CV32

Patience, folks. We made some progress with the SAM engagement altitudes, arcs and point defense all at once last evening. The new GE just came out today, and we'll work on it as time allows.

I would say you've done a rather good job of it. All looks good to me. I'd be happy enough to let someone else on IRC to take my 'turn' too, if I am not around or available. In fact, we could juggle it between as many players who might be available and interested.

From Flight Global DATE: 30/03/10 SOURCE: Flight International Saying goodbye to the 'Mighty Hunter' By Craig Hoyle The UK Royal Air Force will mark the end of an era in its proud maritime patrol heritage on 31 March, when the last of its British Aerospace Nimrod MR2s will be retired from use. Commemorated during a formal ceremony at RAF Kinloss in Scotland late last week, the occasion will bring to an end 41 years of operations with the Nimrod: a type derived from the world's first jet airliner, the ill-fated de Havilland Comet, which first flew in 1949. Having been selected in 1965 to meet the Ministry of Defence's Operational Requirement 381, the original Hawker Siddeley Nimrod arrived at Kinloss from 1970 in its MR1 guise. The first examples entered frontline use the following year, replacing the RAF's venerable Avro Shackleton. Shortly after entering service, the bulk of the new Nimrods were upgraded to the MR2 standard, with the model beginning activities in 1979. In total, 34 of the original aircraft were modified, while one new-build MR2 was also introduced. The Nimrod's primary responsibility was to provide anti-submarine warfare (ASW) cover for the UK, and to deliver a new long-range search and rescue capability in support of military vessels and commercial shipping. The type was also armed with torpedoes, enabling it to conduct anti-surface warfare missions if required, with a large internal weapons bay. However, this was ordinarily used only to carry emergency equipment, such as life rafts, to be dropped in support of stricken vessels. Powered by four Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans each capable of generating over 12,100lb (55kN) of thrust, the Nimrod had an impressive maximum speed of 500kt (925km/h) and an unrefuelled mission endurance of around 9h. Such characteristics set the "Mighty Hunter" a class apart from its turboprop rivals in the maritime patrol market. The aircraft's design traits were swiftly put to the test, with the Nimrod force soon called upon to support UK forces during the Falklands War of 1982. Rapidly given the ability to be refuelled in flight by the RAF's Handley Page Victor tankers, MR2s supported operations "down south" from Ascension Island in the mid-Atlantic. The Nimrod force's commitment included flying in support of the audacious Black Buck missions conducted by the RAF's Avro Vulcan bombers. In one instance, a Nimrod remained airborne for 18h and 50min - a record feat of endurance that stands to this day for a maritime patrol aircraft. Over the following two decades, the UK's Nimrods demonstrated their operational flexibility, by also serving during coalition campaigns in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. The fleet also received the ability to perform overland surveillance tasks in support of the last two conflicts, transforming the utility of an asset that was facing a reduced submarine threat closer to home. "One of the fantastic things about the MR2 has been its adaptability," says Kinloss station commander Gp Capt Robbie Noel. "The platform has got persistence, a range of different sensors and an extensive communications suite, but you've also got a crew on board. With that number of people you can conduct a number of different tasks concurrently." The period between 2001 and 2009 saw MR2s used to conduct simultaneous activity above Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as contributing to the maritime security mission in support of the USA's Operation Enduring Freedom in the Middle East. They were also still flying ASW, maritime counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics sorties as required in the UK. "That integrity of the UK maritime area consumed a huge amount of energy and effort in hours, from a crew and ground crew perspective," Noel says. Support for the Afghanistan campaign started in October 2001, with MR2s initially serving in a communications rebroadcast role. The aircraft was subsequently equipped with an L-3 Wescam MX-15 electro-optical/infrared surveillance camera under an urgent operational requirement deal. This saw the aged type become a highly valued part of the UK's deployed intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability, despite lacking the datalinks found on more modern platforms. Installed beneath the aircraft's starboard wing, the MX-15 sensor provides images in three formats: wide and narrow electro-optical, and infrared. An operator position for the equipment was placed next to the aircraft's acoustics stations, and includes a moving map function. In Afghanistan, this was used to slew the sensor on to co-ordinates provided by a forward air controller. "The time from information to eyes on target is seconds," says Master Air Crew Keith Treece. "The difference between the Nimrod and a UAV [unmanned air vehicle] is that we can take a