EA-18G Electronic Warfare Script – Independent Version (No MIST, Dynamic Respawn Support, Multi-Language)

[chenliyu0410]

Hi everyone,

After studying Timberwolf’s original EA-18G-style electronic warfare script and testing extensively in my own server environment, I decided to rebuild the system from scratch.
With AI-assisted tooling, I created a fully independent and modernized version of the script.
This new edition keeps the spirit of the original concept, but refactors most of the internal logic to make it cleaner, lighter, and easier to integrate into multiplayer missions.

I’m sharing it here in case anyone finds it useful.

What’s new in this version?

1. Completely removed the dependency on MIST
The script now runs fully standalone.
All vector math, position checks, zone calculations, and utility functions were re-implemented using only the native DCS API.
No more mist.lua required.

2. Full support for dynamic respawn
The jammer system automatically attaches to:
• newly spawned aircraft
• dynamically respawned slots
• any EA-18G player entering the world
No mission-start limitations. Whenever the aircraft appears, the jamming logic initializes instantly.

3. Cleaner architecture and easier configuration
The entire structure was reorganized, including:
• a clear jammer registry
• modular helper functions
• a simplified event dispatch system
• rewritten power/heat simulation
• rewritten suppression logic
• an independent status display manager
This makes the script easier for mission creators to understand, modify, or extend.

4. New multi-language support
All player-visible strings are grouped cleanly. The release includes:
• English version
• Traditional Chinese version
• Simplified Chinese version
Mission builders can simply drop in the variant they prefer.

5. Improved visual feedback
The HUD/message output system was rewritten to:
• avoid overlapping messages
• separate the status line from the suppression line
• maintain stable update intervals
• reduce clutter in multiplayer
This keeps jamming information readable even in chaotic combat.

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How to use

Download one of the provided .lua files:

• EA-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Script (English)
• EA-18G 咆哮者電子戰腳本 V1.lua (Traditional Chinese)
• EA-18G 咆哮者電子戰腳本 V1.lua (Simplified Chinese)

In the Mission Editor, add a DO SCRIPT FILE action at mission start.

Players can use the F10 radio menu to:
• enable or disable jamming
• view system status
• configure jamming modes (depending on the version used)

The script automatically handles:
• heat simulation
• power regeneration
• suppression effect
• line-of-sight checks
• message output timing

No additional setup is required.

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Notes

This is an independent rewrite inspired by Timberwolf’s idea and design approach.
If you are already using his script, this version serves as a cleaner, more server-friendly alternative.

---

Download

All three language versions are attached in this post.
Feel free to modify, expand, or further localize them.

If you have suggestions or want additional features, feel free to reply!

EA-18G 咆哮者电子战脚本 V1.lua EA-18G 咆哮者電子戰腳本 V1.lua EA-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Script .lua

Edited Saturday at 01:30 PM by chenliyu0410
adjust

[Jab82]

Thank you, I will look into that with interest

 

After a few tests, it's really good and quite immersive. I was wondering if there's a potential risk of the jamming failing?

Edited Sunday at 08:29 PM by Jab82

[EA-18G_Block2_Growler]

So the script will automatically active whenever an EA-18G, and only this plane type, presents on the map? but only works for player and their allies planes? how about the AI?

[chenliyu0410]

20小时前，Jab82说：

Thank you, I will look into that with interest

 

After a few tests, it's really good and quite immersive. I was wondering if there's a potential risk of the jamming failing?

You can paste this into the forum (short, clear):You can paste this into the forum (short, clear):

Thanks — good question. Only the missile spoofing (defensive spoofing) uses a probability check and can therefore fail. The script uses a spoof table in defensiveLoop and decides success with math.random(100) <= pk, where pk is the percentage chance of success. The current ranges are:

• 37,000 m (≈19.98 nm): 50%37,000 m (≈19.98 nm): 50%

• 27,800 m (≈15.00 nm): 70%27,800 m (≈15.00 nm): 70%

• 18,500 m (≈9.99 nm): 85%18,500 m (≈9.99 nm): 85%

• 11,100 m (≈5.99 nm): 90%11,100 m (≈5.99 nm): 90%

• 5,556 m (≈3.00 nm): 98%5,556 m (≈3.00 nm): 98%

So at long range the spoof can fail more often; at close range it’s very likely to succeed. Other EW effects in the script are deterministic and not probabilistic. If you want, I can provide a tuned table or change the pk values to adjust difficulty.So at long range the spoof can fail more often; at close range it’s very likely to succeed. Other EW effects in the script are deterministic and not probabilistic. If you want, I can provide a tuned table or change the pk values to adjust difficulty.

