Real world USAF readiness testing via DCS

DCS is fantastic and DCS: A-10C is amazing. I love the sim module. A-10 and MIG-21 are the most enjoyable of fixed wing sim modules in DCS. Still for its realism, it still does not train to some basic real world standards. If such a thing is possible on consumer flight sim.

I served in US Army, so I don;t rightly know exact wording of readiness training and evaluation for tactical fighter squadrons. But it might go something like this.

You are tasked with a close air suppourt mission, with 0545 TOT. Your mission start is at air field at coordinates (6 digit MGRS grid) and target in vicinity of (6 digit MGRS) grid. Required loadout is 4 X AGM54D, 2 X GBU-38, 30mm combat mix gun. Weather is standard day + 10 at both mission start and target. Runway length is 2000 meters at XXX elevation. No tanker. Divert is expeditionary air field 50 km from home field at grid (6 digit MGRS).Runway length is 1100 meters.

AD threats at target are AAA (rdr, opt), SAM SA-8, no known MANPADS threat, no enemy air-air known.

No JTAC

Friendly gnd EPLRS available.

ROE weapons free on pos id of hostile.

-Calculate mission fuel load, and rejected takeoff point.

-Calculate engine start and TO departure time.

-Calculate loiter time for given loadout and fuel from previous question, for 15,000 feet alt.

-Calculate reccomended loadout, fuel load change , and/or loiter altitude to extend loiter time by :15 minutes, :30 minutes.

Define GO/NOGO/Divert decision points for minimum system failures at; TO, fence-in, at TGT, egress divert.

Obviously a good number of DCS: A-10C users would scratch their heads on some of those questions. I have no idea how to do any of those tasks. SO it would be nice to have small app for Android or Windows that has calculators for that. Would be even nicer to have mission planner as part of mission editor.

The above is example would be considered simple, as every modern combat aircraft system has its associated mission planning software, running on ground based computers.

While there is no App/programm I know of that does these calculations, you can calculate much of the above using the performance tables from the real A-10 manual available on numerous avia-doc sites. It may be quite tedious doing it all by hand but the charts are pretty straightforward and examples/explanations are given within the manual itself.

You mean something like the Browser-Based Multiplayer Mission Planner for DCS: World?

The above does waypoint planning for multiplayer missions.

Or Balu's Flight Planning Tool and Navigation Calculator?

That may be closer to what you desire.

We have some rw based qualification campaigns (see links in my sig) but much of the decisions are already scripted in our missions.

I think your suggestion has merit and I believe the data for most aircraft are available in the planning tables of their flight manuals.

WOW! Thank you all. Did not know this apps already existed.

As a thank I share an acronym for military map reading. Military maps for USA and NATO are made by Geospatial Intelligence Agency, formerly Defense Mapping Agency. Every military has declination, either Easterly or Westerly. When converting shoot azimuth for your compass to map azimuth, and vice versa, when planning mission, or prepping tactical reports.

It was taught to me and felow cadets in college, by then Cpt. Joe Rose , USA Inf. God bless him.

MAGE

Magnetic to Grid, Easterly Decliantion, Add map declination to compass azimuth to get map azimuth.

Using that acronym you can reverse

Grid To Magnetic, Easterly Declination, subtract declination from grid(map) azimuth to get compass heading azimuth.

Now do that at 3 am in pitch dark freezing March in South Korea, after being awake for 60 hours, and carrying 60 lbs ruck, weapon, armor, secure radio with SINGARS attachment. Not fun. Made me wish I'd join the USAF.

also, A-10A manuals apply for various calculations according to Snoopy.

also, A-10A manuals apply for various calculations according to Snoopy.

That's because the only major difference between an A model and C model is the avionics.

I served in US Army, so I don;t rightly know exact wording of readiness training and evaluation for tactical fighter squadrons. But it might go something like this.

What you describe is what I knew as quarterly refresher training. Most crew positions have it and it usually involves exercises exactly as you described along with procedural simulator periods and other training. These regs cover what training is required when...

http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a3_5/publication/afi11-2f-15v1/afi11-2f-15v1.pdf

http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a3_5/publication/afi11-2f-15v3/afi11-2f-15v3.pdf

What the OP describes is referred to as an ORI, Operational Readiness Inspection. It is a Wing wide inspection by a higher headquarters inspection team. It will test the full mission capabilities of the particular wing that is being inspected. Every wing has a different mission so load out and full inspection requirements would be predicated by the wings mission. Of course the requirements of the ORI for any wing can't be revealed in this environment due to operations security. I just wanted to set the record straight as to what it sounded like the OP was driving at.