War Thunder

📸USS North Carolina: The Showboat Today we’re pleased to present USS North Carolina, one of the most iconic American battleships of the mid-20th century! 🇺🇸USS North Carolina: A Battleship for the USA at Rank VII At a glance:

▪️Nine 406 mm guns! ▪️Extensive secondary armament ▪️Effective radar array ▪️Decent mobility

👋Introducing the USS North Carolina North Carolina is another well-armed addition to the US ranks, a truly classic American battleship with a devastating 406 mm broadside, a reasonably sturdy belt, but a relatively vulnerable deck. North Carolina will excel the most in long range engagements. Here, her own armor will be more effective, and her powerful guns will still be able to punch through most enemy battleships.

❗️Interesting: Being the US Navy’s first modern battleship in nearly 20 years, USS North Carolina drew extensive media attention at the time, enough to earn her the nickname “Showboat”.

🔼You can greatly speed up the research of the USS North Carolina with this pack: USS Maryland Pack

🐸Yak-130 and M-346FA: A Common Beginning The Russian Yak-130 and the Italian Aermacchi M-346 are two combat-trainer aircraft that emerged from the same project. 🇷🇺Yak-130: An Attack Aircraft for the USSR at Rank VI 🇮🇹M-346FA: An Attack Aircraft for Italy at Rank VIII At a glance:

▪️Subsonic ▪️Radar, HMD, countermeasures and air-to-air missiles (on M-346FA) ▪️Compact dimensions ▪️Impressive arsenal ▪️Excellent controllability and high thrust-to-weight ratio

👋Introducing the Yak-130 and M-346FA! In the Heavy Cavalry major update, we’ll be introducing two combat-trainer aircraft, created through a collaboration between Russian and Italian aircraft manufacturers. Meet the Yak-130 and M-346FA!

❗️The Yak-130 is featured in the game in its early production variant, which lacked countermeasures. Because of this, we’ve decided not to add the R-73 missiles that this aircraft could actually use to avoid placing it at an excessively high Battle Rating. We do plan to add a more advanced Yak modification in future updates, but for now at rank VI, the Yak-130 acts as a pure attack aircraft, without air-to-air missiles and countermeasures, which is why its Battle Rating is lower than the M-346FA. On the other hand, the M-346FA features all of the bells and whistles needed for full-fledged air combat (including longe-range!). Together with a wide arsenal of air-to-surface guided weapons, the M-346FA is set to become a very versatile force at rank VIII for Italy.

🔼You can greatly speed up the research of the Yak-130 and M-346FA with these packs:

🔹Su-25K Pack 🔹MiG-29 Sniper Pack

🦅Pre-order: J-22M1A — Serbian Eagle The J-22M1A “Orao” is a Serbian jet attack aircraft with good armament, a radar warning receiver and countermeasures for missile defense! 🛍Pre-order – J-22M1A Pack

▪️J-22M1A (Rank VI, USSR) ▪️Premium account for 15 days ▪️2000 Golden Eagles ▪️Pre-order bonus: unique title "Balkan Attack Wing" ▪️Pre-order bonus: unique "Emblem of the 241st Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the Serbian Air Force " decal ▪️Pre-order bonus: unique demonstrational camouflage "Orao"

🇷🇸🚩J-22M1A: A Premium USSR/Russian Attack Aircraft at Rank VI At a glance:

▪️Speed over 1,100 km/h and good controllability ▪️Several types of air-to-surface guided missiles, including the advanced GROM-B ▪️Missiles, bombs, and a ballistic computer ▪️RWR ▪️A lot of countermeasures

👋Introducing the J-22M1A The Romanian IAR-93 recently appeared in the game, becoming the reward for in a vehicle event at the end of 2024. We couldn’t ignore its counterpart, the Yugoslav J-22. This aircraft is featured in one of its later modifications, with advanced armament, RWR, and countermeasures, so the Orao experience will be completely different: its weapon range against ground targets is greatly increased, while in air combat it can only play defensive. At rank VI, the aircraft will fit perfectly into several very interesting vehicle lineups for combined battles, and in air battles it will be a comfortable and profitable aircraft.

❗️Interesting: The J-22M1A attack aircraft model was created in collaboration with player NovA29!

