DCS World Steam Edition News

[h2]2.7[/h2]
[h3]Open Beta[/h3]



We are pleased to inform you that an update for DCS World Open Beta 2.7 was released this week. Highlights include:
MiG-21 crash in avionics.dll (caused crash on airstart) - Fixed
F-14A/B crash when pulling map marker using JESTER - Fixed
AJS-37 map marker crash - Fixed
Warehouses on airfields in old missions were corrupted after game update - Fixed
JF-17 collision model (solve FPS issue on the ground in Syria map) - Updated
MP. Storm of War MP server stability issues - Possible fix
F-16C wingtip AIM-120s caused damage when launched - Fixed

For more information, check out the full changelog.



[h3]Mariana Islands[/h3]
[h3]The Pacific Supermarket[/h3]



We are continuing to work on Air Traffic Control (ATC) for the new Mariana Islands airfields that will later take advantage of the new ATC system currently in development.

Internal testing of this map is going well, and we are working to further improve the ground textures and address road network anomalies. Work on improving the ports and shorelines also continues. Our goal is to create the best looking DCS map yet by using our latest terrain development kit tools.




US Naval Base, Guam
The US naval base on Guam holds a massive amount of post-war resources and war material. In the late 1940s, the Seabees construction brigade extensively developed the land and it became the primary docking and storage facility for the Guam-based US Navy fleet. It remained under construction for the next 25 years.




Ordnance Annex
The Naval Magazine for the US Naval base is situated in the south-central section of the island. It occupies 8,800 acres, and it includes an entirely man-made reservoir. It is also the central heating and water distribution plant for the US Naval base.




Northwest Field
Northwest Field became a fighter base in October 1946, and it was home to the reactivated “Flying Tigers” fighter squadron. Equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts, it was assigned the responsibility of defending the Mariana Islands. Weapon stores and bunkers were built between Northwest Field and North Field. These facilities were used to support the long range and intense strategic bombing campaign against the Japanese.




Andersen Air Force Base AAFB
On the 7th of October 1949, North Field was renamed after Brigadier General James Roy Andersen, and it remains one of the largest and most important US air bases in the Pacific. It had a direct supply line from the United States and was considered ideal for B-52 Stratofortress operations. Andersen AFB now supports operations in the Indo-Pacific theater.



[h2]P-47D[/h2]
[h3]Thunderbolt[/h3]



During 1944, the 318th was equipped with Republic P-47D Thunderbolts for the Marianas campaign. Working closely with Marine Corps ground forces, the ‘Bolts pioneered close air support and were the first to use napalm. P-47 pilots frequently carried two 500 lb bombs and used skip-bombing against railroad tunnels to destroy hidden enemy trains and stores.

We hope this broad insight into Guam will be interesting to you and we look towards sharing more information on the WWII version of DCS: Mariana Islands in the near future.

Thank you again for you passion and support,

Your sincerely,

Eagle Dynamics Team

[h2]DCS World[/h2]
J-11A. Fixed cockpit view movement.
KG600 SPJ pod. Fixed model front/rear direction.
052C. Fixed collision (caused explosion when launching YJ-62).
Server log error updateLocalUserOptions - fixed.
Warehouse on airfields in the old missions are corrupted after game update - fixed.
Sound. With some sound parameters, when external sounds enter the cockpit, sound vibrations occur - fixed.
Sound. Fixed sound glitches and distortions on the F4 view.
Ground AI. Crash when a ground unit moves around static objects - fixed.
Input. The 'Framerate counter', Pause, Time accelerate / decelerate / normal commands are moved to the UI layer and can be reassigned to other keys / buttons.
MP. On the F10 map, information about airfield warehouses will not be available to players of the opposite coalition.
Mission Generator. Fixed sporadic crashes associated with loading maps.
ME. Add aircraft group distance aсtivation param.
Aircraft AI. The distance between aircraft when taxiing at an aerodrome will be depended by the size of the aircraft. The distance between large planes is greater.
Input. Fixed crash on sorting input device names.
ME. A mission made in a newer version of the ME, where there are countries missing in older versions of the ME, will not cause the hang of the old version of the game.
AIM-120. Slightly decreased missile miss standard deviation.
GUI Fix for insufficient space for mission name in debriefing.
ME. GUI Error when use clone button in mission goals window in some cases - fixed.
MP. Dedicated server. After the restart, not the first mission from the list will start, but the last one played.
MP. Possible fix for Storm of War MP server stability issues.

