Herman

A new patch is available from the Matrix server. ftp://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/Harpoon3ANW...se-v392Comp.zip Harpoon ANW users can get the: Complete Harpoon ANW Library FilesOfScenShare

Ed Higgins, Jeronimo, and I finally got together for a game last night. There aren't that many 3-sided games, so we elected to try Eric Weincam's EU-5 Tin Canary scenario made with the community's favourite database, the PlayersDB. The strongest side was probably the USN so Ed commanded it while Jerome controlled the Russian CVBG leaving me the EU forces. This was quite a large scenario and would test the limits of the ANW server. We started the battle and Jerome's submarines immediately detected unknown ships from their towed sonar arrays. Although no precise locations were available, we at least had a general idea where they might be and decided to throw the dice and gamble everything on a lightning-quick strike. A Carrier Battle group is phenomenally capable of defense and I had only a single squadron of Backfire. A coordinated SSM strike from the Russian CVBG and SSGN might be sufficient to overwhelm the defences of a single CVBG. We held no hopes of defeating both CVBG. The bombers launched from the mainland while AEW helos and the E-2 Hawkeye rose from the ships at sea. The ECM environment was phenomenal with most of the radar screens turned to hash from the powerful Prowlers. We planned to roll back the CVBG defences with a series of SSM attacks to draw out the AMRAAM fire from the CAP and then kill the Hornets with Flankers from the Kuznetsov. Once the Hornet 'sheepdogs' were out of AMRAAM, then we would strike with the AS-6 Kingfish from the Backfire. We had an ace up our sleeve in the form of a Bear reconnaissance aircraft that had managed to creep into range north of the CVBG. Once the Backfire came into range, she would climb and designate targets for the Backfire. That was the plan, at least. However, the best laid plans of men and mice... All was going well with the launch of the strikes. As the bombers passed over the Russian CVBG enroute to the USN CVBG (now identified as the George Washington), Flankers and Rafale fighters launched from the De Gaulle. Some were armed with ANS, some with ARMAT, and the rest were with MICA AAMs for escort. It was an impressive wall of aircraft, but the power of a US carrier air wing cannot be underestimated. As the Backfire passed over, the Slava, BCGN, and Kuznetsov began to loosing Shipwreck and Sandbox SSMs on Bearing-only Launch. The odds of them hitting anything worthwhile were slim to none in the face of at least three AEgis-equipped escort vessels that had already been detected by ESM. However, they hoped to occupy the SAM defenses while the true ship-killing AS-6 Kingfish would follow behind them. This was quite appropriate for this was the land of the Azores and home of bullfighting; where the matador distracts the bull with a cape before issuing the killing blow. The plane was proceeding well with Ed's CAP concentrating on the incoming Sandbox. After they had used up their AMRAAMs, Jerome's Flankers ate them up with Alamo missiles. In the fierce ECM environment, targets were hard to lock up for the SARH missiles that needed radar guidance to home on their targets. Still, the Hornets fought back and managed to exact revenge on the inbound Rafales and Flankers. The SAMs were doing a fantastic job on the SSMs. The Rafale ASCMs [Anti-Ship Cruise missiles] were likely going to be needed. The Backfire released their Kingfish and timed them so that the CAP would be too busily engaged with them to worry about the Rafale and Hornets approaching on the deck. The inbound strikes got a slight respite when they finally managed to burn through the jamming from a Prowler that had been positioned far forward of the CAP. She was immediately killed by a volley of missiles and the radar picture cleared momentarily. It was long enough to splash 6 Hornets in quick succession for the lost of a single Flanker. The AS-6 Kingfish were just a little bit late. This allowed Ed to nearly slaughter a flight of ANS-armed Rafale before they could release their missiles. The surviving Rafale immediately loosed his ANS missile on BOL in a "use'm or lose'm" gesture. With over 40+ ASCM approaching the GW CVBG, things were just getting interesting when we had to call an end to the game. Ed conceded that he didn't think that he could win any longer even though none of his ships had even been hit, yet. Alas, we were unable to continue the saved game after the server was updated. Still, we had a heckuva good time while it lasted and can't wait to try it again. Thanks for a very nice game, gentlemen, and thanks, to Harpgamer for hosting the server. Anyone looking for an MP game can drop a line here or look for us on HarpGamer pHp chat room or the HG mIRC chat room.

