It is clear from recent updates from the IL-2 dev team that after the Battle of Kuban is complete, the 1CGS team will be working on bringing us at least a couple of battles from the Pacific.

The timeline on this puts IL-2: Battle of Kuban as complete in December of 2017 and Battle of Midway available in 2018 or 2019.

Jason Williams, the Producer for IL-2, listed off the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Okinawa as two that the team is keen to do after Kuban. From the wide open steppes of the east to the islands and oceans of the Pacific brings a different kind of experience than the one we’ve experienced so far.

Aircraft carriers are significant parts of the battle as are ships in general. Ships are key to the experience – from the aircraft carrier duel of Midway to the massive kamikaze attacks on Allied shipping and the sinking of the Yamato super battleship during the Battle of Okinawa.

The Pacific war was also fought on islands, coral reefs and large landmasses such as New Guinea and Bougainville. The island hopping campaign up the Solomon island chain and the large air campaign along the coast of New Guinea and New Britain and at the massive Japanese base at Rabaul are significant pieces of the Pacific war.The conflict was also fought in places like China, Burma and India.

There is great diversity in the air forces involved too. The Royal Air Forces desperately attempted to stem the tide of Japanese troops invading Singapore.  The Royal Australian Air Force defended Darwin using Spitfires and mounted successful attacks  on Japanese shipping in the Bismarck Sea using Beauforts and Beaufighters. New Zealand’s RNZAF used Kittyhawks and Corsairs as part of the overall allied advance as well. All three of the United States air services saw combat here – the Navy, the Marines and the Army Air Force. The Japanese Army and Navy air forces together fought all of these air forces for over 4 years of intense combat.

So… if the Pacific conflict in a flight simulator doesn’t have you excited by virtue of it being fought entirely over the water or with little diversity – give it a chance. There’s more to this area of conflict and the aircraft above it than you may have otherwise known.