Cyrus

I played this mission today and, while a minute early on target, had a similar experience to the previous poster. Going low and fast I managed to slip away, but most of the other blue strike flights were severely mauled. After the smoke cleared 1 AJS-37 survived (me), as well as 1 F-16C and 1 A-10. The red forces still had 4 MiG-25s in the air. The multiple flights of F-15Cs remained gloriously aloof. :-| On the way back I managed to down 1 MiG-23 with an AIM-9B, which was fun.

Yeah, me too, at the end of mission 4 when exiting the mission. Crash report sent. Is this a random occurrence at the end of any mission?

Tonight I was hoping to hop into the Mirage 2000C once more. However, I could no longer select the radar dogfight modes, irrespective of whether the 530D, Magic II or guns were selected. When I checked the controls for the joystick, I could no longer find 'special mode forward' and 'special mode aft'. Where have these gone? What has changed? EDIT: resolved, key labels changed following a recent update.

One has to keep in mind that the rapid advances in electronics and computers occurred mainly on one side of the world. Nonetheless, I feel the comparison to the APG-63 and APG-66 is fair, as 1) these systems were installed in contemporary aircraft, with the MiG-23MLA remaining in production through 1982, 2) more important, the MiG-23 of various versions encountering hostile aircraft equipped with these radars in combat. Then, what is the point of it all? As said, I think the MiG-23MLA module will most likely shine in the Cold War MP servers instead of the general servers, given the relative obsolescence already affecting certain systems when the aircraft was only just rolling of the assembly line. Notwithstanding the previous statement, I do look forward to adding this plane to the stable.

Given that the opponents encountered by the MiG-23 in real life had much better radar systems, I do not think one should skip over this. BTW, the early versions of the AN/APG-66 appeared already in 1974 following development starting several years prior. While reliable data is indeed hard to come by, I remain cautious towards the real life ("non-test") implications of these figures, given narratives such as in this well-known interview about the meager performance of the much newer S-31E2 and the R-27R. BTW I have read that a MiG-25 in afterburner was seen during the Gulf War at a distance of 70 nm by the mk1 eyeball.

The external coherence method was one of the weaknesses of the design wasn't it? Quoting Dildy and Cooper's book (Osprey Duel 72) again: Interesting that the US fielded the much more advanced AN/APG-63, a true pulse-Doppler radar, at the same time.

And two BN models. Certainly, compared to the MS and BN, the MLA version was lightened and had a more powerful engine, but I have my doubts these would make it competitive on normal MP servers. I would not expect too much of the Sapfir III radar either, just a +/- 30 degree scan zone in the horizontal plane and +/- 6 in the vertical with a very thin beam (2.5-3.5 degrees), optimized for frontal arc engagements with much shorter detection ranges for lower flying targets and little ability to detect or track targets in the chase. The aircraft was still wedded to the GCI to find its targets. The MiG-23MLA will most likely find its proper place on the various Cold War themed MP servers. Hopefully, BD will make a nice campaign for it.

While I enjoy flying the MiG-21bis despite all its limitations and look forward to the MiG-23MLA, I do not have high expectations about its performance other than its speed. From the Osprey booklet Duel 72, on the results of the USAF 'Constant Peg' program in which ten MiG-23s were assessed and pitted against US aircraft:

On multiplayer servers I see MiG-21bis pilots shooting down F/A-18Cs, which requires skill and insight. If you want an easier time, better fly the MiG-29 or Su-27. If one desires a R-73 on a MiG-23MLA, I doubt there much to complain about a non-clickable cockpit ruining the immersion.

The WP states never fielded the most modern equipment that theoretically would have then just become available to elite units of the Soviet Union. Here is a nice example of boastful DDR footage from 1983 of a MiG-23MF unit operating from a road side base. Take a look at what missiles the aircraft are carrying. Theoretically a MiG-23MF could be equipped with the R-23 and R-60, but instead these planes have R-3S and R-13M missiles under their wings. I really do not understand the desire by some posters to make the aircraft into something that it has never been, preferably some late upgrade package that was never fielded in any meaningful number. It is like bright red lipstick on 75-year old woman, it does not make it attractive, only weird. If you want to be competitive versus a F-16C in multiplayer, be a much superior pilot or fly a Su-27.

Absolutely bizarre to dismiss confrontations between aircraft types as unrealistic, when these actually took place many times in the past at multiple different locations. When there is a difference between reality and an idealized confabulation of the past, the problem lies with the latter.

