740
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3254060042
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3254717891

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

Today we’re introducing the premium AMX A-1A, a Brazilian variant of the light strike aircraft jointly developed by Italy and Brazil in an effort to modernize their fleets in the 1980s. It’s coming to the game in the Seek & Destroy major update and can be pre-ordered starting from today!


Features:

• Excellent flight characteristics.
  
• 30 mm cannons.
  
• Subsonic.
  
• Advanced weaponry.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
During the late 1970s, the Italian Air Force specified a set of requirements for a new aircraft to replace the outdated G.91 and F-104 in their respective roles of ground attack and aerial reconnaissance. Aeritalia and Aermacchi entered a joint venture to develop the new aircraft, with work on the project commencing in 1978. By 1980, Brazil was also looking into modernizing their strike aircraft fleet and thus expressed interest in joining the development of the new aircraft. After agreeing on the requirements in 1981, Embraer joined the consortium, subsequently named AMX International.

Focusing on designing a light and cost-efficient strike aircraft, development of the new aircraft progressed quickly. The first prototype of the aircraft flew in 1984 and following a successful test period, the AMX entered production in 1988. Due to the shared development effort, the Italian and Brazilian variants of the aircraft only differ in minor aspects. After entering service, Italian AMX aircraft participated in operations during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s and Libya in 2011 where the type distinguished itself in combat. The AMX is still in active service Brazilian air forces to this day, while in Italy they were just retired in 2024.
[/expand]



Pre-order — AMX A-1A Pack
69.99

• AMX A-1A (Rank VII, Italy)
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• Pre-order bonus: "Desert Wind" title
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "coat of arms of 1 Squadron/16 Aviation Group Squadron Adelphi" decal
  

The AMX A-1A is the Brazilian variant of a light strike aircraft co-developed by Italy and Brazil to replace older types in the ground strike and reconnaissance roles. Soon, you’ll be able to look forward to this Brazilian variant that’s coming to the game in the Seek & Destroy major update as as premium aircraft that can be pre-ordered from today. Let’s take a closer look at the differences of this modification of the AMX!



Generally speaking, the AMX A-1A is very similar to its Italian relative. This aircraft is also powered by the Rolls-Royce Spey 807 engine, giving it the ability to reach a max top speed of 1,150 km/h at sea level. By sharing the same aerodynamic design, the A1A features identical flight performance as the AMX that you may be familiar with. As such, you can rely on this aircraft being ideally optimized for low altitude ground attack runs, while simultaneously being capable of standing its own during dogfights.

One of the features which distinguish the Brazilian variant is found in its primary armament. Unlike the Italian AMX, the A1A is fitted with a pair of 30 mm cannons. While not being able to match the rate of fire of the Vulcan cannon found on the AMX, the 30 mm cannons do pack a deadlier punch and can penetrate even more heavily armored targets with the use of correct ammunition. In addition to the upgraded cannons, the A1A offers a plethora of suspended ordnance options ranging from conventional bombs to high precision guided munitions such as the BA-FG-230-Lizard-2 guided bomb, which is new to the game.



What’s particularly interesting in this case is that the AMX A-1A will offer completely unique Brazilian ordnance options, such as the new MAA-1 Piranha missile, unguided rockets or a whole slew of new bomb calibers, including incendiary ones for example. The AMX A-1A can also be equipped with the LITENING II targeting pod, which is known and favored by many players!

The AMX A-1A will soon be coming as a new premium aircraft to the Italian aviation tree. You can pre-order it starting from today to receive unique pre-order bonuses. That’s all for today’s devblog. In the meantime, be sure to follow the news for the latest information regarding the upcoming update. Until then, happy hunting and clear skies pilots!

On June 1st, 1911, the first aircraft squadrons appeared in the Ottoman Empire with the support of Germany and France. In the early years of modern Turkey, its leadership paid special attention to the Air Force and by 1940, the Turkish Air Force became the largest in the Middle East and the Balkans, with more than 500 aircraft. Today, about 50,000 people and about 300 aircraft are in service with the Turkish Air Force.


You can earn this themed decal for this day.


“Emblem of the Turkish Air Force Command” decal

When: From May 31st until June 3rd (08:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using aircraft of any country at rank III or higher to receive the “Emblem of the Turkish Air Force Command” decal.

Additional details:

• You must use a minimum of rank III.
  
• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, and [Assault] mode.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Turkish Air Force Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Neutral countries → Aircraft” tab in the Customization menu.

Today, we’re pleased to announce that a new line comprised of Dutch and Belgian aircraft will be making their way to War Thunder as part of the French air tree! In the next major update these vehicles will be reinforcing the French ranks, so let’s take a look!