[h3]DCS AV-8B N/A by RAZBAM Simulations[/h3]
Fixed: Velocity Vector and Horizon Line still visible in DMT page after a target has been locked.
Fixed: Corrected nozzle angle for in-air start
Fixed: Minor adjustment to verbage in auto-start sequence
Improvement: UFC Mode timer disabled when CS/T is selected
Improvement: TDC Action/No Action enabled for DMT/ARBS. DMT Snowplow mode enabled.
Improvement: UFC/ODU keybinds so cockpit buttons animations work.
Improvement: Various FM performance adjustments
Improvement: Improved pull-up cue to avoid nuisance alerts during landing
Added: When using Guns or Rockets, the system will designate the aiming point after trigger/pickle release as a target.

[h3]DCS M-2000C by RAZBAM Simulations[/h3]
Fixed: Radar not ON in hot start
Fixed: Can edit read-only PCN fields
Fixed: PCN unable to enter DLDG South or West offsets
Fixed: potential crash when capturing ILS on AP APP
Fixed: wrong ILS window when approaching from the right of the runway axis
Fixed: ILS open box symbol constraints to HUD FOV
Fixed: proper synthetic runway dimensions
Fixed: Inverted DETOT switch
Fixed: UHF channel 18 default freq
Fixed: Autostart alignment (still requires ALCM ready enabled)
Fixed: CCIP HUD line brightness not dimmed with HUD brightness
Added: Message every 500kgs of air refuel
Added: AP ALT Hold possible in AP APP mode while glide not captured
Added: Trim hat Up/Down in AP APP mode disables AP GLIDE
Added: Trim hat Left/Right in AP APP mode disables AP LOC
Improvement: Aligned virtual runway entrance to glide plane
Improvement: Leading zeros in kneeboard initial position
Improvement: INS model (gyro-position loopback & Schuler oscillations)

[h3]DCS MiG-19P by RAZBAM Simulations[/h3]
Fixed: Oxygen flows with O2 SOV Closed.
Fixed: Flare Key binds

[h3]DCS JF-17 by Deka Ironwork Simulations[/h3]
Added: special option "T6 Opposite Dir" - to allow T6 axis has opposite direction between radar ant and camera zoom operation
Fixed: much slower TDC movement on radar/HUD
Fixed: T6 axis behavior (used to behave like slide, now control moving speed. T6 axis slide is a separated binding)
Fixed: PL-5E drag for wingtip and underwing
Updated: JF-17 collision model (solve fps issue when park in syria map)

[h3]DCS MiG-21bis by Magnitude 3[/h3]
Fixed crash in avionics.dll
Removed iCommandGraphicsFrameRate from inputs.
Corrected invalid syntax in the Syria RSBN file that causes the module to crash.
Increased SPO-10 volume by 50%
Fixed afterburner from showing exhaust trail.
Fixed SPS landing system causing the afterburner to ignite.
Attempting to engage the afterburner with the SPS on, will cause significant thrust decrease due to the open engine nozzle.
Adjusted suspension values and associated collision file.
Some front wheel shimmy will occur while braking with excessive weight.
Adjusted day-mode indicator T-base lights.

[h3]DCS Christen Eagle II by Magnitude 3[/h3]
Fixed rudder inputs when the autopilot is engaged.
Fixed audio for the canopy, and radio switches.
Fixed unassignable controls for the cockpit light switches.
Fixed delayed animation of the aerobatic sight gauge.
Fixed key binding for Fuse On/Off.
Fixed radio frequency preset changes in the mission editor.

[h3]DCS F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur Simulations[/h3]
Fixed crash when pulling map marker using JESTER
Removed Framerate counter from Aircraft specific input layer
Fixed JESTER not reporting correct wire on trap (SC)
Fixed AI aircraft wing and slats wobble/flicker

[h3]DCS AJS37 Viggen by Heatblur Simulations[/h3]
Fixed map marker crash.
Fixed assert crash when inputting a waypoint with identical coordinates as what was already stored.
Fixed texture label for EP-13 missing
Reduced intensity of coating / blue tint on cockpit gauge glass

[h3]DCS: C-101 Aviojet by AvioDev[/h3]

Multicrew WIP continuation:

• Fixed idle cutoff.
  
• Correct synchronization of landing gear handle and idle cutoff, disregarding local restrictions (like throttle position for idle cutoff).
  
• Fixed synchronization of “fuel pump”, “fuel valve” and “fus qty” korry buttons.
  
