CV32

From DefenseNews NATO Chief Says Door Open to Ukraine By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, TOKYO NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said April 4 that the trans-Atlantic alliance had “an open door policy” for Ukraine, where pro-Western reformers toppled the pro-Russian regime last year. “If Ukraine has this ambition, my answer is NATO has an open door policy,” De Hoop Scheffer told a press conference in Japan, the final destination in a nine-day tour that also took him to Australia and New Zealand. “If Ukraine voices ambition to become a NATO member, NATO would take that ambition very seriously,” he said. “NATO is a performance-based organization. Ukraine is a distinctive partner of NATO. We will soon discuss this with Foreign Minister (Boris) Tarasyuk of Ukraine.” Pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko has urged both NATO and the European Union to open their doors to Ukraine to counter-balance the strong influence that Russia has long held over his country. However, Yushchenko has also been cautious about a sudden move, telling AFP in a February interview that Ukrainian society was not ready to be part of an alliance vilified for decades by Ukraine’s leaders as an instrument of U.S. imperialism. A February opinion survey in Ukraine showed nearly half — 48 percent — of voters would reject membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with only 15 percent in favor and 36 percent undecided. Yushchenko led mass protests last November in the “Orange Revolution” after a fraud-plagued presidential election was initially won by the pro-Russia candidate.

From DefenseNews Pakistan To Buy Four Warships from China By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ISLAMABAD Pakistan will buy four frigates for its navy from long-time ally China, the defense ministry said April 4, ahead of a visit by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. “Pakistan and China have signed four contracts for the construction of four F-22P frigate ships for Pakistan Navy,” a Pakistani defense ministry statement said. The frigates will be equipped with anti-submarine helicopters, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and other defense systems, the statement added. “These ships, after construction, will be inducted into Pakistan Navy which would not only enhance the operational capabilities of Pakistan Navy, but will also make impregnable the seaward defense of Pakistan,” it said. The statement did not say how much Pakistan would pay China or how long it would take to build the four warships. The contracts were signed by Pakistan defense production secretary Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai and a senior Chinese official in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, the defense ministry statement said. China is Pakistan’s strongest ally and Islamabad relies heavily on Beijing for its defense needs. Many Chinese companies operate in Pakistan and China is involved in the construction of a deep-sea port at Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. China’s Wen arrives in Pakistan on April 5 for a three-day visit.

From DefenseNews Germany Stands Firm on Lifting China Arms Embargo By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BERLIN German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in an interview released March 30 that he has no plans to drop his support for the lifting of a European Union arms embargo on China. “I have no intention of changing” my position, he said, as quoted in Die Zeit weekly. Schroeder’s ruling Social Democrats and their junior coalition partners, the Greens, disagree over whether the ban should be lifted on China, which is one of Germany’s major trading partners. Most of parliament opposes his stance and the conservative opposition has also urged him to change tack. His comments come after it emerged that EU members are unlikely to reach agreement on lifting the embargo, which was imposed after the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy students in Beijing, by the end of June as previously expected. The EU had agreed in December to the principle of ending the ban. The members planned to compensate for lifting it by beefing up a self-imposed code of conduct, designed to prevent the sale of certain types of weapons or technology which could be used for non-defense purposes. But support for the move has waned since the Chinese parliament on March 14 passed a controversial anti-secession law, which authorizes the use of military force against Taiwan if the island moves toward formal independence. The United States opposes lifting the ban. It fears being drawn into a conflict if a better-armed China were to take military action against Taiwan. Schroeder said the EU embargo was imposed only because of the pro-democracy crackdown and not any aggressive wider military policy on China’s part. “Almost 16 years have gone by, I am counting on a shift toward more freedom” in the country, he told Die Zeit, which goes on sale March 30.

