broncepulido

Good (F-35A deployment to Kadena, Okinawa, for six months from next November) and bad news (I'm specially worried by the low than expected new airframes output, only 44 for a forecasted total of 66 this year): https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-f-35-had-a-week-full-of-good-and-bad-news-1819846935

Some sources: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/56282/asw-forms https://chinadailymail.com/2014/11/12/china-makes-public-its-dream-for-greater-asia-co-prosperity-sphere/

File Name: ASW Forms, Harpoon 3 Battles of the Third World War, late August 1991. File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 28 Oct 2017 File Category: WestPac ASW Forms, Harpoon 3 Battles of the Third World War, late August 1991. A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for the Western Pacific Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later. Image: Only three years later of the scenario date and to show the forces concentration level in the region, a 24 May 1994 aerial view of the United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka naval base. The ships tied up at the piers are (bottom to top) the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyers Sawagiri (DD-157), Asagiri (DD-151), the helicopter carrying destroyer Kurama (DDH-144), the destroyer USS O'Brien (DD-975), the Japanese guided missile destroyer Kongo (DDG-173) and the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) with VLS, first of Flight II. At the top, off to the right, is the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19). To the far right at Berth 5 are four Japanese Yushio-class submarines. Official US Navy photo by PH1 (Photographer's Mate First Class) H. Johnson, U.S. Navy, a serviceperson on duty, and in consequence in public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons. This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/Allied side or from the Red/Soviet-? side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side. A Sea of Japan scenario inspired by some good old scenario booklets of the Harpoon 3 series of the late 1980s edited by GDW, of great value for fun testing of generic tactics and weapons. Actually is a mix-up of originally random table generated ASW operations centred scenarios, do easier as only the Computer Harpoon can provide. And also reflecting all the knowledge acquired the last years in some matters, as about Soviet/Russian and others platforms characteristics, OOBs and historical deployments. The scenario is settled at the start of the conventional WWIII as was forecasted for the whole World for circa May 1991 and later in some of the GDW edited booklets, the opening movements and contacts, and the first days of true combat. At August 1991, after three months of WWIII start, in the Far East Japan was keep neutral to avoid a second front for the NATO and other allied Western forces. In the Sea of Japan trading lanes and fishing zones were maintained open and accessible, but with the months pass the tension was increasing. At last, the Soviet Union decided to attack the Japanese maritime traffic to create a Far East second front and alleviate the pressure in the main European/North Atlantic theatre of operations. Note: the scenario is qualified as "Historical" because the forces present in the scenario were historically deployed or very near to the zone of operations in August 1991. As example, Japanese Mitsubishi SH-60J Seahawk were first deployed just in August 1991, USS Truxtun (CGN-35) departed Bremerton for her WESTPAC deployment on 16 August 1991, and the Soviet naval vessels are those historically deployed at that time in its Pacific Fleet. Enrique Mas, October 28, 2017. Click here to download this file

We're keeping on the rails clearly the last months. Go!

Chinese warship #2495 Luda V Type 051M should have capacity for 2xHelicopters, not 1xHelicopter as just now (I think in HCDB was that, but not sure,working in an old scenario with this type, the old Type 051M in the scenario has 2xHelicopter, and another new I "put in the water" few minutes ago has only 1xHelicopter in HCDB2, but I was testing the old scenario by days with HCDB2 with helicopter capacity=1, and no GE crashes with the "old" Type 051M loaded with 2xHelicopters from the scenario start!).

Also, Chinese warship #2498 Jianghu V Type 053 is classified as SubType=DD, should be SubType=FF, and the consequent modification from "destroyer" to "frigate" in the Text ID description (Of importance building scenarios and finding Chinese warships types).

Loadout #55785 ASW-2 for Ka-25 ASW variants is armed with 4x#24577 VTT-1 Strizh wire-guided ASW torpedoes. VTT-1 weight some 540-560 Kg (Is a derivative of the same weight AT-1, employed also by Ka-25 in loadout #55959, 1xAT-1M) and weapons bay capacity 1100 Kg, it should be armed with only 1xVTT-1. Some sources: http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-37.html https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B0-25 Quote: Вооружение Боевая нагрузка: 1100 кг Armament Combat load: 1100 kg

The great Russian Ships Info website has updated its section on the four Russian Fleets at October 16, 2017: Link

Chinese warship #2485 Luda IV Type 051 is classified as SubType=FF, should be SubType=DD (Of importance building scenarios and finding Chinese warships types). Same with chinese warship #2486 Luda III Type 051G; is classified as SubType=FF, should be SubType=DD (Also has 2x130mm forward mounts, and not 1xFwd+1xAft, but I know are ships pending of revision).

Basically is to do the game more enjoyable, flexible and realistic, now the formation air patrol range is well beyond the 255 nm of the original four zones. Is a feature implemented just some weeks ago and not yet fully exploited.

Helicopter #Lynx Mk2(FN) 84 should have SubType=Naval and not SubType=ASW as currently (it has also ASuW capabilities/loadouts, is not only a ASW platform), on line with the other French Naval Lynx (very useful for scenario buildingi).

