Confirmed information about DCS AJS37

[RaXha]

So, since the official updates have mostly appeared as responses to questions in the now massive and almost unsurmountable "DCS: AJS-37 Viggen Discussion" thread i have decided to try and sum up all of the information about the module that has been confirmed by Leatherneck. :book:

 

Lets start with a short description of the Viggen that i stole from wikipedia. :pilotfly:

The Saab 37 Viggen is a Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following the selection of a radical delta wing configuration, the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967 and entered service in 21 June 1971. The Viggen holds the distinction of being the first canard design to be produced in quantity.

 

Several distinctive variants of the Viggen were produced to perform the roles of strike fighter (AJ 37), aerial reconnaissance (SF 37), maritime patrol aircraft (SH 37) and a two-seat trainer (SK 37). In the late 1970s, the all-weather fighter-interceptor aircraft JA 37 variant was introduced. In November 2005, the Viggen was retired from service by the Swedish Air Force.

 

The Viggen was powered by a single Volvo RM8 turbofan. This was essentially a licence-built variant of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine that powered commercial airliners like the DC-9 and 737-200, with an afterburner added for the Viggen. The airframe also incorporated a thrust reverser to use during landings and land manoeuvres, which, combined with the aircraft having flight capabilities approaching a limited STOL-like performance, enabled operations from 500 m airstrips with minimal support.

 

In the early 1960s, it was decided that the Viggen should be a single seat aircraft, Saab having recognized that advanced avionics such as a digital central computer and a head-up display could perform the workload of a human navigator and entirely replace the need for a second crew member. The computer, called CK 37 (centralkalkylator [central calculator] 37), was the world's first airborne computer to use integrated circuits. The displays in the original cockpit were all of the traditional analogue/mechanical type with the exception of an electronic head-up display (HUD), which Saab has claimed makes the Viggen easier to fly, especially at low altitudes during air-to-ground strike missions. The aircraft's principal sensor was an Ericsson PS 37 X-band monopulse radar, which used a mechanically steered parabolic dish housed in a radome. This radar performed several functions, including air-to-ground and air-to-air telemetry, search, track, terrain-avoidance and cartography.

 

The module will simulate the AJS 37 variant, an upgraded version of the strike fighter (AJ 37). The AJS 37 upgrade was was performed in the early 90s and added radar reconnaissance to the aircrafts capabilities. The upgrade also added the ability to carry the RBS 15F and BK90 weapons designed for the SAAB 39 Gripen. The upgrade did little in ways of avionics, so expect an aircraft from the early 70s and you will not be disappointed by the lack of a glass cockpit.

 

The following video was shot in the last year of the airframes operation and includes several different variants operating from a typical road base.

 

Confirmed info about the simulation

• DCS AJS37 Viggen is planned to be release before DCS F-14A/B.
  
• All of the real life armament will be available in the sim, including the advanced RBS 15F anti ship missile and the BK90 gliding stand-off submunitions dispenser. Included will also be zoomed Mavericks (AGM-65B), even though it did not carry these IRL. This is because the AGM-65A (without zoom) is very hard to use in a simulation because of the limited screen space. The lead programer has stated that it was probably possible to implement the AGM-65B on the AJS37 fairly easily, Sweden just didn't buy any of these missiles. Source 1, Source 2 & Source 3
  
• Leatherneck has developed their own ground radar for this module. Source
  
• Slip of the navigation system will be simulated and will need to be corrected for accordingly. Source (RagnarDa is the lead programmer on the module)
  
• The aircraft is mostly feature complete, what remains appear to be mostly visuals (texturing?) and bug squashing. Source
  
• JA37 (Interceptor variant) is planned to be included with the module as an AI aircraft, but they have not ruled out a future JA37 module possibly a simpler FC3 like module, however it is not under development as of right now, and may never be. Source
  
• They are working on terrain that suits the aircraft, we have no more details than that on this subject.
  
