Herman

New Danish Ship Can Fight Far From Home

By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS, ABOARD HDMS ABSALON

eDefenseNews

At first glance, Denmark’s new warship — Absalon — looks like a standard, modern frigate. But discerning naval eyes will notice the “L” pennant number on the ship’s high, stealthy hull, rather than the “F” that denotes frigates in NATO’s standard system. L usually marks an amphibious ship.

The designation hints at the multiple roles intended for the Danish Navy’s Flexible Support Ships, a new concept that incorporates command-and-control systems for joint international force commanders, cargo bays for armored and military vehicles, a flight deck for large helicopters, and weapons to support troops ashore.

The ship spent part of October cruising U.S. and Canadian waters — including stops in Norfolk, Va., Baltimore, Md., Halifax, and Nova Scotia as well as steaming nearly to the equator — to test out its seakeeping qualities and air conditioning systems. The tour also gave Danish industry an opportunity to show off its wares, similar to previous recent visits by new Dutch and German frigates.

The Facts:

FRIGATE FACTS

Flexible Support Ships Absalon (L 16) and Esbern Snare (L 17)

Length: 137 meters

Beam: 19.5 meters

Draft: 6.3 meters

Aircraft: Two EH101 helicopters.

Machinery: Two MTU800 M/70 diesel engines. Two variable-pitch propellers.

Crew: 100, with berths for 70 more.

“We want a ship that can influence the land battle,” said Rear Adm. Nils Wang, head of the Danish Navy. The new ships, he said, give Denmark a “littoral expeditionary capability with a global reach.”

The Absalon, delivered in 2004, and its sister ship commissioned earlier this year, the Esbern Snare, are an attempt to combine a traditional frigate with a roll-on/roll-off supply ship, Wang said. The ships feature a 5-inch gun forward and have a missile deck amidships fitted with Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles and Evolved Sea Sparrow anti-air missiles.

But the main armament actually is below decks. A 90-meter-long, 30-meter-wide, two-deck-high “flex deck” can carry wheeled vehicles and small fast insertion craft, or can be set up with modular and multipurpose rooms. The deck can hold 10 Leopard 2 main battle tanks; as many as 54 smaller vehicles have been loaded on the deck, a ship’s officer said. Modular rooms can be fitted in only a few hours, officers said, including plugging computers into the ship’s information technology system.

Vehicles are loaded on a large ramp built into the stern. Although the deck cannot be flooded as on amphibious transport dock ships, a smaller ramp opens to allow an overhead rail system to extend out over the water, enabling small craft such as fast insertion vessels to be raised or lowered to the ocean.

The ship’s speed tops out around 24 knots, several knots slower than frigates designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare. But with a range of more than 9,000 nautical miles, the Absalon can operate worldwide, and Wang noted it would easily operate with an amphibious group.

Under a five-year defense plan approved last year, Denmark will build three more frigates to a modified Absalon design, with a top speed of about 28 knots, but lacking the flex deck.

Danish Transformation

The Flexible Support Ships represent Denmark’s transformation to a “more relevant, deployable” force for international operations, Wang said. He noted the process was driven in Denmark by military leaders, not politicians.

“Transformation military leaders have to lead the change,” he said. He called the move the “greatest reform in the Danish military since World War II.”

A key to transformation, Wang said, is a determination to “butcher ‘holy cows’” — cutting capabilities and communities once thought sacrosanct. The Navy’s big sacrifice, he said, was the submarine force, while the Air Force dropped its ground-based anti-missile system and the Army its rocket bombardment capability.

The services also have drastically altered their organizational structures, Wang noted. Materiel commands belonging to the three services have been combined into unified joint commands to handle materiel, personnel, information technology and health issues, he said. The result “leaves the service chiefs in command of units and operational capabilities,” he said.

Several officers aboard the Absalon spoke with some satisfaction about the ruthlessness with which internal opposition to the changes was overcome, including the necessity of replacing and in some cases retiring those who opposed the transformation moves.

“It’s something that needed to be done,” one officer said.

The speed of the transformation effort is evident in the rapidity with which the new Flexible Support Ships were conceived, designed and built. Design work began in 2000, and the first steel was cut for the ships in April 2003 at Odense Shipyard in Lindo, Denmark. Absalon was delivered in about a year ago, and the Esbern Snare was delivered in April.

They are the first naval vessels built by Odense, a commercial yard. The decision to build to commercial standards has some penalties, officers aboard the Absalon admitted. One example came to light earlier this year, when the Absalon was forced to cut short a cruise after weld cracks developed around some pumps.

But officers said the advantages of commercial construction standards are evident in the speed of construction and the price: $355 million for both ships. While costs for the combat system and most sensors are not included, that price compares favorably with the U.S. Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ships, intended to cost $220 million each, with mission modules estimated at $100 million.

Denmark’s military transformation is being done without an overall budget increase, Wang said. “The redistribution of resources is a zero-sum game.”

To afford the new ships, the Danish Navy is taking delivery without some equipment installed. But funding for the combat system, full sensor suite, remaining weapons and hospitalization containers is being included in future budgets. Both ships are to be fully outfitted by early 2008.

U.K.’s Next Carrier Faces Possible Delay

By PIERRE TRAN, PARIS

eDefenseNews

Britain’s first new 65,000-ton aircraft carrier may not sail by 2012, as planned, unless the alliance building the ship is consistent with the government’s industrial strategy to be completed later this year.

“Since January we have worked on the Alliance [industrial group] structure for these aircraft carriers,” Procurement Minister Lord Drayson said Oct. 25, under determined but polite questioning by James Arbuthnot, the chairman of the parliamentary Defense Committee and former top procurement official in the John Major government. “If we get this right, we will have a real opportunity to help the shipbuilding industry in this country to evolve in a direction which will be suitable for the long-term needs of this country and to be globally competitive.”

The Alliance industrial group, formed to build Britain’s two large carriers, could be the backbone of U.K. naval shipbuilding for the next 20 years, Drayson said.

Drayson said talks among Alliance partners BAE SYSTEMS, KBR, Thales UK, the Ministry of Defence and VT Group centered on who does what, specifically the contractual undertakings on cost, performance and schedule.

The carrier program will be a major part of the maritime strand in the government’s nascent defense industrial strategy, promised for Christmas. The completion of this review will allow the Alliance to be finalized and an investment decision — known in Britain as Main Gate — to be made in the first half of 2006, industry sources said. Main Gate would take the program into the development and production phase.

A VT Group spokesman said the first carrier still could enter service in 2012 if a Main Gate decision is taken in the first or second quarter of 2006 to allow shipbuilding to start in 2008 as planned. Much would depend on how smoothly the work went, he said.

“The new thing is the reliance on industrial strategy,” a second industry source said, adding that Drayson “has set himself a challenging task” with the Christmas deadline.

