Combat helicopters are the latest type of vehicle added to the arsenals of War Thunder, with a dozen variants for the United States and Soviet Union leading the initial spearhead for this update. For the U.S., this includes three variants of the Bell UH-1 Huey, a true symbol of the Vietnam War, as well as three variants of the Bell AH-1 Cobra, the first dedicated combat helicopter to enter series production. The Soviet Union receives the multi-purpose Mi-4AV, multiple variants of the famous “flying tank” Mi-24 “Crocodile” (NATO reporting name “Hind”) and its modern modification Mi-35M.

During the initial closed testing, helicopters will be able to participate in combined arms battles with ground vehicles on all difficulty settings, where they will be able to use their impressive armament of cannons, rockets, bombs and guided missiles with lethal effect in close air support and anti-tank duty. Vulnerable against attacks from anti-air vehicles as well as aircraft, helicopter pilots have to use their speed and maneuverability to evade incoming fire, use the environment to hide and learn to strike at the right moment. To research and play with helicopters, players can join the closed testing by completing special in-game tasks or through the purchase of a helicopter pack in the store. More helicopters for different nations will follow with future content updates and new game modes involving helicopters are planned to be trialed during testing.

Further additions include new modern tanks and aircraft, including the M247 Sergeant York SPAAG with proximity fuse shells for the U.S., the popular French Batignolles-Châtillon Char 25t, the Leopard A1A1 with L/44 cannon for Germany as well as the T-80B for the Soviet Union. Four new locations are also available: On “American Desert”, ground vehicles engage in close-quarter-combat in a fictional American village of the 60s, while “Vietnam” challenges pilots to heated dogfights over the indochinese jungle. “Mediterranean Port” and “Green Mountains Gulf” are two new naval maps modelled after the Italian and North Sea coast, respectively.

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In War Thunder, combat helicopters will be available in separate research trees. Players can access them  as soon as they’ve reached their first rank V aircraft or tank of a corresponding nation.

The Valkyries will include several helicopters of Rank V and VI for the United States and Soviet Union, with players able to choose from a wide array of authentic designs and weapon presets, including fixed and rotating cannons and machine guns, grenade launchers, cannon and launcher pods, different calibers of unguided rockets, bombs, as well as Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.

Initially, players will be able to use their helicopters in combined-arms battles in all difficulty modes. With their ability to hover and fly at low altitude at reasonable speeds between 200 and 300 km/h, helicopters particularly excel in ground attack duty, compared to assault aircraft or tactical bombers. At the same time, those characteristics make them potentially vulnerable to attacks both from the ground and air, especially when hovering still above ground.

Therefore, helicopter pilots must learn to use their maneuverability and surrounding environment to their advantage by stealthily hunting for their targets and evading incoming fire using their surroundings. With future Updates, a dedicated “helicopter vs. helicopter” game mode may be introduced, with them also potentially becoming a part of the game’s air battles.

For more info, visit the official site here.

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