• Strela-10M, Strela-10M2 — a bug where it was not possible to launch missiles after repairing has been fixed.

• Typhoon FGR.4, F-2000A — display time of radar contacts in TWS tracking mode has been increased.

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.

The HQ17 SAM vehicle has arrived at the end of the Chinese ground forces research tree in a group with the Tor-M1.

At a glance:

• Increased missile launch range and guidance time.
  
• Thermal imager.
  
• Capable of tracking and hitting two targets simultaneously.
  
• Barely any protection.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
In the 1990s, China purchased the Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile system from Russia. However, a number of shortcomings were revealed during its operation, including difficulties in conducting combat operations at night since it lacked a night vision device. In 2005, the Chinese government decided to develop a new air defense system, the HQ17. It was based on the Tor-M1 but had improved functionality. Development lasted 10 years and was completed in 2015. The HQ17 series of air defense systems are currently in service with the PLA as the main medium-range air defense system.
[/expand]




Today we’d like to talk about the HQ17, added to the Chinese ground forces tree this week in the Storm Warning major update, in a group with the Tor-M1. Despite the external similarities, the HQ17, which was developed entirely in China offers several improvements. Let’s take a look!




The HQ17 certainly looks familiar — that’s because it’s based on the Russian Tor-M1 SAM vehicle that’s already present in the game, but improved to meet the needs of the PLA. The HQ17 features a thermal imager, significantly helping when identifying and tracking targets in poor weather conditions or darkness. It also features a modernized missile! This new missile has a greater launch range and guidance time compared to the 9M331 missile found on the Tor-M1.

Important note from us: In the research tree, the HQ17 and Tor-M1 have been put into a group together.




In addition to the above, the HQ17 has a new phased array target acquisition radar with greater range, pattern and scanning angle. Much like the Tor-M1, it has the ability to track and fire at two targets simultaneously or guide two missiles to a single target.



Generally, the playstyle of the HQ17 is similar to the Tor-M1. Obviously the main and only role is to engage aircraft as it is unwise to fire the missiles at ground vehicles. With the radar deployed, the HQ17 can quite easily be spotted and as it only has bulletproof armor, so tactical positioning is vital. This vehicle is effective against all types of aircraft, with the ability to fire two missiles at a target at once being especially valuable. Keep in mind when playing the HQ17 that it can only carry 8 missiles in total.

That’s it for this dev blog! The HQ17 is already available to unlock as part of the Storm Warning major update. Give it a try, and have some fun!

• Rafale C F3-R — incorrect update frequency of data on targets tracked in TWS mode has been fixed.
  
• Rafale C F3-R — the notification to retract flaps has been turned off due to being uninformative, as the aircraft has semi-automatic mechanization configuration.
  
• EF-2000 — incorrect display of the RWR page on the MFD in the cockpit has been fixed.
  
• EF-2000 — a bug that sometimes caused the aircraft to be able to fly through the ground has been fixed. (Report).
  
• EF-2000, Typhoon GR.4, F-2000A — lift-induced drag at high speeds and in the landing configuration has been decreased.
  
• F-15E — a bug that caused AGM-130 to overlap with AIM-120 has been fixed.
  
• Alpha Jet A (Thailand), Alpha Jet TH (Thailand) — a bug that caused some HUD elements to change color when switching lights in the cockpit has been fixed.

• An issue with object synchronization that could cause vegetation and other objects to regenerate after being destroyed has been fixed.
  
• VBCI — internal module errors and inaccuracies have been fixed. Filling of the VBCI with modules is not yet final. We are still working on the modules as well as on corrections to some other existing discrepancies.
  
• VBCI — the front fuel tank has been made external.
  
• VBCI — a bug where the antennas were floating in the air has been fixed. (Report).
  
• VBCI — a bug that caused the coaxial machine gun to not elevate has been fixed. (Report).
  
• M44 — various model fixes.
  
• Namer Tsrikhon — a bug that made the electronics module act as armor has been fixed.
  
• PzH 2000, PzH 2000HU — the discrepancy between the back and front sides of the engine deck partition has been fixed. A bug that caused the crew skills to affect the reload speed has been fixed.
  
• HQ17 — a bug where the gunner’s sight was covered by textures when raising the camera has been fixed. (Report).

• HMS Rodney — ship sinking parameters have been adjusted.
  
• RN Ghibli — the distribution of anti-aircraft gun ammunition has been adjusted.

• New tactical map functionality has been added to test drives.

• A bug where the bottom of an aircraft could be reflected on the top when using screen space reflections (SSR) has been fixed. (Report).
  
• The transition between water and shore has been visually improved. Incorrect appearance of shallow water in foggy weather has been fixed.

