Today we’ll be taking a look at the XM246, an experimental SPAA with a pair of 35 mm Oerlikon KDA cannons on the hull of the M48 Patton tank, coming in the Hornet’s Sting major update.

At a glance:

• Fast-firing 35 mm Oerlikon KDA cannons!
  
• Search and tracking radar.
  
• Large turret, but with a good rotation speed.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The U.S. Army looked to replace their M163 and MIM-72 anti-aircraft systems through the Advanced Radar-directed Gun Air Defense System (ARGADS) competition. This competition aimed to develop an anti-aircraft system equipped with a radar, mounted on a tank chassis to be able to accompany ground formations. Later, the competition was relaunched under the new name of Division Air Defense (DIVAD), where the M48 tank, that remained in large quantities in army warehouses, was used as the chassis.

Two companies built experimental prototypes: Ford Aerospace with their XM247 and 40 mm Bofors guns (the future M247 Sergeant York), as well as General Dynamics with their XM246 prototype, armed with 35 mm Oerlikon cannons. Despite a convincing advantage in the number of targets hit during test firing, the XM246 did not win the competition and was withdrawn from further testing.
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Meet the XM246, a new anti-aircraft vehicle for the USA that features familiar guns and chassis, positioned at rank VI between the M163 and M247, capable of providing more anti-air firepower for several lineups. Descending into the particulars!




The very concept of the XM246 may seem familiar to many of you — a medium tank chassis with 35 mm Oerlikon cannons, so it must be the Gepard, right? Well they’re both similar in many ways, but there’s still some differences. Firstly, the guns are positioned closer together in the center of the turret rather than spread apart. Next is the large looking tracking radar that’s located at the front left of the turret and the search radar on top of the turret, both enclosed in a dome. Lastly is the ammunition, where the XM246 lacks the APDS belt, however it won’t stop this vehicle from being able to penetrate lightly armored tanks at close range with the other belts!

As for mobility, the XM246 uses the M48 Patton chassis as did its competitor in the ARGADS competition, the M247. This chassis is capable of reaching a max speed of 48 km/h, allowing it to move around on roads fairly quickly and off-road at a decent pace.




Rounding off, the XM246 sits in a good middle ground between the high rate of fire but short range of the M163 and the slower rate of fire but long range of the M247. The radar on the XM246 will tell you the lead point for firing at targets at long range, and the fire rate of 550 RPM per barrel will compensate for any inaccuracy thanks to the high rate of fire down range. As with all other SPAAs, the XM246 will also be quite effective as a support vehicle by taking out enemy tracks, gun barrels and lightly armored targets. Don’t count on your armor protection though, as the armor is pretty thin all-over and will be penetrated by most enemy tanks.



That’s it for this one. The XM246 is coming in the Hornet’s Sting major update and will provide good firepower for taking out enemy aircraft in several lineups. Keep an eye on the news for more dev blogs coming your way!

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

Each month we share information about accounts that have been banned for cheating or for violating the TOS. We thank you for actively reporting players who aren’t playing by the rules: it really helps us! You can use the battle replay function on our website to report players who you suspect have violated the game’s Terms of Service and the License Agreement. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.

Since our last fair play, we’ve banned 5790 accounts that were found to have violated the rules. Specifically 3.2.3 of the EULA namely in the automation of gameplay (using bots) and cheat software. For complete transparency, we’re publishing the full list of these banned players. This list will be available for two weeks after the publication of this article.


We recommend that you set a strong password for your account and enable two-step authentication in your profile security settings. We have the following 2FA options available: email, SMS, TOTP (Gaijin Pass/Google Authenticator), and Telegram bot, which we suggest trying if SMS 2FA messages are not reaching you.

We’d also suggest that you turn on 2FA for the email that is linked to your Gaijin account for additional security, as this will protect your account from fraudsters. And remember, don’t use prohibited client modifications and never share your account information with anyone.

The War Thunder Team

Let’s take a look at the premium version of the C1 Ariete tank with additional armor and a unique look!

At a glance:

• Good mobility!
  
• DM53 APFSDS shell.
  
• Additional WAR armor. 

