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DCS radio frequency specifications

Reference table of the valid radio frequency ranges for every player-flyable DCS aircraft. Used by inject-presets to check that the frequencies declared in presets.yaml are compatible with the target aircraft's radio hardware.

Source: dcs-lua-datamine
Source ref: 72ea893c452c728267d78a3bd481ca59501ce709
Re-generate with veaf-build update-dcs-data --radio after a pin bump.


Per-type quirks — handled for you

With the recommended channel_lists format (see the presets.yaml formats), you declare your channel lists once per coalition, per radio role (primary UHF, primary VHF, FM…). The build then projects them onto each aircraft's physical radios, handling that airframe's hardware quirks on its own: the Mi-24P and CH-47 channel 0, the OH-58D's reserved "M"/"C" slots, the Viggen's (AJS-37) single radio with its hard-coded FR22/FR24 special channels, and so on. You have nothing to configure for those aircraft: a frequency change propagates to the whole fleet.

The per-type projection rules (which aircraft has which quirk, and how they are encoded) are documented on the developer side: Per-type radio preset projection.


Critical aircraft (dcs_rejects_on_load)

Some aircraft make DCS raise a blocking error when the mission loads if a preset frequency falls outside their valid radio range. They carry dcs_rejects_on_load: true in dcs-radio-specs.yaml and always emit a WARNING during veaf-tools mission build.

Currently known critical aircraft:

Aircraft DCS ID Valid range
MiG-15bis MiG-15bis 3.75–5 MHz (AM, RSI-6K HF set)
MiG-15bis (FC) MiG-15bis_FC 3.75–5 MHz (AM, RSI-6K HF set)
MiG-19P MiG-19P 100–150 MHz
Gazelle SA342M SA342M 30–87.975 MHz (FM only)

Every other aircraft stores the frequencies silently without crashing. Such problems are still reported in the presets-validation-report.md generated after each build.

If you find another aircraft that makes DCS reject the mission, add dcs_rejects_on_load: true to its entry in src/python/veaf-tools/presets_injector/data/dcs-radio-specs-overrides.yaml and open a pull request. Do not edit dcs-radio-specs.yaml: it is regenerated from the datamine, and any correction written there is lost on the next run.


Flaming Cliffs aircraft: kneeboard only (kneeboard_only)

If you fly FC3 and your radio presets are empty, that is expected. Ten Flaming Cliffs aircraft have no settable radio at all: DCS gives them no Radio table, so there is nothing for a channel list to be written into. This is not a VEAF MCT limitation, it is the airframe.

The measurement that settled it: across 40 real missions, the 110 player slots of these types carry no Radio table, against 2105 non-FC3 slots that do. Inventing hardware specifications for them would have produced frequencies DCS ignores.

What the build does instead: it renders the kneeboard (KNEEBOARD/<type>/IMAGES/presets.png) with all three bands, and writes nothing into the mission. You set your frequencies by hand in the cockpit, or use them in SRS, reading them off the kneeboard.

Aircraft DCS ID
A-10A A-10A
F-15C F-15C
J-11A J-11A
MiG-29A MiG-29A
MiG-29G MiG-29G
MiG-29S MiG-29S
Su-25 Su-25
Su-25T Su-25T
Su-27 Su-27
Su-33 Su-33

For the mission maker: these types are declared kneeboard_only: true in dcs-radio-specs-overrides.yaml. A preset targeting one of them is not an error — it produces a kneeboard and nothing else, with no warning, because that is the intended behaviour.


The group's primary frequency (human_radio)

A DCS aircraft enforces two different frequency constraints, and they are easy to confuse:

Constraint What it bounds Where it shows up
radios ranges (tables below) the radio's preset channels the slot's radio tab
human_radio the group's primary frequency the group's "frequency" field in the editor

For most modern aircraft the second is as wide as the first and the distinction is invisible. But for 27 aircraft it is narrower — sometimes radically. The FW-190A8 accepts preset channels from 38 to 156 MHz, while its primary frequency is confined between 38.4 and 42.4 MHz.