Just finished mission 21, I had to fly it twice, and noticed a similar small issue during both flights. The ZU-23s at the four corners of the lakeside compound do not spawn on top of the corner buildings, but inside the buildings. Otherwise I found it an enjoyable campaign. :) I will certainly buy your next campaign irrespective of the platform. (Other small thing perhaps, the Russian MANPAD is erroneously called a SA-19 in several missions instead of the correct SA-18.)

Yeah, nice mission, but a tad difficult. I had to fly it twice. Oh, the agony on the second attempt when our friendly German was toying with his 'souvenir'.

Yurgon was correct! I went back to the Nvidia driver from March 25th (419.67) for my 2080 RTX and then the mission functioned without any trouble. Hopefully DCS will be fixed to match the newer Nvidia drivers.

So far I have been enjoying the campaign, but I have encountered the same problem two times in a row in mission 7. After having identified the first CLA camp, I radio Ford 01 to drop cluster munitions on this camp. Ford 01 complies and flies towards the camp. However, after Ford 01 says something akin to 'Bombs away' and the cluster bomb separates from the aircraft, the game CTDs. I had this happen twice in a row at exact the same moment. In recent releases DCS has been rather stable, so at first I was surprised and thought it was coincidental. Yet, after the same crash at the same point in the mission, I am not so sure. Has anyone anyone else experienced this?

Verify that the right weapon is selected together with the right profile. The tutorial instructs you to set up a profile for the GBU-12. However, if you select the individual bomb in the DSMS by clicking the OSB next to it, this profile is not selected. Accordingly, the bomb is released but does not guide. There are two solutions: 1. Select the CCRP mode with the Master Mode Control Button on your HOTAS and then the GBU-12 with the DMS hat -> this selects the profile you created with the tutorial. Then deploy the weapon. 2. Click on the desired GBU-12 in the DSMS page and set up a profile for this particular bomb (and not all the other GBU-12s carried). Deploy the bomb. Another issue is height. LGBs need a certain deployment height. Experiment with different release altitudes. Bang bang refers to the corrections made by the fins of the bomb, which only make full deflections instead of gradual ones. If the bomb starts to wobble in the air after capturing the laser (say 10 seconds before impact), it is guiding. If it does not wobble, the trajectory is ballistic and the bomb does not guide.

Look at this video that was just uploaded. It also shows pods hanging in mid-air. The damage model clearly needs some revisions.

Overall I have enjoyed the campaign, but then I stumble upon the next to last mission in which you confront the C-17. I really do not understand this mission's design. You are in a MiG-15bis very far from your base, external tanks empty and dropped, then you have to shoot down a C-17 (easy), but afterwards you have to dogfight no less than 2 F-5Es (on expert AI) on your own! Although the messages suggest to run for your own front lines, this is completely impossible as the F-5Es are far faster aircraft. They rapidly closed the distance to my MiG-15bis, which was already barely controllable at max speed nearing mach 1. So I got into a dogfight, managed to shoot one down, but your fuel quantity rapidly diminishes trying to fend off 2 enemy planes at once. I got shot down when I had 300L left, I would not have made it back to base anyhow. How are you supposed to finish this mission? Clean AI F-5Es are some of the best dogfighters in the game, see the Red Flag campaigns with this type.

Having read the briefing and this thread I made my first attempt, limiting my speed to 300 km/h until the first red smoke plume, then accelerating to 550 km/h for the 2nd plume and to 600 km/h for the third. All the time closely watching the speedometer and handling the throttle and a tad of airbrake. "Relic 01, enemy forces are on the move...." What? Checking the clock: too late. How could this be? The speeds in the briefing do not take account of the precious time required for a careful acceleration towards the next delineated speed and, perhaps, you do no need to stay at 300 km/h during the short leg towards the first smoke plume. Then what? There was no message telling me I had failed the mission, but there was a message that enemy fighters had been scrambled. I decided to follow the smoke plumes back to base in the hope a long or medium range SAM system there would have my back. Speeding at tree top level or below, I checked the map and there was no such SAM system. Looking around in panic whilst flying low I wondered what might happen to my poor MiG-15bis. Near Nalchik 'dot' labels allowed me to spot a hostile Mirage 2000C, one of my favorite DCS birds! Breaking into it flying in between apartment blocks, the Mirage was unable to fire a missile and when it was close I pulled up hard. The Mirage went vertical too and I managed to enter a low speed spin :-( Some rudder work allowed me to recover from the spin, and I followed with a dive recovering speed. Two turns later and a short burst of 23 mm at a high angle tore off the Mirage's right wing! I could not believe it! :-) I decided to get back to the mission and flew at treetop level to the enemy base, popped up and the F-117 was blown up by a burst of 37 mm. I was no longer harassed by enemy planes whilst doing so. However, the debriefing showed that I was launched at by a Chaparral during the ingress. I had not even noticed. A fun mission, even though I did not complete it the way it should have been done. I should have considered the time needed to accelerate the slow MiG.

