Modifications and modules
An autoloader is a mechanism that automatically reloads a weapon and removes spent cartridges. Autoloaders are used on various types of military equipment, such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled guns, and even anti-aircraft guns. The main purpose of this mechanism is to make the crew's job easier, reduce its size, and, in most cases, increase the rate of fire.
Naval ships vary greatly in size, from the smallest boats to heavy multi-ton cruisers. The greater the displacement of a ship, the more difficult it will be to sink it. But sinking is not the only way to deal with the enemy, which is why it is important to know what parts make up their equipment and where their weakest points are.
Engine Smoke System is a system used to generate artificial smoke screens, primarily on tanks. The screen is created by spraying fuel onto hot parts inside the engine, such as the turbine blades or the exhaust manifold. The high heat instantly turns the fuel into vapor, which then cools and condenses in the air, forming a thick white screen of smoke that hides the vehicle from view. Many ground units (mostly Cold War-era or modern vehicles) are equipped with ESS, and even some ships and floatplanes can create a smoke screen.
To increase survivability in a battle, some vehicles have duplicate control functions. For example, in some vehicles, the commander can fire the gun, and in others, the gunner can drive the tank. The mechanic was implemented to War Thunder in Update 2.7 “Red Skies”.
Chaff (also known as “Window” in World War II) are small strips of radar reflecting material (aluminium, metallized paper, fiberglass or metallized polymer based films) that are released in large quantities by an aircraft’s countermeasure dispenser which create a cloud of false radar targets.
A smoke grenade launcher is a device used to quickly create smoke or smoke screens around a vehicle. The game includes several smoke grenade types that vary in how and how fast they produce a screen, as well as in how they are deployed: some smoke charges are ground‑deployed canisters, while others are fired as shells from a launcher. Launchers may be mounted externally on the vehicle’s armor or installed inside the fighting compartment.
Aerial Infrared Countermeasures also known as “flares” are pyrotechnic devices that produce a powerful signature within specific wavelengths. When a flare is detected within the FoV of an IR Guided missile, the stronger signture of the flare will cause the missile target it instead of the aircraft that launched it.
Self‑entrenching equipment is a built‑in or externally mounted device that helps a tank dig in for a firing position. Many armies worldwide equip their tanks with these systems. For example, in the Soviet Army, beginning with the T‑72, all main battle tanks and some armored vehicles were fitted with self‑entrenching devices, and their use became standard in tank‑crew training.
Update "Wind of Change" added active protection systems (APS) to ground vehicles. These devices provide automatic defense against ATGMs or slow flying shells like HEAT-FS. While it is possible to shoot down incoming ATGMs manually, particularly using machine guns, this can be difficult against fast-moving or minimally visible missiles; thus, active protection systems provide an extra layer of security against ATGM threats.