If the primary frequency falls outside the human_radio range, the Mission Editor refuses to save the mission, with a message such as:

FW-190A8 Template: Invalid frequency 134 MHz

inject-presets normally promotes channel 1 of the first radio to the group's primary frequency, so that the editor's field matches channel 1. When that channel falls outside the aircraft's human_radio range, the promotion is skipped: the group keeps its own frequency (the one from the source mission, or DCS's own default), which keeps the mission saveable. The build reports it in detailed mode; the presets themselves are injected as usual.

The human_radio ranges are extracted from the datamine along with the rest of the specs and live in dcs-radio-specs.yaml, under each aircraft:

FW-190A8:
  human_radio:
    min_mhz: 38.4
    max_mhz: 42.4
    default_mhz: 38.4      # DCS's own default
    modulation: AM

An aircraft with no human_radio block enforces no bound: the promotion happens as before.

Aircraft whose primary frequency is restricted

Aircraft DCS ID Primary min (MHz) Primary max (MHz) Default (MHz) Modulation
A-6E A6E 225.000 399.950 305.000 AM
AJS37 AJS37 103.000 399.950 305.000 AM
AV-8B N/A AV8BNA 30.000 399.975 243.000 AM
F4U-1D F4U-1D 118.000 390.000 124.000 AM
F4U-1D Mk.IV F4U-1D_CW 118.000 390.000 124.000 AM
Fw 190 A-8 FW-190A8 38.400 42.400 38.400 AM
Fw 190 D-9 FW-190D9 38.400 42.400 38.400 AM
Hawk Hawk 100.000 156.000 127.500 AM
JF-17 JF-17 30.000 399.975 243.000 AM
Ka-50 Ka-50 100.000 400.000 124.000 AM
Ka-50 III Ka-50_3 100.000 400.000 124.000 AM
M-2000C M-2000C 225.000 399.975 251.000 AM
Mi-24P Mi-24P 100.000 400.000 127.500 AM
Mi-8MTV2 Mi-8MT 100.000 400.000 127.500 AM
MiG-29A Fulcrum MiG-29 Fulcrum 100.000 399.975 124.000 AM
Mosquito FB Mk. VI MosquitoFBMkVI 0.200 156.000 124.000 AM
P-47D-30 P-47D-30 100.000 156.000 124.000 AM
P-47D-30 (Early) P-47D-30bl1 100.000 156.000 124.000 AM
P-47D-40 P-47D-40 100.000 156.000 124.000 AM
P-51D-25-NA P-51D 100.000 156.000 124.000 AM
P-51D-30-NA P-51D-30-NA 100.000 156.000 124.000 AM
SA342L SA342L 118.000 143.975 124.000 AM
SA342M SA342M 118.000 143.975 124.000 AM
SA342Minigun SA342Minigun 118.000 143.975 124.000 AM
SA342Mistral SA342Mistral 118.000 143.975 124.000 AM
TF-51D TF-51D 100.000 156.000 124.000 AM
Yak-52 Yak-52 118.000 136.975 132.000 AM