But once industrial strategy is set, whoever wins the largest parts of the carrier work likely will dominate British shipbuilding for two decades, the second source said. So Alliance partners have every incentive to bargain hard over their roles in the program — but if that process is prolonged, it could in turn delay a Main Gate decision.

BAE, Britain’s largest naval shipbuilder, is expected to snare the largest share of future work.

French Cooperation?

Drayson said he expected a decision from Paris in December about French cooperation on its planned PA2 carrier.

A British government official said there was strong political will to cooperate with France, but there was resistance from industry, which fears a greater level of complexity and wants to protect its own businesses.

“Companies stand to make more if there are two-plus-one ship rather than three ships,” so government has to push hard to make savings, the official said.

Drayson said industry has been charged with proposing an efficient, collaborative way of working to reduce costs, but has not yet produced its proposals.

Cooperation with France should not hurt the British program, Drayson added.

In Paris, a French government official said a decision could be made in December or early in January on cooperation with Britain.

The French and British defense ministers exchanged letters in early October, committing to giving industry a renewed push for detailed cooperation proposals, the French official said.

A French Navy official said the question increasingly being posed was whether the British government and industry were as committed to cooperation as France.

Among some French executives, Britain’s withdrawal from a joint frigate program with France and Italy in the 1990s is still a memory which rankles. Paris and Rome pursued the Horizon air defense frigate program bilaterally, which laid the basis for the FREMM multimission frigate, while London went on to build the Type 45 destroyer on its own.

The French Navy believes the British carrier design is 85 percent compatible with its needs, but the question is whether an efficient procurement organization can be created and whether both sides can agree on specifying and buying equipment.

The French Navy plans to fly the Rafale, while Britain has based its carrier needs around a short-takeoff-and-vertical-launch (STOVL) version of the Joint Combat Aircraft, the British designation for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Although optimized for STOVL F-35, the ship can accommodate conventional carrier aircraft with the addition of catapults and arresting gear, ensuring flexibility. The decision whether to tailor the ship for STOVL F-35 or conventional aircraft will come early next year.

Drayson said that given the importance of the STOVL version to the U.S. Marine Corps, the plane was not at risk in the current U.S. congressional review of programs and there was no need for a contingency plan for the Royal Navy.

Drayson acknowledged that any changes in U.S. procurement on the F-35 could affect its role in the British carrier program. The Joint Combat Aircraft is due to enter service in 2014.

“We are watching it very closely indeed,” he said.

Just like with the Cold War between the West and the Soviets, no one wants to see the balloon go up. But it sure is fun (and helpful) to have a conflict in which we can play around with "What If?" situations. I hope that some of your scenarios make it over to HCG/HCCE and Harpoon3 so that the rest of us can enjoy them.

China's navy not yet a threat to Japan and US

Taipei Times

A former Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Fleet Air Wing commander, retired Rear Admiral Sumihiko Kawamura, spoke to 'Taipei Times' Staff Reporter Rich Chang on the Chinese navy's abilities - especially its submarine fleet - as well as the potential for military cooperation between the US, Japan and Taiwan

Monday, Oct 31, 2005,Page 3

Taipei Times: It is widely believed that China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been making substantial progress, particularly with their submarine force. What is your evaluation of PLAN?

Rear Admiral Sumihiko Kawamura: I see PLAN's capability as still being limited or weak in terms of the four major missions of a navy -- strategic deterrence, projection of power, sea control and sea-lane security. Let me analyze those items.

PLAN may have strategic deterrence ability. Their nuclear submarines may be able to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles [iCBMs] at locations close to their shores under their air force and navy's protection, but ICBMs are their only reliable weapons.

Regarding PLAN's ability to project power, its range only extends to the waters around Taiwan. PLAN's submarines have a very limited ability to prevent the US and Japanese navies from projecting their power to the waters around Taiwan.

As for its ability to control sea lanes, it would be impossible for PLAN to control the waters between China and Taiwan if it faced a US and Japanese joint naval force. In contrast, within the so-called first island chain [islands including the Aleutians, Japan, South Korea, Okinawa, Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore], PLAN has a very limited capability to deny the US and Japan command of the seas.

So if China invaded Taiwan, PLAN would not be able to sustain logistic support from China because it cannot control the waters between Taiwan and China.

Finally, China also has a limited capability to conduct a blockade of sea lanes.

TT: So you don't have a high opinion of PLAN's submarine force?

Kawamura: China has about 70 submarines. Most of China's submarines are conventional submarines, which need to come up to surface about every four to seven days. So those submarines are easy to detect any time they surface. In addition, conventional submarines are difficult to operate in the ocean. That means PLAN's submarines have a limited ability to confront US forces in the Pacific Ocean.

TT: Are their more advanced submarines such as the Kilo Class submarines so easy to detect?

Kawamura: It is easy. Kilos are not cutting-edge submarines. In the past, the US and Japan easily tracked Russia's submarines, and in comparison, the Russian submarines were quicker than China's.

If the US and Japan jointly go to war with China, I am afraid China's submarine fleet would be unable to survive for more than one week after a conflict broke out, and it would be a one-sided game

TT: It is widely believed that China is operating undersea surveys in waters south and north of Taiwan to find an effective way to block the US navy in the event of military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Would PLAN succeed?

Kawamura: It would not succeed. The US and Japan would be able to operate against their submarines from the air. While the US has 80 P-3C maritime-patrol aircraft stationed in Japan, Japan also owns over 120 P-3Cs. Our P-3C force would be able to detect and destroy Chinese submarines in waters to the south and north of Taiwan before the US fleet entered waters close to Taiwan. So their scheme would not succeed.

TT: The US has approved the sale of 12 P-3C aircraft, three PAC-3 anti-missile batteries and eight diesel-power submarines to Taiwan, but the arms bill has been stalled in the legislature. Among those items, which should be the priority for Taiwan? Do you agree with some who say that Taiwan's military should put the submarines at the top of the list?

Kawamura: P-3Cs and acquiring better C4ISR [command, communications, coordination, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] are priorities for Taiwan's military.

Currently, what is most important for the country is knowing how to bring about interoperability between Taiwan, Japan and the US' military. A Taiwanese P-3C force with the better 4CISR systems the aircraft has would be used in conjunction with those of the US and Japan, and the connection would largely strengthen US-Japan-Taiwan military cooperation.

Significantly, if the three countries share more 4CISR information, the US and even Japan would have a better chance of coming to aid Taiwan because it would reduce their risk of entering a war against China.

Currently, the US and Japan lack information about the seabed around Taiwan. We need Taiwan to provide information about what is happening under the waters around Taiwan. Without this information, it is more difficult for the US and Japan to operate in the area.

TT: Don't US and Japanese P3Cs patrol the waters around Taiwan?