‼️Server Maintenance Notice Hi everyone, some of our game services are currently experiencing instability. You may run into issues signing in to your account, connecting to matches, and viewing in-game purchases. Our team is already working on resolving the problem. Thanks for your patience, we apologize for any inconvenience!

🎉Discounts on the I-153 and I-16 Type 28 for Nikolai Polikarpov’s Birthday! On June 9th 1892, Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov was born. He was one of the founders of the Soviet fighter aircraft design school in the 1930s. His design bureau developed the I-16 (the world’s first mass-produced monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear), the I-15 and I-153 “Chaika” (the most mass-produced biplane fighters in the USSR in the second half of the 1930s), and the U-2 (an extremely popular multirole aircraft). After the designer’s death in 1944, the U-2 was renamed the Po-2 in his honor. 🏪30% discount on Soviet fighters! When: From June 9th (11:00 GMT) until June 12th (11:00 GMT) Where: USSR / Aviation > Premium Vehicles.

▪️I-16 type 28 (USSR, Rank II) 945 Golden Eagles ▪️I-153P (USSR, Rank II) 665 Golden Eagles ▪️Zhukovsky's I-153-M62 (USSR, Rank I) 280 Golden Eagles

🐝Hummel: A lot of Buzz! Today we’re pleased to present the long awaited Hummel! This powerful SPG will be joining the lower ranks of the German research tree in the next major update. s.FH 18/1 (Sf.) auf III/IV Hummel: An SPG for Germany at Rank II At a glance:

▪️Various shell types, including HE, SAP, and AP-TS ▪️Powerful 150 mm cannon! ▪️Poor protection ▪️Average mobility

👋Introducing the Hummel! It’s been a long time coming, but we’re very pleased to finally be adding the Hummel to War Thunder! Germany is already well stocked when it comes to high-caliber ground vehicles, so what makes the Hummel different? Well, quite a bit actually! Let’s have a look. ❗️Did you know? Hummel means “Bumblebee”, following the insect-based names of other German artillery, like Wespe (Wasp) and Grille (Cricket). 🔼You can kick-start and greatly speed up the research of the Hummel with these packs:

🔹German Beginner's Pack 🔹Two Fronts Pack

🔫Nuclear Escalation: The Fight Continues! We’re starting to test the updated Nuclear Escalation Mode! The Nuclear Escalation event has launched in the Heavy Cavalry major update’s dev server! We’ve refined and improved the large-scale nuclear conflict that you experienced back in April. We’ve made numerous changes, but the main ones include: Players can now fly their own aircraft from any nation

✅An AI-controlled fleet has been added to the mission ✅The overall front line has been increased ✅There’s also changes to game mechanics, various tweaks, improvements and new features. Let’s take a look at them below!

⚡️The Tension is Mounting!

All in-game nations can now participate in this version of Nuclear Escalation! Battle Ratings now range from 13.0 to 14.7, and the matchmaking system utilizes Battle Rating brackets within this range as needed, ensuring balanced encounters in every battle. We’ve also expanded the front line: the line of contact has been extended to the mountains, increasing the map’s tactical depth. Carrier strike groups, supported by missile ships, have been added to control the coastal zone. More modern AI-controlled ground vehicles have been introduced for higher-rank battles in the mode as well.

🆕New Opportunities

We’ve made some major changes to the general event mechanics. The escalation system has been reworked, removing the need for strategic bombers with megaton bombs. Nuclear strikes will now be carried out with bombs of 5 and 30 kiloton yields, carried by the same aircraft that carry nuclear bombs in Ground Battles, depending on the Battle Rating bracket. The behemoths from the April event, the B-52H and Tu-95M bombers, may return as a separate Nuclear Escalation event in the future. The match completion conditions have also changed. The main base is now easier to destroy, but destroying it no longer grants instant victory. Victory is now determined by the total number of points earned for destroying any target: enemy aircraft, AI-controlled vehicles, and airfields. In addition, the marker system has been improved when viewing from an aircraft. Markers for ground and surface targets are now displayed depending on the angular size of the target, meaning that markers for buildings are visible 3-5 times further than markers for ground vehicles. A new respawn mechanic has been introduced. Aircraft are now temporarily locked from respawing on the airfields from which they departed from. Respawning with the same aircraft from other airfields is possible immediately. This change is intended to prevent players from instantly returning to combat in the same position and encourage more cautious, tactical behavior. And finally, the minimap now features tooltips for respawn bases. Hovering over them provides information about the airfield’s status. This new feature simplifies navigation and improves situational awareness for the team. The fire control system for air defense vehicles has undergone significant changes here too. Target filters have been implemented, meaning that air defense systems will now engage guided missiles (especially air-to-air missiles and surface-to-air missiles) significantly less frequently. This will only occur if there are no aircraft in the firing range and the air defense system considers the missile an immediate threat.