• The module will include training missions, some single missions and two campaigns. A shorter one and an extended one. All content that are scheduled to be included on release will be on the caucasus map. The custom terrain will be released later on. Source
  
• We are likely to get the manual prior to release, along with a bunch of walkthrough videos released in the weeks before release. Source
  

 

Armament information

A weapons load of up to 7,000 kg could be accommodated on nine hardpoints: one centreline pylon, two fuselage pylons, two inner and two outer wing pylons and two pylons behind the wing landing gear (not used on the AJS variant). The centreline pylon was the only wet pylon and was usually occupied by an external fuel tank. Ground crew would enter the munitions fitted into the aircraft's central computer using a load-selector panel, which would automatically choose the correct values for fire control, fuel consumption, and other calculations. Confirmed weaponry includes:

 

Conventional bombs

120kg bombs - 16 bombs could be carrried in total across 4 racks. It can also carry up to 16 illumination bombs instead if needed.

 

Bomb pods

BK90 (DWS39) - A gliding stand-off submunitions dispenser developed for the SAAB 39 Gripen, probably one of the most advanced weapons in DCS when it is released. It will have most if not all of it's real life capabilities.

 

Anti Ship missiles

RB 04 - Developed in the 1950s originally for the SAAB 32 Lansen.

In short, you aim the Rb04 with a wind-corrected line on the radar (straight ahead) or just visually. When released it dives to sea-skimming height using the radar altimeter and start searching for targets. If you have selected the single-target mode it will target the first contact it sees. If you selected the group-mode it will search for three targets that is in a straight line from the POV of the seeker (themselves not more that 2,7km from each other). Then it selects one of these three targets depending on a switch selected by ground crew. This way, if you for example launch two missiles one could target the first ship and the other missile target the third ship.

 

RB 15F - Significantly more advanced than the RB 04 and was developed for the SAAB 39 Gripen.

It can be launched "straight ahead" like the Rb04 but usually you'll use waypoints for it. It uses up to 4 waypoints: one is where the target is (or search area), one is a turning point, one where it is to dive to sea-skimming altitude (or rather the distance to turning-point) and the last is a auto-destruct point. You can set them up by inputting coordinates in the computer, or moving a cursor on the radar screen. There are many different search modes and options for for example how the targets would be selected in a group (randomly or depending on closeness to target-waypoint for example) or the size of the search area. The navigation computer in the aircraft can use a set "missile-in-target" target time so you can coordinate an attack from different directions and all missiles will arrive at the same time.

 

Air-Ground missiles

RB 05 - A manually guided missile controlled by a separate control stick in the cockpit. (Sim will include ability to control it with keypresses or axis commands)

RB 75 (AGM-65A Maverick, B version will also be included, and also the heavier warhead version RB-75T)

 

Rockets

M/70 135mm Rocket pods. 4 pods can be carreid with 6 rockets in each pod. The AJS would fire all of the rockets in one salvo, but LNS has confirmed that they have added the ability to fire smaller salvos aswell if desired. This is motivated by the fact that this was possible with the training pods, so theres no reason it would be impossible to do this with the live pods aswell.

 

Gun

30mm ADEN Gun pods.

 

Air-Air missiles

RB 74 (AIM-9L)

 

 

A fairly good representation of the armament included with the module.

• Bottom left & right: M/71 Virgo 120 kg gravity bombs
  
• Bottom center: 1500 liter drop tank.
  
• Top from right to left: RB 28 (AIM-4C Falcon) (Not included as it was not used on the AJS, and i quote Cobra: "Useless"), RB 75 (AGM-65A Maverick), RB 05, Countermeasures pods, M/70 135 mm rocket pods & 9_Sidewinder"]AIM-9 (pictured is the Rb-24/AIM-9B, but the AJS used the RB-74/AIM-9L)
  
• Wings: RB 04E Anti-Ship Missile
  
• Not included in the picture: 30mm ADEN gunpods, RBS 15F, BK90
  

 

Cockpit

 

AJS 37 with 4x BK90

 

AJS 37 with BK90 aswell as RBS 15F

 

I will add more as i go along. If any of the info i have provided is incorrect please give me a heads up and i will correct it. Please also tell me if there is any crucial information missing! :pilotfly:

Edited August 27, 2016 by RaXha
Added more photos, thanks Sporg. Added details about armament, thanks to Skjold.

[rrohde]

Nice compilation of known info! Thanks! :)

[Uncle SAM]

Good job sir!