Done! http://harpgamer.com/harpforum/index.php?/tracker/issue-197-very-low-interception-problem/

Modification 14 October 2017: very little spelling change ("Alize" for "Alizé").

This scenario is basically the same designed previously in 2011, but updated to employ the new and greatly expanded HCDB2 Platform Database. Some sources: http://www.netmarine.net/bat/ee/guepratte/index.htm http://www.netmarine.net/g/bat/gleygues/histoire01.htm

File Name: Operation Lancette, May 15, 1981. Historical Scenario, Updated HCDB2 version. File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 15 Oct 2017 File Category: MEDC Operation Lancette, May 15, 1981. Historical Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.013 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later. Image: Sister ship of R98 Clemenceau, a port quarter view of the French navy's aircraft carrier R99 Foch underway during exercise Dragon Hammer 1992. On the crowed deck are present F-8E(FN) Crusader fighters (not yet F-8P), Super Etendard attack aircrafts (not yet modernized), Alizé ALM ASW aircrafts, a SA.321Gb Super Frelon assault, transport, utility and SAR helicopter of Flotille 32.F or 33.F (To 1980 employed for ASW, but replaced on that task by Lynx), and a AS.365F Dauphin 2 helicopter of Escadrille 23.S replacing Alouette III on board the French carriers from 1990 in "Pedro"/SAR tasks. May 1992 photo by PHC (Chief Photographer's Mate) Jack C. Bahm, a US serviceperson on duty, and in consequence in public domain, took from Wikipedia Commons. This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/French side or from the Red/Soviet side. You should play a few times first the Blue side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red side. An apparently simple and introductory scenario based on historical facts. In the heydays of the Cold War at a time of particular tension, two days after the Pope John Paul II assassination attempt in Rome instigated by the Bulgarian/Soviet Secret Services, was the moment of one of the most scaring naval situations in the Cold War. Just when the R98 Clemenceau CVBG and his reduced peacetime escort was sailing from Toulon for the exercise Coriolan, was detected a submarine contact by the ASW picket (Destroyers D640 Georges Leygues and D632 Guepratte) only 50 nautical miles from Toulon and actively stalking the carrier group. The subsequent Operation Lancette was launched, resulting in the chase of the unknown submarine continuously for more than eighteen hours and with the submarine alternating creep speeds with peaks of 28-30 knots and even passing below the Georges Leygues towed sonar array. La Royale (French Navy) employed both forward escort destroyers, Lynx helicopters and Atlantic ASW planes based in the very near BAN Nimes-Garons, and at last forced her to surfacing. Ultimately she was visually identified on surface at night from a Lynx helicopter of the Georges Leygues as a Soviet Victor-type SSN and compelled to quit the area. But this scenario represents the possibility of the things going wrong and hot, and both sides firing in anger at the enemy forces. This scenario also could gives an idea of the difficult submarine hunting, the difficult of hunting surface ships with submarines without long range target determination, the limited sonar ranges and convergence zone feasibility on a sea with high levels of salinity and density, the high limitations of small diesel-electric submarines employed as hunter-killers against SSN (the French SSN force was then yet two years on the future), and about the necessity of employing half of the French Aeronavale ASW forces to catch only one submarine, even when she was fortunately emplaced very near to a main ASW air base. Enrique Mas, December 4, 2011 - October 14, 2017. Click here to download this file

This second one is a serious issue, as human player lose a lot of fighters unless a very tight manual-controlled interception. I refered it in some issue in the issue tracker section, but I was incapable to reproduce it in any ad hoc test scenario. About the first one, I'm finishing a rebuild scenario when perhaps could be possible to observe the sonobuoy drop pattern.

As commented in Twitter, Chinese Type 055 confirmed at last has only 64xVLS forward + 48xVLS aft: https://mobile.twitter.com/HenriKenhmann/status/918531706725924864

Some sources: Air Forces Monthly, October 2017 issue. https://turkishnavy.net/?s=sea+breeze+2017 http://www.c6f.navy.mil/tags/sea-breeze-2017 http://www.c6f.navy.mil/news/sea-breeze-2017-takes-anti-submarine-warfare-training-advanced-level http://www.c6f.navy.mil/blog/status-fleet-sea-breeze-photos-day-1-3 https://www.flickr.com/photos/cne-cna-c6f/35085669033/ https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2017/july/26/170726-hms-duncan-visits-ukraine-after-completing-multinational-naval-exercise https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa_International_Airport https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE_(%D0%B0%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC)