 
Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
In 1984, requirements were formed to create a new tank for the Italian Army. Multiple Italian defense companies became involved in creating this new tank, including FIAT, OTO Melara and IVECO. Developments in tank design during the OF-40 tank program and participation in the development of the Leopard 1 were used in the creation of the C1 Ariete prototype. The first batch of tanks were completed in 1988, and after a long series of tests and financial difficulties, the C1 began production in 1995. The initial plan was for 700 tanks, however only 200 were produced in total. In parallel with the base models, the PSO and WAR armor add-on kits were developed, improving the tank’s armor protection at the front and side. 

To this day, the Italian Army is the only operator of the C1 Ariete tank. 
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69.99
To get to the Gaijin Store through Steam, go to the in-game hangar > Shop > Online Store!

• Ariete Certezza (Rank VII, Italy)
  
• 2500 Golden Eagles
  
• Premium account for 20 days
  
• Pre-order bonus: unique "Iron Heart" title
  
• Pre-order bonus: 32nd Tank Regiment coat of arms decal
  

The Ariete Certezza is essentially a premium version of the C1 Ariete with the WAR armor add-on kit and a unique look. Coming to the game in the Hornet’s Sting major update, the pre-order pack will provide you with special pre-order bonuses, premium account days and Golden Eagles. Diving into the details!



Let’s take a closer look at the WAR armor add-on kit mentioned above. This kit provides additional protection on the turret’s cheeks, helping to resist hits from guided missiles and HEAT based shells. In terms of firepower, the Ariete Certezza features the 120 mm OTO Breda 120/44 cannon with an effective fire control system that includes a laser rangefinder and a high-res thermal imager. As for ammunition, this tank’s main round of choice is the DM53 APFSDS shell, providing excellent penetration values of just over 600 mm at 100 m. 



As for the unique appearance of the Ariete Certezza, we’ve aimed to combine some of the characteristic features of tanks in this series that participated in various exercises and demonstrations. In addition to the markings on the hull and turret, this premium tank is distinguished by unique exhaust pipes that in a way are somewhat reminiscent of the ones from the Tiger tank and concertina razor wire on the lower front plate. To top it off, the Ariete Certezza has a Camouflage net modification that you can turn on or off to your liking! You’ll also be able to remove the WAR add-on armor kit, however the camouflage net will become unavailable when doing this.



That’s it for this dev blog! The Ariete Certezza can be pre-ordered starting from today and will be available with the release of the Hornet’s Sting major update. Keep an eye out for more dev blogs coming your way! 

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

Let’s take a look at the Su-30SM, a modern Russian multi-role two-seat fighter jet coming to the Hornet’s Sting major update!

At a glance:

• Up to 12 weapon hardpoints.
  
• Huge arsenal of available weapons!
  
• New R-77-1 ARH air-to-air missile.
  
• Thrust vectoring control.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
During the further development of the Su-27 series of fighters, the introduction of a second crew member became necessary. This was to be the pilot-operator who could take control of weapons and navigation systems and if needed, have the ability to replace the main pilot on long-distance flights. For the development of a two-seater variant, the Su-27UB was picked to be modified. It received a new pilot-operator seat and numerous improvements to on-board avionics and weapon control systems.

In 1988, the aircraft entered testing under the designation of Su-30. Due to the difficult economic situation, it was decided to offer the new fighter to foreign customers, the first being India. Based on one of the fighter upgrades for the needs of India, a modification for the Russian Air Force was developed in the early 2010s. This was the new Su-30SM model that entered testing in September 2012 and by the end of the same year began to enter active units.

The Su-30SM is currently in active service with the Aerospace Forces and Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy and is also in service with Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Myanmar.
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One of the modern representatives of the Su-27 family is the two-seat variant of the Su-30SM, an advanced twin-engine fighter that’s currently in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces! This rather heavy and large-in-size multi-role fighter features a large payload and can accelerate to a maximum speed of about Mach 2, all while maintaining amazing maneuverability for its size. The Su-30SM also has the most advanced weapons among all USSR/Russian aircraft in the game. Let’s take a closer look!




