By John Q. Hosedrinker 
In the latest incident, a War Thunder player was banned for posting a restricted AV-8B Harrier flight manual section on the game’s forums. This marks the ninth known instance of players sharing classified or export-controlled documents to influence in-game accuracy. Despite the documents’ potential availability elsewhere, the game developer enforces strict policies against any restricted information, regardless of intent. The posted manual was labeled “Distribution Statement C,” restricting its public release, and thus violated the forum’s rules. The incident underscores the challenges of balancing the War Thunder community’s interest in realism with the legal and ethical implications of handling restricted military documentation.
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Classified data once again leaked on War Thunder forums, and honestly, it’s starting to feel like a regular occurrence. It’s almost become part of the game’s “culture,” a bizarre tradition, with folks seemingly driven by a mix of ego, pride, and a desire to be right. It’s a fascinating, if slightly alarming, phenomenon.
This time around, the talk is about the Harrier, a jet that, while *technically* classified, has had its older flight manuals available online and through other channels. The information might not be the most sensitive, especially if it’s from a decade-old manual, but the act of sharing it in the context of a game forum, even if “just” breaking forum rules, still raises eyebrows.
The underlying sentiment, though, is almost one of amusement. Many seem to find the whole thing darkly funny, a sort of “Cunningham’s Law” in action, where someone challenges a point, and the response is, well, classified information. It’s a scenario where a military engineer, seemingly driven by a need to prove their expertise, ends up compromising their job and possibly the law. This happens all for the sake of a video game forum.
The response from some is a sort of weary resignation, a reset of the “days since last leak” counter. Some have seen this happen many times. There’s a distinct impression that this is just the latest chapter in a well-worn story. People have found that posting something that provokes a counter, leads to classified data being revealed.
The discussion reveals a bit of the mechanics of the situation. It also touches upon the fact that the game itself might not be the most accurate representation of real-world military technology. The lack of detail in things like differential modeling in tanks, which should, in theory, affect tank movement through a turn, is pointed out as an example of the game’s shortcomings. The game might be fun, but taking it as a source of realism is, perhaps, not the best idea.
A key element that comes up again and again is the nature of the data itself. While it might be classified in some form, it’s important to understand that it’s not always the highest level of classified information. Some of the manuals are publicly available in one form or another and are considered unclassified but subject to data security rules. The point is, even if it’s “out there,” its presence on a forum and any subsequent discussion violates rules related to classified data handling, and that’s the core problem.
Of course, the potential legal ramifications of these leaks are not lost on the observers. Many are left wondering, and joking, about the repercussions. The idea of someone having a Harrier model and using the real manual as part of the display case is one of the things that is explored here.
The overall tone is one of bemused acceptance. People are aware that this will happen again. One user states “This is actually on my 2025 bingo card,”, while others joke that this is just what they do to get people to listen.
There are a few different viewpoints, as expected. Some are amused, and some are a little annoyed by the fact this has happened, yet again. People generally agree that it’s a good thing to take any leaked data with a grain of salt.