Players of the popular online vehicular combat game, “War Thunder,” can’t stop posting classified military vehicle schematics on online forums, potentially violating international arms trafficking laws.
After the developers of War Thunder added the F-16 fighter craft to the game in December, players were discussing certain mechanics of the plane, including how it would fire certain missiles. That’s when one user under the name SpaceNavy90 posted documents detailing how an F-16 Fighting Falcon deploys an Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM), according to Popular Mechanics.
This isn’t the first time they’ve shared classified data to win internet battles. https://t.co/kx9cyK4Gnt
— Popular Mechanics (@PopMech) January 20, 2023
Moderators on the Gaijin Entertainment forum, the company that created the game, quickly removed the documents. But, they were up long enough to be shared to virtually every corner of the world that has internet access, Popular Mechanics reported. SpaceNavy90 argued there wasn’t a problem because the information was somewhat outdated (F-16’s are no longer purchased by the U.S. Air Force, although they are still exported abroad and used by at least 25 different operators), but the moderators feared the post could still be in violation of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), according to Task & Purpose.
The documents were originally posted to the forum Jan. 16, but this isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred. Two days later, a separate user named RanchSauce39 posted multiple operational flight program manuals for the F-15E. That post was also removed, although users were engaged in an intense debate about whether the documents were actually classified, or if sharing them violated arms trafficking regulations.
Past incidents have often centered around accurate portrayals of tanks. In July 2021, a gamer identifying as a British tank commander shared classified specifications on the Challenger 2 tank. A self-proclaimed Chinese tank crewmember shared secret information in June 2022, and a supposed Frenchman shared the manual for a LeClerc battle tank in late 2021. (RELATED: Biden Admin Approves The Delivery Of American Tanks To Ukraine)
One viral reddit post claimed individuals were being asked if they play War Thunder when interviewed for security clearances by Raytheon, an allegation the company denied.
According to ITAR, any U.S. person who wishes to transfer U.S. Munitions List items must obtain permission from the State Department beforehand. Individuals convicted of violating ITAR have faced penalties of decades in prison in the past.