War Thunder's Biggest Update Brings Players Drones, Dreadnoughts, and Helicopters

Aircraft and helicopters from Russia and China, as well as combat and reconnaissance drones, have been added to War Thunder this week. Expect some tanks and even an Italian dreadnought to be available in the game too.

War Thunder players can take advantage of three new drones, Russian Orion, Chinese Wing Loong 1, and the American MQ-1, as well as two iconic fighter jets, the Su-25 and Mirage 2000. Also, an entire Chinese helicopter tech tree has been added too, along with Israeli versions of the M48 and M60 tanks, the Turkish T129 ATAK helicopter, and the South African Rooivalk Mk1F CSH helicopter.

Both scout and attack UAVs are available for all rank VI-VII “light tank” class vehicles as a researchable modification. Plates can launch scout drones into the sky during the battle, and switch to it to view the battlefield and scout enemy vehicles. It’s possible to replace a drone destroyed in battle at captured points.

On the other hand, combat drones will only be available in the Realistic Battles mode. These can be taken into battle for a certain number of Respawn Points that are typically rewarded for active actions. These UAVs usually carry anti-tank guided missiles that could be the perfect answer against camping enemies.

As mentioned earlier, the Italian Andrea Doria dreadnought is part of the new update too. But the changes don’t stop of new military vehicles, as developer Gaijin announced two new maps – Golden Bay and Pradesh – as well as new visual effects for vehicle destruction have been added to War Thunder with the Drone Age update.

For those fascinated with Chinese combat helicopters, a new tech tree specifically made for these military air vehicles can now be experienced by progressing through their lineup in War Thunder. The first helicopter built entirely in China, the Z-9WA was heavily inspired by the French Dauphins. The most recent one is the full-fledged heavy attack helicopter Z-10, which was designed with the involvement of Russians specialists.

Besides a total of six Chinese helicopters, the update introduces the T129 ATAK, a helicopter developed by the Italian company Agusta Westland specifically for the Turkish Air Force and put into service in 2013. One of the main differences between the T129 ATAK and the original model which inspired it, the A129 CTB, is that this model carried Turkish-made weapons.

The T129 ATAK Kit is available for €50 and includes the helicopter, 2000 Golden Eagles, Premium account for 15 days, as well as three pre-order bonuses: Janissary decal, unique Janissary title, and demonstration black camouflage with the insignia of the Turkish Air Force.

Aircraft fans will be able to fly France’s new top fighter jet, the Mirage 2000C-S5. Featuring the iconic delta wing, as well as top-tier flight characteristics and powerful armament, the aircraft is a worthy competitor to other fourth-generation fighters. Surprisingly, the French fighter jets is also in service in Egypt, India, Greece, Qatar, Brazil, Peru, and many other countries.

Alongside Mirage 2000C-S5, the Drone Age update is also adding two versions of the Su-25. The standard Su-25K and the premium Su-25K version, which carries a Czechoslovak Air Force livery, are sold in a bundle for €60. The bundle also includes 2000 Golden Eagles and Premium account for 15 days.

As far as the new maps go, the Golden Bay map for naval battles is based on the coast of San Francisco, while the ground part is inspired by the landscape of the areas east of the bay. The second map added to War Thunder, Pradesh (“region” in Hindi), is designed for ground and air battles and is trying to reproduce the foothills of the Himalayas on the border of India and Pakistan. You can check out the full list of military vehicles introduced with the Drone Age update on the game's website.