The 46th NEW Harpoon scenario in the last 12 months! Sea King to Chile Incident One of the most mysterious events of the war happened on May 16th, when a Sea King was found burning and abandoned near Punta Arenas airbase. The British claimed a 500nm navigation error but, after the war, it became clear that SAS Special Forces had been planning a raid to take out the Exocet-armed Super Etendard aircraft which had sunk Sheffield and Atlantic Conveyor. Speculation on the nature of this operation still ranges from SAS-Hercules aircraft landing on Rio Grande airbase in order to destroy the planes on the ground to the setting up of covert radar facilities to provide early warning for the fleet. Fact is that Chile felt it was the next target of the Argentine junta and, therefore, open to cooperation with the British. Author: Freek Schepers The PlayersDB has passed the Quarter-Million mark! Over 250,000 PlayersDB scenarios have been downloaded in the last 12 months making it the most popular database for Harpoon 3 and ANW. Thanks to everyone for making it such an ongoing success. Harpoon3.6.3 users can get the: Complete Harpoon 3.6.3 Library Harpoon ANW users can get the: Complete Harpoon ANW Library FilesOfScenShare

I don't think it is possible to make them available later, either. It might be possible to bring them on as reinforcements. For example, if you set a CAP over a base with Flankers and then order some more Flankers to ferry in later from another base, I *think* that the first base will use the additional Flankers to fill out the CAP. Perhaps one of the HC veterans could confirm whether or not this idea is functional. I just ran the scenario through from the blue side and could not trigger the ViConds. Here is the final status. Both TFs arrived at Cyprus with only DDG Daring and DDG Type 42 lost.

Famous last words.... I took this scenario out for a test run as the Red side since I don't get to play Red all that often. In short, I had a good time of it and managed to achieve victory after about 1 day of battle. A very good conflict. Since feedback was requested, I'll provide some. Please note that, IMHO, there is no right or wrong way to make a scenario. These comments are only suggestions on things you may wish to consider. They are meant to help, not hurt. The idea of a convoy in between the major bases is a good strategem. Operating at long distances is really challenging. The initial opening battle to provide AEW and CAP coverage for her cost me a few fighters. The Eurofighters did a nice job on my CAP. So did the Harriers with AIM-120C5. Once they were killed, no further air attacks were seen on the convoy. There seemed to be many a/c at Brindisi and other bases, but they don't seem to enter into play very much. The Red orders state "...get the convoy coming down the Bosporus..." but the convoy is already clear of the Bosporous and in the middle of the AEgean. Just a slight mis-match, perhaps. The Prithvi Missiles missile found on Cyprus easily demolished the UK ground unit. However, they seem to be a bit out of place. Aren't they only used by India? Perhaps SCUD or other SSM for Russian might be a more fitting match for the ground forces. The Libyan convoy/forces might need some more orders i.e. should it proceed or can it just turn back to protect the merchants? If I had a choice, I would have turned it around and run for the mainland. One mine in the minefield appears over land. All the Libyan TFs seem to be nicely proportioned and positioned. I launched an air strike on the Italian PhibRon. I think that it might be "clumped together" at a single position instead of individual patrol zones. The orders say that, "Use the small Libyan air force wisely and carefully - we may get reinforcements and help from the Russians if we hang in long enough." When I first read it, I thought that I wasn't supposed to use the Russian base. I did use it, but questioned if I was supposed to only play the game with Libyan units. I managed to achieve victory after about 1 day while the convoy was still in the southern AEgean. Was this supposed to be possible? ViCond.bmp The Bears with the Cruise missiles really smite the NATO bases. There doesn't seem to be much defense for the AI against them. The Brindisi base held out the longest with all her SAMs. Maybe you might consider a few more CAP. The 36 ALCM should be pretty easy to shoot down, I think. I ran over all the Blue subs and killed them all. Their quiet acoustic signature made sure that they got off a good shot at me, but I didn't lose anything. However, it often took all the helos in the convoy to catch and kill a single sub. You may want to check out the possibility of the player taking a course different from the one you have laid out. If the player does this, will he still meet the subs? The long duration of the scenario allows the player to virtually travel to Malta before he needs to come back to Cyprus and he's got plenty of time to do it.

