CTLD/CSAR

Black Shark Den uses the MOOSE Ops.CTLD and Ops.CSAR frameworks to handle troop transport and logistics. If you are not familiar with this system, you use the DCS Radio Menu to control the logistics on your end. You can get different types of troops to transport in the troops section. You can also get different crates that may be built into structures and ground vehicles at your destination. Ops.CSAR will automatically create a pilot who can be rescued when a friendly aircraft crashes or ejects. Aircraft with passenger seats can transport a limited amount of these downed pilots and bring them back to the nearest Airfield or FARP.

CSAR is fairly straightforward to use. When a friendly aircraft crashes, a Downed Pilot will be created looking for rescue. It will be given a beacon you can home to using ADF and shows as an infantryman on the map.

To rescue the pilot, simply fly to its location and land nearby. The pilot will run to your aircraft and get in as long as you have at least one seat available. Alternatively, you can also hover over the pilot to pick it up.

Once the pilot is on board, land at any friendly FARP or Airfield and it will get out automatically.

In your radio menu, go the F10.Other then CSAR menu:

LIST ACTIVE CSAR: Lists all CSAR pilots waiting for rescue including their bearing, range, and ADF frequency

CHECK ONBOARD: See if you have any CSAR pilots on board

REQUEST SIGNAL FLARE: Have the closest CSAR pilot fire a flare above its position

REQUEST SMOKE: Have the closest CSAR pilot deploy a smoke marker

In order to get crates or troops with CTLD, you will need to do so within a pickup zone. These will typically be marked in the briefing of the server or mission you are participating in so reference that to find out where to get supplies.

If you are inside a pickup zone, you will be able to load troops directly into your aircraft. You can also request crates be brought out to you. They will spawn in front of your helicopter and you can load as many as your aircraft can handle.

If you drop troops inside a pickup zone, they will not drop on the ground, and will instead be consumed by the zone as they are “returned to base”.

HELO WORLD USES BLACK SHARK DEN’S CTLD/CSAR STRUCTURE BUILT ON THE MOOSE OPS.CTLD AND OPS.CSAR FRAMEWORKS. LIFT HELICOPTERS WILL NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS SYSTEM IN ORDER TO CONDUCT OPERATIONS IN ACTIVITIES THAT REQUIRE IT. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED YOU READ THE GUIDE BELOW, EVEN IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH CTLD/CSAR FROM OTHER DCS COMMUNITIES.

The meat & potatoes of CTLD is troop transport. A selection of infantry groups are available for transportation in CTLD and may vary based on the server or mission you are on. The amount of troops you can carry is limited by the number of seats in your helicopter. If you are getting a new group of troops from the LOAD menu, you must have enough seats for the ENTIRE GROUP. Check out the AIRCRAFT LIMITATIONS in this briefing for more info on that.

In your radio menu, go the F10.Other > CTLD > Manage Troops:

LOAD TROOPS: This page if for getting new groups from a pickup zone.

DROP TROOPS: This page is for deploying troops in the field or dropping them off at a pickup zone

EXTRACT TROOPS: This selection will extract any troops in the field within 200m of your helicopter

On top of troops, CTLD also allows the capability of transporting crates. These can be both internally loaded AND sling loaded. Helicopters are limited by both weight and volume for internal transport of crates so know your aircraft when using these. There are two kinds of crates. Standard Cargo which may be used by the mission to perform tasks and Equipment which allows deployment of specialized groups in the field.

In your radio menu, go the F10.Other > CTLD > Manage Crates:

LOAD CRATES: This option loads crates on the ground into your helicopter

GET CRATES: When within a pickup zone, this will spawn the crates in front of your helicopter

DROP CRATES: Drop any crates you are carrying in front of your helicopter

BUILD CRATES: Deploys the contents of the crates (equipment only). This takes 20 seconds. It is advised you clear the area before building is complete!

Not necessarily related to transportation, CTLD adds a few special tools to your aircraft that you can use in the field: In your radio menu, go the F10.Other > CTLD > Smokes, Flares, Beacons:

SMOKE ZONES NEARBY: This will place a smoke marker on the closest pickup zone near you if you’re having troubles finding it

DROP SMOKE NOW: This menu gives you a few different smoke colors you can drop on your current location. Works both on the ground and in the air!

FLARE ZONES NEARBY: This will fire a flare from the center of the nearest pickup zone for finding it at night

FIRE FLARE NOW: Fire a signal flare from your current position

DROP BEACON NOW: Drop an ADF beacon on your current position for homing to. Beacons have a battery life of 2 hours before they stop working.

A special function for BSD CTLD is the ability to tell your troops where to go using an F10 map marker. This gives pilots control over where their deployed troops will go without needing combined arms or having to do any work after dropping the troops. Here’s how you do it:

1. Place an F10 map marker on the troop destination
2. Enter ‘wpzone’ in the text box
3. Deselect the marker (click on the map)
4. Deploy troops within 2km of the marker
5. Dropped troops will move toward the marker
6. Delete the marker when no longer needed

The amount of troops and crates you can load in the aircraft is limited based on the airframe you are using.

There are currently 2 specialty troops available in most BSD missions and servers:

A single unit who will mark and lase enemy targets that he has LOS of. Using code 1688, you can launch remote hellfires at whatever he is painting to engage it. The JTAC will lase units up to 10km away.

A single unit who interfaces with the ARTY/ANGLICO system. This is a fairly advanced system that calls on friendly artillery batteries and naval vessels to engage a target with indirect fire. See this YouTube Video for instructions on how to use it.