The HH-60 would be the best S-70 version to have in DCS

[Lesser Panda]

The ability to CSAR/troop/cargo type missions with extended uptime and mid air refueling is what is needed in a heli for dcs. The HH-60 would be far better than others due to its Doppler navigation, Infrared, and RWR systems. 

[minar]

 

The ability to have the minigun and even the penguin and hellfire options would really round it out. Add in some antiship, ship/shore resupply, seal insertions/extractions, and SAR missions and your all set.

[Rogue Trooper]

I reckon polychops will be looking at the Tiger next.

the real question is which one?

[heloguy]

Would love an MH-60L, but I'm not sure how feasible that is.  That helicopter does everything a helicopter can do.  Put stores on it, it does attack.  Remove them, and put on flexible guns, it does infil/exfil, SAR, CASEVAC, HAAR (yes, the attack version can too), etc.

 

The HH is a pretty niche version, although you'd be able to pretend everything, except the attack part.

[Rogue Trooper]

With the Apache coming, the Hind at the front door and the OH-58D somewhere in between..... I am starting to get all the weapon choppers I need.

 

For utility choppers, weapon load is no longer a deciding factor for me. 

A few door gunners works for me.

the MI-8 is just an incredible machine and something of equal footing from the western world would do for me.

A Merlin would be my preference.

NH-90 perhaps?

A chinook for sure!

Pave low any one?

 

 

 

[Volator]

I for my part would favour a more general variant than those super-specialized ones. A standard UH-60A/L/M version would do for me. They are employed by many nations and services, not just the USAF or the 160th SOAR.

[Rogue Trooper]

Moving away from American airframes would work for me for bluefor.

 

The HH-60G Pave would work... that would work real good for me..... something real special.

 

I think the US just does not lead the world in general utility choppers any more. The UH-60s are just nothing special really.

Building diversity on top a a average design just does not really get you any where special..... unless it is the pave. 

To much investment in stealth air superiority/bombers will stagnate chopper development.

 

Europe dominates choppers in the western world. (I am not talking attack choppers mind).

Ask the US marines.

Edited April 30, 2021 by Rogue Trooper

[Volator]

10 hours ago, Rogue Trooper said:

Europe dominates choppers in the western world. (I am not talking attack choppers mind).

 

10 hours ago, Rogue Trooper said:

The UH-60s are just nothing special really.

Building diversity on top a a average design just does not really get you any where special

 

Those are bold statements I'd like to challenge.

 

So, utility helicopters-wise, which European helicopter you can think of surpasses the performance, efficiency, effectivity, maintainability, readiness of the UH-60 combined as a whole package? Please don't say NH-90... 

[WHOGX5]

When it comes to utility helicopters there really isn't a better choice than the HH-60G. It's old enough to have available documentation and it's new enough to be extremely capable. It is all-weather capable with GPS/INS, forward looking infrared and weather radar. Sling loading, hoisting, aerial refueling, etc; it can do all that stuff. It's even capable of shipborne ops with folding rotorblades. It can perform any roll from transport to CSAR and spec ops insertion. I dare anyone to find a helicopter variant that is more or equally capable with the same amount of available documentation and access to SMEs.

[Rogue Trooper]

On 4/30/2021 at 12:13 PM, Pilot Ike said:

 

 

Those are bold statements I'd like to challenge.

 

So, utility helicopters-wise, which European helicopter you can think of surpasses the performance, efficiency, effectivity, maintainability, readiness of the UH-60 combined as a whole package? Please don't say NH-90... 

EC-145 perhaps.... I reckon the most advanced production chopper in the world.

It is simply out standing on every count and that is "out of the box"..... nothing touches it.

Nothing.

 

The Merlin out performs any 60 and carries more passengers. 

 

Maintenance wise....... hmmmm..... it is certainly a goal with Yank choppers, but does that mean they are more reliable or do they just say it?... I dunno, there are certainly more American 60s than any European choppers, more spares? 

 

For Controllability and pilot aids then the 60 is yesterdays child.