From DefenseNews EU3 Mull Compromise in Iran Nuke Talks, Diplomats Say By LOUIS CHARBONNEAU, REUTERS, VIENNA France, Britain and Germany are considering letting Iran keep nuclear technology that could be used to make bombs, an apparent move towards a compromise with Tehran, diplomats said March 30. However, they said such a step would lead to a clash with Washington, which has backed European Union talks with Iran on condition Tehran permanently renounce all activities that could produce nuclear fuel. Sharing U.S. suspicions that Tehran may be planning to develop nuclear arms, the EU trio has offered Iran political and economic incentives to scrap its uranium enrichment program, which can produce reactor fuel but also give Tehran the capability to make bomb-grade material. The EU had previously said nothing short of dismantling the project would convince it that Iran does not want nuclear weapons, but diplomats said it was now considering letting Iran keep a limited enrichment program. “The Iranians have been offering this for a long time. What’s new is that the EU is thinking about it,” a diplomat with access to the negotiations said. Iran has repeatedly said it will never give up its uranium enrichment program, part of sensitive nuclear work it has frozen while talks with the EU continue. It says its nuclear program is aimed solely at producing electricity. At talks in Paris last week, both sides deferred discussion of Iran’s suggestion that it be allowed to keep 500 centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium, diplomats said. This would be too small for arms-related enrichment and would be closely watched by the International Atomic Energy Agency, experts say. “The EU has not said ‘yes,’ but has not said ‘no,’” the diplomat said. The uranium would be enriched so that it contained no more than 3.5 percent of the uranium-235 atom. Bomb-grade uranium needs to be about 90 percent U-235. Other diplomats confirmed the EU was considering Iran’s proposal, but emphasized this did not mean they would accept it. “The ideas they (Iran) came up with were not really acceptable, but we have said we will get back to them,” said a diplomat from the EU trio. Informal talks between the two sides have been tentatively scheduled for April 29 in London, diplomats said, in addition to lower-level discussions beforehand in Geneva. However, an EU diplomat close to the talks said Washington would oppose the EU agreeing to Iran’s proposal. “We can talk about a pilot enrichment plant, but our hands are tied. We’d lose the Americans if we agreed to it,” he said. Washington’s support is vital to incentives offered to Iran such as beginning talks on joining the World Trade Organization and allowing Tehran to buy commercial aircraft spare parts. One diplomat said the EU trio was divided on whether a compromise over enrichment would be acceptable, with France prepared to permit it, Britain strongly opposed and Germany between the two. EU willingness to consider a compromise could be an attempt to boost support within Iran for those who favor engagement with the EU, ahead of June’s presidential election. “Even discussing this with the EU is considered a victory for the Iranians,” one diplomat said.

Yeah, you're right. I did misunderstand. In any event, the enemy AI can do a lot of nasty stuff that I wouldn't venture to try and explain. It doesn't combine groups, afaik, but I could be wrong.

The unit of measure is the kilogram (kg). If you click on the fuel field, and then look to the bottom left hand corner of the screen (right above your Start button if you're using Windows), you should see the "kg" symbol. The unit of measure will appear here for the other various fields as well. There's another equally likely possibility: that the value you see is just wrong. The HCDB does not claim to be the ultimate, coolest, best, super-ultra-accurate, uber-realistic database available. IMHO, no such creature exists, and the simple truth that databases such as these must constantly be updated, fixed, adjusted, and re-released is simple evidence of that very fact. That said, the principal source for the values you see in the HCDB is Harpoon 4/4.1 (the paper rules and the data annexes). When I can't find H4.1 info, I look to other authoritative sources, which can vary widely. Sometimes its necessary, for example, to take a source for fuel capacity thats given in liters or pounds and convert it to kilos.

No, the AI will not perform this kind of micro management of your own assets. Unless, of course, you set up separate groups; calculate navigational waypoints that will achieve proper time on target; etc. If you want to do this, you might need the pen and paper.

