The upcoming Sky Odyssey major update for War Thunder will introduce Greek aviation and ground vehicle sub-trees to Israel’s tech tree! Both of these countries have a long history of comprehensive military cooperation. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting Greek vehicles coming in the next update, starting with aviation.
Greece’s aviation lineup spans from mid-20th century aircraft all the way to some of the most modern combat jets currently serving in the Hellenic Air Force. Our Odyssey begins with the SB2C-5 Helldiver dive bomber, which was delivered to Greece in the spring of 1949. The Greek Helldiver is a land-based version of the dive bomber without an arresting hook and with modified landing gear.This attack/torpedo bomber is a longtime favorite among War Thunder pilots, proving highly effective in mixed battles thanks to its substantial payload. It’s also a standout in air battles thanks to its maneuverability and 20 mm cannons. The jet age kicks off with the F-84G-16-RE Thunderjet strike aircraft, one of the earlier production blocks. After this one, you’ll be able to research the remarkably fast F-102A Delta Dagger interceptor. We’ll release a dedicated devblog on the F-102 family soon. In short, it was a first in many ways: the world’s first production supersonic interceptor with a delta wing, the first supersonic all-weather interceptor, and the first aircraft of its type armed exclusively with missiles. The F-86E(M) is an export variant of the upgraded Sabre family with a new engine and a modified fuselage. Previously we detailed this family aircraft in our Work In Progress dev blog. The F-86E(M) became the first supersonic aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force, but unlike the CA-27 variant in the British tree, it retained its armament of six heavy machine guns.
At Rank VII, there will be two variants of the Corsair II, the A-7H in the tech tree and A-7E as a premium. These aircraft can equip a heap of weaponry for anti-tank work, but can also attack air defense systems using Shrike anti-radiation missiles, and can still protect themselves against fighters with their sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Up next is the Mirage F1CG, it’s nearly twice as fast and features superior short-range missiles, though it lacks any guided ground-attack ordnance, only able to equip bombs and rockets. The R.550 Magic missiles, which were typical for this series, were replaced by the AIM-9P and the total number of IR missiles was increased to four.
As we shuffle closer to the modern era, Rank VIII brings two legends: the Phantom II F-4E AUP and the Mirage 2000-5EG. The Peace Icarus 2000 upgrade program included upgrades to the aircraft’s digital systems, including the installation of modern radars and compatibility with next-generation missiles. Its avionics system outperformed many of its peers. Of this pair, the Phantom specializes in ground attack, boasting a huge arsenal of guided and unguided weapons plus anti-radiation missiles. The Mirage meanwhile can carry up to six MICA-EM radar-guided missiles, it’s slightly faster and more maneuverable, and is generally geared more towards air combat. The Mirage 2000-5EG Mk2 is equipped with one of the most advanced radars for the Mirage series and updated electronics.
At the top of Greece’s lineup, and also the first Rank IX aircraft for Israel, sits the Rafale EG (AESA). A perfect blend of excellent flight performance, cutting-edge avionics, and the most advanced weaponry available. It can equip up to eight radar-guided missiles at once, and its DAMOCLES targeting pod allows for the use of guided air-to-surface weapons, including GBU-49 Paveway II and AASM 250 HAMMER precision-guided bombs!
Before moving on to ground vehicles, a quick word on helicopters. The premium AH-64A (GR) from the Hellenic Air Force will be hidden within the US tree, but there’s no real need to move it elsewhere, as it already has a direct equivalent in Israel’s tree, the AH-64A Peten. Now, on to ground vehicles.
Greece’s ground vehicle lineup in the Sky Odyssey major update is more modest, as this update focuses primarily on the aircraft. The first ground vehicle batch will feature some useful imported vehicles: the Soviet-made Osa-AKM and Tor-M1 SAM systems, which fill the rank VII air defense role for Israel across a wide range of Battle Ratings, along with the German Leopard 2A6 HEL modification.
The tank especially deserves a closer look. This is a special MBT variant built for the Greek Army, with the supply contract signed back in 2003 and the majority of the vehicles were assembled in Greece itself. It features reinforced upper glacis armor, comparable to the armor package found on the 2A7 and Swedish Strv 122 variants. The tank is armed with a long 120 mm gun, and its ammo rack includes several round types, including DM53 APFSDS. Its fire control system incorporates thermal imagers as well. All in all, this brings arguably the best variant of the 2A6 into the game!
We hope you like the addition of Greek vehicles in War Thunder! Which are you most interested in, aircraft or ground vehicles? Let us know what you’ll be researching first!