With the new “Air Superiority” update, War Thunder not only offers you superior aircraft. In addition to the F-15 Eagle, there are also powerful ships and thick tanks.
What’s in the update? Air Superiority is the name of War Thunder’s latest update, and it’s all about superiority. If you want to stay at the top, you have to constantly challenge yourself and prove your superiority again and again. Therefore, the update offers a wave of powerful aircraft, ships and tanks, all of which stand out for their perfection and superiority.
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In addition to the new vehicles, there are other goodies in the update, including a new map called “Volcano Valley”. This air battle map was inspired by the landscape of Kamchatka, a peninsula on the very edge of Russia. This corner of previously untouched nature has now become a battlefield on which you fight for the eponymous air sovereignty.
The F-15 Eagle – air superiority at its best
What kind of plane is that? The F-15 Eagle is a dedicated American air superiority fighter aircraft developed after the Vietnam War and based on the experience gained therefrom.
The aircraft entered service in the mid-1970s and proved to be an export hit for the USA. Several allied states, including Japan and Israel, adopted the “Eagle” into their air forces. You can therefore find the Eagle in a total of three research trees at rank 8. In the late 1970s in particular, the Eagle was able to prove itself time and again in air battles against Syrian jets.
What are the strengths of the aircraft? As the eponymous air superiority fighter, the Eagle offers an unmatched combination of maneuverability, speed and deadly firepower.
Thanks to its extremely powerful engines, the F-15 has an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio, allowing it to rapidly gain altitude and quickly return to service after dogfights.
Speaking of dogfights: This aircraft is a hefty chunk, but due to its unique design it has very good maneuverability. This benefits you in cornering combat, where you can easily outmaneuver enemy machines.
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So the Eagle can fly, but can it also win? A look at the weaponry says clearly: Yes! As an air superiority fighter, the Eagle is optimized for air combat. It carries up to 4 short-range and 4 long-range missiles. So you can choose from a range of AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-7 Sparrow missiles.
In order to win dogfights without missiles, there is also a big 20 mm M61 Vulkan cannon in the aircraft. And if you like to annoy tanks on the ground, you can also pack a few bombs.
This truly makes the F-15 Eagle a majestic eagle that towers above all other aircraft in the game. A true model of superiority.
The USS Roanoke – The floating no-fly zone
What kind of ship is this: When the superiority of aircraft over conventional ships became apparent during World War II, the US Navy wanted a cruiser that was particularly good at cleaning up enemy aircraft.
The implementation of this idea was the light cruiser of the Worcester class, whose second ship was the USS Roanoke. These ships were particularly well armored for light cruisers, but still armed very quickly and effectively. However, the ship was not finished until after the war and was taken out of service again in 1958.
These are the ship’s strengths: As a light cruiser, the USS Roanoke is responsible for the shielding of the fleet and is designed to effectively engage both water and air targets. It also has six turrets, each with 2x 152 mm 6″/47 caliber Mark 16 multi-purpose guns, making a total of twelve main guns.
Compared to conventional models, these cannons have a larger aiming angle and a higher rate of fire. On top of that, the guns can also effectively combat air targets. In addition to the main guns, the Roanoke has 24 76mm guns in its arsenal in twin and single mounts to provide even more effective defense against aircraft and speedboats.
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All of this makes the light cruiser a veritable “no-fly zone” that can easily keep large numbers of enemy aircraft at bay. If the Roanoke itself comes under fire, it is well protected by its thick armored belt with a thickness of 127 mm. But the light ship has a special surprise in store for bombers, as it has an armored deck with a thickness of 25 mm and an additional internal armored deck with a thickness of 88 mm.
So if you are looking for a fast, maneuverable, tough and well-armed ship, get the USS Roanoke, ranked 5th in the US Navy.
The Leopard 2A7V – Heavier and better
What kind of tank is this? The Leopard 2A7V is one of the latest variants of the Bundeswehr’s well-known Leopard 2 tank series. This version has been increased in combat value with improved armor and other upgrades.
The tank is state-of-the-art and has only been in use since 2021. Compared to the previous models, the armor has been improved, the latest optical systems have been installed and the gearbox has been optimized for the higher weight.
This means the tank meets current battlefield requirements, even if the improvements come at the expense of speed. But the advantages definitely make up for this setback.
This is what the new Leo can do: At first glance, the new A7V version hardly differs from another Leo 2. But the improvements are inconspicuous, but powerful. On the one hand, there is the new modular additional armor package that reinforces the front hull.
This was a particularly vulnerable part of the vehicle, which is now better protected against kinetic ammunition and shaped charges. There is also a mine protection on the underside, which also protects the tank against nasty explosive charges from below.
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However, these combined upgrades come at the expense of weight. In contrast to its immediate predecessor, the weight of the Leopard 2A7V increases to an impressive 66.5 tonnes, which in turn reduces the top speed to just 61 km/h from the previous 68.
However, if you keep this fact in mind, it does not represent a significant weakness. Because this state-of-the-art battle tank has virtually no weaknesses anymore. It is well armored all around, detects targets with third-generation thermal imaging cameras and blasts any enemy into oblivion from a long distance with the high-precision L/55 A1 smoothbore cannon.
If you are looking for a strong German main battle tank that excels in every combat situation and every play style, then get the Leopard 2A7V at rank 8 in the German tech tree.
All these cool new vehicles and much more are available in the new “Air Superiority” update. Get War Thunder for free here and jump into battle!