Herman

Any chance for the Ternopil corvette mentioned here?

Russian fleet to leave Crimea in 2017: Hrytsenko 5tv.com Russia will withdraw its fleet from Ukraine by the year 2017. Defense minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko made the announcement in Sevastopol on Thursday. He said that preparations for the Russian fleet's withdrawal should already be underway, as relocating the fleet is a process that will take many years. Hrytsenko was in Sevastopol for launching of a new Ukrainian naval ship. The "Ternopil" corvette class ship joins the country’s 40 ship strong fleet. On the same day Hrytsenko announced that the country's only submarine, the Zaporizhya, will be taken out of service.

Three services to have BrahMos missiles The Hindu Arunkumar Bhatt The Navy has started inducting the missile, the Army and the Air Force to follow suit MUMBAI: While the Navy has started inducting multi-role, supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos, in a big way, the Army and the Air Force are poised to follow suit to be able to `destabilise' critical targets with pinpoint accuracy. "Army is very keen to have the missile and we are working on the `land to land' version of it for the Army," said Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, chief controller of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Dr. Pillai is also the managing director of BrahMos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture that designed and developed the world's only supersonic cruise missile and is now engaged in its production and marketing. He was here to ceremoniously receive the first airframe section of BrahMos from the Chairman of Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Company, J.N. Godrej. About 20 Indian and seven Russian companies are making critical systems for the missile. He said that the missile was undergoing critical tests to meet the Army's specific requirements to be able to take on different types of targets. The army version would have features like position updating, terrain-hugging, homing image analysis and higher degree of data processing . The Army is raising a special BrahMos Regiment of three batteries comprising a mobile launcher, mobile and fixed command centres besides other supporting facilities. The Air Force has identified Su-30 Mk1 aircraft to be able to deliver air-launched version of the BrahMos. The air-launched version will be lighter in weight with its reduced booster. Dr. Pillai said that it would have the advantage of the speed of the platform itself. It would have fins for stability and a simplified nose. He said that one BrahMos could be fitted under the belly of Su-30 without any structural modification. Two more could be added under the wings if they were upgraded. The Air Force has already accepted the feasibility report and the missile is being readied for test. The army version has already undergone two tests. Both the services would be able to induct the missile in a couple of years. The BrahMos is a multiple-platform missile for the Navy. All new warships would be armed with the BrahMos and all big ships undergoing a refit would also get it, he said. The Navy would be able to fit even its land-based maritime reconnaissance aircraft, TU-142 for air to ship attacks while being on surveillance missions. The aircraft would be able to carry up to six BrahMos. The Navy has already fitted four two-tube missile launchers onboard INS Rajput, a Kashin class destroyer. All five warships of this class would get BrahMos.

Commercial photos show Chinese nuke buildup By Bill Gertz THE WASHINGTON TIMES February 16, 2006 Commercial satellite photos made public recently provide a new look at China's nuclear forces and bases images that include the first view of a secret underwater submarine tunnel. A Pentagon official said the photograph of the tunnel entrance reveals for the first time a key element of China's hidden military buildup. Similar but more detailed intelligence photos of the entrance are highly classified within the U.S. government, the official said. "The Chinese have a whole network of secret facilities that the U.S. government understands but cannot make public," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "This is the first public revelation of China's secret buildup." The photographs, taken from 2000 to 2004, show China's Xia-class ballistic missile submarine docked at the Jianggezhuang base, located on the Yellow Sea in Shandong province. Nuclear warheads for the submarine's 12 JL-1 missiles are thought to be stored inside an underwater tunnel that was photographed about 450 meters to the northwest of the submarine. The high-resolution satellite photo shows a waterway leading to a ground-covered facility. Other photographs show additional underground military facilities, including the Feidong air base in Anhui province with a runway built into a nearby hill. The photographs were obtained by the nonprofit groups Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Federation of American Scientists. The photos first appeared Friday in the winter edition of the quarterly newsletter Imaging Notes. The photographs are sharp enough to identify objects on the ground about 3 feet in size. Such digital images were once the exclusive domain of U.S. technical intelligence agencies, but in recent years, commercial companies have deployed equally capable space-based cameras. Disclosure of the underground bases supports analyses of Pentagon and intelligence officials who say China is engaged in a secret military buildup that threatens U.S. interests, while stating publicly that its forces pose no threat. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during a trip to China in October that Beijing was sending "mixed signals" by building up forces in secret and without explaining their purpose. Adm. Gary Roughead, commander of the Navy's Pacific Fleet, said he did not consider China "a threat." But he also said in a speech Tuesday that China's purpose behind its rapid military buildup is not fully known. "That's a little unclear," he said, noting that "increased transparency" is needed from China. The photographs included several shots of Chinese H-6 strategic bombers and related aerial refueling tankers at Dangyang airfield in Hubei province. Also, 70 nuclear-capable Qian-5 aircraft were photographed parked at an airfield in Jianqiao, Zhejiang province, on the East China Sea coast. The Pentagon's four-year strategy report made public earlier this month stated that China is emerging as a power with "the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States." The report stated that Beijing is investing heavily in "strategic arsenal and capabilities to project power beyond its borders." The report did not provide specifics. U.S. officials said, however, that the secrecy of the Chinese buildup has fueled a debate within the U.S. government over the threat posed by that country. U.S. intelligence agencies recently produced a National Intelligence Estimate, or major interagency analysis, that concluded China is using strategic deception to fool the United States and other nations about its goals and programs, including its military buildup. Pentagon officials have asked China to allow visits to underground facilities such as the submarine tunnel and a command center in Beijing, but either the requests were denied or the existence of the sites was denied. "The Chinese have denied having any underground submarine facilities," the Pentagon official said, noting that the satellite photos indicate that China has misled the United States. Underground submarine sites are one of 10 major types of facilities hidden by the Chinese military, U.S. officials said. The others include nuclear missile storage facilities, other weapons plants, command centers and political leadership offices. In 2004, China revealed the first of a new class of submarines. The development of the Yuan-class submarines was kept secret through the use of an underground factory in south-central China, the officials said. Since 2002, Beijing has deployed 14 submarines. And it is working on a new ballistic-missile submarine, known as the Jin class, and two new Shang-class attack submarines. According to a classified Defense Intelligence Agency assessment, China's nuclear forces include about 45 long-range missiles, 12 submarine-launched missiles and about 100 short-range missiles each with a single warhead. By 2020, China's arsenal will include up to 220 long-range missiles, up to 44 submarine-launched missiles and up to 200 short-range missiles, the DIA report stated. Richard Fisher, a China military analyst at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, said that in addition to the northern submarine base, China also has a major submarine base at Yulin, on Hainan island in the South China Sea. The southern base gives Chinese missile submarines easier access to firing areas than the Yellow Sea base, which is more vulnerable to attacks from U.S. anti-submarine warfare systems.

