Rock and Bullseye

[icecold951]

I'm trying to figure out how to get my AWACS to use Rock and Bullseye callouts, such as in Raven One. So far I haven't a clue. I even dissected a mission to try and find an answer to this.

[Bunny Clark]

The AWACS will use Bullseye callouts by default, unless talking to a specific flight (which the DCS AWACS does too much, with preference given to the player flight all the time).

 

Rock is a codeword point specifically used in Raven One. It's not tied to the AI or DCS in any way. Every time someone says "rock" in Raven One it's a custom recorded line by a voice actor for the campaign.

[icecold951]

Interesting. It sounded like the AI using Rock calls. Changed the range and bearing to match what I saw on my SA and radar.

Supposedly, when I had to hunt down WTH a Rock call is, F-18s don't have easy access to Bullseye and use Rock calls. I guess it is just the AWACS directly talking to me in my mission.

[Bunny Clark]

Interesting. It sounded like the AI using Rock calls.

It definitely wasn't. Normally in DCS the AI AWACS will talk to the player flight directly with BRAA calls relative to the player's aircraft. They will use Bullseye mostly when responding to a picture request. This makes life easier on the player, but isn't especially realistic. This is probably a holdover from the LOMAC days, when aircraft had no way of seeing a position relative to Bullseye. In real life, AWACS calls are usually made referencing a Bullseye location.

 

In real life it's possible for multiple Bullseye locations to be in use simultaneously, depending on the flight, circumstance, or operational region. In this case, the specific bullseye being referenced is refereed to by a code word. In Raven One, the coded bullseye location used throughout the campaign is "Rock," you are given other coded locations in several missions, but none are used by the AWACS over the course of the campaign. Setting up or changing a bullseye location in the Hornet is pretty easy: from the HSI Data page, select the waypoint that represents the bullseye location and box "A/A WP."

 

[icecold951]

I know about the A/A WP, from learning what they were talking about regarding Rock. It is unrealistic, since it would be easier to call out a bullseye, and have the plane localize that on SA. The AWACS would have to find you, then determine your position relative to the bogey for a BRAA. And a BRAA call doesn't help any other flights, and can confuse them as to who has the BRAA. A Bullseye provides the exact same information to everyone, who can then use SA to see if it is relevant data to them..

[Chenstrap]

The awacs in the mission is a scripted Voice Over at times, not the actual in sim AWACS. Theres a few instances of that happening in the campaign, such as the times you hit the tanker, those are just custom voiceovers played when certain triggers hit (Thus why you need to use the regular radio to refuel).

 

To my knowledge I dont think "rock" calls are special to the F18, or even air operations in general (Though I could be wrong I am certainly no expert). It is just a name for that particular bullseye.

 

Another example of bullseye names is from the Desert Storm Mig 21 shootdown. In the radio chatter you can hear the AWACS making calls referencing "Manny".

 

Its possible that Rock is just one of the more common/almost default names they use. In the fighter pilot podcast episode on AWACS they use "Rock" as well but they dont give the impression that the name Rock is particularly special outside of being the name of the bullseye.