The list of export-restricted military documents leaked by players of the popular free-to-play game War Thunder just got longer. The flight manual for the F-117 Nighthawk, a stealth aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, was posted on the War Thunder official site forum, a place for community discussion about various War Thunder related topics like in-game strategy, proposed game changes, and, over the past few years, occasionally classified military documents. The leaked flight manual included lots of information about F-117 flight sensor locations, firing angles, and many other intricacies.
A Consistent Issue
Oddly enough, this isn’t the first time War Thunder forum moderators have had to remove forum posts on the basis of them including military-classified content. On the topic of the F-117 flight manual leak, the head of PR for War Thunder’s developer Gaijin Entertainment, Konstantin Govorun, confirmed that their “moderators quickly nuked the post, deleted the files and banned the user. This is probably 12th time this happens.”
The History of War Thunder Leaks
The first leak relating to War Thunder and classified military documents, according to Wikipedia, was of the Challenger 2 tank and its armor structure. Following classified documents leaked by users consisted of specifications of many different tanks, fighter jets, and helicopters, most of which had the export-restricted classification level. In each case, posts containing the sensitive information were deleted and users were subsequently warned. Many of the leaks weren’t intended to be malicious, either. Most of them were posted in order to settle arguments about in-game content, a sort of “I-told-you-so” card that’s been pulled several times based on the numerous incidents.
The Leclerc Leaks
In the example of the document leak involving the French Leclerc tank, from October 2021, the documents were posted on the forum in order to resolve an argument about turret rotation speed.
The poster of the documents claimed to a crew member on the Leclerc S2, which at the time was fielded by the French Army. The post itself was removed within a few hours in accordance with Gaijins strict moderation policy. In response to the recent leaks, a spokesperson for the US Air Force stated that the government “has urged companies to avoid allowing the distribution of information that is detrimental to public safety and national security.” The number of times that the leaks have occurred points to a larger issue here, and could be happening for a number of reasons, but the biggest takeaway from this ongoing issue is that it’s absolutely necessary to check if a document is classified or export restricted before sharing it with others.
FAQ on War Thunder Leaked Military Documents
What is the War Thunder military documents leak?
The War Thunder military documents leak refers to incidents where classified or export-restricted military documents have been posted on the War Thunder official forum. These leaks typically involve sensitive information about military vehicles and equipment used in the game.
How many times have military documents been leaked on the War Thunder forum?
As of the latest incident involving the F-117 Nighthawk flight manual, this marks the twelfth time classified or export-restricted military documents have been leaked on the War Thunder forum.
What types of documents have been leaked?
The leaks have included various classified or export-restricted military documents, such as:
- Challenger 2 Tank Armor Structure
- Leclerc Tank Turret Rotation Speed
- Specifications of Various Tanks
- Fighter Jet Manuals
- Helicopter Specifications
- F-117 Nighthawk Flight Manual
What was included in the most recent leak of the F-117 Nighthawk?
The leaked flight manual for the F-117 Nighthawk included detailed information about the aircraft’s flight sensor locations, firing angles, and other critical operational intricacies.
Why do these leaks keep happening?
Many of these leaks occur because players are trying to win arguments or validate their points about in-game content by using real-world classified information. While these actions are not typically malicious, they nonetheless pose significant security risks.
How does War Thunder handle these leaks?
War Thunder’s developer, Gaijin Entertainment, has a strict moderation policy. When a leak occurs, the moderators quickly remove the post, delete the files, and ban the user who posted the classified information.
What is the stance of the US government regarding these leaks?
In response to these leaks, a spokesperson for the US Air Force has stated that the government urges companies to avoid the distribution of information that could compromise public safety and national security.
What was the first instance of a classified document leak on the War Thunder forum?
The first known instance of a classified document leak on the War Thunder forum was related to the Challenger 2 tank and its armor structure.
What happened in the Leclerc tank document leak?
In October 2021, documents about the French Leclerc tank were posted on the forum to resolve an argument about turret rotation speed. The poster claimed to be a crew member on the Leclerc S2, which was fielded by the French Army at that time. The post was removed within a few hours due to Gaijin’s strict moderation policies.
How can companies avoid such leaks?
It is crucial for individuals and companies to ensure that any documents being shared are not classified or export-restricted. Proper training and awareness about the importance of safeguarding sensitive information can help prevent such leaks.
How Can Netizen Help?
Netizen ensures that security gets built-in and not bolted-on. Providing advanced solutions to protect critical IT infrastructure such as the popular “CISO-as-a-Service” wherein companies can leverage the expertise of executive-level cybersecurity professionals without having to bear the cost of employing them full time.
We also offer compliance support, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and more security-related services for businesses of any size and type.
Additionally, Netizen offers an automated and affordable assessment tool that continuously scans systems, websites, applications, and networks to uncover issues. Vulnerability data is then securely analyzed and presented through an easy-to-interpret dashboard to yield actionable risk and compliance information for audiences ranging from IT professionals to executive managers.
Netizen is an ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management), ISO 9001:2015, and CMMI V 2.0 Level 3 certified company. We are a proud Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor for hiring and retention of military veterans.
Questions or concerns? Feel free to reach out to us any time –
https://www.netizen.net/contact
Netizen Blog and News 
Leave a comment