Could al-Qaida take over Pakistan? Terrorists would inherit nuclear arsenal, delivery system This excerpt is from the latest issue of Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. Asia Times and the Times of India both report today the Taliban and al-Qaida already have taken "virtual control" of the entire North Waziristan province of Pakistan and "declared" the establishment of an "Islamic state" in the area, gaining a major base for their operations against the U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden may be the most popular figure in the nation. Just one man's life is preventing bin Laden or his allies from getting their hands not on nuclear weapons, which they already have, but a large nuclear arsenal and the means to deliver it anywhere in the world, G2 Bulletin reports. His name is Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan. If fair-and-square elections were held today in Pakistan, and bin Laden or someone like him were allowed to compete, there is little doubt the populace would be with such a leader, according to G2 Bulletin sources. But they haven't had fair-and-square elections in Pakistan for some time – and President Bush, who promotes "democracy" as the antidote to terror, better hope they don't have one soon. Pakistan not only has at least 40 nuclear warheads, according to most accounts, but it has some of the most sophisticated and feared delivery systems in the world. Perhaps the biggest worry is the trio of French-built Agosta 90B stealth submarines, each capable of carrying 16 cruise missiles with nuclear payloads. The Pakistani military is very proud of its subs – and well they should be. They are at the top of the class for French submarines. They were designed by the French company DCN, which, as incredible as it may sound, has licensed Pakistan to produce more at a commercial base. The project was completed despite a suicide bomb attack that killed 11 of the project's French engineers in front of their Karachi hotel in May 2002. The deal had to be approved by the U.S. government because the sub contains U.S. parts. While the specs for the Agosta 90B subs say it is equipped to fire Exocet missiles and torpedoes, at a press briefing following the annual naval exercise Seaspark-2001, Rear Adm. Mohammad Afzal Tahir, the deputy chief of naval staff for operations, announced that the Pakistan navy was considering equipping its submarines with nuclear missiles. He suggested the Agosta 90B submarine, with its air independent propulsion system, can deliver nuclear weapons.

US to hold mammoth naval exercise in Pacific (AFP) Updated: 2006-02-15 13:49 ChinaDaily WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military has said it is to hold one of its biggest naval exercises in the Asia Pacific this summer. The large-scale operations will involve several carrier strike groups, each of which includes at least three warships, an attack submarine and a support ship. Four carriers would be involved in three military maritime exercises -- one of them touted as the world's largest -- between June and August in the region, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Admiral Gary Roughead said in Washington. Two of the exercises are expected to be largely confined to US forces and held in the Western Pacific while the third involving navies from at least eight countries, including Australia, Chile, Japan, South Korea and Peru, would occur near the Hawaiian Islands. While the war games would boost bilateral and multilateral cooperation and improve military preparedness, it "also provides a deterrent for anyone who would wish us ill," Roughead told a forum organized by the US-based Asia Society, which aims to bridge ties between the two sides of the Pacific. The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) of the Pentagon, conducted every four years, said a key goal for the US military in the coming years will be to "shape the choices of countries at a strategic crossroads." It has been at least 10 years since four aircraft carriers have operated in the Pacific Ocean at one time, the Hawaii-based Roughead said, adding that the increased activity was in line with findings of the QDR released on February 6. His spokesman Navy Captain Matt Brown said it could be the largest combined aircraft carrier operations in the Pacific since the Vietnam War. Aside from the Japan-based Kitty Hawk, the other carriers to be involved in the exercises are the San Diego-based Ronald Reagan and one more each from the Pacific and Atlantic fleets. "I think for an East Coast carrier to be operating in the Pacific -- probably Vietnam was the last time we had East Coast ships operating up in the Western Pacific," he explained. Elaborating on the exercises, Brown said, "As the QDR mentioned, it is important for us to be focusing on the Pacific, to be working with friends and allies in the Pacific. "And we think that the carriers are a capable multimission platform for gaining familiarisation for forces operating in the Western Pacific." Citing the massive US-led tsunami relief operations last year in Asia, Brown said, "Our leaders in Hawaii were able to pick up the phone and call counterparts in Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi and rapidly exchange information because they knew each other. "In a situation where there is a disagreement, wouldn't it be nice to pick up the phone and refer back to rely upon a long term established relationship to hopefully prevent that conflict," he asked.

Over 300 new aircraft, ships, submarines, facilities, classes, countries, and weapons have been added to the Harpoon3 PlayersDB. With so many American units, we've re-organized them just a little bit. The index only allows 255 types / country so we've given the Americans two country entries and separated them between Combatants and Support roles so that they can fit better within the limitations of the Harpoon 3 database structure. As always, this change will have no affect whatsoever on any existing scenarios. It is only meant to assist designers in locating their desired units. Get the PlayersDB 5.9.7 on HarpDB, PlayersDB Depot, or StrategyZoneOnline. Additions include: B-2A Spirit USA 06 B-2A Spirit USA 96 CV Kitty Hawk USN 61 CVS Invincible RN 02 DDG Type 42.1 Birmingham UK 82 DDG Sovremennyy I 956A RUS 93 DDG Suffren F 00 DDG Suffren F 88 DDG Suffren F 67 DDG Primauguet F 97 SLASM DDG Kongo J 95 DDG Arleigh Burke IIA TLAM US05 DDG Arleigh Burke IIA SAM US 05 DDG Type 42.2 Exeter UK 88 DDG Type 42.1 Birmingham UK 90 DDG Arleigh Burke TLAM US 05 DDG Arleigh Burke IIA TLAM US00 DDG Type 42.1 Birmingham UK 00 DDG Arleigh Burke IIA SAM US 00 DDG Arleigh Burke II SAM US 05 DDG Udaloy I RUS 84 P.1155 DDG Udaloy II RUS 95 E-2C Hawkeye Group II USN 91 FFG Krivak II RUS 78 FFG Perry USN 77 FFG Jacob van Heemskerck NL88-05 FFG Krivak II RUS 90 FFG Underwood USN 01 FFH Halifax CDN 98 FFL Parchim II RUS 86 LHA Tarawa USN 01 LHA Tarawa USN 95 LHA Tarawa USN 76 LHD Essex USN 94 MiG-29 Fulcrum A RO 89-03 MiG-29UB Fulcrum B RO 92-03 SSG Song Type 039 PRC 01|320 SSGN Charlie II RUS 91-95 SSN Swiftsure RN 80|108 SSN Trafalgar RN 83|107 SSN Victor III RUS 80|PLA671RTM SSN Sturgeon USN 80-99|637 SSN Los Angeles USN 05|688 SSN Los Angeles USN 80|688 Harrier GR.7 UK 90 - countless changes and improvements guaranteed not to crash any earlier scenario built with the PlayersDB SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

