Today we’re showing the main tank reward for the new Battle Pass season, which is the Israeli Sholef featuring a 155 mm gun mounted on a Merkava MBT chassis!


Features:

• Shells with a radio fuze.
  
• Autoloader.
  
• Large in size.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
In 1980, a group of Israeli defense companies began developing a promising 155 mm self-propelled gun on the chassis of the Merkava Mk.1 tank. As a result of this work, two vehicles were presented for testing — the Sholef-1 in 1982 with a 39-caliber gun, and Sholef-2 in 1987 with a long-barreled 52-caliber howitzer. Both prototypes were successfully tested and were even used for combat duty on the border with Lebanon, but the choice of a new self-propelled type of vehicle for the Israel Defense Forces was made in favor of the American M109, causing the Sholef project to close in 1993. The first prototype of the Sholef V.1 is on display at the Beit Ha'tothan artillery museum; its 39-caliber gun was replaced in the museum by a later 52-caliber one.
[/expand]


This is the Sholef V.1, an Israeli tank featuring a self-propelled gun that is set to be the main ground reward for the new and upcoming Battle Pass season. The gun is a high-explosive slinger with different types of HE shells, the chassis is well-protected and mobile, and there’s the added premium status on top which makes this vehicle an excellent choice to start researching the Israeli ground forces tree. Let’s take a closer look!




The Sholef V.1 is going to be an alternative to one of the first vehicles in the Israeli ground forces tree, the American M109 howitzer. The Sholef V.1’s gun is a 39 caliber long 155 mm howitzer which is housed in a turret with hydraulic guidance drives. This gun can fire three types of HE shells: the M107 from the M109, and two M401 shells with a contact and radio fuze. If you’re accurate enough, you’ll be able to hit helicopters or planes with these shells.

Interesting: The 155 mm Sholef howitzer is widely known outside Israel as the Slammer.



The shells stored inside the Sholef are housed in two massive mechanized drum-style ammunition racks, which will be modeled as an autoloader in the game, meaning the rate of fire of the 155 mm gun does not depend on the skill of the crew and is 5 rounds per minute.



The chassis of the Sholef V.1 is from a modified Merkava Mk.1 tank. In terms of maneuverability and speed, the Sholef is somewhat inferior to the M109, but is significantly superior to it in terms of protection. The hull of this tank can easily withstand autocannon fire and bomb explosions, and can survive hits from tank guns. However, the turret of the Sholef V.1 is very vulnerable due to its compact layout, so make sure to stay away from the front lines if possible! Unless you’re feeling brave.



You can get the Sholef V.1 in the new and upcoming Battle Pass season, starting July 24th, as the main prize for the pass! We’ll be publishing the main Battle Pass news article soon, so be sure to follow the news on our website. Until then, see you around!

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.

The first Japanese supersonic aircraft, the T-2, was developed by the Mitsubishi Corporation and first flew on July 20th 1971. Production continued until 1988, with a total of 90 fighters being produced and exclusively used in Japan.

This jet is available for 8,910 Golden Eagles.

When: From today until July 22nd (09:00 GMT).
Where: Japan > Aviation > Premium vehicles.

About this aircraft

• The T-2 Early relies on its high top speed and climb rate, as well as its J/AWG-11 pulse-Doppler radar to detect enemies in advance. This multi-role fighter uses the AIM-9E and AIM-9P air-to-air missile and great JM61A1 cannon with a good amount of ammunition. For ground attacks, the T-2 Early can use regular bombs and unguided rockets.

Introducing the new Esports Trophy III, featuring camouflages created by authors from WT.Live! This new trophy includes 20 camouflages for various vehicles: 10 aircraft and 10 tanks. For this new trophy, we wanted to honor mid-tier vehicles with unique creations from our artists.








Like the previous Esports trophy, the new trophy can be obtained by simply playing regular War Thunder battles. In the future, it’ll also be possible to obtain by participating in Esports events in War Thunder tournaments with an increased chance! PlayStation and Xbox players can purchase the trophy in the Item Shop for Golden Eagles.

Read more on our Wiki.

