CV32

From Defence Aerospace Defence Statement - Super Seasprite Helicopters (Source: Australian Department of Defense; issued March 19, 2005) The [Royal Australian] Navy's Super Seasprite project has been misrepresented by claims made in today's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. The aircraft is currently undergoing a certification process before it can become fully operational. Defence expects to receive a certified helicopter later this year. Once accepted, the Super Seasprite will fulfil all of its planned roles including search and rescue operations in poor visibility. This is a normal and proper process for Defence to follow in testing a new aircraft's capability, safety and airworthiness. Defence does not take shortcuts when it comes to capability and technology that will be used by our Defence personnel. The Super Seasprite will provide a significant capability boost to the Anzac class frigates. Defence is also working through a range of issues that are expected to be rectified or mitigated by the time a fully capable helicopter is accepted by Defence. Further flight testing is planned later this year to allow the fully configured helicopter to be presented to Defence's independent Airworthiness Board for certification.

From Defence Aerospace Eurocopter Proudly Announces the Official Acceptance of the first HAP Tiger by the Délégation Générale pour l’Armement. (Source: Eurocopter; issued March 18, 2005) MARIGNANE, France --- Engineer General Jacques Sandeau was at Marignane on 18 March to officially deliver the first of its 80 Tiger helicopters to the French Army Air Corps (ALAT). General Sandeau heads the Service des Programmes Aéronautiques (Aeronautical Programs Department) of the Délégation Générale pour l’Armement (French defence procurement agency). This decisive step not only marks the qualitative acceptance of the helicopters in terms of performances and systems, but also the start of deliveries, which will continue without a break until 2010. In 2005, plans call for the delivery of 10 Tigers in the HAP Combat Support configuration to France and Spain. The initial Tiger helicopters will be assigned to the Franco-German Tiger Training Academy at Le Luc in Southern France. The weapons system of the Tiger HAP Combat Support Helicopter includes a 30 mm turret-mounted gun (GIAT) slaved to the pilot's and gunner's helmet-mounted sight, rockets (TDA), and Mistral air-to-air missiles (MBDA). Thanks to its size and stealth, the HAP is ideally suited to the various forms of localized conflicts, where it can - completely independently - acquire, identify and process the targets. France and Germany have ordered an initial batch of 160 Tiger helicopters, Australia 22, and Spain 24 HAD Tigers. Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of EUR 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.

From The Wargamer Rumored: Matrix to Publish Harpoon Titles? Posted by Chris Abele @ 11:56 EST Harpoon – Commander’s Edition and Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare to be added to Matrix catalog "Sources close to the matter have revealed to The Wargamer that Advanced Gaming Systems' Harpoon line of products will be re-published by Matrix Games. Two of the classic naval simulation games will be re-released: Harpoon Classic will be renamed Harpoon – Commander’s Edition and will feature improved AI and database elements. It is unclear how this game is related to the "Harpoon Classic 2005" game mentioned on the AGS web site. The more recent Harpoon 3 will be published by Matrix Games as Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare, updated with multiplayer functionality. ... "

I know some of them need adjustment. Fixes are underway.

I think so. Herman collected and compiled both collections, with help from Larry Gertner, I believe. So it is probably the same.

New additions and changes to the HCDB-050314 include: F-4E Phantom II (Iran) - Iran F-14A (Iran) - revamped Tiger HAP/UHT/ARH - revamped Ka-50 Hokum - revamped AIM-54A Phoenix AIM-54C Phoenix - revamped HAWK ARM Absalon - Denmark Type 88 TEL - Japan Enjoy.

Over 500 Harpoon Classic scenarios have been collected and compiled here: War-Forums HQ File Archives

