We’ve got some new information coming from RAZBAM in recent days with the team showing off a Mirage 2000D, a short statement from modeler Metal2Mesh on their Discord server, and an interesting comment from RAZBAM CEO Ron Zambrano on Twitter/X. How is this all interconnected and does it offer us any hope for the future with DCS? Let’s have a look at the different pieces.
Mirage 2000D?
On February 10, RAZBAM CEO Ron Zambrano shared a pair of new images on X/Twitter with the label Mirage 2000D. The company and Ron in particular has frequently shared work in progress images of all sorts of projects over the years. Some have come to fruition while others have been more of a 3D modeler exercise with little chance of becoming a module. Remember their promising 3D work on the BAe Lightning some years back?
Still, with the long standing issues between the company and DCS World developers Eagle Dynamics, showing off a new fighter jet visual product certainly raises the eyebrows.
There are a few possibilities here. One, though seemingly blocked by the ongoing dispute between RAZBAM and Eagle Dynamics, would be a future DCS World module. Another possibility raised by the community and based on rumours of possible aircraft development for MicroProse’s Falcon 5.0 is that the aircraft is intended for that product (either as an AI for a flyable).
The jet is certainly an interesting one with the 2000D offering up far more strike mission options over the 2000C we know well from DCS. The ATLIS II or PDLCT targeting pod, self-lasing for GBU laser guided weapons as well as AS-30L missiles, and obvious two seat configuration would get the attention of many a flight simmer in any combat flight sim.
That’s the background, now let’s go to the latest statements.
What Metal2Mesh is saying
RAZBAM developer Metal2Mesh is known for some of the company’s visual art and has been deeply involved in many of the products that the company has put together over the years. The M2000C and the F-15E among them.
Posting on February 12th (yesterday) on the RAZBAM Discord, here is what M2M had to say:
ANNOUNCEMENT!!! OK after long consideration. Background, doing this D model is opening up an accurate and detailed 3D model for all mirage 2000 frames, including a C. As I know which areas are shorten and can easily be done. I feel as though I owe people who purchased the M2000C product something if not everything. First, if there is a EDvRB resolution, I am looking at in the near future, approximately 6 months to a year as I not have completed 3D modeling yet. Second, along with ED honoring it’s commitment to continue their obligations in the future responsibility towards Razbam (future payments), I will: Update the exterior of the M2000C module with a newer one, for you, our customers who have enjoyed this fantastic aircraft and it will be free of charge to customers. I do not give this easily, but my morals and my commitment to improving myself everyday is something I do to retain my honor as a person. I will work out the details with Razbam, so that as I leave DCS, I did not leave you behind.
Nearly everything there hinges on a very big if statement. If there is a resolution between RAZBAM and Eagle Dynamics then it sounds like a visual update to the exterior model of the RAZBAM DCS: Mirage 2000C would then happen.
Ron’s brief mention of the situation
That leads us to the third part of this discussion. Ron responded to a question about the F-15E and its future with the following message:
If everything gets solved, it’s 100% guaranteed constant development
Interesting indeed.
The takeaway
I almost hesitated writing up any of this because there’s not too much to go on here and in a sense there really isn’t much in the way of news either. There is one thing that we’ve learned and that is that there is still an “if” being portrayed to the community by two members of the RAZBAM team.
I think many of us had started to take a more pessimistic view that no resolution was possible and that the relationship was too damaged to recover. But, on the other hand, “never say never” is a phrase that has been more commonly needed recently and so has “stranger things have happened.”
Whatever the case, it looks like RAZBAM’s DCS modules have stated intentions around them should things get sorted out. If they don’t, it may also well be that RAZBAM are working on another sim and if its Falcon 5.0, as many have guessed, then we may see some new Mirage 2000D models flying around there.
This many also be an effort at bolstering PR before one move or another.
We won’t know for some time yet how this is going to play out but we know that there’s still a tiny ray of hope and for me that’ll have to be enough for today.
Stormbirds 
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