Viper Quick Practice & Proficiency Missions - v. 3.0; Mission Count: 76; 12/3/23

[=617= Evil]

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3328191/

All missions take place in various regions of the Caucasus map. 

A series of quick missions (Most take 3-10 minutes though 'Advanced' and 'Expert' missions may take longer), designed to help Viper pilots practice their systems workflow, refine their key binds and HOTAS controls, axis curves, and employment proficiency with a variety of both air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon systems, Air-to-Air refueling, as well as some more advanced scenario based training, that will test your flying abilities while expanding your Viper skills. These are designed to be quick and hassle-free ways to practice selecting the weapon systems, picking your modes, options, ripple patterns, etc. in order to ingrain good muscle memory and habits so it becomes second nature when flying real missions. 

If a mission has a live threat present, it will always be noted in the mission briefing. 

Missions are broken down into 5 categories for easy navigation:
- 'Fun' - Just that. Fun scenarios, doing silly things, to just enjoy flying the Viper. No stress. No threats. 
- '.Basic': Essential skills for new pilots. Landing, formation flying, spotting, etc. 
- 'Weapons' - Threat free environments to practice weapons employment. The bedrock that this mission pack is built on.
- 'Advanced' - Scenario-based training. Live threats may be present. Read all mission briefs in full.
- 'Expert': - High level scenario-based missions. May contain multiple types of live threats and/or difficult flying conditions. Limited use of F10 and labels. Read mission briefs thoroughly.

These are not tutorials. I include some helpful tips here and there, but there are no step by step directions telling you how to select and employ the systems required. These are practice missions. A basic understanding of the jet is required. (Though they could be useful if you're following along with Tutorial videos or checklists.) 

There is a briefing accompanying each mission letting you know your airspeed, altitude, situation and overall objective. 

The F10 map, Labels and Active Pause are available in all missions, except for Expert level scenarios. 

NOTE: If you have any version older than v.2.9.1 it is strongly recommended that you delete all old missions and download the latest version. DCS OB v2.9 broke some tanker communications and this version reverts to 'easy comms' to alleviate that. Additionally, you'll get all the new missions as well as numerous quality-of-life improvements and reworks.

*********Most Recent Update: ***********

**MOST RECENT UPDATE**: 
v3.0 - December 3rd, 2023

**New Missions Added**
- Fun: Viper Carrier Landings - Yeah, you read that right. Show those Navy pukes that Vipers can land on boats too. (Yeah, we actually can.)

- Expert: 'Two Dogs' Refuel - Inspired by true events from Dan Hampton's book 'Viper Pilot', this is an emergency aerial refueling situation. There is no margin for error. Link up with the tanker or die. For AAR experts only.

**Mission Improvements**
- .Basic - Beginner Formation Flying - This mission has been reworked a bit. Different location in the Caucuses, more gentle turns, but objective is the same. Formation flying. Learn it, live it, love it. 

- Advanced - Low Level CCRP Strike - Objective remains the same: conduct a low level precision strike with high-drag bombs. Now includes a second client aircraft armed with 12x MK-82 Snakeyes, and a second target following the first one, so you can get more repetitions done in a single playthrough, and practice configuring for bomb release & intervals when loaded with more than two bombs. 

/End changelog

Includes the following Categories & Missions: 

Fun: 
- Airshow Demonstration 
- Marianas Tanker Shoot
- Carrier Landings

Weapon systems: 

- AIM-9M Sidewinder
- AIM-9X Sidewinder High Off Bore shots
- AIM-120C RWS Mode
- AIM-120C TWS Mode
- CBU-87
- CBU-97
- CBU-103
- CBU-105
- GBU 10 & 12 (Single mission for both.)
- GBU 24
- HARM
- HARM with Datalink
- IR Mavericks
- TV Mavericks
- JDAM
- JSOW
- Mk 82 & Mk 84 unguided bombs (single mission for both)
- Mk 82 Snakeyes
- Air to ground guns & Unguided rockets (single mission for both)
- Air to Air Guns
- Maverick Boresight Practice
 

Basic Skills:
- Air to Air Refueling
- Cold Start & Takeoff
- Cold Start & Takeoff at Night
- Air to Air Refueling (Easy comms, no external tanks)
- Visual landing: low light & fog 
- Visual landing: clear night 
- Visual landing: clear day
- Visual landing: rain and light wind
- Instrument Landing System (ILS) Practice
- Ground Moving Target radar - SEA Mode
- Beginner Formation Flying
- Spotting Practice: Air to Air
- Mark Points/GMT Radar Employment
- TNDL Datalink