• Fixed synchronization of “VHF”, “UHF”, “NAV” and “VOR/TAC” korry buttons.
  
• Fixed synchronization of GPU power control korry button.
  
• Now the forward seat canopy is correctly initialized, when its position is different from the default position for this type of start - hot/cold/air.
  
• Fixed GPU state initialization, when the rear cockpit is entered after the GPU was started.
  
• Fixed flickering of the GPU external 3D model at the rear seat, if the GPU was enabled before joining the rear seat.
  
• Added synchronization of Master Caution and Master Warning lights reset.
  
• Hydraulic and oil pressure warning lights are now correctly synchronized, when the other seat is joined with a non-standard init conditions (like, for example, engine off).
  
• Master failure/caution warning lights status is now correctly initialized when joining the other seat.
  
• Battery voltage and status is now correctly synchronized between seats.
  
• Fixed Master Caution light status synchronization when the cockpit is entered with some specific cautions being active.
  
• The throttle will not be anymore at idle cutoff in the rear cockpit, when entering the rear seat after the engine has been stopped from the front seat, without setting the throttle to idle cutoff (for example using the fuel cutoff korry button).
  
• Fixed ADI/DG synchronization when entering the rear seat after the engine has been stopped at ramp hot start.
  
• Fixed initial state of the stand-by attitude indicator in the rear seat, if it was entered after the engine had been stopped at ramp hot start.
  
• Fixed inoperative rate-of-turn indicator when the aircraft is controlled from the other seat.
  
• Trim tone sounds now on both cockpits.
  
• Despite the stick/throttle control being available in multiplayer at one seat only at one time (except the just added Combined Controls Mode), it is now possible to trim the aircraft from another seat. Note that trim signals will be summed algebraically from two seats, except roll trim in which the “left” signal has priority. Emergency trim is operative now as well in multicrew from both seats.
  
• Implemented Combined Controls mode: it sends the algebraic sum of flight controls positions from both seats to the Flight Model, with a limit of full travel. The way that front and rear throttle synchronization works is that the last throttle which was moved for more than 10% of full range will take control.
  
• Added new command to activate (toggle) Combined Controls mode.
  
• Controls Indicator has got additional symbols displayed when the Combined Controls mode is enabled. This will help to see what is going on with flight controls on both cockpits.
  
• Controls Indicator has got a “Priority Seat” indication (“F” or “R” letters).
  
• All circuit breakers are correctly synchronized now.
  
• Now wheel brakes always work for both seats in multicrew.

Altimeter indication is now affected by atmospheric temperature (there’s still an initialization issue that we are working on).
Added get_current_seat() function for lua export. It should be called by means of GetDevice(0):get_current_seat()
Fixed blurred labels in the left console (English C-101EB cockpit).
Fixed initialization at cold start for heading and attitude reference systems.
Fixed inoperative rear seat 'fast erect' switch in C-101CC.
Trim indication is shown now on the Controls Indicator.
Fixed IFF and ADC circuit breakers animation in C-101CC.


[h3]DCS: MiG-15 by Belsimtek[/h3]

• Corrected canopy reflections
  

[h3]DCS: F/A-18C Hornet by Eagle Dynamics[/h3]

• ATFLIR in some cases laser turns off to early with AGM-65 - Fixed
  
• Major update of the german Early Access Hornet Manual
  
• Various updates of the english Early Access Hornet Manual
  

[h3]DCS: F-16C Viper by Eagle Dynamics[/h3]

• Wingtip AIM -120 causes damage on Launch - Fixed
  
• Viper Early Access Manual EN: Checklists reworked, new styling
  

[h3]DCS: Mi-8MTV2 by Belsimtek[/h3]

• Mi-8 Spring Tension campaign - adjusted clouds.
  

[h3]DCS: Supercarrier by Eagle Dynamics[/h3]

• Multiple IFLOLS indicator helper - Fixed
  
• 4th CAT blocks 3rd CAT after player visited 4 and wants to use 3 - Fixed
  

[h2]Campaigns[/h2]

[h3]UH-1H Worlds Apart - Spring 2025 Campaign by Low-Level-Heaven Mission Development[/h3]

M1. Adopted to DCS World 2.7. More units added
M2. Adopted to DCS World 2.7. More units added
M3. Adopted to DCS World 2.7. More units added
M4. Adopted to DCS World 2.7. More units added. Mission skip possibility added
M5-1. Adopted to DCS World 2.7. More units added. Mission skip possibility added
M5-2. Adopted to DCS World 2.7.