Kawamura: Yes, they did, but it requires too much effort for the US and Japan. If Taiwan establishes a P-3C force, the three countries could rotationally patrol the waters around Taiwan, and it would be terrific if the three countries could conduct comprehensive anti-submarine surveillance around the waters of East Asia.

I would not support Taiwan's purchase of submarines because submarines are too expensive. Also, they are less helpful in promoting the country's military interoperability with the US and Japan.

TT: Would Japan's military aid Taiwan in concert with the US in the case of an attack by China?

Kawamura: I believe that in an emergency, the Japanese government would help the US. I believe that if there were increasing casualties of US personnel as a result of action between the US and China around the waters of Taiwan, Japan's leaders and the public could not ignore that.

So, the Japanese government would change its current policy, and would help the American forces.

It's always nice to see someone delving into the mysteries of scenario design!

Brad's idea, if you decide to pursue it, sounds excellent. It'll give you an opportunity to see how the old scens were created and the Scen Editor works. I've done some of it in the past. I just run two versions of Harpoon Classic side-by-side. One with the older battleset and one with the EC2003/HCDB data. I then copy all the elements from the old scenario into the new EC2003 data.

Good luck to you and I look forward to trying your new scens.

Thanks.

AAR: Foothold [spoiler Alert] - Red

By Daren Lorentz

Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib Bourguiba established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation.Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Located in a strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration.

 

A Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake has hit the Kairouan region in central Tunisia. In an emergency session of the UN, the Tunis Government has requested international aid of food, water and civil and structural engineers. The Tunisian Army is stretched to the limit at this time trying to re-establish order.

 

In an astounding announcement at the UN table, it seems that Libya is making threatening overtones to block all aid underway to Tunisia. Following France's reluctance to put its navy in harm's way to aid an ungrateful colony, the United Kingdom has agreed to provide an escort for the humanitarian ships now assembling at Portsmouth.

Well, the orders were clear enough. Sink the convoy or don't bother coming back. The Colonel certainly had a way of motivating people.

I ordered my Bear AEW assets to spot the Convoy and coordinate for the subs. Unfortunately, the first one was killed by marauding fighters as she passed Cagliari. I would have to give that base a wide berth in the future. I sent the second Bear far to the south. She spotted the convoy making it's transit of Gibraltar and issued intercept vectors to the Rajs Hadi Mubarek and Dzik.

Rajs Hadi Mubarek ate a torp on her approach. Dzik was detected and had a torpedo dropped on her, but she broke contact and raced in. No time to be stealthy. She was barely able to get into range before another torp was dropped on her. She salvoed her 8 torpedoes at two escorts and ran for her life.

Three struck a Sheffield-class frigate and blew her right out of the water. The other four torpedoes cleanly missed the Duke-class FF they were aimed at. However, they did get a consolation prize. They converged on an unsuspecting merchant and put her on the bottom. Dzik had very little time to enjoy her victories. Another helo dropped two more torpedoes on her and both struck. The score was even. Two subs were exchanged for an escort and a merchant.

I ordered a mixed-group of fast missile boats and frigates to full speed. I wanted them to try and widen the hole in the screen so that the submarines could penetrate more easily. However, as they were making their approach, three of them just EXPLODED! Curses, they must have fallen prey to roving ASuW (Anti-Surface Warfare) patrols from Cagliari. The sole survivor was a Sirte-class torpedo boat; more of a liability than an asset. She might be effective against unarmed merchantmen, but she could not stand up to any of the escorts. Only if the remaining escorts could be killed, would she be useful.

The next submarine to make her approach to the convoy was the Foxtrot-class Wilk. She received reports from the orbiting Bear and could see the thick cloud of ASW helos on patrol. The patrols were well-spaced and she would not be able to approach from an oblique angle in order to avoid the screen. Even at flank speed, she could only match the convoy's speed of eighteen knots. A very difficult decision for the skipper. Eventually, he elected to try and penetrate the screen where the Sheffield had already been killed. He would pray and trust in Allah that his boat would survive long enough to deliver her torpedoes.

After a quick sprint, she was in! However, her fortune was short-lived. Helicopters outward-bound to replace those already on patrol must have caught her scent and immediately dropped torpedos on her. Since she had already been detected, there was no further need for stealth. She went to flank speed and kept her trust in Allah. Wilk was able to launch 4 torpedoes at the Montrose, a Duke-class frigate. She barrelled in towards the convoy's centre in hopes of delivering her other four torpedoes into the merchants. However, her luck had run out. A torpedo struck her and she carried her remaining torpedoes with her to the bottom. The crew did not know, but Allah did not forsake them. The four torpedoes struck and sank the Montrose a few minutes later. The score remained tied at 3:3.

A flotilla of missile boats and frigates was annihilated as it attempted to make passage around Cagliari. The next submarine to make contact was the Lada-class boat. There was a gaping hole in the screen, however, the helos were still present. They had been thinned out a bit, but were still very dangerous in their reduced numbers. The Lada elected to try the same daring approach and attack from the front. She was detected and attacked by no less than four helos with a total of 10 torpedoes. After another torpedo exchange, she was killed and her 3 USET-80 torpedoes missed. She would draw no blood.

Well, the direct approach did not prove successful. I only had four Kilo boats left so I decided to try and make an oblique approach from the flank and hope to get behind the screen. The excellent coordination efforts of the Bear allowed the Orzel to slip in behind the screen along with another Kilo. Once in, she approached to point-blank range before loosing her deadly cargo. She sank her 533mm fangs into the Duke escort and ravaged the formation with her UGST claws. A total of eight more ships were sunk and victory was awarded.

A super-challenging scenario from the Red perspective. I can't believe that this is a premiere effort for a new designer.

Check it out on:

HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB

FilesOfScenShare

India ready to export BrahMos

The Hindu

Special Correspondent

Other countries also placing orders for cruise missile: Vice-Admiral Madanjit Singh

MUMBAI: India has finally cleared the high-tech supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos, and Chile could be among the first buyers.

"The export of military hardware is no longer an issue, and we have started exporting the BrahMos," Vice-Admiral Madanjit Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, said on Thursday. He was addressing a seminar on "Navy-Industry Convergence: Challenges and Opportunities" here.

Later, he told reporters that Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, A. Sivathanu Pillai, were in Chile and finalisation of the missile deal was on the cards. Other countries were also in the process of placing orders for the missile, a result of Indo-Russian joint research. He did not name any country but said some in South-East Asia could be among them.

Missile capabilities

The BrahMos, with a range of 290 km, is capable of delivering an over 300-kg conventional warhead at twice or even thrice the speed of sound. It is the only supersonic missile of its class. The Navy has armed several of its warships, notably the Rajput class destroyers, with the BrahMos, essentially a long-range anti-ship weapon, for a coastal attack role.