• A rare client crash caused by complex key bindings made by the player that occurred when pressing certain keys has been fixed. (Report).

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.

Storm Warning brings with it the highly anticipated Eurofighter Typhoon joining the ranks of Germany, Great Britain and Italy in three different variants, plus the Rafale for France! Following this is a line of Thai aircraft for Japan, reinforcing the ranks in this nation with capable fighter and attacker capability. Next up is the M44 for six nations, providing them with fun 155 mm howitzer firepower. In addition to this is the excellent PzH 2000 for Germany and Italy, and several battleships and destroyers for some nations, including the Archangelsk, a Royal Navy ship in service with the Soviet Union. Rounding out the update is Attica, a stunning new location for Ground Battles.




Please feel free to leave your feedback on this Major update in the feedback thread here.

Storm Warning features the M44 for six nations (list below), providing them each with a capable short 155 mm gun to have some fun with at the midranks! Next up is the PzH 2000 for Germany and Italy, providing excellent long-barrelled 155 mm fun as well. The premium RDF-LT and BMD-4M for the USA and USSR respectively bring them some excellent light tank firepower. And finally a brand-new, unique pack featuring three WW2 classics: two Tiger Is and an Ostwind II, designed for starting Germany with a capable lineup. Check out the full list below!


RDF-LT (Pack)

The theme of the update, the Eurofighter Typhoon now comes for Germany, Great Britain and Italy in the form of a unique variant for each! Japan has been reinforced with aircraft from Thailand, providing some excellent aircraft for this nation, from jet attackers to fighters. In tandem with the Typhoon, France has the excellent Rafale jet fighter. In a squadron? The USSR now has a new squadron vehicle, the Su-33. Check out the full list below!


EF-2000, Typhoon FGR.4, F-2000A


Rafale C F3
The AH-64D attacker helicopter used by the Netherlands has been added to France as a premium pack, allowing you to research this heli tree quicker. Plus, the Rooivalk and Superhind for Great Britain have been given superb detailed cockpits.


Storm Warning features a plethora of larger ships, including La Galissonnière, HMS Rodney with 16 inch guns, the premium Z4 Zerstörer and Archangelsk, a former Royal Navy ship in service with the Soviet Union. Plus, the highly detailed Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier has been added to test flights for aircraft.


La Galissonnière


Attica is based on the bright landscapes of the south-east of Greece and is a suitable and colorful place for Ground Battles! This map has now been added to the map rotation.


Attica

The tactical map is a very important aspect of War Thunder battles. In Storm Warning, we’ve gone ahead and made some improvements to it. If you’re playing Ground Battles and driving a ground vehicle or flying an aircraft, press “M” on your keyboard to open it — at the bottom right you can select to move the map around or switch to the map type to either air or ground. Plus, if you’re in an aircraft, you can set a “point of interest” on the map that’ll show as a square box. Great for marking targets for yourself!

Some new showcases, including Battle-Hardened, Atomic Ace and Peacemaker have been added to the Player Card window. Click the “Edit” button in this window to change them. More details on each one can be found in the major changelog below.

That’s it for this news, but be sure to check out the full list of changes in the provided changelog, as there’s many bug fixes, improvements and additional vehicle changes not mentioned here. Let us know what you think and be sure to leave your feedback on our forums and official social media channels — we’d love to hear. That’s all for 2024 War Thunder major updates. We hope you enjoy!

---

• Attica — a new location for Ground Battles.

• In Ground Battles locations, old concrete airfields have been replaced with new ones.
  
• Air Realistic and Air Arcade Battles:
  
  • Tickets for ground vehicles are deducted from the team only if the vehicle is destroyed by a player. If the ground vehicle is destroyed by bots, victory points are not deducted.
    
  • AI attackers (that appear 4 minutes into the session) now prefer to attack tanks (leaving easier targets for players) rather than attacking everything indiscriminately as before.
    
  • The death of an AI attacker now takes away victory points only if it was destroyed by a player. Death by anti-aircraft guns, crashing into the ground or being shot down by a bot does not affect victory points anymore.

• New modules (electrical equipment, driver modules etc) have been added to the following vehicles: Strela-10M2, Falcon, M247, Centauro 105 (all variants).
  
• Object 140 — shell ejection animation has been added. (Report).
  
• T1E1 — armor has been converted to volumetric armor.
  
• FlaRakPz 1, FlaRakRad, XM975, Osa-AK, OSA-AKM, 2S6, Pantsir-S1, ItO 90M — An indicator has been added to the radar scope that shows the position of your own missiles.
  
• Khrizantema-S — MTI mode has been added to the radar.
  
• OF-40 Mk.2A, OF-40 (MTCA) — the optical rangefinder module has been removed from X-ray view. (Report).
  
