Gaijin Entertainment is pleased to announce that the new Ninth Wave Major Update for the online military action game War Thunder is now available for players. In addition to rank IX aviation and domestic Hungarian aircraft, it brings completely redesigned water physics and visual effects in naval battles! Iconic new vehicles include the Chinese J-15T fighter jet, the Italian Centauro II tank destroyer, the Russian Pantsir-SM-SV air defense system, and the French aircraft carrier Foch.
With the Ninth Wave update, naval battles have become even more epic. Subsurface scattering has been implemented for water, which calculates the distribution of light as it interacts with objects beneath the surface, creating a sense of interior volume within the body of water. Reflections on the water surface at different viewing angles are now more accurately rendered, and sea foam rendering is now based on swirl physics and wave resonance. The interaction between objects and water has also been improved, making bomb explosions and torpedo movements even more realistic.
The Chinese J-15T multirole carrier-based combat aircraft is externally reminiscent of the Russian Su-33, which served as the basis for the 15 series jets. Its internal components are completely different however – for example, it features an advanced active phased array radar and Chinese WS-10B engines with an afterburning thrust of nearly 14,000 kgf each. The pilot can carry a large arsenal of unguided and guided weapons, including anti-ship missiles, on 12 hardpoints.
The Centauro II is an Italian wheeled tank destroyer, the prototype of which was unveiled in 2016. Unlike the first Centauro, the new model features the HITFACT Mk II turret, in which the automatic loader and ammunition stowage are located behind an armored bulkhead and separated from the crew, significantly increasing survivability. The arsenal includes the effective DM53 round with a penetration of over 620 mm, capable of combating even the most advanced armored vehicles. Furthermore, the Centauro II has a more powerful 720 horsepower engine, which quickly accelerates the vehicle to speeds in excess of 100 km/h.
The Pantsir-SM-SV is a modernized Russian anti-aircraft artillery system built on a mobile tracked chassis, and equipped with an improved radar with increased detection range and two new types of ammunition. The long-range 95Ya6M missiles fly up to 40 km at a speed of 1,700 meters per second. Their warhead deploys several dozen meters from the target, showering it with shrapnel. The new small TKB-1055 missiles are designed to engage multiple small targets at close range, such as UAVs, incoming munitions, and light helicopters.
More information about the update is available on the official War Thunder website.