The missile is multi-platform capable and a plan is afoot to arm Su-30 multirole aircraft with it for air-to-land combat. Its Army version for land-to-land combat was tested last year.

At the seminar, jointly organised by the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, and the Confederation of Indian Industry to mark the 270th anniversary of the dockyard, Vice-Admiral Singh told industry that the Navy did not like to depend on foreign suppliers, particularly after the post-Pokhran II sanctions that resulted in its helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft grounded for want of spares. He called upon industry to join the indigenisation process.

20 more warships

The Navy, with 20 warships under construction at different shipyards, offered many an opportunity to the private ship building industry.

Even in large weapon procurement deals, for instance the recently-signed French submarine agreement, there were offset clauses requiring the suppliers to buy Indian components and systems. Industry could avail itself of these opportunities. Foreign suppliers were being encouraged to find an Indian industry partner.

Vic-Admiral Singh told reporters that the offset clause got lost in the documents until recently and the domestic industry did not benefit from it. Now the offsets were being pursued attentively. The implementation of the clause could be linked to the payment stages. Industry could also have tie-ups with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and defence public sector undertakings. He wanted an institutionalised approach to such partnerships.

The Navy was keen on a submarine programme, besides the just-concluded Scorpene deal. "We have operated several types of submarines all the time and now also we are having Russian and German submarines in our inventory." Other submarines were being evaluated for the second programme. To a question, Vice-Admiral Singh said the Navy examined and found the Russian Amur a good submarine but it all depended on the offer.

Asked about the indigenous Trishul surface-to-air missile, he said the Navy needed missiles four times more powerful in terms of range and strike capability. Unlike the BrahMos, the Trishul could not hit a supersonic cruise missile.

I've encountered the L-39 Albatros in at least a couple of scenarios. One MEDC and one WestPac. In both of these games, I have found that the plane is pretty stealthy. I mean that it appears at about the same range that I would expect a Stealth bomber to show up - visual range. Could you possibly take another look at the RCS value for this plane? I can understand if it is a small plane, but my experience has it virtually invisible.

U.S. Navy plans nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at Yokosuka; city outraged

10/28/2005

The Asahi Shimbun

The U.S. Navy said it will station a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, starting in 2008, drawing immediate outrage and bewilderment in the city.

The warship will replace the conventional aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, which will retire in 2008, at the Yokosuka Naval Base.

The central government welcomed the Navy's plan, saying the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will contribute to the security of Japan.

"We think that the maintenance of U.S. Navy's presence around Japan will contribute to Japan's peace and security,"

Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said in Tokyo on Friday. "The Japanese government appreciates the plan."

But the reaction in Yokosuka was much different.

Yokosuka Mayor Ryoichi Kabaya said the city definitely opposes the plan, and criticized the way the decision was handled.

"The fact that the announcement was made without any prior word makes us wonder if the feelings of our city were taken into account," Kabaya said. "Anxieties that residents of the city and Japanese as a whole have toward anything nuclear remain strong, which we have emphasized to both governments." The Navy made the announcement Thursday, apparentlyspurred by the agreement reached by Japan and the United States the day earlier on realigning U.S. forces in Japan.

According to the U.S. Navy's announcement, the Kitty Hawk's replacement will be one of the nine Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The Navy did not say which one will be stationed in the city.

The Navy said the security environment in the Western Pacific has created a growing necessity for the forward deployment of its most capable warship. It also said the stationing of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Yokosuka will enable the Navy or integrated troops to quickly respond to emergencies and, as a result, conduct high-level attacks and other operations.

The U.S. Navy has replaced aging aircraft carriers with more advanced vessels in its long-term plans. Therefore, it is inevitable for the Navy to replace the old Kitty Hawk with the most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, it said.The aircraft unit to be stationed on the nuclear-powered carrier will be the same as the one currently assigned to the Kitty Hawk, it added.

Concerning the Japanese resentment toward nuclear-powered warships, the Navy noted that nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have visited Japanese ports more than 1,200 times since 1964.

It also said that the U.S. government will keep its promise to the Japanese government that U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will be operated safely at Japanese ports.

When U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers visit ports in the United States, they must abide by strict rules on safety measures and procedures.

The Navy said those warships abide by similar rules when they make port calls in other countries.

Machimura was informed of the plan by U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer on Thursday evening.

"The United States believes that a nuclear-powered carrier forward deployed in the Western Pacific will significantly contribute to the peace and stability of Japan, the United States and the entire region," Schieffer said Friday morning in Tokyo.

"In making our decision, we took into account the sensitivity of the people of Japan to a nuclear-powered warship. We want to assure all concerned that this carrier can and will be operated safety in Japanese waters."

His words did not convince Mayor Kabaya."We will urge the Foreign Ministry to reconsider the plan," he said. "We strongly demand the stationing of a conventional aircraft carrier."(IHT/Asahi: October 28,2005)

Japan to host nuclear U.S. carrier

The Navy says the move is unrelated to efforts to base such a vessel in Hawaii

By Gregg K. Kakesako

gkakesako@starbulletin.com

The Pentagon's decision to locate a nuclear aircraft carrier in Japan for the first time is not related to the ongoing campaign to home-port one at Pearl Harbor, Navy officials said yesterday.

Pacific Fleet spokesman Jon Yoshishige said no decision has been made on whether the Navy will base a nuclear aircraft carrier in Hawaii.

The Navy announced yesterday that the USS Kitty Hawk -- one of its two remaining non-nuclear carriers -- will leave Yokosuka in 2008 and be decommissioned. It will be replaced by one its nine nuclear carriers.

Although the Pentagon did not name the Kitty Hawk's replacement, Japanese newspapers have said for the past few weeks it would be the USS George Bush, named after the former president.

The decision by Japan to allow the U.S. Navy to dock a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Japanese waters reverses a long-cherished national policy. There has always been opposition within Japan on basing a nuclear carrier at a country where atomic bombs were dropped 60 years ago, on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by U.S. bombers.

Although the head of the Pacific Fleet, Adm. Gary Roughead, has declined to say whether he supports home-porting a carrier at Pearl Harbor, his two successors -- Adms. Thomas Fargo and Walter Doran -- have endorsed such a move.

Yoshishige said the Navy has not completed a $1.8 million internal study started three years ago to examine the issue. Seven years ago the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii estimated that Hawaii would gain $375 million annually with the creation of 4,200 jobs from berthing a carrier here.

The Pentagon, in its announcement, said that since 1964, U.S. nuclear-powered warships have visited Japanese ports more than 1,200 times.

Last summer, an independent commission favored shifting the Navy's nine nuclear carriers to Hawaii as part of a U.S. military force to provide a hedge against a range of threats in the Pacific.

