War Thunder SEAD Asymmetrical Battle Returns October 16 to 19

Gaijin Entertainment has announced in a Steam dev blog the return of the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses event in War Thunder, the free-to-play vehicle combat game. The SEAD mode runs from October 16 at 11:00 GMT until October 19 at 11:00 GMT, 2026. It is an asymmetrical battle in which one team attacks and the other defends strategic S-75 air defense positions.

The mode has a specific historical root. Gaijin states that on October 17, 1965, during Operation Iron Hand in the Vietnam War, a strike against SAM positions was the first operation to suppress missile air defenses. That operation lasted until 1973 and consisted of many individual SEAD missions.

The event runs only from October 16 to October 19, 2026. Access is through Events & Tournaments, then Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses in the hangar.

The two teams and their vehicles

The attacking team must destroy all S-75 SAM positions. Attackers have access to both aircraft and helicopters. The F-4E Phantom II is the primary strike force, carrying rockets and bombs for ground targets and air-to-air missiles for enemy aircraft. The AH-1F is armed with ATGMs and rockets for more precise air-to-ground fire against the air defense systems.

The defending team must protect the AI-controlled Soviet S-75 surface-to-air missile systems. AI-controlled ZSU-23-4 Shilka anti-air vehicles help defend those positions. Defenders are equipped with the MiG-21bis, armed with air-to-air missiles to repel enemy aircraft.

Players have to adapt to different roles and strategies depending on which side they are assigned.

How players can join and what they earn

Any player with an aircraft of rank V or higher in their hangar can participate. Vehicles used in the event are automatically assigned, so no one needs to purchase the event aircraft or helicopters. Each player has 3 respawns per battle.

Event participation can produce research points and Silver Lions. Vehicles have a spawn cost in Silver Lions, and that cost is refunded if the plane is not destroyed when the mission ends or if the player exits in a safe exit zone. The refund amount depends on the condition of the aircraft.

Safe exit zones become available once all weapons of a certain type have been expended. Air-to-ground weapons must all be used. Air-to-air missiles are not counted toward this requirement. If a player spawns with only air-to-air missiles, all of them must be used.

There are no markers in this mode, so enemy icons are not shown on the map. The only exception is spawn points: if an enemy circles directly above them, they become visible on the map.

Confirmed rules and open questions

Gaijin has also explained why SEAD is not placed in Random Battles. Asymmetrical modes need specific vehicles and weapons. The event’s S-75 systems and many effective Shilkas make the difficulty too high for random battles, where players use varied vehicles for general objectives.

Anti-radiation missiles, or ARMs, are not available in this SEAD event. After internal testing, the developer found ARMs too effective here and they made the mode one-sided. ARMs can still be used in the Nuclear Escalation mode, where they fit the mission.

The announcement confirms the October 16 to October 19 window, the attack versus defend rules, the no-marker setup, and the rank V or higher entry condition. What it does not confirm is whether the SEAD event will return after October 19. Players who want this format have only the listed window as confirmed availability. Gaijin outlined its next major update and fourth-quarter events in the War Thunder community update No. 13.