AAR: Allegro [spoiler Alert] A Harpoon Classic scenario By Christopher Stoner [a.k.a. DarkNite] PTM Tze Chiang had been the hero of the opening act in what would soon be known as the Spratly Affair. Her four victories over two Batillo-class gunboats and two H-6 Badger bombers made her the must successful command in the history of the Republic of China’s armed forces. However, Lieutenant Zhao knew that luck was a finite quantity and he firmly believed that he and his crew had used up all of theirs in the first scene. She was currently paired up with the frigate, Hsi Ning off the coast of Labuan. I ordered CAP [Combat Air Patrols] aloft over all of the task forces under my command. Flankers and Fulcrum would guard the Spratlys while Mirage and Ching-Kuo were positioned over the transports. Tze Chiang reported aircraft approaching from the Philippines. Their signature identified them as Airguards. MiG-29 Fulcrums from Labuan moved to intercept. Instead of wasting their precious long-ranged Alamo missiles on them, they were each killed with a pair of AA-11 Archers. Another pair of Airguards approached the Amphib's Screening force and were summarily handled in the same way with short-ranged Magic AAMs. The Fulcrum had such short legs, that I decided to re-base the tankers out of Labuan since they appeared to need the most support. It was a good thing that the Fulcrums and Mirage had not expended their long-ranged missiles on the first available targets as the Philippines and PRC soon sent up their first-class fighters, Flankers. These aircraft were far superior to the Mirage except for the MICA-EM. Those were fire-and-forget missiles. After exchanging missiles with the Flankers, the Mirage could turn away. Instead, the Flankers had to keep their radar aimed at their targets. When the MICA arrived first and wiped them out, the Alamo lost their guidance and dropped into the sea. This was a very hazardous tactic, but the only one available due to the short-ranged nature of the MICA. An IL-38 May MPA [Maritime Patrol Aircraft] out of Huiyang kept tabs on the Amphibs and their escorts. I desperately wanted to destroy this all-seeing platform, but I couldn't get near enough to kill it due to the LR AAMs of her Flanker escorts. Soon, Mirage, Ching-Kuo, and Flankers were exchanging missile fire all around the Amphib task groups. Although the PRC and Filipino Flankers were killed by the Mirage CAP, they were able to tie up the fighters long enough for the bombers to complete their mission. Additional PRC Flankers behind the leading escorts were able to launch their AShMs [Anti-Ship Missiles] along with XH-7 from the Philippines. While the Amphib screening group was able to bring down all of the missiles, the Kidd-class destroyer depleted her entire long-ranged SAM inventory in doing so. Since the screening group no longer had any area-defence capability, I ordered them to join the Amphibs which still had a full inventory of SAMs. While the Amphibs were re-organizing, the Tze Chiang and Kang Ding were under air attack from Subic Bay. Before they realized it, missiles were slamming into the Kang Ding and she was left an inferno as F-5 Tigers continued to close on her. The Tze Chiang’s gunners promptly shot them out of the sky as they thought to themselves, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Unbeknownst to them, their luck really had run out. Soon afterwards, a flight of OV-10F Broncos were sighted approaching from the same direction. The gunners of the Tze Chiang threw up a curtain of steel, but it was all in vain as the strikers pressed home their attack. The little PTM was totally ripped apart. In war, the victors can become victims in the blink of an eye. In this case, the Broncos were, in turn, shot out of the sky by late-arriving Fulcrums as they made their egress. Just like the PTM, they had changed from victor to fish food in the flash of a missile's eye. After the Fulcrum re-fuelled on Labuan, there were sent after the Searchmaster and Phalcon patrol aircraft stationed over the Spratlys. I hoped that by blinding the enemy, I could help keep the Amphibs hidden and secure. Both targets were easily destroyed. The escorting Flankers arrived too late to protect their charges and were killed, too. Two Jiangwei-class frigates were detected skulking around the Spratlys. Malaysian Hornets were re-armed with Harpoon missiles and sent after them. Without proper air cover, they were easily overwhelmed by four Harpoons each and left burning. With relative aerial superiority gained over the Spratlys, the Hornets, Fulcrums, Flankers, and Hawks began to re-arm with air-to-ground ordnance. In order to assist the process, I ordered the frigates Jebat and Kasturi to close on the PRC installations in hopes of shelling them into oblivion with their long-ranged naval guns. This would turn out to be a monumental blunder on my part. As they made their approach, a lookout on the Kasturi suddenly reported, “Smoke trail bearing 310!” The ship’s crew was still hurrying to air defence stations when the first missiles slammed into the frigate and detonated her magazines. Evidently, the PRC had been able to deploy an SSM battery to the island. The Jebat did not hesitate or linger to search for survivors. She immediately turned around and ran for her life. However, her air search radar quickly reported helicopters rising from the island and the world has yet to see a ship win a race against a helicopter. Soon, multiple contacts were detected separating from the helicopters. The big CSS-N-8 Saccade missiles quickly ate up the distance to the Jebat and swarmed over her meagre defences. There would be no survivors from this debacle. I was not going to make the same mistake twice. Instead of risking any additional ships in NGFS [Naval Gunfire Support] missions, the air force would have to suppress the missile batteries and the airfield. The short range of the Hornets and Fulcrum meant that they had to arm, ferry to a field in range of the Spratly targets, land, re-fuel, conduct their strike, and then return to their home field in order to re-arm. This long and arduous process was only possible since the Amphibs were such a long ways away. As they made their transit, the island defences were hammered into submission due to their lack of air defences. SAMs and AAA claimed only a few of the strikers. Soon, clouds of smoke were rising from all the PRC-occupied islands. The only thing remaining was to land the troops. The Amphibs made their transit unmolested aerially, but there were three separate SAGs [surface Action Groups] along their path. The first group was able to fire their Saccade SSMs at the Amphibs, but these were easily shot down by the Mirage and Ching-Kuo on CAP over the group. In retaliation, the PLAN task group was met by Super Cobras and a wave of Hsieng Feng SSMs [surface-to-Surface Missiles]. While the missiles were in flight, a submarine was detected to add to my troubles. The PLAN had executed an excellently timed submarine attack to coincide with their SSMs. While the PRC SSMs were shot down, my own SSMs all but wiped out the ships so I could concentrate on hunting down this obstacle to my transit. After a through search, the submarine was classified as a Song-class SSG and it was apparently commanded by an adept captain because he skilfully dodged nearly every torpedo dropped on him. However, it takes just one torpedo to ruin your day. Only after every helicopter in the group was committed to the attack did a torpedo finally track and hit him. One torpedo hit out of five attempts was abysmal, but only the final result mattered. Two more SAGs were waiting in ambush. However, to be forewarned is to be fore-armed. The Hornets in distant Malaysia were ordered to re-arm with Harpoon missiles. Once ready, they launched to the attack. The distance that they had to travel meant that they had to be tanked on both their inbound and egress routes, but, like UPS, they ‘delivered the goods’. Ships with the best air defences were specifically targeted. Once they were sunk, the Super Cobras from the amphibs was able to slowly and methodically sink the survivors with short-ranged Hellfire missiles. Soon after the SAGs were cleared, the transports arrived at their destination and began disembarkation of their passengers. Although at a high and bloody cost, round two in the Spratly Affair would also go to the Taiwanese. Thanks for another fun and challenging scenario. SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

I've seen that, too. However, I haven't been able to nail down the circumstances. It happens sometimes and not other times. Can you provide a test file or point to an instance where this has definitively occurred? I've been trying to set up a repeatable situation in order to send a report to AGSI, but haven't been able to do it on purpose. I just see the same thing when I play.