Over 62 new aircraft, ships, submarines, facilities, classes, countries, and weapons have been added to the Harpoon3 PlayersDB with the official Database editor issued by AGSI. Get the PlayersDB-ANW on HarpDB, SubSim, or ughHQ. Get the PlayersDB on HarpDB, SubSim, or ughHQ. Additions include: PC Acuario B MEX 04 H-6M Badger PRC 08 HD-5 Beagle PRC 67 LPD Canberra AUS 10 Canberra PR.9 CL 83 Canberra PR.9 UK 55 PBY-5 Catalina CL 41 Y-8EW Cub EW PRC 05 ASR Dolores Chouest US 78 AGI Dongdiao PRC 99 A-50E Eh [Mainring] IND 08 AOR Fuchi PRC 04 AFS Fuxianhu PRC 07 FFG Gorshkov RUS 09 C-130H Hercules UK PTM Houbei [Type 022] PRC 04 AGM Invincible USN 98 PT Jaguar CL 04 LPD Juan Carlos I ES 08 ASR Kellie Chouest US 96 AGM Observation Island US 53 PC Polaris (CB90HMN) MEX 99 737 Radar AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane US F-86F Sabre AR 60 ScanEagle Block D US 02 738 SSM Hsiung Feng III Btty ROC 06 AGOS Stalwart USN 84 OPV Svalbard NO 02 AGOR Xiangyanghong PRC 78 AGM Yuanwang (Type 718) PRC 77 LPD Yuzhao [Type 071] PRC 08 - countless changes and improvements guaranteed not to crash any earlier scenario built with the PlayersDB Harpoon3.6.3 users can get the Complete Harpoon 3.6.3 Library Harpoon ANW users can get the Complete Harpoon ANW Library FilesOfScenShare

The 44th NEW Harpoon scenario in the last 12 months! H-Hour As the arctic daylight fades into mid-afternoon twilight, the tension along the Soviet/Norwegian border erupts into a heavy artillery and rocket barrage. The Norwegian defence forces have been preparing for this day for many years. It is now time to defend their homeland or suffer a second occupation in 50 years. 'Helmets On!' this is going to be a tough one. As the Norwegian commander, the best you can hope for is to inflict delay on the overwhelming force coming towards you. Destroy key bridges or tunnels to slow Soviet ground troops and inflict as many casualties as you can. As the Soviet commander, you enjoy overwhelming superiority in numbers, but don't underestimate your opponent's capabilities. Your initial lunge into Norway needs to be quick and decisive. In order to pave the way for follow-on forces, you have three hours to secure key choke points and neutralize the air defences. Use a combined strike of Land, Sea, and Air forces to cripple the defences. Author: Bart Gauvin South Georgia One of the first tasks of the Falkland Task Force was the liberation of South Georgia. This was considered both a practice step for the Falklands liberation, and an essential first goal to secure safe anchorages for the many support ships that were needed by the Task force. Author: Freek Schepers With over 226,000 PlayersDB scenarios downloaded in the last 12 months alone, the PlayersDB has proven itself the unequivocal players' favourite. Harpoon ANW users can get the: Complete Harpoon ANW Library Harpoon3.6.3 users can get the: Complete Harpoon 3.6.3 Library FilesOfScenShare

