And the latest DCS: Mi-24P Hind Development Report.

28 May 2021



Dear Fighter Pilots, Partners and Friends,

Saipan, the third island included in DCS: Mariana Islands, is currently undergoing closed beta testing. We will initially release a modern version of this free map - please see the screenshots below.

DCS: Mi-24P Hind is progressing steadily, and the HSI tool and Petrovich are being actively tuned. The SPO-10 RWR and ASP-17 sight are being finalised as we move closer to the Early Access launch. The Introduction and Simple Quick Start videos for DCS: Mi-24P Hind tutorial series are now available. We encourage you to check them out, and get ready to hit the ground running.

A further six ground units are now available in Open Beta: the T-155 Firtina; VAB Mephisto, PT-76 light tank, Leopard 2A4 main battle tank, ATZ-5 Ural Fuel Bowser, and AA-7 Firefighting Truck. These all take advantage of EDGE 2.7 graphic enhancements and offer revised reflections and lighting. In Development Screenshots.

Thank you for your passion and support.



Yours sincerely,

Eagle Dynamics Team

Saipan

Introduction

Mariana Islands -  Saipan

Saipan

Saipan is the current capital of the United States Commonwealth islands and it was part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The island continues to be of strategic importance and is heavily supported by the United States military.

Mariana Islands - Saipan International Airport

Saipan International Airport

In June, 1944, the Seabees of the 3rd Battalion 20th Marines repaired and expanded the airfield to become the Naval Advance Base Saipan, and it supported the first P-47s of the 19th Fighter Squadron. It covers an area of 734 acres and boasts two paved runways. The main runway currently measures 8,700 x 200 ft, and the second is 7001 x 100 ft. This airfield was the primary launch site for B-29 Superfortress missions that led to the massive destruction of Japanese industrial targets.

Mariana Islands - Port of Puerto Rico

Port of Puerto Rico on Saipan

The Port encompasses 2,600 linear feet of berthing space and a 22-acre container yard. It has water and underground fuel lines protected by concrete vaults as well as a sewage removal system. Dockside lights run the length of the quay for nighttime operations.

The channel, turning basin, and berthing areas have been widened and deepened to a uniform -40 feet in order to comfortably welcome medium- to deep-draft vessels. Two fuel storage facilities are also present at Saipan seaport to manage re-fueling. Future improvements are the paving of the access road leading to the main port, upgrading of the security communication system, and water rescue equipment.

Finally, improved navigational aids and repositioned harbor buoys mark the safest route into port with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Mariana Islands - Urban areas of the West coast

Urban areas of the West coast

The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches and an offshore coral reef that creates a large lagoon. Saipan's flora is predominantly limestone forest. All shoreline and cliff textures, as well as the seabed and beaches, are being hand drawn for optimum accuracy. The buildings, houses, and large number of ground assets are all new additions to DCS World.

Mariana Islands - Golf course on the East side of the island

Lao Lao bay Golf and Resort

Since the 1970s, tourists from the United States and Japan have been traveling to the island to enjoy the natural beauty and other attractions. The tourist resorts have been recreated in detail, and they comprise special ground textures for the golf course. The eastern shore is composed primarily of rugged, rocky cliffs and a narrow underwater bank leading to the Marpi Reef, which lies 28 miles to the north.

Farallon de Medinilla

Situated about 45 nautical miles north of Saipan is the Farallon de Medinilla island. For years, the U.S.Navy has used it for military weapon testing and bombing exercises. Farallon de Medinilla has a length of 1.7 miles, a width of 490 ft in the south, expanding to 1,740 ft in the north, with an area of 0.326 square miles. At its narrowest, the island is only 66 ft wide.

The shore is dotted with cliffs containing caves, and its tabletop surface has some shrubbery and savanna grass. The island also has three X-shaped figures and one Y-shaped figure that are built out of metal shipping containers. These arrangements have been left by the U.S. Navy for bomb targeting practice.

Mi-24P Hind

Development Report

Mi-24P Hind

Introduction

In a previous update to DCS: Mi-24P Hind, we shared a preview of the Petrovich AI interface.

The first video in the DCS: Mi-24P Hind series of tutorials is now available. We encourage you to take a look at DCS: Mi-24P HIND | Introduction for an overview of this beast.