Yes, if you have aircraft in the same group with different types of loadouts and weapons, then they will want to engage the target at different ranges. You will need to have them in separate groups at this time (which I usually do), or else really micro-manage them. Keeping them in the group will mean that those aircraft that just expended their standoff weapons will have to close the distance alongside those aircraft with the shorter ranged stuff, and thus unnecessarily put themselves in harms' way. Yeah. Its unpleasant to launch a cruise missile that then travels at a slower speed than your launching aircraft. You really need to micro manage at this point. Rather than just ordering a group to attack, and trusting them to do the rest (and potentially running into the problems you've described above), I usually set a navigation course that brings my aircraft within range of their weapons and micro-manage. Occasionally, I will use it to achieve simultaneous time over target strikes when flying several groups from different directions against the same target(s). On the fly.

Hi Pete. Great question. You might recall that with the old ECM model, you had to group your strikers and/or escorts with an electronic warfare platform (eg. the EA-6B Prowler or EF-111 Raven) in order to gain benefit from the jamming. The resulting general effect was to reduce the detection range of an enemy radar against your particular group. I think you will find this to have changed with the new ECM model. You don't need to group your strikers or escorts with the EW platform. As long as your jammer (eg. EA-6B) is nearby and has its sensors energized, you will benefit from the jamming effect. (Ideally, I would like the code to permit me to energize the jammers separately from the other sensors, but this is a minor point). Now, that said, there may be a side benefit to grouping your strikers, escorts and jammers together while enroute to a target. The principal benefit, as I see it, is that the group will travel at the same speed (thereby reducing time over target calculation problems) and appear as a single symbol, improving "clickology" . Once you reach your IP, in the area of the target, you can ungroup or separate the various aircraft again. For example, split off the SEAD aircraft to blast the radars while the strikers (carrying the heavy stuff, like JDAM) follow behind. All the while, your Prowler can orbit at a safe distance, jamming the krap out of the enemy radars. I certainly wouldn't advocate sending the Prowler (or even the SEAD platforms, if you can avoid it) into harm's way (ie. close to the target) with the other strikers. When the strike is complete, you can group all of them together again for the transit home if you like. These kind of tactics posts/discussions are great stuff. Keep em coming.

From DefenseNews Admiral: Capability More Vital for U.S. Navy Than Numbers By ANDREW SCUTRO The U.S. Navy does not need to be larger, just more able, said Vice Adm. Joe Sestak, deputy chief of naval operations for warfare requirements, at the Navy League’s March 22-24 Sea Air Space expo in Washington. Sestak said the Navy plans to fight as a smaller, more concentrated joint network to meet the demands of carrying on the potentially endless global war on terror, fighting a large-scale conventional war and reacting to other contingencies. “Our Navy of the future is not measured in numbers of ships,” he told a seminar on force projection. “It’s measured in capabilities against specific threats.” Expert: Delay DD(X) The U.S. Navy should delay building the destroyer of the future, said a naval analyst. Robert Work, of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, thinks highly of the DD(X), the Navy’s multimission warship now under design, saying he’d “buy them by the bushel” if the money was available. But Work told a packed auditorium that the United States is so far ahead of all other potential competitors that it might be wise to slow down on DD(X), especially now whenbudgets are so tight and the average cost of a new warship tops $1.4 billion. Speaking after the seminar, Work said the most likely future peer, China, will not catch up to the Navy’s capabilities for 20 years. The Chinese are working through a vertical-launch missile system that the United States has employed for years, he said, and the U.S. Navy should use its wide technological lead to design the ship the nation needs, not simply the next most advanced ship. “Let us try to figure out what this next surface combatant will be,” he said. “If it turns out to be the DD(X), build it.” Conway Cites Iraq Progress After serving two tours in Iraq, Marine Lt. Gen. James Conway offered an upbeat assessment of progress there, although the Iraqi public would like nothing more than reliable electricity. Conway, who directs operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commanded I Marine Expeditionary Force during the 2003 invasion. Speaking at a seminar on the war on terrorism — along with Vice Adm. John Morgan, deputy chief of naval operations for information, plans and strategy, and Coast Guard Rear Adm. Dennis Sirois, assistant commandant for operations — Conway said three recent polls of Iraqis put reliable electricity as their most important concern. It ranked before fuel availability, establishing a national government and even maintaining law and order. “As soon as this nonsense has passed, their quality of life can go up dramatically,” he said. Before the invasion of Iraq, Conway said the Marines thought back to Sept. 11, 2001, and were willing to take action in the Middle East if it meant preventing another terrorist attack at home. “We thought, that’s why we were there,” he said. “We believed it then, and we believe it even stronger now.”