Ed and I met up for our weekly ANW match. This week, we elected to try out Bart Gauvin's first scenario production, Ice Picket, made with the Harpoon community's favourite database, the PlayersDB. I played the Soviets while Ed commanded the NATO forces. My orders were to prevent NATO from reinforcing the Jan Mayen Island outpost with a PhibRon. Right away, one of my spy trawlers [AGI] picked up radar transmissions and one of my Victor III subs detected the distinct acoustic signatures of Tarawa-class and Wasp-class vessels and moved in to investigate. The AGI soon spotted a SH-2 SeaSprite helo coming over to give her a look. The pilot was very cagy and came in slowly while the AGI had trained a pair of Gremlin SAMs tracking her all the time. Closer, and closer, she came until she was just outside of maximum range. Crap. She fingered the AGI, so there was no further need for stealth. She went to flank speed and raced to nail down the position of the enemy PhibRon. Soon enough, a pair of AH-1 SeaCobras came in on an attack run to fire Hellfire missiles. However, they got too close and one was brought down by a Gremlin. The AGI was burning furiously and listing, but still afloat and she had confirmation of the course and speed for the PhibRon. This was transmitted to SubSquadron 31 and the nearest Victor III calculated an intercept course. Unfortunately, the PhibRon was moving at a very high rate (24kts!) so there was no chance of the SSN catching it without moving at a high speed, herself. Captain Ivanov ordered the sub to full speed (23kts) and hoped that he would survive long enough to deliver his attack. Once she transmitted her data, the AGI had outlived her purpose. When two Harriers from the PhibRon came to finish her off, she was determined not to go down without a fight. They Marine pilots fired Mavericks, but they also came in too close and one of them suffered the same fate as the previous SuperCobra and was blown from the sky by a Gremlin. The Mavericks found their mark and the AGI was soon sinking by the stern. Captain Ivanov was approaching perpendicular to the course of the PhibRon. At his closest approach, he decided to let loose his Type 65-76 wake-homing torpedoes. Their phenomenal range meant that they could actually catch the large landing ships. He fired them on bearing-only launch. As soon as they left the tubes, the NATO sonar operators must have heard their launch transient for a helo came out to investigate. The crew kept their fingers crossed and hoped to live long enough to deliver the rest of their ordnance. Once the tubes were re-loaded, a second, then a third, brace of lethal 650mm killer torpedoes were launched. This also gave the helo systems operator sufficient information to further localize the onrushing submarine and a Mk46 ASW torpedo was dropped. Although nearly blind in their haste, K-305's sonar operator detected the high-pitched eminations from the approaching torpedo. As a final act of desperation, the K-305 fired the 3 USET-80 torpedoes in her tubes on the last generated sonar bearings just as the Mk46 struck. With 92% of their flotation destroyed, the crew blew the ballast tanks and tried to fight their way to the surface. The pressure of the North Atlantic ended their race at -190m when their pressure hull imploded. Although they did not live to see it, their torpedoes ran true and first LHA Saipan, the LHD Wasp were struck by the massive Type 65-76 torpedoes. Both were lost immediately. The USET-80 torpedoes selected the CG Leahy for their terminal run and two were more than enough to leave her listing with here engine room flooded. With his three High Value Units sinking, Ed conceded the game. Jan Mayen would get no re-inforcement this day. Thanks for a very nice game and congratulations to Bart on the first MP session for his debut scenario. Thanks, also, to Harpgamer for hosting the server. Anyone looking for an MP game can drop a line here or look for us on HarpGamer pHp chat room or the HG mIRC chat room.

The 166th NEW Harpoon scenario in the last 12 months! Operation Island Wind Dateline July 1, 2008 North Korea has recently been threatening to test a long-range ballistic missile; shrugging off the concerns of the world community. Despite the threat of sanctions, they have persisted in their preparations. This scenario was originally written for Harpoon Classic by Scott Boles (a.k.a. Akula) and has been re-made for compatibility with Harpoon3 and the PlayersDB with the consent the author. Author: Herman Hum This scenario has been tested for compatibility with Harpoon ANW. Interfet-Stabilize East Timor is an old Portuguese colony which was annexed by Indonesia in 1975. In August 1999, the citizenry overwhelmingly voted for independence, and, almost immediately afterwards, Indonesian-backed militia became active. By September, 250.000 people had fled the killings. In September, President Habibi of Indonesia finally agreed to the deployment of a multinational UN-peacekeeping force in East Timor so long as it was primarily Asian troops. While US, New Zealand, Italian, Singapore, Malaysian, and Norwegian troops began the long preparations for deployment, Australia was ready and an amphibious convoy put to sea. Indonesia objected strongly to this breach of the agreement. Author: Freek Schepers With over 209,000 PlayersDB scenarios downloaded in the last 12 months alone, the PlayersDB has proven itself the unequivocal players' favourite. Harpoon3.6.3 users can get the: Complete Harpoon 3.6.3 Library Harpoon ANW users can get the: Complete Harpoon ANW Library FilesOfScenShare

