Matt Wagner’s been updating the DCS: AH-64D roadmap post on the DCS World forums with new information on what is in development. Let’s have a look what has been delivered, in development and what is still to come after early access is complete.
Moving towards “release”
I realize how ridiculous that subheading is. DCS World modules are nearly always in some state of development and in some ways that’s a good thing because these sometimes incredibly complex aircraft need years and even a decade worth of work to make them more or less feature complete – just in time to change something or update it to match new public information about them as they get older.
The module du jour today is the DCS: AH-64D Apache Longbow. Still in early access, and still with some features still on the to be delivered list, the latest update made yesterday to the post on the DCS forums is significant as it now indicates that development is actively underway on the remaining items on the roadmap prior to release.
Features delivered so far include:
- Auxiliary Fuel Tank / Gun Ammunition Option
- AGM-114L Radar-Guided Hellfire
- Laser Spot Tracker (LST)
- Improved Flight Model and Stability and Control Augmentation System (SCAS) Improvements (continuing improvements)
- Datalink
- Laser Warning Receiver
- FARM Reports
- BDA/SHOT Reports
- Fire Control Radar (FCR). GTM first being developed.
- AI Damage Model Improvements
- Priority and No Fire Zone Data Transfer
The in development list now includes:
- Remaining FCR Modes and Multicrew Synch
- LINK Mode
- ZOOM
- C-Scope
- Campaign
And the after early access release list has the following:
- Data Transfer Cartridge
- Anti-Ice System
- Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI)
- Radar Jammer
- Selectable Pilot Patches
Of the three lists, in-development list goes all the way to the end of their planned early access features and the latest addition to that list is the C-Scope feature. Estimating completion of any of these items would be foolhardy in my now many years of covering DCS World module development but it does look like the Apache is now on the back half of its early access development and well on its way to “release.”
After release
Like other DCS World modules, release won’t end development as there are plans for some other features and many of these are bigger than the Apache.
The Data Transfer Cartridge has been talked about and in the works for many years with the exact functionality still a little fuzzy but the core goal is to be able to setup module preferences such as waypoints, countermeasure sequences, and other features ahead of getting into the cockpit.
An anti-ice system implies that Eagle Dynamics weather modeling will now start to factor in icing. A feature not yet seen in DCS World. Radar jammer and RFI both sound innocuous enough (we’ve got this feature on some jets already) but its also likely part of their bigger goal of modeling the electronic warfare aspect of modern aerial warfare a bit more deeply than present.
Selectable Pilot patches sounds like a great nice to have as well. I’m sure some groups will appreciate that feature.
The road to this state has been long but like most DCS World modules it has really come together over the last several months with the helicopter picking up quite a few of its key advanced capabilities. See where we end up with several more months of development.
Stormbirds 
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