To open it, you’ll need to purchase a key on the Market (income is shared with the authors of the camouflages). You can either activate the coupon on your account, or trade it on the Market to get Gaijin Coins (GJN). A trophy can be sold as well!

To unlock the trophy, you'll need an “Esport” key that can be purchased on the Market for GJN.
Read more about the Market and Gaijin Coins on our Wiki.





This weekend, from 16:00 GMT, Twitch Drops will once again be accompanying the final stages of the 3rd Major Eport event of the year! Here’s a sneak preview of the BO7 matches on Saturday 20th July.



[FOLLOW]

Watch the tournament and get Twitch Drops also on the official German, French and Russian War Thunder Esport channels!

For War Thunder Esports fans, don’t forget about this small but very cute pack that contains a unique decal and title.

Today we’re taking a look at the PBM-5A Mariner flying boat, which will be the main aircraft reward in the upcoming Battle Pass season!


Features:

• Radar.
  
• Large payload!
  
• Torpedoes.
  
• Low speed.
  
• Large airframe.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The latest and most advanced variant of the Martin Mariner flying boat was the PBM-5A modification, adopted by the U.S. Navy in 1949. The main difference from its predecessors was its retractable tricycle landing gear. Due to this, the aircraft was reclassified from a flying boat into an amphibian aircraft. Compared to the previous variants, this modification received search radio equipment and bomb bays in the engine nacelles. This aircraft remained in service until 1956, and the only other operator of the PBM-5A was the Netherlands, which received 17 aircraft of this modification.
[/expand]


This is (quite literally) a big reward for the new Battle Pass season. Meet the epic PBM-5A Mariner flying boat, the best aircraft in its series. Featuring a large payload, new engines, good defensive protection against aircraft and a search radar — let’s take a look more into it!




Veterans of air battles may remember the rare PBM-3 Mariner seaplane, which was the main reward of the Sea Voyage event well over 5 years ago. The PBM-5A variant is a further development of a very successful series of American flying boats. This new variant has an increased payload of up to 5,800 kg of bombs and torpedoes that can be taken into battle and can be combined independently. Choices available include regular 100, 500 and 1000 lb bombs, AN-MK1 armor-piercing bombs (up to 8), which perform well in naval battles against tougher opponents, as well as Mk.13 torpedoes.

Interesting: The only surviving example of the PBM-5A Mariner is on display at the Pima Aerospace Museum in Arizona, USA.



Despite the fact that the PBM-5A received new engines, the additional power is barely enough to compensate for the increased payload, as this aircraft is still slow, although has decent control despite its size. Its defensive protection has improved somewhat thanks to 8 heavy machine guns installed in the turrets and windows, with the pilots receiving armored backrests for their seats. Additionally, due to the enormous dimensions and large amount of empty space in the fuselage, the PBM-5A Mariner is capable of surviving machine-gun fire from fighters for prolonged periods of time, and can return to the airfield even after being damaged by autocannons.



The PBM-5A is going to be a fun aircraft for sophisticated air players, as it’ll be able to torpedo enemy ships in Naval Battles and fly around in Ground Battles causing a huge nuisance (literally, its wingspan is even larger than the B-17!). Its capable payload of up to 5,800 kg of bombs and torpedoes is not bad in itself, meaning the PBM-5A is an excellent choice for bombing in Air Battles too, however its impressive weight and varied arsenal will be in demand in both Ground and Naval Battles as well. Make sure to plan accordingly here and understand the search radar in advance. Doing so will not only be fun due to the amount of bombs, but will also come with an increased reward thanks to its premium status.



The PBM-5A Mariner can be yours for completing challenges in the new and upcoming Battle Pass season, starting on July 24th!

• AIM-120A, R-77, R-Darter, Derby, AAM-4, MICA-EM, PL-12 — the autopilot has been reconfigured, trajectory has been optimized. Drag has been corrected.
  
• AIM-120A, R-77, R-Darter, AAM-4, Derby, MICA-EM, PL-12 — a bug with the missile overcorrecting at long distances to the target has been fixed.
  
• AAM-4 — solid rocket engine type has been changed to dual-thrust.
  
• R-Darter — missile mass has been increased from 118 kg to 120 kg.

