Learn how to place DCS World ground units, set routes and AI tasks, activate groups, and use Combined Arms for live orders or vehicle control.
Place ground units in DCS World with the Mission Editor’s ground-unit group tool, then assign unit types, headings, waypoints, speeds and AI actions. The AI follows that plan when the mission runs. For live map orders or direct vehicle control, you normally need Combined Arms and a mission slot authorised to command that coalition.
How do I place ground units in the DCS Mission Editor?
Use a vehicle group for anything that must move or receive AI orders; a static object is scenery and cannot follow a route.
- Select the coalition and country. The country determines which side owns the group and which vehicles are available. A commander on the opposing coalition cannot normally order it.
- Choose the ground-unit group tool. Select the vehicle or ground-group icon from the Mission Editor toolbar, then click the map where the group should begin.
- Name the group and its units. Use unique, descriptive names if triggers or scripts will refer to them. Group names and individual unit names are separate.
- Choose each unit’s type and skill. Add more units to build a group, then drag them on the map to set their starting spacing and headings. Mixed groups are possible, but vehicles with very different speeds and mobility usually work better in separate groups.
- Create the route. The placement point becomes the initial route point. Add subsequent waypoints and set their speed, formation and road or cross-country routing as required.
- Add AI instructions. Use waypoint actions and options for rules of engagement, alarm state, fire missions and other behaviour. Actions attached to a later waypoint do not begin until the group reaches that point.
- Save and test the mission. Run it from the editor and use time acceleration cautiously while checking movement, pathfinding and engagement behaviour.
For triggers, unit naming and the wider editing workflow, see our step-by-step Mission Editor guidance.
How do I make ground AI move, stop and attack?
Ground AI follows its route automatically and engages according to its sensors, weapons, rules of engagement and assigned tasks.
A group with no later waypoint remains around its starting position, although it may still detect and fire on enemies. For deliberate artillery or indirect-fire attacks, add a Fire at Point task and check that the weapon has sufficient range, ammunition and a suitable firing position.
For events that should happen later, place tasks in the group’s Triggered Actions list and start them with an AI TASK PUSH trigger. To keep the entire group out of the mission until an event occurs, enable Late Activation and use GROUP ACTIVATE. Late activation without that trigger is a common reason for units never appearing.
Road movement is preferable for wheeled convoys travelling any distance. Cross-country routes are more direct but expose DCS pathfinding problems around buildings, steep ground, forests and water. Keep formations narrow near bridges and settlements.
How can I control ground units during a mission?
DCS World offers pre-planned AI control in the base simulator, while live map orders and direct vehicle control are functions of the Combined Arms module.
| Control method | Combined Arms needed? | What it provides |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Editor route and tasks | No | Pre-planned AI movement, combat tasks and triggered actions |
| Live command-map orders | Yes | New routes, formations, speeds and attack orders during the mission |
| Direct vehicle control | Yes | Driving, aiming and firing from supported ground vehicles |
| Triggered radio commands | No | A limited set of actions prepared by the mission designer |
Setting up Combined Arms command roles
The mission designer must provide an appropriate Battlefield Commander slot; owning Combined Arms alone does not grant command authority in every mission.
- Allocate command slots. Tactical Commander normally controls friendly coalition forces, while Game Master can be given broader authority. Observer roles cannot issue normal army-wide orders.
- Join the correct role. At mission start, select an available command slot for the coalition whose units you need to control. Multiplayer servers may restrict or password-protect these slots.
- Open the command map. Select a friendly group and issue movement or target orders from the map interface. Most movement commands affect the group rather than one vehicle.
- Enter a supported vehicle if required. Select it and use the assigned direct-control command. Check the Combined Arms control category because bindings can differ between installations and controller profiles.
Mission settings and server permissions can restrict what appears on the map. Our guide to F10 map visibility and unit inspection explains why a unit may be present but hidden from a player.
Not every ground asset is directly playable. Tanks, fighting vehicles and some air-defence or artillery systems support varying degrees of control, while infantry and static objects do not provide a full first-person soldier mode. Our breakdown of DCS ground forces and control limits covers those distinctions.
Can I control ground units without Combined Arms?
You can create ground forces, assign AI routes and operate them through triggers without Combined Arms, but you cannot use the standard live tactical-command interface or take direct control of vehicles.
A mission designer can provide predefined commands through the mission radio menu. These can activate a group, push a task or change a planned action, but they are not a substitute for freely drawing new routes and selecting targets during play.
Why will my DCS ground units not move or fire?
Most failures come from activation, route, pathfinding or engagement settings rather than a damaged installation.
- The group never appears: check Late Activation and confirm that a valid group-activation trigger fires.
- The group appears but does not move: add a subsequent waypoint, verify its speed and inspect the route for water, buildings, steep terrain or a blocked bridge.
- A convoy breaks apart: reduce its size, use a narrower formation or separate tracked and wheeled vehicles into different groups.
- The group sees enemies but does not shoot: check Rules of Engagement, Alarm State, weapon range, line of sight, ammunition and minimum engagement range.
- An artillery group ignores Fire at Point: confirm that the task is active at the correct waypoint and that the requested point lies within the weapon’s usable range.
- You cannot select or command it: make sure it is a ground group rather than a static object, belongs to your coalition, and your Combined Arms slot has sufficient authority.
- You cannot enter the vehicle: the unit may not support direct control, may belong to another side or may already be occupied by another player.