The programmer hired to work on the AV-8B is up to speed and adding the programming necessary to make the AV-8B’s chaff and flare release program work. It’s the latest update from DCS World third party developer RAZBAM.

Countermeasure programming

The AV-8B, similar to the F/A-18C Hornet, can be programmed to release chaff and flare bundles in a program set up on one of the jets MFDs. Up until now, this feature was not programmed in to the module. That is about to change.

Showing the feature off in action, a video has been posted to RAZBAM’s Facebook page showing how to set up the program with the ability to set burst quantity (BQTY) and salvo quantity (SQTY). Here’s a description attached to the video:

The chaff release program consist of two parts: The burst and the salvo. The burst is the number of chaff bundles that will be released with each pulse. It has both quantity and time interval between bundles. The salvo is the number of bursts that will be released when the Chaff HOTAS button is pressed. It has both quantity and time interval between burst release. Both parts are required for a chaff release. Default values are Burst 1, Burst Interval 0.1s, Salvo 1, Salvo Interval 1 s.

Ability to pre-program?

A comment on the video asks if the program can be pre-set using the Special Options page in DCS World. RAZBAM’s Facebook page answered that question:

Too many variables for Special Options or even ME options. It will have to be a LUA file.

So, sadly no ability to set this via Special Options.

For the really advanced users out there apparently you can set this via a LUA file. I’ve never done anything like that. Have any of you? How many of you use counter measure programs in other aircraft or do you do as I do and go for a manual release? Let me know in the comments.