Excerpt from Jane's Defence Weekly Taiwan claims US Navy is sabotaging SSK plans By Wendell Minnick JDW Correspondents Taipei Taiwan (Republic of China) has accused the US Navy of intentionally sabotaging the sale of eight diesel-electric submarines that the Bush administration promised it in April 2001. A US source close to the programme has confirmed Taiwanese claims and argues that the US Navy feared a revival of a domestic diesel-electric submarine programme that would challenge its traditional use of nuclear-powered submarines. "The bottom line is that the initiation of a Taiwan submarine programme has tremendous implications for the US Navy - once it gets going, they will not be able to resist the already existing pressure to integrate diesels with AIP [air-independent propulsion] into the navy inventory for littoral warfare. So they have been artful in making it seem like they have supported the president's policy; yet purposely making it such a bitter pill to swallow - what I call 'death by bureaucracy'," stated the source.

Not long afterwards, two Hercules transports were shot down by Tze Chiang as they overflew her in their attempt to drop paratroops onto Taiping. Another Batillo-class gunboat chased the Tze Chiang, but turned back at the 14nm mark. She never knew how close she came to eating a missile. However, just as curiosity killed the cat, so did it doom this Filipino gunboat. After a series of feints and withdrawals, the gunboat finally ventured into range of the Tze Chiang's guns. Seven rounds of 40mm fire were sufficient to destroy the over-inquisitive intruder. Meanwhile, two pirate raiders, accompanied by the Philippines’ Emilio Jacinto, were spotted approaching Swallow Reef. The Wasp aboard the Musytari was ordered aloft. Although she only had a torpedo payload, she could still provide invaluable observation of the intruders. They were well within the 12nm limit and were free to be engaged. The brigand vessel, Pulau Mas, fell first to 100mm gunnery. Then the Jacinto came into range and was similarly dealt with. The lone surviving pirate vessel maintained speed and course to intercept the Musytari, but could not survive for long under the iron hammering from her guns. Soon, all three ships were ablaze and sinking within visual range of Swallow Reef. Three PT boats had accompanied a Jiangwei frigate from the mainland. They had been shadowed by the FF Kang Ding throughout their voyage. The Jiangwei was going to be a hard nut to crack as she carried SS-N-8 Saccade SSMs with 65nm range. This was 50% longer range than the Hsieng Feng carried by the Kang Ting. It would be interesting to see if Kang Ting could survive long enough to get into range for her missiles. The Tze Chiang was forced off her station near Taiping in order to avoid falling under the PLAN’s SSM umbrella. I decided to try and kill the Jiangwei with the Penguins aboard the Thunderhawk if that group ever got close enough to our exclusion zone. However, the little flotilla carefully and cunningly avoided the 12nm boundary and stayed 15-16nm away from Taiping. Eventually, the Thunderhawk had to retire from lack of fuel. The Kang Ting kept running in order to keep pace and shadow the PLAN flotilla. They did a good job driving the Tze Chiang off her station over Taiping. In her absence, a Shanghai II-class gunboat made her unseen approach to Taiping. Only the presence of mind from an alert gun crew manning the 35mm twin Oerlikon battery prevented any further damage to the island. They spotted her and opened fire from long range and left the Shanghai-II adrift. The PLAN flotilla made a close pass by Swallow Reef and was finally in violation of the 12nm limit. The Thunderhawk immediately pressed an attack and her two Penguin ASMs struck the Jiangwei leaving her burning, but still under steam. Follow up barrages by the Kang Ting broke the Jiangwei in half and left the little group without a meaningful ASuW capability. Return visits by the Thunderhawk easily dispatched the little gunboats one-by-one. A new surface contact was detected approaching Taiping. The PTM Houxin passed nearby, but never entered the 12nm range so she couldn't be engaged under the current ROE. This made for a very funny situation. Her long-ranged missiles were a potent threat to all vessels in the area, but since she had not violated the 12nm exclusion zone, she could not be rightfully engaged. However, if she were to fire her missiles first, they would most certainly swamp and destroy any target she chose. The only tactic available was to avoid her totally until she committed some act that would warrant her destruction. It was kind of ironic that the ships all had to manoeuvre in order keep their distance from her. In the end, her destruction was unnecessary. The additional troops and supplies arrived at Taiping from the home island and were successfully unloaded. Once this was accomplished, victory was granted. I really enjoyed the unique Rules of Engagement. They were very believable, realistic, and presented an excellent challenge for the sparse assets available to me. It was very nice to see, once again, that it doesn’t take a large number of platforms in order to make a fun and demanding scenario. Thanks for a stimulating exercise. SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

AAR: Prelude [spoiler Alert] A Harpoon Classic scenario By Christopher Stoner Most of my units had specific orders for deployment, but no particular orders were issued for the Sea King based at Labuan so she was sent to Swallow Reef to give them a modicum of search capability. As I was operating essentially in the blind, I ordered my only Thunderhawk and MD 500 Defender helicopters into the air for a quick look around. The Thunderhawk quickly spotted a number of PLAN ships from their distinctive emissions and was ordered to run down their lines of bearing in order to localize them. There were several surface contacts. Many turned out to be Neutral vessels. The Thunderhawk was able to localize them and plot an estimated course for each PLAN group. Once this was accomplished, she landed to refuel and kept re-launching to maintain tabs on the PLAN without revealing the location of the FF Kang Ting, her home base. While this was happening, the facility on Taiping was suddenly attacked and destroyed by a flight of Badger bombers. The AAA [Anti-Aircraft Artillery] located around the base got one Badger. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that I could have done to prevent it as I had absolutely no air defence assets. The Filipino ship, Tomas Batillo, was detected by PTM Tze Chiang racing in at 40 knots. However, she was still 26nm away from Taiping so I could not engage. Instead, she ran back to get inside the 12nm limit. If the Batillo followed, then she would be fair game. Batillo followed and was soon inside the 12nm limit. After repeated warnings, she continued to violate the sovereignty of the Republic. The Tze Chiang could easily have destroyed her with Hsieng Feng SSMs, but elected to deal with her the old-fashioned way. She changed course to 272T to close and ordered surface action stations to her gun crews. Her 40mm mount had a range of 3nm while the Filipino guns could only reach 2nm. If she was careful, she could safely destroy the enemy patrol boat without exposing herself to danger. However, luck was not with her, today. The Filipino boat turned back soon after penetrating the 12nm limit. The Tze Chiang could not chase her faster opponent. Seething with rage after hearing the reported destruction on Taiping, the captain ordered a single Hsien Feng fired. The speed of the missile was more than sufficient to catch the Batillo and left her sinking. It was small consolation to the smoke rising over Taiping base.

