In general 2024 was a productive year for the group, our vision and mission within the organization hasn't really changed. Our vision is still to enjoy flying with friends while focusing on tactics, techniques, and procedures within the confines of DCS World while our overall mission continues to be to train virtual combat pilots, deploy precision attack aircraft, and deliver an array of air-to-ground weapons with pinpoint accuracy to win today’s virtual fight in DCS World. Like most virtual organizations in the community we've had members leave and new members join. It's a constant "battle" of trying to maintain real life commitments and making being a member of the group not burdensome to our members time.
Our biggest disappointment for the year was the continued drama between Eagle Dynamics and RAZBAM. Midway through the year we made the tough decision to inactivate the v307 'Stingers' due to the unknown of that situation. We did not want to have our members invest their time developing additional documentation & training material only for the F-15E to turn into VEAO Hawk 2.0 aka not working after a certain DCS World version. Our hope is that things will eventually "normalize" between the two organizations and we can get the Stingers back up and running. Honestly the F-15E is an aircraft that is NEEDED in DCS World!
2024 Accomplishments
- Inactivated our F-15E squadron the v307 FS 'Stingers'.
- Completed 2nd Combat Deployment in the spring of 2024.
- Stood up our rotary wing organization the 2nd vCombat Aviation Brigade 'Talons' flying the Kiowa, Apache, and eventually we will be adding the Chinook.
- 752 sorties totaling 2,104.7 flight hours.
- v303 FS (A-10C): 277 sorties totaling 724.87 hours
- v93 FS (F-16C): 354 sorties totaling 814.1 hours
- v307 FS (F-15E): 131 sorties totaling 322.85 hours
- v2 CAB (AH-64, CH-47, OH-58): 75 sorties totaling 202.65 hours
- v339 (various DCS level models): 17 sorties totaling 40.2 hours
2024 Priorities/Goals
1. Progress current students through B-Course; continue balancing realism vs fun #milsimlite. Overall we did a good job moving folks through B-Course.
- All seven of the pilots on the Mako’s (F-16C) roster have completed B-Course.
- Five of eight pilots on the KC Hawg (A-10C II) roster have completed B-Course. We had some A-10 pilots we invited into the Group outside the normal recruitment windows that are progressing through B-Course, one individual transition to the A-10C when we shut down the Stingers, and another that had training slow because of real world obligations. All these individuals are making great strides towards completion.
- From the vCAB perspective all eight pilots on the Talon’s roster with the organization being relatively new to the group are progressing through various stages of RL2 and RL1.
- We’re looking at opening up recruitment again sometime in March 2025 with the plans to start our next B-Course class 1 April 2025.
- The Mako’s have all their MQT courses fully established with finishing touches and updates ongoing to their standard Mission Data Cards (MDC) and DTC for each respective course.
- The KC Hawgs have also established all their MQT courses with standard MDCs for each course, the only exception being Air Combat Basic Training which lacks the standard MDCs at the moment.
- We never got to the opportunity to create our F-15E MQT course before we inactivated the squadron. As previously mentioned we hope eventually things get resolved and we can get back at it!
- The Talons version of MQT hasn’t been started yet but plans are once
Stash returns from his leave of absence it will get back into full speed development.
- All Mako B-Course students in 2024 have graduated and been integrated into the same training phase as the rest of the Virtual 93rd Fighter Squadron roster, ensuring that everyone is aligned at the same chapter of MQT training. We anticipate that all Makos students will successfully complete ACBT MQT, and begin the v303FG Weapon School by the 3rd quarter of 2025.
- The five KC Hawg pilots current working through MQT are at various stages of completion with three completing all but the Air Combat Basic Training blocks and the other two close to being at that stage as well. Our goal is to have everyone complete MQT soon after the completion of Operation Prevailing Liberty.
5. Hold first v303 FG Virtual Gunsmoke competition. Due to real world commitments development of vGunsmoke did not happen this year. Hopefully things will settle down and we can accomplish this in 2025.
6. Hold second annual v303 FG vHawgsmoke competition. For the same reasons as Gunsmoke vHawgsmoke did not happen this year, the current plan is the v303 FS 'KC Hawgs" will participate in the community the competition hosted by the 75th FS.
7. Look at interest in adding the C-130J (MC-130J) to the v303 FG. Seeing as how the C-130J still has not been released we'll give ourselves a passing on this goal but we did add the vCAB and rotary wing assets to the group. We'll see what 2025 holds but hopefully we can add the C-130J and we have had limited discussion on adding a Mig-29 element to the group to train and serve as red air in training and combat environments.
8. Participate in operations with other virtual organizations (for example 132 Virtual Wing). We did have members participate in one operation with the 455th vAir Expeditionary Wing but that's it. Hopefully in 2025 we can actually get this off the ground!
2025 Plans
1. Projected 2025 TDY & Deployment schedule. Subject to change but our current plans are:
- Combat deployment (Operation Prevailing Liberty, DCS Afghanistan map): 1 Jan - 31 March
- Nellis/Guam (B-Course, MQT, & Weapon School): 1 Apr - 30 Jun
- Nellis (combat deployment spin-up training): 1 - 31 Jul
- Combat Deployment (Operation Prevailing Liberty Phase 2, DCS Afghanistan map): 1 Sep – 30 Nov
- Nellis (B-Course, MQT, & Weapon School): 1 Dec – 28 Feb 2026
- 2nd Annual Virtual Hawgsmoke: May 2025 (subject to change pending the 75th's event)
- 1st Annual Virtual Gunsmoke: Aug 2025
2025 Priorities/Goals
- Maintain an active roster of at least four (4) pilots per Squadron that are active on a weekly basis. A big roster looks great but when most of the roster fly once a month or less it makes planning for training or combat sorties extremely difficult.
- Solidify v2 CAB and their roll within the group, iron out the US Army Readiness Level (RL) Progression course. Recruit for a solid base for the AH-64, OH-58, & CH-47.
- All pilots that are currently in Mission Qualification Training (MQT) and/or RL1 successfully complete their respective airframes course.
- Open recruitment moving students through RL3, RL2, and/or B-Course and.
- Finish creating v303 FG Weapons School courses and get members through mandatory courses and those interested in the optional training graduate Weapon School.
- Hold first v303 FG Virtual Gunsmoke and second v303 FG vHawgsmoke competitions.
- If released add the C-130J (MC-130J) to the v303 FG.
- Look at the viability to add Mig-29A as red air to have an human element acting as red forces in training and combat.
- Host and participate in operations with other virtual organizations (for example 455th vAEW or 132 Virtual Wing).
Snoopy