• Ka-Mi — fuel tank model has been corrected. (Report).
  
• ADATS (M113) — the position of the missile launch tubes have been corrected. (Report).
  
• Sherman Firefly (all variants) — gun depression angle has been changed from -5/+25 degrees to -4.5/+21 degrees. (Report).
  Source: Sherman "C" Tanks. Armament.
  
• 105/25 M43, M43 "G.C.Leoncello", 75/34 M43, 75/46 M43 — casemate frontal armor thickness has been reduced from 75 to 70 mm.
  Sources: Prot.118692, Ministero della Guerra, Gabinetto, 2 aprile 1943 (Official document of adoption in service of the Semovente da 105/25, published in "Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell'esercito italiano, volume secondo 1940-1945" Pignato, Cappellano, page 372); Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell'esercito italiano, volume secondo 1940-1945" Pignato, Cappellano, page 377; Kennenblatter fremden gerats D50/12, november 1943 (Italian translation published by Pignato in "I mezzi corazzati italiani nelle schede di riconoscimento italiane e tedesche", pages 84, 86, 87); "Italian armour in German service" D. Gugliemi, pages 124, 126, 127; "Carro M, volume primo", A. Tallillo, D. Guglielmi, page 80.
  
• OF-40, OF-40 Mk.2A, OF-40 (MTCA) — maximum forward speed has been reduced from 65 to 60 km/h and reverse speed has been reduced from 25 to 24 km/h.
  Sources: Carro da combattimento medio OF 40. Documento Nr. 2071, 1981; Carro Armato OF 40 MK2A Manuale Dell’operatore.
  
• SPz 12-3 LGS, Raketenautomat — transmission gear ratios have been changed.
  Source: Hispano-Suiza HS30 Tank with Standardized Chassis and Variable Superstructure, 1962. Factory information booklet.
  
• KF41 — anti-aircraft machine gun aiming speed has been increased from 90°/s to 120°/s both horizontally and vertically.
  Source: MSSA Brochure by Rheinmetall.
  
• KF41 — the turret aiming speeds have been changed. Vertical speed has been reduced from 60°/s to 51.56°/s and the horizontal speed has been reduced from 60°/s to 57.29°/s.
  Sources: LANCE2 Turret Brochure by Rheinmetall; BOXER LANCE Brochure by Rheinmetall.
  
• Magach 7C — the armor material of the side screens has been changed from structural steel to rolled homogeneous armor. (Report).
  
• Tiger E, Tigris — limited gun depression angles in the rear hemisphere have been fixed. (Report).
  
• Type 93 — the vehicle’s turning radius has been reduced from 8.5 to 5.6 meters.
  Sources: 高機動車ＧＷ－Ｄ０１１００１Ｙ; 2000年5月メガクルーザー.
  
• AMD.35, AMD.35 (SA35), Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK — brake operation causing the vehicle to drift when breaking has been fixed. (Report).
  
• Centauro I 120, Centauro I 105 R, Centauro I 105 — the turning radius of the vehicle has been reduced from 11 to 9 meters.
  Source: Centauro I 105/120 Datasheet.
  
• M60A1 (AOS), M60A1 RISE (P), M60A1 “D.C.Ariete” — the reverse speed value has been changed from 11.3 to 8.3 km\h.
  Source: TM 9-2350-257-20-2-3-1 - Organizational Maintenance Manual. Turret for Tank, Combat, Full-Tracked, 105-mm Gun, M60A1 (RISE) and M60A1 (RISE Passive).
  
• PUMA VJTF — the driver’s night sight has been changed to thermal imager. (Report).
  
• VBCI-2 (MCT30) — the ammunition capacity of the M2HB machine gun has been reduced from 2000 to 600 rounds.
  Source: Kongsberg, Protector Remote Weapon Station.
  
• HJ-9, 9M133, 9M133FM-3 — flight model and autopilot have been updated.

• Lincoln B.Mk.II — for the upper 20 mm Hispano Mk.V defensive cannon, the amount of rounds has been increased from 700 to 722.
  Source: Avro Lincoln B1 & 2 Flight manual.
  
• Super Etendard — the ability to use the GBU-12 on the outer wing pylons has been added. The ability to use the Phimat countermeasure pod has been added. (Report, Report).
  
• 13.2 mm Type 3 machine gun — the machine gun belts have been changed. The AP-I and API-T rounds have been removed. (Report).
  
• Su-34 — the FAB-1500M-46 bomb has been replaced by the FAB-1500M-54.
  
• 30 mm Type 30-1 cannon — the rate of fire has been reduced from 1000 rpm to 850 rpm. (Report).
  Sources: Norinco Compilation of products. Guns; Самолёт МиГ-21Ф-13 II, Оборонгиз 1963.
  
