Herman

Just tried this scenario from both sides and had a heckuva good time. Still very challenging. As the Red Side, I lost a whole swack of planes and even had my carrier hit by torpedoes before finally hammering down the Usurpers. Thanks a bunch for re-making this old classic.

Here's a nice report from Liuzg150181 re-printed with permission: Taken from my blog entry: http://liuzg150181.tripod.com/blog/ "Perhaps almost always, a pc game session against a human player - especially up against a veteran with tactical and strategic cutting-edge - would be much more pulsating and exulting than against the built-in AI which is more often than not of absymal or haphazard performance. No, the game is not about killing whales using harpoons(so environmentalist please don't flame my blog!), or that matters. As clarification the 'Harpoon' game is air and naval combat simulation game based the board game conceived by former naval officer Larry Bond. Despite the age of the iterations it still remains a classic amongst naval wargamers, for being the glorified naval chess yet unsurpassed in its game mechanism. My virgin voyage in multi-player game up against Herman Hum, who is a veteran of Harpoon, and whose gaming skill and active participation is venerable within the 'Harpoon' community. We duelled it out in a typical 'NATO vs Warsaw Pact' scenario, both sides having only submarines at disposal. Thus, it was a scenario of 'hide-and-seek', one of suspense and tension despite its retro graphics and sound effect. My first match ended up as a fiasco, with both of my submarines annihilating without even scathing even a scratch to his fleet, so more all within a few minutes from the commencement till the end. During the session my impetuosity compelled me to sail my submarines at flank speed to seek targets, and that exposed the whereabout of one half of my fleet, which was sank upon detection by Herman. With a foolhardy desire to exact vengeance I hurled the last submarine to crash head-on, only to succumb to his plummeting from his subs and scuttle my fleet. With an 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' style of mentoring, he taught me the finer points of the game: the importance of stealth of submarines, not to cruise too fast, the techniques of setting up weapon defense system and the likes. By our second session I had wilied and sank one of his sub at the start. Infuriated in part for laxing his guard against me, he sought for my subs assiduously. With a spark of wit I decided to lure him by having one of the sub moving at flank speed, while the other leisurely cruised towards the incoming sub, in order to ambush and destroy it. Unfortunately, due to the fact that my subs were all nuclear-propelled- meaning it would generate more noise than electric-diesel counterparts- and hence suspectible to detection- and also that I was whisking it a bit to fast, Herman discovered my ambush and we shot missile against each other simultaneously, and as a result both of our subs sank together, akin to a mutual destruction. Aghasted by the unfolding drama, and after which I recovered from it, I continued to patrol the seas, with the knowledge that Herman had more subs than I after the mutual destruction. Eventually, we detected each other's subs and had a final showdown, a la John wayne style. Hurling arsenal of destruction at one another, I tried to escape the onslaught by moving at flank 90 degrees away from it, but to no avail and I had to scuttle my last ship while all my attacks missed. Game Over. In all it was a humbling gaming experience, but at the same time exciting and exulting- apart from two abrupt disconnections( fortunately the saving mechanism allows us to recommence our sessions)- and I profited much by learning more about the game. Perhaps next time, Herman shall show me the rope to surface-ship warfare in our next Harpoon gaming session?"

Just name a time and place so that I can try to meet up with you. Looking forward to it!

BAE Not Currently Finalizing Saudi Jet Deal By REUTERS, LONDON DefenseNews BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defense firm, said on Nov. 28 it was not moving forward on finalizing a deal to supply Saudi Arabia with 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. In an interview in the Financial Times, the company’s chief executive, Mike Turner, was quoted as saying BAE could not speak on behalf of the two governments. "But I do know we are not currently moving forward on finalizing the Typhoon contract," Turner was quoted as saying. A BAE spokeswoman said the sentiment of Turner’s comment was that "since Ramadan negotiations between the two sides had not exactly moved apace". She added: "Regarding the precise situation on the status of the negotiations, that really is a matter on which only the UK or Saudi governments can comment." The comments came a day after BAE shares fell 3.1 percent on reports it might lose the Eurofighter deal to French aerospace group Dassault if a fraud probe was extended to the Saudi royal family. The UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) launched its investigation of suspected accounting irregularities related to BAE in 2004. The probe has focused on the relationship between BAE and two small travel firms which made arrangements for Saudi Arabian officials on behalf of BAE. Saudi Arabia and Britain signed an agreement in August for the Gulf state’s purchase of 72 Typhoon aircraft in a deal analysts said could be worth more than 6 billion pounds ($11.6 billion). Turner reiterated in the Financial Times that his firm had done nothing wrong. "We don’t want to interfere with the judicial process, and politicians clearly cannot do that, but we do want to see a resolution of the SFO investigation. It is damaging for our business," he said. BAE said it would be inappropriate to comment further about the investigation. Shares in BAE were trading 1 percent lower at 387-1/4 pence by 1558 GMT on Nov. 28. The Sunday Telegraph said the Saudi government was set to tear up its Eurofighter Typhoon agreement with Britain and give the jets contract to France if the SFO opened Swiss bank accounts allegedly linked to members of the Saudi royal family as part of a long-running investigation. Dassault said on Nov. 27 it was unaware of any Saudi decision. Saudi defense ministry officials were not available for comment on Nov. 28. Commenting on the news reports, a spokesman for Britain’s Foreign Office said: "We are committed to ensuring that existing bilateral trade agreements with other countries, including Saudi Arabia, are implemented effectively and smoothly." "With regards to the Serious Fraud Office inquiry, the SFO is an independent government department and part of the criminal justice system. Other parts of the government cannot and would not interfere in or prejudice its investigations," he said. British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office and the Ministry of Defence declined to comment. The multinational Eurofighter consortium that makes the jets includes BAE Systems, European aerospace group EADS and Italy’s Finmeccanica.

