A-10C Tactical Training Qualification Campaign (Part A and Part B) Hints and Tips

For this campaign we decided to place the missions within a real-life

exercise called Operation Agile Spirit located at Vaziani Military Airbase.

We took some liberty in documenting the exercise briefing package but

the ROE and Safety Instructions are as close to actual as we could make them.

We think this will work well for future campaign operations we have planned.

In Part A you have to interface with JTACS and AFACs.

We designed the mission so that the AFACs would be on the same radio

frequency as most other flights (124.0 Mhz AM).

Ground JTACS were kept on a different frequency (30.0 - 32.0 Mhz FM).

It's easy to make a mistake when communicating with the JTACs or AFACs

by pushing the wrong radio frequency or switch position.  

If you try to contact the JTAC or AFAC and don't get a response check your frequencies and radio switch position.

In Part B we introduced wingmen and a 2nd element that you must command successfully in order to accomplish the missions.

There are also other flight elements and ground units to interface with.

This is done using the Radio Commands implemented by the function keys.  

If you are not familiar with how to order wingmen or 2nd elements please

review the Radio Communications section of the DCS A-10C manual.

Other flight and ground unit communications is done via the F10 function key

when in the Radio Communications game menu. 

This capability also allowed us to provide a number of standard player communications to help with the mission flow. You can reply to radio messages with the following:

F10, F1 - COLT 1-1, COPY

Heading in to the range you can order your flight to perform the G-Awareness test:

F10, F2 - COLT 1, GO G-WARM

F10, F2 - COLT 1, G-WARM 90 LEFT GO

F10, F2 - COLT 1, G-WARM 90 RIGHT GO

Once completed you can then request fence in and check into the range:

F10, F2 - COLT 1, FENCE IN

F10, F2 - COLT 1, CHECK IN

Once on the range you can issue the following:

F10, F1 - COLT 1-1, COPY

F10, F2 - COLT 1-1, RUNNING IN

F10, F3 - COLT 1, CHECK OUT

After checking out you can then perform the fence out check with:

F10, F2 - COLT 1, FENCE OUT

If you have a voice command program (we use Game Commander) you can program your voice commands to execute these function keys further improving your immersion.

Additionally we added player voice overs when firing the guns, missiles, rockets, dropping bombs, using the IR pointer or laser.  These are meant to improve the single player environment and also provide coaching on what players could say in a multiplayer environment.

In developing and testing the missions we learned some useful things when working with the wingmen and 2nd element.

1. It helps to broadcast your SPI.

2. It helps to send your SPI to your wingmen or 2nd element.

3. When ordering your wingmen or 2nd element to attack, keep track of their weapons used.

4. If they don't have a weapon that you are requesting they will respond "REJOIN" and will not engage the target.

5. If they cannot locate the target (too far away), the target is not marked or your SPI is not set and shared they will respond "REJOIN" and will not engage the target.

6. It helps to anchor your wingmen and 2nd element until you have the target identified.  This can help them from getting shot down from SAMs or AAA.

7. Wingmen and the 2nd element will continue to attack a target until it is eliminated.  You can order them to rejoin at any time terminating their attack.

8. Wingmen and the 2nd element will also terminate their attack if a more dangerous threat is identified (SAM, AAA or threat aircraft) and they will engage the new threat unless ordered to rejoin.

On certain missions we introduced an AC-130U Gunship.  This is a useful CAS asset (especially at night and only in low threat environments). You interface with it again using the F10 function key when in the Radio Communications game menu. Radio commands are provided when the asset is on station.

We hope that someday TFC/ED will formally introduce this capability in a future release.

Currently there is a briefing text bug reported here that restricts the briefing text to a much smaller amount than in previous game versions.  

We have provided a pdf package of all briefing documentation here.

We recommend that you keep a copy of the briefing information handy as it does contain flight and other unit communication information.

We will continue to update the package as necessary to accommodate future game updates or found bugs.

Thanks.