DCS World Combined Arms
Join the COMBAT NOW!
What is DCS World Combined Arm.
Join the Combat on the Ground!
DCS World Combined Arms is a payware module that allows you to command ground troop formations, vehicles, artillery and tanks along with SAM systems and AAA. It gives you the ability to be a full on field commander placing and directing all your units from the map view (F10).
The interesting option is you can also step in and operate alongside any item as long as you own it as a player. The vehicles as well as guns, SAMs can be directed to move and attack as you wish under the conditions you specify. It is possible to even tell the unit what ammunition it should use.
Its a few clicks from driving a tank through the countryside to stepping into the A-10 to support your ground troops as the player taking control of the 30mm gattling gun. It’s very flexible.
Combined arms was first released back in 2013 and has proven to be quite popular with DCS players. It was recently was given some updates in the 2.7.1 release by Eagle Dynamics.
The DCS World
Commander Menu.
Taking Charge of a Vehicle in DCS World Combined Arms
The Command Bar gives you access to vehicles and control their actions. You can tell the gun how and when to fire with parameters as well as type of ammunition. Select which country your controlling followed by what your controlling. In this case your the APC is what you’re controlling. You can set a task next like drive or fire. Your able to set a path for the vehicle to follow as will as add a specific target such as a tank formation or troop formation. Its all here to discover in this menu and control of your troops is pretty easy.
Single & Multi Player DCS World Combined Arms
DCS World Combined armed an entertaining option to be able to be an overall commander of the field with options to jump in and control your vehicles or jump into an aircraft. You can be a JTAC Joint Terminal Attack Controller using your laser to directly illuminate targets for aircraft overhead to attack with laser guided munitions. You are also in a position to direct attacks from within theater. Combined arms allows you to do this in single player mode as well as create missions to play with your friends. You can take your skills and play Multi Player online with Combined Arms where it is allowed on multi player servers. To play as a Combined arms user you have to have the module installed yourself before trying to play online in this role.
Controlling DCS World Combined Arms
The heart of the controlling Combined arms is the command map. This is where you get the gods eye view of the battle space. Here you control the locations, movements and even the formations the assets form and move. You are able to move them by setting waypoints and assign them tasks.
It displays your health level as well as the routes your troops and vehicles will take. Depending on your choice of map such as FOG OF War you will only see the enemy you have discovered so this is a lot more realistic.
Combined Arms Controls | What you need to KNOW!
The DCS World Combined arms controls are pretty simple and will allow you to drive, fly and shoot quickly. The mouse and mouse buttons will allow you the flexibility to look and find targets fast. The full list of controls are below and will get you started fast being a useful battlefield commander, AA gunner or tank commander.
DCS World Combined Arms Controls
The controls below come directly from the Combined Arms Manual so you can see they are pretty simple and can also be allocated to a throttle or joystick if you wish.
DCS World Combined Arms Vehicles, SAM’s and Guns
The vehicles below are just a taste of what’s available for you within DCS World Combined arms.
Mobile Artillery units like this 105 Howitzer give you the ability to reach out and touch enemies at long ranges. The 105 mm Howitzer Mobile gun with a range of 7 miles or 11 Kilometers with a muzzle velocity of 1,550 ft/s (472 m/s).
The MLRS artillery systems are also available in DCS World and you can certainly deliver some hurt with these systems. The MLRD has a range between 20 and 40 Miles depending on model. The units are highly mobile and a wide range of warheads are available. There are HE or High explosive rounds as well as dispenser warheads which deploy a high volume of smaller submunitions.
Tanks Galore – Kill Stuff!
There are a wide range of tanks to test your skills from Russian T-80 to Challenger, M1 Abrams and many more. These can be driven by you or any player on the server. There is a very wide range of tanks for you to choose from on both sides. DCS World Combined arms has a comprehensive list from around the world including the British Challenger 2, USA Abrams MIA1, T-14 ARMATA from Russia and Merkava Mk4 from Israel to name some of the possible choices you will have for your battlefield combat.
AAA Guns
Protect Your Troops
Protect your ground assets from attack from the air with a range of AAA units. These can all be fired by the player providing this is set in the map options. Swing and fire your tracers at incoming enemy aircraft from a first person perspective and watch the tracer fly day or night. These can be ground mounted, mobile on trucks or fixed gun emplacements launching 88mm flack at bombers high above.
Surface to Air
Missile Systems
Defensive missile systems are plentiful from the Raytheon Mim-104 Patriot’s missile system is one of the surface to air missile systems available to control in DCS Combined arms. The components if a patriot and other surface to air systems are similar having a control cabin with a detector with a range of radar search and track systems as well as visual tracking systems.
The unit is set up in the pictured so you can protect your ground trop from air attack from aircraft. Set up in groups for mutual support is a common tactic. There are also other missile systems like the Skud surface to surface system made famous in Iraq. Considering a range if missile systems for your base defense is certainly recommended so you can be offensive and defensive with your assets.
Kill at a DISTANCE – Surface to Surface Missiles
There are a wide array of missile defense systems as well as offensive missiles like the SKUD for example. Hide these and challenge your friends to take them out before you flatten a city. On the clock this would make a challenging mission. The Skud is both conventional and nuclear capable. It has a speed of Mach 5 and a range of up to 430 Mi in the D variant. A very capable and mobile threat these are important to put out of action or deploy depending on you part in the campaign,
Close in support and defense systems like the British Rapier system which has a maximum speed of Mach 2.5 and a range of 3000 Ft. It is a close in fast acting anti aircraft defense system usable anywhere on the battlefield. This missile system utilizes manual optical guidance systems so it is safe from radar detection systems and are able to covertly track and attack attacking aircraft. The system originally just optical had a radar system added for all weather operation but this system can be solely optical if the uses desires. It is also available to be mounted to tracked vehicles making its employment on the battlefield fast and flexible.
DCS World Combined Arms
DCS World Combined arms is an older module that has recently received some love from Eagle Dynamics. Its an opportunity to dive deeper into the world of conflict in so many ways.
Guide your troops and be with them on the front line to firing AAA or Surface to Air Missiles to protect them as well as your other ground assets and installations. It enables you to jump quickly from overall theatre commander to aircraft then to a tank in a few simple clicks. You can literally be everywhere in a combat scenario. Very worth while addon to DCS World. You can really experience combat first hand with Combined Arms.
Author.
Brendon McAliece is a multi lingual-expat who brings over three decades of flight simulator/PC building experience as well as over two decades of real world jet fighter experience as a weapons/egress technician. He holds a sport pilot certificate giving him real world flying experience. Hi travels have taken him from Europe to the Middle East, Asia and his home of Australia. He has a passion for travel, languages, flight simulation as well as guitaring and coffee. You can read more in his blogs below.
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