CV32

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in Current Events in the Americas

Are the scen that Tony talked about no more a problem?

I'm referring in particular to the 'DONOTUSE' SAM/AAA entries in the Installations annex that were inserted during the period we were experimenting with mobiles. AFAIK, no scenarios ever used these. The 'DONOTUSE' JDAMs will remain.

One other method that can give some space is to only have generic military units rather than designated ones, like all those "X/Y Bn USMC" rather than only have one "USMC Bn" (Coy, etc.).

These are largely legacy platforms from the EC2003 campaign of scenarios, which rely on these entries for flavour. They won't be changed.

What about those "Not Used" entries (id.:
ID: 51208 ... 51447), can't we use them?

We can certainly utilize any unused ID's that are within the proper limits.

Boeing Rolls Out First KC-767 Tanker

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http://www.defensenews.com

From DefenseNews.com

Boeing Rolls Out First KC-767 Tanker

By TOM KINGTON, ROME

Boeing on Feb. 24 rolled out its first 767 tanker transport aircraft at its Wichita, Kan., plant for its first client, the Italian Air Force.

Italy has ordered four of the KC-767A aircraft and expects to take delivery of the first in 2006, once flight tests and certification are completed, Boeing said in a statement.

Boeing is producing the aircraft at its Everett, Wash., plant before cargo doors and refueling equipment are added in Wichita.

The other three Italian tankers will be converted to tanker transport format by Officine Aeronavali, a unit of Finmeccanica, here.

The second Italian aircraft is due to arrive at Aeronavali for conversion in May, with work completed by the Italian firm by August 2006.

The $849 million purchase of the aircraft, agreed in 2002, covers conversion, five years of logistical support, crew training and spare parts.

Aeronavali’s work forms part of an industrial compensation package for Italy, equal to 100 percent of the purchase price of the aircraft.

Finmeccanica officials previously said they had been offered work supplying kits to convert tankers set to be acquired by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Air Force, although with the U.S. orders now on hold, Boeing could seek other offset work for Finmeccanica to make up the total value required.

Ukraine Missiles Go Missing from Crimea Naval Base

in Current Events in Europe

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http://www.defensenews.com

From DefenseNews.com

Ukraine Defense Minister Aghast At Missile Disappearance

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, KIEV

Ukraine’s defense minister expressed alarm Feb. 24 over the apparent theft of two anti-aircraft missiles and a launch system from a Ukrainian naval base in the Crimean peninsula.

“This is a critical situation for the armed forces, particularly with such a class of weaponry,” the Interfax news agency quoted Defense Minister Anatoly Hrytsenko as saying.

However, Ukrainian navy chief Ihor Kynaz denied any missiles had gone missing, saying it could be a problem of a faulty inventory at the arms depot after the transfer by the Russian Black Sea fleet in Crimea of some weaponry to the Ukrainian fleet.

Guards came across two unidentified persons breaking into a weapons depot near Chernomorskoye, western Crimea, early Feb. 22.

The two escaped, but guards then discovered a depot with a forced padlock from which two missiles stored in containers and a launch system for the Strela-3M portable air defense missile system were missing.

Shrewd Tactics to Defeat Diesel Submarines

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http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/iss...ewd_Tactics.htm

From National Defense Magazine, March 2005 issue

Shrewd Tactics Underpin Navy Strategy to Defeat Diesel Submarines

In preparation for future wars, U.S. ship commanders will be trained to employ unconventional tactics against enemies equipped with diesel submarines.

Navy planners anticipate that adversaries will try to deny U.S. forces access to key strategic coastal areas by deploying quiet diesel-electric submarines. These hard-to-detect boats would make it difficult for U.S. ships to move around freely without exposing themselves to an enemy torpedo shot. For that reason, the U.S. Navy is adopting an entirely new approach to tackling this threat, says Capt. David Yoshihara, who heads the Antisubmarine Warfare Task Force, a group specifically created to help fix the Navy’s current shortfalls in antisubmarine warfare.