H4.1 does identify a French six barrel 375mm ASW mortar known as the Model 1964 (also the Model 1973). Could this be it ? In any event, the performance specifications (in H4.1 terms at least) are identical to that of the Bofors 375mm. As for the 0.50 cal MGs, you will still have two mounts able to fire in any given direction, so the difference will be negligible. And I don't recall the last time I had to rely on the 0.50 cal MG for defence closer than 0.5 to 0.8 nm.

H4.1 is my primary source, and supersedes wherever the data you provided clashes with H4.1. This applies to the maximum speed and the Bofors ASW mortar. Regarding the latter, H4.1 identifies three different types of Bofors ASW mortar, with 2, 4 and 6 tubes respectively. With respect to the 0.50 cal MG, I have chosen to add two of the 360-degree arc 0.50 cal MG mounts rather than 5 separate mounts. This should provide the same effect without too much clutter in the Mounts fields. After all, an aircraft carrier could probably mount dozens of similar "mounts" if the small arms locker were opened up, but it would hopelessly clutter the Mounts fields. P.S. The Raytheon radar apparently used to be the TM1645/9X.

A new version of the Harpoon Classic Gold Database (HCDB-050327) is available. Get it at HarpGamer.com via the DB Share button. New additions include: PTM Houdong - Iran TEL HY-1A SSM Battery - INTL TEL HY-2G SSM Battery - INTL TEL HY-4 SSM Battery - INTL PTM Kaman (early) - Iran PTM Kaman (late) - Iran Lafayette (mod) - France CH-53E Super Stallion - USA P-3B Orion - INTL Enjoy.

From BBC News 26 March 1979: Israel and Egypt have ended 30 years of war with an historic peace treaty brokered by the United States. The ceremony on the White House lawn in Washington was broadcast live on television. The two leaders sealed the deal with a firm handshake, watched by a smiling President Jimmy Carter. More here

