MoD: Royal Navy, Army and RAF secrets being leaked on War Thunder video game - government promises crackdown

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Classified military secrets are being leaked on video game forums with the government promising to crack down on the issue.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge questioned the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on what is being done to prevent information from being shared to the public online. The UK Defence Journal reports that this follows a high-profile incident where classified details of the Eurofighter Typhoon’s CAPTOR radar system were shared on the War Thunder forums to settle an argument.

In response to the parliamentary written question, armed forces minister Luke Pollard said: “Unauthorised release of information endangers our national security and makes protecting the United Kingdom harder. As such it is contrary to the ethos and policies of the Ministry of Defence, and we take the unauthorised release of information very seriously.”

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The Ministry of Defence is clamping down on Royal Navy, Army and RAF military secrets from being shared on video game forums such as War Thunder. Pictured is a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft, after the aircraft's radar system was leaked online.The Ministry of Defence is clamping down on Royal Navy, Army and RAF military secrets from being shared on video game forums such as War Thunder. Pictured is a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft, after the aircraft's radar system was leaked online.
The Ministry of Defence is clamping down on Royal Navy, Army and RAF military secrets from being shared on video game forums such as War Thunder. Pictured is a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft, after the aircraft's radar system was leaked online. | ERWIN SCHERIAU/APA/AFP via Getty Images

War Thunder is an online military combat game which attracts millions of players each month. Released in 2012, the game puts players in the cockpit of various aircraft and armoured vehicles. The developer, Gaijin Entertainment, also runs a naval equivalent called Modern Warships.

The UK Defence Journal said restricted information about the Challenger 2 tank and other military systems. Mr Pollard said military personnel will be given rigorous training about online safety in a bid to restrict confidential information from slipping into the wrong hands.

He added: “Our policy stresses that information should be handled and distributed based on need-to-know, where access to sensitive information is no wider than necessary for the efficient conduct of official work, and is limited to those with a business need and the appropriate personnel security clearance. This approach is reinforced in mandatory training and through our Cyber Security Awareness, Behaviour and Culture campaign, which reinforces the importance of managing online footprints and not sharing information inappropriately.”

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A community notice published on the War Thunder forums by a community manager said: “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.”

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