• Yak-28B — M-46 series bombs have been replaced with the M-54 series.
  
• Su-34 — FAB-3000M-54 and FAB-3000 UMPK bombs and the corresponding modification have been added. The ability to equip Grom-2, UPAB-500, KAB-500LG on the central underfuselage pylon has been added.
  
• F-15I Ra’am — AGM-65D and the corresponding modification has been added.
  
• F-15E, F-111F — AGM-130 guided bomb has been added.
  
• Kurnass, Kurnass 2000 — the GBU-15(V)1/B guided bomb has been added.
  
• Mirage 2000D-RMV — the AASM 250 family of guided bombs and corresponding modifications have been added. PGM-500 bomb modification no longer requires researching the GBU-12/49 modification.
  
• Tornado GR.4 — the ability to carry BOL countermeasure pods on the underwing hardpoints and a corresponding modification have been added. (Report). The ability to carry Brimstone (SAL) missiles on underwing hardpoints has been added.
  
• BK-27, ADEN25, Akan m/85, GAU-12/U — the fuze sensitivity has been reduced for APHE, SAP and PELE projectiles to be similar to other projectiles of the same type. Previously there was a chance that these projectiles passed through aircraft without triggering the fuze.

• MiG-21S (R-13-300) — a bug where the ejection seat was not displayed in third person view has been fixed. (Report). Display of the IR visor in the aircraft cockpit has been fixed. (Report).
  
• Yak-9U, Yak-9UT — the coolant tank has been added to X-ray view.
  Sources: Системы оборудования силовых установок самолетов; Самолет Як-9У с двигателем ВК-107А. Техническое описание.
  
• Su-34 — a bug where the drop tanks were not dropped in the correct order has been fixed. (Report).
  
• F-20A — pilot model has been replaced with a more modern version. (Report).
  
• Mirage 2000D-R1 — an incorrect adapter used with the centerline GBU-16 guided bomb has been removed. (Report).
  
• J-10A, JF-17 — an indication of target tracked with a radar has been added to the HUD.
  
• Su-27 and other aircraft using the ILS-31 HUD — new elements have been added to the HUD: tracked target altitude, tracked target aspect angle, tracked target closing speed, and an indicator that shows whether the radar is active. (Report).
  
• A radar tracked target marker has been added to several HUDs. If the target is outside the HUD viewing zone (Target Locator Line), the target marker will remain at the edge of the HUD viewing zones and blink, indicating the direction to the target. Indication has been added for the following aircraft (as well as aircraft using similar HUDs): Su-27, MiG-29, Yak-141, F-16, F-15, F-14, F-20, F-5, Su-34, Mirage 2000/4000/F1, Super Etendard, J-8F, F-4 late modifications, J35XS, JA37.
  
• JA37 — an indication of target tracked with a radar has been added to the HUD. (Report).
  
• Mirage 2000 (all variants), Mirage 4000, Mirage F1CT, Super Etendard — an angle-of-attack indicator and digital clock have been added to the HUD. (Report).
  
• F-16AM (France), F-16A MLU (China) — a GMTI mode has been added for the APG-66(V)3.
  
• F-100A, F-100D — the sequence of launching air-to-air missiles has been fixed. (Report).
  
• F4D-1 — ballistic computer for the guns and rockets has been removed. (Report).
  Source: NAVWEPS 01-40FBA-1.

• Su-27, Su-34, J-11 — sustained turn rate at medium speeds has been increased.
  
• Su-27SM — engines have been replaced with the AL-31F-M1 engines.
  
• IAR-93B — engine has been changed to Mk. 633-47.
  
• Saab AJ37, AJS37, JA37 — the maximum speed at high altitudes has been increased to M1.6. (Report).
  
• AJ37, AJS37 — the maximum permissible indicated airspeed has been decreased to 1350 km/h according to the flight manual.
  
• Me 163 (all variants), Ki-200 — fuel consumption has been increased, engine work time on full throttle has been reduced to ~4min. (Report).

• Mogador — torpedo tube aiming angles have been fixed. (Report).
  
• HMS Repulse — a bug that caused the 40 mm “Pom-Pom” mounts on the stern to not shoot has been fixed. (Report).

• USS Mississippi — a geometry error in the barbette of the first main caliber turret where a gap could appear when turning the turret has been fixed.
  
• USS Tennessee — a geometry error in the floor of all main caliber turrets where a gap could appear when turning the turrets has been fixed.
  
• IJN Mutsu — a gap between the barbettes and main caliber turrets has been fixed. (Report).

• The max Battle Rating limit for all Air Battle modes has been increased to 14.0.
  
