CV32

I wouldn't consider that 'too flashy'.

I like it. I like it a lot.

Yes, I was referring to what tends to attract the majority of 'gamers' in these day and age, not us old timers who are happy enough with little stylized icons.

From Defense Aerospace Strategic Defence and Security Review (Source: UK Prime Minister’s Office; issued Oct. 19, 2010) Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled details of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). This is the first time that a UK government has taken decisions on its defence, security, intelligence, resilience, development and foreign affairs capabilities in the round, setting out the delivery of the ends set out in the National Security Strategy. It follows the National Security Strategy, published yesterday, and sets out the Government’s determination to make the right decisions for the long term defence and prosperity of the country. Speaking to military personnel earlier today, the PM admitted that some “incredibly difficult” decisions had been made in preparation for the SDSR. In a statement to Parliament, Mr Cameron said: “There is no cut whatsoever in the support for our forces in Afghanistan… Furthermore, every time the chiefs of defence staff have advised me that a particular change might have implications for our operations in Afghanistan, either now or in the years to come, I have heeded that advice. “In fact, we have been and will be providing for our brave forces in Afghanistan: more equipment to counter the threat from IEDs; more protected vehicles – like the warthog heavy protection vehicle which will be out there by the end of the year; more surveillance capability, including unmanned aircraft systems; and crucially, at last, the right level of helicopter capability.” Click here for Prime Minister David Cameron’s statement to the House of Commons on the Strategic Defence and Security Review (HTML format). Click here for the full review (75 pages in PDF format) on the UK government website Click here to watch Cameron’s announcement and debate on the House of Commons web TV service. (Cameron speech begins at 15:32) (ends) *** Strategic Defence and Security Review Published (Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Oct. 19, 2010) The outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) which sets out how the government will deliver the priorities identified in the National Security Strategy has been published today, Tuesday, 19 October 2010. “Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review,” details how our Armed Forces will be reshaped to tackle emerging and future threats. There have been two main priorities in the review: -- to ensure that our mission in Afghanistan is protected; -- to make sure we emerge with a coherent Defence capability in 2020. Afghanistan remains the MOD's top priority and we will do all we can to ensure success. Defence cannot continue on unaffordable footing. The SDSR aims to bring defence plans, commitments and resources into balance so that we have a coherent defence capability and a sustainable defence programme for the future. Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox said: "The frontline has been protected because Afghanistan is the Government's top priority. "Tough decisions are required to reconfigure our Armed Forces to confront future threats whilst we also tackle the £38bn deficit that has accumulated in the 12 years since the last Defence Review. "The MOD must become as effective and as efficient as possible. Lord Levene will help me deliver radical reform to streamline the Department." *** British Defence Secretary Liam Fox comments the Strategic Defence and Security Review. Note the NATO flag, while the European Union flag is conspicuously absent. Permanent Secretary, Sir Bill Jeffrey and Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup together with the Service Chiefs and other members of the Defence Board have been closely involved throughout the Review. There will be some major changes to force elements of all three Services to enable them to meet future force structures. The Review will lead to reductions in manpower over the next five years across all three Services and the civilians in Defence: -- The Royal Navy will reduce by around 5,000 personnel -- The Army by 7,000 -- The RAF by 5,000, -- Civilians by 25,000 No changes will be made to front line Army, Royal Marine or RAF Regiment Units while operations in Afghanistan continue. Other impacts on the three Services will include: Royal Navy The Royal Navy will have a number of capabilities, including the Trident Force, based around the four Vanguard-class submarines, one of which is always on patrol. The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier will give the UK political and military flexibility in responding to crises. It will routinely have 12 Joint Strike Fighters, plus helicopters embarked for operations. The aircraft's 700 mile range over land and sea, will enable it to carry out a broad range of missions. The Royal Navy will be equipped with 19 frigates and destroyers to protect a Naval Task Group and meet our standing commitments at home and overseas. These will include six new Type 45 destroyers and new Type 26 frigates. This force, though smaller than currently, will provide military flexibility and choice across a variety of operations from full-scale warfare, through coercion and reassurance to presence, and maritime security (in particular protecting trade and energy supplies). Seven new Astute class submarines will contribute to the protection of our nuclear deterrent and Naval Task Groups. 