Well, the Naha community would likely be much happier if I hadn't turned their homes into homes into smoking ruin.

But seriously, I thought that TLAM were considered precise weapons since they could take out individual revetments. There were planes armed with WCMD that I elected not to use since I knew that they were wide-area dispersal weapons. I had a follow-up strike enroute with GBU / JDAM munitions since I didn't expect enough TLAM to survive and do the job.

Ah, but there is nothing like just reaching out and touching someone who really needs it with TLAM.

Secret talks to rescue carrier deal

IAN BRUCE, Defence Correspondent October 27 2005

TheHerald

FRANCE could end up building part of the Royal Navy's two super-carriers, and ordering a third for itself, to allow the £3.6bn project to be completed within budget, according to senior Whitehall sources.

It would be the first such co-operative defence venture of its kind between the two countries.

The French government is considering ordering the British aircraft carrier in return for a share of the work on all three of the 60,000-tonne warships.

The move is also aimed at helping save thousands of shipbuilding jobs on the Clyde and at Rosyth, and at Southampton and Barrow-in-Furness in England. Industry and union officials fear workers could be laid off and expertise lost if construction were delayed by continued bickering between the Ministry of Defence and contractors over costs.

The two planned carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

That timetable has already slipped by at least a year, leading to the threat of lay-offs at UK yards while they wait for the construction phase, hailed two years ago as "a new golden age on the Clyde", to begin.

A report on the details of a three-carrier deal, compiled jointly by the UK shipbuilding consortium and the French state-owned naval systems group, DCN, was submitted to both governments at the end of last month.

Bernie Hamilton, the Scottish regional officer for the shipbuilding union Amicus, said: "The vital thing is the timing of the orders. Shipyard employees have always been at the mercy of peaks and troughs in ordering policy."

Defence sources say the French are interested in the possibility of acquiring a state-of-the-art warship as a back-up for their ageing nuclear-powered carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, which has been plagued with problems.

A deal hinges on the share of the construction work for French yards in return for the savings that can be made from economies of scale by ordering three instead of two ships. The prospect has been made more attractive by the fact that Thales UK, a European de-fence company with strong French connections, designed the carriers and remains part of the consortium charged with building them.

The other partners are BAE's Scotstoun and Yoker yards in Glasgow and Cumbria, and the VT Group in Southampton.

The design calls for the 900ft carriers to be built in sections and assembled at Babcock-Rosyth's yard in Fife.

The UK-French talks, understood to be taking place at industrial, military and political levels, are working on the principle of French yards constructing the same sections for all three ships while UK companies build the rest of the vessels. The component parts of the French carrier would also be married up at Rosyth.

Admiral Sir Johnathon Band, RN fleet commander-in-chief, told The Herald this year acquisition of the warships to allow Britain to protect task forces without relying on the US was "crucial" to the navy's future.

Jean-Marie Poimbeauf, the DCN chief executive, said his group and Thales had drawn up a proposal recommending participation in the UK-French venture. "Our conclusion is that the British design is compatible with the operational needs of the French navy."

However, UK defence industry sources told The Herald the joint venture could also lead to further delays in the ordering process if the French insisted on last-minute technical changes. The MoD confirmed negotiations had taken place, but said no decisions had yet been taken.

FRANCE could end up building part of the Royal Navy's two super-carriers, and ordering a third for itself, to allow the £3.6bn project to be completed within budget, according to senior Whitehall sources.

It would be the first such co-operative defence venture of its kind between the two countries.

The French government is considering ordering the British aircraft carrier in return for a share of the work on all three of the 60,000-tonne warships.

The move is also aimed at helping save thousands of shipbuilding jobs on the Clyde and at Rosyth, and at Southampton and Barrow-in-Furness in England. Industry and union officials fear workers could be laid off and expertise lost if construction were delayed by continued bickering between the Ministry of Defence and contractors over costs.

The two planned carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

That timetable has already slipped by at least a year, leading to the threat of lay-offs at UK yards while they wait for the construction phase, hailed two years ago as "a new golden age on the Clyde", to begin.

A report on the details of a three-carrier deal, compiled jointly by the UK shipbuilding consortium and the French state-owned naval systems group, DCN, was submitted to both governments at the end of last month.

Bernie Hamilton, the Scottish regional officer for the shipbuilding union Amicus, said: "The vital thing is the timing of the orders. Shipyard employees have always been at the mercy of peaks and troughs in ordering policy."

Defence sources say the French are interested in the possibility of acquiring a state-of-the-art warship as a back-up for their ageing nuclear-powered carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, which has been plagued with problems.

A deal hinges on the share of the construction work for French yards in return for the savings that can be made from economies of scale by ordering three instead of two ships. The prospect has been made more attractive by the fact that Thales UK, a European de-fence company with strong French connections, designed the carriers and remains part of the consortium charged with building them.

The other partners are BAE's Scotstoun and Yoker yards in Glasgow and Cumbria, and the VT Group in Southampton.

The design calls for the 900ft carriers to be built in sections and assembled at Babcock-Rosyth's yard in Fife.

The UK-French talks, understood to be taking place at industrial, military and political levels, are working on the principle of French yards constructing the same sections for all three ships while UK companies build the rest of the vessels. The component parts of the French carrier would also be married up at Rosyth.

Admiral Sir Johnathon Band, RN fleet commander-in-chief, told The Herald this year acquisition of the warships to allow Britain to protect task forces without relying on the US was "crucial" to the navy's future.

Jean-Marie Poimbeauf, the DCN chief executive, said his group and Thales had drawn up a proposal recommending participation in the UK-French venture. "Our conclusion is that the British design is compatible with the operational needs of the French navy."

However, UK defence industry sources told The Herald the joint venture could also lead to further delays in the ordering process if the French insisted on last-minute technical changes. The MoD confirmed negotiations had taken place, but said no decisions had yet been taken.

FRANCE could end up building part of the Royal Navy's two super-carriers, and ordering a third for itself, to allow the £3.6bn project to be completed within budget, according to senior Whitehall sources.

It would be the first such co-operative defence venture of its kind between the two countries.

The French government is considering ordering the British aircraft carrier in return for a share of the work on all three of the 60,000-tonne warships.

The move is also aimed at helping save thousands of shipbuilding jobs on the Clyde and at Rosyth, and at Southampton and Barrow-in-Furness in England. Industry and union officials fear workers could be laid off and expertise lost if construction were delayed by continued bickering between the Ministry of Defence and contractors over costs.

The two planned carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

That timetable has already slipped by at least a year, leading to the threat of lay-offs at UK yards while they wait for the construction phase, hailed two years ago as "a new golden age on the Clyde", to begin.

A report on the details of a three-carrier deal, compiled jointly by the UK shipbuilding consortium and the French state-owned naval systems group, DCN, was submitted to both governments at the end of last month.

