Some more information is coming out from RAZBAM’s Discord with news on what the team plan to implement over the course of early access. In an intriguing move, the F-15E will receive updates that will parallel the real life development of the F-15E slowly progressing through the different suites of updates adding features and armaments over time.

Updates in chronological order

Posted to the official RAZBAM Discord server, RAZBAM_Prowler posted an update indicating what the plan was for the team in the post early access launch period. They are calling the updates “Chronological Technology Updates” or CTU with era specific updates over time.

That includes a digital update to the UFC, Litening II pod, JHMCS, Sniper XR, JDAM and other systems over time. The update also gives us a clear picture of what the F-15E will launch with including full AN/APG-70 air and ground radar capability as well as Lantirn targeting pod. Early F-15Es had laser guided GBU series bombs and then later added the JDAM series.

Dear customers: Our road map. You will receive a F-15E with a software update known as Suite4E+ version. The F-15E didn’t really have changes in Blocks or Lots like the F-16 or F-18, the F-15E was in the form of software updates called suites.

We will continue to work and add those systems and weapons and as they came online with the real life F-15E, future updates (Extras). This is our “Chronological Technology Updates” known as CTU and will be an era specific designation. Current version is Suite 4E+ set around 2005 (mid 2000s). You will have FULL AN/APG-70 AA and AG Radar, and the AN/AAQ-14 Lantirn Target Pod access. This will allow you to target and destroy aircraft and ground targets originally designed for the F-15E in Early Access when released.

As time goes on and as we continue to implement newer items you will start to receive these CTUs in the form of Systems and Weapons accessible via Special Options Menu in DCS.

First CTU (2010), will introduce you to the AN/AAQ-28 Litening II Targeting Pod and the Newer “Digital” UFC. Second CTU (2015), will be the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR Pod and JHMCS. The CTUs will be developed (and the product properly updated/upgraded with no extra cost) as fast as we are able to fulfill the original Suite45+’s features and characteristics. 2023, the year of the Strike Eagle

RAZBAM_Prowler on the RAZBAM Discord F-15E channel

And here’s the screenshot from their Discord for the record.

Interesting approach

This is definitely an interesting approach. Most of the time, software and simulation content is developed according to internal needs as dictated by all of the different layers of production that goes on from the research to the art team to the programmers.

Here, RAZBAM seem to be suggesting that whatever internal process they have, its flexible enough to pivot and work through these features more or less the way that they were churned through on the real airplane.

The interesting part for us, as consumers of the product, will be that we’ll see and experience more or less “first hand” on how the F-15E evolved over time. That in itself is fascinating to me as an avid historian of flight and combat aircraft. Then there’s the the fact that when all is said and done that we’ll have a number of available options for the F-15E that will let us simulate different time periods and operations and that of course boosts the type’s flexibility in simulating said scenarios.

We’ll see how this plays out over time!