From DefenseNews U.S. To Sell F-16 Fighters to Pakistan By P. PARAMESWARAN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The United States on March 25 announced plans to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, despite objections from Islamabad’s nuclear rival India. The sale was part of a new strategic approach to the troubled subcontinent that was presented to both countries by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her visit there earlier this month, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. President George W. Bush telephoned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 25 to inform him of the decision, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Singh expressed to Bush his “great disappointment,” saying it could have “negative consequences” for India’s security, according to the Indian leader’s spokesman, Sanjaya Baru. But the U.S. official said “we don’t see any impact on the relevant military balances in the region.” The sale was to make Pakistan more secure, the official said. “It’s in the interest of India, Pakistan and the United States that Pakistan feels secure.” Pakistan, which has become a major ally of the United States in its war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, said it would buy the latest version of the F-16. “We welcome this good gesture and it shows good friendship between Pakistan and the United States,” Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told Agence France-Presse in Islamabad. The U.S. official said that although the number of F-16’s offered to Pakistan would be “relatively small, there is no set limit on what the United States is going to be willing to sell.” U.S. officials said Congress was notified March 25 of the sale to Pakistan, which already has such combat aircraft. Islamabad reportedly wants to buy as many as 25 additional units. It has been seeking additional multi-role fighter jets since 1990 when a deal for 40 such planes fell through because of U.S. concerns about the country’s nuclear program. But relations between the United States and Pakistan warmed up after Islamabad helped the Americans topple the hard-line Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001. Bush explained to Singh on March 25 that “his decision to move forward on the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, as well as responding to India’s request for information on the provision of multi-role combat aircraft for India,” Perino said. India is considering buying combat aircraft “on a scale very large” and the United States was ready to boost defense cooperation with India, including the sale of F-16s, F-18s or other aircraft, the anonymous U.S. official said. It is believed India was eyeing a variety of aircraft, including Lockheed Martin’s F-16s, France’s Dassault Aviation’s Mirage jet fighters, Swedish-made Gripen fighters and the Russian MiG range, made by Mikoyan-Gurevich. Bush, who was spending the week on his ranch near Crawford, Texas, also discussed with Singh U.S.-Indian relations more broadly, including “the next steps in enhancing our expanding strategic partnership,” the White House said. Washington is willing to work with New Delhi in other ways, including defense co-production and technology licensing, and covering areas such as command and control, early warning systems and missile defense, according to the U.S. official. “Pakistan has been a valuable ally in the war against terrorism, as has India, and I strongly support U.S. arms sales that contribute to that effort,” Democratic Representative Tom Lantos said. “If the reports are correct, I would support the concurrent sale of F-16 aircraft to both countries, which should not undermine stability in the region.” India says however that arming Pakistan with the sophisticated warplanes would upset the military balance in the region and cast a shadow over the slow dialogue process under way between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Relations between the South Asian rivals have warmed since the peace process was launched in January last year, with both sides making a series of matching moves to boost communication links and people-to-people contacts. The most visible sign of improvement in the relationship is their agreement last month to restart a bus service linking the two zones of Kashmir that each country occupies. The thorny issue of divided Kashmir caused two of the three wars between India and Pakistan and brought them close to a fourth war in 2002.

