Version 1.4 - 20240329 (NEW: Laser-Guided Munitions Range)
Universal one-stop, non-stop training mission for any aircraft and any discipline, fully multiplayer capable.
Jump in your cockpit, open the throttle and do whatever you like best in this training sandbox.
Marianas Proving Grounds -- by cfrag
Do you feel like flying today? Take a jaunt in any airframe? Train any discipline? Be it landing, bombing, cargo slinging, precision approaches, formation and intercept/escort duty, air combat, engaging SAMs, carrier ops, air-to-air refueling, hunting ships, conduct SAR or some ADF homing? They are all covered here. No matter if you want to take to the skies in a warbird, cold warrior or G4 - fixed wing or whirlybird, this is your one-stop, non-stop trainer. Suit up, and report to the flight line, pilot!
This is a universal training sandbox for all DCS player aircraft to help you to familiarize - and keep yourself current - with your aircraft, hone your skills, and simply have some fun. Slots for every module are available, so you only need this one mission. The mission is fully multiplayer-capable and can run endlessly.
Features include
- Landing practice at 06R/24L at Anderson
- Ground Target Practice
- Gun Range
- Bomb Range (with accuracy statistics)
- Laser-guided munitions deployment
- Air-to-Air target practice in multiple difficulties, warbirds and modern
- Formation, Intercept & Escort
- Ship Strike
- ADF practice
- Helicopter SAR: including city, forest and sea rescues
- Helicopter Cargo (sling-load) Transport (different weight classes)
- Helicopter Naval operations
- Air-to-Air Refueling
- Carrier Operations (Hornet, Tomcat)
- SEAD/DEAD (Anti-SAM, multiple difficulties)
LOGBOOK
The mission also keeps a log of flight time, landings, take-offs, start-ups, crashes - per air frame and total, for all players. If you have de-sanitized your DCS installation, these will be saved and loaded every time you start the mission. Each player can recall their own (and only their own) logbook entry via the communications menu.
"Scenic / Fun" Features (can be disabled)
- "Stop Gap" Eye Candy
- Civilian Air Traffic (do not shoot them!)
Supported Modules
All
Multiplayer
Yes
Time
Endless
How To:
Simply choose the airframe that you want to fly. Note: you must own that model in order to be able to fly it.
* Fun Flight
Grab any aircraft, and fly out into the blue sky.
* Landing Practice
Anderson's runway 06R/24L and Antoni B. Won Pat's 06L/24R are designated for all pilots as practice runways. In order to let tower appreciate your landing skills, simply land on those runways and come to a complete stop on the runway, and you will hear their opinion, even unsolicited. Make sure that you touch down inside the green touch-down zones (switch to F-10 map to see them). For optimal results, touch down inside the second third of the green zone.
*Radio Nav
There are multiple stations that can be navigated to by radio navigation: the air fields, CVN 71 (on TACAN 71X) and a TACAN station at the solar farm in southern Guam at TACAN 64X
* Ground Attack (live units)
There are two groups of enemy units located a few miles to the Northwest of Anderson AFB, near the label "Target Range NWF" and are marked with orange smoke. Once you destroy one group, they re-spawn automatically after a few seconds. These units will return fire.
* Gun Range
There's a gun range with lightly armored vehicles west of Anderson AF. The southern tanks are reserved for aircraft equipped with AP-capable guns. Tanks (and only tanks) will defend once attacked.
* Formation / Intercept & Escort
Wherever you are, whatever aircraft you are flying, you can request some company to practice group/formation flight and intercept/escort with another flight to hone your fine flying skills -- or just enjoy the company. Whatever your preference, you have the choice:
- Team (same aircraft)
A second aircraft identical to yours in loadout spawns in 1nm in front of you, at your current speed and heading. Close the gap, form up on its wing and try to get a bit closer... And take your time, your flight lead will keep that course, speed and altitude for the next 200km.
- Dissimilar aircraft
In dissimilar training, an aircraft type that is different fr om yours will spawn. Again 1nm in front of you, at your current altitude. But your new flight lead will will set their own speed.
