dylanjones

Rule 5.2.9.5 says evaporative ducts are usable by ships, submarines with a raised periscope, and helicopters. Yes, rule 6.3.10 applies. 4.6.4.3 says a pad launch for a helicopter takes 3 minutes, after which the helicopter is placed as you say.

Would love to hear more about your mods to HCE!

Admiralty Trilogy Group published a series of articles on the S300 in its magazine "Sitrep" (available on Wargame Vault). They have full updated stats for all the variants. Basically, there is a ship-based variant S300F called "Fort" by the Russians and many land-based variants S300P/PS/PMU/PMU1/PMU2 etc. Also do not be confused by the S300V. This is a completely different missile than the Grumble.

It is interesting, because only 8.1.4 about autonomous weapons specifically says "they operate independently of the ship's combat system". To me that indicates the weapons in 8.1.3 do not operate independently of the ship's combat system (unless under local control).

I think it is a botch-up in the rules. It should read "These radars will pick up surface contacts (and VLow air contacts at one-tenth the normal range)". In other words, the one-tenth thing only applies when you're searching for air contacts at Vlo. This is sadly a product that hasn't been play-tested and proof-read thoroughly by people who are new to the system - and it shows.

Thanks, yes you're absolutely correct - that is how they're doing it. For aircraft it is a bit of a mystery, and subsequent clarification has said that for helos that are ship-based they take the combat system generation of the ship.

Yes, but where is this noted in the Harpoon-V rules? I can't see it, and in fact the whole datalinks issue seems underspecified to me. If you're going to include it, and make it such a limiter on engagements as they have, you need to do it well.

The main range limiter - then and now - is the horizon. SH-60s (and Seasprites before them) had to stay at a range with the ship on the horizon or climb to a greater height in order to keep the ship in view for the datalink to work.

I've found the whole datalink thing the hardest bit of H-V. I feel like some essential information is missing or hidden in the rulebook and the databooks that would make it all clear. Kevin, you say "there is a datalink between them, but it is very limited..." - where are you getting this information from in the rules or in the data books please? Why can't I use 6.3.10 in this circumstance?

"Harpoon with miniatures"?

Excited about this new version. And about the new version of Harpoon 4 in development.

As already mentioned, none of those Russian aircraft have a radar. So you have to use the visual sighting rules in H4.1 to spot your target vessel.

Cool, I'd like to try running a basic surface engagement if there are a couple of keen players.

Can you give a step-by-step how you'd use it to run a multiplayer PBEM game?

Reality is another thing, I agree. But the rule is very clear - it only applies to "pure SARH missiles". And the data annex doesn't list the SA-N-4 as a SARH missile. Nor is the SA-N-7 for that matter a pure SARH missile in the annex. The explanation you cite is actually explaining why the rule doesn't apply to Cmd guided missiles - because they already follow a much more aerodynamically efficient pursuit path as compared to SARH. The rule exists precisely because SARH is inefficient pursuit against a twisting and turning target - so when the target is flying nice and steady the SARH missile gets better range (in H4.1 abstracted as 1.5 times the range it has against a manoeuvring target).

Funny stuff. I should point out that the scenario did not require the Soviets (Red) to offer any warning prior to defending themselves against hostile action, or even how that hostile action might be defined or interpreted. The radio calls we offered were purely politeness on our part, lol. In any event, I think it is clear (and fairly defensible, as you seem to yourself admit) that, in the context of the rising tensions, missile craft approaching at 30 knots is pretty hostile behaviour. Wow, we were more up against it than I thought at the time. I assumed the Soviets would have restrictive RoE preventing them firing until they detected us doing so.

Err, doesn't the range extension for non-maneuvering targets only apply to SARH missiles?

Its hard to comment without knowing the distances involved, but 6.4..1.10 would have applied on the ET any "leakers" approached and attacked the Sov. So if the Krivak was positioned within about 7nm of the Sov and the Harpoon could reach it in the second air movement phase of the ET it was due to hit the Sov it might have been caught by 6.4.1.10.

Just as a bit of feedback, I think it would be great if umpires could record the details of combat resolution in a manner similar to the way "Command" displays it in the running commentary down the left hand side of the screen. By that I mean something like "Gadfly vs Harpoon. Base .75. Less .3 for SSkimmer. Less .15 for VSmall. Final .3 Roll .44 Miss" You could just jot this down longhand or in a computer file and then reveal it at the end of the game.

I was the Red Air commander. My AAR follows. Initially I used the P3 to find the convoy and then to shadow it so that both our surface and air components knew what the convoy was up to from then on. I was happy to respect the Soviet request to keep my distance as I didn't want the combat to be triggered too soon. Our surface vessels began a long way away from the convoy, so it took considerable time for them to close to attack range. I scrambled one F4 in an attempt to scare the Ka25 that the convoy launched into landing. I think this might have been successful - at least temporarily. We knew we were up against it when the Sovremennyy was confirmed from radar emissions. But we came up with what we thought was our best chance to meet our victory conditions - overwhelm its defences with a coordinated air and surface vessel attack on a single axis. We knew the Sov had six directors for its SAMs and they were arranged in such a fashion (PB&P/P/P&PQ/SB&S/S/S&SQ) that it would only be able to engage at max three targets with Gadfly at a time on a single axis. So that gave a mass raid a chance. Unfortunately, that Plan A couldn't be executed because the Soviets sprang our trap before we were in position to launch a coordinated air and surface vessel attack. And that left us making two sequential attacks rather than a single massed attack. My Plan B was to take advantage of the fact that the Sov's SAM directors have a weak spot in the 30 degree arcs either side of directly forward and directly aft where only two targets (and possibly only one) can be engaged at a time. Moreover, because the single director for the twin 130mm turrets only works in the forward arc, aircraft approaching from the 30 degrees either side of stern would not face 130mm AA fire. And if they flew at Medium altitude they would be too high for the 30mm gatlings. The only possible fly in the ointment was if the Soviet formation placed the other Soviet warship directly behind the Sov covering the weak spot - but that wasn't the case in this game. Anyway, for a variety of reasons my aircrew couldn't bring that approach off, and they ultimately were martyred.

Yes, thanks to all who participated and big thanks to the referee. Simplot won't take the place of my miniatures, but it is a very good tool and I'm sure more people would play H4 if they knew about it.

If you gave me four more identical Phantoms and turn-by-turn control over them I think I could try to fly into the Sov's blindspot but let's call it a day. I'm keen to see how it all unfolded.

I understand, its always a tricky one. I don't know how it is supposed to work when you've got I/SARH missiles. I know in real life that the Gadfly has a period of time when it is flying dumb after first launching on inertial guidance. Then the illumination starts and the homing head activates. Then it follows proportional guidance to the target. I'm fairly sure though, that it can't double back easily if it has flown past the target during that time of dumb flying.

Wouldn't that be inside the minimum range of the Gadfly?

Orders: max rate climb to medium altitude band using reheat. Execute dive bombing attack from Med alt on target S008. (or die in the attempt!)