Beyond Visual Range Aircraft Event

Suggestions Maps/Missions/Events
1
[Would you like to see this in-game?]
  • Yes
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0 voters

Disclaimer

This suggestion assumes that War Thunder already features nations/aircraft capable of carrying extreme-range active radar-homing (ARH) missiles such as the AIM-120D-3, AIM-174B, R-37, R-37M, Meteor, and PL-15. The aim is not to demand these aircraft or weapons immediately, but to propose a public, weekend-only test event (similar to the SEAD event earlier on) where these systems can be trialled in a simplified environment to gather player feedback on balance and counterplay but also giving devs insight into gameplay flow at BVR ranges.

So what’ll that look like?

An Overview of this Event

It will take the form of an RB EC match where existing matchmaking mechanisms will work as it does for RB. However, there is the optional and custom matchmake of having NATO vs Russia/China. Map size will be standard EC scale. Suggested maps: Afghanistan, Vietnam, Sinai, Spain. Both teams will spawn in the air at 10 000 meters (or just over 33,000 ft) around 80-100 km apart.

(Alternatively, newly-released Nuclear Escalation maps such as Tropical Coast could also be used as the playable area for this event)

As for specific rules, you’ll only be able to play this event with aircraft historically capable of carrying these missiles. Each of said aircraft will spawn with its historical maximum ARH loadout of these missiles. Also, multipathing in this event will be reduced to 30 - 40 m (versus the 50 m limit in normal matches). This encourages players to experience missile behaviour closer to their real world performance. Lastly, respawns are enabled and dependent on SL costs, similar to Air Simulator Battles or the Nuclear Escalation gamemodes.

Drum roll please… aircraft (and the missiles they’re likely to carry) are up next!

Note: Sub-tree aircraft and accompanying aircraft are listed here, however are not required to actually be in the game at the time of the test event.

Aircraft / Armament

🇺🇸 USA

  • F-16C Block 52 up to 6 AIM-120D-3
  • F-15C Golden Eagle up to 12 AIM-120D-3
  • F-15EX Eagle II from 12 and up to 16 AIM-120D-3
  • F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with its AIM-174B (up to 4) or 12 AIM-120D-3

Note: the Super Hornet can also “mix and match” loadouts with the AIM-174B and AIM-120D-3, however for now I’ve decided to leave the two separate, for now

🇷🇺/USSR

  • MiG-31BM (up to 4 R-37M)
  • Su-35S carrying up to 4 R-37M or 12 R-77M
  • Su-30SM2 carrying up to 4 R-37M

Note: I have opted to exclude R-77M from Su-30SM2 as it is not known or have been seen carrying R-77M

🇬🇧🇩🇪🇮🇹 Great Britain / Germany / Italy

  • Eurofighter Typhoon carrying up to 6 Meteor missiles

🇫🇷 France

  • Rafale carrying up to 4 Meteor missiles

🇸🇪 Sweden

  • JAS39E (6002 or later variant): 7 Meteor missiles

🇨🇳 / 🇵🇰 People’s Republic of China / Pakistan

  • J-10C carrying up to 4 PL-15
  • J-15 carrying up to 8 PL-15
  • J-16 carrying 6-8 PL-15
  • JF-17 Block III carrying up to 4 PL-15E

Note: I have kept it limited for China in this test event to just PL-15

🇮🇱/🇬🇷 Israel / Greece

  • F-16I Sufa carrying up to 6 I-Derby ER
  • F-15I Ra’am carrying up to 8 I-Derby ER
  • Rafale carrying 4 Meteor missiles

🇯🇵

  • F-2A carrying up to 4 AAM-4B

Note: Previously, the F-15JSI was placed here, however as it literally does not exist, I’ve decided to remove it for the time being

🇮🇳 (India; 🇬🇧 sub-nation)

  • Su-30MKI carrying up to 12 Astra Mk. 2
  • HAL Tejas Mk-1A carrying up to 4 Astra Mk.2
  • Rafale carrying 4 Meteor missiles
Missile Specifications
Missile Propulsion Maximum Speed Range Maximum Overload Mass
AIM-120D-3 Boost-sustain solid rocket Mach 4.5–4.7 >160 km ~40 G ~162 kg
AIM-174B Boost-Sustain solid rocket Mach 3.5+ >200 km* ~25–30 G* 830 kg
R-37M Solid rocket Mach 6 ~200 km+* ~35 G* 510 kg
R-77M Solid rocket Mach 5.5+ ~190–200 km ~40 G* ~190 kg
Meteor Variable-flow ducted rocket Mach 4+ >200 km* ~35 G* 190 kg
PL-15 Solid rocket Mach 5+ ~200 km ~40 G* ~200–230 kg*
PL-15E Solid rocket Mach 5+ 145 km 40 G ≤210 kg
I-Derby ER Dual-pulse solid rocket Mach 4 100 km+ ~40 G* ~118 kg
AAM-4B Boost-sustain solid rocket Mach 4.5 >100 km* 25 G 222 kg
Astra Mk.2 Dual-pulse solid rocket Mach 4.5 ~160 km ~40 G* ~154 kg*

Note: Figures marked with * are estimated or publicly reported rather than officially published specifications.