From Defence Aerospace Chinese Military Buildup Causes US Concern (Source: Voice of America news; issued March 23, 2005) WASHINGTON --- Two developments are focusing renewed attention and concern in Washington toward China's military buildup. Earlier this month, China's legislature passed a law authorizing military action to take control of Taiwan, if it moves toward independence or if all other efforts at reunification fail. And at the same time, the European Union wants to lift its arms embargo against China, which was imposed after the Tiananmen massacre in 1989. A recent report prepared for the U.S. Defense Department says China is proceeding with a substantial military buildup, leading some experts to worry that 25 years after starting its economic reforms, China may soon have the means to project military power in new and, from the U.S. point of view, potentially dangerous ways. According to the report issued by the Defense Department in November and made public in January, China has built a series of facilities and strategic relationships stretching to the south and west from its own coastal waters. The facilities and relationships involve Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The report, prepared by a consulting firm for the office of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, says the primary goals of China's strategy are to protect the sea lanes through which much of its oil travels and to build its capability for a possible confrontation with Taiwan. The report says China is working to make its navy capable of operating farther from Chinese shores, putting long-range cruise missiles on its new warships, building up its submarine fleet and developing modern undersea mine systems to help it take control of strategic areas of open water. The Pentagon report also says China is building its air force with new long-range targeting systems and unmanned aircraft. In addition, the New York Times reported this month that recent intelligence reports indicate China has conducted an ambitious ship-building program, including 23 new amphibious assault ships that could land troops and heavy equipment on Taiwan, and 13 new attack submarines that could limit the United States' ability to come to the island's aid in any conflict. In recent testimony to a congressional committee, the new director of the CIA, Porter Goss, acknowledged that China's military buildup could "tilt the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait." "Beijing's military modernization and military buildup, which I know have not gone unnoticed by this committee, are posing new questions for us," he said. "Improved Chinese capabilities seemingly threaten U.S. forces in the region. China's recent legislation on anti-secession speaks for itself." The head of the Defense Department's intelligence agency, Vice Admiral Lowell Jacoby, agreed that China's continuing missile buildup would threaten not only Taiwan but also other military facilities in Asia, including those of the United States. The admiral also said China's ability to launch nuclear warheads against U.S. territory will increase 700 percent in the next 10 years. "Many nations are modernizing and expanding their ballistic missile systems, and they are a key part of China's military modernization program," he said. "China continues to modernize its forces across a broad range of conventional and missile capabilities. And also those kinds of capabilities that allow them to coordinate the efforts of their military in a more sophisticated way than previously existed are a concern also." China says its military buildup is not directed at any other nation. But it has toughened its rhetoric on Taiwan in recent months, and has passed a law threatening to use force to bring the island under its control. All this leads some China experts, like Peter Brooks of the Heritage Foundation, to conclude that China's efforts to build its military have profound implications for the balance of power in the region. "China seeks to develop a military that can deter, delay or deny American intervention in the Pacific, especially over the issue of Taiwan," he said. Mr. Brooks told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee China is seeking all types of weaponry, and especially high-technology communications gear that can make its existing forces more effective. "Chinese military modernization priorities center around power projection capabilities - submarines, surface combatants [ships], tactical air power and air defense, ballistic and cruise missiles, overhead satellites and space programs, information warfare, psychological operations, as well as doctrinal improvements for fostering joint operations, military operations, based on their observation of such things as Operation Iraqi Freedom," he added. After repeated requests, the Defense Department and the U.S. Pacific Command declined to comment on the record on China's military buildup. But senior department officials, who requested anonymity, agreed that China has been involved in a substantial upgrade of its capabilities, particularly in the last five years. The officials say during that time China has more than doubled its official annual military budget to $30 billion. And the officials indicated China's real military spending is even higher. China's two-and-a-half million member military has long been thought of as out of date in its equipment, strategies and tactics, and relatively ineffective as a result. But the U.S. defense officials who spoke this month say China is working hard to change that, and is closely watching the U.S. military campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere to gain a better understanding of how modern militaries are organized and how modern wars are fought. The officials say that is one reason the United States is so concerned about the European Union's plan to lift its arms embargo against China, a move U.S. officials say will speed China's military modernization and potentially endanger China's neighbors and U.S. forces in the Pacific.

From DefenseNews U.S. Navy Lays Out 30-Year Fleet Plan By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS The U.S. Navy plans to operate 11 aircraft carriers for the next quarter century, according to a new 30-year force structure plan sent to Congress on March 23. A copy of the report was obtained by DefenseNews.com. The plan also shows the service hopes to build up to a dozen of the new DD(X) destroyers — currently estimated to cost about $3 billion a copy — and up to 18 CG(X) cruisers, a derivative of the DD(X) devoted to ballistic missile defense. The plan, signed by Navy Secretary Gordon England, is described as an “interim report” on ship levels through fiscal 2035. England, in letters to Congress obtained by DefenseNews.com, said a “final detailed report” will be available this summer that will “more thoroughly address build rates with regard to important issues such as fiscal constraints, industrial base and Global War on Terrorism challenges.” The Navy prepared two plans: one for a fleet of 325 ships, another for a smaller fleet of 260 ships. The range of numbers reflects the unknown outcome of new technologies, manning concepts and forward-basing requirements, Adm. Vern Clark, chief of naval operations, explained in congressional testimony last month. Key elements of the new force structure plan include: • Attack submarines: The Navy plans to maintain a fleet of between 41 and 45 nuclear attack submarines, including four SSGN cruise missile conversions. • DD(X)/CG(X): The plan calls for eight to 12 DD(X) destroyers by 2035, along with 15 to 18 CG(X) cruisers. • LCS: The plan shows 63 to 82 Littoral Combat Ships by 2035. • Sea Basing: The plan calls for 19 to 25 Sea Base ships by 2035, including 14-20 Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future) ships. Both the big and little fleets call for two High Speed Sealift ships and three connector ships to shuttle between the ships and forces ashore.