DefenseNews Ukraine Admits It Sold Cruise Missiles to Iran, China By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, KIEV Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office on March 18 confirmed reports that Kiev had sold nuclear-capable cruise missiles to both Iran and China, but stressed that the deals were illegal and under criminal investigation. “This is not about exports of missiles but rather illegal sales which are being investigated by the SBU (security service) which has opened a criminal investigation of the director of the company Ukrspetsexport,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Svyatoslav Piskun, Ukraine’s prosecutor general, earlier told the respected, London-based Financial Times daily that 18 Soviet-era X-55 cruise missiles were exported in 2001 — 12 to Iran and six to China. Piskun was also quoted as saying that the missiles were not exported with the nuclear warheads that they were designed to carry. Ukraine Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk said that the country’s new leadership, which assumed power during late last year, was not responsible for the sales. “We can only condemn the non-democratic actions that were carried out by the previous authorities,” he said, while on a visit to neighboring Belarus. “The results of (our) investigation point to a criminal group that was involved in unlawful sales of arms,” he said. Tarasyuk said the group included citizens of several countries. The X-55, an air-launched missile also known as the Kh-55 and AS-15 and first introduced in 1976, has a range of 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles), which would give China — or North Korea, if it obtained the missile — easy access to Japan, while Iran could hit its main regional foe, Israel. Both Japan and the United States were reportedly worried about what appeared to be a significant leak of military technology. Last month, the Ukrainian government opened a criminal inquiry, at the request of Japan, into the illegal sale of 18 missiles by the Ukrspetsexport arms group to unspecified states via Russia. The Ukrainian confirmation of missiles sales to Iran comes amid a tense diplomatic debate over Tehran’s alleged quest for nuclear weaponry. Reports about the missile sales going to Iran emerged earlier this month. However, the March 18 statement was the first acknowledged by the Kiev government, and is likely to heighten suspicions about Tehran’s nuclear program. The Islamic republic insists its nuclear program is aimed at peaceful civilian use but Washington claims it is designed to produce nuclear arms. Ukraine had a massive weapons arsenal after the fall of the Soviet Union, but it returned its nuclear warheads to Russia or destroyed them under a US-funded disarmament program. Its remaining weaponry is, however, a source of major concern in the West, fueled by several high-profile cases of arms trafficking including radar technology to Saddam Hussein’s now ousted regime in Iraq. Two anti-aircraft missiles and a launch system were reported stolen last month from a Ukrainian naval base in the Crimean peninsula, while Turkey reported seizing a Ukrainian radio-controlled missile and missile heads en route to Egypt last June. Although the X-55 is designed to carry a nuclear warhead, it can also be loaded with conventional weaponry and would not be Iran’s ideal nuclear missile, Doug Richardson, editor of Jane’s Missiles and Rockets magazine, said. Richardson told Agence France-Presse the Tehran regime’s own Shahab ballistic missile was better suited since it was faster than a cruise missile. “If they’re going to nuclearize a weapon, they’re much more likely to do so with one of their ballistic missiles. A ballistic missile, simply because of its sheer speed, is more difficult to defend against than a cruise missile,” he said, calling the Shahab “almost unstoppable.” A cruise missile, on the other hand, travels at subsonic speed comparable to that of an airplane, he added. However, John Eldridge, editor of Jane’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence, told Agence France-Presse the report was a fresh sign that Iran was seeking “to beef up its offensive capability in the region.”

From CNN Ukraine 'admits missile sales' Friday, March 18, 2005 Posted: 4:18 AM EST (0918 GMT) LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Ukraine has acknowledged exporting 12 cruise missiles to Iran and six to China amid mounting pressure from other countries to explain how the sales occurred, the Financial Times reported on Friday. It quoted Ukraine's prosecutor-general Svyatoslav Piskun as saying 18 X-55 cruise missiles, also known as Kh-55s or AS-15s, were exported in 2001, although none was exported with the nuclear warheads they were designed to carry. ....

The Comanche was never in the HC database. If it had been, it would still be there, regardless of the fact that the program has been cancelled. Since it was cancelled before the platform was ever added, however, its unlikely to make it into the HCDB now. What happened to the idea of having a "hypotheticals" database ? This would be an ideal candidate.

Welcome back, Jan. Hope those drill sergeants (or, your girlfriend, for that matter) weren't too hard on you.

From Defence Aerospace Boeing Rolls Out First F-15K for Republic of Korea Air Force (Source: Boeing Co.; issued March 16, 2005) ST. LOUIS --- The Boeing Company revealed the first F-15K Strike Eagle fighter aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) today at the Boeing site in St. Louis, Mo. The aircraft unveiled at the event completed its first flight March 3 and is the first of 40 F-15Ks being built for the ROKAF. The ROKAF is investing $4.2 billion for the 40 F-15Ks and deliveries will begin this year and end in August 2008. “Boeing is thankful we can produce this world-class fighter for the Republic of Korea,” said Jim Albaugh, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems president and CEO. “It has advanced technologies and weaponry never seen before on any F-15.” Albaugh emphasized the incredible teamwork between the United States and the Republic of Korea to the hundreds of employees, customers, and suppliers in attendance at the rollout ceremony. An advanced derivative of the U.S. Air Force F-15E, the F-15K is the world’s most capable long-range, multi-role fighter. It can perform air-to-ground, air-to-air, and air-to-sea missions during day or night, in virtually any weather. It can carry more than 23,000 pounds of payload, reach Mach 2.3, and incorporates the latest military technologies. These include the APG-63(V)1 radar, a Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), infrared search and track, third-generation navigation and targeting systems, and weapons-control systems supporting advanced weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Harpoon Block II, Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) and AIM-9X Sidewinder missile. “Integration of the world’s best multi-role fighter into our force will certainly be a great momentum in improving our air power” said General Lee, Han-ho, the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) Chief of Staff, at the rollout. “Moreover, the F-15K will enhance the interoperability between ROK and U.S. Air Forces. I believe that this new fighter jet will make a great contribution in maintaining the solid ROK-US combined operational posture.” A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world’s largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $30.5 billion business. It provides network-centric system solutions to its global military, government, and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; the world’s largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world’s largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA’s largest contractor; and a global leader in sustainment solutions and launch services.

