WinterH

If you can use other DCS helos, and the Hornet, I don't see why Apache would be too much. You should be fine.

Yes, if you choose any acquision source for your current sighting system, pressing the slave button will make your sight target whatever that acquision source is, which can be a waypoint/target point, pilot's or gunner's helmet, and I guess in future the radar. To get your human gunner to see where you are looking at for example: - Pilot looks at the target area, and tells CP/G to slave there - CP/G chooses pilot helmet as the acquisiton source for TADS - CP/G presses slave button, which will slave the TADS to wherever pilot is looking at - CP/G presses slave again when he wants to slew around the TADS to look for targets there. Similarly, as the CP/G, if you choose TADS as your targeting system on the right handle of TEDAC, TADS video will overlay on your monocle display. Then, choosing gunner helmet as your acquision source, and pressing slave will make TADS follow your head movement, and you can "see through" the helicopter with FLIR or TV, but you can also zoom on that overlay. When you are satisfied where your TADS is looking at, press slave again, and fine tune with slewing control on the right handle of TEDAC, probably also turn the monocle off, as I personally find it distracting after finding the correct area.

Maybe Wags confused modules or something, because there is literally no point of having an AI helper with Ka-50, at least none that I can think of. Would love a Ka-52, but I don't see it being likely. Mi-28 would be cool too, but between the two I'd definitely much prefer the Kamov.

Story of AH-1 module for DCS is quite the saga actually. Belsimtek wanted to make AH-1G, as it would have the most commonality with UH-1, but people (understandably) wanted at least a TOW capable Cobra of later Cold War. Then they have said they will consider AH-1W. Then loooooong silence. Afterwards it was said AH-1S will be developed, to which community answered "yeah but which S?" To that, "ok" said the devs, "it is AH-1F". ...and then ED took over Belsimtek, and Cobra got postponed indefinitely, which is where we are I do really hope for an 80s to early-ish 90s F or W. Would be very cool, be a different, late cold war experience to go with modern one from the Longbow, and it would go really nice together with Mi-24P. Anyway, helicopter folks over in ED will have quite a bit to do for sometime, with AH-64D and Mi-24P. So I would think next ED chopper is awhile yet to come, I would think. They are perhaps working on art or research portion of it for now. More helos, happier I am though

There is a huge difference still. Su-25T and Ka-50 were experimental or even more like pre-series aircraft, and were actually used in operational trials in active combat over Chechenia as far as I remember. RAH-66 was only at the prototype stage of a project that was being designed/tried/tested, and was't "set in stone" even as much as Ka-50 (all of which were difference between themselves) or Su-25T. Comanche Gold of mid-late 90s was my first helo game on PC, and spent many loving hours in it but I don't see Comanche being a thing for DCS. We often say "the information needed to model [put random module here] is not accessible", in Comanche's case it probably does not even exist, as it was being tested/evolving/not even installed on prototypes when the project was canned.

Call me weird, but I'd love an armed Mi-2, out of curiosity if nothing else. Apart from that bit of novelty, the unannounced helo I'm looking forward to most is AH-1F or AH-1W, a mid to late 80s, or early-ish 90s one to be specific. Otherwise, I'd enjoy any littlebird, maybe a heavier blufor transport/utility kinda helo, like a Super Frelon, or even a Sea King derivative. I'd really love Mi-28N, Ka-52, WZ-10 or 19 etc as well, but they're reeeeeaaaally unlikely to happen, so, eh...

Only Huey and F-4E are kinda correct though. And they are mostly late war. MiG-15 is too old, and does differ significantly from MiG-17. Although there is a group currently working on a MiG-17, aiming for a 3rd party dev license. MiG-21Bis and the F-5E block 3 are both very much later versions with considerably better capability than those served over Vietnam. MiG-19P is not the right version, but fits well enough arguably. There will be an F-8J, but that's pretty farish in the future to release. Many years ago Belsimtek wanted to do AH-1G, and the response from community was quite negative because G is more or less just a Huey but thinner. E or F for single engine ones, T or W for twin engine ones are the way to go imo.

Hopefully not, that'd be just "Apache-ish, but takes off from a boat". At least not as the first or only variant. I'd also be happy to see a late W or Z after we get a late Cold War or ODS era F or W, as they would add more to DCS.

