EXPANDING YOUR ARMA 3 EXPERIENCE WITH MODS - AIRCRAFT | News | Arma 3

INTRODUCTION

Back in April, we released a blogpost detailing how new players could expand their Arma 3 experience with mods. After ten years, Arma 3 has been a major platform for mod developers and content creators, and over 140,000 mods have been uploaded to the Steam Workshop. This could be a daunting amount for our new recruits to search through - so to help, we compiled a list of longstanding mods we believe greatly enhance and expand the sandbox for limitless hours of immersive milsim action.

We decided to expand on that initial blogpost with a series of themed entries that focus on different types of mods. Written for both new and veteran players alike, these blogposts will hopefully showcase not only mods that you have heard of and have used, but maybe some hidden gems that will give you some new content to try out. The first article in this extended series focused on weapon mods, while the second focused on equipment.

Now we take to the skies with this article featuring aircraft mods!

The mods featured below are purely aircarft mods. In our last article, CUP, CFP, RHS, 3CB Factions, Project OPFOR, and Aegis all have excellent aircraft from around the world as part of their overall packages. There are many other mods that include aircraft as an element of their content as well - but they will not be featured here.

This list isn't exhaustive or comprehensive, and we may very well have missed a favorite mod of yours. Even still, what has been curated here will add an exceptional amount of variety to your flight line.

Do you have the need - the need for speed? Put on your leather pilot jacket and aviators, and get ready to enter the danger zone!

FIREWILL'S AIRCRAFT SUITE

The most comprehensive suite of aircraft has to be the lineup developed by Firewill. This lineup includes the following aircraft as separate downloads:

Each of these aircraft packs can be run standalone from each other, and include multiple variants of the aircraft within. The only dependency required is the Firewill Air Weapons System (AWS) mod - which includes all of the myriad weapons platforms, gameplay systems, and UIs for the aircraft mods.

With Firewill's work, the budding or veteran Arma aviator has a vast number of aircraft at their fingertips that fill quite the variety of roles. Most may not need to look further than here, unless there is a specific aircraft they wish to fly that has not been covered by Firewill.

USAF MOD SUITE

Another aircraft mod suite that is incredibly popular within the Arma 3 community is the USAF Mod.

While this suite might not have as large a lineup as Firewill's, what it does have is a meticulous and comprehensive level of detail in what is simulated for each aircraft. If you download and install the entire suite, you will have the following aircraft at your disposal:

A-10C Thunderbolt II
C-130J Super Hercules
C-17 Globemaster III
F-22 Raptor
F-35A Lightning II
KC-135 Stratotanker'
MQ-9 Reaper
RQ-4A Global Hawk

All of which have access to the following core USAF Mod features:

Missilebox with over 40 weapons
3D Service Menu
GPS Guidance
Air-to-Air Refueling
Afterburner
External Fuel
ECM
Height of Burst
Satellite Imaging

The most impressive aircraft by the USAF Mod Team has to be their AC-130U, which is its own separate download. With a fully crewed (although it can also be operated by a single individual in-game) AC-130U, you can absolutely dominate the battlespace. You can view the awesome firepower of this aircraft with the video below:

To learn more about the USAF Mod suite, check out their GitHub page or visit their Discord server. A series of tutorial videos for the mod suite is also available on YouTube.

AH-64D PROJECT

One of the most impressive helicopter mods available for Arma 3, the AH-64D Project mod's main goal is to bring a high fidelity AH-64D aircraft into Arma 3. This mod primarily aims towards both hardcore simmers and real life pilots. The level of detail and immersion with this aircraft is staggering. A lot will need to be learned before attempting to fly this aircraft - but the developer's have you covered with documentation and a flight checklist. You can also check out the videos below for more about the mod and its functionality:

HATCHET H-60 PACK

For those who wish to emulate the Night Stalkers and fly a teams of operators on secret missions or give support as a Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) pilot, there is another Arma 3 helicopter mod with an exceptional level of depth and functionality. The Hatchet H-60 Mod aims to bring realistic H-60 series helicopters to Arma 3, using their own custom made Hatchet Framework to add detailed and fully interactive cockpits. This mod isn't for the faint of heart, as a number of new systems and gameplay mechanics will need to be mastered to be an effective H-60 aviator.

For more information about the current 0.6 version of the Hatchet H-60 pack, you can visit their GitHub page or the Hatchet Discord server.

MISSION ENHANCED LITTLE BIRDS

For only the most skilled and daring rotary aviators, the Mission Enhanced Little Birds (MELB) mod allows you to insert and extract Special Operations Forces (SOF) teams with surgical precision, provide effective close air support, or conduct recon flights with a nimble airframe. These are some of the most popular modded helicopters to fly within the Milsim aviation community, and have been for years. They are also integrated and available within the RHS: United States Armed Forces mod.

Helicopter Models:

AH-6M
MH-6M
H-6M

Weapons:

M134
GAU-19
HE Hydra warhead
Flechette Hydra warhead
Illuminating Flare Hydra warhead
MPSM Hydra warhead
AGM-114
DAGR

For more information about the MELB mod, visit the mod's BI Forum thread.

SU-35 FLANKER E

Developed by Saul and John Spartan, the SU-35 Flanker E mod is based on the real world Russian Federation Air Force aircraft of the same name. The SU-35 S Flanker E is a single-seat, twin-engine super maneuverable multi-role fighter, and is an upgraded version of the Su-27.

The SU-35 mod features:

HD textures
Full realistic set of weapons models
Afterburner
Canopy animation
Flares and radar warning system
Fuselage vapour effects
Engine exhaust effect
Working mirrors in pilot view
Master arms "SAFETY" feature
Fuel drop sequence and auxiliary fuel support
Aerial refuelling from SU-35S with “buddy pod”
Ejection sequence simulation
Collision Lights and Formation Lights
Fully animated HD cockpit
Built in Service Menu for ordinance and aircraft paint scheme customization
Four different paint schemes

Grey digital
Blue digital
2x CSAT schemes

Saul and John Spartan are also well known for their FA-18 Super Hornet and FA-18X Black Wasp mods. Of course, they also worked on the Arma 3 Jets DLC, which features the beautiful F/A-181 Black Wasp II, A-149 Gryphon, and Sentinel UCAV.

CONCLUSION

Though the mods featured above are far from an exhaustive or comprehensive list, we feel they are an excellent starting point for any player, new or old, wishing to expand their Arma 3 flight line with both rotary and fixed wing aircraft. We encourage you to look through the over 4,100 aircraft mods on the Steam Workshop - there might well be an equipment mod you have previously overlooked waiting to become a new favorite of yours.

If you feel there are any aircraft mods that we missed out on and should have included in this list, contact Arma Community Manager LeClair on X,Discord, or our forums. You can also let him know of any suggestions you have for future articles on vehicle, faction, terrain, function, and total conversion mods.

Thank you for reading!

For more information about Arma 3, please visit www.arma3.com. To keep track of all the latest news, be sure to follow @ArmaPlatform on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Steam.