An advanced or special 60 perhaps comes close to the Merlin's/NH-90s automated abilities.

 

Yeah, I agree the NH-90 is a rusty hunk.

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Rogue Trooper

[Rogue Trooper]

However a chinook is a must for Bluefor.

An MH-53 Pave low would be awesome.

An AH-1W would be a must in my book.

An AH-6 would also be superb.

A sea king would be very much appreciated mind.

 

For Bluefor utilities I would just prefer something better, something different, something European. 

My top list for yank choppers is just full up.... enough already.

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Rogue Trooper

[ojanim]

I am in for the HH-60G Pave Hawk. It would be the most versatile medium sized helicopter for DCS.
Air to air refueling with a helicopter would be really amazing.

 

To extend the usage for combat we should get a removable Multi-Station Lightweight Armament Support Structure (MLASS/LASS) from unitech.

It should be usable on S-70 variants und should enable us to deploy unguided missiles and fixed forward firing guns.

 

Alternatively I want a standard Black Hawk variant with a removeable Multi-mission upgrade from Lockheed Martin.

That should enable us to make use of the helicopter as either a troop transporter or attack helicopter with hellfires, unguided rockets and fixed forward firing guns.

https://lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/armed-black-hawk-helicopter.html

 

Apache beware of the Sikorsky Armed Black Hawk!

 

[Bananabrai]

I'd really enjoy a Navy variant with the possibility for sonar (hope that becomes a thing in the distant future), penguin, hellfire but also the other utility rolles.

I just really like the looks of the "short wheelbase", the twin rear gear.

Unfortunately I get so confused with the designations / naming scheme, so I don't know what that variant woule be. Maybe someone could write a big overview?

 

Other than that, I like the CH-53E over the Chinnok in terms of looks.

I also really like the Merlin a lot (was my main aircraft to go FSX, did everything with that, and the Nemeth Design CH-53^^)

Attack Helos are not my thing, for attacks I still love late cold war strike fighters the most.

 

But even if the Blackhawk has aged, I always liked it and still like it a lot, just the Navy version as described would be my all time favorit helo in DCS.
I have to say though, I am not all in for the rest of the current 'DCS-all-Navy-focus' (subjective exaggeration) with the Tomcat, Hornet, SC, maybe A-6, A-7.

I am really enjoying it (apart not waiting for the A-6) but I hope the focus stays equaly spread across the different battlefields for the long term.

[Rogue Trooper]

Chinook looks awesome and is used by so many western countries, it is a must for DCS and is generally equal/better than the MI-8s capabilities.... but a nice simple chinook would be good.

 

The standard CH-53 choppers just do not do it for me, However the pave low is just the best looking helicopter I have ever seen, including attack choppers!

It just looks frigging awesome from every angle and it's looks are just as good as it's abilities...... and the name "Pave Low" what is that all about?

soooo cool!

The Pave Hawk could and would threaten the development of the pave low in DCS. But if it were the easiest and only solution to Pave... then yes please to the pave hawk!

 

For standard medium choppers, the Merlin will wipe the floor with the competition.... all of them!

Edited May 28, 2021 by Rogue Trooper

[ojanim]

15 hours ago, Bananabrai said:

I'd really enjoy a Navy variant with the possibility for sonar (hope that becomes a thing in the distant future), penguin, hellfire but also the other utility rolles.

I just really like the looks of the "short wheelbase", the twin rear gear.

Unfortunately I get so confused with the designations / naming scheme, so I don't know what that variant woule be. Maybe someone could write a big overview?

 

Other than that, I like the CH-53E over the Chinnok in terms of looks.

I also really like the Merlin a lot (was my main aircraft to go FSX, did everything with that, and the Nemeth Design CH-53^^)

Attack Helos are not my thing, for attacks I still love late cold war strike fighters the most.

 

But even if the Blackhawk has aged, I always liked it and still like it a lot, just the Navy version as described would be my all time favorit helo in DCS.
I have to say though, I am not all in for the rest of the current 'DCS-all-Navy-focus' (subjective exaggeration) with the Tomcat, Hornet, SC, maybe A-6, A-7.