Here's an excerpt from an interesting article on the Meteor AAM. It's a long one so check out the link. Meteor Approaching Arming the Typhoon, Rafale, and Gripen eDefenseOnline by Michal Fiszer Feb. 8, 2006 Despite still being in the relatively early stages of development, the Meteor missile has achieved a significant number of program milestones, including a few key ones in the latter part of 2005. On Sept. 7, 2005, the first Meteor Ground Handling Training Missiles (GHTMs) were flown on a Rafale fighter at Istres in southeastern France. The Meteor GHTM represents the dynamic properties of an operational missile such as size, mass, and aerodynamic configuration. Later in the year, on Dec. 13, a so-called "Meteor Avionics" missile was first flown on a Gripen fighter in Linköping, Sweden. An avionics missile not only has all of the dynamic properties of an operational missile, but it also behaves exactly like an operational missile with regard to the computer hardware and software interfaces between it and the aircraft. Despite still being in the relatively early stages of development, the Meteor missile has achieved a significant number of program milestones, including the first flight of a so-called "Meteor Avionics" missile on a Gripen fighter in Linköping, Sweden.

AAR: My Love is Vengeance [spoiler Alert] A Harpoon Classic scenario By Brad Leyte "Revenge is a dish best served cold." Many years had passed since the Cole was bombed, but there were still many men aboard her who remembered that fateful day. When the Captain announced the mission to his crew, everyone could feel the electricity in the air. Every man swore an oath to himself. Today would be the day that the Cole balanced the books. It was Retribution day. With only a 24hr. time frame for the operation, the aircraft from Diego Garcia were immediately sent aloft. I didn't have a target yet, but DG was a long ways off. Better to have them on hand and not needed, than call for them and find them still on the ground. Without any airborne radar support, I ordered the Cole to radiate and try to give me a picture of the situation. I would simply have to trust in her Aegis defences to keep her safe. Immediately, reports were received of MiG-29s rising from the airfield on Socotra. Even these older versions of the famous Fulcrum were dangerous and, likely, more capable than the Harriers aboard the LPD San Antonio. Two F-5 Tigers were detected approaching the task group; one from Aden and the other from Socotra. I decided that the Harriers could engage these planes with a margin of safety. A lone Harrier was sent to intercept each. However, the Harrier flying towards Socotra received a nasty surprise. Three more Tigers were following the first. Hurriedly, two Harriers already loaded for Air-to-Ground missions were hastily launched. They jettisoned their ordnance and raced after the new threat and splashed them with AIM-9 Sidewinders before their victims even knew that they were in the area. The attack from Socotra kept the Task Group occupied. A flight of Su-24 Fencers suddenly appeared from the direction of Al Ghaydah! The Tactical Action Officer [TAO] immediately declared, "Weapons Free! Air action North". Almost immediately, the Fencers released their first weapons, AS-12 Keglers. The last two Harriers were configured for Close Air Support [CAS], but they still had their Sidewinders on the rails so they were sent aloft to counter the Fencers. The TAO ordered them to intercept the AShM [Anti-Ship Missiles]. Along with the Standard SAMs from Cole, the raiders were peremptorily shot out of the sky. Unfortunately, all the assets had been committed and no reserves remained. So, when two Flogger Fs followed behind the Fencers, the TG had to rely solely upon the Cole's SAMs for protection. Both Floggers were brought down. Now I had to wonder if the SAM magazines were going to be sufficient. Eight AShMs were suddenly detected from threat Axis [socotra]. The launching platforms weren't even detected. The attack was defeated, but it soaked up the remaining long-range SAMs aboard Cole. Four Su-25 Frogfoots tried to sneak in behind the AShMs, but were detected and destroyed before they were able to release ordnance. Socotra was beginning to be a real Pain. Right on the heels of this attack, four more Fencers appeared from the direction of Ataq. The Task Group was being buffeted by attacks from many directions sequentially. With no more air assets unavailable, the Fencers were able to close the distance unmolested and release their Anti-Radiation Missiles [ARMs]. As she was already out of SAMs, the Cole was ordered to EmCon A status (radar silence) in hopes of spoofing the Keglers. Luckily, the Cole was close enough to the San Antonio so that the LPD's Rolling Airframe Missile [RAM] defences were able to bring down the Keglers. With the air situation stabilized, the Predators were launched from Djibouti in hopes of finding the terrorist. A SeaHawk was also launched in hopes of getting better Airborne Early Warning. Without her long-ranged missiles, these attacks were becoming very dangerous unless better warning could be found. Her report was none too optimistic. Flights of MiG-29Es were soon detected along with an HY-1 Surface-to-Surface missile [sSM] battery. The ground strike missions could not engage the SSMs without first running the gauntlet of super-lethal Adder AAMs that the MiGs would likely carry. A real dilemma was presented. Sure enough, a Fulcrum came snooping around the TG and forced the SeaHawk to return to the deck or be shot out of the air. Two missile boats were detected near Aden. The tank-busting A-10s from Djibouti were tasked to kill them. The aircraft from Diego Garcia were ordered to flatten the Socotra base in order to eliminate at least one threat axis. The Warthogs didn't even get halfway to their target when they and one Predator were suddenly blown out of the sky. There was something lethal in the air and there was no indication what it might be! Fortuitously, just as the strike elements were approaching Socotra, the MiGs that were detected on Combat Air Patrol [CAP] must have run low on fuel and turned to land. A perfect opportunity presented itself. The BuFFs [big Ugly Fat "Fellows"] were ordered to try and silence this pesky island base. The F-15s released their AGM-130s and the B-52s timed their approach so that they could follow the big missiles in. It worked like a charm. The air defences were pre-occupied with the missiles and the BuFFs were able to slip in to kill the defending SA-3 and SA-6 batteries while also seriously damaging the base. However, she was still operational and would thereby require a second strike. The Cole also noticed that the other Fulcrums were heading back to their base at Al Ghaydah, too, so she elected to unleash her 24 TLAM in hopes of catching them on the ground. The TLAMs and the JSOW from B-1 Lancers flattened Al Ghaydah. With the air threat severely curtailed by the destruction of the Fulcrums, the Harriers were sent to smash the SSM battery. No self-respecting pilot would admit it, but everyone had a deep-seated respect for the nimble Russian fighters. Once free of their Air-to-Ground ordnance, the Eagle pilots turned their attention to the MiGs. They were able to bring down several before their AMRAAMs were exhausted and they had to return to Dee Gar. The U-2 Dragon Lady could now search to her heart's content once she was relatively free from the MiG threat. As she traced the road between Al Ghaydah and Ataq, she quickly found a convoy of six trucks speeding towards the now-ruined Al Ghaydah. This MUST be the terrorist they were looking for! Immediately, the Marine helos were despatched from the San Antonio. The Super Cobras were quick to destroy the accompanying SAM unit so that the Marines in the assault element could surround the convoy and apprehend the terror mastermind. He surrendered meekly. Once he was in custody, the trucks were destroyed and the architect of the terror in Yemen was now on his way back to the United States for trial. Thanks for another truly realistic and enjoyable scenario. Check it out on: HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB. SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare

