The latest DCS World Weekend News is out with all kinds of updates from the team including news that Eagle Dynamics staff participated in Flying Legends 2019. Check out the update if you want all of the details but I want to focus in on some DCS: F/A-18C related news including the latest on development priorities and news that the Aggressors Campaign by Maple Flag is out. Let’s check it out!

Maple Flag’s Aggressors campaign

he campaign puts you in the seat of an aggressor squadron and into some detailed missions flying against blue aircraft in challenging BFM scenarios against a variety of aircraft. To play the campaign you’ll need DCS: F/A-18C and DCS: Nevada to play.

Here are some of the key features:

• Your opponents include the F-4E, F-5E, F-14A, F-15C, F-15E, F-16C, F/A-18C, M-2000C, MiG-29G, CF-188, MiG-21 and Su-27.
• Additionally, there are 12 single player practice missions with in-air starts so you can perfect your BFM tactics, techniques and procedures.
• There are over 1000 voice-overs and over 45 pages of briefing material including the RED FLAG Spins, Red Forces In Flight Guide, Maps, Diagrams, Custom Knee-boards and Mission Data cards.

Development ongoing for Hornet

Eagle Dynamics is hard at work on a whole bunch of features for the Hornet. Here’s what is currently on their list:

• Litening targeting pod
• Air-to-ground radar
• AGM-84D Harpoon
• AGM-62 Walleye I and II
• Fleshing out the data link / SA page
• Improving MSI for LTWS mode
• Dynamic launch zones for INS/GPS-guided weapons like JDAM/JSOW/SLAM/SLAM-ER
• Pre-Briefed mode for HARM, and Aircraft / Mission Planner Cards

The hope was for the Litening targeting pod to arrive before the end of June, however, it seems that Eagle Dynamics is still working on this feature and that its missed the latest open beta from this week. We don’t have a solid reason on what the hold-up is but hopefully we’ll see the targeting pod, and the integral role that it plays in strike operations, make its way into the sim sooner than later.

I also think it’s cool that we’re getting some more legacy weapons like the Walleye showing up. It might be fun to try that out. The AGM-84D Harpoon I think will be very interesting in some future scenarios adding the Hornet to the list as one of the few aircraft in the sim with a dedicated anti-shipping weapon.

Finally, that note that the air-to-ground radar is in development is huge. This is something we’ve been waiting on for years and I’m hopeful that Eagle Dynamics will be able to deliver it. Other aircraft like the F-16 and the M-2000C are waiting on this feature (meanwhile Heatblur did their own AG radar for the Viggen and then did a second generation).

That’s the latest! Hopefully we’ll see some big updates to the Hornet as we move towards August.