Apache reign begins for Ark 28.11.06 09:00 NavyNews IN KEEPING with HMS Ark Royal’s new role as a commando assault ship, helicopter trials have been the order of the day as the carrier emerges from refit. Ark returned to Portsmouth from Rosyth after being out of action for two and a half years with a fresh mission for the last decade of her proud career. HMS Illustrious will serve as the nation’s ‘strike carrier’ and Ark as a ‘second HMS Ocean’, ferrying Royal Marines into battle (she can still perform the traditional carrier role). Central to the commando carrier role envisioned for the flat-top is the ability to operate the helicopters which will carry those green berets into battle. It’s a mission the ship carried out ably three years ago in the Iraq campaign, but with a new crew, new communications fit and new ammunition stores inter alia, these skills have to be perfected once more. And so it was that two CH47 Chinook helicopters from RAF 7 Sqn touched down by day and night over three wintry days at the end of 2006 in a mix of fine and wet weather. The Chinook is ‘old school’. The Apache gunship represents ‘new school’. The Army Air Corps’ potent battlefield helicopter has already earned its Naval wings in trials with Ocean (aptly a helicopter carrier). Apache has yet to be authorised for front-line operations from Ark, hence the reason for a series of trials with her from landing on deck, to be moved on the aircraft lifts into the hangar and generally moving the gunship around. “Having Apache on board was another milestone in Ark’s return to operational status,” said Cdr Keith Muir, Cdr Air. When Ark resumes front-line duties next year she will do so with a mixed air group of Chinooks, Apaches and the Fleet Air Arm’s own Merlins . Someone who needed no re-introduction to Ark was her former CO Rear Admiral Alan Massey who was guest of honour at the ship’s Taranto Night mess dinner marking the 1940 crippling of the Italian Fleet in harbour by the Fleet Air Arm. Rear Admiral Massey commanded the ship during the Iraq invasion and her saw the lessons of that campaign incorporated in the refitted Ark Royal which is now much better equipped as a launch pad for up to 400 commandos.

KlubMarcus came looking for a re-match, tonight! We decided upon Freek Scheper's latest Battleset, 2nd Lebanese War, made with the PlayersDB. We selected Katyusha with Marko as the Israelis and myself as the Iranians. Marko's objectives were to bomb the missile manufacturing plants in Iran. Unfortunately, he had to get past a who mob of unruly neighbours; Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Right from the beginning, he got heavily involved with the Syrians. After fighting past them, he was on the Iranian doorstep and, like an unwelcome visitor, barging his way inside. He could do no wrong and I could do no right as he quickly shot my defenders to pieces. And then the hand of God intervened in the form of a Server crash that wiped out the last four hours of play (saved games, too) and we had to start over! Being the gluttons for punishment that we are, we started anew. This time, I was the one with the golden touch and ripped apart every strike element as it crossed the border. However, one strike group was able to elude my interceptors and made it all the way to Tehran to damage one factory before finally being shot down. After nine hours of play, Marko finally conceded. This was one helluva tough game. Anyone looking for a challenging scenario that doesn't have all the targets pre-designated with "X" or pushovers for defences are commended to try this one whether it be MP or solitaire play. This was a truly epic game, KlubMarkus, and thanks to Freek for the scenario, and HarpGamer for the use of their server.

