🛡CS/SA5: Ground Shield!

Meet the modern CS/SA5 Chinese air defense system coming to War Thunder in the next major update!

🇨🇳CS/SA5: An SPAA (SAM) for China at Rank VIII

At a glance:
▪️Rapid-fire 30 mm cannon
▪️FB-10A missiles
▪️Good top speed
▪️Large in size

👋Introducing the CS/SA5!
The next major update is going to please many players with new end of the line SAM vehicles! What better way to introduce them than with the CS/SA5 for China, which is based on a wheeled 8x8 chassis. Read on for the specifics!

🛍Kick-start your Chinese vehicles research with this starter pack: Chinese Starter Pack
🛍You can greatly speed up the research of the CS/SA5 with this pack: Al-Khalid-I Pack

⛵️A Decal and VLT-2 for National Sailor’s Day in France!

The French Navy has been around since the Middle Ages. It carried crusaders across the Mediterranean and was a participant in the Hundred Years’ War. In 1690, France won one of its most impressive naval victories in the Battle of Beachy Head, having sunk 10 Anglo-Dutch fleet ships without losing a single one of their own.

🇫🇷The VLT-2 is now available for Golden Eagles and is here to stay!

This boat is available for 4,880 Golden Eagles.
When: From May 22nd (11:00 GMT).
Where: France > Coastal fleet > Premium vehicles.

About this boat
▪️The VLT-2 is not very well protected, but has good mobility and is well armed. It has two 40 mm Bofors L/60 Mark 3 guns (one at the front and one at the back) and two 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannons. This boat can also take two 550 mm torpedoes as well!

⭐️Get the “Emblem of the Fusiliers marins” decal!

When: From May 22nd (11:00 GMT) until May 26th (11:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using French naval vessels at rank III or higher to receive the “Emblem of the Fusiliers marins” decal!

Additional details:
▪️Your activity must not be below 70%.
▪️You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, and [Assault] mode.
▪️Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → National Sailor’s Day in France.
▪️You can find the decal in the “France → Navy” tab in the Customization menu.

🌪Spirit of the Tempest: HF-24 Marut

The main reward in the Spirit of the Tempest is the first Indian combat aircraft, the HF-24 Marut, designed by Kurt Tank!

🇮🇳🇬🇧HF-24: A Strike Aircraft for Great Britain at Rank V

At a glance:
▪️High maneuverability
▪️Up to 4,000 lb of bombs
▪️SNEB rockets in a retractable pack
▪️30 mm cannons!
▪️Subsonic
▪️No guided missiles

👋Introducing the HF-24 Marut!
Meet the main reward in the Spirit of the Tempest event that started today: India’s first domestically designed combat aircraft, the HAL HF-24 Marut! This is a subsonic strike aircraft with good acceleration, excellent controllability and strong weaponry. Let’s dive in!

➡️Click here to find out more details about the Spirit of the Tempest event

🚤Pre-order: Battleship Gneisenau

🇩🇪This ship will soon be joining the German Bluewater fleet as a premium in the next major update, completing the Scharnhorst class in the game. Building upon the strengths of its sistership, Gneisenau most prominently features its originally intended upgrade to its main battery while retaining its signature superb protection and mobility. Let’s dive in!

From the outset, Gneisenau was planned to receive an upgraded suite of 380 mm main battery guns during its service life. Although this ultimately never materialized due to the war situation, you’ll soon be able to play this ship in its ultimate form! Swapping its triple 283 mm main battery for a twin 380 mm one results in Gneisenau receiving a monstrous upgrade to its firepower. As a result, this ship is capable of engaging in direct firefights with even the most heavily armored opponents.

While Gneisenau’s primary battery received a substantial upgrade, the remainder of the ship’s specifications remains similar to Scharnhorst. As a result, you can count on a superb match with both excellent protection and good levels of mobility. Furthermore, Gneisenau also packs some serious firepower in terms of its secondary and anti-air power, resulting in the ship being well protected against attacks from smaller vessels as well as airborne threats. Thanks to the premium status of this ship, you’ll be able earn more research points towards your German Bluewater fleet tree.