• A bug that made it possible to use thermal imagers on Scout UAVs in third-person view after leaving the gunner’s sight has been fixed.
  
• The replay destruction camera now shows the enemy SPAA that shot the player down while they were in an aircraft.

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.

Today, we’d like to discuss one of the Roadmap points, which is the construction of objects and trenches on the map.

When we first spoke about this feature in the initial Roadmap announcement, we mentioned that it would be an opportunity for armored vehicles that have limited amounts of ammunition for their main guns in order to try and mitigate this shortcoming.

However, during internal discussions we found it difficult to choose the criteria for vehicles that have limited ammunition. On one hand, not all vehicles with limited amounts of ammunition are able to quickly use it all up (for example, the Sturmmörser and Sturer Emil), and on the other hand, not all vehicles with a large amount of ammunition are suitable for advancing to capture points just to reload (for example, SPAAGs with small caliber weapons). Alongside this, some vehicles have several types of weapons of different calibers with different amounts of ammunition, and it’s not always possible to say what the main weapon is, how quickly its ammunition is consumed in battle, and how suitable the remaining weapons are for active and productive play.

Therefore, we’ve decided to expand and formalize the list of vehicles that can receive (based on voting results) this functionality. Vehicles include all Tank Destroyers, ATGM carriers (the type mentioned in the stat card, not any vehicle with ATGMs), all SPAA and SAMs, as well as ground vehicles with external rockets and bombs (such as the Calliope, M26 T99, RBT-5, Cromwell V (RP-3), Matilda Hedgehog, Magach Hydra). Tank Destroyers, ATGM carriers, SPAA and SAMs are often not suitable for storming strategic points and playing at the front of battle, but at the same time they provide important support to teammates from the rear lines.

We’ve decided not to exclude any individual vehicles from this mechanic, including those with a large ammunition capacity, since for them the new mechanics will not provide any significant advantage, but can diversify the experience with them to some extent. Additionally, Tank Destroyers don’t have the option to use artillery strikes, meaning these new mechanics could become their specialty. External rockets like those mentioned above are very limited in their use and therefore can also have additional ammunition to expand the tactical capabilities of the vehicles with them without affecting balance much.

We’re now proposing new functionality for a huge number of ground-based vehicles for the vehicle types mentioned above: the construction of interactive objects and landscape elements. Different objects will have different restrictions on the reuse and the number of uses per respawn, which is needed for balance reasons as well as to prevent large number of objects in battle.



The construction of each object will take some time. When constructing, the player must remain in place next to the object, similar to replenishing ammunition at a capture point. While doing this, the movement of your vehicle is not stopped; you’ll be able to drive away if there’s a threat nearby, and then return to continue the construction. Below are the approximate values of timers and number of uses that may be changed during implementation, testing or evaluation of this functionality. The proposed objects will have a fully-fledged damage model, meaning they can be destroyed by a hit or ram, and the changed landscape would behave in the same way as landscape dug up with a bulldozer or that has been bombed.

Objects will only be able to be destroyed by the player who constructed them and the enemy team. This is to avoid toxic behavior from teammates, who will not be able to destroy your objects, this rule applies to all game modes. However, any altered terrain will not be affected by these changes.



In total, there are currently two types of objects for construction and one possibility of changing the landscape:

1. Ammunition Boxes. This object will consist of one or two types of boxes, depending on the number of weapon groups of your vehicle: separate box for guns and separate box for missiles/rockets. For vehicles with external rockets or bombs (such as the Calliope), there’ll only be one box just for the additional weapon. Ammunition for the main gun will have to be replenished at a capture point as normal. Each box will only contain as many shells, rounds and belts as you had at the time of spawning into the battle, allowing you to replenish the ammunition load up to this amount. Only the player who built the box can replenish ammunition from it. After running out of shells in the box, it will disappear. If enough damage is done to the box, the ammunition will ignite. The fire will not only destroy the box and the ability to replenish ammunition from it, but will also show its position with its visual effect and can cause damage to open-top vehicles if they fall within the damage radius. Ammunition boxes can be built again as many times as needed — including after being destroyed by the enemy — but will only contain the remaining unused shells. At the beginning of the battle, you effectively receive double the ammunition capacity and can manage it as you see fit by changing positions and replenishing from the ammunition box that is always at hand. The construction time is 15 seconds, and the cooldown to construct it again is 60 seconds.
   