I firmly believe that 80s or 90s AH-1F and/or AH-1W would be the best fit to get. I'd be really sad if it would be AH-1Z, 2010s or later W, or earlier than F. For the modern ones, AH-64D really scratches that modern American attack helo itch. Older ones on the other hand, are really quite limited and don't have the right environment to fit yet. Moreover, two variants I've proposed can also be a decent representative of Cobra's international service, as P/F and W were operated, or is still operational in quite a few nations. They could also nicely complement UH-1H, and would be the almost exactly right counterpart to Mi-24P. Once either of these two is available, I'd welcome additional Cobras from either before or after this period.

Probably you two aren't looking at the same manual, I had that same confusion with a friend because there are quite a few versions/supplements However, with a quick look at 2 versions of -1 and 2 or 3 versions of -34, I can't find a definitive answer whether pre-DMAS aircraft had interrogation capability or not. As far as I've *heard* APX-80 combat tree was only on some of the select F-4Es, and was more common on F-4Ds. Most manuals did refer to a transponder panel, but that interrogation button on hand controller seem to be on DMAS related supplements, and it only show that such a button exists, which may not be enough of a evidence that capability was availabe as cockpits having non-functional controls that were intented to be added later but didn't end up isn't an unknown thing. It almost seems like that aircraft which had TISEO and aircraft that may have had IFF interrogation capability are mostly the same ones

My prediction is we'll have Pave Spike but no TISEO on earlier F-4E, and TISEO + probably Pave Tack on later DMAS F-4E. Haven't been able to exactly find whether TISEO is DMAS only or not in primary documentation, but it seems like it.

F1CE, F1EE, F1BE, and F1M, in this order, or maybe BE and EE can switch places not sure, but CE is first, and the M is last. Not sure if this is in effect yet to be honest. In any case, first to release will the CE, which is primarily air to air with iron bombs and rockets as strike options.

Very much looking forward to the A-7 as well, but don't think it's for this year. Otherwise I have long list of upcoming things I'm very much looking forward to that also includes A-7, A-6, G.91, Mirage III, MiG-23, Su-17, EE Lighting, Super Tucano, Pucara, Bo-105, Kiowa, F-8 etc etc Hope F1 is really getting near!

Anxiously waiting for its arrival in my virtual hangar This, and if it really happens this year the F-4E are my top anticipations for this year's releases, followed by Corsair.

I had put this together a couple of years ago to answer this same question, if anything, something visual in addition to the written info up here

Su-25T is on the heavy side due to additional avionics and fuel it carries compared to the regular Su-25. So it takes some careful flying but not too bad really. It features no radar, it has the Shkval TV sighting system, where a camera on the nose can provide you with a magnified view of an area, and lase that point for your missiles. HUD visibility can differ from module to module and depends on the lighting conditions in the mission, but you can expect better visual quality on HUDs of other aircraft, all newer and higher fidelity than the free Su-25T.

We really don't have anything solid to go by to consider there is another unannounced/suprise module. The "next gen heatblur module" card that's on the trello is almost certainly the Phantom, they probably just didn't update it yet, and it has a "2022" tag/label on it, which is the hoped for target for F-4E. I know IronMike did say something like "yes,A-6 is last in the line, but there may be something else between Eurogihter and A-6", but then deleted that, and made a post retracting that statement. I would think, it can probably mean that Naval F-4 module may predate A-6 perhaps. It MAY turn out to be the case, but right now there is nothing solid to think there is a surprise Heatblur module waiting. Though, I must say that I REALLY want a Draken at some point too :P. Anyway, F-4E, and specifically in those exact two variants is what I've been wanting in DCS the most these days, and very much looking forward to A-6 as well, as well as final improvements on the Viggen and F-14.

As far as I know night capable and ATGM armed Mi-8 variants are fairly newish though, at that point we might as well go full Ka-52, Mi-28N, Mi-35M etc :P. Sadly, I feel like those Mi-8s are about as unlikely as the latter 3. Also, while I'd love a modern Russian attack helo as it'd be something novel, at this point I'm more interested in getting an 80s-90s Cobra to go along with our lovely Hind, as well as for also being iconic aircraft. AH-64D will scratch the modern attack helo itch as hard as it can possibly be scratched anyway.

Frankly, no, a lot of us don't and appreciate the lack of them in some aircraft Subjective, depends on who's looking at it also depending on the cockpit I guess. Now that said, I'd also love if we can eventually get the CD version too, but more than happy with the A, and hey, A can actually do some historical roleplay in upcoming South Atlantic map too If we ever get CD though, I'm sure it would be a separate module or a paid upgrade, it is different enough after all. In any case, at one point it looked like every new thing coming up was a flying LCD gallery, but I'm really happy seeing it is a good balance between old and more modern stuff these days, and really looking forward to 339 and G.91, as well as other Cold War goodies from many devs! Still having the MB339 mod, I'm more than happy and excited to see what more will we get from you guys in DCS!