A new “concept of operations,” approved in late December by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vernon Clark, makes a drastic departure from the traditional ways of conducting antisubmarine warfare, Yoshihara says in an interview.

Clark views the new concept of operations as a remarkable achievement, because it provides the Navy—for the first time since the end of the Cold War—a guiding document to develop ASW tactics and techniques, Yoshihara explains.

The concept of operations, fundamentally, is built on the notion that U.S. commanders will get accurate information about the location of potential enemy submarines, via a network of miniaturized sensors that will be deployed in strategic coastal areas. The information provided by those sensors, he says, would allow commanders to “see things and gain an understanding before they move in.”

Current ships don’t have access to such intelligence, and primarily rely on massive firepower to defend themselves against enemy submarine strikes.

That defensive stance makes it difficult for U.S. ships to maneuver and gain access to a particular area of operations—especially in coastal waters—close to where U.S. forces may engage in combat. The new concept favors an “offensive posture,” which means that U.S. ships will try to beat the enemy by getting to a contested area faster, before these adversaries have a chance to deploy their submarines.

The sort of speedy response envisioned in the new antisubmarine warfare concept is unprecedented in the U.S. Navy, where ASW occasionally is mocked as “awfully slow warfare,” according to Adm. John Nathman, vice chief of naval operations.

The concept now in place shrinks the response time from months to days, says Yoshihara. The measure of success, in this context, is the ability to “seize the initiative very quickly … To secure the battle space under our terms and conditions.” In short, “we have to be able to enter an area and claim it as our own.”

The previous strategy was “attrition based,” he says. “We were counting on killing more of them than they were able to kill us.” Under the new concept, “We don’t necessarily have to kill submarines. We just have to be able to operate in the environment to our satisfaction.”

Some of the unconventional ASW tactics envisioned for the future are used in other war-fighting disciplines: decoys and deception, information operations and psychological warfare. It comes down to a basic question, Yoshihara says, “How can we influence enemy behavior so we can gain access quickly, and accomplish our mission?”

Navy leaders are confident this strategy will work, Yoshihara says, because it takes into account the real-world experience and the needs of fleet commanders, instead of becoming yet another policy directive written by “a bunch of guys within the Beltway, who get accused, rightfully so, of not fully understanding the fleet.”

An ASW command based in San Diego is responsible for collecting input from the fleet and making sure commanders’ priorities are met, he adds. “They’ll tell us what they believe the fleet needs to fill capability gaps.”

Without that support, Yoshihara says, the new concept of operations likely would be dismissed by fleet commanders as another “Navy staff drill” that fails to grasp the needs of the fleet.

Although Navy officials would not discuss specific scenarios they foresee in future conflicts, they stress their belief that diesel-electric submarines are proliferating around the world and will be used to deny U.S. forces access to coastal areas.

Quiet submarines, for the most part, cannot be detected with the conventional sonar technologies now employed aboard the Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines and surface ships.

Modern diesel boats have advanced propulsion systems that run quietly underwater, as well as coatings that eliminate echoes, says Navy Capt. Curt Stevens, an antisubmarine warfare expert.

But technology alone does not provide the definitive edge, Stevens explains. Sophisticated tactics and training certainly can make up for outdated technology. “We ought to not lose sight that old submarines—even those 20 to 30 years old—can be very capable adversaries,” he says. “A lot may depend on crew training and their doctrine … A low-end submarine with a very capable and competent crew can be potentially a bigger threat than the latest and greatest submarine with a poorly trained and poorly motivated crew.”

For U.S. Navy commanders, the challenge is to counter savvy enemy tactics with speed and instant access to information, says Yoshihara.

U.S. forces engaged in antisubmarine operations cannot just rely on submarines, surface ships and airplanes. They need both waterborne and airborne sensors to collect information around the clock, develop a “common picture of the battle space, and distribute it,” says Nathman.

This goal cannot be achieved, however, until the U.S. Navy and the other services develop and deploy an overarching command-and-control network, Yoshihara says.