-- Jet: A Hawk, F-117A, Tornado or Mig-27 at 300 knots
-- Warbird: Any other warbird, at 200 knots
-- Helo: An AH-1, Ka-50, OH-58, Gazelle, UH-60 at 90 knots
- Intercept & Escort
Here you are tasked to approach, and then match and follow another aircraft's flight path. The aircraft always spawns to your left, with a flight path that is at right angle to your heading.
- Fixed Wing: A heavy (B-52, A-50, IL-78, Tu-142, Tu-95) at Angels 12
- Helicopter: A transport (CH-47, CH-53, Ka-27, Mi-26, SH-60) at 1500 MSL
The other flight is always friendly. If you don't like your new flight leader you can at any time request a new partner, or dismiss them.
* Bomb Range
There is a staffed bomb range south of Antonio B. Won Pat International airport marked "Bomb Range" on the map, consisting of a classic 'bullseye' bombing target (marked with orange smoke) and a precision bombing area (marked with red smoke), filled with vehicles.
YOU MUST BE CHECKED In
In order for weapons range command rate your performance, you must check into the bomb range via Communications-->Other-->Contact Bomb Range and choose "Check in with range". All subsequent weapons releases will be considered (and rated as) training attacks on those targets. Note that the first player who checks in will activate the smoke markers on that bomb range.
Bullseye Range (orange smoke)
Try to drop your bombs/munitions as close to the center (marked with an immortal watchtower) as possible. The entire target area is marked out with tires, and you are scored (in percent) by how close to the tower your weapons hit the ground
Precision Range (red smoke)
There are numerous targets arrayed inside the two green circles east of the red smoke. Attack the targets with your munitions, and if you hit a target, you will receive a hit (100%), otherwise you register a miss (0%)
Evaluation
At any time, you can request an evaluation of your bombing performance via communications-->Other-->Contact Bomb range. Your evaluation carries over between aircraft, and you can at any time clear the statistics can start fresh.
* Laser-Guided Munitions Deployment
There is a an area SW of Antonio B. Won Pat Airport labeled "Laser Range". You will find a number of enemy vehicles. One is always marked by a laser painter (code 1688). Set your LGB to that code, and engage the targets. Targets respawn after they have all been destroyed.
You can be vectored to the currently painted target by quering for the "JTAC Lasing Report" on Commincations-->Other. The report always shows your range and bearing to the lased target.
Requires that you are carrying Laser-Guided Munitions, so tell the chief before you depart.
* Sea Attack (Small)
There is a group of enemy fast attack crafts west of Guam, inside the area "Sea Targets Small". Once you destoy all units, they respawn after a few seconds. These units will defend themselves
*Sea Attack (Large)
There are two naval units (a cruiser and a frigate) some 120-200 nm off the west coast of Guam, inside the area marked "Naval Targets Big". These ships will defend themselves vigorously, at long range, successfully sinking even one of them is a feat in its own. After sinking both, they will respawn after a few seconds.
*Air-to-Air
Unlike ground and sea targets, you spawn the group of enemies yourself via the communications-->Other menu. You can choose between
** Air-to-Air EASY
The units spawn inside the area marked "Air Targets East". You can choose between Mig-25T (harmless), Mig-21 (mostly harmless), F-5E Tigers (armed), and Ka-50 (Helicopters, defend)
** Air-to-Air HARD (not available to Helicopters)
As before, the Units spawn inside the area marked "Air Targets East". All units fight, are well equipped, and are on CAP. You can choose between F-15C, Flankers (Su-27), Vipers (F-16) and Mig-31
** Air-to-Air Warbirds (not available to Helicopters)
These units spawn inside the area marked "Warbirds" in South Guam. All units fight, and are on CAP. You can choose between Messerschmitts, Spitfires, Fokkers or Mossies.
*SEAD/DEAD
NOTE: Activating SAM missions can put all units in harm's way, since some of the SAM sites have great range. Therefore, when you are done practicing SEAD or DEAD, make sure that you remove all SAMs fr om the arena.