The Su-30SM may feel familiar as it continues on from the Su-27SM, but will offer some interesting new features both in terms of piloting and weapons. Let’s start with its flight characteristics. Equipped with the AL-31F engine that provides speed and climb rates that are comparable to the Su-27, these engines have rotating nozzles, opening up new possibilities in full control modes. They can change the direction of thrust — known as thrust vectoring — along all axes during maneuvers, improving controllability at extreme angles. When you use this aircraft in the Hornet’s Sting major update, you’ll be able to temporarily disable the limitation on going beyond critical angles of attack and enable control of angular speeds while in battle — but do it at your own risk! In simplified modes, the moving nozzles help a little during takeoff and vertical maneuvers, and slightly increase the sharpness of turns.

Interesting: The famous “Russian Knights” aerobatic team uses the Su-30SM for training and aerobatic demonstration performances.



Moving on from flight performance, what about weaponry? The Su-30SM’s secondary weapons menu looks almost like a candy store for a sweet tooth: up to 12 hardpoints, a huge payload weight and countless combinations! Let’s start with weapons for air combat. The air-to-air missiles are mostly inherited from the Su-27SM, including the R-73, R-27ET and R-27ER with SARH homing head and inertial guidance system. Additionally there’s a new ARH homing missile, the R-77-1, featuring improved energy and an increased launch range.

In terms of weapons for use against ground targets, the available amount has become noticeably more diverse. Up first is the Kh-29L, Kh-29TD, Kh-38ML and Kh-38MT guided missile family from Sukhoi attack aircraft and bombers. Next, the KAB-1500Kr guided bombs have been supplemented by the small KAB-500Kr and the LG family bombs with a laser, satellite and inertial guidance KAB-250LG, KAB-500LG and KAB-1500LG, satellite-guided UPAB-500 and UPAB-1500 and the long-range Grom-2. To control these guided weapons, the Su-30SM features the new T220 targeting pod, the first targeting pod in the USSR aviation tree with wide viewing angles.



If for some reason you prefer old school or the mission objectives require attacking ground vehicles or destroying bases, then regular bombs come to the rescue! In addition to the above, there’s regular 100 to 1500 kg bombs, 500 kg parachute retarded bombs, 500 kg incendiary bombs, plus rockets including the large S-25. The icing on the cake is a modern radar with a passive phased array (PESA radar), providing fast target coordinate updates in TWS mode, an RWR and a modern cockpit with multiple multi-function displays (MFD).



That’s it for today! The Su-30SM is ready to become the USSR’s new hero at the top aviation battles in War Thunder — make sure to give it a try when it’s released in the Hornet’s Sting major update!

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

Today we’ll be taking a look at the Tracked Rapier, featuring the new Rapier missile installed onto the back of a M548 cargo-carrier that was in service with the British Army!

At a glance:

• The brand-new Rapier missile — Mk.1E and Mk.2!
  
• 8 missiles ready to fire.
  
• 61 km/h max vehicle speed.
  
• Lightly armored.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The Rapier surface-to-air missile was developed for the British Army in the 1960s with the intention of replacing outdated and traditional anti-aircraft guns at RAF bases. This missile entered service with the British Army in 1971 as a static missile system.

An additional requirement by Iran was made to mount this missile system onto a tracked and mobile vehicle to help protect their Chieftain tanks. The Guided Weapons Division of BAC selected the American M548 as the vehicle and modified it to fit the Rapier missiles and a radar, which was first shown as the “Tracked Rapier” at the Paris Air Show in 1977. However, by the time Iran could receive orders, their government collapsed and had canceled defense contracts. Shortly after the British Army became interested and purchased several of these vehicles, first entering service in 1983 with the Royal Artillery.

The Tracked Rapier saw use in the Gulf War with the 12th and 16th Air Defence Regiments of the British Army. In the mid to late 1990s, it was phased out from service by the Stormer HVM vehicle. The RAF Cosford Museum has one Tracked Rapier on display.
[/expand]




In the Hornet’s Sting major update, Great Britain is receiving a rather awesome SAM platform in the form of the Tracked Rapier! This new vehicle features a brand-new piece of weaponry, the British Rapier missile that’s capable of taking out planes and helicopters. Let’s take a further look!




Introducing the surface-to-air Rapier missile, brand-new to the game! This missile is SACLOS guided — lock onto your target through the radar and let the missile follow and hit. The Rapier Mk.1E missile can fire at a range of 7 km and the Mk.2 at 8 km! These missiles are proximity based as well, meaning you just need to fire near your target and wait for it to explode, much like the Roland 2 missile.