Bernie Hamilton, the Scottish regional officer for the shipbuilding union Amicus, said: "The vital thing is the timing of the orders. Shipyard employees have always been at the mercy of peaks and troughs in ordering policy."

Defence sources say the French are interested in the possibility of acquiring a state-of-the-art warship as a back-up for their ageing nuclear-powered carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, which has been plagued with problems.

A deal hinges on the share of the construction work for French yards in return for the savings that can be made from economies of scale by ordering three instead of two ships. The prospect has been made more attractive by the fact that Thales UK, a European de-fence company with strong French connections, designed the carriers and remains part of the consortium charged with building them.

The other partners are BAE's Scotstoun and Yoker yards in Glasgow and Cumbria, and the VT Group in Southampton.

The design calls for the 900ft carriers to be built in sections and assembled at Babcock-Rosyth's yard in Fife.

The UK-French talks, understood to be taking place at industrial, military and political levels, are working on the principle of French yards constructing the same sections for all three ships while UK companies build the rest of the vessels. The component parts of the French carrier would also be married up at Rosyth.

Admiral Sir Johnathon Band, RN fleet commander-in-chief, told The Herald this year acquisition of the warships to allow Britain to protect task forces without relying on the US was "crucial" to the navy's future.

Jean-Marie Poimbeauf, the DCN chief executive, said his group and Thales had drawn up a proposal recommending participation in the UK-French venture. "Our conclusion is that the British design is compatible with the operational needs of the French navy."

However, UK defence industry sources told The Herald the joint venture could also lead to further delays in the ordering process if the French insisted on last-minute technical changes. The MoD confirmed negotiations had taken place, but said no decisions had yet been taken.

FRANCE could end up building part of the Royal Navy's two super-carriers, and ordering a third for itself, to allow the £3.6bn project to be completed within budget, according to senior Whitehall sources.

It would be the first such co-operative defence venture of its kind between the two countries.

The French government is considering ordering the British aircraft carrier in return for a share of the work on all three of the 60,000-tonne warships.

The move is also aimed at helping save thousands of shipbuilding jobs on the Clyde and at Rosyth, and at Southampton and Barrow-in-Furness in England. Industry and union officials fear workers could be laid off and expertise lost if construction were delayed by continued bickering between the Ministry of Defence and contractors over costs.

The two planned carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

That timetable has already slipped by at least a year, leading to the threat of lay-offs at UK yards while they wait for the construction phase, hailed two years ago as "a new golden age on the Clyde", to begin.

A report on the details of a three-carrier deal, compiled jointly by the UK shipbuilding consortium and the French state-owned naval systems group, DCN, was submitted to both governments at the end of last month.

Bernie Hamilton, the Scottish regional officer for the shipbuilding union Amicus, said: "The vital thing is the timing of the orders. Shipyard employees have always been at the mercy of peaks and troughs in ordering policy."

Defence sources say the French are interested in the possibility of acquiring a state-of-the-art warship as a back-up for their ageing nuclear-powered carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, which has been plagued with problems.

A deal hinges on the share of the construction work for French yards in return for the savings that can be made from economies of scale by ordering three instead of two ships. The prospect has been made more attractive by the fact that Thales UK, a European de-fence company with strong French connections, designed the carriers and remains part of the consortium charged with building them.

The other partners are BAE's Scotstoun and Yoker yards in Glasgow and Cumbria, and the VT Group in Southampton.

The design calls for the 900ft carriers to be built in sections and assembled at Babcock-Rosyth's yard in Fife.

The UK-French talks, understood to be taking place at industrial, military and political levels, are working on the principle of French yards constructing the same sections for all three ships while UK companies build the rest of the vessels. The component parts of the French carrier would also be married up at Rosyth.

Admiral Sir Johnathon Band, RN fleet commander-in-chief, told The Herald this year acquisition of the warships to allow Britain to protect task forces without relying on the US was "crucial" to the navy's future.

Jean-Marie Poimbeauf, the DCN chief executive, said his group and Thales had drawn up a proposal recommending participation in the UK-French venture. "Our conclusion is that the British design is compatible with the operational needs of the French navy."

However, UK defence industry sources told The Herald the joint venture could also lead to further delays in the ordering process if the French insisted on last-minute technical changes. The MoD confirmed negotiations had taken place, but said no decisions had yet been taken.

FRANCE could end up building part of the Royal Navy's two super-carriers, and ordering a third for itself, to allow the £3.6bn project to be completed within budget, according to senior Whitehall sources.

It would be the first such co-operative defence venture of its kind between the two countries.

The French government is considering ordering the British aircraft carrier in return for a share of the work on all three of the 60,000-tonne warships.

The move is also aimed at helping save thousands of shipbuilding jobs on the Clyde and at Rosyth, and at Southampton and Barrow-in-Furness in England. Industry and union officials fear workers could be laid off and expertise lost if construction were delayed by continued bickering between the Ministry of Defence and contractors over costs.

The two planned carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

That timetable has already slipped by at least a year, leading to the threat of lay-offs at UK yards while they wait for the construction phase, hailed two years ago as "a new golden age on the Clyde", to begin.

A report on the details of a three-carrier deal, compiled jointly by the UK shipbuilding consortium and the French state-owned naval systems group, DCN, was submitted to both governments at the end of last month.

Bernie Hamilton, the Scottish regional officer for the shipbuilding union Amicus, said: "The vital thing is the timing of the orders. Shipyard employees have always been at the mercy of peaks and troughs in ordering policy."

Defence sources say the French are interested in the possibility of acquiring a state-of-the-art warship as a back-up for their ageing nuclear-powered carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, which has been plagued with problems.

A deal hinges on the share of the construction work for French yards in return for the savings that can be made from economies of scale by ordering three instead of two ships. The prospect has been made more attractive by the fact that Thales UK, a European de-fence company with strong French connections, designed the carriers and remains part of the consortium charged with building them.

The other partners are BAE's Scotstoun and Yoker yards in Glasgow and Cumbria, and the VT Group in Southampton.

The design calls for the 900ft carriers to be built in sections and assembled at Babcock-Rosyth's yard in Fife.

The UK-French talks, understood to be taking place at industrial, military and political levels, are working on the principle of French yards constructing the same sections for all three ships while UK companies build the rest of the vessels. The component parts of the French carrier would also be married up at Rosyth.

Admiral Sir Johnathon Band, RN fleet commander-in-chief, told The Herald this year acquisition of the warships to allow Britain to protect task forces without relying on the US was "crucial" to the navy's future.

Jean-Marie Poimbeauf, the DCN chief executive, said his group and Thales had drawn up a proposal recommending participation in the UK-French venture. "Our conclusion is that the British design is compatible with the operational needs of the French navy."