3 Commando Brigade will provide one element of our very high readiness response force. The Royal Marines will be able to land and sustain a Commando Group by helicopter, and with protective vehicles, logistics and command and control support from a specialist landing and command ship. In order to meet this new structure the Royal Navy will: -- Reduce Royal Navy service personnel by around 5,000 to a total of about 30,000 by 2015, and with an assumption, for now, of a requirement of about 29,000 by 2020; -- Decommission HMS Ark Royal immediately; -- Decommission either the helicopter landing ship HMS Ocean or HMS Illustrious following a short study of which would provide the most effective helicopter platform capability, and place one landing and command ship at extended readiness; -- Decommission four frigates and a Bay-class amphibious support ship; -- Rationalise the Royal Navy estate. Army The Army will be structured around five multi-role brigades each including reconnaissance, armoured mechanised and light infantry forces with supporting units of equipment and enablers. We will keep one brigade at high readiness available for an intervention operation and four in support to ensure our ability to sustain an enduring stabilisation operation. The Army will retain 16 Air Assault Brigade, a high-readiness intervention brigade with supporting units, trained and equipped to be one of the first ground forces to intervene in a new conflict. The Army will also retain the ability to command operations at very senior level through the UK-led Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) headquarters (part of NATO). And we will retain our capacity to deliver one UK, fully deployable, senior level (divisional) headquarters, and the ability to regenerate a second deployable divisional headquarters. In order to meet this new structure the Army will: -- Reduce by around 7,000 to about 95,000 personnel by 2015, but with no changes to combat units involved in Afghanistan, and an assumption, for now, of a requirement of about 94,000 by 2020; -- Reduce by one the number of deployable brigades, as we restructure to five multi-role brigades; -- Reduce our holdings of Challenger 2 tanks by around 40% and our heavy artillery by around 35%; -- Significantly reduce our non-deployable regional administrative structure; -- Rationalise our deployable headquarters by reducing the communications and logistics support to Headquarters ARRC and convert the second of our operational divisional headquarters to a force preparation role. Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force's future capabilities will include a fleet of two of the most capable fast jets anywhere in the world: a modernised multi-role Typhoon fleet and the Joint Strike Fighter to provide Combat ISTAR capabilities. It will also have strategic surveillance and intelligence platforms as part of our broader ISTAR capability including: E-3D Sentry AWACS to provide airborne command, control and surveillance; Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft to provide independent strategic intelligence gathering; and a range of remotely piloted air systems. The air transport fleet will be upgraded with the addition of A400M transport aircraft and A330 future strategic tanker and transport aircraft as well as the planned C17 fleet. These aircraft will enable us to deploy rapidly, support and recover UK forces and their equipment anywhere in the world, and provide airborne refuelling to maximise the range and endurance of our aircraft. The support helicopter capability (both RAF and RN) will also provide battlefield mobility from land and sea, based on Chinook heavy and Merlin medium-lift helicopters, able to move personnel and equipment rapidly over considerable distances. (N.B.: Cameron told the House of Commons that 14 new Chinooks would be ordered, bringing the total fleet to 60 aircraft—Ed.) In addition, RAF Regiment Force Protection squadrons at high readiness will protect deployed aircraft and personnel in hostile areas and provide elements of Defence's Joint CBRN detection capabilities. In order to meet this new structure the Royal Air Force will: -- Reduce by around 5000 personnel to about 33,000 by 2015, and with an assumption, for now, of a requirement of about 31,500 by 2020; -- Withdraw the C-130 Hercules transport fleet ten years earlier than planned as we transition to the more capable and larger A400M; -- Withdraw the Sentinel surveillance aircraft once it is no longer required to support operations in Afghanistan; -- Rationalise the RAF estate; -- Retain Tornados, which will continue to operate in Afghanistan; -- Remove Harrier from service in the transition to a future fast jet force of Typhoon and JSF. This will mean a gap for carrier fast jet operations. JSF, like Harrier, will be operated jointly by RAF and Royal Navy pilots; -- Not bring into service the Nimrod MRA4; -- Withdraw VC-10 and the three variants of Tristar aircraft from 2013 as we transition towards the more capable A330 Future Strategic Transport and Tanker Aircraft. A study will be undertaken by the leadership of the regular and Reserves into the future role and structure of the Reserves. We expect this study to take about six months. Changes on this scale cannot be managed by the usual manning regulators. A redundancy scheme will be run for Service Personnel and a paid Early Release Scheme for civilians in accordance with the usual arrangements for such schemes, including - in the case of civilians - consultation with the Trade Unions. Much effort will now be required to work through the detailed implications of the various SDSR decisions and their implementation. Part of this will be the work of the Defence Reform Unit, which is looking at the organisation of MOD and will report in July 2011. This will ensure Defence is delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible. Reforms will be implemented as the review progresses.