Did you know? “Rapier” is a type of thin-bladed sword, mainly used by Spain and Italy in the 16th century. Quite a good name for the Rapier missile, describing its appearance rather aptly!



Since the Rapier missile system was originally intended and used in static positions to protect high value assets, Iran requested that it be mounted onto a mobile chassis, leading the British Aircraft Corporation to look for solutions. They selected the American M548 cargo-carrier as the vehicle of choice, which was heavily modified to fit these missiles and featured some more armor at the front. Regardless of this, the Tracked Rapier still lightly protected and can be taken out by most enemy fire, especially with only 3 crew members, so keep this in mind while driving around!



8 Rapier missiles (with no stowed spares) are mounted onto the back of the M548 and can rotate 360 degrees in place and have good elevation angles. Much like the Imp.Chaparral already in the game — which is also a modified M548 — the Tracked Rapier can reach a top speed of 61 km/h and weighs 14 tons. This platform can maneuver around decently but is not as good as many other contemporary vehicles regarding overall mobility. To top it off, there are smoke grenade launchers at the front and back of the vehicle, good for concealing against enemy fire.



That’s it for this dev blog! The Tracked Rapier is going to provide Great Britain with some awesome domestic SAM coverage when it arrives in the Hornet’s Sting major update. See you in a few!

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

Two variants of this Russian tank destroyer are coming in the Hornet’s Sting major update — one as a standard researchable vehicle, and one as a squadron vehicle!

At a glance:

• Long-barreled 152 mm howitzer!
  
• HE, APHEBC, and HEAT rounds.
  
• Autoloader.
  
• Good mobility.
  
• Not much armor protection.

Vehicle History
[expand type=details]
The development of the 2S19 “Msta-S” began at the Ural Plant in 1976, and later on design bureaus of several companies in the Soviet’s military industry were involved in the work. The first one was released in 1983 and a year later, field tests began with the 2S19 being accepted into service in 1989. Based on operating experience, some shortcomings of the vehicle appeared, primarily related to the imperfect fire control system. These shortcomings were eliminated with the advent of the modernized 2S19M1 and 2S19M2 variants. In addition to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the 2S19 is in service with Venezuela, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia and Georgia.
[/expand]


In the Hornet’s Sting major update, the 2S19M1 and M2, featuring a long-barreled 152 mm howitzer, an automatic loader and a good selection of shells are coming to the Soviet ground forces tree. Specifically, the 2S19M1 will be in the research line and the 2S19M2 will come as a new Squadron Vehicle. Let’s take a closer look!




The main weapon of the 2S19M1 and M2 is the long-barreled 152 mm howitzer that features automatic gun loading. There’s a plethora of available shells for this mighty gun, including two HE shells with up to 11.7 kg in TNT equivalent, a HE-VT shell, a HEAT shell and an APHEBC shell. These are all good for different scenarios that you may encounter while in battle!

All of the available ammunition — where a maximum of 50 can be taken into battle — is stored in the turret and is fed into the breech of the gun through an autoloader. The rate of fire is the main difference between the researchable 2S19M1 and 2S19M2 squadron vehicle at 8 and 10 rounds per minute respectively. Both reload rates are good and don’t depend on the skills of your crew!




Interesting: Most likely, “Msta” was named after a small river that flows in the Novgorod and Tver regions of Russia. However, there is also a version that the name of this vehicle is associated with an obsolete form of the word “revenge” in Russian.

If the 2S19M1 and M2’s hull looks familiar, then you’re right. This hull is from the T-80 and T-72 series tanks, with reworked armor protection parameters to reduce the overall weight. The 2S19M1 and M2 can reach a maximum road speed of 60 km/h, but — as very typical to Soviet and Russian tanks — the reverse speed is really poor at just 4 km/h.



In terms of surviving hits from enemy tanks, well it might be a bit of a problem. That’s because this vehicle is huge in size, has a low reverse speed, has poor gun depression and is very difficult to hide the vehicle in a bush or behind terrain cover. In addition to this, the 2S19M1 and M2 will generally be an easy target for aircraft due to the large size and thin armor. This armor will be able to withstand fire from machine guns, but anything larger in caliber will pierce straight through and give you a bad day.