• F-15E, F-15I Ra’am — Battle Ratings in all Air Battle modes has been increased to 14.0.
  
• F-14B, AV-8B Plus (all variants), MiG-29G, Sea Harrier FA 2, Harrier GR.7, Mirage 4000 — these aircraft are no longer considered “top” in terms of vehicle research bonus. This is because they no longer meet the condition of “maximum Battle Rating among all modes is no more than 2 steps below the maximum BR of this tree” due to new vehicles with a Battle Rating of 14.0 being added to the trees of the corresponding nations.
  
• Tor-M1 — the Battle Rating in all modes has been decreased from 11.7 to 11.0.
  
• ARL-44 — vehicle class has been changed from “Tank Destroyer” to “Heavy Tank”. It has been moved from the tank destroyer line to the tank line, where it was has been added as the first vehicle in the group with the M4A3E2.
  
• AMX-10M — added as the second vehicle in the group with the AuF1.
  
• Zachlam Tager — added as the second vehicle in the group with the Rochev.
  
• Sturer Emil — the Battle Rating has been reduced from 4.3 to 4.0. Vehicle has been moved to Rank II and added as the second vehicle in the group with the Dicker Max.
  
• Wirbelwind — added as the second vehicle in the group with the Ostwind.
  
• Ostwind II — vehicle rank has been changed from IV to III.
  
• Challenger 3 TD — the position in the tech tree has been changed. This tank is now located before the Challenger 2 Black Night / 2E group.

• New customization options for ground vehicle sights have been added:
  
  • Reload indicator settings — the ability to separately show/hide the gun readiness indicator and the weapon reload countdown timer has been added.
    
  • The color of the rangefinder progress bar can now be changed.
    
  • The thickness of the sight lines and text fonts can now be adjusted.
• The ability to change the Player Profile showcase has been added. The following showcases are currently available to choose from:
  
  • Battle-Hardened. Available by default. You can select a game mode where the your skill-dependent statistics, PvP rating, and place in the leaderboard will be displayed.
    
  • Atomic Ace. Becomes available when a nuclear strike is performed. Shows the total number of nuclear strikes performed over the entire lifetime of the account.
    
  • Peacemaker. Becomes available when a nuclear weapon carrier is shot down before it drops its nuke. Shows the total number of nuclear weapons carriers intercepted over the entire lifetime of the account.
    
  • Favorite Vehicle. Available by default. You can select one of your favorite vehicles and the statistics for the game mode with the most respawns will be shown. In the future, the game mode for this showcase can be manually selected.

• A separate mechanic for punishing an attack on an allied nuclear-armed aircraft has been added. When any damage is inflicted on such an aircraft, the player is awarded penalty points in the amount necessary to disconnect them from the current game session. The awarded penalty points will not only lead to an immediate disconnection from the session, but will also be used in calculating the need for longer-term automatic bans.
  
• New mechanics for interacting with the tactical map have been added. For aircraft and ground vehicles, the ability to move the tactical map has been added, as well as switching between the “ground forces” and “aircraft” maps in Ground Battles. For aircraft, in addition to the functionality described above, the ability to set a point of interest via the tactical map has been added.
  
• An altitude indicator has been added to targets tracked by a radar.
  
• Relative threat elevation indication has been added for RWRs that are capable of determining this in real life; Currently, RWRs of the SPO-15 series have this ability in the game.

The Mi-24D is available at a discount during the dates!

Temporarily available at a 30% discount for 5,992 Golden Eagles.

When: From today until December 16th (07:00 GMT).
Where: USSR > Helicopters > Premium vehicles.

• The Mi-24D is a versatile helicopter, great for attacking ground vehicles. This helicopter can withstand small-caliber fire and the number of ordnance is good — rockets, Falanga missiles, bombs and guns makes the Mi-24D ready for most combat scenarios.

Your screenshots from last week were fantastic! Matches are a lot more fun when you have a friend to coordinate with- when fighting against the enemy, having an extra hand is always nice. 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 #WTscreen150. You have time until the 20th of December 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 a vehicle with a propeller.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen150 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=3379818717
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3381789444
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3381465370

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3379981421
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3382256254
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3381394738

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

It’s time to finally welcome the Eurofighter family, joining War Thunder as the new top fighter aircraft for Germany, Great Britain and Italy. Today, we’ll be showing you the most advanced jet fighter aircraft (for now!) to come to the game!

At a glance:

• Ten air-to-air missiles!
  
• Advanced CAPTOR radar.
  
• PIRATE IRST (FGR.4 and F-2000A).
  
• Exceptional agility and flight performance.
  
• Brimstone missiles!

