Meet Tusk Force, War Thunder’s third major update of 2025!
It’s time for Tusk Force! We’ve added plenty of new vehicles in this update, from Second World War classics to modern-day machines, alongside several new mechanics and gameplay improvements. Check out everything from the SAMP/T, Sky Sabre and BUK SAMs, to the M55 with a huge gun, to the Cold War era B-66B bomber with a fully-detailed cockpit. Japan’s ground forces tech tree has been bolstered with four new Thai tanks, including the Stingray and BM-Oplot-T, adding greater variety to their lineups. If you like big ships, check out the USS Maryland and HMS Nelson premiums that hit hard! There’s also new Mosquitos, a rare Bf 109 variant, and three new Hornets, two Australian and one Canadian, meaning there’s something for everyone, no matter what part of the game you play. Lastly, we’ve implemented some visual overhauls to Poland and Eastern Europe, making them look better than ever!
Check out the changelog to see all the fixes, vehicles and other features that we’ve included in this major update.
Ground Vehicles: Tanks from Thailand & SAM vehicles!
In Tusk Force, we’ve introduced four Thai tanks to Japan to help reinforce this tree with some variety. Meet the classic M60A3 TTS and M163, plus the Stingray which was exclusively exported to Thailand. The cherry on top is the BM Oplot-T, a Ukrainian MBT exported to Thailand that features good armor, firepower and reverse speed!
Carrying on from the previous major update, in Tusk Force we’ve added four new Multi-Vehicle SAM systems. Arriving for Great Britain, France, Italy and the USSR, meaning each nation in the game now has a sophisticated top-rank SAM vehicle! These powerful systems can engage and destroy several enemy aircraft at once.
We’ve got a new record holder! Meet the M55, featuring the beefy 203 mm cannon with a hefty HE shell, making it the largest conventional tank gun in the game — a record that was previously held by the FV4005 for many years. Plus, the T58 with an oscillating turret and autoloader (meaning an excellent reload time!) comes to the USA as a premium pack.
USA
USSR
Great Britain
France
China
- VT4
- M55
Japan
- M60A3 TTS (Thailand)
- M163 (Thailand)
- Stingray (Thailand)
- BM Oplot-T (Thailand)
Germany
Italy
Sweden
- CV 90105 TML
New model:
Germany: Tiger II (Nr.1-50), previously (P) — model updated, new tracks added, internal modules improved
Aircraft: A New Bf 109 Variant, B-66B & Commonwealth Hornet Variants
Tusk Force introduces three new Hornets to Great Britain, two researchable Australian variants and one premium Canadian variant. These aircraft rep the unique liveries of their respective air forces and provide some potent ordnance for both Air and Ground Battles. Bloody brilliant mate!
If you’re a Second World War aircraft enjoyer, then you’ll surely appreciate the new Bf 109 T-2 premium. This was a ground-based variant of the rare navalized Bf 109 T-1, which in itself was a variant of the Emil series aircraft. We’ve also introduced three new Norwegian Mosquito variants for Sweden in their historical liveries, and two (a night fighter variant and a naval variant) for Great Britain.
Meet the Qing-6 for China, providing some flying boat fun with plenty of bombs and potent 23 mm defensive cannons. We’ve also added the B-66B, coming to the game as a classic Cold War jet bomber with lots of bombs, a radar and a fully-detailed cockpit!
Many aircraft have received the fuel dumping mechanic as well! Check out the full list in the major changelog.
USA
Germany
- Bf 109 T-2 (Premium)
Japan
China
- Qing-6 (Premium)
Great Britain
- F/A-18A (Australia)
- AF/A-18A Late (Australia)
- CF-188 (Canada) (Pack)
- Mosquito NF Mk II
- Mosquito TR Mk 33
Sweden
France
- F-16A OCU (Belgium) (Squadron vehicle)
Israel
Detailed damage model additions:
USA: A-10 (all variants) — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
USSR: Su-25 (all variants) — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
Updated cockpits:
Great Britain: Meteor F Mk.8 (all variants) — cockpit has been updated, more details have been added
France: Meteor F Mk.8 — cockpit has been updated, more details have been added. Fokker G.IA — detailed cockpit has been added
Israel: Meteor F.8 — cockpit has been updated, more details have been added
Helicopters: An Indonesian Mi-35, AH-64E, New Damage Models & Cockpits!
