Are you struggling to get laser-guided bombs (GBU-12s) to work in DCS World, even after watching countless tutorials? Pilots familiar with the F/A-18C Hornet or A-10C Thunderbolt II often encounter a frustrating issue: the GBU-12 remains stubbornly “DUD” (dud ordnance), indicated by an “X” through CCIP or MAN mode on the Heads-Up Display (HUD), preventing release. You might be correctly assigning targets with your targeting pod, transferring coordinates, setting laser codes, arming the master arm, and selecting air-to-ground (A/G) mode, yet the bombs refuse to drop.
The solution to this common problem often boils down to one critical setting: Release AUTO mode. Many pilots inadvertently overlook this setting, leading to the dreaded “DUD” error. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to correctly employ GBU-12 Laser Guided Bombs in DCS World, ensuring your ordnance hits the intended target.
GBU-12 Laser Guided Bomb: Essential Setup for DCS World
To effectively use GBU-12s, ensure these configurations are correctly set within your DCS World aircraft:
- Master Arm: Set to ON. This is the fundamental step to arm your weapons systems.
- Air-to-Ground Mode: Select A/G. This mode configures your aircraft for ground attack.
- Laser Guided Bomb Selection: Choose LGB as your weapon type. This tells the aircraft you intend to use laser-guided bombs.
- Release Mode: AUTO: Crucially, set your release mode to AUTO. This is the most common cause of GBU-12 failures. Without AUTO release selected, the bombs will be designated as DUD.
- Fuse Settings:
- MFUZ (Mechanical Fuse): Set to OFF.
- EFUZ (Electronic Fuse): Set to INST (Instantaneous). This ensures the bomb detonates on impact.
- Laser Code: Input your desired laser code via the UFC (Up-Front Controller). Ensure this code matches the designation source (your aircraft’s Litening pod or an external source).
Laser Designation for GBU-12: Self Designation with Litening Pod
If you are designating the target yourself using your aircraft’s Litening targeting pod, follow these steps:
- Target Acquisition: Utilize your Litening pod to locate and identify your target.
- LTD/R Switch: Ensure the LTD/R (Laser Target Designator/Rangefinder) switch is toggled to ARM. This arms the laser designator.
- TRIG Box: Verify that TRIG is boxed on your FLIR (Forward-Looking Infrared) display. This confirms the trigger for laser designation is active.
- TDC Depress: With your target centered, depress the TDC (Target Designator Controller). This action transfers the target coordinates to your selected GBU-12.
- Weapon Release: Hold the weapon release button down after the release cue initiates (typically around 4 seconds).
- Laser Activation: Shortly after weapon release, depress the trigger. Observe the FLIR DDI (Digital Display Indicator); the indication should change from LARM to LTD/R. This signifies the laser is firing.
- Maintain Laser Designation: Keep the laser pointed at the target, ensuring no masking occurs from your aircraft, onboard ordnance, or terrain, until impact.
Laser Designation for GBU-12: External Laser Source
When receiving laser designation from an external source (e.g., JTAC or another aircraft), configure your system as follows:
- LSS Selection: On your FLIR DDI, select LSS (Laser Spot Search). This mode allows your aircraft to detect and track external laser designations.
- Laser Code Verification: Confirm that the laser code set in your UFC matches the code being used by the external designation source. Adjust via the LSTC (Laser Spot Track Code) option in the UFC if necessary.
- Weapon Release Procedure: Follow the same weapon release procedure as described for self-designation (steps 5 and 6 above).
The Crucial AUTO Release Mode: Preventing DUD Errors
The most frequent reason for GBU-12 failures and “DUD” errors in DCS World is the incorrect release mode. Always ensure you have selected AUTO release mode when employing laser-guided bombs. This setting is often located on the Stores Control Panel or a similar interface in your aircraft, depending on the specific module. Double-check your aircraft’s manual or quick start guide to locate and confirm the AUTO release mode selection.
By diligently following these steps and, most importantly, ensuring AUTO release mode is engaged, you should successfully deploy GBU-12 laser guided bombs in DCS World and eliminate the frustrating “DUD” error. Happy hunting!
