War Thunder: First look at the Su-33
The Su-33 Flanker in War Thunder is the latest addition to the Russian air tree with the Storm Warning update. The incorporation of this Flanker variant was a surprise, just like the Rafale, as players had expected the Eurofighter Typhoon to be the main star of this update. However, it is not a game-breaking aircraft, as its cousin, the Su-27SM, is a much more competitive pick for top-tier air battles.
Fortunately for players who have not researched the Russian air tree, this Flanker has been added as a Squadron Vehicle. This means that you just need to be in a squadron to research it.
This article will discuss all that we know about the Su-33 in this premier military vehicle combat MMO by Gaijin Entertainment.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion.
War Thunder: All we know about the Su-33
The Su-33 is one of the most advanced combat aircraft in the Russian tech tree. It sits at Rank VIII, with a Battle Rating of 13.0. However, in Ground Realistic Battles, its BR changes to 12.3. It is located below the Su-39 in the Premium Vehicles section of the Russian air tree.
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The aircraft has a very limited ground attack loadout. However, it is excellent in air combat at its BR. Although the Su-27SM is a lot better in both roles, the Su-33 can still hold its own. It is very similar to the Su-27 overall, but can carry two more air-to-air missiles and is more maneuverable.
The Su-33's air-to-air loadout includes:
- R-73 IR missiles
- R-27ET IR missiles
- R-27ER SARH missiles
It can carry a total of 12 air-to-air missiles. You can customize your loadout as you want, but the best combination would be 4x R-73, 2x R-27ET, and 6x R-27ER. This loadout would give you the best versatility that the plane can provide.
For ground attack roles, it can only carry unguided ordinances. They are:
- OFAB-250-270 bombs
- FAB-500Sh parachute retarded bombs
- FAB-500M-62 bombs
- OFAB-100 bombs
- OFAB-250Sh parachute retarded bombs
- ZB-500 incendiary bombs
- FAB-250M-62 bombs
- S-25O rockets
- S-13OF rockets
- S-8KO rockets
Although none of these are guided munitions, the plane gets a ballistic computer to help you drop the bombs and rockets with good accuracy. However, due to the presence of extremely strong SPAA vehicles at the top tier, dropping unguided munitions can be very hard. A CAP role suits this Flanker much better.
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Although the Su-33 is very maneuverable due to its aerodynamics and canards, it loses a lot of speed during sharp maneuvers, due to its weight and large size. However, its ability to quickly change its angle of attack and its HMD gives this Flanker great close combat capabilities.
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