Frigate pretends to be the enemy Fredericton tries to sneak up on other navy ships in exercise By Rachel Boomer The Daily News ABOARD HMCS FREDERICTON - Her motto is "Stalker of the Seas" - and this week, that's exactly what HMCS Fredericton is doing. Sometime between midnight and 7 a.m. today, the Fredericton will sneak up on comrades from the Canadian task group, including HMCS Halifax, HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Preserver. By disguising her lights and speed to make her look like a container ship or a fishing vessel, Fredericton may just get close enough to - theoretically - do some damage. This, of course, is exactly what an enemy might do, given the chance. "They don't know where we're going to be, they don't know how we're coming at them," says Lt.-Cmdr. Allen Fry, the Fredericton's executive officer. "It's fun for the crew, because they get to be evil, and try to get behind all these procedures. Every now and then, you get lucky." Yesterday was the first day of a major four-day exercise for Fredericton. The ship, carrying 232 crew, media and technical observers, will fire four missiles tomorrow, and watch as the Halifax fires four more. Fire an armed missile This is a big deal. At $850,000 a pop, the navy doesn't often get to fire an armed missile, let alone eight in a day. The Sea Sparrow missiles they're firing are near the end of their useful life; built in the 1980s, they're due for replacement with a more sophisticated model. There are 16 old Sea Sparrows left at the Halifax naval base. If they're not fired soon, they'll have to be dismantled - a process that's more expensive than firing them. The Canadian navy hasn't had to fire a missile at an unfriendly target since the Korean War, and Fredericton's commanding officer, Capt. Gilles Couturier, has never had to fire on anyone in anger. It's been three years since the ship last fired a missile on exercise. But Couturier warns that his crew must be prepared to do it. "If I don't get these guys to do the job regularly, and then we're in theatre and I'm expecting them to do the job for real, I'm not being fair to them," Couturier said yesterday. It's also new that the navy can do missile trials so close to home, firing at its own, $50,000-a-pop Vindicator targets. Before this, the navy had to travel to American ranges, either near San Diego or Puerto Rico, and rent time on U.S.-owned targets. The U.S. targets are faster than the Vindicators, but they're also way more expensive. Stand-in for terrorist plane This time, the 11 Vindicators will stand in for small, slow-moving planes loaded with explosives and piloted by a terrorist on a suicide mission. That's not until tomorrow, though. Yesterday, shortly after leaving port, Fredericton's crew practiced basic manoevres like fire drills, or rescuing a man overboard. These drills can come at any time during a concentrated time known as "XO's Delight" - meaning Fry gets to throw anything he wants at the crew. Nobody has to go overboard, though. That's Oscar's job - a plastic dummy dressed in a sailor's uniform. The crew is supposed to find him, turn the ship around and send out a small inflatable to pick him up in six minutes, just before hypothermia would start to hit. Yesterday, it took 6 minutes, 15 seconds. "That's unacceptable," said Fry. "Last time, we had it down to four minutes, 45 seconds." The ship also practised identifying, then opting to fire at a hostile aircraft - actually a Provincial Air Lines plane hired by the navy to play the interloper. They didn't fire for real, though. By mid-afternoon, it was time to try defensive manoeuvres, including a high-speed figure eight at 30 knots guaranteed to twist the stomach of any seasick landlubber aboard.

Excerpt from: Life on a sub: pranks, baby wipes and no salutes David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen; CanWest News Service Published: Saturday, November 18, 2006 ABOARD HMCS WINDSOR - Imagine 48 people living in a space the size of a small bungalow and you start to get an idea of daily life on board Canada's submarines. Living and working underwater for weeks on end in a sealed steel tube isn't for everyone, and submariners like to see themselves as a breed apart. Chief Petty Officer (second class) Rob Fraser likens life on the boat to living in an underground bunker. He's right. There is no sense you're underwater, even though as I jot this down in my notebook, Windsor is cruising 57 metres below the surface of the Atlantic. But it's the small details of underwater life that prompt the most questions from a newcomer. Questions like: how do crew members keep themselves clean? There's a shower on each of the navy's four Victoria-class subs but they're about half the size of a phone booth so most of the crew don't bother using them. Instead, submariners rely on baby wipes to clean themselves and Gold Bond powder to stop the itching and mask their own smell. That works for short voyages but on the longer journeys, such as the 57 days HMCS Victoria spent at sea in 2003, such methods aren't as effective. So what do you do after two months at sea? I innocently ask. "Smell like a polecat's ass," responds a member of the wise-cracking crew. By the fourth day underwater, I'm starting to get a preview of what he's talking about. My hair is matted and greasy. The smell of diesel fuel from the engines and industrial grease, which seems to cover many parts in the boat, are the most common odours. The smell permeates my clothes, skin and hair, and once back on land I'll have to run my shirts and pants through the washer three times before it disappears. With the help of some of the crew members, I figure out how much living space is on HMCS Windsor -- about 1,600 square feet (148.6 square metres) which doesn't include the control and engine areas or torpedo room where submariners work. "You get used to it," Chief Petty Officer (second class) Cameron MacDonald says of the cramped quarters. GERMS QUICKLY SPREAD A newcomer quickly becomes accustomed to navigating the boat's narrow corridors, a little more than the width of a person's shoulders. But living in such a confined space has obvious drawbacks. When someone gets sick the entire crew usually comes down with the same thing, leading to lineups at the toilet. Passengers sleep in the weapons storage compartment, otherwise known as the torpedo room. The bunks are set up where the Mk. 48 torpedoes are usually stored and once settled in bed I realize the space is not for anyone claustrophobic. It would be like sleeping in a steel coffin, and with the greasy rail of the upper torpedo rack directly above my face I make a mental note not to get up quickly in the middle of the night. Crew members have their assigned shifts and operations are conducted around the clock. Damage control drills are practised almost every day to the point where reactions to an emergency situation are second nature.

I bet that they get the same level of whining that happened when the USCG started live fire MG practice on the Great Lakes. One complaint was, "There's lead and other undesirable materials in the bullets that can cause a health risk to those who rely upon the Great Lakes for drinking water." Now, I know that .50 cal bullets are big, but....