liaison officer up with the aircraft to interpret that knowledge," he adds. The modified aircraft were also in the region for the start of the second Gulf War in 2003, when they operated over Iraq's western desert in support of types such as the UK's BAE Systems Harrier GR7s while hunting for Scud missile launchers. Sorties would typically last around 8h, but with tanker support could be extended to 13-14h. Noel says around a quarter of the Nimrod force's personnel were deployed overseas during this time. "We went through a period of intense operational tempo, where every crew and every member of the ground crew deployed at one time or another to the Middle East," he adds. But the sustained high pace of activity with the MR2 eventually took its toll, and on 2 September 2006 aircraft XV230 was lost in Afghanistan following a mid-air explosion that happened shortly after refuelling from an RAF Lockheed TriStar tanker. Fourteen British personnel died in the incident, the largest single loss of life suffered by the UK in Afghanistan since 2001. Originally due to have left service several years before the crash, the Nimrod aircraft came under intense public scrutiny following the publication of a Board of Inquiry report into the accident. This found that a fundamental design flaw with the Nimrod's fuel system, combined with the hastily performed air-to-air refuelling modification made for the Falklands conflict, had combined to destroy VX230. A catastrophic fire broke out as overflowing fuel came into contact with super-heated hot air ducts. The type remained in deployment following the accident, but was no longer allowed to undergo in-flight refuelling. But it was eventually withdrawn from theatre in May 2009 for a fleet-wide safety modification. By now reduced to 11 aircraft, each aircraft in the RAF's inventory received new hot air ducts and some replacement fuel seals under a project worth around £16 million ($23.8 million). Explaining the timing of the withdrawal decision, Noel says: "The reason why you can withdraw MR2 from the order of battle for Operation Herrick [the UK's contribution to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan] is that you've got other platforms that can conduct the same task, and some of them better." Examples include the General Atomics Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, the Raytheon Systems Shadow R1 - a modified Beechcraft King Air 350ER - and the airborne stand-off radar system, using the Sentinel R1 airframe developed from Bombardier's Global Express business jet. "You've got a really potent mix of ISTAR assets that can deploy today that we didn't have when the MR2 was filling the gap," Noel says. Accordingly, Nimrods from Kinloss did not return to the Middle East as planned, and UK defence secretary Bob Ainsworth announced last December that the MR2's removal from service had been accelerated by one year from March 2011. The action was taken in parallel with a decision to delay the introduction of BAE Systems' replacement Nimrod MRA4, in an effort to save money and address a massive hole in the UK's strained defence budget. "The decision to retire MR2 12 months early and to slow the introduction of MRA4 was made so that we can better support those troops on the ground in Afghanistan," says Noel. He describes the decision as a "conscious risk", as UK search and rescue cover will have to be provided by using a mix of RAF Lockheed Martin C-130 transports and Royal Navy AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HM1 helicopters. "There is no doubt at all in my mind that there will be some capability gaps throughout that period of transition," he says. Equally, the removal of the Nimrod MR2 will leave a gap in the UK's ability to monitor submarine movements. "The Russians have been upping the ante recently, but we've been keeping up", notes 120 Sqn Master Air Crew Jake Thackeray, who will soon transition on to the MRA4 in the new role of information manager. The MR2's pedigree as a submarine hunter, which includes the early use of acoustics equipment originally purchased for the long-delayed MRA4, plus Thales's Searchwater radar, has been demonstrated by numerous wins of the international Fincastle Trophy. And in a recent exercise conducted from Sicily with US Navy Lockheed P-3C Orions, the UK aircraft found eight submarines for every one located by their counterparts. The RAF and the USN share a common vision for their next-generation MPA, with both the Nimrod MRA4 and the Boeing 737-based P-8A Poseidon to be honed purely for the anti-submarine mission. With the demands of overland surveillance having taken precedence over the last decade, another UK crew member notes: "Everybody's losing the edge in ASW because they've been operating over the desert." The rundown of the Nimrod MR2 fleet saw the UK's remaining aircraft being operated by 10 crews from the RAF's 120, 201 and 42® squadrons. Many of these personnel are set to soon make the transition to the MRA4, and all three units are expected to remain in existence in support of the new type. With operational use also greatly reduced following the retirement decision, the so-called "depth" maintenance facility for the MR2 at Kinloss has already been closed, with personnel from civilian contractor Cobham having left. Support for the