[h3]Combined Arms: Frontlines Georgia[/h3]

• Reinstated Chinese localisation
  

[h3]DCS: F/A-18C Rising Squall Campaign by INVERTED[/h3]

• Added Rising Squall skin package
  
• Various quality of life improvements to couple with DCS 2.7
  

[h2]Petrovich[/h2]
[h3]HIND Multicrew[/h3]



Petrovich Al's overall philosophy is based on the 'Functionality First' principle. The flight commands interface for Pilot-Operator to Pilot-Commander will be via a virtual HSI offering specific commands and sub-modes. This interface is controllable simply by use of the 4-way hat or 4 buttons (for keyboard ops) in addition to the use of the modern HOTAS practices of long and short presses.

We also aim to use the Pilot-Commander's line of sight for target spotting and designation functions with transmission to the Pilot-Operator for further target recognition and engagement. A 'human' delay in response times is simulated and is measured from tester multi-crew interaction data and military practice guidelines for target spotting, identification and selection as well as the correct 'click to weapon activation' cycle times of the real platform.

In addition, we are planning to prepare a special mode for Multiplayer slots, where Petrovich can be assigned limited abilities. These can be toggled per slot and chosen by the mission designer at will. As for the Al voices, we are planning to use two different Russian voices for each seat in the helicopter. Both gentlemen are former operational military pilots and will deliver English and Russian versions. More details will be made available in future Newsletters.



[h2]Black Shark 3[/h2]
[h3]Development Progress[/h3]



We are progressing well with the development of DCS: Black Shark 3 which will give the well-known Ka-50 attack helicopter a brand new external 3D model, enhanced cockpit and new features that expand gameplay, these include.

Helicopter missile warning system (MWS) implementation
Air-to-Air Igla missile implementation

The sensors of the MWS will be integrated into the onboard defense system with the ability to display detected missile threats on the ABRIS.

Igla missiles are similar to those used in MANPADS and can hit subsonic aircraft at ranges up to 6 km. To cater for these new missiles, two new pylons are added to the wingtips bringing the total number of hardpoints to six. These missiles are operated in a similar mode to the Boresight mode which is used on many Russian aircraft. Once power to the missile is on and the seeker axis directed to the target, the seeker can lock on to its heat signature. As the target enters the launch envelope of the weapon, the pilot can be ‘fire and forget’.

Existing owners of the Blackshark 2 are free to continue flying the legacy Ka-50 or to upgrade to the new Blackshark 3 for a very reasonable price. Newcomers will be able to buy the full retail version as usual.

Thank you again for your passion and support,

Yours sincerely,


Eagle Dynamics Team

[h2].LUA[/h2]
[h3]Changes[/h3]



As our online community grows and grows, we recognise that ensuring a level playing field for all has become an important matter and therefore, on popular demand we have locked the LUA files relating to weapon systems.

[h2]The Channel[/h2]
[h3]Development Report[/h3]



East Church
RAF Eastchurch remained active between the wars and was home to No. 266 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. During the Second World War, Eastchurch was part of Coastal Command, a fighter and bomber outfit that protected Allied troops and supply chains from the U-boats and the Luftwaffe. By 1943, Coastal Command finally received sufficient long range B-24 Liberators, equipped with enough Wandering Annies to prove extremely effective.

The Command saw action from the first day of hostilities until the last day of the Second World War. It completed one million flying hours, 240,000 operations and destroyed 212 U-boats.



Biggin Hill
Between the wars, the airfield was used by a number of experimental units, working on instrument design, ground-based anti-aircraft defences, and night flying. The base was closed between 1929 and 1932 whilst renovations and the construction of two new hangars took place.



Headcorn
On the 6th of August 1943, 127 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force moved in 403 and 421 Squadrons equipped with Spitfires under the command of ‘Johnnie’ Johnson, the highest scoring wartime allied Ace in European theatre.

On the 17th of April, 1944. The airfield was handed over to the 354th Fighter Group comprising the 353rd, 355th and 356th Fighter Squadrons who operated the North American P-51D Mustangs. There were 3000 ground crew supporting 70 aircraft.

Today, as a private civil airfield and parachute centre, it also houses the Lashenden Air Cadets of 500 Squadron and Thurston Helicopters, a helicopter flying-school company.



High Halden
RAF High Halden was a Royal Air Force base in Kent. Opened in 1944, it was a prototype for temporary Advanced Landing Ground airfields, which were required for the rapid growth of air operations to support the growing activities as Allied forces progressed east towards Berlin.

