CV32

meanwhile ... Norway places F-35A buy (Aviation Week, 15 June 2012)

DOD Actions Needed to Further Enhance Restructuring and Address Affordability Risks: GAO report on JSF, 14 June 2012 (pdf) Contrast with ... Pentagon's best kept secret: F-35 is progressing nicely (Forbes, 11 June 2012)

A new version of the Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE) 'Cold War' Database (HCCW-120614) is now available. Get it in the Downloads section of the HarpGamer website. New additions include: Installations: Angelholm - Sweden Linkoping - Sweden Norrkoping - Sweden Ronneby - Sweden Uppsala - Sweden Aircraft: A-4B Skyhawk - Argentina A-4C Skyhawk - Argentina A-4G Skyhawk - Australia A-4Q Skyhawk - Argentina A28B Vampire - Sweden C-82A Packet - USA C-119C Flying Boxcar - USA C-119G Flying Boxcar - Taiwan C-123B Provider - USA C-123K Provider - USA C-124C Globemaster II - USA Canberra B.62 - Argentina F-4E Phantom II - Australia F-86D Sabre Dog - Denmark F-86D Sabre Dog - Korea, South F-86D Sabre Dog - Turkey F-86F Sabre - Argentina F-86F Sabre - Peru F-86F Sabre - Saudi Arabia F-86K - Turkey F-86K - Venezuela F-86L Sabre Dog - Thailand F-86L Sabre Dog - USA F-111C - Australia J28A Vampire - Sweden J28B Vampire - Sweden J29F Tunnan - Austria J35A1 Draken - Sweden J35A2 Draken - Sweden J35A Draken (66) - Sweden J35B Draken (62) - Sweden J35B Draken (64) - Sweden J35D1 Draken - Sweden J35D2 Draken - Sweden J35D Draken (75) - Sweden J35F1 Draken - Sweden J35F2 Draken - Sweden Mi-1M Hare - Finland Mi-4 Hound A - Finland Mi-8T Hip C - Finland MiG-21F-13 Fishbed C - Finland Mirage IIIO(A) - Australia Mirage IIIO(F) - Australia Mirage IIIO(FA) - Australia Mirage IIIOR - Australia O-1 Bird Dog - Austria P-3B Orion - Australia S35E Draken (65) - Sweden S35E Draken (73) - Sweden SA.316B Alouette III - Austria Saab 35BS - Finland Saab 35XS - Finland Saab 105O - Austria SC.7 Skyvan - Austria SE.532 Mistral - France SE.535 Mistral - France Sk60B - Sweden Sk60C - Sweden Vampire F.1 - UK Vampire F.3 - Canada Vampire F.3 - Mexico Vampire F.3 - UK Vampire F.30 - Australia Vampire FB.5 - France Vampire FB.5 - Lebanon Vampire FB.5 - South Africa Vampire FB.5 - UK Vampire FB.5 - Venezuela Vampire FB.6 - Switzerland Vampire FB.9 - Jordan Vampire FB.9 - Lebanon Vampire FB.9 - Rhodesia Vampire FB.9 - South Africa Vampire FB.9 - UK Vampire FB.25 - New Zealand Vampire FB.31 - Australia Vampire FB.51 - France Vampire FB.52 - Finland Vampire FB.52 - India Vampire FB.52 - Iraq Vampire FB.52 - Jordan Vampire FB.52 - Lebanon Vampire FB.52 - Norway Vampire FB.52 - South Africa Vampire FB.52A - Egypt Vampire FB.52A - Italy Vampire NF.10 - UK Vampire NF.54 - India Vampire NF.54 - Italy Vampire PR.55 - India Ships/MLUs: Amatsukaze (65) DDG - Japan Amatsukaze (68) DDG - Japan Amatsukaze (74) DDG - Japan Buenos Aires (58) DD - Argentina Daring (1964) DD - Australia Daring (1974) DD - Australia Haruna DDH - Japan Melbourne (55) CVL - Australia Melbourne (68) CVL - Australia Perth (1965) DDG - Australia Perth (1975) DDG - Australia River DE - Australia River mod DE - Australia Sydney (1950) CVL - Australia Sydney (1962) AKV - Australia Takatsuki (1/67) DD - Japan Takatsuki (2/67) DD - Japan Tobruk DD - Australia Tribal (1950) DD - Australia Tribal (1953) DD - Australia Vampire (1/1959) DD - Australia Vampire (2/1959) DD - Australia Vampire (1973) DD - Australia Submarines: Asashio (1966) SS - Japan Asashio (1972) SS - Japan Onslow (1967) SS - Australia Onslow (1971) SS - Australia Onslow (1975) SS - Australia Oshio (1965) SS - Japan Oshio (1972) SS - Japan Uzushio (1/1971) SS - Japan Uzushio (2/1971) SS - Japan

Another excellent, China focused article. The most fundamental elements ... [emphasis mine]

Thanks for finding this error. Fixed it.