From Defence Aerospace Rice Says No Agreements on F-16 Sales to Pakistan, India (Source: Voice of America news; issued March 16, 2005) NEW DELHI --- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's talks with India's foreign minister covered regional defense issues, including the possible sale of U.S. fighter jets to India's long-standing rival, Pakistan. India is the first stop on Ms. Rice's six-nation tour of Asia - her first trip to the region since becoming secretary of state. Secretary of State Rice says she discussed the potential sale of F-16 fighter-jets to Pakistan with Indian officials, who have long opposed the plan. She also talked about selling the jets to India. But Ms. Rice said at news conference Wednesday in New Delhi it is too soon to expect any deals to be signed with either country. "We are going to continue to have broad discussions about the security needs, about the defense needs of India. I'm quite certain that when I go to Pakistan that I will have discussions about the defense concerns and the defense needs of Pakistan," said Ms. Rice. "But there has been no such agreement, and as I've said to you, I don't expect that there are going to be any announcements out of this." Pakistan wants to buy U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, which Islamabad officials say will help combat terrorism by giving military forces better access to the country's mountainous border regions. New Delhi opposes the plan, fearing the jets could be used against India. The two nations have fought three wars since British colonial rule ended in 1947. Washington suspended most weapons sales to Pakistan in 1990 because of its nuclear program and imposed further sanctions against both India and Pakistan in 1998 after the two countries tested nuclear devices. Most sanctions were lifted after 2001, when the war on terrorism began. Despite concerns about the F-16s, Foreign Minister Natwar Singh says the matter has little effect on India's overall relationship with the US. "We did express certain concerns about certain matters of the defense issue as to how it might create some complications but I think there are no serious differences of opinion," said Mr. Singh. "There are one or two items on which we don't agree, [but] our relationship has now reached a maturity that we have discussed these things freely and frankly." During her news conference with Mr. Singh, Ms. Rice also praised both India and Pakistan for progress they have made in peace talks, which resumed a year ago. The two nuclear powers both claim the divided border region of Kashmir in its entirety. The dispute over Kashmir brought the two nations close to war again in 2002. During her visit, Ms. Rice expressed to India the United States' opposition to plans for building a fuel pipeline from Iran. Washington objects to the deal in part because of its concerns that Iran is building nuclear weapons, and Ms. Rice expressed the need for dialogue on how India can meet its energy needs in other ways. Ms. Rice is on a six-nation tour of Asia, which includes stops in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

From Defence Aerospace Launch of NATO’s Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) Programme (Source: NATO; issued March 16, 2005) NATO’s Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) Programme has reached a key milestone in Alliance efforts to field an Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) capability by 2010. As a practical example of the ongoing transformation of NATO’s military capabilities, on 11 March 2005 the North Atlantic Council approved the Charter for the ALTBMD Programme Management Organisation (PMO). This decision launched the Alliance’s ALTBMD Programme, which will provide protection against the threat of ballistic missiles to our soldiers deployed on NATO missions. The importance of being able to defend deployed troops against theatre-range ballistic missiles, such as SCUD missiles, was made apparent during the 1990s. As a number of foreign nations continue working on ballistic missile programmes, as well as developing chemical, nuclear, and biological warheads for those missiles, the need for effective defences has increased. To counter this threat, NATO has, for the past several years, worked to design a battle management system for theatre missile defences. The system will be able to integrate different TMD systems (such as PATRIOT, the NATO MEADS system, SAMP-T) into a single coherent, deployable defensive network able to give layered protection against incoming ballistic missiles. The detailed specifications of the NATO system were agreed by Defence Ministers in Istanbul last June. With the approval of the Charter, the NAC has formally established the TMD Programme Office, paving the way for the financing and purchase of the NATO TMD system. The launch of the TMD program is the result of a decade of work by NATO in the theatre missile defence area, and provided to the Alliance a new collective capability for common defence.

From Jane's Information Group USN considers army missile for Littoral Combat Ship By Scott R Gourley Last year's restructuring of the US Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) has brought one FCS element, the Non Line of Sight - Launch System (NLOS-LS), into contention for integration on the initial versions of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Originally developed under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's 'NetFires' concept, NLOS-LS emerged as a family of artillery missiles fired from a vertical launcher that could be deployed by ground or air assets throughout a theatre and networked to quickly engage an enemy. System components originally included a Loitering Attack Missile (LAM), a Precision Attack Missile (PAM) and an autonomous Container Launch Unit (CLU). In March 2004, the NetFires Limited Liability Company (LLC) - a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Company - received a US$1.1 billion contract for System Design and Development (SDD) of the NLOS-LS. The milestone award marked the first of the army's FCS elements to enter the SDD phase. However, in late July 2004 the army restructured the NLOS-LS SDD efforts, accelerating both CLU and PAM components and bringing the PAM into alignment with the weapon system needs of the US Navy's (USN's) LCS.

From DefenseNews U.S. To Take Over Baltic NATO Air Patrols in October By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, VILNIUS The United States will take over NATO patrols of the air space of the three Baltic states in October, the Lithuanian defense ministry said March 16. The announcement came after Lithuanian Defense Minister Gediminas Kirkilas held talks in the United States with his U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld. “Kirkilas stressed the importance of NATO air police mission in the Baltics and expressed satisfaction that Americans will take over the mission from October to December,” the statement said. Four Norwegian F-16 fighters have been deployed at Zokniai air base, in northern Lithuania, since January. They are to be replaced by the Dutch military in April. Because Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia do not have the capacity to effectively patrol their air space, NATO countries have been taking turns to police the skies of the Baltic states since March 2004, when the three countries joined NATO.