We have been working on the airfield and the mixture of agricultural field textures, as well as finer details around the bunkers and recognisable remains.


[h2]3D Units[/h2]
[h3]Ground Models[/h3]



LAZ-695 and Liaz 677 civilian buses
The LiAZ-677 is a Soviet and Russian city high-floor bus, the first prototype released in 1963. Mass-produced from 1967 to 1994, assembly lasted until 2002. These were some of the most popular city shuttle buses in the USSR.



SA-6 Gainful (NATO) 2K12 Kub
The 2K12 Kub-M1 Surface to Air Missile system was initially developed for the Soviet Army Air Defence to supplement the larger and longer ranging SA-4 Ganef. The M1 variant was initially deployed in 1973. The SA-6 is a highly mobile system, and is able to quickly switch firing positions.



The 1S91 Search and Track radar system comprises a tracked chassis with a centrally mounted turret, featuring two independently rotating sections, the lower of which mounting the acquisition radar, and the upper tracking and CW illuminator radar. This allowed the system to search for targets with the acquisition radar, and then perform tracking and illumination with the second radar. This provided much greater flexibility compared to the SA-4 Ganef.

The combat debut of the SA-6 / 2K12 was during the Yom Kippur war of 1973. The superior low altitude performance of the weapon, and the CW semi-active missile seeker resulted in a much higher success rate compared to the earlier S-75 / SA-2 Guideline and S-125 / SA-3 Goa systems.
The SA-6 has seen use in a variety of conflicts, including the 1982 Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon. Desert Storm and the subsequent Northern/Southern Watch operations, and the 1999 Allied Force campaign.



BTR-80 APC
The BTR-80 is a wheeled amphibious combat vehicle designed to carry infantry and marines to the battlefield, it provides supporting fire from inside the vehicle. The BTR-80 mounts a turreted 14.5-mm KPVT machine gun and a coaxial 7.62-mm PKT machine gun.

All of the features that we have highlighted in this week's letter are now available for you to use in DCS World 2.7 Open Beta. We are working diligently to fix existing bugs and will be providing an update in the nearest future.

Starting today and running to 26 April, a DCS Weekend Deal is running on Steam with up to 50% on most modules.

Thanks again to you and all the community for your passion and support,

Yours sincerely,

Eagle Dynamics Team

[h2]EDGE 2.7[/h2]
[h3]Is Here[/h3]



Notable Improvements
The ability to place player and client aircraft in any suitable location now allows you to create better road bases and FOBs in a variety of terrain types. The new customisations, with quadrangular areas, allow mission creators to craft corridors, boundaries and other new trigger zones. A new barrage fire option for AAA is also now available.



New 3D loadout visualiser in mission editor
All weapons and stores have been renamed and structured to provide more granularity and detail, allowing you to preview loadouts and liveries and get a much better understanding of your aircraft’s mission configuration.



Weather System
Our new Clouds have been released and we are delighted with the encouraging feedback from the community so far. Despite being a work in progress, we are aware of some of the major issues and substantial enhancements will be coming soon.

Our priorities for Clouds include work on the wide range of sensors and weapons and how they interact with the new world and how AI behaves in varying conditions. This is particularly relevant for close air combat line-of-sight behaviour. The Clouds mark the start of a significant overhaul and upgrade to the entire weather system as we continue to recreate more realistic weather conditions.



Damage Model - Fire Effects
We are pleased to announce that our Damage Model has been enhanced to more accurately consider projectile types and impact locations to subsequently portray the corresponding burning, smouldering and blazing effects. This is just the beginning of the general damage and effects overhaul that is in the works and we eagerly await your feedback.



New WWII AI Engagement logic
AI will now consider enemy ability and relative position to decide whether to engage or to disengage. We have also considered functions for a lower level AI to make incorrect decisions. This is the start of our long journey to make AI behave more rationally and naturally.



WWII Propeller Technology
A notable update coming to 2.7 is our unique and new technology that calculates the location of every propeller blade and then regenerates the image to reflect the human eye’s interpretation of the movement. This approach allows for smooth and realistic blade transitions from still, to idle, through to taxing and take off, as well as proper transparency from all viewing angles, aircraft speeds, power settings and blade pitch. This teaser video demonstrates New WWII Propeller Technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avh0zLzLLmE

To read the full list of updates, please check out the full Changelog.

Thank you again for your patience, passion and support,

Yours sincerely,


Eagle Dynamics Team