#review
The P-26 Peashooter is a family of American monoplane fighters developed by Boeing during the interwar period. In War Thunder, it serves as an introduction to the USA’s aviation tech tree, where it stands out for being a monoplane fighter, rather than a biplane, contrary to what other nations have at its tier. That being said, its flight performance and armament is not too dissimilar from those biplanes, albeit with some minor differences.
The Matilda III is an early heavy tank in the British tech tree. It boasts amazing armour and weaponry, but suffers from a poor top speed and can easily be outflanked and defeated if fighting on its own against a coordinated and determined enemy. There is also the Matilda Hedgehog, that has a mortar in the back, which can be used against enemy light vehicles, or even tanks with enough luck and skill.
The Mirage IIIC is an iconic French single-seat delta-wing jet fighter from the late 1950s. The aircraft is highly maneuverable with excellent flight performance, capable of flying at supersonic speeds at any altitude. Its primary armament consists of two 30mm DEFA cannons and air-to-air missiles, initially carrying only one Matra R530 radar-guided missile while later versions could also carry two AIM-9B or Magic 1 IR-guided missiles. For its time, the Mirage IIIC was equipped with a very modern radar, the Cyrano Ibis. This was the first radar in the world capable of automatically slewing its antenna onto a target, which meant that the pilot simply had to press a button, and the radar would acquire and lock onto the target. This reduced the workload of the pilot drastically, which is always of crucial importance in actual combat engagements.
The CV 9035NL is a Dutch variant of the CV90 series Infantry Fighting Vehicle, produced by BAE Systems Hägglunds and developed from the Mk III platform. The vehicle was ordered by the Royal Netherlands Army in the early 2000s, with deliveries beginning around 2007. It is equipped with a 35 mm Bushmaster III automatic cannon and features advanced fire-control, thermals, and a laser rangefinder.
The Ratel 20 is a South African Light Tank in the British Tech tree, which is typically disliked. With a top speed of 65 mph, and a missile with maximum 530mm of penetration, the Ratel 20 is — on paper at least, a good light tank. However, with a poor acceleration and a rather slow missile, this vehicle does not perform too well when in combat.
The T-26-4 was an experimental “artillery tank” designed in the interwar period by the Soviet Union. In War Thunder, this tank can be tricky to play and requires some experience. Its several weaknesses, such as thin armor and slow speed, force the player to maneuver it cautiously in battle. However, it can be fun to play once you master both its drawbacks and advantages.
The Kfir C.10 (Block 60) is a modernized variant of the Israeli Kfir multirole combat aircraft, which is in turn a derivative of the French Dassault Mirage 5. With the addition of four DERBY active radar-homing missiles and a top-of-the-line avionics suite, combined with the excellent airframe of the Kfir C.7, the Kfir C.10 is a force to be reckoned with in air battles, and it excels in medium to close range engagements. However, a small missile payload limits the Kfir C.10's ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously.
The Su-33 is a carrier-based air superiority fighter developed from the Su-27 to meet the needs of the Soviet Navy. It features reinforced landing gear, folding wings, an arrestor hook, and canards to improve low-speed handling during carrier operations. Designed for operations aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov, the Su-33 is optimized for long-range interception and high-maneuverability combat. Despite its increased weight, the Su-33 maintains decent maneuverability and is capable of employing a wide range of air-to-air missiles, making it one of the most capable carrier-based fighters of its era.
The Ariete PSO is a lesser-known variant of the Italian C1 Ariete MBT modified for peace support operations. Rather than being fitted with the standard WAR armor package, the Ariete PSO is equipped with specialized composite armor designed to increase survivability against RPG attacks in low-intensity combat environments. Like the standard Ariete and the more modern Ariete AMV, the Ariete PSO lacks any meaningful protection against kinetic rounds and is extremely unforgiving to use when compared to other MBTs like the Leopard 2A7V. However, players who can work around the Ariete’s various weaknesses will be able to utilize the full potential of the Ariete’s excellent offensive armament, making it a formidable opponent when in the hands of a skilled tanker.