legacy type was delivered at the base under BAE's Nimrod integrated support contract, and Noel praises the way in which this has worked. "One of the great strengths of the Nimrod force has been the relationship with the company," he says. "Like any relationship there will be strains placed upon it, but my commitment, alongside my BAE counterparts, has been to ensure that we see the challenges from each others' perspective, and find that middle ground." Similar in-service support arrangements for the new aircraft are not in place, with "the location of depth maintenance for the MRA4 yet to be determined", he confirms. Noel meanwhile dismisses persistent rumours of a possible relocation of the new fleet to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, noting that such an action would incur prohibitively high costs. "Kinloss is not being mothballed," he says. "We will just be having an enforced slow-down in flying." A lasting memorial to the MR2 force and to those killed while operating the Nimrod is now in place at the Scottish base, with aircraft XV240 having been installed as a gate guardian at the site last September, following its retirement. Like the majority of the remaining fleet, the aircraft had logged more than 19,000 flight hours at the end of its life. Other events to mark the MR2's retirement also included a late March visit to Gibraltar by one of the last examples, and a "round-robin" flight passing over Nimrod-linked sites in the UK before a 26 March ceremony at Kinloss. And several more flights are due to be performed by 42 Sqn personnel following the 31 March deadline, with around six aircraft likely to be delivered to museums around the UK, at a rate of roughly one a week. Although its last MR2s will have been silenced, the Nimrod will carry on in RAF service in the near term, with the R1 electronic intelligence variant to remain operational with its 51 Sqn at Waddington until March 2011. The type will be replaced by three Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joints, ironically derived from the world's second jet airliner, the Boeing 707, from 2014. Historically a low-profile asset, the Nimrod R1 capability became public knowledge after the textbook ditching of aircraft XW666 in the Moray Firth in May 1995 following an engine fire. An MR2, XV249, was converted to replace the lost asset and restore the service's then three-strong fleet of the type. In addition to serving in the maritime patrol aircraft role in the MR1 and MR2 guises for over 40 years, the Nimrod airframe was also adapted for another mission, but with significantly less success. The name Nimrod became synonymous with procurement malaise during the 1980s, when efforts to adapt the type for the airborne early warning mission failed spectacularly. The disastrous Nimrod AEW3 project was finally axed after the UK had spent roughly £1 billion, and the 11 MR1s already converted or allocated for the programme eventually went for scrap. This troubled activity was then followed by the 1996 selection of the "Nimrod 2000" to satisfy the UK's replacement MPA requirement. Later rebranded as the MRA4, the project has suffered lengthy delays and major cost increases, while the size of the intended fleet has fallen from an original commitment for 21 aircraft to just nine. Despite its past problems, the new type is now close to delivering at last, with two production aircraft having flown and the MRA4 due to resume the operational legacy of the UK's "Mighty Hunter" from 2012. NIMROD MARITIME PATROL AIRCRAFT - OVER 40 YEARS OF DUTY 1965 Comet airliner-derived Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR1 selected for UK Operational Requirement 381 1970 First Nimrod MR1 arrives at RAF Kinloss 1971 Nimrod MR1 enters frontline use with RAF 1979 First converted Nimrod MR2, XV236, arrives at RAF Kinloss 1980 Nimrods respond to Alexander Kielland oil rig collapse, which kills 123 people XV256 crashes after suffering multiple birdstrikes on take-off from Kinloss, killing both pilots 1982 Nimrod MR2 makes combat debut during Falklands War, after conversion for in-flight refuelling Endurance record established during 18h 50min sortie 1985 Nimrod locates Virgin Atlantic Challenger after Richard Branson's failed Blue Riband record attempt 1988 Nimrods co-ordinate search and rescue response to Piper Alpha oil rig disaster 1990 Nimrod MR2s deploy to Middle East ahead of first Gulf War with Iraq 1992 Nimrod force starts five-year commitment to enforcing UN sanctions against the former Yugoslavia 1995 Seven-man crew of XV239 lost after it stalls and crashes at Toronto air show 1996 MoD selects Nimrod 2000 for 21-aircraft RMPA requirement, rejecting P-3 Orion-based offer 2001 Nimrod MR2 deployed to support maritime interdiction operations off Iraq 2006 Nimrod supports evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon Fourteen British personnel killed as XV230 explodes over Afghanistan after in-flight refuelling 2009 RAF cuts MR2 fleet from 14 to 11 aircraft Nimrod MR2s withdrawn from overseas operations for safety modifications Nimrod supports deployment of Eurofighter Typhoons to the Falkland Islands Ministry of Defence announces decision to accelerate MR2's retirement by one year 2010 31 March RAF retires last Nimrod MRs after a service career spanning 41 years