The Defense Department has spent billions of dollars on high-tech communications, but there is no joint command-and-control net that integrates all U.S. military assets. “We talk about that a lot,” says Yoshihara. “There is a large gap in our ability to tie everything together.”

Also, the Navy will need sensors that can process information autonomously. There will not be enough bandwidth to move mountains of data from sensors at sea, for example, to human-operated workstations on land or aboard ships. Yoshihara characterized this as a “tough” challenge for technologists.

Another item on the ASW wish list, he says, is a “rapid attack” torpedo that can be guided with pinpoint accuracy.

To better understand what technologies are available in the private sector, the ASW task force plans to issue “broad area announcements” to industry on a regular basis.

Ukraine Missiles Go Missing from Crimea Naval Base

in Current Events in Europe

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Ukraine Missiles Go Missing from Crimea Naval Base

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, KIEV

Two anti-aircraft missiles and a launch system have gone missing from a Ukrainian naval base in the Crimean peninsula, the defense ministry said Feb. 22.

Guards came across two unidentified persons breaking into a weapons depot near Chernomorskoye, western Crimea, early in the morning Feb. 22, a statement said.

The pair escaped, but guards then discovered a depot with a forced padlock from which two missiles stored in containers and a launch system for the Strela-3M portable air defense missile system were missing.

Police were searching for the thieves and a special commission headed by the deputy head of Ukraine’s navy, Igor Matviyenko, had gone to the scene to investigate, the defense ministry said.

Indian Bid for Patriot Missiles Would Cause Crisis

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From http://www.defensenews.com

Indian Bid for Patriot Missiles Would Cause Crisis: Pakistan

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ISLAMABAD

Pakistan said Feb. 23 that any bid by India to buy U.S.-made Patriot missiles would plunge the region into crisis and threaten an ongoing peace process between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said that Islamabad, a front-line ally in what the U.S. calls its “war against terrorism,” had conveyed its concern to Washington over New Delhi’s interest in the anti-ballistic missile system.

“This is our stance — that this step would be counterproductive, this would erode deterrence, that this would send our region into crisis mode,” Khan told a weekly news briefing in the Pakistani capital.

India was reported to have discussed the possibility of buying Patriots during talks on arms deals with the United States this week. The missiles are used for defense against ballistic and cruise missiles and aircraft.

The South Asian neighbors both possess long-range missiles capable of striking deep into each other’s territory and carried out back-to-back nuclear tests in May 1998, but after fighting three wars in the past half-century and returning from the brink of nuclear conflict in 2002, they currently are engaged in 13-month-old peace talks.

Last week, they agreed to start a historic bus service between their portions of the divided Himalayan state of Kashmir.

Khan said if India were allowed to buy Patriots it would spark an “unintended arms race here which nobody wants.”

“It would induce higher risk-taking and this, we think, is not in sync with the goals of peace and security we have here in the region,” Khan added.

He also questioned New Delhi’s motives for wanting Patriots, saying: “India has been pursuing rapprochement with China and a composite dialogue with Pakistan.

“So where is the threat, and what is the threat perception down the road?”

GDM-008 aka Millennium - 35mm naval gun system

in Current Events

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in Current Events in Asia-Pacific

Thanks, Jan. Is this weapon a true CIWS in the class of Phalanx or Goalkeeper ?

First Steel Cut for New NZ Fleet

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in Current Events in Asia-Pacific

Well, sort of. The Air Combat Force was disbanded. A plan to lease 28 American F-16A/B Block 15s was axed in March 2000. They would have replaced the fleet of A-4K Skyhawks that have since been withdrawn from service, together with the MB339C trainers. The 2, 14 and 75 Squadrons that flew them disbanded in late 2001. I think the 17 A-4K/TA-4K Skyhawks were sold to Air Training Systems International (ATSI) in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Aermacchis to the Malaysian Air Force.

Since then, the RNZAF has spent most of its time (and money) upgrading the transport and maritime patrol/recce fleets, that is, the five C-130H Hercules and six P-3K Orions. They also bought a pair of Boeing 757-200s to replace their ageing 727s.