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
In the early 1980s, several European countries needed a replacement for their frontline fighter aircraft that had begun to slip behind more modern aircraft appearing from the US and USSR. Previous collaborative projects like the Jaguar and Tornado lead Germany, Britain, France and Italy to once again come together, along with Spain, for a new next generation all weather jet fighter project. Previous experiences led to the Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) program and later, the Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP) resulting in an airworthy technology demonstration platform. This platform could test the theory behind many of the new advanced manufacturing technologies and features required for what would become the Future European Fighter Aircraft (FEFA) programme in 1983. France would however withdraw from the program due to disagreements on requirements and control over the project.

After the turbulence of the early 90s, disagreements over the radar set and huge financial overrun, the Eurofighter had finally started to emerge. An engine consortium, EuroJet Turbo, was formed to handle the powerplant and the ECR-90 Radar (Later CAPTOR) was selected based on the Blue Vixen. First taking to the skies in 1994, it wouldn’t be until the early 2000s that the Eurofighter Typhoon would enter into service with the four core nations of the program after more development and overruns pushed the aircraft back. Initially the aircraft was heavily focused on the aerial superiority role, with later Tranches of the fighter bringing air-to-ground weaponry to its ever expanding arsenal. After more modernization programs, Typhoons have since seen combat in the 2010s, and the four original operating nations have been joined by Austria, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. 
[/expand]




The Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the most advanced 4th (or 4.5 depending on your classification!) generation aircraft in the world today. It’s fair to say few aircraft have been as anticipated as this one! Germany, Great Britain and Italy will all be receiving a comparable version of this top jet fighter aircraft in the Storm Warning major update, providing each of these nations with a highly capable and agile fighter that also has considerable ground attack potential too. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect from the Typhoon in-game.




From an air-to-air standpoint, the Eurofighter will be able to carry a formidable combined total load of ten missiles. There’s four AIM-9 Sidewinder variants that can be taken (AIM-9L and AIM-9M for Italy and Britain, AIM-9L and AIM-9L/i in Germany) for close range engagements and six AIM-120 AMRAAMs for BVR combat. However, you could also take up to six IR missiles an four BVR missiles as an alternative combination if you wish too. Coupled with a Helmet-mounted display and the impressive CAPTOR radar set, this aircraft will be one of the deadliest in both long range and short range engagements. Should you find yourself at the wrong end of a missile, the Eurofighter will help keep you in the fight with the Defensive Aid Sub-System (DASS for short). This features a MAWS with integrated countermeasures on the aircraft, including a generous load of Chaff and Flares to counter whatever type of threat comes your way. The British and Italian versions will also feature PIRATE IRST, providing another means of locking and tracking targets without setting off their RWRs. 

Interesting: The Eurofighter is unique in being a combat aircraft produced by four nations, each with their own assembly lines for components. Britain produces the front cockpit section, canards, tail and part of the rear fuselage, Germany the central fuselage, Italy the left wing and rest of the rear fuselage and Spain the right wing. Each nation has its own final assembly plant where all components are brought together. 




We must not forget about the air-to-ground aspect too. Each Typhoon variant differs slightly in its arsenal, however you can expect to see the standard types of familiar bombs. Conventional 1000 and 2000 lb variants and the guided Paveway series (Mk.18 for the British version, GBU-48 for Germany and Italy), coupled with a LITENING III targeting pod and GPS Guided GBU-54s. All three Typhoon variants can fire the excellent Brimstone missile and also feature a single 27 mm cannon mounted in the wing root, suitable for lighter ground targets or those moments when you do get guns on air targets. The British FGR.4 variant also comes with a laser warning receiver, so should someone lock you up via laser guidance, even that won’t go unnoticed to the Typhoon.

Weaponry aside, the Eurofighter is an impressive platform in the flight performance department too. A pair of EuroJet EJ200 engines provide an exceptional amount of thrust up to 18,000 kgf, meaning the aircraft can quickly recover lost energy and achieve an excellent rate of climb. Its frontal canards provide great turning agility, so should things get up close and personal, the Typhoon will be able to keep up with the best of the competition.




You won’t have much longer to wait now until the Eurofighter will be joining the ranks of the German, British and Italian aviation trees. Stay tuned to the news to find out what other things there are to look forward to in the Storm Warning major update for War Thunder!

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

When there’s a snowstorm and blizzard outside, it’s best to gather around with family and friends inside, put up decorations and remember everyone’s favorite fairy tales about the New Year’s miracles. And then of course play some War Thunder, where the festive mood and an event await you!

This time, the rewards for the Winter Tales event include fairy-tale character decals and event vehicles at rank V-VIII. The Colombian Kfir C.10 Block 60 jet fighter for Israel, the IJN Kirishima battleship and the Pakistani T-80UD (478BE) in the Chinese ground forces tree.