Heh, I don't have exact numbers for how many rounds of 5.56mm ball I have in real life (though I am sure it is not enough), let alone virtual ammo. This is just for fun.

Agreed. Sure, I'd be up for that.

I am thinking some series of Tacops scenarios that depict one small part of the the classic WWIII Soviet advance through West Germany, or maybe North Korea, whatever. The background does not particularly matter. The results in each scenario would carry over in some way to what happens in the next scenario. I'd probably prefer to see the live network type of game.

Pete, if you feel enterprising, you could come up with some kind of multi-part campaign that we could play (according as we are available to do so) over a period of time, and then report back here with a series of after action reports. Could be fun.

An old mine certainly is the most politically convenient cause if you want to avoid escalating tensions with the DPRK. They could conduct tests to confirm the type and age of the mine, presumably (assuming it was a mine), but the question remains: would they want to? or if they did, would they want to disclose the true results?

Latest news at BBC News A theory seems to be forming of Cheonan having struck an old mine from the 1950-53 war.

Yeah, could have been any number of things other than hostile action by the DPRK. And, for that matter, if it was hostile action, could have been any number of causes: torpedo, mine, etc. It doesn't sound like they knew it was coming, whatever it was. From BBC News:

A new version of the Harpoon Commander's Edition World Wars Database (HCWW-100326) is now available. Get it in the Downloads section of the HarpGamer website. Ships/MLUs: Alamosa AK - USA Algol AKA - USA Altair (1942) AD - USA Appalachian AGC - USA Arctic AF - USA Arthur Middleton APA - USA Bedford Victory AK - USA Boulder Victory AK - USA Charles Lawrence APD - USA Cimarron (1/1941) AO - USA Cimarron (2/1941) AO - USA Cimarron (1944) AO - USA Cimarron (AO-22/41) AO - USA Crescent City APA - USA Crosley APD - USA Dixie AD - USA Fulton AS - USA General Pope AP - USA Kennebec AO - USA Liberty AK - USA McCawley APA - USA Mount McKinley AGC - USA Navajo ATF - USA Neosho (mid 41) AO - USA Neosho (1942) AO - USA Patapsco AOG - USA Patoka (AO-9/40) AO - USA Patoka (1942) - USA Portunus AGP - USA President Jackson APA - USA Pyro (1942) AE - USA Suamico AO - USA Installations: Roi (Ruotta) - Japan Taroa (Marshalls) - Japan Wotje (Marshalls) - Japan Enjoy.

Appears to have been confirmed as the Po Hang class corvette Cheonan (PCC-772), which would look like this:

Thanks, Pete! Ditto on all of the above. It didn't look good for me for awhile there. M60A3 tanks seem to attract T-80U rounds and Sagger missiles like bees to honey.