From Air Force Times Hickam to get warfighting headquarters By Nicole Gaudiano Times staff writer A new warfighting headquarters will activate at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, in May, and 13th Air Force, currently assigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, will relocate to form its core. The moves are part of the Air Force’s plan to establish a continuously operating network of 10 warfighting headquarters to support geographic and functional combatant commanders. The new Hickam-based headquarters will include functional experts and an Air and Space Operations Center capable of command and control operations 24-hours a day, year round. Officials said that 77 jobs will move from Andersen to Hickam, but that the change does not alter plans for major infrastructure improvements in Guam. “This in no way signals a change in the importance that PACAF places on Andersen,” Gen. Paul V. Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander, said in a March 22 announcement. The new warfighting headquarters will focus exclusively on planning and executing military operations in the Pacific, with the exception of the Korean Peninsula, while Headquarters Pacific Air Forces will continue to focus on the daily management of Air Force facilities. PACAF spokesman Capt. David Faggard said one lesson learned from the Dec. 26 Tsunami was that the joint forces concept — with the joint forces air component commander at Hickam — worked well. Having an established warfighting headquarters “is going to reduce the amount of time to build the command and control element to a joint task force in times of crisis, in times of humanitarian responses,” he said. PACAF is calling the headquarters “provisional” for now, because it is an interim step until office space is coordinated and permanent staff arrives. The commander will be a three-star general, but no nomination has yet been made. “Reorganization is never easy, but the men and women assigned to 13th Air Force are working hard to ensure the transitions are as smooth as possible for the affected families,” said Maj. Gen. Edward Rice Jr., commander of 13th Air Force.

From Defence Aerospace MH-60R Weapons System Successfully Completes Technical Evaluation (Source: Lockheed Martin; issued March 22, 2005) OWEGO, N.Y. --- Subsurface and surface warfare systems developed for the U.S. Navy's MH-60R helicopter by prime systems integrator Lockheed Martin have successfully completed Technical Evaluation, clearing the way for Operational Evaluation and fleet introduction later this year. The next-generation helicopter weapons system will help protect U.S. Navy fleets from submarines and surface vessels well into the 21st century. The aircraft entered Technical Evaluation (TECHEVAL) two months ahead of schedule in August 2004, with U.S. Navy test teams completing their evaluation February 15. The MH-60R program will now begin the final milestone -- Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) -- in May. Delivery of the first four helicopters to the fleet is scheduled for December. "TECHEVAL involved the most intense evaluation of the MH-60R aircraft's developmental and early operational capabilities," said Jeff Bantle, vice president of Multi-Mission Solutions at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration -- Owego. "Completion of this important milestone is a key accomplishment, and affirms the tremendous capability that the Romeo will bring to the fleet as the world's most technologically advanced naval warfare helicopter." TECHEVAL verified performance of the MH-60R's systems against technical parameters established by the Navy. "We met, and in most cases exceeded, all 43 technical parameters on the U.S. government's most rigorous testing ranges," said Bantle. "The high-quality results represent an order-of-magnitude capability over current legacy aircraft. We are very excited the weapons system is on the verge of being delivered to the fleet." During TECHEVAL, the Navy's HX-21 and VX-1 squadrons simultaneously tested the operational and development performance of all on-board weapons subsystems, with specific attention focused on the multimode radar, electronic support measures (ESM) and radar warning receiver, airborne dipping sonar and acoustics, and the fusion of multiple data sources to reduce operator workload. A total of 630 flight test hours were conducted at four test ranges: ESM tests at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, CA, and at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Radar tests were conducted at the Southern California Off-shore Range near San Clemente Island, CA. Periscope detection and subsurface tests were successfully conducted against two Navy submarines during the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) trials in the Caribbean in January and early February 2005. Additional system testing was conducted at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, MD. Lockheed Martin is the systems integrator for the MH-60R, and also provides the digital cockpit, which is common to all MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters. Sikorsky designs and manufactures the MH-60S and MH-60R aircraft and is responsible for the mechanical and electrical modifications on the airframe. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