From eDefense A Boeing 737 Wedgetail aircraft – the same aircraft that will soon provide Australia with leading-edge air and maritme surveillance – has landed in Canberra. Defense Minister Robert Hill said the Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft will provide a significant boost to Australia's combat capability when it comes into operation late next year. "The Wedgetail is based on Boeing's next-generation 737 aircraft, which is being modified to accommodate various sophisticated mission systems and radar," Senator Hill said. "In the four years since project signature, it is still on schedule and on budget. "The aircraft will have far more flexibility and capability than other similar platforms in service today. "The visit by Wedgetail to Australia shows the progress and maturity of this key project." The visit to Canberra coincides with Boeing's participation in the Australian International Airshow at Avalon in Victoria. Australia will acquire six aircraft, as well as associated support and systems, with significant support by Australian industry. Importantly, the last four aircraft will be modified by Australian industry at Boeing Australia's facilities in Amberley in southern Queensland. The current schedule has the first two aircraft being officially handed over to the Royal Australian Air Force in November 2006. The AEW&C Wedgetail is named after one of the largest eagles in the world, Australia's wedgetail eagle. The eagle has extremely acute vision, ranges widely in search of prey, protects its territory without compromise and remains aloft for long periods of time.

World War III, a scenario for Harpoon Classic Gold, for Westpac, by Fred Galano After Action Report (AAR) by Brad Leyte When Fred told us that he was working on a scenario for Westpac that would resemble in some respects his previous scenario, "Med War" (for the EC2003 MEDC battleset), I was keyed up to try it. Med War had been a challenging and action packed scenario, and of course, I expected to see the same in a new Westpac scenario. It would be a immense understatement if I said my expectations were fulfilled. In point of fact, they weren't "fulfilled"; they were "overwhelmed". Firstly, a word of caution. World War III is not a scenario for the faint of heart, or the "PC processor challenged". You will probably spend most of your time playing at 1:1 time compression, even with a fast PC. That's not to say someone with only a little Harpoon experience, or a slower PC, shouldn't try it. Indeed, they should, if only to show oneself what is in store for those who are trying to build up a little skill in their Harpoon play, or are in need of a good excuse to get a new PC. Secondly, I have to confess that this AAR is not based on my first crack at WW3. But, to explain further, I can't really count my first try. When I opened up WW3 for the first time, the sheer scale and magnitude of what awaited me was a little overwhelming. I realized immediately that this scenario really would be a "war" in every sense of the word, and that I needed to examine the set-up and set aside a little more time before tackling it in the way I wanted to. I quickly closed the scenario. This was as much to give the scenario the proper attention it was entitled to, as it was to give myself a little more prep time. This might sound a little silly to someone not accustomed to Harpoon, but if you're a veteran wargamer, then you know what I'm talking about. You need to immerse yourself in the scenario to truly enjoy it. OK, on to the "meat" of this AAR. The second time I opened up this sucker, I was ready. Or so I thought. The realities of war soon taught me otherwise. I noted that I had three carrier battle groups in the theater. (A lot of anecdotal evidence exists about every American President asking about the location of Navy carriers in times of crisis, and whether true or not, I have found this to carry over into Harpoon. It’s a testament to the strength of carrier airpower, I'm sure). These battle groups were centred on the Stennis, in the South China Sea; the Ronald Reagan, south of Guam; and the Nimitz, just off the southeast coast of Japan. It seemed apparent that the Stennis and the Nimitz would soon be called upon to defend my allies, but that the Reagan would have to make some serious turns to get into the fight. Immediately my friends in Taiwan and South Korea were subjected to an intense barrage of ballistic missiles. No surprise there, such a bombardment being the longstanding expectation, except for the intensity and for the fact that I had little choice but to endure the worst of it. Air defences in both areas performed valiantly, but inevitably a number of airfields in both the ROC and the ROK were seriously pummeled. I soon realized that whatever remnants of the forces survived the onslaught, they were now condemned to struggle for the rest of the war not only against their aggressors, but also against the damage that had been inflicted against their home bases. THE KOREAN PENINSULA Kim Jong-Il (or his successor) was serious this time. A wave of elderly, but determined, aircraft followed his ballistic missiles, flying the short distance across the DMZ and on the attack against their southern brothers. Patriot SAMs and AMRAAM shots dropped Fishbeds, Frogfoots, Fitters, and Fulcrums in droves as they breached the thick ROK air defence envelope. It quickly became apparent that the North Koreans had expended the strength of their airpower in the first ferocious wave, and when it was over, those enemy aircraft which had survived to return to their home airfields did so only to be confronted by their own rapid destruction as the Allies struck back. All of them were destroyed on the ground in the counter-attack. The exception came in the large number of DPRK helicopters which ventured south and conducted harassing attacks against lead ROK Army units close to the DMZ. Even these, however, fell victim in staggering numbers to friendly SAMs, AAA, and air-to-air missiles. Harassing attacks from Russian aircraft flying from Far East bases near Vladiovostok weren't much more than a nuisance, the Joint Strike Fighter proving especially effective at getting close and cutting them apart with well placed AMRAAM shots over the eastern coast of the peninsula. The North Korean KPA 4th, 5th and 46th Infantry Divisions were the bravest of the enemy ground troops, striking nearly 60 miles south toward Seoul before being stopped by US and ROK aircraft, mostly A-10s and F-16s employing Mavericks and cluster bombs. Interestingly, the KPA 48th Infantry Division seemed to lose its nerve from the start of the conflict, moving north instead of south. Most other KPA units, particularly their reserve divisions, held their ground rather than advance headlong into the meat grinder, and without air cover, these were slowly taken apart and pulverized from the air. The AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter proved its worth here, operating in a friendly air superiority environment and able to chip away at the DPRK armor while it was in disarray. American JSTARS and British Sentinel ASTOR assets (once they had been moved to Korea) were invaluable at discerning enemy ground targets and passing targeting information to the strikers. ROK Army units penetrated as far north as Chik-Tong. A cluster of North Korean artillery brigades dug in less than 20 miles north of Chik-Tong prevented their further advance, but these too were eventually dismantled by friendly airpower. There was no need to advance further, as the DPRK war machine was rapidly falling apart. The conflict in Korea was a long, slogging and bloody affair. From the ROK point of view, it could be summarized as an initial brutal shock, with moments of terror, followed by battle hardened resolve. This is how I have personally envisioned any war between the DPRK and the ROK in the modern era, and this scenario did not disappoint. HONG KONG The initial naval action took place in Hong Kong. Two British Royal Navy warships berthed in port there energized their radars and missile systems in defence of the metropolis as waves of Chinese cruise missiles poured in from the north. Scores of these missiles were dropped by the warships' anti-air warfare systems, and by a few Typhoons that were able to quickly take off and join the fight, but when the launchers were finally empty, Hong Kong had sustained serious damage. It wasn’t long before the Chinese followed up their initial attack, and at that point I chose to evacuate my remaining Eurofighter Typhoons, Tristar tankers and a pair of Sentinel ASTOR surveillance aircraft (again to the Philippines) and hopefully return to fight another day. The RN warships left port, still alive but with their magazines seriously depleted. Fortunately for the civilian masses jammed into Hong Kong streets, there were no further attacks. The RN warships patrolled offshore without incident for the remainder of the war. TAIWAN The People's Liberation Army followed the example shown by the DPRK, and waves of fighters and attack aircraft were soon flying over the Strait of Taiwan. The ROC had obviously been expecting this attack, and had sortied several surface ship groups and a submarine into the Strait to meet their Goliath attacker. It was going to take much, much more than a single smooth