CV32

MiG Begins Testing New Russian Navy Fighter Jets (RIA Novosti)

Anyone with experience in HCE or ANW should be able to take to CMANO pretty readily. I am finding the game play pretty much consistent with my experience there. The models are generally deeper, obviously, especially when it comes to logistics and such. I am enjoying that particular element. The initial release version also has some of the flaws/warts of HCE, e.g. RCS not determined by loadout.

Malaysia to establish marine corps, naval base close to James Shoal (Jane's)

China's air force comes of age (The Diplomat, Flashpoints)

Singapore and the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (The Diplomat)

To Save the Submarines, Eliminate ICBMs and Bombers (Defense One)

Why Russia keeps moving the football on European missile defense (Breaking Defense)

Yes, thanks, I had forgotten about that. I had a MH-53 blow up on me, without apparent cause. Might have to check into that.

Launch of the Vladiovostok (Navy Recognition)

Anyone tackle mine clearing yet? I am playing Op Brass Drum, and might have to turn to the manual, heh.

Latest pics of Zumwalt (DDG 1000) (DefenseNews, Intercepts blog) That 155mm AGS is saving my bacon in CMANO's Operation Brass Drum.

Red Pill was a working name for what has since become Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations (or CMANO). Command obviously has historical roots in Harpoon, but it is not compatible with HC/HCE or H3/ANW.

Command: Modern Air/Naval Operations 1.01 Review (SimHQ) No, not that review.

I would not have expected otherwise. One does not abandon that volume of work easily.

France Floats Out First Russian Mistral Warship (RIA Novosti)

Sea MiGs: The Next Generation of Indian and Russian Naval Aviation (Defense Media Network)

Syrian Air Force becoming increasingly aggressive near Turkish border (Aviationist)

Vietnam's General Vo Nguyen Giap dies (BBC News)

Something that I hope will help with trying to decipher the complexity (and sometimes absurdity) that promulgates Former Soviet Union/Russian weapon designation systems: Industrial Index Numbers These use a combined number/letter/number pattern that are fairly commonly seen. First digit: 2 - weapons systems that incorporate fire control systems and missiles 3 - early tactical missiles 4 - naval missiles 5 - strategic missiles of the PVO 8 - strategic ballistic missiles 9 - tactical missiles used by ground forces (replacing the use of '3' as noted above) Second letter: K - missile system, including the missile itself, launcher and fire control system M - missile V - missile A - launcher vehicle with radar P - basic launcher N - warhead S - major electronic component In the 1980s the Ground Forces adopted a three digit system, as follows: 9M1xx - anti-tank missiles 9M2xx - unguided rockets 9M3xx - surface to air missiles 9M7xx - tactical ballistic missiles Variants are often identified by suffixes, commonly appearing as: M - first modification M1 - second modification E - export Designation Patterns Air to air missiles (AAMs): K - whole weapon system (kompleks) R - missile (raketa) T - infra-red guidance (as a suffix) R - radar guidance (as a suffix) Tactical air to surface missiles (ASMs): Kh - a missile that has entered operational service R - radio command guidance (as a suffix) T - electro-optical guidance (as a suffix) P - passive or anti-radation homing (as a suffix) L - semi-active laser homing (as a suffix) Surface to air missiles (SAMs): S - strategic (strategicheskiy), usually named after rivers V - tactical (voyska), often named after geometric shapes or pointed objects Ballistic missiles: RS - strategic missile (raketa strategicheskiy), suffix for most ICBMs T - solid (tyardiy), suffix for early solid fuel missiles OTR - a phony designation for tactical ballistic missiles eliminated under INF Treaty Naval surface to surface missiles (SSMs): P - tactical antiship missiles xx-R - ASW missiles D-xx - secret designation for SLBMs under development R-xx - designation for deployed SLBMs (also 4Kxx) RSM-xx - designation used during SALT treaty negotiations Missile Design Bureaux (and their areas of expertise): Almaz NPO (previously SB-1 and KB-1) - missile guidance, especially air defense Antey NPO - tactical SAMs Bisnovat (previously OKB-4, renamed Molniya) - cruise missiles and spacecraft Chelomey (OKB-52, renamed NPO-Mashinostroyenie) - satellites and naval missiles Fakel MKB (previously Grushin or OKB-2) - air defense missiles KBP - aircraft cannon, anti-tank missiles, low altitude SAMs Korolev (OKB-1, renamed NPO Energia) - ballistic missiles and spacecraft Lavochkin (OKB-577, renamed Babakin Research Institute) - strategic SAMs and cruise missiles, spacecraft Makeyev - SLBMs Mikoyan (OKB-155, now part of Raduga) - AAMs, cruise missiles Nadiradze (now NPO Soyuz and NII Teplotekhnik) - solid fuel ICBMs Nepobidimy (sometimes called KB Mashinostroyenie) - MANPADS, anti-tank missiles, tactical ballistic missiles NIIP (NII Priborostroyeniya) - radars, tactical SAMs Novator NPO - anti-aircraft guns, SAMs, cruise missiles, ASW missiles Nudelman (OKB-16) - aircraft cannon, anti-tank missiles, low altitude SAMs Raduga (previously part of Mikoyan OKB-155) - cruise missiles, ASMs Toropov (OKB-134, absorbed by Vympel) - aircraft armament, AAMs, SAMs Vympel GosMKB (OKB-134, now part of Spetsveshtekhnika consortium along with Zvezda) - AAMs Yangel (SKB-586, renamed NPO Yuzhmash) - ICBMs Zvezda - tactical ASMs Ref: Russian Missile Designations, Steven Zaloga, 1994.

I have trouble believing that the J-15 is the dawg that they describe. STOBAR imposes stiff penalties, but still ...

LRASM: Long Range Maritime Strike for Air-Sea Battle (Defense Media Network)

Lockheed Inks Two More F-35 Contracts (DOD Buzz) Latest prices (LRIP 7): F-35A, $98 million per F-35B, $104 million F-35C, $116 million Engines are extra.

The problem with this, I think, is that the missiles were being used in a role other than what they were designed for, even if somewhat successful. In addition to the instances you mention, I am reminded of the occasion when a Canadian CF-18 pilot fired a AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile at an Iraqi patrol boat during Desert Storm. It missed, but still. Any radar guided weapon can potentially be used against a land based target. When shooting at a cluster of buildings along a shoreline, or in a relatively flat and featureless desert, the chances of getting a good enough radar return are probably pretty decent. So, questions arise. Do we make all radar guided weapons capable of land attack? Since we have only one pH value to work with (for surface targets), is it fair to make an antiship weapon equally capable of conducting attacks against ships and land targets? I am thinking no.

Certainly lots of chatter about Command's cost, and although I can see both sides of the debate, I do have to admit that I lean towards defence of a higher sticker price generally. The sheer amount of work that goes into these kinds of niche products - and the value they offer - is difficult to measure in any other way than to say they are 'exceptional'. But as wargamers we probably aren't the most objective of observers, are we?

One of the three helos, TCB-33 (c/n 3238), is preserved at the Turkish naval museum at Golcuk, reportedly as AB.204AS. You will also sometimes see AB.204ASW, but I don't have any info about an ASW role.