Development and changes to the DCS: AV-8B have been frequent over the last several months and RAZBAM are looking at making another change to the AGM-65 Maverick which has attracted some controversy. This is what is being proposed and the latest comments from the devs.

No more AGM-65F?

The change proposed is the removal of the AGM-65F Maverick from the DCS: AV-8B Harrier. The note about this was posted by Zeus67, RAZBAM developer, on the DCS World forums on Wednesday.

The change was based on SME feedback that the USMC does not use the AGM-65F and that the jet doesn’t support it. This seems to be based on more modern times as forum users jumped to provide historical information and images showing the AV-8B with the Maverick F equipped. All of those images appear to be pre-2010 so that may explain the discrepancy.

The change would also introduce some other changes to the other type of Maverick carried by the DCS: AV-8B, the AGM-65E. The AGM-65E would be joined by an AGM-65E-2 with the distinguishing feature being that the E model cannot accept a self designating laser from the targeting pod while the E-2 model can.

Reacting to feedback

Another RAZBAM developer, HeliJumper, posted just a few hours ago with a follow up on the issue. In a post on the same discussion thread, HeliJumper wrote the following:

From the information available and SME feedback, we determined that the mid 2010s Harrier do not employ the weapon and that the software compatibility with the weapon was not kept with the updates as the weapon was not used anymore by the USMC. Some of you provided information showing that the weapon was used on Harrier in the early 2000s.

We might decide to ultimately keep the weapon to better represent early 2000s Harriers while correcting the MAV E and adding the E2.

HeliJumper

So, this is not a definitive change but one that seems to be evolving based on feedback.

I’ve also heard from a few that there was word going around was that the AGM-65 was being removed completely from the Harrier. It seems that those statements were based on a misreading of the original post and I haven’t been able to find any statements suggesting a total removal.

I will update this post if we get some information in the next few hours on the issue. In the meantime, it may be good to brush up on how best to use the AGM-65E. I know I will be!