stone to slay this giant, however, and scores of Taiwanese ships succumbed to myriad Sunburn, Seersucker and C.801 antiship missiles. The ROC defenders had better success ashore, where their Patriot and Tien Kung SAMs wreaked havoc among PRC aircraft. It was only with the support of American aircraft operating out of Okinawa that the ROC were able to mount an effective defence of their island and eventually a powerful counter-attack against PRC bases that posed a continuing threat. F-15E Strike Eagles were subsequently instrumental in launching suppressing attacks against Chinese coastal airfields, while B-2 and B-52 bombers conducted strike missions against ballistic missile bases and C3I nodes deep into the Chinese interior. PHILIPPINES Evacuating aircraft here from the Stennis, from Hong Kong, and from Guam turned out to be somewhat of a blessing in disguise. I knew, of course, that flying them into the Philippines could only be a temporary measure, as they would have to be moved to a properly equipped airbase before they could rejoin the fleet. It turned out, however, that the airfields at Basa and Benito Ebuen had their own unique problems. They were under attack by ground forces, possibly Chinese and Vietnamese invaders, or perhaps Communist supported rebels. In any event, their Dragonfly and Tiger aircraft were having a very hard time finding targets without coming under fire, and it was only with the assistance of the superior sensors aboard the newly arrived US/UK aircraft, they were able to make out the hostile ground forces, attack them and destroy them. Once the threat had been eliminated, all US/UK aircraft were ferried to Okinawa or Taiwan to join the battles there. JAPAN The principal threat to Japan proved to be its old enemy, Russia. At first, the Russians seemed content to support the war effort by distracting Japanese attention from the raging battle in Korea, conducting harassing air attacks against Japanese Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) airborne early warning aircraft and occupying the attention of its fighters. This proved to a false sense of security, however, because the probing aerial attacks were soon followed by an ingenious strike against the airbases at Chitose and Misawa. A SEAD strike by Fencers and Flankers was followed by a cruise missile bombardment, which shattered Misawa and destroyed a huge number of Japanese aircraft on the ground. This loss struck a massive blow against the JASDF's ability to conduct its "self-defence", and its maritime forces suffered hugely as a result. The value of Okinawa, in terms of its geographic position between Taiwan and South Korea, was not lost on the Chinese. They launched their own cruise missile strike against the island airfield, but thanks to the strong defences afforded by Patriot PAC-2 SAMs and a healthy number of F-15s, the Chinese attack was repelled. Fortunately, and somewhat ironically, from a historical point of view, Japan was ultimately rescued by US Navy carrier airpower. THE WAR AT SEA The ballistic missile and air attacks against the ROC and ROK were followed in short order by an assault upon the Stennis carrier battle group, with some 50 Kitchen missiles screaming in from the airspace over Vietnam. A quick look at the air wing aboard Stennis, and my heart sank. The bulk of my aircraft were configured for the ferry mission, and were wholly unprepared for this attack. I had serious doubts about the ability of my escorts to absorb those kind of numbers of missiles, and so I immediately began launching planes for evacuation to the Philippines. The battle group was subsequently decimated by the surprise attack, and a later attack by a submarine left only a single Arleigh Burke remaining. I had managed to ferry a handful of Super Hornets to the Philippines, but the lone Hawkeye that had escaped was downed by enemy fighters before it could make the trip. The USS Oklahoma City later extracted a degree of vengeance for the loss of the Stennis when it encountered and sunk the bulk of a Chinese SAG that had been lurking to the north. A combined Sino-Russian surface action group, centred on a Slava guided missile cruiser, was detected operating in the Yellow Sea. Suppression of the Slava and a Haizhou (Sovremenny) destroyer by HARM equipped F-16s enabled a successful follow-up Harpoon strike by a group of ROK Ulsan frigates to the northeast. The latter surface group thankfully were never detected. A smaller, but better equipped SAG comprising KDX-1, KDX-2 and Ulsan frigates, operating south of the enemy Slava group, weren't as lucky. A Sango submarine was later detected and sunk in the Yellow Sea. A second group was discovered in the Sea of Japan, this time a Russian PHIBGRU heading southwest toward the Korean Peninsula. Again, HARM equipped F-16s conducted suppressing strikes against the enemy group's radars, particularly a Slava. Follow-up strikes with Mavericks were able to eliminate the amphibious threat. A lesser DPRK naval group comprising missile boats was able to be dispatched by A-10s. The Kearsarge PHIBGRU was moving quickly (perhaps too quickly) north from Okinawa toward Korea when it was ambushed by a pair of Russian submarines. A Perry frigate was lost to a torpedo before both subs, an Akula I and a Victor III, were sunk by helicopter dropped lightweight torpedoes. A short while later, a small People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) SAG was detected operating a little further north, and was dispatched quickly by Harpoon equipped P-3 Orions flying out of Okinawa. I was ever grateful that a Taiwanese Hai Lung (ex Zwaardvis) diesel-electric submarine had been able to take up an advantageous position in the Strait. Its torpedoes were instrumental in sinking many of the Chinese amphibious ships that were streaming across the Strait toward their objectives, and with them, unfortunately, thousands of young Chinese soldiers. Most remaining PLAN warships in the Strait were destroyed by repeated attacks with rockets and Mavericks from Taiwanese aircraft. The toll on Taiwanese Navy assets was also cruel, and by the time the naval battle was over, only a single Kang Ting (modified Lafayette design) frigate remained afloat, cruising stealthily amongst the oil, fire and wreckage that littered the confined waters of the Strait. This vessel and S-2T Turbo Trackers were later jointly responsible for sinking two Chinese submarines, a Han and a Kilo. (I swear the Han was detected with a Geiger counter rather than sonar. ). Perhaps the biggest blow against my forces during the entire conflict came when I lost Guam. Though the Reagan battle group was moving northwest at speed, and I had a Hawkeye operating far away from the group and north of the island, it wasn't enough. Only minutes before impact, a huge wave of cruise missiles were detected streaming in at wavetop altitude, headed for Andersen AFB. It was obviously a clever attempt by the Chinese and/or Russians to destroy the powerful array of American aircraft stationed there, including intercontinental bombers, before they could join the fight. Again, the US was forced into evacuation mode. I managed to save almost the entire contingent at Andersen before the facility was utterly obliterated. All of the evacuated aircraft were flown either to the Philippines or Okinawa, depending on their ferry range. The Nimitz carrier battle group, which at the start of the fight had been operating off the coast of Tokyo, was responsible for coming to the aid of Japan. Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) groups that had been operating off the western coast of Hokkaido and near the La Perouse Strait, had been subjected to intense attacks by Tu-22M Backfires, and were largely overwhelmed and destroyed. Moving north along the eastern coast, the Nimitz finally met up with the Kuznetsov battle group southeast of Hokkaido. ITALD and TALD decoys launched from Super Hornets served to soak up enemy SAMs while others launched HARMs to blind enemy defensive radars. Follow-up strikes with Harpoon, SLAM and Maverick weapons stripped the Kuznetsov of her defending escort vessels, and the final killing blow was delivered by torpedoes from the Improved Los Angeles class attack submarine USS Springfield. The final stages of WW3 were fought in the North Pacific, with naval aviation from the carrier Nimitz suppressing and eventually destroying the Russian base at Burevestnik in the Kuril archipelago, and taking a commanding position in the area. Thereafter, US military sealift groups, as well as merchant cargo and supertanker groups, were able to make a safe transit into Japanese territorial waters without incident. A supertanker was lost to submarine attack off the coast near Tokyo, but with the exception of the environmental disaster (not to belittle the scope of such a thing), it was a small price to pay for victory. CONCLUSION The scenario "World War III" by Fred Galano truly is a war. Its a challenging scenario, not only in the sense of the objectives given to you, but also in the sense of the management skills you will be expected to bring to bear. Would the third World War have been (or will it be) played out this way ? I hope we never have to find out, but testing the theory is a heckuva lot of fun. Thanks, Fred, for taking the time to create the opportunity.