Why this event?

It’s meant as a more data collection thing rather than a one-time thing. We know these missiles will eventually make its way to War Thunder. I’m simply proposing a one-time (or maybe more? 👀) event to test these missiles before they’re actually implemented, similar to SEAD missions/gamemodes. It also gives devs the opportunity to have a head-start on any decisions pertaining to game balance and/or realism/historical accuracies. Lastly, just like with SEAD, this event could run more than once. Each run gives both players and developers valuable insight before these missiles become a permanent part of the game.

Any and all feedback welcome.

15 Likes
2

Wait it can carry 6?

IMG_4517

6 Likes
4

I like the idea

2 Likes
5

youll need at least double that with the missiles used

2 Likes
6

where do the extra 2 go?

7

Hmmm, fib on my part there, station 2&10 are too weak to carry it so I assumed. Fixed in main post.

8

will US aircraft also get AIM-120D-3’s?

9

I could definitely add it to provide more variety, just keep in mind that even though it is the best AMRAAM currently available in 2026, it is still a different beast compared to the others in this event. It is a 335 lb boost-sustain-glide missile trying to compete against 1,900 lb long-range monsters like the AIM-174B or R-37M, and ramjets like the Meteor. I can add it so we have more aircraft to choose from, but just know what you are dealing with… you would be at a massive energy disadvantage in a 100km+ engagement against these extreme-range heavyweights.

1 Like
10

huh i can understand for the sm2 since no solid proof of it 6 r37m but only 4

Spoiler

image
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but the su35 can 100% carry 6 r37m and here the proof of it:

Spoiler

su35 2 r37m intake
su35 2 r37m
image

how is rafale capable of 6 ? its only 4

1 Like
11

its still going to be the primary AAM of the US until they add the AIM-260 so i think its still worth seeing. Hornet can carry 4 along with the AIM-174’s so it wouldnt harm its payload

1 Like
12

Added new aircraft to the list + missiles. Specifically, additional AIM-120D-3 carriers and a new addition of MiG-31M specifically for the R-37 (not R-37M!) missile.

1 Like
13

Revised (until further proof is found it can carry more than 4) for Su-30SM2.

Rafale can theoretically carry 6, but to keep everyone (and I do mean everyone, lol) happy I’ll reduce it to 4

1 Like
14

would it be a good idea to add the KS-172S-1 as a counter to the aim-174 ?

15

I think the R-37M or R-37 is IMO enough tbh.

16

yeah

17

Cmon fellas, no mention about the multipath being reduced to 10 meters in this event? :D Beyond simply testing how players react to the new missiles, they also experience a heavily reduced multipath limit (even though for most of these, multipath doesn’t affect them IRL but at 10 meters it effectively does the same thing unless you’re lucky/skillful enough to fly that low and somehow remain unharmed (massive warheads all around…)), so it’s quite literally ‘2 birds, one stone’ event here.

ALSO, I should also mention:

Every single missile here has two-way datalink… which means datalink updates do not stop even when the missiles go active, so if for any reason with the immense risk this carries you maintain lock either up to impact or close enough… they’ll be that much harder to avoid, even if the target is notching the missile, but not you. They all effectively become TWS-guided SARH, in that respect. So… good luck, lol.

Also, apologies to the dev team needing to model this new (ish?? I’m pretty sure SAM systems use it in top tier) datalink model that differs from the original.

1 Like
18

Well this would be great. If they don’t mess up the missiles and maybe they could also test stuff like AWACS or EW

19

Well, this is likely to run more than once, so initial test is just original release pending player opinions. Second test could run as updated event with feedback taken into account, third could run with EW on top so a full fledged testing with everything in mind, etc.

Not sure about AWACS, since it’ll be AI-controlled aircraft which would literally be a free kill for anything in this event. Although I’m sure AWACS implementation is or would be planned later on (around 5th gen integration, perhaps? or after)

20

you might wanna suggest bigger maps before this mode as if we dont get big maps, we cant bvr.

  • now we are using only half of what bvr can, exemple the alt of the launch of the missile, in a irl bvr it would be around 10000m - 15000m launch.

  • in game we are launching at 6000m.

gaijin need to improve maps for top tier in both air and ground.

  • also sams are welcome such as s300 / patroit / hq 9
  • tankers also
  • awacs wont do something but provide data link, only i can see it is like 100km behind each team.
  • carrier are welcome and needed 100%
21

AFAIK AWACS have EW and ECM with them hence they can be added or tested in the third testing. They can also be placed very far away from the map