Excerpt from: Stealth fighters Two years after a fire at sea crippled HMCS Chicoutimi, killing a sailor and triggering a parliamentary probe, the navy is embracing a new plan to prove the worth of its second-hand submarine fleet David Pugliese, The Ottawa Citizen Published: Saturday, November 18, 2006 ABOARD HMCS WINDSOR - It's early morning and a team of Canadian army commandos are swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, making their way towards a submarine periscope just barely visible in the water. Inside the sub, its captain, Lt.-Cmdr. Christopher Ellis is trying to manoeuvre the 70-metre long vessel as close as he can to the men. About a metre of HMCS Windsor's conning tower starts to emerge from the grey but calm waters off the coast of Nova Scotia and as the sub glides by them, the commandos hook on to cables installed on the outside of boat. They are gently pulled along behind the Victoria-class submarine and Lt.-Cmdr. Ellis can see through the periscope that the men are now attached to the vessel. "Surface now, surface now," he orders. With a blast of air escaping from vents in its hull, Windsor rises from the ocean. The soldiers, members of an elite army group known as Pathfinders, who seconds ago were floating in the ocean, are now standing on top of the boat's casing, the naval term for the sub's deck. The joint army-navy exercise is part of the ongoing work in support of Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier's plan to create a new amphibious assault force capable of going into action anywhere around the world. If the general has his way, the techniques being developed by the Pathfinders and the Windsor's crew could be how Canadian special forces, army reconnaissance teams and spies covertly slip into, or out of, war zones in the future. It's been more than a decade since the Canadian military has practised with submarines for such missions and this year marks the first time it has done so with its Victoria-class boats. With Canadian Forces and a chief of the defence staff increasingly focused on joint operations -- having the army, navy and air force working closely together -- navy brass see any way the service can support that as a plus. The navy has high hopes its submarines can play a key role in Gen. Hillier's plan to transform the Canadian Forces for the future. "From the submarine perspective we clearly see that is a critical role for us," says Cmdr. Randy Truscott, the officer responsible for submarine operations on the East Coast. "We're working hard at developing the joint capability with Pathfinders and there's an air force piece in there, too. We're looking at doing more exercises in the joint context next year." There is also an unspoken reason for the interest in supporting Gen. Hillier's transformation plans. The navy is keen to embrace such operations as yet another way to prove the worth of its submarine fleet, purchased second-hand from Britain. It's been a little more than two years since a major fire crippled HMCS Chicoutimi, killing Navy Lieut. Chris Saunders and injuring eight. The incident set off a parliamentary investigation into the purchase of the boats and the ongoing problems with the underwater force. Over the last six years, news headlines have chronicled a host of technical issues plaguing the Victoria-class subs. The navy has had to replace high-pressure welds in three of the vessels and major cracks were found in some of the valves of the subs. There were issues with rust and unsafe electrical wiring and general concerns about the quality of air in the vessels while operating underwater. The ongoing repairs have caused the sub fleet's $750 million price tag to creep upwards to just under $1 billion, as well putting the program years behind schedule.

Navy ship to be sunk during target practice exercise Last Updated: Thursday, November 16, 2006 | 11:16 AM PT CBC News A Canadian warship that has been tied up at the dock at CFB Esquimalt since 2001 will be towed out to sea off the west coast of Vancouver Island next year and used for target practice. HMCS Huron was commissioned in 1972 and saw service in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War. If it gets environmental approval, the navy will tow the decommissioned destroyer to a firing range 100 kilometres out in the Pacific Ocean next May. There the Canadian and U.S. navies will open fire and send the 34-year-old ship to the bottom, Cmdr. Stan Bates says. "We're currently planning a surface-to-surface missile firing, using a missile fired from one of our frigates as well as strafing runs by aircraft and possibly a submarine firing as well." The navy says this will be the first time it has used one of its ships for target practice. In the past, it has sold old vessels for scrap or turned them into artificial reefs for divers. Rob Huebert, a military historian at the University of Calgary, says a lack of parts and too few sailors sealed Huron's fate. "We did not have enough personnel to properly man her, so that ultimately her systems deteriorated to such a point that economically it made more sense to get rid of her rather than keeping her on as one of the four destroyers." Huron was officially retired from service last year.

Player loses control Player loses control of all units in the middle of a game. Saved Game file for the ColonialWarsDb with Beta Patch 3.7.1 Run saved game for 15 seconds and watch as control of units vanish. A sequential serious of screen shots has been included depicting this phenomenon. Saved game files available on Xtreme-Gamer