Tusk Force introduces a new Mi-35 for the USSR and another for Japan in the form of an Indonesian variant. The USA also gets the AH-64E with powerful AGM-179 JAGM-MR air-to-ground missiles.
The CM-502KG for the Z-10ME and LMUR for the Mi-28NM have been added too, which provide some potent FnF (Fire and Forget) missile power in combined battles. Many helicopters have also received new damage models and detailed cockpits, check out the full list below!
USA
- AH-64E
USSR
- Mi-35P (Squadron vehicle)
Japan
- Mi-35 (Indonesia)
Detailed damage model additions:
USA: MH-60L DAP — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
Germany: Mi-24 (all variants), SA 313B Alouette II — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
USSR: Mi-24 (all variants), Mi-28 (all variants), Mi-35M — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added. Mi-35M — MFD page has been added.
Great Britain: Superhind — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
China: Z-10 — model has been updated, MAWS elements added.
Italy: Mi-24 (all variants), A-129 (all variants), T-129 — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
France: SA 313B Alouette II — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
Sweden: Mi-28A — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
Israel: AH-60 — old modules have been detailed and new ones affecting the functionality of aircraft systems have been added.
Updated cockpits:
USA: RAH-66 — detailed cockpit has been added.
Naval Fleet: Almighty USS Maryland & HMS Nelson!
Two big ships, the USS Maryland and HMS Nelson join USA and Great Britain as premiums, providing some powerful battleship firepower.
USS Charles F. Adams, featuring RIM-24A missiles comes to the game for the USA, providing some interesting missile gameplay, and the Gloire light cruiser with a great rate of fire arrives for France!
We’ve added the ability to switch between firing main guns only and firing main and auxiliary guns together during battle. There’s two keybinds: Controls > Naval section:
- Main and auxiliary caliber shooting with one button switch
- Default main and auxiliary caliber shooting with one button (default setting)
USA
- USS Maryland (BB-46) (Pack)
- USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2)
Great Britain
- HMS Nelson (28) (Pack)
- HMS Saumarez (G12)
France
- Gloire
- Aisne (Premium)
- L’Intrépide
Germany
- Z51
USSR
- MPK-33
Italy
- Baleno MC-492
Japan
- IJN Hiei
- IJN Tsugaru
Locations & Missions: Two Maps Get Visually Refreshed!
Continuing the trend of updating the look of locations, the visuals of Poland and Eastern Europe have been updated with newly detailed buildings, landscape refinements, new foliage and more. This aesthetic update makes them look really beautiful, all while they still retain their original, familiar layout.
Control your Radar with your Mouse!
Controlling the radar of aircraft can be quite a challenge, as you’ve got to configure several keybinds to make everything work efficiently, and then you’ve got to remember them. Because of this, we’ve now made it possible to change elements of your radar by simply clicking. On PC, use the mouse cursor (press Alt), then change the radar control mode. Nine icons will appear around your radar, you can hover over each one and the interface will clarify what the option does. It also displays the keybind for each one, saving you from having to search for it in the settings.
Plus, you can click or drag on the radar screen to move the target acquisition strobe, and double clicking on a target will lock it for tracking, pretty handy!
New Nuclear Carrier Aircraft
We’ve added three additional nuclear-capable aircraft for Arcade and Realistic Ground Battles at Battle Rating 11.3 and above. These aircraft are faster and come with countermeasures, making them more suitable for modern environments, giving you more opportunities to drop your nuclear payload after you’ve earned it:
- Su-24M with the ☢RN-28 bomb for the USSR and China
- F-111F with the ☢B61 bomb for the USA, Israel and Japan
- Tornado IDS ASSTA1 with the ☢B61 bomb for Germany, Great Britain, Italy, France and Sweden
Tornado IDS ASSTA1
New Tree Destruction Physics
Trees now have a new physics model, allowing them to be procedurally destroyed! Shoot one part of the tree and instead of it all falling over as a whole, the trunk will snap and branches will fall off.
There’s plenty more to see!
Check out the full changelog for all improvements and additions!
Download the update and join the battle!