First Steel Cut for New NZ Fleet

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From www.defence-aerospace.com

(Source: Tenix Defence; issued Feb. 22, 2005)

Tenix Defence began cutting steel for the NZ$500m Project Protector naval shipbuilding contract at its Williamstown, Melbourne shipyard today. NZ Secretary of Defence, Mr Graham Fortune, switched on computerised cutting equipment to begin manufacturing plates for two 85m, 1500 tonne Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal New Zealand Navy. The ships are being constructed as part of Royal New Zealand Navy seven-ship order, which includes four 55m Inshore Patrol Vessels and a 131m Multi-Role Vessel, as well as the Offshore Patrol Vessels. Tenix Defence CEO Robert Salteri said the ceremony at Williamstown underlined the skills and capabilities developed by Tenix Defence and its suppliers and subcontractors in Australia and New Zealand. "Tenix Defence won the Project Protector contract last year in global competition, against shipbuilders from the UK, the Netherlands, Singapore and Germany," Mr Salteri said. "This followed our successes first with completing two FFG frigates for the Royal Australian Navy, then the 10 ANZAC frigates for the Australian and New Zealand navies. "Tenix has assembled a team with the world class skills to take on competitors from the leading shipbuilding nations, winning major domestic and export orders and providing jobs, wealth and training," Mr Salteri said. The seven ships are being built at three locations:

--The Multi-Role Vessel is being built in the Netherlands, with final fit-out at Williamstown.

--The Offshore Patrol Vessels will utilise the modular construction method used with the ANZAC frigates. Modules will be built at Williamstown and the Tenix facility at Whangarei in New Zealand, and the ships will be consolidated and launched at Williamstown.

--The Inshore Patrol Vessels will be constructed entirely at Whangarei.

Congratulations & Good Luck

in General

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February 22, 200521 yr

Thanks, Eugene. Much appreciated.

While perhaps Harpoon is "just a game" at its core, I sometimes wonder whether it might be better described as a phenomenon. We will be working hard to ensure that the "very best" of what makes Harpoon so great happens here.

WarfareHQ.com

in Current Events

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February 22, 200521 yr

The War-Forums have a great Harpoon section (and a great moderator ), but also plenty of other discussion on other war games/sims. Some of them, like TacOps, have been used in complementary fashion with Harpoon to stage some pretty amazing PBEM (play by e-mail) and MBX (Mail Battle Exercise) war games.

HCDB: New Version Release Announcements

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February 21, 200521 yr

An easy addition would be the Type 206 subs U-13 to U-30. They are nearly the same as the U-206As but with AN-104A4 sonar (3 nm range) and DM-1 torpedoes. Also the Dutch Potvis could go there.

Hi, JMS. Welcome to HarpGamer.

Fortunately, there is still plenty of room for new submarines in the HCDB.

I will look at your suggestions. Thanks for the source too; that's always appreciated.

HCDB: New Version Release Announcements

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February 21, 200521 yr

Can u specify what are exactly "some clean-up being done in that annex" plesae?

Hi Jan,

Welcome to HarpGamer.

Regarding the "clean-up" in the Installations Annex, you may recall that we exceeded the maximum allowable number of entries in that annex (approx 2,000) some time ago. The entries over and above that limit, which did not appear in the GE/SE in any event, have now been deleted. This should correct a problem with export hang-ups that some were experiencing. Also, there are a number of "DONOTUSE" entries, mostly SAM/AAA installations, which will be deleted in due course and replaced. These had been added when the code team was still experimenting with the introduction of mobile platforms.

About installations types, a generic civilian nuclear facilty, a basic power facility, a generic railroad station maybe.

I think the nuclear facility and power station already exist in one form or another (though they may need re-naming), and I will look at these. A generic railway station or railyard is a good idea, and I will take that one under advisement.

Thanks again for your continuing input.

HCDB: New Version Release Announcements