Over 200 new aircraft, ships, submarines, facilities, classes, countries, and weapons have been added to the Harpoon3 PlayersDB. Get the PlayersDB 6.4.9-ANW on Xtreme-Gamer, HarpDB, or PlayersDB Depot. Get the PlayersDB 6.4.9 on Xtreme-Gamer, HarpDB, or PlayersDB Depot. Additions include: A-1J Skyraider US 63 A-26C Invader US 44 A-26K Invader US 59 A-3A Skywarrior USN 55 A-5 Vigilante USN 61 AGTR Liberty US AKA Almirante Lobo INTL 54 ARH-70A Arapaho US 09 Battalion [infantry] PRC 70 Battalion [infantry] ROC 85 Boeing CC-137 707 Tanker CDN 72 C-130A Hercules US 55 C-47 Dakota US 36 CAG Boston US 45-54 Company Commandos RUS 66 Company Commandos RUS 80 Company Fallschirmjaeger DE 80 Company Lagunari JP 80 Company Marines RUS 66 Company Marines RUS 80 Company Marines RUS 83 Company NO 70 Company PRC 70 Company Royal Marines UK 70 Company Royal Marines UK 84 Company RUS 66 Company RUS 80 Company RUS 83 Company Spetznaz RUS 83 Company Spetznaz RUS 85 Company USA 70 Company USA 80 Company USMC 70 Company USMC 80 DD Allen M. Sumner USN 66 DD Evertsen NL 45 DD Fletcher [FRAM] USN 60 DD Skoryy RUS 48 DDG Howard AUS 13 E-1B Tracer US 54 EA-1F Skyraider US 57 F-100C Super Sabre US 55 FFG Duke Type 23 RN 06 FFG Jiangkai Mod PRC 05|T.054 IPV Protector NZ 07 LSD Cabildo USN 45 LSD Canterbury MRV NZ 2007 LST Blanco County USN 44 MiG-15 bis B Fagot RUS 49 MiG-15 UTI Fagot RUS 49 Mobile ELINT Kolchuga CZ Mobile ELINT Kolchuga IR 06 MRCH Dhow|Smuggler 33kts MRCH Sampan|Armed MRCH Terra Nova FPSO CDN OPV Protector NZ 07 Platoon SEAL USN 06 Platoon SEAL USN 80 Platoon Spetsnaz RUS 66 Platoon Spetsnaz RUS 80 Platoon USMC 06 Platoon USMC 70 Platoon USMC 80 RQ-4B Global Hawk Blk 20 USA 06 SAM Spyder MR Battery INTL 06 SAM Spyder SR Battery INTL SSM FROG Battalion RUS SSM SS-4 Mod 2 Regiment RUS Gannet AS.4 UK 55 Hawker Hunter T.53 NL 55 Sea Fury UK 44 Vampire Mk.3 UK 46 Special requests by B_Filler for the CH-47D Chinook and the Sea King HAR.3 have also been accommodated. Hopefully, they will be found suitable for his needs. - countless changes and improvements guaranteed not to crash any earlier scenario built with the PlayersDB XG file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

Interesting excerpt on the Mk41 VLS system. MK 41 Naval Vertical Missile Launch Systems Delivered, Supported (updated) Posted 03-Nov-2006 02:48 Defense Industry Daily The naval MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) hides missiles below decks in vertical slots, with key electronics and venting systems built in. A deck and hatch assembly at the top of the module protects the missile canisters from the elements et. al. during storage, and the hatches open to permit missile launches of various types. Lockheed Martin is the system's prime contractor, and BAE Systems Land & Armamaents also makes components and cannisters for the MK 41 system. This post will serve as a DID FOCUS article, and a collection point for related information and contracts. The latest addition involves a contract for ESSM missile canisters from the USA, Germany, and Spain. ORD_MK41_VLS_Loading_Top.jpg MK 41, loading (click for alternate view) The MK 41 VLS can hold a wide variety of missiles: anti-air and ballistic missile defense (Sea Sparrow, ESSM, Standard family), anti-submarine (VLASROC), land-attack (Tomahawk) and more. One simply drops different missile cannisters into the MK 41's common interface. Lockheed notes that the MK 41 VLS is itself available in three different sizes to meet differing hull and mission requirements: * The Strike length MK 41 is the largest system accommodating the widest variety of missiles. * The Tactical length is over 7 feet shorter than the Strike length and can accommodate a variety of missiles up to approximately 18.5 feet in length. * The Self-Defense Launcher (SDL) is specifically designed for ship self defense. SDL is shorter and lighter than the other variants. Its size and weight are designed to accomodate smaller ships like corvettes and frigates, as well as aircraft carriers with limited deck and hull space. More than 11,000 MK 41 VLS missile cells have been delivered, or are on order, for 178 ships and 16 ship classes in 11 navies around the world. This system currently serves with the US Navy as well as the Australian, Canadian, Dutch, Japanese, German, New Zealand, Norwegian, South Korean, Spanish, and Turkish navies. The MK 41's most recent Baseline VII upgrade was rolled out in 2004, upgrading the module's electronics. Its cell-based architecture, commercial off-the-shelf technologies, and open architecture help to improve life cycle maintenance and future upgradeability. MK 41 VLS Contracts ORD_MK41_VLS_Line_Drawing.gif MK 41 line drawing (click to view full) Unless otherwise indicated, all contracts are issued by The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC. Nov 1/06: BAE Systems Land & Armaments, LP in Minneapolis, MN received $8.6 million fixed-price-plus-award-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5454) for procurement of MK 25 MOD 0 canisters, packaging, handling, storage, and transportation equipment, reconfigurable coding plug assemblies and explosive bolts for Navy and NATO SeaSparrow Program Office (NSPO) foreign government requirements. MK 25 canisters for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System store, transport in safety, and enable loading of the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) into the MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems aboard Navy ships. This modification combines efforts for the US Navy (57%) and the Governments of Germany (32%) and Spain (11%) under the foreign military sales program. Work will be performed in Aberdeen, SD and is expected to be complete by December 2008. Sept 15/06: BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP in Minneapolis, MN received a $15.6 million fixed-price, award-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-5454) for procurement of FY 2006 Mk. 13 MOD 0 Canisters for FY 2006 Navy and Foreign Military Sales, including packaging, handling, storage, and transportation equipment, and FY 2006 Reconfigurable Coding Plug Assemblies. Mk 13 canisters for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System store, transport in safety, and enable loading of SM-2 Standard air defense missiles into the MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems aboard various US and foreign ships1. Work will be performed in Aberdeen, SD and is expected to be complete by January 2008. This modification supports requirements for the US Navy (16%); the Governments of Japan (30%) and South Korea (25%) under the Foreign Military Sales program; and the Governments of Germany (20%) and The Netherlands (9%) under a Memorandum of Understanding.

