Dates and basic event format
A new large‑scale event called Workhorse has started in War Thunder, with the main reward being an event F‑16A (Netherlands) placed in the French tech tree.
- Dates: 19 February (11:00 GMT) - 9 March (11:00 GMT).
- Format: classic stage‑based progress event - there are 9 stages, each lasting 2 days.
- Progress: you earn mission points in air battles, clear stages, and claim rewards, including the F‑16A coupon.
Stages rotate every two days at 11:00 GMT - on 21, 23, 25, 27 February and 1, 3, 5, 7 March.
How points work and what counts
Workhorse is focused entirely on aviation.
- Modes: Arcade / Realistic / Simulator Air Battles.
- Vehicle rank:
- Main option – rank III+ regular aircraft.
- Additionally, you can progress using event aircraft of rank I–II as long as their card shows the name of the event they originally came from.
To clear each stage, you need to earn 45,000 mission points in 2 days (in Air RB this is roughly 10–15 good matches).
There are multipliers depending on the mode and the highest rank in your lineup; these are shown directly in the task description in‑game.
If you almost finish a stage but run out of time, you can buy out the remainder with Golden Eagles, and the price drops significantly if you already reached about 85–95% of the required points.
Main reward - F‑16A (France): what this jet is
The main reward is an F-16A Block 5 (Netherlands), implemented in the game as F‑16A (France) thanks to the Dutch sub‑tree under the French aviation branch.
Key characteristics:
- Rank: VIII, an event aircraft, not a premium.
- Model: early F‑16A Block 5, very close to the F‑16A Block 10 variants already in the game.
- Armament:
- 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon.
- For close‑range air combat – AIM‑9L‑class IR missiles (and comparable options; the exact loadout may still be fine‑tuned, but it’s expected to be a “classic” dogfight setup without Fox‑3).
- For ground attack – unguided ordnance, bombs, and AGM‑65B Maverick ATGMs for striking vehicles.
In gameplay terms, this is a fast, highly maneuverable multirole fighter with excellent climb rate - a true “workhorse” jet without the very latest long‑range BVR toys.
As an event machine:
- It is not premium, but follows the usual pattern of event vehicles and has better RP/SL earnings compared to regular tech‑tree tops.
- It is obtainable only through the event or the Market – you can’t research it in the standard tree.
Stage rewards: what you get for 5–9 stages
The Workhorse event revolves around 9 stages, with different rewards at each threshold:
- After 5 stages - a trophy with a random reward (boosters, decals, skins, etc.).
- After 6 stages - a silver chest “Horseshoe Pouch” with a chance at better rewards.
- After 7 stages - a custom loading screen featuring the F‑16A.
- After 8 stages - a non‑tradable coupon for F‑16A (France), which you can activate on your account.
- After 9 stages - a unique camouflage for the F‑16A and 4 random modifications for the jet (these are granted only if the aircraft is already activated).
In other words:
- 8/9 stages - the minimum you need to complete to get the aircraft at all.
- 9/9 stages - for players who also want the exclusive camo + instant module boost.
Coupon, Market, and “Upgrade for coupon”
F‑16A is delivered via a coupon, and there are a few important details.
- After 8 stages, you receive Coupon F‑16A (France), which is non‑tradable. Activating it permanently adds the aircraft to your account.
- If you want to sell the F‑16A on the Market, you need a separate item called “Upgrade for coupon”.
- This item converts the coupon into a tradable one, allowing you to list it on the Market.
- “Upgrade for coupon” is valid until 13 March, 11:00 GMT; after that, it disappears if unused (you can also exchange it for War Bonds before it expires).
- To be eligible to sell the coupon, you must earn 750,000 mission points in air battles during the event period – this is the requirement for making the coupon tradable.
You can track stage progress and the status of “Upgrade for coupon” under: Nickname → Achievements → Workhorse.
How to efficiently get the F‑16A
If your goal is to unlock the jet without spending money, you have up to 9 two‑day windows and need to clear at least 8 of them.
A practical farming strategy:
- Play Air RB with rank VII-VIII lineups to take advantage of the highest score multipliers (usually better than low‑rank AB).
- Focus on kills, assists, caps, and staying alive, not just rushing in and dying - mission points reward actual contribution.
- Plan your time: 45,000 points in 2 days is very realistic with 2–3 sessions of 1-2 hours if you play consistently, but it’s risky to leave everything for the last evening.
- If you reach around 85-95% of a stage but are running out of time, it’s often cheaper to buy out the remaining progress at the reduced GE price than to skip the stage entirely and try to compensate later.
Is the French F‑16A worth it?
Many players point out that the French tree is already packed with strong F‑16s and top‑tier jets, so the new F-16A (France) is more of a collector-grade, event “workhorse” than a pure meta‑breaker.
At the same time:
- It is still a top‑tier F-16 with a solid multirole loadout that you can get without direct cash, paying only with time and effort.
- The event fits into Gaijin’s new pattern of near‑continuous regular events, making this F‑16A one more high‑end brick in the collection of players who grind every event vehicle.
If you main France, enjoy high‑tier aviation, and are comfortable grinding around 45k points every two days, Workhorse is almost certainly worth your time: it’s effectively a free top-tier F-16A in about two and a half weeks of focused play.