However, UK defence industry sources told The Herald the joint venture could also lead to further delays in the ordering process if the French insisted on last-minute technical changes. The MoD confirmed negotiations had taken place, but said no decisions had yet been taken

AAR: Third Idea [spoiler Alert]

A Harpoon Classic scenario

By Brad Leyte

Negative sentiments flowing from Japan's role in the Second World War continue to run deep in Asia, even six decades later. This remains especially true in China. Nevertheless Beijing tooks steps to rein in vehement anti-Japanese rallies in Spring 2005, ostensibly with the intention of protecting its own internal stability. And yet there was a deeper strategy at work. A newly revitalized relationship between Russia and the PRC, on both economic and defence levels, resulted in a joint plan to seize a commanding position in the Asian sphere of influence. The only obstacles ? Japan and its ally, the United States.

 

Combined PRC and Russian forces have launched a surprise attack upon Japan. Coordinated seizures of foothold positions in the Okinawa and Kuril archipelagos were conducted by the PRC and Russia respectively. Attacks upon the Japanese mainland are now believed imminent. The USA has one carrier strike group in the region (the George H. Bush) but it is still quite distant. They have reactivated Eareckson AFB in the Aleutians to provide support.

 

The PLAN's new aircraft carrier, the Chinluck (ex Varyag) is believed to have sortied into the East China Sea to support operations in the southwest, while the Russian Navy's Kuznetsov was last observed in the Sea of Japan.

After reading the Order of Battle arrayed against the Japanese Self-Defence Force, all JSDF fighter-bombers were re-configured for Air Superiority operations. The sheer number of enemy aircraft was staggering to say the least. CVBG Bush went to full speed and raced for the Japanese home islands in the hope that she would arrive in time. Her CVW [Air Wing] was ordered to ferry to Japan with whatever loadouts they had available. Since the JSDF and the USN both used AMRAAMs, they could re-load from Japanese stockpiles. The JSDF was going to need every helping hand they could get. Guam was a long way away so the Air Combat Command bombers stationed there took to the air right away.

As the Airborne Early Warning [AEW] aircraft launched, they immediately detected an aircraft carrier in the northern Sea of Japan. The Hawkeyes were quickly counter-detected and the CV had interceptors out after them right away. Japan was surrounded by bases on three sides. The air combat group based at Shemya in the Aleutian Islands was tasked with the suppression of Kamchatkan bases Petropavlovsk and Yelizovo while the Guam forces would try to relieve the pressure from the southern flank by concentrating on the destruction of Naha.

Tsuiki radar suddenly reported DF-25 SRBMs inbound! Defending PAC-3 Patriots opened fire, but could not stop the attack which cost the JSDF five aircraft when their hangars collapsed upon them. However, the runways were only slightly damaged and the base was, therefore, functional. This would prove significant in the ensuing battle. Barrier Combat Air Patrols [barCAP] positions were assigned and the F-4EJ, FS-X, and F-15Js hurried out to them in their attempts to stem the waves of anticipated Sino-Russo aircraft. Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Forces hoped to keep a low profile and remain hidden under EmCon [Emissions Control]. They would allow their helicopters and the dedicated AEW platforms to keep them appraised of the situation through their data linkages.

The Su-33D Flankers from the carrier were attracted to the AEW planes like flies to honey. The initial four interceptors were easily killed by the FS-X escorts, but their replacements were quickly launched and each successive wave drove the defenders back a bit more until the AEW was forced to re-position herself over the island of Hokkaido.

While defending the Hawkeyes, the JSDF could only watch the approach of many aircraft low on the deck. These planes were turned out to be Su-25 Frogfoots in from the Kuriles and they were heavily supported by jamming aircraft. They were only detected when they were nearing their release points. It mattered little. There simply weren't enough assets to intercept them. The large number of attacking groups quickly soaked up all of the defending air patrols. At one point, the exasperated commander had to simply choose the groups that he was going to intercept and allow the others to simply attack unmolested because he ran out of forces. At one point, Hokkaido was attacked from three separate axes.

One of his pilots was Kazuo Musashi, a direct descendant of Nippon's most famous swordsman. Today, he would no longer fall under his ancestor's shadow, but would shine in his own luminescence. Musashi was piloting an F-15J armed with eight Sparrow/Sidewinders. He and his wingman were appraised of the situation by their friendly eye-in-the-sky. Five separate groups were looking to kill the Hawkeye and he was the only CAP that was, as yet, unengaged. Musashi had considered himself a warrior of the old ways - a Samurai - in every sense of the word. He practiced with Katana and Wakizashi religiously when on the ground. Today, his Eagle would serve as his steed, his Sparrows were his Katana, and his Sidewinders were his Wakizashi.

As he approached his first targets, he controlled the rhythm of his breathing in order to focus his Kiai. And then he struck. Both he and his wingman sent a pair of Sparrows out to kill the first attacking group before wheeling around to face another Flanker pair. Like the master swordsman, he lunged with his Eagle and parried the enemy's Alamo missiles before sending him down in flames with salvo of Sparrows. With his Katana out of action, his flight was seriously outmatched by the remaining three groups of Flankers. However, as his Sensei had taught him, "There are no dangerous weapons. Only dangerous men." He still had his Wakizashi.

Musashi would approach each group and entice them to fire before quickly turning to evade the missiles. It was a very tricky dance, but well rehearsed by the Samurai. Soon, both sides only had their short-range missiles remaining. The ultimate battle between Flanker and Eagle was played out over Hokkaido. After a series of punishing high-G manoeuvres, feints, parries, and slashes, Musashi and his wingman slew all six of the remaining Flankers, but not without cost. Musashi landed at the aerodrome alone after his wingman failed to shake off an AA-11 Archer.

Meanwhile, the strike from Shemya was fighting its way towards Kamchatka. They peeled the layers of air defences like peeling an onion and equally unpleasant. The defending Flankers, Fulcrums, and Foxbats died, but they also sapped the missile inventory of the attackers. As fresh replacement fighters rose from deck to challenge the approaching Falcons, Eagles, and Raptors, the package commander decided that the mission could not be completed. He simply lacked the combat power to breach the defences. He ordered a withdrawal after the launch of a few HARMs [High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles]. A second strike would be needed.

Over the Sea of Japan, the aerial waves were slowly, but surely beaten back and some breathing room was gained. Unfortuately, SAG Myoko was detected and became the focus of the enemy's main strike efforts. First came the Shipwreck SSMs from the CV group. These were promptly intercepted by the Kongo's Standard missiles. Then multiple flights of Frogfoot fighter bombers rolled back the defences and soaked up the SAMs. Once the Aegis destroyer's SAMs were depleted, the little group was a sitting duck as successive waves of AShMs [Anti-Ship Missiles] were launched from maximum range by Backfire bombers. The big missiles sank the major units LPD Osumi, DDG Kongo, DDG Takanami, LST Osumi, and AOE Tokiwa. Only a few escorts and the minesweepers survived the onslaught.