When: From December 20th (11:00 GMT) until January 9th (11:00 GMT), complete tasks and get rewards!

A Rank VIII Event Vehicle for Israel — Click here to learn more.


A Rank I Premium for France — Click here to learn more.


A Rank V Event Vehicle for Japan — Click here to learn more.


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









Decals:
Gryla

Hans Trapp

Jack Frost

Befana

Krampus

• Activate all five decal coupons on your account to get the sixth decal, “Yule Cat”.

“Yule Cat” decal

More about collections on the WT Wiki!


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Event vehicles of ranks V-VIII and decals that are issued in the form of coupons and premium vehicles of rank I, player icons, decorators and camouflages are immediately activated on the account.

All event rewards are issued for a certain number of “Marks of Distinction” received on your vehicle type in the corresponding mode.

The Snow Globe will reward you with vehicles, camouflages, decals, decorations and player profile icons from previous winter events, plus useful consumables, including boosters, universal backups, wagers and orders. Some items are here for the first time as coupons, meaning you’ll be able to sell them on the Market!

The Snow Globe can be purchased for 60,000 Silver Lions.

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• 50,000 — 100,000 Silver Lions
  
• Silver and EXP boosters
  
• Random wagers and orders
  
• Universal backups (1-3 pcs.)
  
• Random camouflage for a purchased vehicle of any type
  
• 1 day of Premium account

To get one Mark of Distinction for a tanker/pilot/sailor, earn 40,000 mission points in random battles in Rank III or higher (from Rank I for event vehicles) in the corresponding game mode. Point multipliers that vary based on vehicle rank and difficulty level are stated in the task description. The tasks are all the same and are renewed every two days at 11:00 GMT.

• The exact terms of each task can be found here: Nickname → Achievements → Winter Tales.
  
• To get a Mark of Distinction, you need to complete a task in the corresponding vehicle type in the corresponding game mode. For example, a Mark of Distinction for pilots can only be received by playing Air battles (AB/RB/SB).
  
• You can complete tasks in multiplayer battles in all game modes except for “Assault”.
  
• You can complete tasks not only in vehicles of Rank III and above, but also in lower rank event vehicles — vehicles obtained in large events such as winter and summer marathons, WWII chronicles, BP seasons and craft marathons. In the stat cards of these vehicles you can find the names of events in which they first became available in the game.
  
• You’ll only have received a Mark of Distinction if the achievement’s color is gold. If you’ve completed the task and it hasn’t turned gold yet, join another battle and afterwards it should turn gold.
  
• Missed Marks of Distinction can be purchased for Golden Eagles in the Achievements window until January 13th 2025. Make sure you pick the right achievement category: either for tankers, pilots and sailors.
  
• Rewards received in the form of tradable coupons will be available for trading on the Market from January 13th 2025. The time from which the coupon can be traded can be viewed in the game in the coupon description. The option of trading each coupon separately depends on the time of its receipt and doesn’t depend on the vehicle type.
  
• The “Upgrade for coupon” item is valid until 12:00 GMT on February 1st 2025. Until this time, you can use it or exchange it for War Bonds. Afterwards, it’ll disappear from your inventory.
  
• For 8 Marks of Distinction you receive an untradable coupon for a vehicle. Upon activating it, you’ll instantly receive a corresponding vehicle. If you do not wish to use the vehicle and want to sell the coupon on the Market instead, you’ll need the “Upgrade for coupon” item.
  
• For 10 Marks of Distinction, you’ll receive an untradable “Upgrade for coupon” item. You can use it to make the vehicle coupon you received tradable and then sell it on the Market. The date on which a traded coupon becomes available for sale can be seen in its description in the game.
  
• PlayStation and Xbox players will be able to exchange decal coupons for similar ones. The exchange is available in the Workshop → Exchange items “Winter Tales” window.

Happy Holidays!

Today we’re pleased to welcome a trio of new WW2 premium vehicles, all coming as part of a single pack. Two premium Tiger tanks and a premium Ostwind II SPAA! 



A concept we’ve been considering for a while now is the idea of collection packs — a premium bundle that contains multiple vehicles along with other goodies. The benefit of a pack like this is that it comes as a lineup, which is overall more useful than a single vehicle, giving those who pick it up more options in battle and the potential of earning more Research Points with multiple spawns. Plus, it’s a good pick if you haven’t played Germany yet!

The two premium Tiger H1 models represent the battlefields of the Eastern and Western fronts, incorporating aesthetic elements inspired by each theater. 





The Tiger from the east has clearly seen a lot of action and is much more rugged and rural, with some extra track armor on the frontal hull and bundles of sticks strapped to the sides. These function more for improvised camouflage rather than protection however, and won’t offer much of any extra survivability from conventional rounds. The extra track armor can prove effective when angled however, and will make this eastern Tiger more effective for closer range engagements.