Testing of the updated Nuclear Escalation mode has begun on the dev server! Please be sure to give it a try, and report any issues that you encounter. We’d also like to hear your suggestions for improving the mode. We’re planning to launch Nuclear Escalation on the main War Thunder servers as a game event soon. Until then, have fun!

💥Two birds one FAB-5000

💅40 New Camouflages Now Available in the WTCS Trophy V! Introducing the WTCS Trophy V, featuring 40 camouflages by authors from WT Live! This new trophy contains 40 camouflages for various vehicles, both for ground and air vehicles in fictional or semi-historical styles. For this trophy, we’ve covered a wide range of vehicles across different tiers including some machines that so far have no camouflage options too! 🎁Contents of the WTCS Trophy V:

▪️Coupons for rare vehicles ▪️18 camouflage coupons for aircraft ▪️22 camouflage coupons for ground vehicles

➡️LEARN MORE

🇨🇦Canadian Armed Forces Day with Decals and Discounts! Since 2002, every year on the first Sunday in June, Canada has recognized its active military personnel, reservists, and their families. This day includes open houses at military bases, equipment displays, meetings with service members, awards ceremonies, and military band concerts. Join us in celebrating! The “Never Pass a Fault” bundle is in the Gaijin Store at a 50% discount! When: From June 5th (13:00 GMT) until June 8th (13:00 GMT) 🛍“Never Pass a Fault” Bundle -50%

🔹Leopard 2A4M CAN Pack 🔹CF-188A Hornet Pack 🔹Unique “Never Pass a Fault” title

🛍30% discount on Canadian vehicles!

When: From June 5th (13:00 GMT) until June 8th (13:00 GMT) Where: USA / Great Britain > Army / Aviation / Bluewater fleet > Premium Vehicles.

⭐️Open the “Canadian Armed Forces Day” trophy!

When: From June 5th (13:00 GMT) until June 8th (13:00 GMT) Task: Earn 3,000 mission points in battles where you used British vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “Canadian Armed Forces Day” trophy!

Inside this trophy, you’ll receive one of three decals The “Canadian Armed Forces Day” decal is located in the “Holidays” vehicle customization section. The “Lesser emblem of the Canadian army” and “Emblem of the Canadian Armed Forces” decals are located in the “Allies → Tanks” vehicle customization section. ➡️LEARN MORE

❗️Please note! This video was created in 2025 as part of the Moment of Valor series (MoV). The MoV 2025 promotion is unrelated to this Canadian Armed Forces Day news.

🔫M1A2C Abrams: Heavy Cavalry! Today, we’re taking a look at the most advanced modification of the Abrams, the third variant of the SEP modernization with the TUSK add-on armor package. Meet the M1A2C in the Heavy Cavalry update! 🇺🇸🇬🇧M1A2C & Australian M1A2: Main Battle Tanks for the US and Great Britain at Rank VIII At a glance:

▪️Enhanced turret protection ▪️TUSK add-on armor kits with ERA blocks ▪️New M829A3 APFSDS rounds for new and existing SEP V2 tanks! ▪️New HE round with a programmable fuse for the American M1A2C ▪️KE-W A2 APFSDS round for the Australian M1A2 (Great Britain)

👋Using the M1A2C Abrams in Battle! The M1A2C is an evolution of the M1A2 family, modernized under the SEP program. The tank is in active service with the US and allied armies, so we’re pleased to add this modification as the pinnacle of M1A2 lineup to War Thunder. Along with this modification for US and UK tech trees, in the Heavy Cavalry update we’re adding the SEP V2 (Trophy) version enhanced with a hard-kill active protection system to the US lineup, while the British tree will get its own Australian M1A1 AIM main battle tank as a squadron vehicle. Like India and South Africa already, Australian operated vehicles continue to find their home in the British tree. The existing Squadron AIM variant will remain as it is in the US tree. 🔼You can greatly speed up the research of the M1A2C & Australian M1A2 with these packs: 🛍Challenger DS Pack 🛍M1A1 HC "Click-Bait" Pack

