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Digital Combat Simulator

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Where and how to get it

The most immediate way of getting DCS world is from Eagle Dynamics' website. It is also available on Steam.

The question, as always, is which one to get. Steam does its usual thing of unifying updating and installing and version management, but has its own DRM (in fact, it has two different layers) and is a bit slower about rolling out the latest and greatest. The standalone version, naturally, has its own DRM (again, just for fun, two different layers) and a fairly old-fashined (command line-based) updating utilities, but you get immediate access to anything that comes out. And the community has built a GUI to take the hassle out of using the update utility. To make matters even more fun, some older modules bought on Steam will provide a product code that can be activated on Eagle Dynamics' website to unlock the same module for the stand-alone version, but modern ones do not.

It is a classic “get it now” vs. “make it convenient” trade-off.

Freebies — what's in the box?

The free, base DCS World package comes with one full-sim aircraft module, the TF‑51D Mustang; one simplified-sim (“FC3-style”) aircraft, the Su‑25T “Frogfoot”; and one piece of terrain, the Caucasus region.

The modules

Main article: DCS Modules

DCS content is divided into “modules.” There are generally four kinds: aircraft, terrain, add-ons, and campaigns. Aircraft modules are pretty much what it says on the tin: a single aircraft, occasionally with a few variants thrown in, and often accompanied by single campaign. Terrains are the world maps in which your mission take place. Add-ons are an odd mix of speciality content for specific purposes — there is no real coherent theme other than that they require some other module to really add anything useful. Campaigns, finally, are just that: a set of missions for a specific aircraft and terrain (having both as a prerequisite in order for the campaign to run).

Most aircraft modules also come with a built-in campaign as well as a collection of training and quick-action missions.

Currently available modules

DCS World
Aircraft modules (full sim)

A‑10C Warthog · A‑10C II Tank Killer · AJS‑37 Viggen · AV‑8B NA Harrier · Bf 109 K‑4 Kurfürst · C‑101EB & CC Aviojet · Christen Eagle II · F‑5E‑3 Tiger II · F‑14A & B Tomcat · F‑16C Viper · F/A‑18C Hornet · F‑86F Sabre · Fw 190 A‑8 · Fw 190 D‑9 Dora · I‑16 · JF‑17 Thunder · L‑39C & ZA Albatros · MiG‑15bis · MiG‑19P “Farmer B” · MiG‑21bis · Mirage M‑2000C · P‑47D Thunderbolt · P‑51D Mustang · Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX · TF‑51D Mustang · Yak‑52

Helicopter modules (full sim)

Ka‑50 Black Shark 2 · Mi‑8MTV2 Magnificent Eight · Mi‑24P Hind · SA342L, M, Mistral, and Minigun Gazelle · UH‑1H Huey

FC3 modules (simplified sim)

A‑10A Warthog · F‑15C Eagle · MiG‑29A “Fulcrum A” and S “Fulcrum C” · Su‑25 “Frogfoot” · Su‑25T “Frogfoot” · Su‑27 “Flanker B” / Shenyang J‑11 “Flanker B+” · Su‑33 “Flanker D”

Terrain modules

Caucasus · The Channel · Mariana Islands · Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) · Normandy 1944 · Persian Gulf · Syria

Add‑on modules

Combined Arms · NS 430 Navigation system · Supercarrier · WWII Assets Pack

Campaign modules
A‑10C Basic Flight Training Qualification (BFTQ) · Advanced Aircraft Training Qualification (AATQ) · Tactical Training Qualification Campaign (TTQC) · 16‑2 Red Flag · The Enemy Within · Operation Piercing Fury · Stone Shield · Operation Persian Freedom
AJS‑37 16‑2 Red Flag
AV‑8B NA Sky Warrior
Bf 109 K‑5 Jagdflieger
Combined Arms Frontlines Georgia
F‑5E‑3 Aggressors Basic Fighter Maneuvers (BFM) · Aggressors Air Combat Maneuver (ACM) · Black Sea Resolve ′79
F‑14A & B Zone 5 · Fear the Bones
F‑15C Aggressors BFM · 16‑2 Red Flag · The Georgian War
F‑16C Red Flag 21-1
F/A‑18C Aggressors BFM · Operation Pontus · Raven One · Rising Squall · The Serpent's Head 2
F‑86F Hunters over the Yalu · The Museum Relic
Fw 190 A‑8 Horrido!
Ka‑50 Memory of a Hero · Republic · Pandemic
L‑39 Kursant
M‑2000C M‑2000C Red Flag Campaign by Baltic Dragon
Mi‑8MTV2 The Border Campaign · Crew Part 1 · Memory of a Hero · Oilfield Campaign
MiG‑15bis The Museum Relic
P‑47D Wolfpack
P‑51D The Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney · Charnwood · High Stakes
Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX The Big Show · Operation Epsom
Su‑27 The Ultimate Argument
UH‑1H Argo · Worlds Apart - Spring 2025

Tools and add-ons

  • DCS Updater GUI — a tool that lets you manage multiple installs and up- and downgrade between different versions and codepaths. If you want to go between release and beta version with ease, and do a lot of modding that might warrant a spring-cleaning now and then, this is the tool for you.
  • DCS SimpleRadio Standalone — similar to IVC for BMS, this is a voice chat tool that integrates with the aircraft radios in DCS so you can use proper radio channels (including encryption) to talk to different flights, ATC, AWACS and so on. It also includes a manual mode for the simplified FC3 aircraft that do not have any built-in radio channel management.
  • Tacview for DCS
  • Ov Generic Mod Enabler — a continuation of the all but defunct JSGME mod manager that lets you non-destructively replace game files with modified ones and easily switch mods on and off. It is not specifically aimed at DCS, it is very useful for some of the map and aircraft mods that are popular with the game.