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[h3]Scout and strike drones will be added to the game with the release of the upcoming War Thunder major update. Learn more from our Developers Blog now![/h3]

The use of remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance and even strikes against enemy targets was thoroughly studied in the second half of the 20th century. The heyday of drones came in the early 2000s, and today they are a must-have tactical unit in any modern army in the world.

The next major game update will bring combat drones to War Thunder - scout and attack UAVs will be hovering over the battlefields of high-rank tank battles. Scout drones will become available for all rank VI-VII "light tank" class vehicles as a researchable modification. The commander will be able to launch the scout drone into the sky during the battle, and switching to it to view the battlefield and scout enemy vehicles. A small scout UAV has a battery large enough to patrol over the battlefield until the end of the battle, or until it is shot down, or the vehicle from which the drone is controlled is destroyed. You can reload a drone destroyed in battle at captured points.



The strike combat drones at the time of adding to the game will only be available in the Realistic Battles mode. It can be taken into battle for a certain number of Respawn Points, which the player receives for active actions in battle. Three attack drone models are introduced into the game: Orion for the USSR/Russia, Wing Loong 1 for China, and MQ-1 for the USA and other game nations. The strike UAV carries anti-tank guided missiles that come in handy against entrenched or camping opponents.



UAVs will have full physic parameters, damage models and flight models. They can be shot down with both guns and missiles. SPAAG will be able to lock on drones with their radars. UAVs fly and maneuver according to real-life models, incoming damage affects the flight model as well. Both scout and strike drones have an targeting camera, which will allow you to view the area of interest from a long distance. The targeting station is activated by the camera view toggle button (default V). Some drones available for rank VII vehicles are also equipped with thermal imaging equipment, which will allow you to identify hard-to-see targets by thermal signatures.



The drone age is coming! Wait for the next major War Thunder update to test the drones in battles!