Mission accomplished: 24.2 is here

Extended AI Capabilities
With this release, the transition to VBS Control AI is complete. VBS AI now also supports automated target scanning and engagement from moving vehicles, enhancing operational realism. Updates to assault and defend waypoints further improve usability, reducing the time required to go from concept to effective training scenarios.

Improved Rendering & Graphics
The Blue rendering engine, the foundation of VBS4 and Blue IG, has undergone a major architectural upgrade, transitioning from DirectX 11 to the Vulkan rendering API. This shift delivers immediate benefits, with noticeably enhanced performance in version 24.2. Looking ahead, this upgrade paves the way for even more advanced graphical enhancements in future releases.

Terrain and Geo Enhancements
We’ve enhanced global terrain with 4,000 new procedurally generated airfields, bringing the total to 12,000. We've also improved building and road coverage, added new power lines, and updated biomes like desert terrain for a more immersive experience. The new bridge and building creation tools in VBS Geo will make terrain editing faster and more intuitive than ever before.

New Call for Fire Functionality
The Call for Fire module has received several updates to enhance its simulation capabilities and usability. Among the key improvements is the introduction of long-range rocketry simulation, enabling the use of rocket artillery systems to engage targets at distances of 90 km or more—accurately reflecting modern battlefield capabilities.

Support for the USD File Format
In our continued effort to move towards open standards, new content workflows add support for the import and export of the Universal Scene Description (USD) file format, which is fast becoming the modern global standard for 3D content.

Gateway Expansion and Improvements
The VBS Gateway now has a preview feature that processes incoming HLA and DIS entities using the Entity-Component-System (ECS) framework. This upgrade significantly enhances performance, increasing scale tolerance by up to a factor of 10. Customer benchmarks reveal a 4 to 40 FPS improvement at 7,000 units compared to the previous gateway. These advancements mark a critical step toward improving VBS4’s out-of-the-box interoperability.

Extended Content Library
With the addition of over 300 new models across all domains, the VBS and Blue IG content library now exceeds 20,000 models. For a closer look at some of the latest additions, check out the VBS release video to see what’s new in the baseline.

Improved UVS Management
Enhancements to the Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS) management streamline the setup and operation of UAV/UAS training scenarios, enabling more efficient control of complex UVS networks. The updated system offers an intuitive interface that improves usability and supports both administrators and operators in seamlessly managing multiple assets.

Improved Symbology
A new symbology estimation system has been created that more accurately represents unit 2525D symbols in VBS scenarios. The new system uses weighting to estimate group symbology when groups are constructed of multiple unit types, allowing for more accurate group symbology depiction.

Rendering Improvements
Blue IG, being based on the Blue engine, adds the same new rendering and terrain features as VBS4, such as the transition to the Vulkan and the addition of global airfields where the airfield lights are fully runtime controllable via CIGI.

CIGI Router Improvements
The CIGI Router, which is delivered as part of Blue IG, has undergone significant improvements in both functionality and usability. The GIGI router now allows IG users complete control over how incoming CIGI packets are interpreted and used, which adds flexibility in implementation even when users may not have access to the original IG host source code.