I just tried the mission for the 2nd and 3rd time. In the 2nd attempt I destroyed all the enemy infantry, nothing happened. However, in the 3rd attempt I was still busy taking out the infantry in the wheat field, when the mission suddenly progressed with the Mi-24 exploding and the rescue Mi-8 taking off. Ok, nice, next mission.

I completed the mission by staying over the river and breaking off any pursuits of Su-25s moving to the South. I managed to shoot one down and damage another which then ate a SAM, after which the other two Su-25s left the scene. Now I reached mission 14 (rescuing 2 Mi-24 pilots). I do not understand it very well or it seems broken. After the Mi-8 lands and I get the message that the pilots are safely on board, nothing happens! The Mi-8 stays put on the ground and does not take off, whilst the other helicopters keep circling. I destroyed most of the enemy infantry expect for three individuals that do not even reach the Mi-8. How to solve this?

Overall I have been enjoying the campaign, very atmospheric, and have now reached the mission in which you are told to attack hill 39. Sigh.... I just tried this mission 7 times in a row, mostly due to the MANPADS on the hill and short range SAMs that are in two west-east lines slightly to the south of it. In one attempt I managed to shoot down all four Su-25s, but then spotted a smoke trail coming from the hill, a Stinger fired at max range... and of course I got hit again. Game over. No matter where you are hit and by what, the MiG's engine always dies immediately. Rather a dreadful experience IMHO trying to hunt missile armed Su-25s in a SAM infested area. It seems best to stay north of the river or west near the coast and wait for a Su-25 to venture there and to stay high lest a Su-25 comes specifically for you launching R-60s on the way in.

With some guidance through the forums I finished the campaign. Despite some frustrations, I really enjoyed it. All the radio traffic and different characters really make it come alive. Only in the last mission did I realize how many people had contributed some lines to the campaign. I had not even recognized Ralfidude's voice even though I have watched most of his DCS videos. I did not mind the transit flight to the ranges. Nevada looks great and this campaign has made me want to go there and see the desert for myself. The sad thing is that now both Mirage 2000C campaigns are finished. The Mirage 2000 was the first DCS aircraft for me. I am still not sure as to what the next aircraft will be for me.

I did the mission again, now in the correct sequence. Hence, I started orbiting 15 miles from the target and waited for Noble to drop its bombs prior to going in. This time I took four GBU-12s along and they all guided swiftly and correctly onto the ZSU-23-4s. Then came the order to attack the Gazelles. I decided for a joint attack with Noble, which resulted in one of the F-16s going down. My Magic missiles were spoofed by the Gazelle's flares and my wingman could not be bothered to attack. Subsequently, I called in Reaper 01 which shot down both Gazelles. However, then the mission stopped progressing. I could call in Reaper 02 on F10 which did not do anything. Reaper and the A-10s kept circling. Well, I decided to go RTB and got a mission complete message with a 75% result. All in all, a nice mission. It must be difficult with the constant DCS updates and AI quirks to have all missions to continue to run smoothly.

I cannot get this mission to work either. Of course stupid Max and his wingman get quickly shot down by the Gazelles. Noble drops its bombs. My final LGB finally guided to a ZSU-23-4 after demanding a target shift from the JTAC. The first two LGBs were guided to an identical point on the ground, even though dropped in separate runs. My wingman responds positively to the order to 'attack primary and rejoin'. However, even though the laser is on, the wingman just does not drop any bombs. Whilst circling over the target, I tried shifting the target and turning the laser on/off many times, but my wingman does little else than making attack runs without dropping any ordnance. Some other flights show up (F-4s, MiG-21s) and get shot down by the CAP, but little else happens. The A-10s keep circling and no other radio options come available. I will retry the mission tomorrow and take 4 GBU-12s along.