Breaking news, folks, doesn't look good ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8589507.stm http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/26/south...h-korea/?hpt=T2 http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2...000100315F.HTML

A CVH is still quite a prize for fast attack craft. Congrats to the Turks!

Success indeed! The Soviets have a nuclear powered aircraft carrier in this scenario? Please do!

From Defense Aerospace Press Release (Source: Romanian Ministry of Defence; issued March 24, 2010) (Issued in Romanian only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com) National Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea presented, during the meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) held on March 23, 2010, a statement on the Multirole Aircraft Program of the Romanian Air Force. Given that Romania does not have the financial resources necessary for the acquisition of new multirole aircraft, CSAT has approved the Defence Ministry’s proposal to acquire 24 used F-16 aircraft. The proposal will be submitted for discussion and approval by the Romanian Parliament. The proposal to purchase F-16 aircraft was made by the Romanian Air Force’s General Staff, and is based on an in-depth analysis of the missions which the aircraft is required to carry out, and on the long-term strategy to integrate the fighter aircraft into this category of forces. Minister Gabriel Oprea also presented CSAT members with information regarding the implications of the retirement, in coming years, of the MiG-21 LanceR fighter aircraft which currently equip the Romanian Air Force. The implementation of the Multirole Aircraft Program is part of the strategic partnership between Romania and the United States of America, and the option to purchase F-16 aircraft is part of the Air Force Staff’s strategy of gradually developing operational capabilities, with the ultimate goal of acquiring the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. In this respect, the strategy set out the following steps: - An initial stage involving the acquisition of 24 used F-16 Block 25 aircraft; - An intermediate stage involving the acquisition of an additional 24, new-build F-16 aircraft of the Block 50-52 version; --A final phase involving the service introduction of 24 F-35 JSF aircraft, which will replace the first batch of F-16 aircraft originally purchased. The F-16 is a multirole aircraft capable of performing missions for the defense of airspace, strike missions against land and sea targets in all weather conditions, by day and night, and reconnaissance missions. Its equipment configuration meets Romania's defense needs and allows the commitments undertaken within NATO. The F-16 is a tactical aircraft whose performance has been tested in combat, and has successfully carried out missions during operations in Iraq, the Western Balkans and Afghanistan. All these technical features and performance at the highest level meet the initial operational requirements of the Romanian Air Force. The purchase of used F-16 aircraft will be subject to an agreement between the governments of Romania and the United States. Project value is approximately US $ 1.3 billion, broken down as follows: 24 refurbished, updated and fully equipped aircraft; technical assistance for a period of 3-5 years; and a logistic support package including flight simulators, training, transport, adaptation of ground infrastructure, ammunition, weapons and administrative costs. Personnel training will be carried out in the United States to U.S. Air Force standards, to achieve the required operational level and the full implementation of this system’s capabilities. The aircraft to be purchased by Romania are in service with the US Air Force, and have a remaining lifetime estimated at 10 to 15 years since (2500 to 3500 flight hours per aircraft.) The first aircraft will arrive in Romania in 2013.

