In this DCS: F-16C Viper video, we’ll review the new features coming the Viper. These include Laser Spot Search, or LSS, and Laser Spot Track, or LST functionality for the targeting pod, or TGP; the Control page for the targeting pod, the Freeze function for the Horizontal Situation Display, or HSD, page; and the addition of new Viper weapons; and changes to AIM-9 functionality. Let’s get started.

NOTE 1. Apologies for the audible breathing. I have a cold and am congested, but I believe better to create a video to explain these new features.

NOTE 2: As always, these videos provide a preview of an upcoming feature to assist you in understanding a new feature. Later, it is quite possible that the feature will change, and the feature functionality has changed. As much as I’d like to, I lack the time re-record these videos.

First, let’s look at Laser Spot Search, or LSS, and Laser Spot Track, or LST. As you might imagine, we’ll be using this to allow the targeting pod to search for specific laser Pulse Repetition Frequency, or PRF, and then be able to track it. The laser designation source could be a JTAC or another aircraft. Why would you want to use this method? Primarily if you require very specific targeting that only an external source can provide, for example, like having eyes on.

From the Instrument Control Panel, or ICP, select the LIST button, then zero for miscellaneous on the keypad, and then 5 for Laser.

On the laser page, we see the laser PRF that our targeting pod will lase with, and the laser PRF code that it will search for. It defaults to 1688 and we’ll use that. Note that a laser code must be an octal, meaning, only digits 0 to 8.

Because we’ll be using an external laser-designation source, we’ll contact the JTAC and ask for laser designation of the target.

At waypoint 2 is a target array, where the target is located. Let’s enable the TGP by bringing up on the left MPD and make it our SOI, this should be old hat by now. Note that at the top of the left side we see our LSS code of 1688. To start the LSS operation, press the Cage/Uncage button your throttle or press the LSS OSB.

Once the laser code is detected, the Laser Spot Track, or LST, is transitioned from an LSS. We can now Target Management Switch forward to designate that location as our Senor Point of Interest and now conduct a standard CCRP laser-guided bombing attack.

While we are here on the targeting pod page, we can now select the CNTL OSB to display the Control page. From the control page, we can elect to display the gray scale to calibrate the TGP display, and we can enable or disable coordinates, north arrow, and yard stick distance by pressing the N/M OSB.

For this update, we’ve also added the Freeze (FZ) function to the Horizontal Situation Display, or HSD. It behaves differently if the HSD is SOI or not.

If SOI, indicated by the box around the periphery of the display, pressing the freeze OSB sets the HSD to the centered format and ground stabilizes the HSD cursor at its location.

If the HSD is not the SOI and freeze is selected, it will again center the HSD but instead ground stabilize on the ownship’s current location on the HSD. When in freeze mode, expand is disabled and steerpoints 1 to 99 are frozen.

In this update, we’ve also added some new weapons. These include the LAU-68 and LAU-131 rocket pods for Hyra unguided rockets and AIM-9P, AIM-9P3 and AIM-9P5 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

Speaking of the AIM-9, we’ve also updated some of its logic. First, when radar-locking a target, the AIM-9 seeker will now be auto-slaved to the target. You will no longer need to uncage. Also, if you already have a radar lock, moving the Dogfight switch to the outboard position will maintain the lock and not re-lock the target.

00:00 Introduction
00:32 Targeting Pod Additions and Changes
08:04 HSD Freeze Function
09:14 New Weapons
09:46 AIM-9 Functional Changes

The Gamblers campaign was jointly developed by Baltic Dragon and John ‘Rain’ Waters, a former Viper Demo Team pilot, member of the 77th Fighter Squadron and host of ‪@AfterburnPodcast‬

Throughout the 13 missions of the campaign, the player will have an opportunity to relive some of the sorties that Rain and his squadron mates flew during their deployment to Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Furthermore, the campaign recreates the most iconic moments of the allied involvement within the theater, including the Battle of Raqqa in 2017, the US TLAM strike against the Shayrat Airbase in retaliation for the regime’s chemical attack on Aleppo and the standoff between US forces and the notorious Russian Wagner group, which is now known as the “Battle of Khasham”.

This campaign also introduces a new, more immersive way for the player to interact with the environment using their HOTAS, this practically completely eliminates the use of space bar or F-10 menu.
The campaign also includes features that account for the player’s performance and possible errors. This means that his wingmen or other assets in the mission can take over tasks the player is struggling with, which can lead to multiple ways in which each mission can progress. All of these scenarios were meticulously checked and tested to avoid possible bugs and problems and ensure an enjoyable player experience.

KEY FEATURES:
- 13 immersive missions with a variety of different tasks: CAS, X-CAS, SEAD, DEAD, escort, pre-planned strikes and more;
- An interactive intro mission, voiced by John ‘Rain’ Waters, guiding the player through the most important aspects of the campaign;
- Over 3000 lines of dialogue with voice-overs;
- Custom ATC interaction for all the missions;
- Optional use of air to air refueling or the choice to skip it all together;
- Detailed documentation, flight plans, maps, target information available in both PDF format and from within each mission as part of the kneeboard;
- Detailed skins for the Gamblers created by Thomas 'Roughmaster' Vercauteren

The campaign is officially sponsored by ‪@WINWING-SIMULATOR‬ and all those who purchase it may enter into a competition in order to win some of the company's excellent hardware. More information at https://www.balti...in-a-hotas.

REQUIREMENTS:
- F-16C Viper
- Syria Map

Campaign is available for purchase at DCS store: (link to be added)

In this short DCS: F-16C Viper video, we’ll be discussing the new option to select how the control stick Flight Control System dead zone and force gradient is calculated. Until now, the dead zone and force gradient has been calculated based on the actual F-16C FLCS input logic. However, this has been best used with Force Sensitive sticks, and not self-centering, spring-loaded sticks that the vast majority of DCS pilots use.

In the last update, we added the option to either use the actual dead zone and force gradient settings for the F-16C or one that mimics your Axis Tuning values.

Select the Option gear icon, then the Special Tab, and finally the F-16C.

When enabled for pitch and roll, the actual FLCS control gradient is used, and best for force sensing sticks. When not enabled, it uses a linear gradient and best for traditional self-centering sticks.

When enabled, the pitch dead zone is also set to a realistic value of 4.375% and roll dead zone of 5.9%, but again, this is best used for force sensitive sticks. If not enabled, the dead zone will mimic your Axis Tuning dead zone setting.

Please be careful when setting the dead zone if you are not sure about the centering of your joystick. A dead zone setting of just 0% could result in commanded inputs like disabling autopilot. Remember that even a little control stick input can result in disabling the autopilot.

From the Special Tab, you also can manually set pitch and roll dead zone values.

We hope that this improvement will better allow players, regardless of their control stick type, to get the maximum performance out of their DCS Viper.