Getting started with GCI/AWACS

Disclaimer
This guide is compiled using information available to the public and information based on personal experience in DCS World. This guide does not in any way, shape or form represent real life GCI/AWACS operations or techniques nor is it based on real life experience.

What is GCI/AWACS

Boeing E-3 Sentry

GCI stands for Ground-Controlled Interception, an air defence tactic which developed during World War I. One or more radar stations or other observational stations are linked to a command communications centre which guides interceptor aircraft to airborne targets.

Today, GCI has mostly been replaced by Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft or more commonly referred to as AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control System). While AEW&C is expensive and vulnerable in comparison to GCI systems, it has a mobility advantage. In reality a combination of both systems is often used.

AWACS aircraft are generally speaking big, modified planes with a long-range radar mounted on top. The main radar antenna is mounted on a turntable housed in a circular rotodome, which is 9m (30 feet) in diameter, elliptical in cross-section and 1.8m deep at its centre. The radar system can detect, track and identify low-flying aircraft at approximately 370 km (200 nautical miles) and high-level aircraft at much greater distances.

AI AWACS in DCS World

In DCS World the NATO AWACS comes in the form of the Boeing E-3 Sentry and the Russian equivalent is the Beriev A-50. The player can contact the allied AWACS via the ingame comms menu on the specified frequency in the mission briefing.

Comms menu

Vector to bullseye: The AWACS will provide the player with a bearing and range to bullseye

Vector to home plate: The AWACS will provide the player with a bearing and range from bullseye to their home airfield

Vector to tanker: The AWACS will provide the player with a bearing and range from bullseye to the tanker

Request BOGEY DOPE: The AWACS will provide the player a BRAA call to the closest airborne threat.

Request PICTURE: The AWACS will provide the player with BRA calls for each group from bullseye

DECLARE: The AWACS will identify friend or foe of a radar locked target

Understanding BRAA calls

Figure 1

BRAA stands for Bearing Range Altitude Aspect from your current location.

BRA, 183, 10, 2000, hot

would mean the target is located at 183 degrees, 10 nautical miles away, and at 2000 feet coming directly towards you. North is 360. For aspect see figure 1.

Pronunciation

Instead of

"Uzi 1-1, Magic, BRA, 183 for 10 at 2000, hot"

it is recommended to omit the "for" and "at", and to use short pauses (here indicated with "..."):

"Uzi one one ... Magic ... BRA ... one eight zero ... ten ... two thousand ... hot"

Understanding bullseye

Bullseye is a fixed point on the map determined pre-mission. All allied aircraft can relate to this point. When receiving a bullseye call, simply use the BRA format with bullseye as starting point. Bullseye in DCS is represented with the following symbols

Left:Bullseye representation in DCS World - Right: Bullseye details

Human GCI/AWACS

In DCS World, players can take the role of GCI/AWACS on multiplayer servers to assist your fellow pilots and friends. In the following sections we’ll go over the basics of airspace management, threat assessment, callsigns, brevity and some useful tools.

Before you begin as a GCI/AWACS controller on a server go over this short checklist:

Pick a suitable callsign
Check and confirm the radio frequencies used for GCI/AWACS, general communications and air traffic control
Tune in the correct frequencies on SRS
Be in the correct server slot (if necessary)
Have your tools set up and running
Announce GCI/AWACS will be available over COMMS and CHAT. State the correct frequency and callsign

all flights on frequency be advised <callsign> will be available on <frequency> for GCI/AWACS

If you are on the Hoggit Discord and are registering as a GAW GCI controller, the appropriate command on discord would be "!gci sunrise GAW <callsign, frequency, any other remarks>" command, use "!gci midnight" when you're finished with your session.

Airspace management

As a controller your goal is to manage both friendly and hostile airspace. You’ll want to direct your allied flights to intercept enemy threats while at the same time making sure your friendly airspace stays protected.

Divide the airspace you’ll be controlling into two sectors.

a friendly sector
a hostile sector

Divide sector 1, your friendly sector, into subsectors based on strategic locations like airfields or a FARPs.

Next, you can assign your available CAP flights to the subsectors you created, and have them patrol or set up orbit. This way you can ensure that

your allied flights are in proximity to allied aircraft and able to support
your allied aircraft are not spread out or alone in hostile airspace
your allied aircraft are in range of a tanker or airfield
your friendly sector is protected

Threat assessment

With your airspace divided into sectors and your CAP flights on station you can start intercepting enemy threats. There are 2 major things you want to pay close attention to at all times.

Where are your allied aircraft in relation to your sectors
Where are the enemy aircraft in relation to your sectors

Before making a decision to direct your allied flights to intercept, you want to assess the threat

Distance: what is the distance between the threat and the nearby sector or allied aircraft
Number: how many enemy aircraft make up the threat
Type: which type is the enemy threat
(State): have they been engaged prior and thus used counter measures and/or weapons

When you have gathered this info you can make a decision to either:

direct one or more allied aircraft to intercept the threat
direct one or more aircraft away from the threat to nearby SAM cover
direct one or more allied aircraft to support engaged allied aircraft

In case you are unsure and need extra information before making a decision, contact your allied flights and ask for a fuel and/or weapons state.