Advanced Skills: 
(All BFM Scenarios have a randomly selected enemy jet with a random skill level.)
- Air to Air Refueling (No easy comms/Tacan required, external tanks)
- Air to Air Refueling - Night (Easy comms, labels on)
- BFM - Neutral - Fox 2s. 
- BFM - Neutral - Guns Only. 
- BFM - Defensive - Fox 2s. 
- BFM - Defensive - Guns Only. 
- BFM - Offensive - 2v1 Guns Only.
- BFM - Offensive - 2v1 Fox 2s.
- BVR with AWACS
- BVR without AWACS
- DTOS Mode w/ CBUs (No Threats)
- DTOS Mode w/ CBUs (AAA & Manpads present)
- CCRP Low level toss bombing attack
- Bad weather low altitude Maverick employment
- Low level CCRP Strike w/ Mk. 84 HD or Mk. 82 Snakeyes; your choice.
- Wild Weasel: SA-2
- Wild Weasel: SA-10
- Wild Weasel: SA-3
- Wild Weasel: SA-6
- Wild Weasel: SA-11
- Wild Weasel: SA-8
- Wild Weasel: SA-15
- Wild Weasel: SA-5
- Wild Weasel: AAA & MANPADS
- Sustained Formation Flight
- Sustained Night Formation Flight
- ILS Landing Approach - Dust Storm (Huge thank you to Mulder76 for creating this one!)
- Flameout Landing Approach
- Fight the Phoenix

Expert Level Scenarios: 
- 'Two Dogs' Refuel - 500lbs of fuel remain. Hit the tanker before your engine flames out.
- 360 Degree BFM - All points on the compass. Get your head on a swivel.
- Go for the Head - Take out critical communication bunkers before enemy CAP arrives.
- Gecko Hunt - This mission has received a massive overhaul (as of 7/9/23) in order to increase replayability and now has five possible scenarios that go off a random trigger at mission start, all still involving hunting moving SA8s. Some scenarios involve MANPADS and enemy helicopter threats. Now has three available client aircraft armed with either IR Mavs, TV Mavs, or GBU-12s. 
- On The Run - Search and Destroy on enemy HVT fleeing via speedboat. (Tanking required)
- Fox 3 & Fox 1 Unknown Adversary
- Fox 2 Unknown Adversary
- Air to Air Refueling - Blackout
- Dusk & Night Wild Weasel

To install: Unzip folder and extract the Folder titled 'Viper Proficiency v2.X. Copy and paste to: Users -> *Your username folder* -> Saved Games -> DCS.openbeta (Or DCS if you're running stable version)-> Missions

Then go to the 'Missions' tab on the main menu of DCS and at the top should be the folder containing all missions.

 

 

Viper_Proficiency_v3.0.zip

Edited December 3, 2023 by =617= Evil
Version Update - 3.0

[Elephant42]

I've recently started getting into DCS after a loooooong hiatus from F4/BMS and this is just what the doctor ordered to help oil the very rusty hinges.  Many thanks for sharing.

 

[=617= Evil]

3 hours ago, Elephant42 said:

I've recently started getting into DCS after a loooooong hiatus from F4/BMS and this is just what the doctor ordered to help oil the very rusty hinges.  Many thanks for sharing.

 

Hope you enjoy and it helps you get back into the swing of things with the Viper, my dude. Appreciate the kind words!

[=617= Evil]

v. 1.6 Update. Added 4 new missions focused around the AIM9M & X as well as the AIM-120C in RWS & TWS Modes. 

[=617= Evil]

v. 1.7 Update. Added 5 new missions for Neutral and Defensive BFM with both guns and Fox 2s, and an SA-10 Wild Weasel exercise. 

[=617= Evil]

v. 1.8 Update: Added missions to practice CCRP Toss Bombing, DTOS Mode diving toss attacks (both with threats and without), A cold or hot start Maverick Boresight practice mission, and made a minor correction to one of the Weasel missions; it's now an SA-3, not an SA-13. 

[=617= Evil]

Small edit. Removed a defensive BFM mission that I was using for testing and had been included by accident. Total mission count is 39, not 40.

[Checkmate]

Thank you for fine work of providing training missions for the F-16 that allow us to keep proficienct in the jet and practice the correct switchology needed like muscle memory. 

[silverdevil]

@=617= Evil i just ran across this post and am elated. i do ok in viper but a little training will only improve my skills. thanks for the efforts.

[=617= Evil]

Update v. 1.9: Added 2v1 Offensive BFM missions for both guns only and Fox 2s, as well as a number of adjustments and improvements for older missions. Check changelog for details. 