[expand type=details]
The economic union between Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg was formally established in 1944, with the initial intention of supporting the post-war recovery between the three nations, which have very strong diplomatic, trade, and of course geographical ties.
[/expand]

[expand type=details]
The Belgian Air Force was officially formed in 1946, but operated as a branch of the Belgian Army as early as 1909! Despite this early formation, Belgium had a relatively small air force during the First World War due to a general lack of available aircraft, despite this though the small force boasted several aces.

During the outbreak of the Second World War, Belgium was similarly equipped with only a small force of older designs, which couldn’t stand up to the far more numerous Luftwaffe fighters. Despite the surrender on May 28th 1940, a small group of Belgian pilots in exile operated with the RAF, flying Spitfires and Typhoons.

Into the jet age, Belgium flew a variety of famous examples throughout the years, and currently operate several variants of the much loved F-16, as well as brand-new F-35.
[/expand]

[expand type=details]
Similarly to Belgium, the Royal Netherlands Air Force was formed in 1953, but operated as a branch of the army from 1913. As the Netherlands remained neutral during the First World War their air activity during this time was primarily spent on training and the general growth of the air branch.

During the German invasion of the Netherlands in the Second World War, the Royal Netherlands Air Force was overwhelmed by the superior numbers of the Luftwaffe, losing all of their combat aircraft and the vast majority of their pilots as well. A number of Dutch pilots escaped however, and flew in RAF and RAAF service until the end of the War. Pilots of the Dutch colonies in the East Indies actively resisted the Japanese air force, and then continued fighting as part of the Australian Air Force.

After the Royal Netherlands Air Force was officially founded, the ranks of their service aircraft were filled with a wide variety of American and British planes, with their types upgrading and improving over time to suit modern requirements.
[/expand]




This new branch in the French aviation tree will contain a mix of Belgian and Dutch aircraft. The collective is indeed known as BeNeLux, but as Luxembourg currently does not and did not operate any military aircraft historically (aside from army transport, liaison and recon) they won’t be represented here in the air tree. Let’s take a look at the first batch of aircraft!

Developer comment: Our overall goal with the inclusion of a BeNeLux line is to give France more options and versatility, allowing for the creation of stronger lineups throughout the ranks with a variety of different vehicles. BeNeLux don’t quite have enough machines to make a full tree on their own without significant gaps in unit types and eras, so in order to include these machines in War Thunder they’ll be supporting the French tree.

The majority of vehicles joining the line first will be made up of British and American vehicles that were historically used, with the line kicking off with the familiar Gladiator Mk I, which was ordered in the late 1930s. Belgium will be receiving a wide variety of units overall, including the British Spitfire FR Mk XIVe, Meteor Mk 8, as well as the American F-104G, F-16A Block 15 and the F-16AM Block 15 MLU! They’ll also be receiving the Mirage 5BA, a variant specifically intended for Belgium.




The Netherlands will also have some interesting examples in the line, including the British Firefly FR Mk IV, Hunter F.6, and of course the domestic Fokker G.1A! This variant is armed with 8 x 7.9 mm machine guns in the nose, the caliber may be small but the concentration of fire is undeniably high!




These aircraft will be the first to join the French ranks as part of the new line in the next major update, though of course more examples will be making their way into the game in the future as well.

We’re very happy to include these aircraft and their unique history into the game. We hope you’ll enjoy bolstering your lineups with these powerful aircraft upon the release of the next major update, so until then stay tuned! There’s a lot more to come.

It’s customary to honor the Canadian Armed Forces on the first Sunday in June. Canada actively participated in World War II: the defense of Hong Kong in 1941, the raid on Dieppe in 1942, the liberation of Italy in 1943, Operation Overlord in 1944 and guarding convoys in the Atlantic Ocean. There are currently 68,000 people in the Canadian Armed Forces, 3,000 of which are stationed outside the country.


Get this cool decal for this day!


“Lesser emblem of the Canadian army” decal

When: From May 31st until June 3rd (11:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using British vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Lesser emblem of the Canadian army” decal.

Additional details:

• You must use a minimum of rank III.
  
• Your activity must not be below 70%.
  
• You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, and [Assault] mode.
  
• Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → Canadian Armed Forces Day.
  
• You can find the decal in the “Allies → Tanks” tab in the Customization menu.

For the second major tournament event of 2024, following six weeks of intense competition, team DODEC emerged as the ultimate winners of the Air Superiority 2024 Tournament. They dominated each round of the winners bracket before facing team Wasted Time in the final who pushed them to the limit, with a final score of 5-4 on the late BO9.

