Been a while since I’ve done a DCS World flight journal. I’ve been flying a lot in DCS but its not always been journal worthy. This one sort of is with plenty of success in the OH-58D and a bit of a failure at the end of it too. Here’s how it all went!

The mission

The mission I was flying for the DCS: OH-58D is a user created one created by jmoss840 and posted to the DCS World User Files section of the Eagle Dynamics website. It’s called ‘Kiowa Army Ranger Convoy Escort’ where you take on the role of Anvil 1-1 flying overwatch for a convoy of MRAPs. The convoy is heading out to take out an HVT (high value target) and your job is to clear a path for them through a series of randomly generated ambushes.

The mission is a conversion from an AH-64D version of the same mission with a few challenges that come from that setup. Still, it was fun up until a bit of an issue I ran into at the end.

Setup and heading out

With Anvil 1-1 already fired up and ready to go and a convoy of MRAPs loaded up and ready to go ahead of you, the mission is quite straightforward. Takeoff from Kandahar air base and escort the convoy south towards the Pakistan border.

After takeoff, I did a few circuits around the convoy while they got themselves sorted out and moving out. They are not the fastest vehicles in convoy formation so it takes them a bit to get going but they do get there and before too long were out of the rain and into the brightening dawn as they head out for the mission.

Following the road for the next several minutes was largely uneventful. Every so often I would settle the aircraft into a hover and look around. No ambushes so far…

… then a call out on the radio that a roadblock has been spotted up ahead. Sure enough, there they are! The MMS sight helps establish an ID in visible and IR and I use the laser to get range information.

Fitted on the OH-58D for today is two APKWS laser guided rocket pods. Lasing the first target, I fire off a missile and wait for the impact which comes several seconds later. The HE warhead made easy work of this ambush but just to be sure I fired off a second one to make the area clear.

The convoy rolled past the point and continued on with their mission.

Several more kilometers down the road and I spot the next ambush setup. The MMS IR sensor easily picking up the soldiers and trucks setup. It took a bit of time to get just the right positioning on this one as a hill was blocking my firing point but eventually I settled into another hover, laser on the target, and fired. Four rockets were needed for this one!

With that cleared, the convoy and I pressed on along the road.

The first problem cropped up at this point with a bingo fuel warning. We weren’t even halfway to target and I was already running low. Why is that? Well the OH-58D is a light helicopter with a heavy loadout and that means making compromises for range and loiter time to bring more munitions. It was time to swing around and let the convoy fend for itself for a little while.

Back to Kandahar we went with the fuel light dropping lower and lower. Bingo fuel was a bit optimistic fortunately so we had a decent amount left to refuel and rearm.

After a hot refuel and rearm, we were back in the air and headed back to the convoy who had stopped again waiting for us to clear the blocked road.

On station and ready for action once again, I had the target in sight with the MMS while I got into a position to take it out. This one had a bit more AAA defenses as red tracers came flying up at my helicopter… I fired an APWKS while maneuvering defensively. One target hit…. two targets hit…

Then something strange happened. The transition out of the AI pilot seemed to go wrong and the helicopter rolled over hard to the left. I tried to get it under control and with a short amount of distance to spare and a 180 degree turn I seemed to have things sorted out…

… and then it rolled hard again to the left and we hit the ground hard. Anvil 1-1 is down!

After action

This is an interesting if sometimes lengthy mission escorting the convoy. It was, however, the kind of thing I was looking for out of an OH-58 mission flying on the Afghanistan map. Doing what scout helicopters are often called to do was an interesting experience even if the mission was more aimed at Apache flyers with more firepower and endurance. I’m guessing an AH-64 wouldn’t have needed to head back mid mission the way the OH-58 did. Tradeoffs of course!

What I’m still a little confused about was my crash at the end. Did I take a hit and not know about it? Did the AI pilot cause the rolling motion? Did I screw something up? It wasn’t VRS but maybe a retreating blade stall? I’m not sure. But I’ll be back in the OH-58 for some more action again soon.