Gamer banned for posting restricted warplane manual – report
The War Thunder forum incident reportedly marks the ninth leak of restricted material linked to the game
The developer of the War Thunder military simulation game has banned a player from its online forums for posting a page from a restricted US warplane manual, according to a report by the UK Defence Journal.
Developed by Gaijin Entertainment, War Thunder is known for its highly detailed weapon system simulations. The game attracts a passionate community of military enthusiasts, including active and former service members, who frequently scrutinize the accuracy of in-game vehicles compared to their real-world counterparts.
The UK Defence Journal website reported Monday that this was at least the ninth incident in which a user uploaded sensitive material while attempting to bolster an argument. The latest case involved a page from the Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization (NATOPS) manual for the AV-8B and TAV-8B Harrier jets, which are used by the US Navy and Marine Corps.
The document was not labeled ‘classified’ but was marked ‘Distribution Statement C’, which means it is restricted to US government agencies and authorized defense contractors. Some forum users argue that posting content that is accessible elsewhere online should be allowed, claiming that governments tend to be too protective of outdated documents that are not actually secret in any meaningful way.
Gaijin Entertainment however maintains a strict policy prohibiting the publication of any protected material on its platforms. The developer says its models are based exclusively on sources legally available to the general public.
Previous similar cases reportedly included leaks involving specifications for tanks such as Britain’s Challenger 2, France’s Leclerc, China’s ZTZ-99, the Eurocopter Tiger helicopter, several US warplanes including the F-16, F-15E, F-117 and most recently, the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet.
