CV32

Fired this up again after a long hiatus. This game has great playability (feels a lot like Harpoon in that respect), but there are still a few things that leave me puzzled. I still can't get mine clearing to work. Admittedly I might be missing something but I established a zone, set up a mine clearing mission, and added an MH-53E to it, but it is either the worst performing asset ever or the mines are magically invisible. Still not convinced about the terrain model and the performance of sensors (like radar) versus terrain. There still seem to be instances where radar penetrates terrain. Refueling aircraft seem to be capable of giving away too much fuel and then lacking sufficient fuel themselves to RTB. Lost a KC-130 this way. Enemy SAMs (not my own, lol) seem to have an uncanny ability to intercept and destroy high speed and stealthy weapons at standoff ranges. Looks like they are backing up their brochure claims.

India Drops Plans to Add 3 More French Stealth Attack Submarines (The Diplomat)

Iran has not deployed S-300 to Fordow as claimed (Jane's)

That explains it.

Iran deploys Russian-made S-300 missiles at its Fordow nuclear site (Reuters)

Welcome back. You definitely should not be missing the WestPac Battleset. What battlesets do you see at the introductory screen(s)? What is the game engine (GE) version?

Footage of latest KN-11 test

A review of RAND Corporation’s 'War with China: Thinking Through the Unthinkable' (Lowy Institute Interpreter)

GAO: Air Force Needs More Information Before Divesting A-10 (DefenseNews) Link to GAO report (pdf)

Weapons Tester Cites Further F-35 Challenges (Aviation Week)

Iran ends Russian use of air base because of unwanted publicity (Washington Post)

Computing the Value of Stealth: It’s Not That Simple (War on the Rocks) These guys get it.

Russian Tu-22 bombers deploy to Iran and launch first air strikes on ISIS in Syria (The Aviationist) Backfires operating out of Hamadan (Iran). Now that is a Harpoon scenario if I ever saw one.

Thanks for sharing your AAR, rainman. Much appreciated.

New Acoustic Quieting to be Tested on Submarine South Dakota (Seapower) In other news, the cable ship USNS Zeus is in port here today.

War with China: Thinking through the Unthinkable (RAND, pdf)

Oh, it was a tough slog then, and HC has come an awfully long way even from those days.

Some of us remember the dark and gloomy days before Tony. Now that is old.

The report minimizes the faults of the most capable version of JSF (the F-35A), and emphasizes its strongest points. Glossing over the finer details while doing it. For example, the bit about external stores. Yes, many current generation aircraft need external stores (pods, fuel tanks, etc). It ignores that if the F-35's internal systems fail, it can't perform the mission. It cannot even swap out for a new pod before flying the mission. It also ignores that if the F-35 doesn't carry external stores, its reach and warload is reduced. And when the article points out that the pilots interviewed repeated some things about the F-35A "almost verbatim", with the history of the services having specifically directed pilots to speak positively of the F-35, well ...

F-35A IOC could be announced as early as tomorrow, 2 August.

Navy Ohio Replacement Sub Class to Be Named for D.C. (USNI News) The Columbia class.

Happy to have you back. And thanks for the vote of confidence. HCE/HUCE has been updated (and upgraded) far more regularly than that. Especially for folks that use this site.

After action report SPOILERS APPLY * * * * * Launched the helo right away and searched the path ahead, as the Montrose sailed south under strict EMCON. An Il-20 (Coot A) reconnaissance aircraft was detected as it came out of the Kaliningrad enclave and continued west - over the Danish peninsula, without evoking any sort of response from the Danes, so I guess Putin's threat was taken to heart. A civilian yacht was also detected to the south. It wasn't long before the Steregushchiy class frigate Soobrazitelnyi was also detected, about 40 nm to the southeast. The Lynx helo, already armed with Sea Skua, closed in to engage. The ROE appeared clear. Four missiles were launched at maximum range. Two of them connected and the Russian frigate exploded and sank. Major victory followed, 1 h 39 min after game start.

Harpoon launch deemed a success, though the missile missed or failed. Ex USS Crommelin survives! Video of USS Thach during SINKEX. Those Perry frigates could take a beating!

Beijing says it could declare ADIZ over South China Sea (Japan Times)