Aviation
The MiG-23ML/MLA (NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a Soviet third-generation fighter jet. Designed to address the shortcomings of the previous MiG-23M/MF, the MiG-23ML variant features a lighter airframe, an improved and more powerful engine, additional countermeasure dispensers, enhanced avionics, and more effective weaponry when compared to the standard MiG-23s. The MiG-23ML is functionally identical to the German MiG-23MLA, and the MLA will be referred to as the ML in this article.
The Eurofighter 2000 Typhoon (Block 10 Tranche 2), Typhoon FGR.4, and F-2000A are 4.5th generation fighter jets with exceptional versatility and advanced technology, found in the German, British, and Italian tech trees. Equipped with AIM-120B AMRAAMs and AIM-9M Sidewinders, they excel in both long-range and close-quarters air combat. On the ground attack side, the Typhoons boast an impressive arsenal, including advanced guided bombs and missiles, making them equally devastating against ground targets.
The Mirage 5BA aircraft were procured by Belgium in the late 1960s to replace the outdated (R)F-84Fs, which were serving primarily as fighter-bombers in the Belgian Air Force. The Mirage was selected from a range of options, including the F-5A, A-4E, and Draken. Belgium became the largest user of the Mirage 5 in history, with over 100 of the type in its inventory.
Not so long ago, we talked about the French Rafale, the first War Thunder fighter jet equipped with an AESA radar. But now our game has another new aircraft with this type of radar. Please welcome the main air reward of the Winter Tales event: the Kfir C.10 with the Colombian Air Force.
The Bf 109 was, without a doubt, a legendary warplane of World War 2. Alongside the Fw 190, the famed Messer was one of the main single-engine fighters of the German Luftwaffe until the very end of the war in 1945, but some countries still used its modifications up until the 1950s and even '60s.
The Finnish Air Force (FAF) has never impressed with its quantity of vehicles or personnel. However, as with any small military force, quality of equipment, training, and doctrine has thus been priority. The Bf 109s acquired during the Continuation War, and the lessons they taught, are a prime example of this. The following article aims to open the history behind this acquisition, its effects and aftermath: overall, what the “Mersu” did for Finland.
During the early stages of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the unexpected appearance of the Russian-built Tupolev SB-2 bomber in Chinese skies caught the Japanese Army off guard. The SB-2's speed at altitude was nearly equal to that of the Nakajima Ki-27, which had only just been introduced to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF). This performance gap rendered the SB-2 almost impervious to Japanese fighter interception, leaving a significant impression on Japanese military planners. Thus, the Kawasaki Ki-48 was conceptualized in 1937 as a Japanese equivalent of the Soviet-built bomber.
Analyzing the experience received in Vietnam and other conflicts of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union arrived at similar conclusions: the fighter jet of the future needed to have excellent speed and maneuverability, a long operational range, advanced guided weapons, and a capability to complete missions at any time of day and in any weather. However, developing an ideal versatile aircraft would have an insane price tag, so both engineering schools realized that they needed to have two fighters for that purpose: one light, another one, heavy.
The F-84G is often one of the first jets for many players. It can be used for both air combat and ground attack, making it a solid multi-role aircraft. Although it is a bit older compared to jets like the MiG-15 or F-86, it can still hold its own and compete well against these more modern aircraft.