When directing your allied flights to intercept, try to keep them in proximity of other allied flights, so you have enough time to send in support if needed. Do not direct your allied flights into enemy airspace and SAM range without support.

Callsigns and radio communication

When acting as GCI/AWACS controller you want to make sure you have a callsign which

is clear
is easy to pronounce
does not cause confusion
is not ridiculous

Commonly used callsigns for GCI/AWACS are

Overlord
Magic
Showtime
Darkstar
Goliath
Wizard
Griffin
Bigfoot

As GCI/AWACS controller you’ll have to relay a lot of information in a clear, concise and easy to understand manner, usually in a short amount of time. It is important to have a good microphone set up, to speak loud and clear, articulate, not to speak too quickly and use the NATO phonetic alphabet to avoid confusion. We’ll discuss some examples below.

Responding to flights checking in

When allied flights switch to general comms or designated AWACS comms after take off, they’ll most likely check in on the frequency and let you know who they are and what their intentions are.

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, single flight F-18, 10 miles North of Anapa, checking in for CAP”

In the above example a player lets you know who they are, where they are and what their intentions are. You can respond to acknowledge (and task them if desired).

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, Lima Charlie, standby for tasking”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, Lima, Charlie, fly heading 100 for 20, anchor at Krymsk”

Directing allied aircraft to intercept

When directing aircraft to intercept you want to be clear and concise. Start with who you are talking to, who you are and provide a BRA(A) call (and optional additional information). It is important to pronounce heading as single digits. For example ‘100’ would be ‘one, zero, zero.’

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, BRA, 100, 40, 15 000, flanking”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, BRA, 100, 60, 500, hot, 2 ship type MiG-29”

Responding to a Bogey Dope request

When a player asks for a Bogey Dope, they are asking for the nearest hostile. Locate the aircraft who made the request, and provide them a BRA to the nearest hostile.

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, Request Bogey Dope”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, BRA, 257, 15, 10 000, cold”

When there are no hostile aircraft on scope

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, Clean”

Responding to a DECLARE request

When you receive a DECLARE request, you are asked to identify friend or foe of a locked target.

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, DECLARE 204, for 8”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, hostile/friendly”

Miscellaneous

Sometimes you will need to ask for additional information, or provide additional information.

Return to base (RTB)

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, winchester RTB”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, fly heading 010/35”

Ask for fuel state

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, state fuel”

Ask for weapons state:

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, state weapons”

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, 4/1/2 plus”

Note: Number of ARH, SARH, and IR-seeking missiles, and plus for Guns.

Inform aircraft to wait for instructions

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, standby”

Ignore last transmitted message/instructions

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, disregard last”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, BRA 070/5, ... disregard, BRA 090/5, 7000, hot”

Identify unknown transmitting aircraft

Flight - “Magic, request Bogey Dope”

AWACS - “Last transmitting aircraft, state callsign”

Inform aircraft about incoming missiles or missile launches (unrealistic, only possible with F10 map)

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, DEFEND West, SAM, bearing 090”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, DEFEND West, Missile, bearing 090”

Tools

SRS AWACS mode (eam)

The standard SRS radio overlay only displays up to 3 radios and 1 intercom. The AWACS overlay provides up to 10 radios, which you can manually tune and 1 intercom.

You can use SRS without running DCS World, by using the external AWACS mode (EAM). provide your EAM username and the EAM coalition password. The coalition password is provided by the server admin, or in the server briefing. This is not always available.

F10 map, icons and the ruler tool

The ingame F10 map is where you’ll spend most of your time doing GCI/AWACS. It provides several functions which you can toggle on or off by personal preference

health bars
SAM and AAA detection range indicators
SAM and AAA engagement range indicators
grid
labels indicating type and name
ruler tool

The most important function you’ll use is the ruler tool. It allows you to create a line from point A to point B and provides you with the length in nautical miles and the heading. When intercepting enemy aircraft you can use the ruler tool to draw a line from your allied aircraft A to the hostile aircraft B and read the distance in nautical miles and the heading indicated on the top bar. When you click on the enemy aircraft icon, you can read its altitude, speed in knots, heading and type on the bottom left.

LotATC

LotATC is an optional program one can use to facilitate GCI simulation. The program is fairly easy to use is highly customizable. LotATC provides many features to aid a GCI.

The creation of persistant BRAAs
IFF features
An ATC mode
The ability to call BRAAs from the bullseye
A scale which can be used to respond to Picture calls
The ability to draw on the map

For more information on LotATC and how to use the software see LotATC

Coordinating with human GCI/AWACS

A couple guidelines from the players point of view

Inform AWACS when you tune in or tune out of the AWACS frequency.

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, single flight F18, 10nm North of Anapa, checking in for CAP”

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, type Mirage 2000, checking in for CAP”

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, bingo fuel, RTB”

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Roger, fly heading 100 for 35”

Do not clutter the AWACS frequency with off-topic chatter, use the correct frequencies as stated in mission briefing.

Do not read back a BRA call. Simply acknowledge you received and understood the message by saying your callsign. If you did not understand the transmission, ask AWACS to repeat.

AWACS - “Uzi 1-1, Magic, BRA 100, 45, 20 000, flanking”

Flight - “Uzi 1-1”

Flight - “Magic, Uzi 1-1, repeat last”