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The summer of 1943 was hot in more ways than one. Near Kursk, one of the largest battles of the Second World War was about to begin. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, along with thousands of armored vehicles and aircraft, were concentrated on both sides of the front. The Wehrmacht was preparing Operation Citadel, hoping to regain the strategic initiative after its defeat at Stalingrad. The fields of the Belgorod and Oryol regions became a vast staging ground, where thousands of fighting vehicles started their engines in the early morning haze.

Some combat vehicles get a special kind of attention from War Thunder players, and sometimes even earn their own nicknames, although not always flattering ones. The French AML-90 wheeled light tank and its South African cousin, the Eland 90, are perfect examples. Today, we’re taking both of them for a spin to see why players have grown so fond of these little machines.

Among the many combat helicopters ever built, the Soviet Mi-24 has always stood out for its unusual concept of a "flying infantry fighting vehicle.” The Mil Design Bureau created a helicopter capable of carrying troops while also providing fire support to forces on the ground. In practice, however, the troop compartment was rarely used. In Afghanistan, during the Iran-Iraq War, and in other conflicts, the Mi-24 was far more often employed as an attack helicopter.

While we wait for the vehicles of the next update, this is a perfect time to dig into the far corners of the hangar and take out an old War Thunder veteran that recently got a reason to make a comeback. Today we’re looking at a fairly rare and often overlooked American carrier-based fighter, the F9F-8, better known by its rather fitting name, Cougar. Let’s take off!

After the First World War, many engineers became fascinated with controversial and sometimes downright bizarre ideas. Tanks had only recently appeared on the battlefield, so there was still no consensus on how this new type of fighting vehicle should be designed. Every country had its own vision of the future.

War Thunder has plenty of strike aircraft that rely on forward-firing guns to attack ground targets. But one of them is truly special. It is, perhaps, the most legendary aircraft ever built around a large-caliber cannon. We are talking, of course, about the German Duck, the Hs 129 B-3.

From the outset of the Second World War, Germany fought the European powers on land, in the air, and at sea. While the Wehrmacht swept rapidly across the continent, capturing one country after another, the situation at sea was very different. The British Royal Navy held a decisive numerical advantage over the Kriegsmarine in major warships, so Germany placed greater emphasis on commerce raiding. These operations targeted enemy merchant shipping, above all the Atlantic convoys on which Britain depended for supplies.

Some vehicles have become part of War Thunder history over the years. The American M103 is definitely one of them. It arrived in the game back in 2014 together with the entire US ground forces tree, and at the time it sat right at the top. A huge gun, some of the most powerful HEAT rounds around, and an intimidating silhouette made it a dream tank for many players. Years have passed since then. New vehicles, new mechanics, and entire new generations of military hardware have entered the game. But can this veteran still surprise us today? Let’s find out.

In one of our previous videos, we covered the main types of tank stabilizers. However, one unique vehicle didn’t get the attention it deserved. Its full name translates as “Test Platform with a Three-Axis Stabilized Turret.” Of course, we are talking about the German Turm III: its three-axis stabilization has recently been fully implemented in the game. Today, we will see how this system works and where else similar solutions have been used.

On August 15th 1947, India became an independent nation. Independence Day is one of the most important national holidays: the Prime Minister traditionally hoists the flag at the Red Fort in Delhi, the national anthem is played, and a 21-gun salute is fired. The national flag is ceremoniously raised across the entire country, even in the smallest villages!