➡️ Pre-order - KMS Gneisenau Pack

The Kit Includes:
🔹KMS Gneisenau (Rank VI, Germany)
🔹3000 Golden Eagles
🔹Premium account for 30 days
🔹Pre-order bonus: unique "Glorious Hit" title
🔹Pre-order bonus: unique "Gneisenau ship crest" decoration (available after the next major update)

🚤Pre-order: Battlecruiser Sevastopol

🚩Sevastopol was designed as a classic battlecruiser, featuring powerful main weapons and good top speed but with relatively light armor. This ship features three twin-gun turrets with 380 mm guns, which are capable of taking out cruisers as well as battleships. Secondary weapons include four twin-gun 152 mm turrets, four twin 100 mm universal guns and anti-aircraft machine guns.

The Sevastopol’s main armor belt is relatively light, being only 230 mm. Soviet engineers paid extra attention to the armor under the waterline, and for the first time in the Soviet fleet, a 50 mm thick anti-torpedo bulkhead was implemented. Due to the increased displacement, newer engines were needed, meaning Sevastopol has an excellent speed of 32 knots (about 60 km/h).

All of this combined makes Sevastopol a powerful ship that’s capable of dealing devastating blows due to its main caliber to enemy ships on the high seas! Thanks to the premium status of this ship, you’ll be able earn more research points towards your Soviet Bluewater fleet tree.

➡️ Pre-order - Sevastopol Pack

The Kit Includes:
🔹Project 69I Sevastopol (Rank VI, USSR)
🔹3000 Golden Eagles
🔹Premium account for 30 days
🔹Pre-order bonus: unique title Steel Guardian
🔹Pre-order bonus: unique flag with the coat of arms of Sevastopol (available after the next major update)

🚤Richelieu: The Last French Gunslinger

Today we’re taking a look at Richelieu, the lead ship of the last class of French battleships built during the 1930s in an effort to counter the latest capital ships of the Italian and German navies.

🇫🇷Richelieu: A Battleship for France at Rank VII

At a glance:
▪️Powerful 380 mm main battery
▪️Excellent speed
▪️Vast secondary arsenal
▪️Strong armor protection

👋Introducing Richelieu!
In War Thunder, Richelieu will soon join the ranks of the French bluewater fleet as its next top bluewater warship. Representing a further developed and upscaled version of an unorthodox ship design first pioneered by the French by Dunkerque, Richelieu brings with it significant improvements to both firepower and protection, making for a highly potent warship, worthy of representing French naval power in top rank battles. Let’s dive in!

🎀*^_^*🎀

✈️The Milan is Temporarily Available With a Discount for the Anniversary of its First Flight!

On May 29th 1970, the French Milan (“Kite”) jet fighter flew for the first time. This jet was created through an order from the Swiss Air Force and combined the Mirage III base with the Jaguar’s weapons. The core difference of the Milan was the folding tail at the front of the plane, nicknamed the whiskers.

🇫🇷The Milan is temporarily available for Golden Eagles!

The Milan is available with a 30% discount for 6363 Golden Eagles!
When: From May 27th (11:00 GMT) until May 30th (11:00 GMT).
Where: France > Aviation > Premium vehicles

About this aircraft
▪️The Milan is a very fast and maneuverable fighter, but is best suited for destroying ground targets thanks to its great payload of up to 3000 kg: air-to-ground missiles, various bombs of several sizes and rockets!

📜Pages of History (June): Rough Rider

In this month’s Pages of History, you will find yourself in the midst of key historical events across different theaters of war. Normandy and the Soviet Union, Libya and the Philippines — take part in battles using vehicles corresponding to these historic conflicts and earn rewards!

🏪From June 1st until June 30th, you’ll have access to 8 tasks consecutively. Completing each task will grant you a trophy with a reward, completing all of the tasks will earn you a unique player icon!

👨🏻‍🦰Theodore Roosevelt III
The son of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt distinguished himself both in politics and at the front. He fought in both World Wars on the front lines, even becoming a Brigadier General. During the Normandy Landings, he personally led his troops and was one of the first to land on Utah Beach. At the age of 56, he was the oldest member of the D-Day landing party; however due to heart problems and arthritis, he was forced to walk with a cane. Despite this, he carried out all of his tasks flawlessly and for his heroism, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

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

🎁Trophy reward for each task

Completing each individual task will give you a trophy with one of the following rewards:
▪️20-50% RP booster for 3-10 battles;
▪️20-50% SL booster for 3-10 battles;
▪️3-5 universal backups;
▪️Premium account for 1 day;
▪️A random camouflage for ground vehicles (out of the selection of camouflages currently obtainable in game for completing tasks, or purchasing with Golden Eagles).

Other terms
▪️Tasks are available from 11:00 GMT until 11:30 GMT on the final day of each task.
▪️Tasks can be completed in random battles except for “Assault” mode.

