Install and use AI Carriers in FSX: Steam Edition, spawn moving carrier groups, and fix missing menus, Java, SimConnect and EXE.xml errors.
To install AI Carriers in FSX: Steam Edition, extract the package, run its installer, satisfy its Java and SimConnect prerequisites, then allow it to start with FSX. In a loaded flight, open the AI Ships command from the Add-ons menu, choose a formation and spawn it ahead of your aircraft.
How do I install AI Carriers in FSX: Steam Edition?
- Download and extract the package. Get the AI Carriers package and its installation notes. Extract the archive to a normal folder before running anything; do not launch the installer from inside the compressed file.
- Check the stated prerequisites. Original AI Carriers 2 releases are Java-based. Some older launchers expect a 32-bit Java runtime even on 64-bit Windows, so use the requirement named in the included documentation rather than assuming any installed Java edition will work. FSX: Steam Edition already includes the Acceleration content needed for the stock carrier models and carrier operations.
- Run the installer with FSX closed. Use the same Windows account that runs FSX and retain the default utility location unless the documentation says otherwise. AI Carriers is an external SimConnect application; it is not scenery and should not be added through the Scenery Library or placed in
Addon Scenery. - Let the installer register the utility. It normally creates an AI Carriers launch entry in
exe.xml. Depending on the computer's boxed-FSX history, Steam Edition may use either%APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX\exe.xmlor%APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX-SE\exe.xml. Our guidance on Steam Edition add-on paths and compatibility explains why those locations vary. - Approve the first launch. Start FSX and allow the expected AI Carriers executable if the simulator asks whether it should run or be trusted. Only approve the executable installed from the package.
- Load a flight and check the menu. Once the cockpit has loaded, display the top menu with
Altif necessary. Look under Add-ons for a command commonly labelledAI Ships; some releases use an AI Carriers label instead.
How do I spawn and control an aircraft carrier?
AI Carriers inserts a moving AI boat formation relative to your aircraft; it does not create permanent scenery or scheduled ship traffic.
- Position the aircraft near open water. Point towards the area where you want the formation to appear.
- Open the AI Ships menu. Select the command for inserting a new formation.
- Choose a carrier group. Test with a stock Acceleration carrier formation before trying custom models.
- Select a placement distance. Spawning the formation several miles ahead is safer than placing it on your exact position. The ahead position is normally calculated from the aircraft's heading when the command is issued.
- Manage the formation from the same menu. Depending on the installed build, commands may be available for changing the nearest formation's course or speed, repositioning it, or deleting it.
The formations are temporary SimConnect objects. Expect to insert them again after restarting FSX or loading another flight; saved flights do not reliably preserve externally spawned carrier groups.
Why is the AI Ships or Add-ons menu missing?
A missing AI Ships command usually means the utility did not launch or connect to FSX; reinstalling carrier models will not fix that connection problem.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| The top menu is not visible | Load fully into a flight, then press Alt to reveal the FSX menu bar. |
| Add-ons appears, but AI Ships does not | Check the active exe.xml for an enabled AI Carriers entry and a path that still points to the installed executable. Back up the file before editing it. |
| The launcher reports that Java is missing or closes immediately | Install the Java runtime and bitness specified by that AI Carriers release. An older 32-bit launcher may not detect a 64-bit-only runtime. |
| A SimConnect connection error appears | Repair or install the applicable legacy SimConnect runtime supplied within the FSX: Steam Edition files, then verify FSX's local files through Steam if necessary. Do not copy an unverified SimConnect.dll into the FSX root folder. |
| Two AI Ships entries appear | The utility is probably being started twice, commonly through duplicate exe.xml entries or one automatic and one manual launch. Retain a single valid launch method. |
A mistake we see constantly is editing %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX-SE\exe.xml while that Steam profile is actually reading the FSX folder, or vice versa. If both folders exist, identify the active one by locating the fsx.cfg whose modification time changes after you alter and save an FSX setting.
Why does the carrier fail to appear?
If the menu works but no ship appears, the usual causes are an unavailable boat model, a formation configuration mismatch, or placement over land.
- Test a stock formation first. FSX: Steam Edition includes Acceleration's carrier content. If its stock formation is also absent, verify the simulator's local files and spawn it close by over open sea.
- Check custom boat installation. A custom carrier normally belongs under
SimObjects\Boats, with its textures and effects in the locations specified by its documentation. - Match the model title exactly. The boat title referenced by the AI Carriers formation configuration must match the title in the model's
sim.cfg. Even a small spelling difference prevents that unit from loading. Formation files are often kept in the utility'sconf.dfolder, although the exact location varies by release. - Do not confuse static scenery with an AI boat. A carrier built into airport or scenery files cannot be spawned or moved by AI Carriers unless a separate boat SimObject version is supplied.
- Do not rely on the ship-traffic slider. AI Carriers injects formations through SimConnect, so the Ships and ferries traffic setting is not the main control for these manually spawned groups.
A visible carrier does not guarantee that every aircraft can use its catapult or arresting cables. The aircraft needs suitable Acceleration-compatible tailhook and launch_assistance configuration, not merely a visual hook. For third-party naval aircraft, follow our FSX aircraft installation and file-placement instructions so associated gauges, effects and configuration files are not missed.