Yes, by and large, all GE changes (improvements or otherwise) translate into the older battlesets. Keep in mind, though, that some changes were intended to be reflected in the database and the inability to edit the old database keeps some of them from being fully or properly incorporated. For example, the Tu-16 Badger J electronic jamming aircraft in some of the older battlesets lacks a jammer.

That means you could get Rafales or Super Hornets flying off the new carrier. That's keeping a stiff upper lip!

HMS Ark Royal gone F-35B STOVL out, F-35C in (maybe) HMS Prince of Wales delayed HMS Queen Elizabeth built but not fielded, held in reserve or sold Nimrod MRA4 gone R.1 Sentinel (ASTOR) retired etc Wow ... just wow

Yes, and some rather ominous rumours floating about, as other threads and posts attest.

Last I heard (circa January 2009) they had contracted to buy four ATR72MP for the role, to be delivered in 2012, but in the meantime hours were being kept off the Atlantics by 'leaning' on the ATR42MP already in service with the Customs Police and Coast Guard, and the EH101 helicopters.

Although the SAS and other special forces absolutely deserve their due attention, I cannot help but think the services as a whole are perpetually condemned to fighting yesterday's war.

Took your scenario for a spin. The action was 'spirited' for awhile, and it was nice to see a mix of air and naval action. I was a little alarmed at the prospect of having to defend Britain from Su-34 and Su-35 raids with a handful of Tornado F.3 and Phantom FGR.2 but it did work out in the end. A couple of points I hope you will find helpful: * The enemy air attacks seemed to peter out after a short while, even though aircraft remained available to Red. Check your 'Repeat Attack' options in the SE. * The surface group in the Skaggerak goes aground quickly, I think. This is sometimes quite difficult to avoid in narrow waters. * I destroyed all the bases, aircraft and ships I could find, but never did achieve victory conditions. I didn't check to see what they might be. * I noticed that you did not make use of independent SAM or AAA systems, and instead relied on any defenses that came with the installations. You may want to check this option to see if it interests you. * You should drop the ***.BK* file from your zip, as this is just a backup file and although small, it is completely unnecessary to include. Once you're happy with the scenario, please upload it into the Downloads section here at HarpGamer. We're happy to host it for you.

From DefenseNews French Carrier Heads Home a Day into Anti-Piracy, Afghan Mission

The old battlesets and the scenarios in them still have plenty of 'life' in them. Although one cannot edit the database that they use, and the platforms represented in them are therefore fixed (and in some ways not terribly accurate), they are still great scenarios and have gallons of charm. Keep in mind that the Game Engine (GE) code is the same regardless of battleset used. Folks are certainly able to 'rebuild' or overhaul the older scenarios with a new database, or as part of a new custom battleset, but I cannot imagine we would ever entertain tossing the old battlesets. Unfortunately only a handful of folks actually write scenarios and share them with the community. More of that kind of effort is always encouraged!