[chenliyu0410]

Yes — just add the script to your mission (Mission Editor) and run it (e.g. via DO SCRIPT FILE or at mission start). No extra installation is required.

By default the script only enables EA-18G. If you want to support additional aircraft types, add them to the eligibleTypeNames table in the script. Example (add this where the table is defined):

local eligibleTypeNames = { ["EA-18G"] = true, ["FA-18C_hornet"] = true, -- F/A-18C Hornet ["F-16C_50"] = true -- F-16C Block 50 }

Important: this script is designed for human players only. AI aircraft cannot use it because AI cannot perform player-triggered actions or the HUD/menu interactions the script depends on (spawn/enter-world events, radio menu usage, etc.).

[UN9249]

17 часов назад, chenliyu0410 сказал:

Important: this script is designed for human players only. AI aircraft cannot use it because AI cannot perform player-triggered actions or the HUD/menu interactions the script depends on (spawn/enter-world events, radio menu usage, etc.).

Hi, thanks for the script. Is there a way to enable jamming from AI? For example, I want to use EA-6 from VSN?

[chenliyu0410]

52分钟前，UN9249说：

Hi, thanks for the script. Is there a way to enable jamming from AI? For example, I want to use EA-6 from VSN?
您好，感謝您提供的腳本。請問有什麼方法可以啟用 AI 幹擾嗎？例如，我想使用 VSN 中的 EA-6？

Conclusion: AI cannot use this script. 

All EW operations in this script (turning modes on/off, directional jamming, area jamming, Spot Jamming, the energy system, overheating, capacity recharge, etc.) are entirely driven by the F10 radio menu and must be triggered by player keypresses.

AI will not press menu items.
AI will not call Lua functions.
AI will not “know” when to “enable defensive jamming,” “switch to left-side jamming,” or “spot a particular SAM.”

Therefore, any feature that depends on the radio menu cannot be used by AI.

If you really want a version usable by AI, you must explicitly define the AI’s automatic behavior logic, for example:

• Automatically enable defensive jamming when being illuminated by an enemy radar.
• Automatically enable offensive jamming when the AI is flying toward enemy SAMs.
• Turn on jamming automatically when the AI enters a specified zone.
• Define how the AI chooses Spot Jamming targets.
• Define when the AI should turn off, change direction, conserve energy, or avoid overheating.
• Configure AI to automatically set pods and capacities after respawn.

This means writing a full “AI EW logic” system — which is several times more complex than the player-driven version.

A bigger problem: AI will not necessarily act according to your EW logic; it will still fly to waypoints and follow DCS’s native ROE. The jamming effects you create may not match or influence the AI’s behavior.

The only practical, simple (but unrealistic) option is to dumb it down:

• Ignore the energy system.
• Keep AI jamming permanently ON.
• Have AI automatically suppress all nearby radars.

That effectively makes the AI “invisible.”

[UN9249]

13 минут назад, chenliyu0410 сказал:

• Ignore the energy system.
• Keep AI jamming permanently ON.
• Have AI automatically suppress all nearby radars.

Well, that would be enough for me. I'm doing a mission, the AI flies along the route next to the bomber, turns on jamming at wpt 2 and turns it off at wpt 7, for example.

[Mistermann]

5 hours ago, UN9249 said:

Well, that would be enough for me. I'm doing a mission, the AI flies along the route next to the bomber, turns on jamming at wpt 2 and turns it off at wpt 7, for example.

Completely understand you wanting to simulate an AI EA-6B.  The first mission of Operation Hormuz does this in a novel and effective way. 

Basically establish a moving zone over your "EW" unit.  Whenever the player(s) enter this moving bubble, make them invisible with an AI TASK PUSH command.  Whenever they leave the bubble, turn off invisibility using AI TASK PUSH. 

You can download the mission here to see what Jenson did.  This requires NO scripting outside the ME.

 

[Valium]

Does it require F/A-18 Hornet module?

[Mistermann]

5 hours ago, Valium said:

Does it require F/A-18 Hornet module?

If you're asking about Operation Hormuz, yes.

[Valium]

8 minutes ago, Mistermann said:

If you're asking about Operation Hormuz, yes.

I'm asking about EA-18G.

Edit: sorry, I just noticed that it's thread about script

Edited 7 hours ago by Valium