ANW welcomed another long-time Harpoon player into the world of Multi-player action. Karl (a.k.a. Mallard) has been playing since '92 and it shows. We played three matches of Dawn Patrol, made with the Harpoon community's favourite database, the PlayersDB. I won the first game since Karl was unfamiliar with the set up, but he quickly evened the score in #2 and #3 by fighting me to a standstill. Neither of us won a decisive victory, but we also prevented one another from gaining their own victory conditions. The third game was particularly memorable as we were both using BOL shots to try and pin the other down. I was lucky to eke out a draw. Thanks for the great games, Karl, and thanks to HarpGamer for hosting them on their server. Anyone looking for an MP game can drop a line here or look for us on HarpGamer pHp chat room or the HG mIRC chat room.

Could this problem be related to the torpedo acquisition problem?

These 68 new behaviours appear to have been introduced by the 3.9.0 patch: Unable to fire SSM Unable to fire SSM Sizzler from any depth or range. Weapons will fire from DDG Sovremennyy. Unable to intercept target Unable to intercept target for either unit. Weapons will fire if units are manually placed within range of target. Crash as Russian side Game Crashes/freezes after 45 seconds of run time when playing as Russians. Distorted maps created Distorted maps are created when F10 is used to draw a new map. Fighters hanging on refPt Fighters will launch and hang on one Ref point. Firing sonobuoys at subs Sonobuoys can be fired at subs through the weapons allocation window. Full speed over 140kts Ship group shows full speed of 15+131kts. Full speed wrong Group only allows full speed of 15kts, but all units within the group are fully capable of faster speed. GBU-15 will not fire GBU-15 will not fire under AI control. Icons appear off map Icons for uncertainty zones appear off of the map and cannot be seen nor selected. Torpedo decoy fired at radar Torpedo decoy is an eligible weapon for firing at radar. UnRep do not return to PZs After conducting UnRep operation, participants do not return to original patrol zones within the formation. Wrong loadout descriptions Helix helos are show the wrong loadout descriptions. Display is Mk44 torp, but they revert to Minimal when launched. False contacts at -17000m False contacts at -17000m. CTD when altitude changed CTD when altitude changed in MP AI subs will not stop re-charging Sub never stops re-charging. Sonobuoys non-functional Sonobuoys deployed by Bear F non-functional. Afterburner unavailable at low alt Afterburner speed unavailable at low alt in MP for Rafale. No problem in Solitaire. Aircraft below sea level Aircraft below sea level. Cannot meet for UnRep Ships are unable to plot a path for UnRep when ordered to do so. Change in threat axis ignored Change in threat axis ignored in MP. Crash after nuclear detonation Crash after nuclear warhead detonates. Crash after re-building with SE Crash after re-building with SE. Crash after re-building with SE II Crash after re-building with SE. Clock will not start. Crash after re-building with SE III Crash after re-building with SE. Clock will not advance. Crash during re-build process ScenEditor freezes up and does not complete function when ordered to re-build scenario. Crash during re-build process II ScenEditor is unable to complete function when ordered to re-build scenario amd seems to be in endless loop. Crash during UnRep Game will crash/freeze up with infinite loop if replenishment ship moves during attempted UnRep rendezvous. CTD incomplete CTD does not drop game all the way down to the desktop. Instead, the Shell window remains and must be closed manually. Crash on re-load Crash while attempting to re-load same scenario file previously opened. CTD changing map size CTD occurs while changing size of tactical map. CTD during UnRep CTD occurs while selecting ordnance to be transferred with "Enter Number of Weapons" command. CTD on re-load CTD while attempting to re-load same scenario file previously opened. CTD running new scen in SE CTD occurs when new scenarios are written and immediately run in SE. CTD while drawing new map CTD while drawing new map Damage changes aircraft ready time instead of destroying them Damage changes aircraft ready time instead of destroying them. Planes are given a ready time of 0:00 but they never become ready unless player uses F6 to change them to Ready status. Delayed On-Station ViCond Faulty Delayed On-Station ViCond does not wait for delay time to expire before evaluating. Destroyed submarines not always evaluated in ViConds Destroyed submarines