EXCLUSIVE – The War Thunder forums are at the centre of yet another controversy following the leak of classified documents related to the Eurofighter Typhoon’s radar systems.
The discussion, which revolved around the scanning capabilities of the CAPTOR radar, led to a user posting restricted material in an attempt to prove their argument.
War Thunder, a free-to-play online combat game developed by Gaijin Entertainment, was launched in 2012, with development and operations now spread across Europe, including offices in Germany, Hungary, and Cyprus, and a team of 200 employees.
While the material was swiftly removed and the user suspended, this latest incident has reignited concerns about the repeated sharing of sensitive information on the platform.
A forum community manager addressed the situation, reminding users of the risks and responsibilities involved:
“I will take this opportunity to again remind everyone here, please do not, under any circumstances, try to post, share any sources unless you are 100% certain they are legally declassified and publicly safe for use. We will never handle or use them, and all it does is actively harm any possible future changes being possible by trying to use them. Do not do it. No good will ever come from it for you or the vehicle you are trying to post for.”
The user was warned before sharing the documents, but it appears they proceeded regardless, resulting in the immediate removal of the material. The Italian Ministry of Defence, whose documents may have been cited, has previously stated that manuals like these are excluded from public access for both security and commercial reasons.
A Worrying Pattern
This is not the first time War Thunder forums have faced issues with classified leaks. Previous incidents have involved technical details of the Challenger 2 tank, Leclerc main battle tank, and Chinese ammunition systems. Each case has underscored the platform’s struggle to balance enthusiasm for military accuracy with the protection of sensitive information.
Radar Controversy
The CAPTOR radar was at the heart of the debate. Discussions centred on comparisons between its mechanically scanning (CAPTOR-M) and electronically scanning (CAPTOR-E) variants, particularly the latter’s ability to reduce scanning times significantly. Players disagreed over the exact technical capabilities, prompting the ill-advised sharing of restricted data.
Moderators have clarified that any claims based on classified information will not be entertained and have reminded users that no in-game content will be adjusted based on unauthorised sources.
Larger Implications
The repeated leaks from these forums pose broader concerns, particularly regarding the unauthorised dissemination of restricted information in public spaces. Defence analysts warn that such actions can carry serious legal consequences and even impact the operational security of military platforms.
A contact in the defence industry, obviously wishing to remain anonymous, told me last night, “These leaks might seem harmless to some, but they can have real-world consequences. Sharing restricted information, even in a gaming context, risks undermining the security of platforms and could lead to serious legal repercussions for those involved and potential harm to operational effectiveness and safety”.
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Unbelievable that someone security cleared was so detached from reality that they posted something this sensitive.
Apparently this time it was a document that was actually available on Google if you looked hard enough.
Some of the previous ones, however…
I imagine some very clever people get so frustrated at claims they know are incorrect being made online that they make stupid decisions.
So the document security breach was not directly part of this inappropriate upload. Gaijin Entertainment doesn’t sound like a European enterprise rather CCP though I don’t have that detail.
Lets hope the Italian Ministry of Defence can get control of document security as classification and document protection are different things.
Gaijin Entertainment is, apparently, a Hungarian company. Gaijin is a Japanese word.
THis company is russian
The company was created in Russia in 2002. Its founders, Anton and Kirill Yudintsev who are twins. It still has offices in Russia. It purposely HQ shortly after Russia seized Crimea. Their nominal HQ is in Budapest, with offices across Europe, including Karlsruhe (Germany), Larnaca (Cyprus), Riga (Latvia), Dubai (UAE) and Yerevan (Armenia).
All money paid by players is filtered to the UAE and onto Russia.
Indeed, the need to be proven correct is powerful…
Really? I think that even if such confidential documents ever existed, they must have been deleted.
War is fucking stupid and video games hurt nobody. The leaker has the correct mindset.
SB, your hair would turn white if you knew the scale of the problem. The motivation in most of the recent cases was social media validation. Foreign Intelligence Officers have a different source instead of having to rely on their old covert human intelligence sources who they had to stroke and ply with Danegeld. Today there’s a new motivation in social media validation.
Waaaaaa – Commie china already has it all – also WTF cares about china?
The obvious question is why has the user not been identified, tried and jailed?? Unless there is a consequence to illegal actions, they will proliferate and increase
Forums like that should be required to block the uploading of documents (eg pdfs), the posting of images, or links to file-sharing sites.
“Exclusive”??? You do realize your not the first to report this and by no means is this exclusive to ukdj. Literally an article from a week ago here https://www.sportskeeda.com/mmo/classified-military-documents-leaked-war-thunder-forums-yet-again
Not the same Eurofighter leak
It wasn’t a classified document, was a NATO eyes only non-classified document from 2001 about the Eurofighter prototype testing thats apparently been floating around the internet for some time.
What was the documents title?
Wasn’t this one from the previous leak? I remember it had “NATO restricted” all over it but there were no radar specifications.
Never ask someone in WarThunder forum to proof of his words
Attack the D point!
FINALLY A WT PLAYER; FOR GODS SAKE ATTACK THE D POINT!!!!
Never!
It is increasingly concerning how personnel within the military and defence community are inadvertently compromising operational security through social media and gaming platforms. Only last year there was a big one involving an RAF Typhoon pilot. He, the pilot, equipped with a GoPro, recorded his pre-flight walk-around, and then the flight operations over the North Sea in 4K and subsequently uploaded content to TikTok showing the world the cockpit instrument readings as he piloted the aircraft. Incredibly, in one video, he documented a QRA event, revealing the entirety of the cockpit environment from taxi to takeoff to flight.
He even went live in four live-streamed sessions wherein he broadcast his commute from home to the airbase, engaging with viewers in real time. He was arrested after the teenage son of a former senior Army officer was watching his video on TikTok. The father saw it, then ran through the 20+ videos detailing a host of OPSEC that was being ignored. He reported the videos to the Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace in person. Not only did this highlight a significant lapse in judgment on the pilot’s part, as he did not perceive his actions as problematic. The regular RAF screen didn’t pick it up as he posted videos.
As a result, the MOD instructed every service to heighten security protocols, with RAF police now inspecting personnel and facilities associated with these aircraft to prevent the carrying of unauthorized cameras or mobile devices.
Today’s landscape reflects a shift in motivation among service members and contractors; rather than monetary incentives, there is a notable trend towards sharing sensitive information for social media validation. This phenomenon has diluted traditional intelligence-gathering efforts, making it easier for foreign entities to access critical data through platforms like Discord, War Thunder, or TikTok, where individuals freely disclose sensitive insights in pursuit of online popularity.
Wow thats alotta yap I ain’t reading all that
Attack the D point!