This new feature will significantly expand the tactical possibilities for players fighting with modern armored ground vehicles. The update will also add dozens of new tanks, planes, helicopters and ships to the already extensive list of carefully recreated military equipment, as well as new maps and other content.

Drones are crucial for any high-tech army these days, offering the possibility to be the first to reconnoiter and destroy the enemy. On the other hand, drones are quite vulnerable and basically consumables in modern warfare. They can be shot down with small arms or detected by an anti-aircraft radar and destroyed with a missile. War Thunder players will now also experience how drones affect the tactics of tank battles in the 21st century.

Modern light tanks in War Thunder will gain the ability to launch small reconnaissance drones. The commander will be able to launch such a device in the middle of the battle and control the drone with a special button to scout the situation for enemy vehicles. The battery capacity of such a drone is sufficient to patrol over the battlefield until the end of the engagement - or until it is shot down or the vehicle from which the drone is controlled is destroyed. All drones have an "observation camera" that allows the player to reconnoiter an area from a great distance, and some models are even equipped with a thermal imaging camera.

The Age of Drones update introduces three types of combat drones: the Russian Orion, the Chinese Wing Loong 1 and the American MQ-1 (which can be used by any nation except Russia and China). Each combat drone is equipped with guided anti-tank missiles that can be used to ambush enemies without endangering the drone pilot. The legendary MQ-1 drone was in service with the U.S. Army from 1994 to 2018 and has been used in many modern conflicts - from Yugoslavia and Iraq to Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen - and it has also become the star of iconic Hollywood films.