A BattleSet is a collection of scenarios that take place in some particular part of the world. A BattleSet will therefore always contain a map, and if you're in luck, one or more Scenarios. It may also, but not necessarily, also contain a Database. Pre EC2003 The twenty (20) oldest BattleSets in the Harpoon Classic genre, and included in HCE, are: GIUK - Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap NACV - North Atlantic Convoys MEDC - Mediterranean Conflict IOPG - Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf HDS1 - Harpoon Designers' Series BattleSet 1 - Enhanced GIUK HDS2 - Harpoon Designers' Series BattleSet 2 - Enhanced NACV HDS3 - Harpoon Designers' Series BattleSet 3 - Enhanced MEDC HDS4 - Harpoon Designers' Series BattleSet 4 - Enhanced IOPG HDS5 - Harpoon Designers' Series II Set #1 - GIUK Gap HDS6 - Harpoon Designers' Series II Set #2 - North Atlantic HDS7 - Harpoon Designers' Series II Set #3 - Mediterranean Sea HDS8 - Harpoon Designers' Series II Set #4 - Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf HDS9 - Harpoon Designers' Series III - GIUK HDSA - Harpoon Designers' Series III - NACV HDSB - Harpoon Designers' Series III - MEDC HDSC - Harpoon Designers' Series III - IOPG EC2000 Battle for the Norwegian Sea EC2000 Battle for the Atlantic Ocean EC2000 Battle for the Mediterranean EC2000 Battle for the Gulf of Oman As you can see, all of these BattleSets and the scenarios contained within them are focused on one of four geographical areas: the GIUK Gap, the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean, or the Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf. All of these BattleSets and scenarios also use a built in, non-editable database that cannot be accessed through the Platform Editor (PE). All user built scenarios made for these BattleSets will necessarily use the built in, non-editable database. EC2003 and Later The four EC2003 BattleSets are essentially repeats of the EC2000 BattleSets and the scenarios within them, with one notable exception. They use the Official HCE Database, the HCDB database hosted here at HarpGamer, which is regularly updated and which is in fact accessible through the Platform Editor. HCE also introduces five brand new BattleSets, set in parts of the world never fully represented before in the HC series: Westpac - the Western Pacific Caribbean Basin South Atlantic South Africa Middle East (including the Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean) These newest BattleSets, and the scenarios that come packaged with HCE for them, again all use the HCDB database hosted here at HarpGamer. User scenarios built for any of these battlesets (that is, the EC2003 series and the five newest ones mentioned above) can use either the HCDB or some other custom database. BattleSet Builder HCE also introduces a new utility that allows you to scour the globe and actually create - from scratch, essentially - your own custom BattleSet. This is the BattleSet Builder. The Bering Strait and Baltic Collection BattleSets are examples of BattleSets created using this utility. Any custom built BattleSet put together using the BattleSet Builder utility can also use either the HCDB or some other custom database. Downloads User scenarios available for download here at HarpGamer are organized by their appropriate BattleSets. Fortunately this also tends to be organized by geography but in all cases the BattleSet hierarchy will rule. The scenario author should also have indicated which database he used to build the scenario, and which, of course, must necessarily also be used to run it.