To start a SEAD/DEAD mission, go to Communications-->Other-->SAM activation and choose from one of the items offered. The SAM are located some 40nm to the Northeast on the island Rota. You may want to think about when you activate the SAMs, since approaching an active SAM site over open water can be a harrowing experience.
* SAR - Search And Rescue Missions (Helicopter Only)
NOTE: SAR are helicopter missions that are restricted to transport helicopters. In DCS, these are
- the Huey UH-1
- the Hip Mi-8
- the Hind Mi-24
To successfully complete a SAR mission, you first find and fly to an evacuee (when you get close enough, they will mark their location with blue smoke), pick them up, and then return them to a safe zone wh ere they can be taken care of.
To see what missions are currently available, go to communications-->Other-->CSAR Missions and choose "List active CSAR requests". This will give you a list of currently available SAR missions, their distance and bearing, along with their beacon frequencies for ADF.
There are three different SAR missions available:
1. "Dededo Traffic" - an (easy) SAR mission located in downtown Dededo
2. "Forest" - a (most likely) winching mission in a forest
3. "Lt. Floatsome" - a sea-SAR: winching over open water
You can, at any time, create additional SAR missions via communications-->Other-->New SAR Mission and choose one of the three types (Traffic, Forest, or Sea)
Once you have picked up evacuees, return them to a safe zone. Anderson AFB is always available (land near the blue smoke), but there may be closer safer zones - you can always query the closest CSAR safe zone via communications-->Other-->CSAR Missions and choose "Direction to nearest safe zone". Besides Anderson AFB, you can also deliver evacuees to the oil rig "Expanse Explorer", Castle-Class "Naismith", CVN 71 Roosevelt or the amphibious Assault Ship "Tarawa".
* Sling Load Cargo (Helicopter Only)
All Helicopters can sling-load cargo. In order to practice pick-up and ferrying cargo, fly to the construction site just north of Anderson AFB, near the green smoke.
Once there, go to communications-->All Cargos and choose the cargo that you want to pick up. Once picked up, transport and deposit your cargo inside the circle marked out with tires on the south-eastern side of Anderson AFB, near the Helicopter Parking zone (wh ere you took off from). The area is also marked green.
* Aerial refueling (not available to Helicopters)
There are two tankers available: A KC-130 "Shell" and KC-135 "Texaco" standing by for topping you up. Choose the one that fits with your refueling system (e.g. the Viper goes to Texaco). Choose Communication-->Other-->Aerial Refuel and choose the tanker type that you need for your aircraft.
You can find the tanker on a race-track pattern pattern west of Guam, at 18000 MSL.
Frequencies
Anderson Airfield - 126.2 MHz, 250.1 MHz
Castle-Class "Naismith" - 132 MHz, ADF 420 kHz
CVN 71 "Roosevelt" - 127.5 MHz, TACAN 71X
KC-130 Shell - 255 MHz, TACAN 11X
KC-135 Texaco - 257 MHz, TACAN 21X
Weather
CAVOK, Temp +20°C
QNH 29.92
Winds: 220°, 3m/s
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Mission was built with DML
Version History:
Version 1.4 - 20240329
- minor code tweaks
- NEW Laser-Guided Munitions Deployment Range
Version 1.3 - 20240128
- NEW logbook feature (persisted if enabled)
- Civilian planes use more liveries
- Longbow Apache added
- B-52 static scenery (3x) added to AFB
- Better arranged the Harriers on the Tarawa
Version 1.2 - 20231120
- *NEW* Formation, Intercept & Escort training
- added Forrestal in anticipation of some Phun
- killing civ planes is now denounced to all with naming the perpetrator
- civ aircraft use random liveries
- added TACAN at Antonio B Won Pat for navigation and approaches 55X
- DCS 2.9 fixes: CSAR
- added a Harrier to the Tarawa
- added a Tomcat to the Forrestal
- cleaned up unit names
Version 1.1 - 20231113
- new gun range
- hardened bomb range code
- removed some typos
- removed visual glitches in map view
- disabled "Radio Assist"
- 06L/24R Antonio B Won Pat opened for practice
- Additional active and passive Scenery
- Auto-Restart after 4 hours
- Moved time of day to morning 0600
- Added hot A-10C