So, we’ve talked about the good and bad. How do you play this thing? Get to a good position for sniper fire or go behind your teammates when attacking as a support vehicle. With a careful, yet aggressive playstyle, the 2S19M1 and M2 will show their best side thanks to their firepower and reload speed.



That’s it for this one! You can research the 2S19M1 in the Soviet research tree and get the 2S19M2 for squadron activity points or buy it outright for Golden Eagles with the release of the Hornet’s Sting major update. Happy tanking!

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

A big thanks to all who submitted screenshots last week! This week we will be focused on the smaller vehicles with lots of agility. Take a picture with a fighter aircraft, light tank, or coastal vessel! 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 #WTscreen161. You have time until the 7th of March 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 Light Tank, Coastal Vessel, or Fighter.
  
• You must add the #WTscreen161 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=3432117623
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3433494973
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3434205242

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3434650257
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3434339899
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3433069791

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

The Aérospatiale Alouette III multi-purpose helicopter designed by French company Sud Aviation made its first flight on February 28th, 1959. This helicopter was popular among countries and saw widespread service, with more than 2,000 Alouette III helicopters being produced. The number of operating countries reached 80, with Romania being one of them who gave the helicopter the designation of IAR 316.

You can get this helicopter at a 30% discount for 5,992 Golden Eagles!



When: From today until March 3rd (11:00).
Where: France > Helicopter > Premium vehicles.

About this helicopter

• The IAR 316B (rank V) is a Romanian-produced variant of the SA 316B, differing from the original Alouette III in that it has a new engine and a reinforced main and tail rotor. The IAR 316B is armed with two 7.62 mm machine guns and Malyutka-2 ATGMs and S-5K rockets for use against ground vehicles!

Today we’re taking a look at the visually updated Advance to the Rhine, Sinai and improved Jungle that will be coming in the Hornet’s Sting major update!


The war has now reached the right bank of the Rhine. The ancient city here has survived a series of air raids and now its cobblestone streets with the ruins of buildings and the ghosts of abandoned trams have become a real battlefield.




We’ve updated the graphics for one of the most popular city locations in War Thunder! Our artists have replaced the building models and completely updated the textures on this location, all while preserving the navigation, capture points and cover locations familiar among players. Advance to the Rhine has received many decorative elements in the design of the streets for greater historical authenticity, and the vegetation has been updated and adjusted.





We now move on from Western Europe to the Sinai Peninsula on the border of the continents of Asia and Africa. In the missions on this location, we’ve carried out a major graphical update to the environment. The color shades of sand and rocks have changed, small stones on passages will no longer obstruct the movement of armored vehicles, and the sand dunes look more natural.




The look of the roads has changed both for the sandy part and for the cluster of rocks. A small amount of architecture has changed, with some houses in the villages replaced with more authentic white-walled ones. A railway and telegraph line have been added between the main combat areas and the water channel. Vegetation, rock formations and landforms have been added to the combat area and outside of it in the desert.




From the dry sands of the desert, we move to the beautiful tropical jungles of the Solomon Islands! Meet the new Jungle, where in addition to visual improvements, we’ve made several important changes to gameplay. This location has received updated vegetation in the form of palm trees, bushes, and the terrain now looks more natural. Small villages have been built in different parts of the location, which liven up the appearance of the combat area for ground vehicles.





The river that flows through the entire location can now be crossed at any place without the risk of drowning. The map designers have made it so that it’s impossible to climb the mountain in square B1, as it was previously possible to shoot from it through to all capture points. Plus, the positions in squares E4 and E5 have been closed off.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus (Happy St. David’s Day)!

March 1st is St. David’s Day! A special day for the people of Wales, who go to parades, music festivals and wear the daffodil and leek. The Welsh flag features a red dragon passant with a white and green background, and makes a temporary return to War Thunder for Golden Eagles.

This flag is available for 500 Golden Eagles over the weekend period.


“Wales” flag decal

When: From today until March 3rd (07:00 GMT).
Where: You can find this decal by going to Nickname → Decals → Common → World Flags.