Today, Gaijin Entertainment released its latest major update for its hit, free-to-play MMO military title, War Thunder: Heavy Cavalry.
War Thunder: Heavy Cavalry update delivers one of the game’s largest content expansions, adding new vehicles, graphical upgrades, and major gameplay improvements. Vehicles span a wide range of ground, air, and naval units, enhancing quality-of-life systems across multiple game modes.
Ground forces receive significant reinforcements, headlined by several new Abrams variants for both the United States and Great Britain. The American tree gains the M1A2 SEPv3 and M1A2 Trophy-HV, both featuring improved protection and access to the powerful M829A3 APFSDS ammunition.
Britain’s top-tier lineup now includes the Australian M1A1 as a squadron vehicle and the M1A2 Australia as a researchable tank. Both tanks offer new options for NATO-style armored gameplay at high battle ratings.
Italy adds the Palmaria self-propelled howitzer, while Israel receives Singapore’s Hunter AFV, which features Spike-LR missiles, a 30 mm Bushmaster II cannon, and high mobility.
Germany’s premium Puma u14 arrives with camouflage based on real military exercises. China gets the PGZ88 anti-aircraft vehicle, and Germany’s Hummel self-propelled gun returns with 150 mm firepower for World War II fans.
Additional ground vehicle additions include the T-90M Arena-M for the Soviet Union, Indonesia’s Leopard 2RI for Japan, Belgium’s Leopard 1A5BE for France, Norway’s NOMADS for Sweden, and the M60A1 Predator premium tank for the United States. Together, these additions significantly expand lineup flexibility across multiple ranks.
The aviation roster grows considerably with the arrival of several notable aircraft. The United States adds the F-101C Voodoo, a fast jet fighter armed with four 20 mm cannons, while Italy and the Soviet Union gain the M-346FA and Yak-130 combat trainers.
Britain adds the Washington B.Mk.I bomber, filling a gap in its lineup. Germany receives Argentina’s IA.58A Pucara as a premium ground-attack aircraft, equipped with a range of bombs and rockets for close air support.
The premium F-14D Super Tomcat joins the roster, equipped with AIM-54C+, AIM-9M missiles, and JDAMs, built for both air superiority and strike missions. War Thunder: Heavy Cavalry also introduces anti-radiation missiles and Electronic Support Measures.
These systems allow aircraft to detect hostile radar emissions and engage air-defense networks more effectively, creating new tactical possibilities for suppression of enemy anti-aircraft positions. Germany’s helicopter lineup now includes the Mi-24D, and several aircraft receive fully detailed cockpits. The Mi-28NM and three Chinese Z-10 variants also receive visual upgrades to enhance cockpit authenticity.
Naval battles are expanded through the arrival of several new vessels. The United States receives the battleship USS North Carolina and the destroyer USS Gridley, while France gains the premium battleship Jean Bart, which offers strong anti-aircraft defenses and improved reload characteristics.
Italy’s MAS 429 and Britain’s HMS Egret join the lineup, bringing new options for both bluewater and coastal fleets. Heavy Cavalry also brings major gameplay improvements, with the Ash River and Winter Ardennes maps visually reworked while keeping their original layouts and offering improved graphics.
Ground airfields now even feature arrestor cable systems. Aircraft with arresting hooks can stop more quickly after landing, improving recovery and reducing runway accidents. War Thunder: Heavy Cavalry’s new advanced targeting systems let players store up to ten coordinate markers for GNSS-guided weapons, and new missile comparison tools offer detailed telemetry and trajectory analysis.
A new reward system grants kill credit when enemy aircraft crash near pursuing players, even without direct damage. This update rewards players for forcing opponents into mistakes during dogfights.
War Thunder: Heavy Cavalry improves immersion with updated aircraft damage models, expanded X-ray views, and new multifunction display screens. Over 80 aircraft now feature upgraded internal components and improved visual damage.
The introduction of man-in-the-loop guidance for selected TV- and infrared-guided munitions will now allow in-flight retargeting via data-link technology, enabling greater flexibility and precision in long-range strikes.
War Thunder: Heavy Cavalry is rounded out by major graphical improvements to ground vehicle textures and ambient occlusion. The download will run about 20–35 GB of data, but the new compression format significantly improves visual quality while maintaining similar performance and storage requirements.
War Thunder is currently available on PC (Steam), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One as a free-to-play title, though add-ons are available for an extra cost. For more info on this and other military sims, be sure to check back to Simulation Daily for updates.
