In the wake of repeated incidents involving the sharing of classified military information on gaming forums, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed its commitment to preventing such leaks.
Addressing a written question from James Cartlidge, MP for South Suffolk, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard stressed the serious risks posed by unauthorised disclosures.
Classified Challenger tank specs leaked online for videogame
“Unauthorised release of information endangers our national security and makes protecting the United Kingdom harder,” stated Pollard. He outlined the MoD’s robust measures to safeguard sensitive material, including strict need-to-know policies, mandatory training, and the Cyber Security Awareness, Behaviour and Culture campaign.
The issue has gained renewed attention following another high-profile leak on the War Thunder forums. As first reported by the UK Defence Journal, a user posted classified details of the Eurofighter Typhoon’s CAPTOR radar systems to settle a technical debate.
Classified tank specs leaked on War Thunder game forums – again
This follows earlier revelations—also exclusively covered by the UK Defence Journal—of restricted information shared on the platform regarding the Challenger 2 tank and other military systems.
A War Thunder community manager reiterated their warnings against such actions, stating, “Please do not, under any circumstances, try to post or share sources unless you are 100% certain they are legally declassified. No good will ever come from it for you or the vehicle you are trying to post for.”
Pollard highlighted the importance of online behaviour, adding, “This approach is reinforced in mandatory training and through our Cyber Security Awareness, Behaviour and Culture campaign, which stresses the importance of managing online footprints and not sharing information inappropriately.”
Defence experts have warned of the potentially far-reaching implications of such leaks. An industry insider noted, “These leaks might seem harmless to some, but they can have real-world consequences. Sharing restricted information risks undermining platform security and operational effectiveness.”