Right on! First night back with the new server and we were able to help bring on a new player. Welcome aboard, Cpt. Aubrey. We took the PlayersDB scenario, Power Sweep, by David Steinmeyer out for a spin to break him in. Jim used some interesting "bait and switch" tactics and we managed to exchange fire resulting in his loss of SSN Spartan before the game crashed us out. Oh, well. Hope to see you around soon enough, Capt Aubrey.

Don't forget to check out the latest Harpoon3 scenario with this exact premise! UNIFIL made with the PlayersDB

UNIFIL The 34th new scenario of the year! Another scenario straight from the headlines! This scenario has been tested for compatibility with Harpoon3 ANW v3.7.0 After a month-long war in Southern Lebanon which saw thousands dead and thousands of Katyusha rockets landing in Israel, the UN Security Council has accepted resolution 1702. Israel's deep strike on Iranian WMD sites has done nothing to reduce the threat from Hezbollah. It's all up to UNIFIL, now. The UN mandate is to: 1. Enforce a cease-fire in Lebanon 2. Disarm/destroy Hezbollah in Lebanon 3. Implement an arms embargo against Israel and Hezbollah 4. Prevent IDF missions into Lebanon France and Italy (both with long heritage in the Middle East) are leading the coalition which, for the first time ever, contains Army, Navy, and Air Force elements. Author: Freek Schepers This scenario requires the latest release of the PlayersDB v6.4.9 Get it via: StrategyZoneOnline, HarpGamer, SimHQ, PlayersDB Depot, SubSim, CombatAce, or Frugal's World of Simulation. SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

Navy 'too weak' for big role in Korea blockade By Thomas Harding, Damien McElroy in Washington and Richard Spencer in Beijing (Filed: 16/10/2006) Telegraph Plans to impose a blockade of North Korea to prevent the regime acquiring nuclear weapons were thrown in disarray last night. China said it would oppose attempts to inspect suspect vessels and Royal Navy commanders said Britain was unable to make a significant military commitment to the proposed United Nations naval task force. advertisement The United States is leading attempts to put together a force that would prevent suspect cargoes from entering the Marxist dictatorship and stop North Korea exporting weapons of mass destruction technology to rogue regimes such as Iran and terrorist groups. Attempts to assemble the force began in earnest yesterday after the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution late on Saturday imposing tough arms and financial sanctions against Pyongyang following its claim that it had test-fired a nuclear warhead last week. The UN resolution prompted an angry response from North Korea, which said it would regard the imposition of sanctions as an act of war and described the resolution itself as "gangster-like". China, which voted in favour of the resolution at the Security Council, immediately cast doubt over the effectiveness of the proposed naval force when government officials said they did not approve of the inspections regime and would not take part. Amended rules of engagement have been drawn up for the US 7th fleet, which is based in North Asia, and Pentagon officials said yesterday that they could count on support from the vessels of 15 "core" members of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which was set up in 2003 to prevent North Korea acquiring weapons of mass destruction technology, and includes Britain, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, will this week begin an intensive round of shuttle diplomacy, visiting China, South Korea, Japan and Russia in an attempt to shore up support for the UN resolution. But senior Royal Navy officers last night cast serious doubt over Britain's ability to make a significant naval contribution to the proposed UN force, claiming that drastic cuts in government spending on the navy over the past decade had severely reduced their ability to participate in major foreign operations. "I am staggered that the Government is trying to make this commitment when it knows what our Armed Forces are going through," a senior Royal Navy officer last night told The Daily Telegraph. "But it knows that to keep our presence on the Security Council Britain needs to demonstrate what we can do." Defence experts predicted that the most the Royal Navy could contribute was a single frigate, a Royal Fleet auxiliary support vessel and a Trafalgar class hunter killer submarine. But senior navy officers expressed deep concern about their ability to defend their ships against a hostile missile or fighter threat after a decision was enforced six months ago to scrap the Sea Harrier fighter. As a result of government cutbacks any British ships deployed to the South China Sea to enforce the UN resolution would depend on the American or French navies to provide "beyond visual range" air defence with their aircraft carriers. The Navy has been cut by almost a third since Labour came into power, and the admission by Royal Navy commanders that they were struggling to find suitable ships to deploy to the UN force will raise further questions about the Labour government's handling of the armed forces' budget. Britain's military commitments to Iraq and North Korea have exposed glaring deficiencies in resources and equipment. The approval of the Security Council resolution bolsters the right of US naval commanders to stop and search suspect vessels. North Korean trade will now be liable to constant scrutiny. The nerve-centre of the non-proliferation web around the Korean peninsula is the USS Kitty Hawk, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier that commands a fleet of 60 ships and 350 aircraft. China has repeatedly promised to tighten restrictions on North Korean shipments but any crackdown has so far been limited. A Chinese vessel carrying North Korean radar was intercepted in the Mediterranean last month. Security experts also fear that increased US air and sea activity around China will raise the risk of a clash with the 600-ship strong People's Liberation Army Navy.