313-Ship U.S. Navy Fleet Plan Sent to Congress By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS DefenseNews The long-awaited 30-year shipbuilding plan of Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Navy chief of operations, is now official. The strategy to build a 313-ship fleet was sent to Congress Feb. 7 after having been endorsed by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The official plan mirrors earlier draft versions that were reported on by Defense News. It commits the Navy to a force of 11 aircraft carriers — dropping to 10 in fiscal 2013 and rising to 12 ships beginning in 2019. The submarine force dances around a median of 48 boats, from a high of 55 subs in 2018 to a low of 40 in 2028, before rising to 51 boats in 2036. The plan also provides for 55 Littoral Combat Ships, a figure planned to be attained in 2018. The size of the fleet has bottomed out at today’s 281 ships. Overall figures rise to 285 ships in 2007 and show steady growth to 2013 and 317 ships. After a dip of a few years, the fleet number rises again, hitting 330 in 2018. The numbers fall into the 290s beginning in 2029 as older ships are retired — replaced, according to the Navy, with fewer but more capable warships. “We need to stop getting smaller,” Mullen told reporters at the Pentagon Feb. 7. Mullen was upbeat as he discussed the plan, having put off for months discussing specific numbers while the plan was in draft form. “My biggest challenge is to build a fleet for the future,” he said, and repeatedly expressed confidence the plan could meet its cost and capability goals. “The goal is to have a plan which is stable and industry can build to,” he said. He noted the effect of a cost-reduction effort on the controversial DD(X) destroyer design that has cut $300 million from the Navy’s estimated $3.3 billion cost for the first ships. “That’s over a billion [saved] over the [seven-ship] class,” he said. Although Mullen said the shipbuilding plan “is not perfect in its precision,” he said an average of $13.5 billion a year will be needed to sustain it through 2020, an average of about $4 billion more than the Navy has gotten over recent years. “I’ve got to invest the resources to stabilize the plan,” he said. Having spent much of his seven months in office focusing on shipbuilding and the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), Mullen said he would begin looking at the aviation side of the Navy’s planning efforts. “That’s what we’ll do for the ’08 budget,” he said. Decommissioning the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy also is a priority, Mullen said, noting that Congress last year mandated the ship remain in service until the QDR is complete — a milestone reached Feb. 3 when the plan was sent to Capitol Hill. “We can get the job done with 11 carriers,” Mullen said. The ship and its more than 2,000 sailors have been in limbo since late December 2004, when the Navy told legislators it planned to decommission the ship rather than spend more than $200 million to overhaul it. “I would like that to happen as soon as possible,” Mullen said about taking the ship out of service. •

This might also be affected by the time period. If it is set in the current date, I agree that the former colonies would still aid the UK. However, it might be more a case of assisting a fellow western democracy than just protection of the crown. The rationale would probably be different if the scenario was set in an earlier time period.

Successful Test of an AIM-9X Missile by a Raytheon-Led Team Demonstrates Potential for Low Cost Solution in Littoral Joint Battlespace Monday February 6, 10:10 am ET Yahoo TEWKSBURY, Mass., Feb. 6, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- A Raytheon-led team successfully launched an AIM-9X from a stationary, vertical platform last November. The missile successfully locked on after launch and hit its target in a test of its potential launch from a submarine. The test was conducted for the Naval Sea Systems Command at the U.S. Army's McGregor Test Range in New Mexico Nov. 19, 2005. A successful test firing matures the technology that will provide the Navy with a new capability when the Joint Battlespace is near the coast at a fraction of the cost of developing a new weapon system. The new system is an existing launch capability married to a proven weapon fired from a submarine at periscope depth. "This is very exciting," said Dan Smith, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "In partnering with the Navy and Northrop Grumman, our team has been able to take an already proven off-the-shelf weapon, make software modifications, use existing launch technology, and give the combatant commander another option in the coastal Joint Battlespace. "The implications of this first phase test are far-reaching. It provides the Navy with a low-cost solution with a high-impact capability in its approach to littoral warfare without having to go through a costly and lengthy R&D process." Mark Russell, vice president of Raytheon IDS engineering, said that the recent test launch also represents a significant step toward enabling the submarine force to strike targets with surprise from shallower coastal waters. Now, in addition to MK-48 torpedo and the Tomahawk cruise missile, submarine forces will have the option of another weapon system making them a more versatile player in the integrated battlespace. "Successfully demonstrating the AIM-9X lock-on-after-launch mode from a vertical orientation launch is a major step toward providing our submariners with an unprecedented offensive and defensive capability," said Brock McCaman, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems Air-to-Air Product Line. "It's another example of the tactical flexibility of this proven weapon system." "This test is the first step toward an AIM-9X missile being launched vertically from a submarine," said John Cochran, the Raytheon IDS program manager. "Ultimately, the missile will be encased in a launch capsule. When the capsule broaches the surface, the missile will launch and then acquire and engage its target." For this test, the missile was launched from a stationary, vertically- oriented U.S. Army XM-85 Chaparral launcher. The AIM-9X missile successfully acquired and destroyed a slow moving helicopter drone target with a direct hit. AIM-9X missiles are normally launched from fighter aircraft. "This non-traditional launch of the AIM-9X provides the submarine force with an important element toward having the capability to strike enemy patrol aircraft, helicopters, and high speed patrol boats," said Eldon Vita, the Missile Subsystem program manager for Raytheon Missile Systems. "It provides combatant commanders with another option in support of interdiction, special operations, battlespace preparation, forced entry, anti-access, and area denial." The test is part of a multi-year risk retirement program that may lead to full scale development. In addition to testing upgraded missile guidance and target acquisition software, the firing demonstrated the potential for underwater vertical launch from a capsule and the missile's ability to quickly reach stable flight when starting from a stationary platform.