2. Camouflage Net. This is a visual wall at ~6 m wide and ~ 3 m high that can help hide vehicles from the enemy. In Arcade Battles, the camouflage net will also help hide the player’s marker, but not forcefully and unconditionally. Instead, it’ll follow the game’s principles of marker visibility and concealment, simulating a solid wall of dense bushes. The color of the net is automatically selected depending on the location where the battle takes place; yellow for desert ones, white for winter ones and basic green for the rest. No more than four uses per spawn, the construction time is 10 seconds and the timer until reuse is 10 seconds.
   
3. Trenches and Mounds. Trenches and mounds in this case are not going to be a “preset” object that you can place on the map. This would not be very convenient due to restrictions on the angle of inclination and curvature of the surface, as well as restrictions on proximity and the inability to cross other stationary objects (buildings, stones, other trenches). Instead, we’re proposing to expand the surface modification capabilities. Currently, digging is only available when using a bulldozer blade if the vehicle has one. We propose to supplement the mechanics of changing the landscape by adding to vehicles with this new functionality (as previously mentioned, Tank Destroyers, ATGM carriers, SPAAs, SAMs and tanks with external rocketry) the ability to change the nearby landscape with a “brush” controlled by the mouse cursor or controller stick. To do this, the player will have to leave control of their vehicle, switching the crew to “excavation work” mode, select the digging / pouring mode, and then move the brush cursor with the action button held down. At the cursor position, the landscape will change in a given way, if nothing on the surface hinders this. This way, it’ll be possible, among other things, to complete the construction of other player’s trenches and mounds, built using both this mechanic and using bulldozer blades. The time spent preparing a fully-fledged position using this mechanic will be noticeably greater than when using a bulldozer blade. The number of uses per spawn is not limited, but each change to the surface costs “stamina”, which is restored over time.

Below is a video of how changing the landscape might look like. Please note that this is just an automatic demonstration that changes the landscape much faster than we’ve suggested.



The mechanics of replenishing ammunition from boxes would logically and technically conflict with the mechanics of reloading missiles in Ground Arcade Battles, which is currently activated after the missiles are completely used up. In addition to this, the arcade reload mechanic currently blocks the replenishment of missiles at capture points. In view of these factors, if we add the construction of ammunition boxes, we plan to remove the mechanics of arcade reloading, since replenishing ammo from boxes is — in our view — a more understandable and universal game mechanic.



New functionality always has the possibility of changing game tactics and add more variety. Having said this, we understand that it’ll introduce even more objects to the map and may complicate the detection, identification and destruction of the enemy, and digging trenches and creating mounds with a large number of vehicles may complicate navigation and movement on the map. Therefore, we’d like to hear your opinion! Share it in the comments and vote for or against adding these mechanics we propose to the game. Your feedback here is important to us, and we want to make sure that any changes to the game are aimed at improving the gameplay and meeting the needs of players.

ADD YOUR VOTE HERE

It’s the hot summer, which is certainly the best time to go to sea! This new War Thunder event is dedicated to Italy, a prominent Mediterranean power. Take part in Naval Battles and receive an Italian Naval ship flag, themed decals, trophies with consumable items and the Alcione!

When: From July 24th (11:00 GMT) until August 7th (11:00 GMT), earn mission points in Naval Battles, unlock stages and receive rewards!

Alcione thrives in shallow water and among rocks. This ship is armed with two 76 mm SMP-3 cannons, Bofors anti-aircraft guns and Hedgehog mortars! This mortar is not easy to aim, but if you take the enemy by surprise, an accurate salvo at a short distance can sink an enemy destroyer.



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 “Flight of the Albatross” and click the “Get Reward” button.

You’re able to earn mission points in Naval Battles at Rank III or above in Arcade and Realistic 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 July 26th, 28th, 30th and August 1st, 3rd and 5th.