🐴🐴🐴The Dev Server is Opening with Major Update “Heavy Cavalry”! Today, we’re opening the dev server featuring the new “Heavy Cavalry” Major Update! You can download the Dev Client here

⚔️A Decal, Bundles and Discounts for D-Day June 6th 1944 was one of the most important days in the history of the Second World War. As part of the massive Operation Overlord, the Western Front opened in the European theater of operations through the coordinated efforts of the Allied army, air force, and navy. More than 150,000 soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy, marking the beginning of the rapid liberation of France. Unique Bundles Available in the Gaijin.net Store!

🛍“First in Deed” Bundle -30% 🛍“Sledgehammer” Bundle -30% 🛍“Overlord” Bundle -50%

Please note! You can also get the unique titles and decals if you log into the game from June 5th to June 8th and get at least three victories, while at the same time you have previously purchased all separate packs that are included in the bundles above. ➡️Take part in the Wings Over Water event to get the Spitfire Mk Vb Floatplane! ➡️Pages of History (June): The Beaches of Normandy! ⭐️Get the “D-Day 2026” decal! Decorate your vehicles with this unique decal.

When: June 5th (11:00 GMT) until June 8th (11:00 GMT). Task: Earn 3,000 mission points in battles where you used US, British or French vehicles at rank III or higher to receive the “D-Day 2026” decal!

🛍HMS Belfast and USS Arkansas are available at a 50% Discount!

▪️Great Britain: HMS Belfast (Rank IV) for 4,010 Golden Eagles ▪️USA: USS Arkansas (Rank V) for 4,010 Golden Eagles

🏆D-Day Tournaments Don’t miss the D-Day tournaments! Check the TSS portal through the link below.

👀“HEAVY CAVALRY” UPDATE PREVIEW Get an early look at the newest additions to War Thunder, including the Abrams and T90M with APS systems, the Hummel, multiple top tier jets including the F14D and the Yak-130 aswell as the addition of Anti Radiation Missiles and much more. 📱 TWITCH 📱 YOUTUBE

😼Pre-order: F-14D Super Tomcat Today we’re starting pre-orders for this famous member of the F-14 family! 🛍Pre-order - F-14D Pack

🔹F-14D (Rank VIII, USA) 🔹Premium account for 30 days 🔹3000 Golden Eagles 🔹Pre-order bonus: unique "Maverick" title 🔹Pre-order bonus: unique "F-14D Takeoff" decal 🔹Pre-order bonus: unique camouflage of the VX-9 Vampires (Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine) of the US Navy, Point Mugu, California

🇺🇸F-14D: A Premium Naval Fighter for the USA at Rank VIII At a glance:

▪️Strong flight performance ▪️Digital radar/IRST with optical target identification ▪️Phoenix and Sparrow air-to-air missiles, as well as Sidewinders for close combat ▪️JDAM, Paveway II, and Paveway III family bombs ▪️Flare/Chaff pods

👋Introducing the F-14D! Today, pre-orders have started for this advanced Tomcat: the F-14D Super Tomcat, an American multirole carrier-based fighter capable of effectively intercepting airborne targets and performing precision ground attacks. Let’s take a look at this premium twin-engine monster!

🗺Ground Locations Reworks & Arresting Gear in the Heavy Cavalry Update! Today we’re talking about the graphical rework of the Ash River, 38th Parallel, and Ardennes (Winter) locations and arresting gear at ground airfields!

The Heavy Cavalry major update brings great news for tankers and pilots! First, we’d like to show you the first screenshots of the locations for Ground Battles. The game environment, objects, buildings, and roads have been completely redesigned for the 38th Parallel and Ash River locations, and a new version of the winter Ardennes map will be added. On all maps, we’ve strived to preserve the navigation and gameplay players are familiar with, while also implementing a major visual update aimed at creating a more realistic, atmospheric, and cinematic combat environment. We hope you enjoy!

