In this article, I’ll guide you through the layout and hitboxes of airfields in War Thunder Simulator Battles. You’ll learn what each section of the airfield does, how they contribute to the enemy’s war effort, and how to effectively bomb them to maximize damage and disrupt enemy operations.

In simple terms, an airfield is a strategic location where players can spawn, refuel, repair, and rearm their aircraft. In Simulator Battles, airfields play a critical role in sustaining air operations and are often key objectives for both offense and defense.

The number, size, and layout of airfields can vary depending on:

• The map being played
  
• The battle rating (BR) bracket
  
• Placement

Despite these variations, both teams always have an equal number of airfields to ensure balance.

Some airfields are equipped with AAA (anti-aircraft artillery) defenses, while others may be completely unprotected. You may also encounter differences such as longer or shorter runways, which affect takeoff and landing difficulty, especially in Sim mode, where realistic flight physics come into play.

On the tactical map, your team’s airfields are clearly marked with blue and green icons, as shown below:



These icons represent your main base and forward airstrips, where you can spawn, repair, and rearm safely.

In contrast, enemy airfields are not visible by default in Simulator Battles. They remain hidden until a player from your team flies into the grid square where the enemy airfield is located. Once scouted, the enemy runway will appear on the tactical map as a red icon, like this:

In War Thunder Air Simulator Battles, an airfield is made up of four main components, each with its own function, health pool, and strategic importance. While the layout and positioning of these components may vary from map to map, they can still be visually identified once you know what to look for.

Before we go into positional recognition, let’s first understand what each component looks like and what it does. These components are also visually represented on the airfield icon on the tactical map:

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• Function: Responsible for repairing damaged sections of the airfield (like the storage area or parking zone).
  
• Visual Cue: Appears as a group of white tents—typically clustered away from the runway or in small compound areas.

• Function: Repairs and maintains aircraft on the ground.
  
• Visual Cue: Consists of aircraft hangars, often semi-circular or rectangular buildings near the runway.

• Function: Handles rearming and refueling operations for aircraft.
  
• Visual Cue: Identified by groups of crates, trucks, fuel barrels, and control towers, usually arranged in a rectangular formation.

• Function: Allows players to spawn and respawn at the airfield.
  
• Visual Cue: The long flat strip most visible from altitude.

Let’s break down how hitboxes (more accurately hurtboxes) work for airfield components in War Thunder Simulator Battles.

When we talk about hitboxes in this context, we’re referring to the targetable zones of each airfield component that can be damaged by bombs. Hitting these areas causes visual damage on the airfield and, more importantly, changes the airfield icon on the tactical map to reflect the component’s health state.

Each airfield component has its own health bar, represented by color-coded sections on the airfield icon. These follow a consistent progression as the component takes damage:

• 🟩 Green — Full health
  
• 🟨 Yellow — Light damage
  
• 🟥 Red — Heavy damage
  
• ⚫️ Black / No color — Destroyed

This icon feedback is crucial for coordinating bombing runs, especially when working with a squad


The number of bombs needed to destroy a component depends on the battle rating (BR) of the match. Higher BRs often mean tougher airfields with more health.

To keep it simple, let’s use a standard reference (approx. BR 4.0) for estimating bomb effectiveness:

To successfully destroy enemy airfields in War Thunder Simulator Battles, planning and execution are key. Here are some essential tactics to maximize your bombing efficiency:

Before launching your attack, study the map to identify enemy airfields and optimize your flight routes. Efficient paths help you avoid unnecessary exposure to enemy fighters and anti-aircraft fire while ensuring precision bombing runs.

• Learn the location of each airfield component relative to the runway (covered earlier).
  
• Identify whether the airfield has AAA defenses (anti-aircraft artillery).
  
• If AAA is present, plan to bomb from higher altitudes or further distances to minimize risk.
  
• In lower battle ratings (around BR 5 or below), long-range or frontline bombers are ideal due to:
  
  • Their ability to perform high-altitude bombing runs
    
  • Capacity to carry more bombs
    
  • Defensive armaments for self-protection

When you successfully destroy an airfield component, a popup notification will appear confirming the destruction. On the tactical map, that damaged component will change color to black or disappear, indicating it’s no longer functional.

Once all components are destroyed, the entire airfield will disappear both visually on the map and in the game world, signaling that it’s been completely neutralized.

• First: Living Zone Destroying this zone stops the airfield from self-repairing damaged components. It’s critical to fully destroy the living zone in a single bombing run; otherwise, repairs will undo your progress before you can rearm and return. If your plane can’t carry enough bombs, coordinate with a wingman to strike simultaneously.
  
• Second: Runway Damaging the runway prevents enemy players from spawning or respawning, delaying their ability to defend the airfield against further attacks.
  
• Third: Parking Zone and Storage Area These can be targeted in any order. Destroying these zones disrupts aircraft repairs, refueling, and rearming capabilities, further crippling the enemy’s air operations.

When you successfully destroy an airfield component, a popup notification will appear confirming the destruction. On the tactical map, that damaged component will change color to black or disappear, indicating it’s no longer functional.

Once all components are destroyed, the entire airfield will disappear both visually on the map and in the game world, signaling that it’s been completely neutralized.

• Multiple successful bombing runs that accumulate high points will help you climb to the top of the leaderboard.
  
• You might hear praises from teammates — or get called a “noob” by some rivals. Just remember: Haters are basically proof that you’re doing something right.
  
• And when you really start dominating your enemies, you’ll receive nice comments (or at least fewer insults). That’s when you know you’ve officially earned your pro bomber badge in Simulator Battles.

• Make the most of your flight. On your way to the airfield, you’ll often fly over AI ground targets. If your payload allows it, carry a few bombs or rockets effective against ground units, easy points while en route.
  
• Avoid the salt? There’s a way. If you want to dodge the inevitable toxicity that comes with “you destroyed all the airfields 😡” messages: Choose a spawn and enemy airfield that are close together. Skip destroying the Living Zone, and instead take out the other components in one run. Then, lightly damage the Living Zone, just enough to trigger it but not kill it. Voilà! The airfield comes back to life… and so do your bombing runs. (You’re welcome.)
  
• Want more Research Points fast? If Silver Lions aren’t an issue, feel free to J-out and respawn after a bombing run instead of flying all the way back to base. It’s not elegant, but it saves time, keeps your momentum up, and helps farm RP efficiently.
  
• Know your defensive game. Practice using your defensive turrets effectively: Learn your plane’s blind spots and kill zones Bait enemies into overshooting, so they end up right in front of your heavy-caliber turrets Remember: A bomber that can fight back is way more annoying to deal with, and way more fun to fly.

I really appreciate you taking the time to read through this guide! If you found it helpful, feel free to leave a like, share it with others, or even drop an award on the guide or my profile, it really helps and means a lot! 💙

If you have any questions, feedback, or think something's missing, don't hesitate to leave a comment below, I’ll be happy to help or update the guide accordingly.

Thank you and see you in the skies, bomber ace! ✈️🔥