India says no to US P-3C Orion aircraft Rahul Bedi (IANS) New Delhi, February 4, 2006 HindustanTimes In a rare 'no' to Washington, the Indian Navy has called off the leasing of two US Navy P-3C Orion maritime reconnaissance aircraft (MRA) on grounds they are too expensive. The 18-24 months it would take the US Navy to retrofit the two aircraft to the Indian Navy specifications once the lease had been finalised also contributed to New Delhi opting out of the deal. "The lease (of two P-3C Orions) is timed out. It was expensive and time-consuming," a senior Indian official associated with the lease negotiations said. The US Navy is believed to have demanded Rs8 billion for the lease via the foreign military sales programme. Fear of US sanctions, like the ones imposed following India's 1998 nuclear tests that led to the Indian Navy's entire Sea King MK42 fleet being grounded due to a shortage of spares, also influenced the navy's decision, officials indicated. Sanctions on India -- and Pakistan for its nuclear tests -- were lifted in late 2001. India's P-3C Orion lease was to be a precursor to purchasing eight others to augment its reconnaissance requirements which the navy presently considers "highly inadequate" for anti-piracy operations, narcotics control and to counter natural and ecological disasters like tsunami's or oil and chemical spills. In anticipation, P-3C Orion manufacturers Lockheed Martin had signed a non-disclosure technical assistance agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in Bangalore last year to share export controlled data related to technical and commercial proposals to retrofit the MRAs to the Indian Navy's requirements. The Indian Navy has now sent out to MRA manufacturers in the US, France, Britain and Russia a request for proposals for the outright purchase of eight MRAs. These will replace a similar number of Tupolev Tu 142 'Bear Foxtrot' MRAs that are being retired after negotiations with Russia and Israel to retrofit them were called off three years ago. The Indian Navy confirmed that it was also involved in exploratory talks with Boeing Corp for possible involvement in the P-8A MMA it is developing based on the Boeing 737NG platform. The Indian Navy believes that the P-8A would match the combined operational profile presently being executed by its existing fleet of Ilyushin Il-38 and Tu 142 MRAs. It also considers its involvement in the Boeing MMA programme an 'evaluation' and 'test' of Washington's long-term military and strategic commitment to India and a possible counter to possible future sanctions. Washington considers the Indian Navy a stabilising force in the Indian Ocean region and wants a closer working relationship with it as it straddles the strongest area of strategic convergence: sea-lane protection. The US is also keen that the Indian Navy, which has a formidable presence in the Indian Ocean region, to officially join the Washington-led proliferation security initiative (PSI) which seeks to interdict vessels suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction and associated equipment. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy last month received the first of its five Il-38 MRAs upgraded to the Il-38 SD standard and equipped with the Morskoi Amei (Sea Dragon) radar system compatible with the navy's proposed strategic deterrence. The remaining four similarly upgraded MRAs will be delivered to the Indian Navy by early next year. Two of these aircraft are replacements being provided by Rosonboronexport for the ones that crashed in October 2002. Currently, the Indian Navy is dependent on its fleet of around 20 Dornier 228 aircraft and Israeli Searcher Mark II and Heron unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor India's 7,516-km long coastline, 1,197 islands and a two-million sq km exclusive economic zone.

This AAR was posted by Frans Koenz on StrategyZoneOnline.com and is re-printed here with the permission of the author. AAR CAMPAIGN #12 THE CHANNEL WARS Scenario 3: Quotient. Scenario by: Herman Hum and Brad Leyte (CV32) Side: France Right after start of the game, UK launched a massive air attack on the French TF. I directly launched all Rafale fighters to intercept the enemy and managed to destroy all attacking aircraft (70 fighters, 3 Nimrod MR.2P and 2 Sentry AEW.) In the meantime, a British Trafalgar-class submarine was spotted. I launched an ASW aircraft to locate the submarine and sank it with torpedoes. Now it was time to plan a French attack on the British aircraft carrier and its escort. First, I ordered the French submarine Perle and the CTF to make best speed through the Channel to engage the enemy. I launched The Tankers for air-replenishment and some hours later I launched all aircraft based at Cambrai. Several hours later the submarine Perle was able to fire torpedoes at the British CTF and sank the Illustrious and 2 of her escorts with torpedoes. The Rafale and Etendards based on the R91 attacked the CTF at the same time and managed to take out the brand new Type 45.1 Daring-class destroyer. This was a very hard nut to crack due to her excellent defense systems. Finally, I cracked the last British destroyer with Exocet missiles fired by the destroyers who arrived at the scene. My orders were specific: sink the British Illustrous. I crossed the Channel and finally sank the last British destroyer west of Brest. British losses: 70 Attack/Fighter 3 Nimrod MR.2P 2 Sentry AEW.1 13 Helicopters 1 Trafalgar-class submarine 1 Type 42.1 Birmingham-class destroyer 1 Type 42.3 Manchester-class destroyer 1 Type 45.1 Daring-class Destroyer 1 Illustrious aircraft carrier French losses: 30 Attack/Fighter Much fun while playing this scenario Cheers, Taitennek. This scenario is available at the SZO scenario archives, as well as at the scenario-page of my website, the PDB-Depot www.taitennek.nl SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB FilesOfScenShare HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

ARMs cause planes to hang Aircraft armed with Anti-Radiation Missiles and bombs will continue to hang over a target once the bombs are released if they have not fired their ARMs. This will occur even if ARMs cannot be fired at the target in question.

HMNLS Walrus reported to the Hermes group that a subsurface contact was close by before diving to prosecute it. Three SeaBats from Hermes were ordered into the air to back up her efforts in case she failed. They were operating weapons tight so that there would be no chance of a blue-on-blue engagement with the Walrus in such close proximity. However, the ASW co-ordinator aboard the Hermes ordered them to assist in the localization efforts of the Walrus by dipping their sonar often and pinging away loudly. If they were lucky, the enemy submarine would not know that there was a submarine in the area and the active sonar might cause him to act rashly. The SeaBats found the mark first and reported a definite submarine contact. Now, the question was, “Whose submarine was it?” They signalled for Walrus to come to radio depth with a series of explosions from dropped hand grenades. Once she restored radio contact, it was confirmed to a certainty that the submarine in question was not her. Fishnet 401 immediately dropped her Mk43 torpedo and listened in on the dipping sonar as it struck the enemy submarine. Break up noises were also heard before the helos broke off their attack and returned to the carrier. Six Scimitar laden with AGM-12B Bullpup missiles visited the Dzerhinsky group and killed them all in a single pass. Soon afterwards, Skywarriors and Skyraiders from the Oriskany finished off the destruction of the Soviet aircraft facilities along with smashing two artillery units guarding the anticipated landing zone. The threat had been reduced to a one-dimensional one. As the various strike groups made their approach to Keflavik, several more subsurface contacts were detected and successfully prosecuted. None were able to fire before being destroyed. Once the Marines arrived on their beachhead, victory was awarded. It was just one step in the liberation of Europe. Thanks for another interesting scenario.