▪️Ash River ▪️38th Parallel ▪️Ardennes (Winter) ➡️LEARN MORE 🏁Arresting Gear

Another piece of good news is the addition of arresting gear at ground airfields! An arresting gear is a system of cables arranged in a series, connected to the braking system, that simplifies aircraft braking on aircraft carrier decks and short runways. An aircraft equipped with an arresting hook attaches to one or more sequentially arranged cables, significantly reducing the landing run. Now, at land-based airfields for aircraft with the arresting hook, it will be deployed automatically when the landing gear is lowered — press “G” by default to lower the landing gear!

🐴🐴🐴"Heavy Cavalry" Update Trailer! Introducing the next major update trailer for War Thunder: Heavy Cavalry! We invite youtubers and streamers to cooperate and offer support depending on the quantity and popularity of your content. More information.

🎯Aiming Points for Salvo Firing Guided Weapons Today we’d like to talk about how we’re expanding the functionality of points of interest on top-tier aircraft! It’s hard to surprise anyone with “smart” weapons in War Thunder anymore, but we’re going to try! In the upcoming major update, we’re implementing another feature for modern weapons systems: multiple aiming points! Previously, the game only had a single, current point of interest. This made it difficult to fire guided weapons at multiple targets in a salvo, as manual targeting of each subsequent target required reorienting and finding it before launching, which increased the exposure to counterattacks from SAMs. With multiple aiming points, the time between launches, and consequently the time spent in the air defense zone is reduced, increasing the carrier’s chances of successfully returning to base. How will it work? All aircraft with GNSS-guided weapons will have the ability to set new waypoints — called aiming points — new markers independent of the point of interest. Essentially, these are simply saved coordinates. You’ll be able to set up to 10 aiming points (numbered 0 to 9), switch between them, delete and edit them, and move the point of interest to the current aiming point. This can be done either by using the assigned keys or via the tactical map. Aiming points can be used for navigation purposes, for example to mark route points or danger zones, or to measure the range to specific targets, such as an airfield, as well as in combat for weapon launch. Now, it will be possible to first detect targets and “remember” their coordinates, and then, by switching between pre-marked points, guide and launch guided weapons. While weapons with IR or TV seekers will still require target acquisition before launch, and laser-guided munitions will require target designation, switching between multiple targets will be faster. This mechanic will be especially helpful against static or slow-moving enemies. However, this mechanic will expand the capabilities of satellite-guided weapons more than any other, as bombs and missiles guided by GNSS data can be linked to aiming points and launched in a single salvo (with the option of the carrier being hidden from view by terrain). Ammunition can be linked in two modes: manual and automatic. In manual mode, you link a specific munition to the current aiming point, with the ability to link multiple munitions of different types to each if you want. In automatic mode, you simply set aiming points and launch a salvo of the selected weapon. This way, the drop will expend one munition per each aiming point, starting with 0. You’ll be able to try out the expanded point-of-interest functionality in the game and bomb ground targets very soon! That’s all for now, see you in the next dev blog.

❗️Please note! The mechanic is WIP. This is a non-final variant of the interface. That the mechanics may be refined and changed before being added to the game.

🏹99% Archer players dont know this simple trick

‼️Fair Play: June 2026 We keep fighting cheaters using your reports and the anti-cheat systems, and as usual, today we’re sharing a bit of info on bans that we’ve distributed over the past month. If you’d like to help keep War Thunder free from cheating, you can find out how to file a report and how our anti-cheat system works on our Wiki. 🤕Banned accounts Since our last fair play update, we have banned 2,880 accounts that were found to have violated the rules, specifically paragraph 3.2.3 of the EULA, namely the automation of gameplay (use of bots) and cheat software. Additionally, 44 temporary bans were issued for violating paragraph 3.2.4 of the EULA. These violations included colluding with the opposing team to repeatedly capture zones and/or profiting from mutual damage without the intention of engaging in combat. Furthermore, 428 accounts were banned for a week or longer for intentional teamkilling and griefing, including 14 permanent bans. Finally, 30,365 accounts involved in referral system fraud, en-masse multi-accounting or both have been permanently banned. 📜For complete transparency, we will publish the full list of permanently banned players. This list will be available for two weeks following the publication of this article. ⭐️Recommendations 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). 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