DCS editor carrier spawns

This page details the spawn behavior of player and AI aircraft on the Aircraft Carriers in DCS.

Information is valid as of the 2.5.6.49314 patch that released the Super Carrier module into open beta. Information could change as the module evolves.

Basic Rules

Spawning on ships is automated in the extent that the player does not have much control over where aircraft are allowed to spawn. It is entirely dictated by how many spawn points the game thinks are available and the size of the aircraft.

• Spawn in a specific order
• Spawn point can be blocked by players, AI, or static objects
• Spawn point becomes free once the aircraft that spawned there has left the ship

AI Behavior Rules

AI are currently limited in the paths they are allowed to take. See image below taken from the model viewer. Using F-18 Hornets it shows the location of all spawn points on the deck of the ship and the paths AI use to get to catapults and to their parking spot from the landing area. BLUE is the path to catapult and GREEN is the path to parking spot.

Note that each spawn point has a specific path used to get to each catapult. From this image you can also see that 8 aircraft spawns are setup for the AI to go to the bow catapults while 4 are sent to the rear catapults.

• AI catapult use is dependent on where the aircraft is spawned at
• AI do not care if static objects or players are blocking a catapult

Nimitz class

Valid For:			CVN-71, CVN-72, CVN-73, CVN-74, CVN-75
Spawn Information:		Launch Points	4 (2 bow and 2 stern)
		Spawn Once:	4 (4 in the "Six Pack" area of the ship)
		Spawn Points:	12 (2 on each elevator, 3 on "patio", 1 in the corral)
		Parking	16 (6 starboard side elevators that will park in hanger deck, 4 in "Junkyard", 3 on patio, 1 in corral, 2 on the point.)