do not always evaluate properly in ViConds. Ferry mission to SSN It is possible to create a Ferry mission with the destination as an airplane or SSN. Focused strike not firing Artillery does not fire on a Focused Land Strike mission even when Weapons Free. Formation patrols ignore axis Formation patrols ignore axis when assigned patrol zones in the Formation editor. Most often, the patrols appear offset from the actual Threat Axis. i.e. if the Threat Zone is pointing North and a Patrol zone is assigned to it, the ship may take up a patrol zone 90 degrees off the intended placement. This occurs primarily in multi-player games, but has been reported in SP (by Shemar), too. Group and Unit speed incongruent Group and Unit speed are incongruent for the same unit. Group cannot lay string of sonobuoys Group cannot lay string of sonobuoys with ";" hotkey. Group speed differs from plane speed Air groups have different speed from individual plane speed in MP. Incorrect number to be readied When aircraft are ordered to change loadout for Minimal mission, an incorrect number of planes is recommended in the message window. Land facility reports abandoning ship Damage report states that crew is abandoning ship on a land facility. NAV improperly drawn NAV zone shows double-sided left wall and inability to modify other points of the zone. On-Station ViCond non-functional On-Station ViCond non-functional in GE but functional in SE. Over-filled magazines Over-filled magazines not detected and fixed. Plane does not re-arm upon landing Plane does not re-arm upon landing. Planes on Transit missions Planes can be assigned to Transit missions. Planes refuse to launch Planes requiring Small/Med runway refuse to launch from a base equipped with Medium runways. (From Petterr) Protect ViCond failure Protect ViCond fails to trigger even when no enemy is present to inflict damage on player. Runways cannot be destroyed by nukes Runways can be reduced, but not be destroyed by nuclear weapons. SAMs locate new targets in mid-flight SAMs locate new targets in mid-flight after original targets destroyed. Subs activate sonar on ship strike mission Subs activate sonar on ship strike mission. Previously, subs only activated radar on ship strike mission. TALD cannot be engaged TALD will not be engaged as they fly across target. TALD cannot be ignored TALD cannot be ignored as they fly towards player units. Total loss of unit control Player loses control of all units in the middle of a game. Unable to bomb sub on surface Planes are unable to bomb or strafe submarines even though they are on the surface and acting like ships. Ships are unable to navigate around ice Ships are unable to navigate around ice. Unidentified targets auto-engaged Unidentified and unknown targets are auto-engaged without being properly classified as hostile. UnRep can overload magazines UnRep can overload magazines by placing more weapons in the magazine that capacity allows. UnRep done concurrently UnRep process is conducted concurrently and not consecutively. If all items take 1 second to transfer, 1000 items can be transferred in a single second if they are all different items. UnRep for 2 ships only Only 2 ships can conduct UnRep at the same time even though the ship has ability to replenish 2 ships to port and 2 ships to starboard. UnRep magazine shows zero After UnRep procedure, magazine count shows zero weapons if a second UnRep operation is ordered. UnRep Teleportation UnRep process is possible while physically separated by several miles. Wrong cruise altitude TLAM shows cruise altitude of 20m and Intermediate depth.

Over 208 new aircraft, ships, submarines, facilities, classes, countries, and weapons have been added to the Harpoon3 PlayersDB with the official Database editor issued by AGSI. Revised for the Harpoon ANW 3.9.0 patch Get the PlayersDB-ANW on HarpDB, SubSim, or ughHQ. Get the PlayersDB on HarpDB, SubSim, or ughHQ. Additions include: AOL Berrio PT 93 KC-45A A330-200 MRTT US 13 PTM Albatros Type 143A TN 05 DDG Atago BMD JP 07 DDG Atago JP 07 CGN Bainbridge USN 72 FFG Bartolomeu PT 08 CG Belknap USN 64 FF Bronstein USN 67 CGN California USN 74 DDG Charles F. Adams USN 72 DDG Farragut / Coontz USN 77 PG Flyvefisken LT 07 DDH Hyuga JP 09 CG Leahy USN 72 CGN Long Beach USN 61 E-6A Mercury US 89 E-6B Mercury US 97 SSN Swiftsure RN 88|108 SSK Tridente Type 209PN PT 09 CGN Virginia USN 76 - countless changes and improvements guaranteed not to crash any earlier scenario built with the PlayersDB Harpoon3.6.3 users can get the Complete Harpoon 3.6.3 Library Harpoon ANW users can get the Complete Harpoon ANW Library FilesOfScenShare

