donaldseadog

Australia enters homegrown missile race — but can it really stand alone? SBS NewsAustralia enters homegrown missile race — but can it real...As Australia ramps up missile production, experts say supply chain gaps and export challenges could limit its independence.

I'm sure I still have hair on my head (although it is white) because of Tony's launcher 😻 I'm glad you're back into it and all is going well.

From australian ABC news service https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-10/uk-intercepts-russian-sub-threat/106548994?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

I'd suggest the best way is to prepare some folders named for each database you intend to use (I use subfolder 'HCDBs' with further subfolders for each database eg HCDB2, HCCW, HCWW) then just download the files fresh from the downloads section of harpgamer. The thing is that the database files will generally all be named commondb.rsr as they were intially intended to be swapped in and out of the root HC folder. By having the individual folders and by using the custom 'launcher' programs (also in the downloads section) the complexity is negated. You can even give the database files unique file names. Otherwise you are continually having to move or rename the commondb files and easily loose track of which is which.

I'm getting quite excited. I'll hopefully give this update a run tonight. I realised I can use Toolbox to set active group and unit in the game without needing the game's group window, so I can put this one over it (on my 14" laptop screen) and give it a good workout.

The aerial drones in particular, or more to the point their loadouts, would be a demand on our database if treated individually, so that was mostly where I was thinking, and some well thought out generic platforms would be beneficial. For the type treated as weapons I'm thinking there is much more space availability in our DB annexes, maybe a few new specialised platforms and mounts and modified existing platforms but for the most part it would just be additional weapons?

With a lot of new drone and autonomous weapons it seems to me (once we get back to modernising DBs in some way) that the line between platform and weapon is becoming difficult to decide. Also there is the decision on whether to create single generic items or create a pletherer of individual. Here's what hot my thinking about it (I know infact it's not a new delema) seen in current events https://defence-blog.com/xdown-develops-stud-drone-for-squad-level-strikes/

Some back ground: I guess its an historic thing, pre 2003 all battlesets had there own in built database so it was effectively selected from within the game when you selected which battleset you were going to play, and then from there you could select scenarios. Since 2003 the option (normal arrangement for 'new' battlesets) is that the database is external and as it can't be selected once the game starts you need to know before starting the GE which database you are going to want. The databases tend to relate to time periods so that's not so bad. So most of the xxx2003 battlesets and Westpac are like that, Malacca being an exception as it has the HCDB2 database embedded in it. A scenario's required database will be listed in it's HarpGamer download page plus if you open the scenario file with a text editor and look at the first few lines of gobblygook you'll see some plain text including the database name, eg HCDB170909, that will be the database the scenario needs. (You don't need to do that if the scenario is from one of the pre 2003 legacy battlesets) Loading a scenario that requires a different database to the one loaded into the GE gives an error message similar to your "GetMemAnnexA Error" but that doesn't mean for certain that's what's happened to you, but it's what brought this to my mind. By default the GE loads the database from the commondb.res file in the main hc folder but a different database can be loaded by using a modified command line (eg by using HClauncher or SELauncher respectively for GE and SE, but also by other means more fiddly). Before HCLauncher the two common methods were to rename the database file needed as commondb.res and to swap it for the one in the root folder or to execute the GE (or SE) via a shortcut and manually write into the execute line the flag <-d ?> followed by the full pathname to the database file, Tony's GELauncher was an obvious godsend. If all was working fine for you using the last beta and you were starting GE and SE straight from the respective executable in the hc folder (or from the default game menu) then I think you must have only been playing custom scenarios for the default (HCDB) database or legacy battlesets? Don

One thought, are you trying to open a scenario that uses other than the standard database, if so then the necessary database needs to either replace the commondb database in hc root folder or be linked in the command line executing the SE (and GE). For this reason it is good to start the GE with TonyEs game launcher or the SE with my SELauncher as they allow you to search and link the database (and battlesets\scenarios etc) at launch.

From Australian ABC news service: By Tom Lowrey Germany's defence minister is continuing his tour of Australia, taking the opportunity to check out some of Australia's newest military hardware. Boris Pistorius will join Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy at RAAF base Amberley this morning near Brisbane, checking out Australia's 'Ghost Bat' aerial drones. Last year, the federal government signed contracts to acquire six Australian-made Ghost Bats from Boeing Australia. More than $2.34 billion has been committed to the ghost bat program since 2019. Ghost Bats are designed to operate as wingmen for manned Australian fighter jets, such as the F-35 or F-18. They are fully armed, and last year a prototype took down an aerial target with a live weapon for the first time. But it's hoped they'll find a place beyond just the RAAF. Germany is among a number of countries expressing interest in the ghost bat, and the German defence minister will receive a demonstration this morning. He'll also visit German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall's factory in Brisbane, where the Australian-made Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicle is being manufactured, with the first batch just rolling off the assembly line. Rheinmetall is a German company, but is producing more than 100 Boxer heavy weapon carriers for the German army in its Australian factory. Australia and Germany are also expected to take further steps today to collaborate on the manufacture of anti-ship cruise missiles, with plans to produce components for both the naval strike missile and the joint strike missile in Australia.

Thinking of current russian-ukraine war and where we were immediately before, that is a very accurate observation.

Would a feasible approach be to focus on a time and region, prune plus grow the hcdb2 db, and embed into a dedicated battleset? Don

From Australian ABC news service https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/australia-to-provide-military-support-to-gulf-states/106435248?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

Above article has been updated by ABC since first posting

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-06/adf-helicopter-evasive-action-chinese-military/106426388?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other