- Too Easy to Use – Too Powerful
The LMUR (on Mi-28NM ) and Kh-38 (on Su-30 / Su-34) missiles require “almost no skill” for “massive results”.
- They are “fire-and-forget”, so you don’t have to maintain laser guidance or expose yourself.
- You can fire them safely from “12–15 km away”, far beyond the range of most SPAA or IR systems.
→ This completely removes the intended “risk vs reward” balance in helicopter and CAS gameplay.
The MI28NM problem
“You just go up, fire 8 LMURs, get 8 kills, land again. No risk, no counterplay.”
- Unreal Damage and Overkill Potential
Both LMUR and especially Kh-38 hit like a truck.
- A single LMUR can kill almost any MBT, even those with ERA or composite armor.
- The top-attack flight path hits the weakest part of any tank – the roof.
- The Kh-38 carries a massive 250 kg warhead, capable of destroying vehicles even with near-misses.
“The Kh-38ML’s blast and fragmentation radius make it capable of destroying most ground vehicles even without a direct hit.”
“3. Unfair Asymmetry in Top Tier”
Right now, Russia has exclusive access to these advanced “fire-and-forget” ATGMs.
NATO equivalents like JAGM, PARS 3, or Spike are either missing or modeled without top-attack or autonomous guidance.
→ This creates a clear imbalance between nations, where one side can strike from total safety while the other cannot respond equally.
“4. They Ruin Match Flow”
Players consistently report that Ground RB matches end within minutes once a Mi-28NM or Su-30 starts spamming LMURs or Kh-38s.
All tactical elements – flanking, teamwork, positioning – become pointless once long-range missile spam clears the map.
“5. Countermeasures Are Practically Useless”
Even advanced SPAAs like the “Claws, Aster-30, or IRIS-T SLM” struggle to counter them.
- LMURs often fly low or lofted, making them hard to detect or intercept.
- The helicopter can immediately retreat behind cover after launch.
- Radar/MAWS warnings usually come too late to react.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Warthunder/comments/1ns3wg1/so_with_the_addition_of_the_lmurs_which_are
Conclusion
LMUR and Kh-38 are overtuned, effortless to use, and they completely destroy top-tier gameplay balance.
There’s little counterplay, no meaningful risk for the user, and no equivalent tools for other nations.
Possible fixes:
- Increase BR of LMUR/KH-38 carriers,
- Limit missile count per sortie,
- Add realistic lock/guidance limits or better countermeasures for all nations.
Player sentiment
“Anyone who doesn’t know what these are – they’re basically 8 guaranteed kills.”
“He just went up, launched all his missiles, landed again. No effort, no skill.”
“LMURs are cracked. One launch, 80% kill chance.”
— from the War Thunder and Reddit community discussions.