File Name: Sea Breeze 2017 going wrong. Historical/Alternate History Scenario. File Submitter: broncepulido File Submitted: 13 Oct 2017 File Category: MEDC Sea Breeze 2017 going wrong. Historical/Alternate History Scenario. A Harpoon Commander's Edition scenario for EC2003 Battle for the Mediterranean Battleset and the HCDB2-170909 (or later) 1980-2025 era Platform Database. This scenario is designed with Advanced Scenario Editor Build 2017.012 and to be run with HCE 2015.008+ or later. This scenario is designed to be played from the Blue/NATO-Ukraine side or from the Red/Russia side. You should play a few times first the Blue/NATO-Ukraine side to avoid spoilers, and only later play the Red/Russian side. Image: Cmdr. Peter Halvorsen, commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64), participates in a press conference in Odessa, Ukraine, during exercise Sea Breeze 2017 July 12. Observe the shielded 12.7mm M2 machine-gun added in the extreme bow (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Weston Jones/Released, took by a service person on duty, and in consequence in public domain). From the eventful year of 2014 the World was beginning the so-called Second Cold War, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (ex-KGB lieutenant colonel) was showing clearly his plan to recover the Russian Empire and later Soviet territories for reinstitute the greatness of his Russia, and to guarantee his passage on the History as saviour of the Rodina. From May 2014 Putin was provoking in succession the Crimea, Ukraine, Donetsk, Baltic States, October 2014 Swedish submarine incursion, G-20 Brisbane meeting naval crisis, November 2014 Faslane submarine incident, frigate Yaroslav Mudryy February "Channel Dash", April 2015 Finnish submarine incursion (for many observers causing the pre-mobilization of Finland reserve forces), Russian intervention in Syria from 30 September 2015, shoot-down by Turkish F-16 fighters equipped with AIM-120 AMRAAM on 24 November 2015 of a Russian Su-24M as consequence of the repeated unlawful overflights of Turkey by Russian warplanes based in Latakia, and after two months of repeated warning, March 2016 detection by the French of a Russian submarine near Bay of Biscay and its SSBN base, the propaganda stunt of the deployment of the only one Russian aircraft carrier Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov steaming (a lot, literally) from Kola Bay towards Eastern Mediterranean from October 15, 2016, and with constant and multiple Russian overflies with military warplanes entangled in potential incidents with commercial flights in Europe, so far as at the Portuguese shores. That without counting in other unrelated naval incidents aside the upcoming Second Cold War, just as the Iranian seizure of the merchant Maersk Tigris in 28 April 2015, the shore-based anti-ship missile attacks against the catamaran transport ex Swift (HSV-2) and US destroyers on the Red Sea in October 2016 and the ulterior retaliation, the first military operation of the Trump Administration on January 28, 2017, the MV-22B tiltrotor raid of SEAL Team 6 operating from USS Makin Island (LHD-8) against Houthi Yemen, the later January 30 incident, when an Al-Madinah-class Saudi frigate was attacked and damaged probably by a Houthi suicide or drone boat off Al Hudaydah, Houthi Yemen, and the constant and intense naval drills as Sea Shield, Dynamic Manta, Dynamic Mongoose and the new anti-ballistic missile exercise Formidable Shield 2017. (And without counting in great landlocked actions, as the complex counter-Daesh operations in Middle East). And meanwhile, more towards Far East a less perceived and growing problem was China, as reflected in the transfer of the 60% of the USN and USAF combat forces to the Pacific Theatre of Operations from 2012, move to be completed by 2020. For many observers the continuous and large NATO and partners military exercises shows to Russia the Western will to resist his threats, keeping a tense peace. The Russian were also executing continuous exercises and operations, and showing them without many explanations in propaganda news reports, from Zapad-17, projected for 14-20 September 2017 to continuous ASW exercises. Between all those events, from 10 to 22 July 2017 exercise Sea Breeze 2017 was developed in the Black Sea, with many phases and targets, and with limited NATO and Ukrainian forces. Sea Breeze 2017 counted with 31 participant warships and 29 aircrafts of 17 nations with some 3000 personnel. Mainly was in part an ASW exercise, in part a surface warfare exercise, in part an amphibious exercise, culminated with light forces landing in the uninhabited Tendra Spit sandbar, near Kherson, Ukraine (City named by the same placement classical antiquity region of Chersonesus). The main ASW exercise was executed between Odessa, Ukraine, and the disputed Sevastopol, in the 2014 Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula. Was also developed a little propaganda in Russian-controlled media about the lack of ASW capability of the Western. But many world parts were in high tension because other causes. Not only the Chinese vindications on "terraformed" territories in South China Sea and the USN answer with Freedom of Navigation (FON) patrol are forcing the camel back and contributing to the world turmoil, but also the incredible direct menaces of North Korean President Kim and his constant and provocative launching of ballistic missiles, overflying Japan and other habited zones. As consequence of that instability, anything can happen in any time in any place, and probably Sea Breeze 2017 will be not an exception. Of course this is a training exercise and actually shots, torpedoes and missiles aren't fired and nobody is hurt ... or perhaps yes. This scenario is qualified as "historical" because the present forces are the same historically available. Enrique Mas, October 12, 2017. Click here to download this file

Perhaps this modern Turkish PG, called Dearsan (Shipyard name) in Jane's, with a token ASW capability, and in service from 2011: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuzla-class_patrol_boat

Warship #62 Type 45/2 Daring 15 has 2x #57382 324mm TT2 Stingray M1 stb, both starboard side, and none port side (#59756)

Interesting considerations in all those points: http://warisboring.com/russias-air-defenses-in-syria-have-some-big-problems/