Mi-24P Hind

Quick Start

Once you have learnt the basics, it is time to learn a simplified start up. Check out the DCS: Mi-24P Hind Quick Start guide to help you hit the ground running.

Mi-24P Hind

Petrovich

We have finished work on the hover flight mode for the Petrovich command and lateral and vertical movements using this system. The latency in command reception by Petrovich is in progress, and it will mimic the real life crew lag when communicating and processing information. In the next update, we will share details on Petrovich flight modes and how to use it in combat.

Mi-24P Hind

SPO-10 RWR

The SPO-10 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) now recognizes radar emitters, and it provides visual and audible feedback. Currently, we are tuning this system, and we aim for it to be available at Early Access launch.

Mi-24P Hind

ASP-17 Sight

The ASP-17 weapons aiming sight is operational. It will be possible to manually adjust it and use its Continuously Computed Impact Point (CCIP) function. This is a highly accurate system when used over level terrain, and it is similar to the Su-25A’s weapons sight.

Ground Units

New Models

T-155 Firtina

T-155 Firtina

This is a Turkish-produced, self propelled howitzer that is based on the ROK K9 Thunder. It entered Turkish service in 2004. Armed with a 155mm L/52 gun, the T-155 is capable of attacking targets up to 40km away, and it is able to quickly move firing position using its 66km/h maximum speed / 480km range. The T-155 has been involved in various Turkish operations along its border with Iraq and Syria, and it remains in active service with the Turkish Army today.

VAB Mephisto

VAB Mephisto

A development of the successful French VAB APC, it was first produced by Renault in 1979 with over 5000 delivered. A retractable turret containing four ready to launch HOT-2 missiles with 8 reloads gives the VAB a lethal anti-tank capability out to 4000m. The VAB is fully amphibious, and its propulsors can be seen on the rear sides of the hull. This, along with its rugged and proven 4x4 drivetrain, gives the VAB fantastic off road capabilities. The VAB Mephisto has seen service with many countries, and in 2018, the Lebanese Army took delivery of 10 Mephisto’s from France.

PT-76

PT-76

First produced in 1951, the PT-76 is a Soviet light amphibious tank that became the primary reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries with over 3,000 produced. Armed with a 76.2mm rifled main gun, with an effective range of 1,500m, the PT-76 is heavily armed for a vehicle of its size. With a primary reconnaissance role, amphibious capability was essential; and, its water-jet propulsion was innovative for the time it was designed. The PT-76 has seen service in a variety of theatres, including the Vietnam war, the Six-Day War, the Angolan Civil War, and the Balkans Wars. The PT-76 is notable for being the first combat victim of the BGM-71 TOW missile, fired by an experimental UH-1B near the Vietnamese city of Kontum in 1972.

Leopard 2A4

Leopard 2A4 and 2A4TRS

Produced between 1985 and 1992, the Leopard 2A4 is the most widespread version of the Leopard 2 line. Earlier German Leopard 2s were upgraded to 2A4 standard. The 2A4 was the first major upgrade to the Leopard 2 line, bringing an all new digital fire control system that was able to employ more varied ammunition types, an automated fire and explosion suppression system, and an improved turret with titanium/tungsten armour. The Leopard 2A4 was the last variant to have flat, frontal armour on the turret; subsequent variants would have wedge-shaped, spaced, frontal armour.

Turkey is a major operator of the Leopard 2 line, and it has upgraded many of them to the Leopard 2 A4TRS standard. This incorporates additional armour, upgraded optics, and a new fire control system. Turkey’s Leopard 2’s have seen significant combat along the border with Syria, with the older Leopard 2A4’s flat, frontal armour turrets proving vulnerable to Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) fire.

ATZ-5

ATZ-5 Ural Fuel Bowser

Based on the proven 5T 6x6 Ural-375 chassis, the ATZ-5 fuel bowser was produced in large numbers, and it is an integral part of any mechanised formation.

AA-7

AA-7 Firefighting Truck

Again based on the Ural-375 chassis, the AA-7 is an airfield firefighting vehicle equipped with a variety of equipment for extinguishing fires and performing search and rescue operations at airfields.

All of these models are now available in DCS World Open Beta.

Thank you again for your passion and support,



Yours sincerely,

Eagle Dynamics Team