Thank you to all who have offered praise, recommended changes and constructive criticism. It's much appreciated!

Happy hunting, Vipers. 

Edit: Uploaded a fresh .zip. Fixed a few grammatical errors in mission briefings, as well. 

Edited February 23, 2023 by =617= Evil

[=617= Evil]

Update v. 2.0 - Air to Air refueling missions are here, finally! 

'Proficiency Air to Air Refueling' is very basic. Light jet, 50% fuel, no external tanks, easy comms and the tanker flies a loooooong racetrack pattern so you shouldn't have to refuel through a turn. 

'Proficiency Air to Air Advanced' is much more difficult. The sun is just coming up, so light is low, you have a fully loaded Viper with bags and weapons, easy comms are disabled, and you must use your TACAN to navigate to the tanker, which is flying a much tighter racetrack pattern, so refueling while turning is inevitable. 

[Eraz3rh3ad]

This is a gold mine for me. i cant create missions for toffee. this has helped me so much for practice. just managed the advanced refuling and am over the moon.

[=617= Evil]

Update v 2.1 on 4/10/23 - new mission count: 47

Missions added: 
- Advanced - BVR with AWACS
- Advanced - BVR without AWACS
- Weapons - Air-to-Air Guns
- Beginner Formation Flying

Other changes:
- The current 'Sustained Formation Flight' mission has been moved to the 'Advanced' category and the new mission 'Beginner Formation Flying' takes its place in the basic proficiency category. The new mission sustains a single altitude and speed, has only gentle turns, has no clouds or fog present and is a much better introduction to formation flying. The Advanced mission is unchanged from before, but remains significantly more difficult, requiring more radical turns, constant altitude and speed changes and ascending and descending through heavy cloud cover. 

- Proficiency-AG Guns and Rockets has been set to unlimited ammo and fuel to allow longer training sessions, given the large number of targets, resulting in less tedium restarting the mission.

Edited July 1, 2023 by =617= Evil

[=617= Evil]

Most recent changelog; 4/16/23: Update v 2.2. 

NEW MISSION TYPE! The first 'Expert' level mission has now been added, introducing a new category to the mission pack that will be expanded upon with more missions in the future. These are scenario-based missions designed to challenge experienced Viper pilots, and provide opportunities to practice the skills you've learned in the other missions. BUT they are designed to be completed and enjoyed, these aren't suicide missions. 

**Quality of Life update:** 
- All missions are now contained in a folder marked 'Viper Proficiency v2.2'. With the mission count now over 50, this will help keep things from becoming too cluttered. The folder simply needs to be dropped into User->Saved Games-DCS.openbeta->Missions folder and will then appear at the top of the mission selection screen in-game.

- With being contained in their own folder now, the 'PROFICIENCY' heading has been removed from all mission files. Now featuring 4 categories for easy navigation: '.Basic', 'Advanced, 'Weapons' and 'Expert'. 
_________________________________________________________
With this recent update, if you are updating from an older version, it is recommended that you delete all old mission files and download the current version to ensure you have the most updated version of previous missions, in addition to the new ones.
_________________________________________________________

Mission Changes & Additions: 
- All Wild Weasel missions have been slightly reworked, presenting new steerpoints, a more sensible approach direction and distance, offset from the SAM launcher, allowing visibility of launches, and better opportunities to practice evasion techniques. All briefings have been updated to reflect the changes. Additionally, your Viper is now equipped with an ECM pod, HTS and TPOD systems, so that it is at your discretion which systems you would like to practice using, and to see the difference in weaseling with and without a jammer active. 

Missions Added:
.Basic - Cold Start & Takeoff Practice
Advanced - Wild Weasel - SA-6
Advanced - Wild Weasel - SA-11
Expert - Gecko Hunt

[Checkmate]

Very greatful for these training mission. They have been a big help. I had to go into the mission editor for the Basic - Cold Start & Takeoff Practice and change the mission status to player so I could fly it. Just making sure that was the right thing to do. The mission have given me a great platform to train off and wanted to say thank you.

[=617= Evil]

1 hour ago, Checkmate said:

Very greatful for these training mission. They have been a big help. I had to go into the mission editor for the Basic - Cold Start & Takeoff Practice and change the mission status to player so I could fly it. Just making sure that was the right thing to do. The mission have given me a great platform to train off and wanted to say thank you.

Crap. Thanks for pointing that out. Fixed! 

Glad you're enjoying the missions!

Edited April 22, 2023 by =617= Evil
Small edit to existing mission.

[FireHazard]

Take my money! This is just what I needed! 

[=617= Evil]

Update v.2.3: - New mission added!