From Defense News N. Korea Threatens To Build More Nuclear Bombs By JUN KWANWOO, REUTERS, SEOUL North Korea said March 15 it would strengthen its atomic arsenal in an angry response to upcoming joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which the communist state denounced as nuclear war games. The North justified its possession of nuclear weapons as establishing a balance of power to prevent a nuclear holocaust, ahead of the joint war games in South Korea starting March 19. “The exercises will be nuclear war exercises aimed to invade the North to all intents and purposes in view of their nature, scope and contents,” a foreign ministry spokesman told the official Korean Central News Agency. “The DPRK (North Korea) will take necessary counter-measures including the bolstering of its nuclear arsenal to cope with the extremely hostile attempt of the US to bring down the system in the DPRK though it is the Korean people’s own choice,” he said. “The reality testifies to the fact that the DPRK’s nuclear weapons serve as powerful deterrent to keep the equilibrium of forces in the region, avert a new war and ensure peace.” The week-long military drills come amid diplomatic efforts to bring Pyongyang back into six-nation talks aimed at persuading it to give up its nuclear weapons program. They coincide with the arrival here March 12 of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was on a three-nation North East Asia tour to discuss the nuclear standoff. North Korea on Feb. 10 declared it had nuclear weapons and withdrew indefinitely from the disarmament talks due to “hostile” U.S. policy. The Stalinist state has since sent mixed signals on its willingness to return to the talks, with its leader Kim Jong-Il saying Pyongyang would resume dialogue if “conditions” are met. North Korean Premier Pak Pong-ju will visit China from March 22-27 to discuss the nuclear standoff, China’s foreign ministry announced March 15. Washington believes North Korea possesses one or two crude bombs and may have reprocessed enough plutonium from spent fuel rods at its Yongbyon nuclear complex for half a dozen more. The two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan have met three times to try to resolve the nuclear standoff that erupted in 2002 when the United States accused the North of operating a secret uranium-enrichment program. The talks made little progress, with the final round held in June 2004. North Korea boycotted a fourth round scheduled for September last year. The North says the US-South Korean military drills are a rehearsal for a preemptive nuclear attack while officials in Seoul and Washington have said they are defense-oriented to cement the military alliance. North Korea’s state media said Sunday that the exercises could turn into “an actual war” and demanded they be called off. A U.S. naval battle group led by the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier arrived March 14 in Busan, 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Seoul, to take part in the exercises. The March 19-25 drills involve mock battles aimed at evaluating command capabilities with U.S. and South Korean troops mobilized for anti-commando operations and computer war games. Some 32,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea to help deter aggression from communist North Korea’s 1.1-million-strong army, alongside about 650,000 South Korean troops. U.S. forces have remained in the south since the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Folks, This is a bit off topic, so please bear with me. I just felt I should post a simple note of thanks to Herman Hum for all that he has done of late, including his work on ScenShare, Files Of ScenShare, at the War-Forums, and just generally in our Harpoon community. Herman is an asset to this community, no doubt about it, and deserves a great deal of respect and thanks for all of his hard work to promote the enjoyment of this sim. He's not in it for himself, and it shows. Thanks, Herman. Keep up the great work. It will not go unnoticed.

