It may be strange for an AI-only aircraft for DCS World to get its own trailer but there’s probably some good reasons for that as Heatblur take a step closer towards a full module for DCS: A-6E Intruder. Let’s have a look!

Flight of the Intruder!

Heatblur are currently working on a full fidelity version of the A-6E Intruder for DCS World. The project is, like many Heatblur projects (or DCS modules in general), a multi-year effort to bring a complicated airplane to life. Its release is not yet upon us, however, the long delayed AI flyable version of the A-6E is here.

The description of what Heatblur is offering with this, and a bit of sense of why its taken so long, is contained in the video description:

We’re proud to finally complete the addition of the A-6E AI asset for DCS World by Heatblur Simulations, coming in the next DCS World patch! While an AI-only release at first, much groundwork has been laid with this release for the upcoming full-fidelity A-6 module. The work on the flyable module started last year with a full team and we’re excited for you to jump shoulder to shoulder and make history.

The A-6E AI offers a combination of all A-6E variants spanning the time between the 1970s and 1990s, offering all weapons for historical loadouts such as used by the A-6E TRAM and A-6E SWIP variants. It offers buddy-pod refueling for all drogue-system capable aircraft in DCS, full (super-)carrier capability and much more. We hope you enjoy this free asset for all in DCS and we cannot wait to see you escort it going downtown, and what historic scenarios and missions you will create for it. Enjoy!

As with most Heatblur releases, there’s quite a bit of depth to this in terms of available versions and armament loadouts. That’s very encouraging for scenario makers who will no doubt find ways to insert the A-6 into their scenarios. It’s been a missing piece of the carrier decks for a long time and its now going to slowly enter into the lime light. Drogue refuelling off of an A-6 should be interesting!

As has been said, if this is a good way for the Heatblur team to get the full fidelity module to us, I’m all for it. It appears to be an incremental step where the exterior model and its AI version starts to add its way into various scenarios and then expands from there. It may also end up being a bit easier for scenario makers to include the airplane now so that when it does fly, you’ll have a back catalogue of content to go through.

There is a fun nod to Flight of the Intruder at the end of the video as well. Some folks are reading into it that a Vietnam focused content pack is on the way, however, I don’t think that has any greater chance now than when the F-4E arrived last year. Fortunately, the A-6 has lots of different scenarios it can be inserted into without Vietnam (as interesting as that would be). More to come no doubt!

Also… remember that AI focused Draken that they were working on. Still on the lookout for more on that too!