Over 36 new aircraft, ships, submarines, facilities, classes, countries, and weapons have been added to the Harpoon3 PlayersDB. Get the PlayersDB 6.4.9-ANW on StrategyZoneOnline or HarpDB. Get the PlayersDB 6.4.9 on StrategyZoneOnline, HarpDB, or PlayersDB Depot. Additions include: Mirage IIIO(F) AUS 63 Mirage IIIO(A) AUS 63 LPD Austin IND 06 LCAC Zubr [Pomornik] PRC 07 FF Ibn Khaldoum IRQ DDG Kongo JP 93 CVN Ulyanovsk RUS 94 COLD WAR concept: Project 1143.7 class. 12 deg ski-jump, angled flight deck with two catapults. First unit Ulyanovsk cancelled in 1991 with work 40-45 percent complete. Broken up and sold for scrap in 1992. Above in-service date assumes ship was completed. Second unit never laid down, but possibly could have entered service in about 1997. Estimated air wing: 27 Su-33 Flanker D, 10 Su-25 Frogfoot, 4 Yak-44 AEW (under construction), 18 Ka-29PL Helix A, 2 Ka-27PS Helix C (three deck-edge elevators and two catapults) BB Wisconsin USN 08 Hypothetical platform: The US Marines are continually screaming for more shore bombardment capabilities. Congress finally listened and gave the Navy a mandate to bring back one of the Iowa-class ships. With the noises currently being made by Iran and N. Korea, the threat of another mid-intensity conflict was too great to ignore. Both nations had long coastlines. The Navy decided to use the Wisconsin because of her burnt-out B turret. It was too expensive to modify the superstructure for AEgis. And, with the perceived need, the range given by SM-2's was not warranted. B turret was pulled to install a 32 cell MK41 VLS with a loadout of 16 cells for ESSM Quad Packs, giving 64 missiles total, and the remaining 16 cells for TLAM-E's to the support of Marines ashore. These were in addition to the TLAM already in the box launchers. With ESSM, all that was needed were a few illumination radars. For short range, 2x 21 shot RAM launchers were added on the fantail where the old 40mm tubs were. The Mk-15's were upgraded to Blk 1B for close range and use against small manouvering surface craft. Since the ships went into reserve in '92, senior ratings are still available to train a new crew. (Hypothetical platform for Eric [Accuracy13]) - countless changes and improvements guaranteed not to crash any earlier scenario built with the PlayersDB Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

Excellent! Ran fine when I used a backup copy of the pfBuild2002.

Getting a "Run-time error 3022" when I try to import HCDB 061014 into the Platform editor.

Indian Navy declines to buy British Harriers HindustanTimes Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi, October 13, 2006 The Indian Navy has declined to buy eight British Sea Harrier FA.2 fighter jets that were phased out of the Royal Navy in March 2006. According to a report in the October issue of the defence magazine India Strategic, the eight Harriers, which were also the last to serve the Royal Navy, were on offer but without some vital components like missiles and the Blue Vixen fire control radar. The prime consideration was to use them to train pilots and to fill in the gaps caused by the loss of six Harriers in the Indian Navy due to accidents spread over more than 20 years. Indian Navy pilots and defence ministry representatives inspected and assessed the aircraft for technical and financial evaluation but it was decided not to go in for them as the jets needed considerable expense in upgrading their avionics and arming them. Published reports indicate that India has 22 Sea Harriers, 16 of them being the FRS.51 fighter version. They are to be gradually replaced by MiG-29K aircraft, some 40 to 50 of which are likely to be acquired from Russia. India has already contracted to buy 16 MiG-29Ks as part of the deal with Russia to acquire the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, renamed INS Vikramaditya, but more such aircraft would be needed as the Indian Navy grows to its required size and capability. As for the Royal Navy Harriers, the Indian Navy was initially enthusiastic, but then felt that "devoid of their offensive systems, they wouldn't be of much use". For training "the navy is already considering either the BAe Hawks or Boeing/BAe Goshawks", a source said. Indian Navy pilots are now being given advanced carrier takeoff and landing training at the US Navy's Pensacola facility to prepare them for the arrival of Gorshkov and MiG-29Ks. This had become necessary as ironically, the Russians were unable to offer matching training facilities although they sold both the aircraft carrier and the MiG-29K jets. Harrier jets played a decisive and proven role in the Falklands crisis of 1982. The last naval variant, the FA.2, was armed with US AIM 20 AMRAAM (advanced medium range air-to-air missile) and the Ferranti ARI.50019 Blue Vixen radar that enabled it to engage four targets simultaneously. India had decided to buy the Harriers in the mid-1970s as part of its efforts to build a blue water navy, while their actual deliveries began in 1983. The Indian Navy's 16 Sea Harrier FRS.51 fighter versions are now under a midlife upgrade with new air-to-air missiles as well as helmet-mounted target acquisition sights. The Indian Navy Harriers originally were equipped with the Ferranti Blue Fox radar that had poor "look-down" capability compared to the Blue Vixen of the British Navy. The Indian Navy plans to use the Sea Harriers till around 2020. Engines for Indian Sea Harriers were supplied by Rolls Royce while the aircraft have been maintained and upgraded - as prime contractor - by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