Expert - Fox 2 - Unknown Adversary: This is a Fox 2 only asymmetric BFM mission. You will face off against one of 14 randomly selected jets, each of which has 5 different potential combinations of gas, guns, missiles and countermeasures, for a total of 70 potential matchup scenarios with a pilot of random skill.

Additionally, a number of existing missions received quality of life improvements and updates. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by =617= Evil

[=617= Evil]

New Update!

SIX new missions added across Basic, Advanced and Expert categories. 

Update v2.4 - 

New Missions added: 
.Basic: 
- ILS Landing Practice - Zero threat environment in which to practice ILS workflow with just enough light to maintain visual reference.
- GM Sea Radar Mode - Introduction to using the 'SEA' mode of your ground moving target radar. Multiple targets spread over a large area with steerpoints to help orient you.
Advanced: 
- Wild Weasel - AAA & MANPADS - Three client aircraft for you to practice and orient yourself on how to approach, evade and destroy these close range air defense weapon systems. 
- Wild Weasel SA8 - Standard Weasel practice mission. There's an SA8 launcher. You have mavericks. Learn it's ranges, how best to evade, and how best to destroy.
Expert: 
- Fox 3/1: Unknown Adversary - The BVR version of the current Fox 2 Expert mission. You'll face one of 55 random adversaries armed with a variety of longer range ordnance. 
- On The Run - A long overwater flight with limited fuel and weapons through bad weather to hit a High Value Target making a run for safety in a speedboat. Make sure you can hit the tanker before attempting.

[=617= Evil]

New Update for July! 

SIX new missions added across Basic, Advanced and Expert categories. 

Update v2.5 - 

New Missions added: 
.Basic: 
- Cold Start & Takeoff at Night: Just like it says. Bind controls for your flashlight, NVGs and get familiar with cockpit lighting panels as you bring a cold, dark Viper to life, fly a simple out-and-back pattern, and land. 
Advanced: 
- Air to Air refueling at night: This is the same mission as the Basic AAR, except now it's done in darkness. Dot labels are enabled and there is a glimmer of sun on the horizon to help you stay oriented, but not enough to see the tanker. NVGs enabled.
- Advanced ILS Landing Approach - Heavy blowing dust on the ground requires an ILS approach while running critically short of fuel.
- Flameout Landing Approach - Three scenarios of escalating difficulty. All will run out of fuel seconds after mission start, but vary in altitude and distance from the runway.
- Sustained Night Formation Flight - Very similar to the current Advanced mission, but takes place just as the sun is setting and will be full dark within minutes. NVGs enabled.
Expert: 

- Air to Air refueling at night: This is the Advanced AAR mission but now done in blackout conditions. No dot labels. No F10. No easy comms and requires a longer approach flight, and numerous other friendly fighters are airborne in the area. NVGs available.

Edited July 1, 2023 by =617= Evil

[=617= Evil]

Small update: The jet in the GMT Sea Radar mode was unarmed. This has been fixed. Apologies. 

[=617= Evil]

Update v2.6
Mission Updates: 
Expert:
- Gecko Hunt - This mission has received a massive overhaul in order to increase replayability and now has five possible scenarios that go off a random trigger at mission start, all still involving hunting moving SA8s. Some scenarios involve MANPADS and enemy helicopter threats. Now has three available client aircraft armed with either IR Mavs, TV Mavs, or GBU-12s. 

New Missions added: 
Advanced: 
- Wild Weasel SA-15 - Standard Weasel practice mission. There's you. There's an SA-15. Practice defeating and killing it. 
- Wild Weasel SA-5 - Standard Weasel practice mission.

Other changes:
- Numerous missions have received small fixes to grammar/syntax in mission briefings, incorrect mission brief titles and a a few broken/incorrect triggers. 

Edited July 10, 2023 by =617= Evil

[skywalker22]

Hi there, would you also consider doing such mission on some other maps, maybe Gulf or Syria?

[=617= Evil]

8 hours ago, skywalker22 said:

Hi there, would you also consider doing such mission on some other maps, maybe Gulf or Syria?

I would very much like to change it up, but I will never make these missions exclusive to any terrains that people have to pay for. 

Look for some Marianas missions in the near future though. 

[skywalker22]

On 7/10/2023 at 6:02 PM, =617= Evil said:

I would very much like to change it up, but I will never make these missions exclusive to any terrains that people have to pay for. 

Look for some Marianas missions in the near future though. 

Why not? Makes no sence. Then all the missions/campaigns would be for Causasius only. But ok, that's how you think. 

Why then making for F-16? People have to pay for it as well