From DefenseNews Russian Aircraft Carrier On Its Way to North Atlantic By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, MOSCOW The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov left the port of Murmansk on March 23 to carry out military exercises in the north Atlantic, Russian news reports said. “For two weeks, the Admiral Kuznetsov will implement a series of military exercises involving the airplanes on board,” ITAR-TASS quoted the Russian Navy chief-of-command as saying. More than 40 takeoffs are scheduled to take place during the exercises. The Admiral Kuznetsov went into active service in 1993. It is 302 meters long, weighs 55,000 tons, can reach a speed of 30 knots and can carry up to 36 planes, 16 helicopters and 1,960 men. The aircraft carrier last went into the open sea in November 2004.

Tony put me on to this great site (of the same type): TerraServer.com

From DefenseNews India To Build Aircraft Carrier to Own Design By ELIZABETH ROCHE, NEW DELHI India next month will begin building an indigenously designed aircraft carrier that will tap Italian expertise and take eight years to complete, a senior naval officer announced March 22. The carrier is designed to operate a mix of Russian MiG-29K and Kamov 31 anti-submarine helicopters and the naval variant of India’s light combat aircraft, said Vice Admiral Yashwant Prasad, the vice chief of naval staff. Construction of the 37,500-ton ship which would carry a maximum of 30 fighter aircraft will start April 11 at Cochin Shipyard in the southern state of Kerala. It will be ready for delivery in 2012, Prasad told reporters in New Delhi. The 252-meter-long (831 feet) carrier will have a top speed of 28 knots and will carry 160 officers and 1,400 sailors, he added. It will have two runways with 200-meter-long ski jumps and a landing deck. The ship will be powered by four gas turbines and will have an endurance of 7,500 nautical miles, making it capable of voyages of more than 45 days at a stretch. Only five other countries operate aircraft carriers; China, the United States, France, Russia and Britain. The Indian government sanctioned 32 billion rupees ($700 million) in 2003 for the project, Prasad said. The vessel was designed by the Indian navy but the technical assistance of Italian firm Fincantieri will be used during construction, Prasad said. Fincantieri will help Cochin Shipyard integrate the main propulsion system and other specialized tasks, a naval officer said. The construction of the ship will give the Indian navy the punch it needs to turn it into a “blue water navy,” he added. The Indian Navy has had two aircraft carriers but it currently operates only the INS Viraat after the INS Vikrant was decommissioned in January 1997. Last year India signed a 1.5-billion-dollar deal with Russia for a 40,000-ton aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, which is slated to join the Indian navy in 2008 after a refit. Prasad said the construction of the Indian ship had been slowed by the non-availability of steel with the specifications required to build an aircraft carrier. “The project was delayed because there was a problem of procuring the steel from Russia,” he said. “But now, we have finally got the steel of higher specifications from Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). The steel from SAIL is perhaps of better specifications than Russian steel,” he said. Prasad said the navy had yet to identify the weapons systems to be deployed on the carrier. “The carrier will be ready in 2012. If we identify the systems now, it will become obsolete by the time the ship is ready,” a naval official said. Besides the aircraft carrier, India is also building 19 vessels including frigates and corvettes, Prasad said.

Roger.

I've seen plenty of references to the fact that the forward hull has the capacity to accommodate the 8 cell Sylver VLS, but has the launcher actually been installed ? Perhaps on only some of the class ? I can't find any confirmation of this.

It does, indeed. I've implemented most of this. Regarding the Otomat Teseo Mk 3 launchers, please note that ID # 60504 already models a pair of quad launchers.