Bruce deserves a great deal of credit for diving headlong into this project, and I, for one, am very appreciative of his effort in doing so. The Platform Editor (PE) can be a maze at times, even for me as author of the HCDB. This guide has been badly needed for some time, and I expect it will be an extremely valuable tool for all of us database authors, designers, and "tinkerers" (if I can coin such a word). So, thanks, Bruce. Then, again, we shouldn't be surprised. You have been an asset to the sim, and to the community, for as long as I can remember. Kudos.

From Harpoon 4.1, Rule 6.3.1: "Aircraft have two Defensive ATA (air-to-air) ratings. One is used when the aircraft is carrying a full external load of ordnance. The second is used when the aircraft is lightly loaded or is unloaded. The defensive ratings for aircraft are based on factors such as relative age, wing loading, and thrust-to-weight ratio. ... " "Air-to-air missiles and cannon are also given ratings on the same scale, called Offensive ATA ratings. An air-to-air weapon's offensive rating is based on its probability of hit and its lethality, given a hit". In HCG, the weapon's ATA rating is used to determine the PH (probability of hit). From Rule 6.3.1: "As long as the plane's external armament is made up of only air-to-air ordnance (e.g. missiles, gun pods), it uses the lightly loaded/unloaded rating ..." and from Rule 6.3.3: "Once an aircraft reaches firing position for its guns or missiles, subtract the defender's defensive ATA rating from the rating of the attacking weapon". I hope this helps to at least give you some idea of what the ratings mean. You can probably appreciate that there is much more to the Rule, and H4.1, in general.