SOSUS- The "Secret Weapon" of Undersea Surveillance By Edward C. Whitman Born of a three-way marriage of early Cold War strategic necessity, World War II progress in underwater acoustics, and an extraordinary engineering effort, the Navy’s pioneering Sound Surveillance System – SOSUS – became a key, long-range early-warning asset for protecting the United States against the threat of Soviet ballistic missile submarines and in providing vital cueing information for tactical, deep-ocean, anti-submarine warfare. And although subsequent events – most notably the end of the Cold War – robbed SOSUS of much of its mission, its history remains an object lesson in how inspired, science-based engineering development can lead to extraordinary operational effectiveness. See the rest of the article at: http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/cno/n8...ue_25/sosus.htm

Hezbollah listened in on IDF beepers and cell phones By Ze'ev Schiff, Haaretz Correspondent Haaretz.com Hezbollah intelligence listened to cell phone conversations by Israelis, including Israel Defense Forces officers, as part of its extensive intelligence gathering operation during the recent Lebanon war. The organization also eavesdropped electronically on messages sent to pagers; some of these messages were transferred through satellite uplinks. Just as Hezbollah improved its ability to utilize the antitank weapons it acquired and its network of tunnels and bunkers, both along the border and inside southern Lebanon, it also made significant efforts to improve its intelligence gathering apparatus. Advertisement This effort was primarily aimed at gathering intelligence on IDF units and their movements, both inside and outside Israel. This is clearly evident in the way Hezbollah operatives managed to track and map the movement of IDF patrols along the border, and thus plan the July 12 raid and ambush in which eight soldiers were killed and two others kidnapped. MI warned Sharon Israel had identified Hezbollah's efforts to improve its intelligence gathering before the outbreak of the war. The matter was raised with then prime minister Ariel Sharon by then Military Intelligence chief Major General Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash, who told Sharon that if Israel does not take the necessary countermeasures, the IDF and its activities will increasingly become transparent to Hezbollah intelligence. The issue was also raised by field security officers at meetings of the IDF General Staff. While Hezbollah has clearly made significant progress in the area of intelligence in general, its main achievements during the war were in tactical intelligence gathering. The organization received training from Syrian and Iranian intelligence officers and manned observation posts along the border, in places such as Maroun al-Ras. These observation posts were equipped with sophisticated and expensive gear, mostly Western in origin, and during the war, they reported on IDF movements, especially inside Israel. Hezbollah also tried to run agents inside Israel. The group also operated listening posts, and it seems that it met with some success in this area. For example, if a pager message were sent to reporters in northern Israel, informing them of an expected visit by the IDF chief of staff or the defense minister to a particular location, Hezbollah would most likely have intercepted this information. This would have been sufficient for it to order more intense rocket attacks against that particular area of the north. Hezbollah also set up a center for the collection of publicly available information on Israel, such as news reports in the Israeli media. The center was also responsible for thoroughly analyzing this data and extracting information of tactical value regarding operational plans, morale in Israel and differing opinions within the country. Israel has been doing this sort of intelligence gathering for many years. But it seems that Hezbollah has now become adept at this form of intelligence and analysis as well.

Here's an excellent premise for a scenario, IMO. U.S. Detection Plane Leaves Japan Amid North Korean Nuclear Concerns By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, TOKYO DefenseNews A U.S. military plane capable of detecting radioactive particles in the air has left southern Japan Oct. 5 amid concerns North Korea could soon test a nuclear bomb, reports said. The WC-135C plane flew from the U.S. Kadena airbase in Okinawa in the direction of the Korean peninsula shortly before noon, the Japanese public network NHK reported. The Kyodo news agency also reported the departure of the plane, although neither report confirmed its mission. NHK said a midair refueling plane also took off from Kadena at the same time and was expected to accompany the WC-135C. The WC-135C is a special purpose aircraft that can monitor nuclear tests, NHK said. The aircraft, usually based at the Offat airbase in Nebraska, is known to be capable of collecting air particles and gases and analyzing them. The Pentagon also declined to confirm or deny the reports. Reports of the flight came after North Korea on Oct. 3 dramatically raised the stakes in the long-running standoff over its nuclear program by announcing it would test a bomb at an unspecified date. The warning prompted Japan to call on the U.N. Security Council to impose tough sanctions on Pyongyang if it went ahead with a test. The United States said it had detected possible preparations for a nuclear test and a leading South Korean newspaper predicted the communist regime could detonate a bomb as early as next week. The plane has been seen flying in to Kadena in recent years when tensions hiked over North Korea’s nuclear arms development. It has been seen based at the base since last May, NHK said. U.S. forces in Japan could not immediately confirm reports of the plane’s movements.