War Thunder update 1.85, which we’ve called “Supersonic”, introduces a new kind of weapon to the game: air-to-air missiles. Early models of these missiles, including the American AIM-9B Sidewinder, the Soviet P-3C, and the British Firestreak, will become available for particular aircraft. Some helicopters in the game will also get air-to-air missiles, but more modern types. Why are helicopters getting better missiles, you ask? We explained it all in the Developer Diary entry “The Future of Aircraft in War Thunder: Supersonic Jet Aircraft and Air-to-air Missiles.”

All current air-to-air missiles in update 1.85 have an infrared guidance system with a target-tracking indicator – the missile is aimed using the method of proportional navigation along the shortest trajectory in order to directly intercept the target. Since the guided warheads of early missiles only react to heat generated by hot gasses from engines, targeting is only effective against the rear hemisphere of aircraft and less effectively other angles. Early air-to-air missiles could reliably lock onto the thermal signature of jet engines, turboshaft engines, and powerful piston engines. Many WWII-era biplanes and other aircraft, for example, are thus invisible to guided missiles at long range. The homing system of newer missiles are all-aspect, which means that they can also intercept heat given off by the bodies of aircraft and can even be used from the frontal hemisphere. Since various kinds of radiation can be detected within the infrared spectrum, missiles can, depending on the features of their design, react to some degree to the sun, heat traps, and active electro-optical countermeasures.