CV32

As a scenario author, I like to have complete control of how the player starts to suffe ... er, play .. through the scenario I have written.

23 May 1982 During the first air raid of that Sunday, four Argentine A-4B Skyhawks from the FAA's Grupo 5 find the Royal Navy's Type 21 class frigate HMS Antelope in San Carlos Water. The ship is hit by two 1,000 lb bombs, neither of which explodes, but one sailor is killed. One of the attacking aircraft clips the ship's mast and crashes. That evening, attempts are made to defuse the bombs but only one can be reached. Unfortunately, this bomb explodes, killing Staff Sgt James Prescott RE. The blast starts fires in both engine rooms, and the crew abandons ship as the magazines begin to explode. Antelope burns through the night and sinks the next day with a broken back.

22 May 1968 While on a mission to observe Soviet naval activity around the Azores, the US Navy's Skipjack class nuclear powered attack submarine USS Scorpion (SSN-589) is lost under mysterious circumstances, with all 99 crew aboard. Her wreck is located in late October 1968, about 740 km southwest of the Azores, in waters more than 3,000 m deep. Investigations into the cause of the incident remain inconclusive.

Generally speaking, there's no going back once a guidance system transitions from inertial to terminal semi-active radar homing (SARH). And if the shooter is destroyed or guidance is interrupted, the missile goes stupid (and explodes). Some generational issues here, but on the assumption that the code will not be able to accommodate them, pick the one that best serves game play. Complex! E.g. SAMs. CEC comes to mind, but generally no. Yes, if it is active radar or IR guided. Not if it is SARH or command guided. SARH or command guidance. And there may be a further complicating factor with in-formation aircraft. Although quite possible and realistic in the previously mentioned instances, do we want ships potentially shooting down their in-formation air while attempting to engage hostile targets?

21 May 1982 During the Falklands War, the Battle of San Carlos begins. It is the first time that a modern surface fleet (equipped with both SAMs and carrier based aircraft) must defend itself against repeated air strikes. British ships begin entering San Carlos Water (later to be nicknamed 'Bomb Alley') at 0250 hours on 21 May, a bay on the west coast of East Falkland. Argentine air attacks begin later in the morning. In the first air attack: Flying out of Stanley, Lt Guillermo Owen Crippa flies an Argentine Naval Aviation MB.339A of the 1st Attack Squadron 1 (Esc) on a reconnaissance flight to determine composition of the British fleet, attacking HMS Argonaut and an unidentified Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship with 30mm cannon fire and 68mm SNEB rockets. Argonaut sustains minor damage from gun hits.

Played through this one on the long weekend. I won't give away any spoilers, but it was fun to see Western toys pitted against each other.

It is, in that old DB. The Fencer carries a little more fuel, but its AL-21 turbojets have an SFC that isn't as good as the more efficient AL-31 turbofans aboard the Su-27. That, and typical flight profiles resulting in better range (clean) for the Flanker. That said, the Fencer often carries a pair of those monster PTB-3000 fuel tanks. Did they have them here?

20 May 1969 The Battle of Hamburger Hill, fought over Hill 937 in Vietnam, comes to an end after 10 days of brutal fighting.

A good USAF equivalent would be the annual USAF Almanac.

The database download must be unzipped to your main HUCE directory. The scenario download(s) can also be unzipped there, or to a separate folder within HUCE if you choose to create one (e.g. called 'Scenarios'). Also, from the FAQ: User scenarios and custom databases Battlesets

New North Korean Helicopter Frigates Spotted (38 North)

New Chinese Outpost Riles The Philippines (USNI News)

16 May 1919 US Navy Curtiss seaplane NC-4 leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, on the first transatlantic flight (via the Azores). The journey took 23 days and was supported by a trail of 53 "station ships" across the Atlantic. A month later, British aviators Alcock and Brown make the first non-stop transatlantic flight, flying a modified WWI Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Ireland. [The field from which Alcock and Brown took off is the same place where I run my English setter most every evening].

15 May 1987 A Soviet Energia rocket is launched from Baikonur with the Polyus prototype orbital laser weapon aboard, designed to destroy satellites (more specifically, future satellites of the American SDI system) with a megawatt class carbon dioxide laser. It fails to reach orbit.

Russia parades Bastion-P in Crimea (Jane's)

Cool storyline, Enrique. Thanks very much for sharing this. That would be fabulous!

14 May 1948 The State of Israel is established, immediately transforming a civil war (a war of independence, as far as the Israelis are concerned) into the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and igniting scores of conflicts since.

Opinion: Submarine Tech Outpacing ASW (Aviation Week)

13 May 1998 On 11 and 13 May, some 24 years after its first test (on 18 May 1974, dubbed 'Pokhran I'), India conducts five further nuclear tests, dubbed 'Pokhran II', at the Pokhran test range in the Thar Desert, including a thermonuclear device called Shakti. Economic sanctions follow.

Opinion: Is There a Frigate in Your Future? (USNI News)

British Destroyer Versus the Russian Navy (War is Boring blog) British Royal Navy Type 45 class destroyer HMS Dragon closely "escorting" the Russian Navy's Kirov class battlecruiser RFS Pyotr Velikiy in the English Channel on 8 May 2014.

12 May 1975 The American container ship SS Mayaguez is seized by the Khmer Rouge, starting a three day skirmish that would be considered the final battle of the Vietnam war.

The Comanche and the Albatross: About Our Neck Was Hung (Air and Space Power Journal, May-June 2014)

Nightfall: Machine Autonomy in Air-to-Air Combat (Air and Space Power Journal, May-June 2014, pdf)

The Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 Program: A Canadian Technology Policy Perspective (Air and Space Power Journal, March-April 2014, pdf)