AAR: Broken Arrow [spoiler Alert] A Harpoon 3 scenario By Paul Bridge Captain Takayuki read and re-read the nuclear release authorization of the orders, once more. Aboard the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, he was the only man who truly understood the enormity of those orders. He had been a boy living outside of Hiroshima the day the world changed. The commander of Strike Fleet Atlantic had ordered his ships to spread out in case of nuclear attack. Evidently, if the United States was willing to cross the nuclear threshold, once again, then they better to be ready for the other side to do the same. He looked on as the nuclear depth charges were loaded onto waiting helicopters and thought that they were probably going to be needed if there was any hope of stopping Russians before they reached the Channel. After one final pause, he stepped back into the 22MEU Plans and Operations office to continue work on logistics for the upcoming invasion. The Oriskany, Bennington, Hermes, Bonaventure, and Karel Doorman task groups all made a direct line for the landing zone on Iceland. A lone jammer was spotted by Hermes group, but no interceptors were ready. All of the planes were being armed for the upcoming strike against Iceland. It looked as though the Russians were going to get a free and unmolested look at the Hermes and her entourage. The plane turned out to be a Badger L snooping around the Hermes. All that the escorts could do was fire AAA. The Soviets had also managed to get the AGI Lentra into position to report on the Hermes operations. She was going to be given the prestigious honour of being the first Soviet vessel to have a chance at winning a Hero of the Soviet Union award posthumously. However, the Badger outlived her welcome and hung around for too long. Two Scimitar were re-armed and sent up and killed her handily before bombing the AGI Lentra ineffectively. Two more Scimitar bombed Lentra, but the plucky little vessel was only damaged. Only after Scimitar armed with Bullpup missiles were sent was the vessel finally destroyed. Bennington sent some of her helo assets to beef up the nearly non-existent ASW defences on the Oriskany and Amphibs. Experience early in the war had proven the importance of immediate and timely prosecution of submarine contacts. Therefore, every force would be given a modicum of ASW coverage and not need to call upon other groups for prosecution assets. On the other side of the strike force, more Badgers were detected nosing around. Banshees from Bonaventure intercepted and killed two more interlopers. AEW aircraft from Oriskany detected a large number of Mushroom radar emissions. It looked like a Badger raid was taking advantage of the intelligence gained from the now-dead recon planes. Bonaventure and Oriskany scrambled to launch their Banshees and Furies, respectively. Four Banshee intercepted and totally shredded the strike group of eight Badgers with their cannon. The RCN [Royal Canadian Navy] was having an excellent day. Although submarine contacts were being reported by the SOSUS system, the Strike Fleet Commander decided to only prosecute immediate submarine threats. Unless the suspected submarine was capable of affecting the landing, he wasn’t going to be distracted into chasing Goblins all over the North Atlantic. One Goblin was detected close to Bonaventure and it was deemed a threat as it was astride their PIM [Path of Intended Movement]. Strike Fleet Atlantic tried to keep the enemy blind by destroying all of his Recon assets. They thought that they had done a good job, but evidently missed one because a raid was detected approaching the Karel Doorman group. Eight Sea Vixen scrambled from Hermes and brought down all eight Badger B, nuclear-capable bombers. However, by intercepting the bombers, they were unable to kill a lone recon Badger loitering around their own task force. Once again, it was another case of, "not enough assets to go around". The Badger certainly got an eye full as she cruised right through the formation. The pyrotechnics created by the AAA fire must have been spectacular in the twilight sky as every gun within range tried to bring her down, but to no avail. The TF knew that they had been discovered. Now the wait was for the attack. Two SAGs [surface Action Groups] had been detected. BPK Krupny was off to the west of Iceland and another SAG, consisting of KR Dzerhinsky, a Kotlin-class DD, and a Kildin-class DD, was just rounding the SE of Iceland. The only question was if it would be a surface or an air attack. The bombers came first as HMNLS Walrus reported Badger-type emissions from her ESM mast. Unfortunately, the first Sea Vixen would not to be ready for another 15 minutes. Obviously, the enemy was not going to cooperate and give them the time they needed. However, through Herculean efforts by the deck crew and ordnance men, the Sea Vixen were re-fuelled, re-armed, and made ready far earlier than expected. The fear of being turned into a nuclear cinder must have been the underlying motivation to break all performance records aboard the Hermes, today. Six Sea Vixen were launched and immediately raced towards the Badgers approaching from 018 T. These were Badger C models and they could also carry the nuclear-tipped AS-2 Kipper which intelligence suspected as having a launch range of 115nm. The bombers were currently 164nm out and the Vixen were still 105nm away. This was going to be a race to the death, quite literally. Only one side could come away from the ensuing confrontation. The Vixen caught the Badger 122nm out and let loose with a full volley of Firestreak missiles. The enemy raid commander must have seen his impending doom because the flight began to climb to launch altitude in order to loose their lethal payloads. However, the climb rate of the Firestreak easily beat that of the Badger and all four lumbering bombers were torn apart before they could unleash hell on the Hermes group. Everyone aboard the entire task group exhaled a sigh of relief. Strike Force Atlantic’s commander then elected to deal with the Krupny group first and sixteen A-4 Skyhawks were launched from Oriskany. A pair of Bullpups against each vessel was enough to kill the Skory, Krupnyy, and Kotlin. With much of their ordnance as yet unexpended, they elected to try and raid Iceland. They arrived undetected and quickly sent their Bullpup missiles smashing into the aircraft hangars. Out of 5, four were smashed outright, but a second raid would be needed to finish the job.

Range miscalculation --- GE HCCE B10 Aircraft will launch at targets well outside of fuel range.

Hey! How come DarkNite gets to wipe out TWO airfields without any declarations of ROE violations?! Not fair, not fair, not fair! Where is the UN Security Council in all this? Just kidding ya' DN. I would have smoked those airfields, too.

The use of all those PGMs wasn't intentional at the outset. I used them mainly to simplify the re-fuelling situation. Since each tanker can only re-fuel one group/type of a/c I went with only three loadouts so that they could ease that problem. 4-6 different loadouts would have been better and preferential, but I used one bug to cancel out another.