Using missiles in War Thunder allows you to destroy ground and air forces quickly. They do a lot of damage, and if the player has a lot of experience, they are accurate. Thanks to this, planes and helicopters with such weapons can turn the tide of the battle, giving advantages to their team. This article will tell you what they are, how to customize them, and how to hit a missile in War Thunder.
Types of Missiles in War Thunder
At first, you will discover simple shells from World War II, such as the German RZ.65 “Föhn.” They will be unguided and ineffective, but they will still give you an advantage over your opponents. Controlled shells will expand the possibilities, allowing you to hit targets more accurately. Let’s consider the peculiarities of their use.
Unguided Missiles
Unguided projectiles appear first and are used against land or air targets. But here, you need to determine the class of missiles. When firing on the ground, it is necessary to use them competently. For example, the R4M high-explosive armament of Germany and RS-82 of the USSR will not penetrate armored vehicles or fortifications but destroy SPAAG or other ground enemies with weak armor. Armor-piercing shells can cope with any tank, but you won’t be able to take a lot of them with you. Shooting them on the ground from a medium distance at angles of 10, 45, or 80 degrees is recommended to get up in time.
Simple, unguided shells are ineffective against airplanes – they explode only at a direct hit. It is tough to make it in the dynamic air battles of War Thunder, even when shooting at large bombers. That’s why you need missiles with a remote detonator. They do not need to hit the enemy. It is enough to stay close to him. The pilot will need to correctly calculate the distance and choose the moment for the explosion. Such a blow will destroy any airplane.
Guided Missiles
The player course-corrects these projectiles, allowing you to hit targets more often, especially in the air. It is not necessary to calculate the exact angle and distance to fire them. Self-guidance will correct for errors. Air-to-ground projectiles of this class, such as the American AGM-12 Bullpup, can destroy enemy equipment or fortifications. At the same time, they can be launched unguided, diving at an angle. Or they can be fired from a high altitude and then course-corrected, staying out of range of anti-aircraft guns.
Air-to-air missiles are self-guided. You need to lock on to the target and launch the rocket. After a few seconds, the enemy will be alerted to the threat. This will give him a chance to dodge. If he fails, he is guaranteed destruction. Launching missiles of this class occurs in three stages: activating the seeker head, target acquisition, and firing. Therefore, the pilot needs to keep the enemy in his sights for some time.
How to Launch Missiles in War Thunder
By default, launching a missile in War Thunder is assigned to the right mouse button. With this configuration, it’s easy to fire accidentally, causing players to reassign keys. Professionals recommend “E” or “R” on the keyboard. The Air-to-ground armament is used when diving and when able to be controlled from a high altitude. Controlled “Air-to-Air” requires the assignment of two buttons at once: for launching the homing head and for launching. Let’s take a look at how firing occurs:
- The pilot aims a large sphere at the enemy and launches the homing head. This takes a few seconds, and the duration depends on the technique.
- The pilot holds the airplane in his sights for a few seconds for target acquisition.
- The launch is made.
If the enemy is close, he may not have time to react to the threat notification. But in this position it is difficult to aim and lock on to the target.
Optimal Missile Guidance Settings
To make it easy to control the missiles, you must reassign the missile control in the settings. Go to the “Control Mode” section and type “Axis” in the search. Change the yaw and pitch to arrows. This is the best configuration for comfortable rocket and airplane control.
Tips for Firing Missiles
After changing the settings, go to Polygon and practice using the new guided missiles. Learn how to aim them at the enemy, keep them in your sights for a long time, and dodge them. Knowing how these guided missiles behave will help you:
- If the launch fails, the homing head will turn off after a while;
- The homing works on heat, so the projectile is aimed at the enemy’s engine;
- The homing missile does not distinguish between enemy and allied engines, so fire carefully;
- If the enemy changes course abruptly, the projectile will fly past;
- The projectile is deflected slightly toward the sun;
- If the enemy reduces thrust to 0%, there is a chance that the homing missile will lose its target.
Best War Thunder Guided Missiles in 2026
Let’s take a look at the strongest guided missiles that are available on air vehicles of different factions:
- French Matra R.550 Magic;
- American AIM-9L;
- Russian 9K127 Vikhr;
- German PARS 3. LR