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

🌊Sovetsky Soyuz: Red Oceans

Today we’ll be taking a look at the Sovetsky Soyuz which was supposed to become the core of the USSR’s fleet, but the outbreak of war put an end to these plans.

🚩Sovetsky Soyuz: A Battleship for the USSR at Rank VII

At a glance:
▪️406 mm (16 inch) guns
▪️Strong hull armor and main battery turrets
▪️Decent air defense weaponry
▪️Mediocre mobility

👋Introducing the Sovetsky Soyuz!
Meet the Sovetsky Soyuz, coming to War Thunder in the brand-new rank VII for Bluewater naval trees! This ship packs a serious punch, as it features 16 inch guns, great armor but is slightly on the worse side in terms of mobility. Read on for the full details.

🛍You can greatly speed up the research of the Sovetsky Soyuz with this preorder pack: Pre-order - Sevastopol Pack

✈️Discounts on the Fw 190 & Bf 109 Variants for the Anniversary of their First Flights!

On May 28th 1935, the German Bf 109 made its first flight! This famous and iconic aircraft was used throughout the Second World War and post-war in several variants. Four years later on June 1st 1939, the Fw 190 fighter designed by Kurt Tank took to the air for the first time. Together, these legendary aircraft formed the backbone of Germany’s Luftwaffe during the Second World War, and were flown by some of the most successful aces in history.

🛍30% discounts on several Bf 109 variants and a Fw 190!

When: From May 28th (10:00 GMT) until June 2nd (10:00 GMT).

The following aircraft are available at a 30% discount:

▪️Flegel’s Bf 109 A (Germany, Rank I) for 175 Golden Eagles
▪️Bf 109 E-7 (Japan, Rank II) for 700 Golden Eagles
▪️Bf 109 F-4 (USA, Rank III) for 1015 Golden Eagles
▪️Fw 190 A-8 (USA, Rank IV) for 2695 Golden Eagles
▪️Bf 109 G-2 (Italy, Rank IV) for 3248 Golden Eagles
▪️Bf 109 G-6 (Sweden, Rank IV) for 3248 Golden Eagles

🏪The Bf 109 Z-1, Fw 190 A-5 (Japan) and Fw 190 D-9 (USSR) are temporarily available for Golden Eagles!

When: From May 28th (10:00 GMT) until June 2nd (10:00 GMT).

▪️Bf 109 Z-1 (Germany, Rank IV) for 2980 Golden Eagles
▪️Fw 190 A-5 (Japan, Rank IV) for 2980 Golden Eagles
▪️Fw 190 D-9 (USSR, Rank IV) for 7420 Golden Eagles

⬅️The Fw 190 D-13 is now available for Golden Eagles and is here to stay!

This German fighter is back for good!

On top of this, it has a 30% discount until June 2nd (10:00), being available for 3416 Golden Eagles.

🚤USS Des Moines Returns on its Anniversary!

On May 28th 1945, the USS Des Moines heavy cruiser was laid down and was the third American ship to be named after the capital of the state of Iowa. During her service life, she traveled all over the world, demonstrating the readiness of the US Navy to meet any challenge.

⭐️USS Des Moines has returned for Golden Eagles and is here to stay!

This heavy cruiser is back and is available for 8020 Golden Eagles.

About this heavy cruiser
▪️The 203 mm Mark 16 gun debuted on the USS Des Moines! Their power and rate of fire will be a pleasant surprise when playing this ship for the first time. USS Des Moines is well protected from aircraft and can overall inflict colossal damage to enemy ships.

🗺Falkland Islands for Air Battles & Visual Improvements to Berlin and Kuban!

Today we’re excited to show you a new location coming to Air Battles in the next major update: the Falkland Islands (known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina)! Located in the South Atlantic Ocean, this island is a British Overseas Territory that we have set during the 1980s, specifically during the period of the Falklands Conflict.

We’re also taking a look at the visually improved Berlin and Kuban maps — so sit back and read on!

The Falkland Islands

When developing this location, we focused on satellite images of the terrain to understand what kind of biomes prevail on the islands. The terrain in most places is generally wet and rugged with a lot of grass plains and smaller hills. In terms of homes, the island consists of one to two-story houses that were generally built quickly. There are only a few large towns on the islands, the rest of the population live on farms and are generally spread quite widely across the rocky terrain.