A "battleset" will always include a map. It may also contain one or more scenarios and a database. The oldest battlesets - GIUK, NACV, MEDC, IOPG, HDS 1 through 9; HDS A, B and C, and the EC2000 series - and all of the scenarios in them, all use a built in, non-editable database. You cannot access this database through the Platform Editor (PE). Also, any custom scenarios built using these older battlesets will necessarily use the built in, non-editable database. The four EC2003 battlesets and the newest battlesets - Westpac, Caribbean Basin, South Atlantic, South Africa and the Middle East - and the scenarios that come packaged with HCE, all use the Official HCE Database, that is, the HCDB database hosted here at HarpGamer. Custom scenarios built for any of these battlesets (that is, EC2003 and the newest ones mentioned above) can use either the HCDB or some other custom built database. Also, any custom made battleset that one might put together using the BattleSet Builder utility, can also use either the HCDB or some other custom built database. Scenarios available for download here at HarpGamer are organized by their appropriate battlesets. Fortunately this also tends to be organized by geography but the battleset will rule. The scenario author should also have indicated which database he used to build the scenario, and which, of course, must necessarily also be used to run it. Hope this helps. We will probably flesh out this thread and use the material to update the FAQ to help those who might have the same question(s) in the future. Thanks for asking (and please go ahead and shoot if you have more questions) and welcome to HarpGamer!

You can find the movie hosted online at Google Videos.

File Name: First Lightning File Submitter: CV32 File Submitted: 13 Oct 2010 File Updated: 13 Oct 2010 File Category: Middle East DB Used: HCDB-100930 Authors: Brad Leyte Battleset-Middle East: .scv - CDB - CDB First Lightning A Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE) scenario for the Middle East Battleset and the official HCE Database (HCDB). This scenario is designed for play by the RED side only. It is October 1984. A financial crisis in Latin America has led to huge loan defaults in Argentina, Brazil and Chile. American banks, who had heavily financed the development efforts in Latin America, have been caught by surprise and are now in a serious slide. Washington took drastic steps and imposed a freeze upon banking transactions across the nation. Then, a week ago, a terrorist bomb in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, claimed the life of the US ambassador and numerous civilians. At the same time, a guerrilla movement believed to have ties to that terror attack and backed by the Soviet Union, toppled the Omani government in the wake of massive financial losses in its banking sector. American peacekeepers have moved into Saudi Arabia after rebellious elements of the Saudi army moved to occupy the holy city of Mecca. It is the largest commitment of American troops since the Vietnam war. Moscow has bitterly criticised the American presence in the Persian Gulf, calling it a grave act of provocation. Three days ago, the new regime in Oman allied with Tehran to impose a toll on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. All tanker traffic in the Gulf has now come to a stop. NOTE: This scenario is loosely based on the October 1984 television movie Countdown to Looking Glass. Note as well that you play RED in this scenario, i.e. the Soviet, Iranian and Omanian side. Click here to download this file

I was about to ask if anyone had this land on their doorstep yet.

For the reasons you mention (and others), I rarely use the direct 'Attack' method and almost always the 'Patrol' method instead. My aircraft rarely take a direct path to the target.

Already present. Of course the missile must be "bearing only launch" (BOL) capable (typically terminal radar homing) in order to be used in this fashion. A nice idea in theory but perhaps difficult or cumbersome to put into practice. Right now the range of the aircraft in any particular loadout configuration is calculated by taking into account internal and external fuel, and the loadout as it compares to overall max payload. You would either have to manually add weapon range to the mix when determining loadouts, or come up with a way to have the GE calculate it. Either way it does not take into account other factors, such as maybe you do not want the weapon launched at maximum range, or that you cannot locate the target and must spend fuel (and weapon range) trying to find it, etc, etc. Already present.

No problem. And welcome!

As the other guys have said, a considerable portion of how the AI behaves will depend on how the scenario author has set up his scenario. There can be, for example, variable starting points for both sides as well as variable chances of certain units appearing (again, for both sides). So, while the AI will have the same overall objectives and intent, the orders of battle and the geometries of how they face each other could be quite different. Much depends on the player too, of course. Given the circumstances, it may not be desirable or even possible for you to play the scenario exactly the same way.

Check out the FAQ section. Scenario filenames and how they organize into the battlesets are explained here. Scenarios and databases are also organized by battleset in the Downloads section. If you have specific questions, fire away.

Detection is by any means available - whether it be satellite, aircraft, ship, submarine, etc - with missile guidance being modeled as inertial plus terminal radar homing.