DCS World is the free platform at the centre of one of the most ambitious military simulation ecosystems in gaming. Two aircraft are included permanently at no cost: the Su-25T Frogfoot ground attack jet and the TF-51D Mustang trainer. Two maps are also free: the Caucasus region covering southwestern Russia and Georgia, and the Mariana Islands. Everything else is a purchasable module.

What distinguishes DCS from every other flight simulator is the depth of its study sim aircraft modules. Each full-fidelity module is a complete recreation of a specific aircraft's systems, avionics, weapons and flight model sourced from declassified technical documents, manufacturer data and in some cases direct cooperation with the aircraft's operators. The F/A-18C Hornet, F-16C Viper, AH-64D Apache, A-10C II Warthog and dozens of others each come with interactive clickable cockpits, realistic startup procedures, detailed avionics and weapons employment that mirrors real-world training syllabi. The US Air Force's 355th Training Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB has used DCS as an instrument and weapons trainer for the A-10C. The French Air Force used it for Mirage 2000C instrument and tactical training before the aircraft's retirement. A powerful Mission Editor enables users to construct any scenario from any era. VR is fully supported and preferred by the community. Both a Steam version and a standalone launcher exist, with slight differences in module availability.

Key Features: • Free: Su-25T + TF-51D aircraft · Caucasus + Mariana Islands maps and Mission Editor • 180+ paid modules: full-fidelity aircraft with clickable cockpits and authentic systems • Study sim: sourced from real technical data • VR fully supported - community mods (A-4E, C-130J, UH-60L, JAS-39)