A DCS World Open Beta patch just arrived in the last couple of hours and it is a big one with a very long list of changes and updates. There are significant updates for the JF-17, the AJS-37 and the A-10C has received it’s new cockpit – this is not a drill! Let’s have a look!

Patch highlights

Here are just some of the items that I pulled from the patch notes that you’re going to want to know about:

• Introduced new high quality A-10C cockpit.
• Update for Normandy map (Massive update for fields, cities and towns, villages, airfields)
• JDAMs Enabled (AV-8B)
• Added “Wrath of Thunder” (Caucasus) Campaign (AJS-37)
• Added Pilot Body in Cockpit + associated keybinds (AJS-37)
• Fixed one critical and some potential bugs that caused ctd (JF-17)
• Updated cockpit textures (JF-17)
• Added general splinter camo livery can be used by all countries
• Added TWS radar mode (F/A-18C)

A-10C gets a new cockpit

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One of the new features worthy of a major highlight is the new A-10C cockpit. Long awaited and aimed at better performance, better visuals, and better VR support, the new cockpit is finally here. Nothing except the visuals change but it does bring the A-10C cockpit up to the same standard that we’ve come to expect from other modules such as the F-16C and F/A-18C.

Nicely done!

JF-17 gets a new cockpit and camo scheme

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The JF-17 for DCS World was sorely in-need of a cockpit visual update as a lot of textures were placeholder. That’s now happened and new textures are in place. It’s not quite the dramatic makeover I was expecting but it is an update and it does bring the aircraft far closer to the other aircraft in the DCS World stable.

There’s also a new default splinter camo for countries other than China or Pakistan in DCS World.

F/A-18C gets TWS mode finally!

It feels like we’ve been waiting ages for this but it is here finally – Track While Scan mode for the DCS: F/A-18C. This new radar mode enhances situational awareness while locking targets with the Hornet’s air-to-air radar. TWS mode also enables the jet to engage multiple targets simultaneously using TWS mode to guide several missiles at once.

A full breakdown of how to use the feature with the AIM-120 and AIM-7 missile types are available via this video from Eagle Dynamics’ Matt Wagner.

Other new features

I don’t have the DCS: Normandy map but I’m looking forward to seeing new screenshots from the updated version of that map. I hope it addresses some of the concerns that players have had up until now.

There’s also the new campaign for the AJS-37 Viggen for DCS World – it’s yet another key moment for the module as it works it’s way towards being complete and released as a finished product by Heatblur. It’s unclear if they are going to meet their own deadline for late 2019 or if it will be early 2020 by the time everything planned is done. That said, the Viggen is already a very complete module and could easily be considered finished at this point.

For everything in the patch, check out the patch notes right here.