Excepting the countries with the largest arsenals of weapons.

Cluster munitions, a much maligned and inescapably effective, tool of warfare.

Great article.

From Flight Global [excerpt]

From AOL Defense [excerpt]

From Aviation Week [excerpt]

The most useful source of scenario ideas, IMHO, or at least in my own experience, has been the actual historical record taken in combination with bleeding edge news stories. Take any country, or a region. Examine - even in rudimentary fashion - its political, economic and military history. Look at its strategic alliances, past, present and future potential. How has its politics developed in the past, and where are they headed? What is the lifeblood of its economy? Where are the stress points? Any scenario - utterly cogent, wildly implausible, or properly considered 'a just maybe' - can thereby be achieved.

Some adjustment still going on here as some patrol loadouts are shared. Thanks. I think you caught this one already, earlier in the thread.

Already added prior to your request, and will appear in the next iteration, along with the Orchidee.

From Ares blog [excerpt]

From Defense Update [excerpt]

From Portsmouth News [excerpt]

Senate Armed Services Committee report on F-35 (June 5, 2012)

A couple of relevant articles ... US Navy eyes technology to cloak subs and Has ASW lost its Cold War glamour on Wall St?

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

Thanks to the encouragement and efforts of guys like Enrique, and some creative recycling, I've managed to jam another 100 plus aircraft into the HCDB since the last version.

I'd like to echo Tony's comments and thank all of you for keeping HarpGamer alive and relevant. And a special thanks to those of you who have used the new 'Donate' button. It helps!

Mark has a very useful tool at his disposal when working with H3ANW. He can limit the number of weapons/sorties available to the player. This makes defending with the F-14/Phoenix combo no longer a "sure thing". Whereas a HCE player has to play according to his own conscience or desire when using the same combo.

Now that part I just have to disagree with. While the Cold War 'gone hot' may not be at the forefront of our minds these days when it comes to hypotheticals, its the staple food that Harpoon grew up on. I'd be surprised if Harpoon players (a good proportion of which can also remember those days first hand ) would pass on a Harpoon scenario just because its based on the longstanding NATO vs Warsaw Pact hypothetical. I'd put money on the bet that the vast majority of us just love playing with the F-14, the Backfire, the Kirov battlecruiser, et al. What matters above all is whether the scenario is fun to play, challenging, and/or entertaining. If you can put a fresh twist on this 'old fashioned clash of the titans', that would be a welcome bonus.

I am loath to suggest that anyone's storyline is implausible. Harpoon was designed for the hypothetical. Many elements of a storyline aren't even necessary to push a scenario in one direction or another. But a few comments meant to stir the creativity pot and invoke further commentary ... 1. So the war at sea failed to stop Reforger (or at least, the seaborne component) but the reinforcements weren't enough? 2. So France and Germany have been overrun and "secured" by the Soviets, but the 'nuclear option' (even on a so called tactical scale) was not exercised? As you know, France was (is) a nuclear power on a strategic level. It repeated the surrender of 1940 (and did not use its nuclear defense)? If so, I think it more likely that France would accept Soviet seizure of Germany as a whole and sue for peace before having its own territory fall, i.e. a political surrender. 3. Reagan was no fan of nuclear weapons but he appreciated their value as a strategic tool. Sort of like Indiana Jones and his Webley; he hated guns but would use the revolver if he had to. No one can guess if an American President would actually use strategic nuclear weapons to defend Europe, when put to the test in a crunch, but I'd say few would put their money on Reagan backing down. Maybe he would. We'll never know. If it works for your storyline, go for it. 4. As you know, doctrine (at least in the public sphere) called for the use of 'tactical' nukes against advancing Soviet forces rather than conventional defeat. Maybe the Germans would have never permitted their use, but would they accept falling under Soviet control instead? The same philosophical debates as #3 apply. 5. What has been the effect of civilian refugees and rebel/underground uprisings? 6. Did most or all of the Warsaw Pact members go along with the Soviet plan? 7. Did most or all of the NATO members join in the collective defense? 8. If the USA is pledging to continue to fight, what are they planning to fight with? Were a significant number of forces held back, stateside? Were they sent to Europe but didn't make it into the fight before France and Germany fell? Are they being drawn from forces stationed in other parts of the world (e.g. Korea)? 9. Huge economic impacts arising but perhaps outside the scope of your storyline, except insofar as they cause shock waves (or ripples) in back water theaters around the globe.