- Yes
- No
Summary
This suggestion proposes the addition of a pre-selectable cruise altitude feature for cruise missiles currently in War Thunder, including but not limited to the AGM-130, Kh-59ME, and KD-88.
Background
In real-world operations, cruise missiles and standoff weapons are not simply fired in a straight line toward the target. Operators can program or pre-select the missile’s cruise altitude before launch, enabling it to fly at low altitude (terrain-hugging / nap-of-the-earth profile) to evade radar detection, or at high altitude to maximize range and kinetic energy upon terminal approach.
For example:
- The AGM-130 (USA) supports operator-selectable flight profiles via a datalink pod.
- The Kh-59ME (USSR/Russia) features a programmable mid-course flight path with altitude control.
- The KD-88(A) (China) similarly supports pre-programmed cruise altitude profiles.
This feature would not affect the missile’s terminal guidance or seeker behavior — only the cruise phase altitude.
Why This Matters
Currently in-game, cruise missiles fly at a fixed, predictable altitude, making them trivially interceptable by any SPAA with radar tracking. This significantly undermines the historical effectiveness and tactical role of these weapons, and is a large part of why weapons like the AGM-130 and Kh-59ME see so little use in actual matches — players simply find them too easy to counter relative to other ordnance options. Giving pilots a meaningful way to manage the cruise profile would go a long way toward making these weapons viable and relevant again.
Adding pre-selectable cruise altitude would:
- Improve historical accuracy of these weapons’ behaviour.
- Add tactical depth — players must choose between survivability (low altitude) and range (high altitude).
- Create meaningful counterplay — SPAA players must adapt to variable threat profiles.
- Address the current low usage rate of weapons like the AGM-130 and Kh-59ME, which are largely passed over in favour of more reliable alternatives due to their predictable and easily-defeated flight path.
Synergy with the Upcoming Man-in-the-Loop Feature
This feature would pair exceptionally well with the man-in-the-loop (MITL) guidance mechanic introduced in the upcoming update. With MITL, the player directly steers the missile during its cruise phase via a seeker or datalink view. Pre-selectable cruise altitude would complement this perfectly: the player could first set a low-altitude profile to defeat radar-guided SPAA during the cruise phase, then transition to manual terminal guidance to precisely engage the target. Together, these two mechanics would faithfully recreate the real-world employment doctrine of modern standoff weapons, where cruise altitude management and terminal precision guidance are used in combination — rather than treating them as isolated features.