Fixed-wing aircraft

Aircraft DCS ID Radio Min (MHz) Max (MHz) Modulation
A-10C A-10C VHF AM: ARC-186 116.000 151.975 AM / FM
UHF AM: ARC-164 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF FM: ARC-186 30.000 87.995 AM / FM
A-10C II A-10C_2 UHF/VHF: ARC-210 30.000 87.975 FM
108.000 135.995 AM
136.000 155.995 AM / FM
156.000 173.975 FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
UHF AM: ARC-164 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF FM: ARC-186 30.000 87.995 AM / FM
A-6E A6E UHF AN/ARC-159 #1 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
UHF AN/ARC-159 #2 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
AJS37 AJS37 Radio frequencies 103.000 400.000 AM / FM
30.000 34.000 FM
AV-8B N/A AV8BNA V/UHF Radio 1 30.000 400.000 AM / FM
V/UHF Radio 2 30.000 400.000 AM / FM
V/UHF RCS Presets 30.000 400.000 AM / FM
Bf 109 K-4 Bf-109K-4 FuG 16 ZY 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
C-101CC C-101CC V/TVU-740 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
C-101EB C-101EB AN/ARC-164 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
C-130J-30 C-130J-30 UHF-1/2 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF-1/2 30.000 200.975 AM
Christen Eagle II Christen Eagle II KY 197A 118.000 140.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
F-100D F-100D AN/ARC-34 225.000 399.900 AM / FM
F-14A Late F-14A-135-GR UHF AN/ARC-159 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF/UHF AN/ARC-182 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
F-14A F-14A-135-GR-Early UHF AN/ARC-159 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF/UHF AN/ARC-182 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
F-14A Export F-14A-95-GR UHF AN/ARC-159 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF/UHF AN/ARC-182 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
F-14B F-14B UHF AN/ARC-159 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF/UHF AN/ARC-182 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
F-14B(U) F-14BU UHF AN/ARC-159 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF/UHF AN/ARC-182 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
F-15E S4+ F-15ESE UHF Radio 1 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
V/UHF Radio 2 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 117.975 AM / FM
118.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
F-16CM bl.50 F-16C_50 COMM 1 (UHF) AN/ARC-164 225.000 399.975 AM
COMM 2 (VHF) AN/ARC-222 30.000 87.975 FM
116.000 155.975 AM
F-4E-45MC F-4E-45MC UHF AN/ARC-164 COMM channels 225.000 399.950 AM / FM
UHF AN/ARC-164 AUX channels 265.000 284.900 AM / FM
F-5E-3 F-5E-3 UHF Radio AN/ARC-164 225.000 399.999 AM / FM
F-86F F-86F Sabre AN/ARC-27 225.000 399.900 AM / FM
F-86F FC F-86F_FC AN/ARC-27 225.000 399.900 AM / FM
F4U-1D F4U-1D ARC-5 100.000 150.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
ARR-2 100.000 150.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
F4U-1D Mk.IV F4U-1D_CW ARC-5 100.000 150.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
ARR-2 100.000 150.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
F/A-18C FA-18C COMM 1: ARC-210 30.000 87.995 FM
118.000 135.995 AM
136.000 155.995 AM / FM
156.000 173.995 FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
COMM 2: ARC-210 30.000 87.995 FM
118.000 135.995 AM
136.000 155.995 AM / FM
156.000 173.995 FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
F/A-18C Lot 20 FA-18C_hornet COMM 1: ARC-210 30.000 87.995 FM
118.000 135.995 AM
136.000 155.995 AM / FM
156.000 173.995 FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
COMM 2: ARC-210 30.000 87.995 FM
118.000 135.995 AM
136.000 155.995 AM / FM
156.000 173.995 FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Fw 190 A-8 FW-190A8 FuG 16 Z 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
Fw 190 D-9 FW-190D9 FuG 16 Z 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
Hawk Hawk Radio 1 225.000 399.900 AM / FM
I-16 I-16 SCR522 100.000 156.000 AM / FM
JF-17 JF-17 COMM 1/2 Preset 30.000 399.995 AM / FM
L-39C L-39C R-832M 118.000 140.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
L-39ZA L-39ZA R-832M 118.000 140.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
La-7 La-7 HF 3.700 6.060 AM
M-2000C M-2000C UHF Radio 225.000 400.000 AM / FM
V/UHF Radio 118.000 140.000 AM / FM
225.000 400.000 AM / FM
MB-339A MB-339A AN/ARC-150(V)-2 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
SRT-651/N 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 117.975 AM / FM
118.000 136.992 AM / FM
137.000 155.975 AM / FM
156.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
MB-339A/PAN MB-339APAN AN/ARC-150(V)-2 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
SRT-651/N 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
108.000 117.975 AM / FM
118.000 136.992 AM / FM
137.000 155.975 AM / FM
156.000 173.975 AM / FM
225.000 399.975 AM / FM
MiG-15bis MiG-15bis RSI-6K 3.750 5.000 AM
MiG-15bis FC MiG-15bis_FC RSI-6K 3.750 5.000 AM
MiG-19P MiG-19P RSIU-4V Radio 100.000 150.000 AM / FM
MiG-21Bis MiG-21Bis R-832 118.000 140.000 AM / FM
220.000 390.000 AM / FM
MiG-29A Fulcrum MiG-29 Fulcrum VHF/UHF Radio R-862 100.000 149.975 AM / FM
220.000 399.975 AM / FM
ARK-19 0.150 1.300 AM / FM
Mirage F1AD Mirage-F1AD TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1AZ Mirage-F1AZ TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1B Mirage-F1B TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1BD Mirage-F1BD TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1BE Mirage-F1BE TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1BQ Mirage-F1BQ TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1C Mirage-F1C TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1C-200 Mirage-F1C-200 TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CE Mirage-F1CE TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CG Mirage-F1CG TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CH Mirage-F1CH TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CJ Mirage-F1CJ TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CK Mirage-F1CK TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CR Mirage-F1CR TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CT Mirage-F1CT TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1CZ Mirage-F1CZ TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1DDA Mirage-F1DDA TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1ED Mirage-F1ED TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1EDA Mirage-F1EDA TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1EE Mirage-F1EE TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1EH Mirage-F1EH TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1EQ Mirage-F1EQ TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1JA Mirage-F1JA TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1M (C.14 1-25/32-51) Mirage-F1M-CE TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mirage F1M (C.14 52-73) Mirage-F1M-EE TRAP-136 118.000 399.975 AM / FM
TRAP-137B 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
Mosquito FB Mk. VI MosquitoFBMkVI TR.1143 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
T.1154N Range 1 5.500 10.000 AM / FM
T.1154N Range 2 3.000 5.500 AM / FM
T.1154N Range 3 200.000 500.000 AM / FM
P-47D-30 P-47D-30 SCR-522 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
BC-1206 100.000 200.000 AM / FM
P-47D-30 (Early) P-47D-30bl1 SCR-522 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
BC-1206 100.000 200.000 AM / FM
P-47D-40 P-47D-40 SCR-522 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
BC-1206 100.000 200.000 AM / FM
P-51D-25-NA P-51D SCR-522 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
BC-1206 100.000 200.000 AM / FM
P-51D-30-NA P-51D-30-NA SCR-522 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
BC-1206 100.000 200.000 AM / FM
QF-4E QF-4E UHF AN/ARC-164 COMM channels 225.000 399.950 AM / FM
UHF AN/ARC-164 AUX channels 265.000 284.900 AM / FM
Spitfire LF Mk. IX SpitfireLFMkIX TR.1143 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
Spitfire LF Mk. IX CW SpitfireLFMkIXCW TR.1143 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
TF-51D TF-51D SCR-522 38.000 156.000 AM / FM
BC-1206 100.000 200.000 AM / FM
Yak-52 Yak-52 ARK-15M 0.100 1.795 AM / FM
Su-27 Su-27 UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
Su-25 Su-25 UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
Su-25T Su-25T UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
Su-33 Su-33 UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
MiG-29A MiG-29A UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
MiG-29S MiG-29S UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
MiG-29G MiG-29G UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
J-11A J-11A UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
A-10A A-10A UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM
F-15C F-15C UHF (SRS) 225.000 399.975 AM
VHF (SRS) 108.000 155.995 AM
FM (SRS) 30.000 87.975 FM