In terms of size, the location is 130 x 130 km, making it one of the largest air maps in the game. This means that you’ll be able to fly over all of the island and see areas such as Stanley, the capital of the island, Fox Bay, Goose Green and many other famous parts. This location has been designed with top tier jet battles in mind, where it will be available around this Battle Rating.

Berlin

May ‘45. The Red Army has reached the famous Reichstag and the war is nearly over. For those who don’t know, Berlin in War Thunder is based on the actual layout of the area during the Second World War. We worked on keeping this authentic layout, all while updating the graphics and models of the location. Every building and structure has been reworked from the ground-up to ensure they look as high quality and authentic as possible. You may have noticed we’ve added more grass and trees, making the map look generally more green. To do this, we looked at historical photos from 1945 and saw that there was still a lot of grass and trees amongst the bomb craters and destruction.

The look and textures of bomb craters, fire and mud have all been improved and revised.

Kuban

We now move from the heart of Berlin to the south of Russia. Kuban has been updated, all while retaining its original layout. When going about this, we looked at photos of this area and its type of structures to get inspiration on how the new look should be. The rocks, ground textures, trees, small structures like the bridge, barracks and sawmills and vegetation have all been reworked from the ground-up so that they look as beautiful and authentic as possible. Oh, there’s also GAZ trucks carrying logs!

That’s it for this blog! The Falkland Islands and visual overhauls to Berlin and Kuban are coming to the game in the next major update. Be sure to check it out and also our upcoming dev blogs!

➡️LEARN MORE

🌆RN Roma: City at Sea

Today, we’ll be taking a look at RN Roma, one of three Littorio-class battleships constructed as the most advanced capital ships for the Italian Navy during the Second World War.

🇮🇹RN Roma: A Battleship for Italy at Rank VII

At a glance:
▪️Powerful 381 mm (15 inch) main battery
▪️Innovative torpedo protection
▪️Catapult aircraft
▪️Good mobility

👋Introducing RN Roma!
RN Roma is the third and last of the Littorio-class battleships, built for the Regia Marina during the Second World War. Coming to the game in the next major update, this battleship incorporates the latest technological developments in naval warfare at the time, which allowed RN Roma to really stand out. Let’s take a closer look at today’s blog!

🇪🇸The VRCC is Available On Spain’s Armed Forces Day!

In 1978, with the adoption of a new Constitution, Spain began modernizing its armed forces. That same year an institutional event was approved, celebrated on the closest Saturday to May 30th every year, paying tribute to military personnel.

The modern Spanish Armed Forces consists of 133,000 people. The army is equipped with Leopard 2E MBTs, M-109A5E howitzers and Eurocopter Tiger helicopters, while the star of the Air Force is the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole jet fighter.

⭐️The VRCC is now available for Golden Eagles and is here to stay!

This Spanish tank is back for good and is available for 8,910 Golden Eagles.
When: From May 29th (09:00 GMT).
Where: Italy > Army > Premium vehicles.

About this tank
▪️VRCC is the Spanish name for the Italian B1 Centauro wheeled tank destroyer. This vehicle features light armor but this is compensated by its mobility, with a maximum speed of 110 km/h! The 105 mm cannon on this tank is backed up by a thermal imager and laser rangefinder which aids firing at longer distances.

🇸🇪Get the SAV 20.12.48 and a New Decal for Swedish National Security Forces Day!

The Swedish National Security Forces were founded on May 29th 1940. They consist of 50 battalions and are the rapid reaction force and military reserve of the Swedish Army.

🏪The SAV 20.12.48 is temporarily available for Golden Eagles!

This fast-firing TD is available for 1300 Golden Eagles.

When: From May 29th (11:00 GMT) until June 2nd (11:00 GMT).
Where: Sweden > Army > Premium vehicles.

About this tank destroyer
▪️The SAV 20.12.48 features an experimental Swedish self-propelled gun. This gun was created after shortening a 120 mm naval gun and using its naval automatic loader, giving a reload time of just 1.2 seconds. Perfect for taking out multiple enemies at once!

⭐️Get the “Emblem of the Kronoberg regiment” decal!

When: From May 29th (11:00 GMT) until June 2nd (11:00 GMT).
Task: Play 3 battles using Swedish vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Emblem of the Kronoberg regiment” decal.

Additional details:
▪️Your activity must not be below 70%.
▪️You can complete the task in random battles, except for Enduring Confrontation missions, and [Assault] mode.
▪️Track your progress in the hangar by clicking Nickname → Achievements → Holidays → National Security Forces Day of Sweden
▪️You can find the decal in the “Swedish tanks” tab in the customization menu.