The western Tiger though is much more comfortable among the verdant fields and hedgerows of the Western Front. It features an extensive camo net which disguises its silhouette nicely at the longer ranges especially against aircraft! This Tiger (while versatile in its own right) is more suited for waiting in ambush and sniping from long distances, where its extra concealment really comes into play.





Importantly, as these two Tigers depict customized, battle-hardened vehicles, they have both received an additional modification — the anti-infantry mortars on the top of the hull which often got in the way of the cannon have been removed. This doesn’t give them any additional gun depression over the basic variant overall, but does mean that these two can achieve maximum gun depression over the corners of the hull!





Accompanying these big cats is a premium Ostwind II, complete with special camo netting of its own along with wider Ostketten tracks to improve its maneuverability! We considered going for a more classic option such as the regular Ostwind or Wirbelwind, but wanted to stick with the Ostwind II despite it being a prototype, as it would better match the Battle Ratings of the Tigers and make the overall lineup more functional — plus this way it could be more effectively used in higher tier lineups as well.




We hope this new bundle will give a nice head start for budding tank commanders keen on progressing through the German tree, as well as offering a comfortable lineup for players looking to get more Silver Lions, or who just love driving Tigers! 

That’s all for today, make sure to pick up the pack when it releases with the Storm Warning major update! Until then stay tuned as we have a lot more to show you yet!

Today we’re announcing the Panzerhaubitze 2000, one of the world’s most modern howitzers coming to the game for two nations at once.

At a glance:

• Powerful 155 mm L52 gun!
  
• Good mobility.
  
• Poor gun depression.
  
• Lightly armored.

Vehicle History
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The Panzerhaubitze 2000 dates back to the SP70 program set up in the early 70’s in collaboration with Germany, Great Britain and Italy. This program aimed to replace the aging M109 howitzers in service with the three countries with a more modern vehicle featuring a longer and more powerful 155 mm howitzer. The project however was canceled in 1986 due to design issues, and the participating companies went separate ways. Great Britain went on to design and produce the AS-90, and Germany the Panzerhaubitze 2000. In 1987, design work began on the Panzerhaubitze 2000 by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and was completed by 1995, with the vehicle entering service with the German Army in 1998.

Hungary put in an order for 24 brand-new Panzerhaubitze 2000’s in 2018 and received the first two in August 2022. By the summer of 2024, 23 have been delivered. These vehicles replaced the aging Soviet D-20 152 mm artillery systems that were in service with Hungary previously.
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In the Storm Warning major update, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 will be joining Germany in the main tech tree, and Italy as a premium Hungarian variant with unique camouflage netting. A 155 mm gun and devastating HE shells is all you need to obliterate any enemy! Let’s take a closer look.




Did you know? “Panzerhaubitze 2000” directly translates to “Armored howitzer 2000”!

The Panzerhaubitze 2000 can be considered one of, if not the best howitzer in the world (it is also the most expensive artillery system!), this is thanks to its devastating 155 mm L52 howitzer that’s approximately 8 meters in length. The strength of this gun is its ballistics — it can fire HE shells with a high muzzle velocity, capable of hitting enemy vehicles at outstanding ranges. For long distances, a handy laser rangefinder can be used in conjunction with the main gun to provide pinpoint accurate fire. Just ensure that you aim the shells at weaker areas of enemy armor so that it can cause as much HE damage as possible.



Interesting: In 2019, the Panzerhaubitze 2000’s 155 mm L52 gun set a range record by firing a shell at a distance of 67 km!

Weighing approximately 58 tons, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 can reach an excellent top speed of 60 km/h on road thanks to its 1,000 HP engine. You’ll be able to use this speed to your advantage by taking tactical positions early, or by performing quick, aggressive maneuvers at the closer ranges.



Having an excellent gun and mobility comes with a downside though, and that’s its armor and crew compartment. The Panzerhaubitze 2000 has thin steel armor all around and additional armor on the roof (known as “Hedgehog Armor”) which is enough to withstand light or heavy machine gun fire, but any hit from a main tank gun will penetrate it with ease. After penetration, the 5 crew members, consisting of a commander, gunner, driver and two loaders can easily be knocked out due to the size of the vehicle and compact layout of the crew and ammo. Keep this in mind while traversing around the map!



That’s it for this one! The Panzerhaubitze 2000 is going to provide Germany and Italy with some awesome firepower in the Storm Warning major update. Be sure to pick up the premium Hungarian variant for Italy that comes with a cool camouflage net. Keep an eye on the news for other dev blogs and see you soon!

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