The Patch for Harpoon ANW 3.9.0 has finally been officially released. ftp://ftp.matrixgames.com/pub/Harpoon3ANW...ase-v3900DR.zip FilesOfScenShare

Queenfish: A cold war tale By William J. Broad Published: March 18, 2008 International Herald Tribune Atop the globe, the icy surface of the Arctic Ocean has remained relatively peaceful. But its depths have boiled with intrigue, no more so than in the cold war. Although the superpowers planned to turn those depths into an inferno of exploding torpedoes and rising missiles, the brotherhood of submariners — the silent service, both Russian and American — has worked hard over the decades to keep the particulars of those plans hush-hush. Now, a few secrets are spilling through a crack in the wall of silence, revealing some of the science and spying that went into the doomsday preparations. A new book, "Unknown Waters," recounts the 1970 voyage of a submarine, the Queenfish, on a pioneering dive beneath the ice pack to map the Siberian continental shelf. The United States did so as part of a clandestine effort to prepare for Arctic submarine operations and to win any military showdown with the Soviet Union. In great secrecy, moving as quietly as possible below treacherous ice, the Queenfish, under the command of Captain Alfred McLaren, mapped thousands of miles of previously uncharted seabed in search of safe submarine routes. It often had to maneuver between shallow bottoms and ice keels extending down from the surface more than 100 feet, threatening the sub and the crew of 117 men with ruin. Another danger was that the sub might simply be frozen in place with no way out and no way to call for help as food and other supplies dwindled. The Queenfish at one point became stuck in a dead end. The rescue took an hour and tense backtracking out of what had threatened to become an icy tomb. "I still dream about it every other week," McLaren, 75, the book's author, recalled in an interview. "It was hairy." The University of Alabama Press is publishing his recollections of the secret voyage. Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer and the former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said such feats in perilous waters made McLaren a genuine hero. "The sub could have disappeared, and nobody would have known anything about it," she said. "But they came through. That's exploration at its most exquisite." After McLaren's mission, the Arctic became a theater of military operations in which the Soviets tried to hide their missile-carrying subs under the fringes of the ice pack while American attack subs tried relentlessly to track them. The goal was to destroy the Soviet subs if the cold war turned hot, doing so quickly enough to keep them from launching their missiles and nuclear warheads at the United States. Norman Polmar, an author and analyst on navy operations, called the polar environment "very very difficult" for subs. He said ice dangling from the surface in endless shapes and sizes made the sub's main eyes — sonar beams that bounce sound off the bottom and surrounding objects — work poorly. Polmar added that the submarine community nonetheless considered the Arctic "a big deal," because it had a near monopoly on operations there. McLaren commanded one of the navy's most advanced warships, a jet-black monster the length of a football field. It was the first of a large class of submarines specially designed for year-round operations in polar regions. As such, it boasted an array of special acoustic gear meant to help it visualize the complex world beneath the pack ice. For instance, the sub had a special sensor to detect icebergs jutting downward with threatening spikes. From bow to stern, it had a total of seven acoustic sensors pointing upward to help the crew judge the thickness of ice overhead. As McLaren recounts in "Unknown Waters," the Queenfish, in preparation for its Arctic voyage, was stripped of all identifying marks and picked up a full load of torpedoes. It arrived at the North Pole on Aug. 5, 1970, rising through open water. On the ice, an impromptu Santa Claus in a red suit frolicked with crew members. The submarine then sailed for the Siberian continental shelf, where it began its mission of secret reconnaissance. Moscow claimed seas extending 230 miles from its shores, including most of the shelf, whose waters averaged a few hundred feet deep. But Washington recognized just a 12-mile territorial limit, and McLaren was instructed to play by those rules. As the book recounts, the sub repeatedly ventured within periscope range of Soviet land. In the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago, its crew examined the October Revolution