AWACS Controller AI Comm/Functionality Improvements

[MARLAN_]

For a long time I was under the assumption that the eventual ATC improvements would include GCI/AWACS but after seeing some road maps I'm no longer sure if that is or ever was the case? If it is already on the menu, then ignore me!

Would be really great if DCS had made some improvements to this, there are a lot of ways this could be improved, and lucky for us, all of this information is public release with a plethora of knowledge available that covers almost everything in the ATP3-52.4 (MTTP for Air Control Communication) and the P-877 ADV E2 NFOTS which are both 100% public release distro A.

Some areas that can be improved

- "for", "at", "bulls" shouldn't be used (use full word "bullseye", and have a short pause in between bearing/range and altitude)

- alpha check to bullseye is inverted

- having a check-in would be nice

- irrelevant groups shouldn't be called out, e.g. groups greater than 100nm away (perhaps the AWACS in the mission editor can have some configuration ranges for broadcast, commit, tac range, meld, and threat range)

- contacts within 3nm should be considered as one group.

- while it may be too difficult to code in automatic group labeling (azimuth, range, champagne, vic, box, etc.) one smart way to approach it is using the phonetic alphabet to label groups (e.g. "alpha group", "bravo group" etc.)

- use bullseye format until groups are inside meld range (and even then real world the controller would keep quiet though this may be complicated to have an AI always perform as desired)

- "telepathic" radio calls that only you hear should be heard by everyone on the radio channel -- perhaps there can be a check box for "easy mode" in the mission editor that goes back to the old telepathic BRAA calls.

And lots more, the documents noted above are a treasure trove of information and would really improve the A/A simulation of DCS without requiring trained human AIC/ABM/GCI's for all missions.

Edited July 13, 2022 by MARLAN_

[Exorcet]

14 minutes ago, MARLAN_ said:

(perhaps the AWACS in the mission editor can have some configuration ranges for broadcast, commit, tac range, meld, and threat range)

This is probably a necessity. AWACS should be able to inform the player about specific targets and should probably have some kind of logic allowing it to call on CAP flights to intercept threats, even if these actions need to be precoded in the ME. It would also be nice to control AWACS calls by area/trigger zone/etc. Only call out to flight X if enemies are in a zone, specifically call out threats to AWACS itself, point out high value targets of opportunity, etc.

[AngelAtTheTomb]

The current AWACS is missing even basic functionality, like asking for a declaration. I don't think it's been touched since FC3. Most of it seems to be inherited straight from LOMAC 1, which is...nineteen years old.

 

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by AngelAtTheTomb

[MARLAN_]

On 7/14/2022 at 2:01 PM, AngelAtTheTomb said:

The current AWACS is missing even basic functionality, like asking for a declaration. I don't think it's been touched since FC3. Most of it seems to be inherited straight from LOMAC 1, which is...nineteen years old.

 

 

 

Yea, definitely. Would be nice to see improvements to this very important feature for all ops

[Black6]

I've just started flying with Hornet from a carrier and I'd also appreciate to devide AWACS menu (request picture) for air targets and for naval targets - wich are presently ignored by AWACS.

[USA_Recon]

Been a year since this was posted, agree, some changes and updates to this core feature would be greatly appreciated