[Slynmaster]

Nice work! Thanks!

 

 

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[kontiuka]

I haven't been following this too closely so thanks for the summary.

[JanTelefon]

Lovely summary! Thanks!

[Agremont]

Good summary. Thank you.

[Vitormouraa]

Good job! will you edit it like a roadmap? as info comes up..

[Vectury]

Good to see someone make a summary for those who didn't follow the it up closely. :thumbup:

[Apache600]

Great summary! Thanks for putting it together. This is battling the F/A-18 for the number one slot on my "what am I excited as bonkers for" list.

[RaXha]

Good job! will you edit it like a roadmap? as info comes up..

 

 

 

Yes I will edit as new info arises. :-)

[Valinor]

Thank you :)

 

Now if only we knew when it was supposed to be released and when it's actually is supposed to be released.. :P

[VTJS17_Fire]

Thanks for the summary. :thumbup:

[Skjold]

Thanks, not useful for me but to the less fanatical (aka 99 % of this forum) this will be invaluable.

[RaXha]

Confirmed information about DCS AJS37

 

Thank you :)

 

Now if only we knew when it was supposed to be released and when it's actually is supposed to be released.. :P

 

 

 

I'm fairly sure it was planned to be released at the end of last year, but then Cobra got sick causing delays with texturing etc, and then they probably decided to redo some of the cockpit modeling to increase the accuracy since it had already been delayed anyways. (Cobra has stated he just finished his last research trip to get better photos of the interior, including the canopy mechanism.) This is my theory. :P

Edited July 13, 2016 by RaXha

[MrDieing]

For the love of my wallet, please release this in 10 years. My wallet is so dead right now and needs very long to recover. If this comes out soon, I can't resist it and need it lol.

 

Anyway, nice summary, haven't been following that thread like at all. Thanks!

[Valinor]

I'm fairly sure it was planned to be released at the end of last year, but then Cobra got sick causing delays with texturing etc, and then they probably decided to redo some of the cockpit modeling to increase the accuracy since it had already been delayed anyways. (Cobra has stated he just finished his last research trip to get better photos of the interior, including the canopy mechanism.) This is my theory. :P

 

Oh, didn't know about Cobra getting sick.

 

Only thing i would have liked is, you know, some more communication. Sometihng like "okay guys, we need some more time on x so it will be delayed". I was lead (but maybe it's my fault) to believe that we would have seen it around June or so, now i see Cobra's post about a research trip instead >.>

Then i also read that ED don't make modules be released at the same time to increase the sales (and that the F-5 is coming in July too, no?).. so yeah

[Darkbrotherhood7]

I was lead (but maybe it's my fault) to believe that we would have seen it around June or so, now i see Cobra's post about a research trip instead >.>

 

You are not the only one!:music_whistling: But it is probably my fault too:D

[probad]

it'll come when it comes, no amount of "communication" will speed up the process.

 

go do something else with your life if you have time and energy waiting to be spent.

[dillio]

Thanks, RaXha!

I didn't know how much I wanted this module until right now!

[Skjold]

Feel free to add this to your OP if you want, this is what the picture contains in the OP.

 

Bottom left & right: M/71 Virgo 120 kg gravity bombs

Bottom center: 1500 liter drop tank.

Top from right to left: RB 28 (AIM-4C Falcon), RB 75 (AGM-65A Maverick), RB 05, M/70 135 mm rocket pods & AIM-9

Wings: RB 04E Anti-Ship Missile

 

Not included in the picture: RBS 15, BK 90

[Drag0nWIng]

good job and wont buy.

[Toten]

I suspect the merge (1.5/2.0) will happen before we see any aircraft with its own map released. Just my theory/ opinion.

[RaXha]

I suspect the merge (1.5/2.0) will happen before we see any aircraft with its own map released. Just my theory/ opinion.

 

Probably, they have said that the map will be released later, and not alongside the aircraft itself. :)

[QuiGon]

That's a nice summary, thanks :thumbup:

 

Edit: I think it would be a good addition to add the famous cockpit photo, so people will get an impression of what to expect. ;)

Edited July 14, 2016 by QuiGon