CV32

INS Vikramaditya Deployment Options for India (Defense Aerospace)

Yeah, I am aware of the spyflight site but there's no specifics on the nature of the equipment other than a rather vague reference to ELINT missions, which implies ESM aboard USAF RB-29s but does not do a good job of confirming it.

Silly me, asking for more DB requests. Like calling for fire support on your own coordinates. Once again, thanks a lot, Enrique. Your help with the database work here at HG is truly superb. What's your source for the RB-29 with ESM? Which equipment in particular?

21 January 1968 A B-52G (callsign 'Hobo 28', serial 58-0188), from the 380th Strategic Bomb Wing at Plattsburgh AFB, NY, suffers an onboard fire while flying a 'Chrome Dome' strategic alert mission near Thule, Greenland. Unable to extinguish the fire, the crew bail out of the aircraft (with one fatality) and it crashes onto the frozen sea about 12 km west of Thule. It is a 'Broken Arrow' incident, as the aircraft is carrying four 1.1 megaton B28FI Mod 1 nuclear bombs. Project 'Crested Ice' is launched to remove debris and contain environmental damage, but some components are never recovered.

Former NATO commander warns of wider war in Middle East (Stars and Stripes)

UN rescinds invitation to Iran for Syria peace talks (Stars and Stripes)

I believe the EKA-3B fuselage blisters held ALQ-92 jammers (mostly for jamming GCI datalinks). The ALQ-100 was a track breaker (DECM), but I am not sure the EKA-3B also carried the ALQ-126 (another, later track breaker). Source(s)?

Global piracy reaches six-year low, but report highlights concerns over As-Pac spike (Jane's)

The Skies Of Korea: The Air War for a New Era (Defense Media Network)

20 January 1981 Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States. Within 20 minutes of his inaugural address, the remaining 52 American hostages held in Iran since November 1979, are released.

Quoted for truth.

I have added all of these, and they will appear in the next iteration. Any further requests before I kick a new version out the door later this week?

Very much so. Excellent book!

17 January 1991 At 2:38 AM, Operation Desert Storm is launched with the words "Party in ten", spoken by AH-64A Apache pilot 1st Lt Tom Drew. This meant that in 10 seconds, AGM-114 Hellfire laser guided missiles would be impacting their targets - a pair of critical early warning radar sites (comprising a co-located 'Squat Eye' and 'Flat Face', and a 'Spoon Rest') - in southern Iraq. The missiles (and subsequently, 2.75 inch rockets and 30mm Chain Gun ammo) were fired by Task Force Normandy, which all-helo force comprised eight Apaches (with a ninth as backup), a UH-60A Black Hawk, and two USAF MH-53J Enhanced Pave Low IIIs.

China confirms hypersonic vehicle test (Jane's)

16 January 1979 The Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, flees to Egypt at the height of the Iranian Revolution. Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar opens the way for Ayatollah Khomeini to return.

15 January 1949 Mao's communist Red Army defeats nationalist forces at Ten-tsin (Tianjin), marking the end of the Tianjin Campaign and sealing the fate of the KMT in northern China.

The T-50 Fighter Will Feature Even Greater Stealth Capabilities (Defense Aerospace) PAK FA stealth features patent published (Jane's)

DDG 1000 Preps for Heavy Weather Trials (DOD Buzz) Fingers crossed ...

If Scotland Votes for Independence, Its Going to Need an Army (War is Boring blog)

Drive on Moscow: How I Conquered Russia on My iPad (War is Boring blog)

This Is How the World Could Have Ended (War is Boring blog)

I'm not much for reading manuals, sometimes to my detriment. But in any event, I thought I would dive right into Flashpoint Campaigns and 'wing it' through the five part scenario campaign, playing the part of the Red Army. You start off having already crashed through the Fulda Gap (there is a large single scenario for that), and early on, I was making good progress pushing west. Things started to bog down a bit once I started to meet West German armor (ugh, Leopard 2's, especially) and anti-tank helos. But still, quantity has a quality all its own. You have to give up time and victory points during the campaign to replace fallen out or destroyed units. I suspected this was probably not a good idea (who would want to give NATO time to constitute a defence?), so I spent the bare minimum on this. Not sure if it was ultimately deal breaker (might have to crack that manual after all), but when I ran into American M1A1s, Bradleys, and an amazing artillery spotter, things started to go south instead of west. My Red Hammer fell just short of the Rhine, within a few kilometers of its banks, actually. Fun and addictive game.

14 January 1969 While operating off Hawaii, a 5 inch Zuni rocket "cooks off" aboard the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), due to hot exhaust from a MD-3A 'Huffer' flight deck APU vehicle being directed against the four round LAU-10/A rocket pod. The ensuing explosion of the rocket's 3.3 kg Composition B explosive warhead ignites the JP-5 fuel aboard the F-4J Phantom carrying the rocket pod. The resulting fire detonates three more Zuni warheads, punching holes through the flight deck and allowing burning fuel to drop into the level below. Some 18 more secondary explosions and fires follow, including several 500 lb Mk 82 iron bombs and a tanker aircraft carrying 6,000 USG of JP-5. Eight holes are blown through the flight deck and through the decks below. In less than four hours, the fires are extinguished, but 28 crewmen are killed and 344 injured. 15 aircraft are destroyed and 17 more damaged. The fire and subsequent investigation leads to further work on developing insensitive munitions.

Mostly ground forces oriented, but still useful and educational (in PDF): Soviet Army Operational and Tactics Soviet Army Specialized Warfare and Rear Area Support Soviet Army Troops, Organization and Equipment Soviet Motorized Rifle Battalion Soviet Motorized Rifle Company Soviet Tank Battalion Tactics Soviet Tank Company Tactics Heavy OPFOR Tactical Handbook Heavy OPFOR Operational Art Handbook NATO order of battle 1989 Bundeswehr order of battle West German Territorial Army order of battle Bundeswehr HQ units order of battle Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, 1988 (zip) Central Group of Forces, 1988 Northern Group of Forces, 1988 US intelligence and Soviet armor