I think, or at least it appears to me like, many of you people may not have followed things as closely as some of us did. But already immediately after showing us the A-6 in ED's video, Heatblur said that A-6 is really quite distant-ish in future, and not the first module we will see coming from them. Also when they have published the public roadmap on Trello about maybe a year-ish ago, it was listed after two unknown modules as the 3rd and final one. It's just we have come to find out one by one that the other two were Eurofighter and Phantom, and the Phantom's card on Trello had "2022" label on it for quite a while. Besides, in an ED interview some months ago, Kate said in answer to "DCS Phantom when?", something along the lines of "oh, yes, soon enough too", and Bignewy said on discord that F-4 is coming but from a 3rd party and not ED themselves. Many of us put 2 and 2 together and realized that it is probably Heatblur's first module in line, only waiting to be announced

Personally, I'd just want a late J-7, purely from Deka themselves, with Chinese equivalent of Phytons and such, and those double delta wings with leading edge slats. Think they had some precision air to ground capability too at some point did they? In any case, that J-7 is really quite distinct from MiG-21 family at that point, so I personally don't think a joint venture with Mag3 would be all that useful. As for an older MiG-21, I prefer to see a MiG-21F-13 myself. PF/PFM etc, the second gens I'm personally not interested in at all, to me they seem like the so-so middle child, despite knowing they were the main 21s for Vietnam conflict. F-13 too was in the 'Nam though, and I like it being the original 21, looking really sleek, has a lovely canopy by MiG-21 standards, an is famed to be the most maneuverable (which I actually kinda doubt a little myself). The second series MiG-21s seem to me like they don't have the lines, nice rear visibility, and famed agility of first series, yet neither have the payload, performance, and avionics of the 3rd series. So as aircraft I don't find them as interesting as the other ends of MiG-21 spectrum myself. I'd actually also love a crazy modernized thing like LanceR, Bison etc, but I understand that wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea In any case though, a late J-7 from Deka, and a MiG-21F13 from either them later, or from another dev.

A-4, MB-339 (though it's about to release as a full module), VNAO T-45, VSN F-104, Edge 540 and Extra 330 by VARS/Grinelli, Hercules by Anubis (possibly also going full on module way), AH-6 EFM demo, CorsairCat A-6 EFM demo, UH-60L are the ones I know with an EFM. Also some of the currently SFM mods are apparently going to get EFMs later.

Said that before, but I'd really love a late J-7 for its novelty alone

CE As for the release date, there is no confirmed date right now, but it does seem "close" by DCS standards at least Guess we'll hear more soon.

I can't reliably trash advanced SAMs like some posters here, because frankly I'm often lazy and lack patience, and get myself killed sometimes because of that but... even still I can also say that SAMs in DCS are indeed really simplistic, and can be defeated in a fairly pedestrian fashion if you pay attention to what you are doing. Some reasons I can think of: - By default, they always keep blasting their radars off into the blue, so RWRs and anti radars missiles always know nicely where they are. - By extension, they won't turn radars off once they are launched upon by said anti radar missiles, leading them to be a lot more reliable, actually DEAD weapons rather than just SEAD - They won't move even if the radar is mounted on a mobile platform. So even if they'd turn off, more advanced anti radar missiles like later block HARMs will be able to just fly to last emission point and likely score a hit. - Unless scripted through lua and/or triggers, they won't do ambushes where they'll keep silent on a known contact until it is in/close to no escape zone. - They almost always launch at max range, making it easy to just turn around and make them trash their missiles until they run out of them. - Even if the site has multiple tracking radars, it seems they fire 1-2 missiles max at a time, unless we are talking about mobile shorad at least. - Even ancient SAMs like some SA-2 and SA-3 versions had a plethora of modes for different situations/advantages/disadvantages. Some of which, while having degraded accuracy and PK, wouldn't alert the target that they are launched upon for example. Right now great majority of radar SAMs act very similarly in a typical SARH method all the time. Though, I think some like Rapier does have both radio and optical guidance units available. - MANPADS, especially Igla, are often comically bad. Things like these make them a lot less of a challenge than they would be. Often, I am more afraid of AAA, or even that one BMP-2 with a Jedi gunner than SAMs. Now they are more of a nuisance, with at least half of the above points being implemented, they would be obstacles to carefully plan and execute missions around.