Bug Fixes & Additions

Air Defender Changelog - Version 0.6.0.1 - March 2026

This is a major update bringing a completely new coaching and mentoring system, comprehensive ASMA console upgrades, training mission improvements, a hidden easter egg, and hundreds of stability and performance fixes under the hood.

New: Coaching and Mentoring System

Your ASMA console now acts as an intelligent mentor, giving you real-time feedback tailored to your experience level.

• AddedFOR YOU FeedA new dedicated coaching feed in ASMA delivers situation-aware tips based on what is happening in your watch. Hints scale with your XP — beginners get step-by-step guidance, experienced operators get concise reminders.
• AddedController Handover BriefWhen you start a new session or load a save, you now receive a handover brief summarising the current air picture, active sorties, fuel and weapons status, and threat assessment — just like a real controller shift change.

• Session Performance Tracking: Your performance is tracked across each session. When you next log in, your handover brief includes a supervisor assessment covering identification accuracy, resource management, and decision making from your previous watch.

• Training Mission Mentor: Training missions now feature a dedicated mentor who provides state-aware hints. If you are stuck, the mentor nudges you toward the next step rather than leaving you guessing.

• Bear Hunt Tanker Hint: A three-tier hint system now nudges you to deploy a tanker after launching QRA in the Bear Hunt mission, progressing from gentle suggestion to direct instruction.

New: ASMA Console Overhaul

The ASMA console has been significantly upgraded with new filtering, categorisation, and message quality improvements.

• Category Filters: Filter ASMA messages by category — Sortie, Intel, Supply, ATC, Alerts, and more. Click the category buttons at the top of the console to focus on what matters.

• Sortie Sub-Filters: When filtering by Sortie, individual sortie buttons appear. Click one to see only that sortie's messages, automatically switch to its COMMS channel, and jump the camera to its position.

• Live Sortie Summary: Each sortie sub-filter button shows a live status summary — callsign, target information, bearing and distance — so you can assess the situation at a glance.

• Filter Tooltips: Hover over any filter button to see a tooltip explaining what it shows.

• Jamming and Missile Lock Alerts: ASMA now displays alerts when your aircraft encounter electronic jamming or missile lock warnings, with sortie-aware audio cues.

• Improved Message Quality: ASMA messages now use concrete specifics (aircraft callsigns, track numbers, positions) instead of vague descriptions. Brevity codes are automatically expanded for clarity.

• FixedASMA Messages Preserved on LoadFixed ASMA console messages being lost when loading a saved game from the main menu.

New: Ident Bar Track Filtering

• Right-Click Filtering: Right-click any identification button on the ident bar (Friendly, Unknown, Suspect, Hostile, etc.) to filter the radar display to only show tracks of that identity. Right-click again to remove the filter.

• Visual Feedback: Active filter buttons show a lighter background so you can see which filter is applied.

New: Operation Silent Bunny (Easter Egg)

A hidden easter egg has been added to the game. Discover letters scattered across the map to unlock secret content. Letters persist across sessions — your progress is saved automatically. We will not spoil the details here.

Training Missions

• Pass/Fail Soundtracks: Training missions now play distinct success or failure soundtracks when you complete or fail a mission. Completing all training missions plays a special fanfare.

• Completion Audio: All training missions now play completion audio — previously some missions were silent on completion.

• Intercept Phase Coaching: Training missions that involve intercepts now show plain English descriptions of what is happening at each phase (e.g. 'Interceptors are climbing to match the target's altitude.').

• Bear Hunt Fixes: Interceptors no longer re-engage the TU-95 after refuelling instead of returning to base. The full escalation sequence now includes the shoot-down warning.

• FixedTunnel Vision FixesFixed the Tunnel Vision training soundtrack not playing correctly.
• FixedSmarties FixesFixed instructor audio being extremely loud in the Smarties training mission.

• Hint Accuracy: Training hints now fire at the correct time and no longer trigger after you have already completed the required action.

• Handover Brief Suppressed: The controller handover brief is now correctly suppressed during training missions to avoid clutter.

Bug Fixes

• Music Pause/Resume: Music now resumes where it left off when you unpause, instead of restarting from the beginning.

• Settings Persistence: Graphics settings (quality, V-sync, resolution, clutter options) now correctly save and persist between sessions.

• Forward Slash Key: The forward slash key now correctly triggers Squawk Ident focus.

• FixedCritical Tension Auto-EngageFixed a bug where Critical tension mode would automatically engage tracks that were not hostile.

• Supply Mission Radar: Supply missions (Hercules, Chinook) no longer show radar tracks while the aircraft is still on the ground preparing.

• FixedEnemy Aircraft OrbitingFixed enemy aircraft getting stuck orbiting their targets instead of proceeding with their attack run.
• FixedCivilian Airfield GroupingFixed all civilian airfields being grouped under "England" in the Chinook redeployment screen. They now show their correct region.

• Pause Menu Stability: Hardened the pause menu resume to prevent occasional rendering loss.

• FixedSweep Line DisplayFixed the radar sweep line being visible on all radar cycle modes when it should only appear on certain modes.
• FixedPanel Drag FixFixed panels occasionally losing drag interactivity.

• Bomber Movement: Enemy bombers now make gradual turns during egress and turn-away instead of sharp position snaps at waypoint corners.

• FixedNumber 10 Map LabelFixed a typo in the Number 10 Downing Street strategic map feature label.

• Spoofer Aircraft on Save/Load: Campaign spoofer aircraft now correctly persist through save and load cycles.

• QRA Launch in Selecting Identities: The QRA launch options popup is now correctly suppressed in the Selecting Identities training mission.

• FixedEAS on Missile LaunchFixed the Emergency Alert System tone incorrectly playing on missile launch.

New Airfields

• AddedBelfast Aldergrove (EGAA)Added to the strategic map.
• AddedLondon Gatwick (EGKK)Added to the strategic map. Fixed an issue where Gatwick could disappear from the map.
• AddedRNAS YeoviltonAdded to the strategic map with correct Royal Navy prefix handling.

Performance

Under the hood, hundreds of optimisations have been made to improve frame rate and reduce memory usage. These changes are invisible during gameplay but contribute to a smoother experience across all hardware.