Helicopters

Aircraft DCS ID Radio Min (MHz) Max (MHz) Modulation
AH-64D BLK.II AH-64D_BLK_II ARC-186 108.000 151.975 AM / FM
ARC-164 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
FM 1: ARC-201D 30.000 87.975 FM
FM 2: ARC-201D 30.000 87.975 FM
CH-47F CH-47Fbl1 VHF FM: ARC-186 30.000 87.975 FM
108.000 115.975 AM
116.000 151.975 AM
UHF AM: ARC-164 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF FM: ARC-201D 30.000 87.975 FM
Ka-50 Ka-50 R-828 20.000 59.900 AM / FM
ARK-22 0.150 1.750 AM / FM
Ka-50 III Ka-50_3 R-828 20.000 59.900 AM / FM
ARK-22 0.150 1.750 AM / FM
Mi-24P Mi-24P R-863 100.000 399.900 AM / FM
R-828 20.000 59.900 AM / FM
Mi-8MTV2 Mi-8MT R-863 100.000 399.900 AM / FM
R-828 20.000 59.900 AM / FM
OH-58D(R) OH58D UHF AM 225.000 399.975 AM / FM
VHF AM 116.000 151.975 AM / FM
VHF FM1 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
VHF FM2 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
SA342L SA342L FM Radio 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
SA342M SA342M FM Radio 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
SA342Minigun SA342Minigun FM Radio 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
SA342Mistral SA342Mistral FM Radio 30.000 87.975 AM / FM
UH-1H UH-1H UHF AN/ARC-51 225.000 399.975 AM / FM