I am really enjoying it (apart not waiting for the A-6) but I hope the focus stays equaly spread across the different battlefields for the long term.

 

I absolutely would love a navy helicopter too. It is really fun and challenging to land on ships. We have a supercarrier so we need and should have navy helicopters too. Maybe a Sea Lynx, but I guess a MH-60 would be better suited for the mostly american carrier/ships. We need LSE/Marshaller on ships and on ground and maybe even a smaller "super helicoptercarrier".

 

I would even pay for a dlc which would get us a fully modeled destroyer/frigate like the Arleigh Burke-Class to ream/repair/refuel (even refuelling while hovering), with 2x animated hangars to actually store and switch your helicopter, animated LSE/Marshaller and all sort of animated deck crew supporting your entire flight operation.

 

We should also get proper integrated and animated action for fast rope insertion, dropping combat divers, winch extraction and proper animated troop transport. I want to do CSAR/SAR looking out for signal flares on the horizon and rescue shipwrecked persons with their blinking lifewests with our combat diver at dawn or dusk or insert troops on suspicious vessels at sea. It would be really amazing.

 

 

Edited May 28, 2021 by ojanim

[Rick50]

 

I do think there should be room for at least a couple more Eurocopters. Not sure which ones, but since the US Army now has the UH-74 Lakota, that one might benefit from increased sales!  

 

That said, I think one significant factor in DCS sales, is how many nations have used a particular airframe. If something was used by only one airforce, for just 5 years, with only 80 airframes, it will be outsold by the airframe that 27 airforces used, for 30+ years, with some historic actions.  With that in mind, I'd suggest that the Chinook and Sikorsky H-60 "Hawk" variant would help meet this best.  

 

I mean, seriously, this list is way more impressive than I even thought when I typed the above paragraph!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Boeing_CH-47_Chinook_operators

 

...and unsurprisingly, the H-60 has a great number of operators too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_UH-60_Black_Hawk#Military_operators

 

 

That said, I've always loved the Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, and believe that this could also sell well in DCS too, and has been sold around the world for decades, license built, and have featured in many historical actions. One unique aspect in favor of the Puma is that it also has a fantastic level of use by civilian operators as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aérospatiale_SA_330_Puma

 

 

Hmm... now I want a Puma more than the Lakota! 

 

[Rick50]

Sooo... I just stumbled upon a mod being developed... freeware mod I think... I posted a couple videos in this thread here:

 

 

[carss]

On 1/18/2021 at 8:43 AM, Lesser Panda said:

The ability to CSAR/troop/cargo type missions with extended uptime and mid air refueling is what is needed in a heli for dcs. The HH-60 would be far better than others due to its Doppler navigation, Infrared, and RWR systems. 

As someone who has worked on em, I agree! Plus it has the ability to refuel mid air which would make it the first of it's kind in DCS

Now personally, I would want multiple variants of the Blackhawk family, from the UH-60 to the HH-60 to the SH-60 and more. Because each one has it's variants and capabilities so unique while also providing it in the same Airframe! It's like the C-130 of Helicopters

[Rick50]

Recently I saw a headline about a nation giving up on the NH-90 and ordering... UH-60 variants 

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/norway-is-done-with-its-unreliable-nh90-helicopters-wants-500m-back

That's... disappointing. I thought it was basically a proven item...   

complex systems don't always live up to their own hype. Or own specs. Or owner/operator expectations.  Then again, in the real world, behind the scenes could be coruption motivations... buying a small fleet of helicopters is a LOT of money, and there are margins for significant bribes/kickbacks for a handful of people. Not saying that's what's going on here, but having seen so many examples of aircraft purchases, big govt purchases that resulted from kickbacks being uncovered, it makes me ask questions. 

 

As for DCS modules, there's no doubt that we can use a medium/heavy lift heli, more utility helos, more Euro helos. Maybe EH-101 Merlin?