From Defence Aerospace Legendary Fighter Pilot and Designer Says the F-22 Raptor is the Wrong Weapon at the Wrong Time Source: Project On Government Oversight (POGO); issued March 11, 2005 In concert with the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), Col. Everest Riccioni (USAF ret.), a pioneer in combat fighter design, has published his critical analysis of the Air Force's F/A-22 Raptor fighter jet program. Riccioni, who pioneered supersonic cruise technology and the F-16 Lightweight Fighter Program, says the decades-old F/A-22 Raptor program is broken and too expensive to fix. From his unique vantage point, Riccioni traces the history of the escalating cost projections and ever-changing justifications for the Raptor program. It is obvious that the official data have little basis in reality, and vary greatly with time. Unabashedly, the previous official cost quotes are immediately forgotten, according to Riccioni. The F/A-22 program currently costs $72 billion. The unit cost per plane has rocketed from $35 million to $257 million. With that, the number of planes the Air Force can afford to buy has dropped significantly. If the President's proposed FY2006 Defense budget is approved, the program would be cut back to approximately $61 billion, but the Air Force would only be able to acquire 180 aircraft. This would bring the cost to over $330 million per aircraft. Moreover, such a small fleet of fighter jets would have little to no impact in a real combat situation. Riccioni also argues: --The F/A-22 has no role that can't be filled by today's fleet of U.S. fighter aircraft. Al Qaeda doesn't train, enlist, or use fighter pilots, Riccioni writes. Terrorists do not employ fighter forces. There is no need for new air superiority fighters. --The F-22 was designed and conceived during the Cold War to penetrate deep into Russia, achieving air superiority, to break up the expected large formations of Warsaw Pact bombers that were to enter and attack Europe. Now those threats no longer exist. --The reduced numbers of F/A-22 aircraft will adversely affect the Air Force mission. Most important, 175-250 fighters do not allow for multiple, simultaneous missions like the thousands in our F-15, F-16, and F-18 fleets can perform.The solution: Upgrade the current F-16 and F-15 fleet with modern avionics systems like radar technology and situational awareness systems. By cutting the Raptor program, the Department of Defense would free up approximately $5 billion annually, money that could be spent on other, truly critical defense needs like supplying combat forces in Iraq and America's continuing Special Operations missions against terrorist networks throughout the world. Danielle Brian, POGO's executive director, praised Riccioni's work. "The ever-eloquent Riccioni raises important questions in this report that the Air Force should not be allowed to ignore." POGO investigates, exposes, and seeks to remedy systemic abuses of power, mismanagement, and subservience by the federal government to powerful special interests. Founded in 1981, POGO is a politically-independent, nonprofit watchdog that strives to promote a government that is accountable to the citizenry.

From Defence Aerospace Keel of Third Astute-Class Submarine Is Laid Source: UK Defence Procurement Agency; issued March 11, 2005 First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West today performed the traditional 'laying the keel' ceremony for HMS Artful -- one of the biggest and most powerful attack submarines ever procured by the Royal Navy. The ceremony marks the formal start of construction of HMS Artful, the third Astute-class submarine under construction by BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness. She joins HMS Astute and HMS Ambush, currently being assembled at the Barrow shipyard. With improved communications, a greater capacity for joint operations and the ability to carry more weaponry, the Astute-class submarines will become a cornerstone of UK defence capability. Defence Procurement Minister Lord Bach said: "This ceremony marks another significant stage in this important project. The Astute class will be the most advanced and powerful attack submarines the Royal Navy has ever operated and these boats will play a key part of our defences for decades to come. "The Royal Navy has a requirement for nuclear powered submarines well into the future and the Barrow-in-Furness yard remains the UK's centre of excellence for submarine building. Announcements on the procurement of further Astute class boats will be made at the appropriate time. "Submarines are extremely demanding engineering projects, and the Astute class is no exception." Around 5,500 people are employed on the project for the first three Astute class submarines, which has an expected cost to MoD of about £3.5Bn. BACKGROUND NOTES: 1. The third of three Astute-class submarines ordered by the MoD, HMS Artful joins HMS Astute and HMS Ambush - already under construction. 2. First of class HMS Astute is expected to enter service in 2009. 3. Astute-class submarines will displace 7,800 tonnes dived and are 97 metres long. They will have six weapons tubes and massively increased firepower compared with earlier attack submarines. They can dive to depths in excess of 300 metres and will have a complement of 98 men. They are to be powered by a Pressurised Water Reactor 2, equipped with Core H, which will fuel the reactor for the submarine's full service life, ending the need for costly reactor refuellings. 4. HMS Astute, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful are being procured by the Defence Procurement Agency Attack Submarines Integrated Project Team based at Abbey Wood, Bristol. 5. Astute class submarines will be based at Faslane on the Clyde and will undergo refits at Devonport.

From BBC News Pirates have attacked a gas tanker in the Malacca Strait, kidnapping its captain and chief engineer for ransom, a watchdog said. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said about 35 pirates with rocket launchers stormed the Indonesian-owned MT Tri Samudra late on Saturday. They diverted the Belawan-bound vessel to a different part of Sumatra, before disappearing with the hostages. The shipowners are trying to negotiate the hostages' release, the IMB says. The narrow Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and has long been a haunt of pirates. Some 37 acts of piracy were recorded there last year but there has been a sharp fall in reported attacks after December's tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the Malaysia-based bureau says. Some experts say the giant waves could have killed many pirates and destroyed their boats, while others believe the large presence of international troops in the region has deterred attacks. 'Severe consequences' The 1,289-ton MT Tri Samudra was carrying a cargo of methane gas from Samarinda in Borneo island to Sumatra's Belawan when it was stormed. "The pirates attacked the ship... and ordered it to sail to Dumai," IMB's regional manager Noel Choong told the AFP news agency. "During the journey to Dumai the captain and engineer were kidnapped and taken off the ship," Mr Choong said. He added that the vessel's owners believed the hijackers could be rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (Gam), which has been fighting for independence for Sumatra's northern Aceh province. "If this is a terrorist attack it will have severe consequences on the security of the ports in the region," Mr Choong said. "It looks like they [pirates] are becoming very daring and they are moving away from the... coastal attacks towards the one sea and towards Malaysian waters," he said.