• 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: trophy with a random reward
  
• For 6 Stages: “Italy Naval Jack” ship flag
  
• For 7 Stages: non-tradable coupon for the Alcione

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 499 Golden Eagles. If you’ve scored 33,500 mission points, then you’ll only need to pay 199 Golden Eagles. Remember to keep this in mind if you cannot complete a stage on time!

When you complete 7 stages, you’ll receive a non-tradable coupon for the Alcione, 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 July 24th (11:00 GMT) until August 7th (11:00 GMT) for 600,000 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 Alcione (Italy)” in your inventory and click the “Modify” button.

The “Upgrade for coupon” item is valid until 11:00 GMT on August 12th. 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 > Flight of the Albatross. If you don’t manage to complete a stage on time or would like to purchase a stage, until August 12th from the Achievements window, you can purchase each stage with Golden Eagles which will give you the corresponding rewards.

• A bug that caused the camera in “Optical seeker view” to not be pointed towards an active target in Simulator Battles has been fixed.
  
• A bug where activating mouse look caused the helmet-mounted sight to not work when in third-person view has been fixed.

• A bug that caused the control of ground vehicles to be partially blocked after an air streak, for example the turret was unable to rotate, and menus would not open if the weapon selector was active at the time of the aircraft’s destruction has been fixed.
  
• A bug that caused barrel smoke (such as the IS-2 (1944)) not deploying smoke properly after being dropped has been fixed.
  
• A bug that made it possible to use thermal imagers in third-person view after leaving the gunner’s sight has been fixed.

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.

Today, we’d like to announce that our upcoming VR spin-off, Aces of Thunder, will be releasing in Q4 2024, and is available to wishlist on Steam!

Aces of Thunder will share a lot of similarities with War Thunder in regards to models and graphics, but it’s built from the ground up as a VR title, and will bring a completely new experience to the skies.

The game will feature more than 20 of the most iconic WW2 fighters, available immediately after purchasing the game. These include the P-51 and P-63, Bf 109 and Fw 190, IL-2 and Yak, Spitfire, A6M3 and more. All will feature highly detailed functional cockpits, you can quite literally grab the controls with your hands! You can also get a real sense of scale from your aircraft by walking around it on the airfield before heading out on a mission.

Battles will take place on 15 maps representing three key theaters of operations: the Eastern Front, Western Europe and the Pacific Ocean. You can take part in online PvP, fighting solo or in a squad, or fight in various single player scenarios.

The game will be compatible with the widest range of VR devices. To control your aircraft you can use the interactive virtual cockpit controls, VR controllers or joysticks.

You can read more about the game on the official page on Steam, as well as on Aces of Thunder pages in social networks.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2754090/Aces_of_Thunder/

• The unscheduled Battle Ratings changes with decompression for toptier aircraft have been implemented.
  
• For rank VIII aviation, the set of weapons available without researching any modifications has been updated, the full details are in the unscheduled Battle Rating changes table.
  
• JH-7A — the PL-8 modification has been removed, and the cost in Research Points, Silver Lions or Golden Eagles has been compensated.
  
• MiG-29 (Germany), MiG-29 (Italy), MiG-29G — the R-27P1 modification has been removed, and the cost in Research Points, Silver Lions or Golden Eagles has been compensated.
  
• MiG-29 — the R-27R modification has been removed, and the cost in Research Points, Silver Lions or Golden Eagles has been compensated.
  
• F-16AJ, F-16A ADF, F-16A MLU — the AIM-7M modification has been removed, and the cost in Research Points, Silver Lions or Golden Eagles has been compensated.
  
• J-8F — the PL-12 modification has been removed, and the cost in Research Points, Silver Lions or Golden Eagles has been compensated.
  
• Mirage 2000C-S4, Mirage 2000C-S5 — the Matra Super 530F modification has been removed, and the cost in Research Points, Silver Lions or Golden Eagles has been compensated.
  
• JA37D — the RB71 (DF) modification has been removed, and the cost in Research Points, Silver Lions or Golden Eagles has been compensated.
  
• J-11A — the domestic name of the R-77 missile has been replaced with the export one — RVV-AE.

• A message about critical damage appearing in naval battles and in the battle results has been fixed.

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.