Pilots!

From May 8 through June 8, a chain of 25 missions awaits you. For their completion, you'll receive a new aircraft—Avro Lancaster B Mk. III—and other valuable rewards!
The Shining Sword event will run from May 8 to June 8. The event will be divided into four stages, with each stage containing two identical phases that will require you to fight in several battle modes: Bomber Escort, Invasion, Conquest, and Attrition.

Only aircraft of Tiers IV-X can take part in the event.

• First phase of each stage: from Thursday 15:00 UTC till Friday 21:00 UTC.
  
• Second phase of each stage: from Saturday 15:00 UTC till Sunday 21:00 UTC.

Note: daily missions can be completed only in the Conquest mode.

During each phase, you will have to complete:

• Three personal missions for each aircraft type. For completing them, you'll earn gold and our special supply crates.
  
• One global mission for all players. Completing this mission will double the number of supply crates you've earned for completing personal missions.

The progress of personal and global missions is reset after the completion of each phase.

Supply crates will double only for those players who made at least a miminum contribution to the global mission's progress.

Phase 1:
From May 8, 15:00 UTC to May 9, 21:00 UTC.
Phase 2:
From May 10, 15:00 UTC to May 11, 21:00 UTC.
Battle mode: Bomber Escort

Phase 1:
From May 15, 15:00 UTC to May 16, 21:00 UTC.
Phase 2:
From May 17, 15:00 UTC to May 18, 21:00 UTC.
Battle mode: Invasion

Phase 1:
From May 22, 15:00 UTC to May 23, 21:00 UTC.
Phase 2:
From May 24, 15:00 UTC to May 25, 21:00 UTC.
Battle mode: Conquest

Phase 1:
From May 29, 15:00 UTC to May 30, 21:00 UTC.
Phase 2:
From May 31, 15:00 UTC to June 1, 21:00 UTC.
Battle mode: Attrition

• Premium aircraft
  
• Operation order to obtain the brand-new Avro Lancaster British Tier VI bomber
  
• Stock Experimental equipment (periods I-III)
  
• Gold
  
• Days of Premium Account
  
• Equipment (Improved, Advanced, Ultimate; periods II-III)
  
• Pilots and gunners with free skill points
  
• Hangar slots
  
• Free XP
  
• Consumables (period II-III)
  
• Materials

You can purchase two supply crates per day. One supply crate costs 1,000 gold.

Operation orders can be completed at any time until the event is over. Please note that the operation orders cannot be reactivated after June 6 at 11:20 UTC.

All the unopened event supply crates will be converted to Unique Supply Crates on June 6 at 11:20 UTC.

Pilots!

On May 7, from 08:00 to 12:00 UTC, the servers will undergo maintenance to deploy Update 2.1.33

Update 2.1.33 will introduce a brand-new reward aircraft—Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, the American Tier VII multirole fighter.

Designed after the Battle of Midway, this fighter's primary improvements over its predecessor and "big brother", the F6F Hellcat, were an increased rate of climb and better maneuverability. The Bearcat was powered by the same Pratt & Whitney R-2800, the most powerful American piston engine at the time, yet significantly smaller and lighter. As a result, it best functioned as an interceptor, capable of a quick takeoff, climb to altitude, and engagement. With the first production aircraft delivered to the Navy in 1945, the Bearcat didn't see combat in World War II. However, it did serve as the primary fighter for the US Navy and Marines until it was finally surpassed by the early jet-powered fighters—the Grumman F9F Panthers, in particular.

The late-model Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat is an American Tier VII multirole fighter that boasts significantly better maneuverability and rate of climb than its counterparts from the Corsair family. A small frame makes this aircraft harder to hit, while its four 20-mm autocannons are more than enough to fight back enemies in the sky. And with a variable outboard armament, offering a choice between a 1,000-pound bomb or a rack of HVAR rockets, this aircraft does pack a punch!

To earn the Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, you'll need to participate in an upcoming event.

Various graphical assets for the upcoming event were added.

A new supply crate was added that will become available during the upcoming game event.

A new achievement was added that can be earned during the upcoming event.

New emblems dedicated to Victory in Europe Day, the Battle of Midway, and Independence Day in the USA will become available during the in-game events on the corresponding dates.

Several localization issues were fixed, including an incorrect description of the unique skill for Vasiliy Pavlov.