CV32: Love the Strangelove quips ... From Aviation Week's Ares Blog What, Me Worry? - USAF on PAK-FA Posted by Bill Sweetman at 3/24/2010 10:23 AM CDT Solomon reminded me that I hadn't commented on reports of the USAF leadership's view of the Sukhoi T-50, the prototype for the Russian PAK-FA future tactical fighter. That's because at first sight I found the statements unremarkable - but then I realized that, in itself, that is worthy of comment. In the Cold War, you could rely on the Pentagon and the USAF to play up the Soviet threat for all it was worth. The MiG-25? Not only Mach 3 but an agile dogfighter. The Tu-22M Backfire was a B-1 equivalent with the range for strategic attacks against the US. And if you disagreed with the USAF that the nation consequently needed lots of F-15s and B-1s, you were clearly some kind of fluoride-swilling crypto-Commie prevert. There was actually a running fight between the military intelligence agencies and the CIA, which bypassed the Pentagon and took its data to black-program teams within industry. The most public rumpus was over Backfire, where the boss of USAF intelligence tried to force McDonnell Douglas to recant the conclusions of a CIA-contracted team within the company, whose estimates of the bomber's performance were lower and far more accurate than those of Air Force analysts and the Defense Intelligence Agency. So it's ironic to see USAF leaders downplaying the potential of the T-50, as in this report from Air Force Times. “I didn’t see anything … that would cause me to rethink plans for the F-22 or F-35,” Air Force Secretary Michael Donley was quoted as saying. Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Gary North, added: “I guess the greatest flattery is how much they copy you.” Donley's comment, of course, is a demonstration of the Mandy Rice-Davies principle in action: He would say that, wouldn't he? His immediate predecessor was canned for (among other things) expressing incorrect and counter-revolutionary sentiments regarding his boss's F-22/F-35 plan. Gen. North, meanwhile, is falling into the old technical intelligence trap called mirror-imaging: we want the B-1, so the Soviets must want a B-1 as well. The PAK-FA's front end bears a superficial resemblance to the F-22, but its hindquarters could not be more different, and - just for starters - it's a reasonable assessment that the Russian concept of balancing stealth with other requirements is very different from that which informed the F-22 design. I'm not sure that anyone has an accurate assessment of the PAK-FA threat, in terms of timing, numbers and detailed capability - that will depend on how fast the Russia-India relationship can move things forward, which in turn depends on money, as well as on technical resources. But it is pretty clearly a supercruiser, probably a good one, with some unique features that are there to combine speed and high agility without counter-stealthy aerodynamic surfaces all over the place. And had you started thinking about this kind of design in the late 1990s, and if "eating F-35s for breakfast" was on the requirements list, you'd end up with something like T-50. So I'd suggest that writing it off as a me-too F-22 is a bit premature.

Action in the North Atlantic (1943), a movie about a North Atlantic convoy during WWII, with Humphrey Bogart.

From Aviation Week's Ares Blog Sea Sparrow versus Kormoran Posted by Nicholas Fiorenza at 3/22/2010 12:09 PM CDT The Bundeswehr has produced a video of the live firings which took place during Exercise Good Hope IV held between the German and South African navies and air forces on 15 February to 15 March. The film begins with the German task group commander, Capt. Marco von Kölln, saying the Cape of Good Hope is one of only two or three areas where missiles can be tested safely because of the low traffic of what is also known as the Cape of Storms. How stormy the seas are as well as the wind state has to be checked before the firings, the narrator says. The video shows a Tornado of the Luftwaffe's Jagdgeschwader (Fighter Squadron) 32 firing a Kormoran missile which is intercepted by Sea Sparrows, followed by a target drone being engaged by a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM), just missing it. [CV32: Its a pretty good video of the missile intercept.]

Its just for show. I have never seen an operational loadout anywhere like it, and I am doubtful you would see it except under some very unusual circumstances. Those missiles are expensive, and they take abuse every time they are launched from the deck and then recovered again. I am sure no one in the accounting office would like to see 12x missiles subjected to it on a regular basis.

Midway has plenty of warts, but it would be naive to expect too much from a Hollywood production (lest we forget U-571). When Cameron or Jackson or the like announce their intent to do it again, with the latest tech, I will expect to see donations to the $300 million budget.

Heh, I can only wonder where you folks have been. The 'adding land based air to ship formation' option has always been useful for providing direct ASW cover to a ship formation in transit, especially where that formation doesn't have any organic airborne ASW of its own. But what we really want to do is to find a way to permit land based air to perform its own "automatic" ASW search patterns.

So we have a thread about submarine films. How about films depicting aircraft carrier operations? Some of my favorites are: Wing and a Prayer (1944) Tora Tora Tora (1970) Midway (1976) The Final Countdown (1980)

Yes, I enjoyed it very much. I would also recommend Walter Lord's Incredible Victory, and I am now reading Lundstrom's The First Team.