and Bolshevik Islands. The Queenfish also spotted a convoy. "I was able to see and identify all six ships as Soviet," McLaren writes. "They consisted of an icebreaker leading a tanker and four cargo ships on an easterly course that slowly weaved back and forth through the chaotic ice pack." The main mission was to map the seabed and collect oceanographic data in anticipation of the Arctic's becoming a major theater of military operations. The sub did so by finding and following depth contours, for instance, by locating the areas of the Arctic Basin where the seabed was 600 feet below the surface. A result was a navigation chart that bore the kind of squiggly lines found on topographic maps. The goal of mapping the bottom contour also sent the Queenfish into the dead end. The crew was watching a favorite Western movie, "Shane," when a messenger touched McLaren on the shoulder and whispered that the sub had ground to a standstill. "Heart in my mouth, I ran up to the after-port side of the control room," he writes. "Saturating the iceberg detector scope was bright sea-ice-return in all directions." McLaren ordered all crew movement to cease as he and other watch standers worked the propeller, rudder and stern planes to move the Queenfish slowly backward. Finally, he writes, the boat entered deeper water, and the crew "gave out a huge collective sigh of relief." The two-month voyage ended in Nome, Alaska, where the sub and crew encountered a chilly reception. The mayor and other people on the town dock had mistaken the sinister-looking sub without markings as Soviet. In 1972, McLaren won the Distinguished Service Medal, the military's highest peacetime award. Historians say cold war maneuvering in the Arctic picked up after his mission, with the two sides deploying more submarines beneath the ice. The United States built a total of 36 sister subs to the Queenfish, known as the Sturgeon class. Little is known publicly of the polar exploits. But every so often the icy world erupted in a foretaste of war. In 1984, an American satellite observed a Soviet sub breaking through the ice of the Siberian sea to test fire missiles. Military and legal experts said McLaren's book, while providing a glimpse into a hidden world of cold war planning, might also make political waves today. That is because of the sub's repeated penetrations of what Moscow considered its territorial waters, defying boundaries that Washington refused to recognize. The disclosure of that boldness could bolster the case in international forums for American navigational rights, legal experts said in interviews. Bernard Oxman, a specialist in maritime law at the University of Miami School of Law, called the 1970 voyage "an indication of state practice and a refusal to acquiesce in Russian claims over navigation." Although Moscow has in recent years relaxed such claims, he added, the legal precedent remains. So too, McLaren sees his spy mission as a milestone for freedom of navigation, whether in Russian waters or elsewhere in the contested wilds atop the globe. Today the issue is hot, because melting polar ice is opening up new shipping lanes and exposing potentially vast deposits of natural resources, including oil. A modern gold rush is getting under way. "It's important to maintain freedom of the seas," McLaren said in an interview. "That's something our country has fought for literally from its inception." Global warming and the shrinking polar ice pack are creating new opportunities and responsibilities, he said, adding, "We've got to stand our ground."

Issue has not been resolved by Patch 2008.024

Issue has not been resolved in Patch 2008.024. Plane still flies faster than maximum speed. This behaviour can be replicated by: 1) Divide all planes from ZIa into a new group. 2) Order new course for group 3) Order new speed for new group 4) Speed of 650kts will appear for VHigh altitude 5) Hit okay and new speed will be 650kts when it should only be 560kts

Game engine works as described in Patch 2008.024

Problem does still appears in Patch 2008.024

Problem does not seem to appear in Patch 2008.024

Problem does not seem to appear in Patch 2008.024

I'm glad to know that I'm in good company...

I sure hope that you do it, anyway. Just because an idiot like me cannot win it shouldn't discourage you from creating more scenarios. No such thing as a 'Bad' scenario.

Release version.

I ran this one and think that I've run into a problem. I was granted victory as soon as my SSN and SSBN crossed the Kuriles and into the Sea of Okhotsk. I checked in the ScenEditor and the Polygon is definitely centred on the area specified in the orders and not around the Kurile Islands.