Team DODEC have now claimed back to back victories in two major tournament events! Who can stop them?



Congratulations to the winners and all participants!

Thanks to VIRPIL Controls for sponsoring this event and offering great prizes for our winners.



Armored Apex
The Open Qualifiers for our next major tournament event will open in the coming weeks, this time it's going to be 4v4 Tanks in Realistic Battles featuring high tier vehicles.

Keep up to date by joining our social networks, including Telegram and Discord to ensure that you do not miss out on information for the qualification phases.

War Thunder - “Air Superiority” pack

In this pack:
"Flanking Snail" decal
"Slick flanker" title
300 Golden Eagles

Introducing the next major update teaser for War Thunder - "Seek & Destroy"

The Western Front is opening! Take part in Ground Battles during the Operation Overlord event as part of our event cycle to receive the Churchill AVRE. This legendary armored vehicle, integral to the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, was a direct participant in the battles for Normandy, and you can earn this main reward during this event! Celebrate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in War Thunder!

When: From June 5th (11:00 GMT) until June 17th (11:00 GMT), earn mission points in Ground Battles, unlock stages and receive rewards!

The Churchill AVRE was first used on D-Day during the Normandy Landings and is armed with a 230 mm Spigot Mortar, specifically designed for use against fortifications. It fires a huge projectile also known as the “Flying Dustbin” that weighs 18 kg, enough to put fear into any enemy tank that it comes up against!



Among the rewards in the event is also this chest, where, when opened, brings the chance to receive one of the following items:

• 50,000 - 100,000 Silver Lions
  
• Silver Lion and Research Point boosters
  
• Random Wagers and Orders
  
• Universal Backups (1 - 3)
  
• A random camouflage for a vehicle you own
  
• 1 day of Premium Account

Each stage can be obtained for 35,000 mission points, where every new stage obtained will give you a new reward.

Please note: After finishing a stage, you need to collect the reward manually. To do this, click on your name in-game, go to “Operation Overlord: Churchill AVRE” and click the “Get Reward” button.

You’re able to earn mission points in Ground Battles at Rank III or above in Arcade, Realistic and Simulator Battles. The number of mission points to complete a stage depends on the game mode and the maximum Rank of the vehicle that you use in battle. There’s a multiplier for earning mission points, which is shown in the task description in-game.

You can also earn mission points by using event vehicles that are Rank I and II. Event vehicles that can be used have the name of the event that they were obtainable in on their stat card.

Stages change every two days at 11:00 GMT on June 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th and 15th.

• For 1 Stage: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 2 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 3 Stages: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 4 Stages: one of the decal rewards
  
• For 5 Stages: “Flying Dustbin” decoration
  
• For 6 Stages: non-tradable coupon for Churchill AVRE

Unfinished stages can be purchased for Golden Eagles, but If you’re significantly close to completing a stage, its price will now be significantly reduced.

Let’s say you have earned 85% of the required mission points to complete a stage, then the price of purchasing this stage will be halved. If you’re near the finish line for a stage and are at 95% progress, then the price will be reduced by five times. For example, if you’ve scored 30,000 mission points, then the price for unlocking this stage will be 349 Golden Eagles. If you’ve scored 33,500 mission points, then you’ll only need to pay 139 Golden Eagles. Remember to keep this in mind if you cannot complete a stage on time!

When you complete 6 stages, you’ll receive a non-tradable coupon for the Churchill AVRE, where using it will immediately activate the vehicle onto your account. If you don’t want the vehicle and would like to sell the coupon on the Market, you’ll need the “Upgrade for coupon” item.

The “Upgrade for coupon” item can be earned in parallel with the stages throughout the event from June 5th (11:00 GMT) until June 17th (11:00 GMT) for 500,000 mission points.

After receiving the “Upgrade for coupon” item, you can convert a non-tradable coupon for the vehicle into a tradable one and sell it on the Market. The tradable coupon can be sold after 6 days from the moment it’s created.

To make a tradable coupon, select the “Coupon Churchill AVRE (Great Britain)” in your inventory and click the “Modify” button.

The “Upgrade for coupon” item is valid until 11:00 GMT on June 20th. Until this time, you can use it or exchange it for War Bonds. Afterwards, it’ll disappear from your inventory.

You can track the progress of completing stages and receiving the “Upgrade for coupon” by clicking on your Nickname > Achievements > Operation Overlord. If you don’t manage to complete a stage on time or would like to purchase a stage, until June 20th from the Achievements window, you can purchase each stage with Golden Eagles which will give you the corresponding rewards.

• 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.