The JSDF was beginning to win aerial superiority over the Sea of Japan when the first of forty ALCM launched by B-52s from Guam arrived at Naha and left it a smoking ruin. Evidently, the enemy commander was disheartened by the loss of Naha because victory was granted to the JSDF. A very nice (and welcome) surprise, indeed.

A very fine scenario. I was paddling like mad just to keep my head above the water!

HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

SZO file archives - Home of the Harpoon3 PlayersDB

FilesOfScenShare

AAR: Foothold [spoiler Alert] - Blue

By Daren Lorentz

The Strait of Gibraltar has been a natural choke-point for centuries. With its narrow width and fluctuating currents, it was a perfect place for lurking submarines to hide. I held my breath as the convoy made its transit of the Strait. I was just breathing a sigh of relief when a sub was detected after leaving Gibraltar. Three Lynx were ordered aloft to interdict since she was well within the declared 150nm Exclusion zone. However, a Sea King already on formation patrol got there first and dropped her torpedoes on the Sugar Skunk. One struck aft of the sail. Another nasty surprise was revealed -- a second sub! The three Lynx were re-tasked to prosecute this second Sugar Skunk and caught her 80nm away from the convoy. A sole Stingray torpedo was enough to put her on the bottom. It looked as though the convoy's transit was going to be opposed throughout its journey.

Shortly thereafter, a mixed force of missile boats and frigates was detected by an EH101 on patrol over Cagliari. They were well within the 150nm exclusion zone as set out in the ROE [Rules of Engagement]. A strike of six AMX from Cagliari left 3 missile boats burning and sinking in their wake. A second strike would be needed.

Meanwhile, FF Montrose reported an explosion soon after a force of missile boats were detected. The boats were only detected by their ESM signature so the convoy immediately turned away from the potentially hostile contacts until they could be properly evaluated. I suspected an SSM strike, but was not certain. All calm one moment, and then BAM! And the Montrose was in danger of sinking. Sure enough, the Lynx confirmed that the missile boats were the culprits, indeed. A salvo of Harpoon missiles put paid to these ambushers. The convoy and the limping Montrose continued onwards at a reduced pace.

A second visit to the missile boats off of Cagliari completed the destruction of the force. It appeared to be a long and uneventful transit when a Sea King on patrol reported a MAD contact. She immediately dipped her sonar and found a submarine. Two Stingray torpedoes were dropped and both struck home. The entire sequence took only 4 minutes. Real Quick Draw McGraw.

Yet another sub was detected 30nm later. Two more, in fact. The Libyans appeared to be very, very serious about this convoy not reaching her destination. Both subs were detected early enough that they could be prosecuted relatively safely. As the convoy was passing Bizerta, two more Kilos detected just off of Cape Bon. These modern subs could have been lethal but they were easy prey for the helos on patrol.

Just as the convoy was approaching its destination, one last surprise was encountered. A minefield was detected at the doorstep of Sousse. The convoy immediately slowed to a dead crawl while the escorts scrambled to deal with this threat. After the mines were swept, the convoy made landfall and victory was awarded.

An enjoyable scenario and excellent job for your first production. I certainly look forward to many more scenarios. Thanks for sharing it with us.

AAR: Breaking the Shackles - India [spoiler Alert]

By Quinton van Zyl

Prime Minister Gandhi was quite explicit in her orders. Ensure that Sri Lanka remained under the hegemony of Mother India. Intelligence on enemy dispositions was vague. The Indian Ocean is a BIG place, after all. The only nugget of useful data was that American forces had left Diego Garcia and the Strait of Malacca. With only had these general locations to work from, the reconnaissance assets were despatched; Canberra from Jamnagar, Antonov-12s from Calcutta, and Dakotas from Port Blair. It was still the middle of the night, but I was gambling on the fact that although my cameras would be less effective, the enemy might reveal himself with errant radar emissions to the Radar Warning Receivers [RWR]. In fact, darkness is a double-edged sword. It could cloak my enemies, but it would also hide my aircraft from him, too.

Our Russian allies aboard the AGI Primorye gave the first solid indication of where the Americans were. They reported F-4 Phantom radar from the middle of the Bay of Bengal. Since F-4s were only moderately ranged aircraft, at least one enemy carrier had to be in the area. Luckily, submarines Kanderi and Kursura were in the vicinity. They were ordered to investigate along with six Osa missile boats. The distance was somewhat far from shore, but I hoped that the little boats would make it. It would certainly surprise the Yankees to find themselves under Styx SSM attack when they thought they were safe.

A second enemy contact report was received from a merchant trawler. She reported radar emissions from LPD Austin, CLG Providence, and DD Forrest Sherman. Two more submarines, Kalvari and Vela, were despatched to counter these invaders.

Two flights of Phantoms approached Sri Lanka and interceptors were sent up against them and against two Crusaders found lurking near Colombo. The audacity of these Americans! They were trailing their coats on the doorstep to Colombo so five MiGs were sent to drive them off. First blood went to the Americans who blasted an An-12 MPA [Maritime Patrol Aircraft] from the sky. However, it was avenged quickly when three MiG-17s fell upon a pair of Phantoms and sent them into the hereafter with a volley of AA-2 Atolls. The interception was not without its own price as two Fishbed Cs also fell from Yankee missiles.

The two Crusaders were next. FF Arnala turned on her radar in order to act as a pseudo-ground control station since this engagement would be far out over the water and away from any Army ground control stations. Both F-8s were brought down with Atolls, but the Crusaders did not go down without a fight and took two of their assailants with them. Say what you will about the Yanks, their pilots were well trained and knew how to die heroically.

A civilian fishing boat reported an inbound flight of A-4 Skyhawks. This could only mean one thing, AIR RAID! Unfortunately, all the aircraft were on the ground re-fueling and re-arming. It would be a foot race to see who could get ready first. The Skyhawks were 240 miles away and approaching at 415kts. The fighters would be grounded for another 30 minutes. Foot races don't get much closer than this. To add to the problems, another flight of bogeys were detected from the opposite direction! This was an excellently planned and cunningly executed raid. The fighters had been drawn out by a fighter sweep consisting of the Crusaders and now Colombo was virtually defenceless. I say virtually because I still had the HF-24 Marut bombers available. Even though they were currently loaded with bombs, they still had their internal cannon. In desperation, they were launched to interceptthe Skyhawks. This American commander was certainly a worthy opponent. His death would be all the more pleasing to Shiva.

The raiders turned out to be Corsair II. They would be armed with AAMs [air-to-air missiles] so eight Marut were sent aloft. The Marut immediately jettisoned their bombs and turned into the Corsairs. They were granted the secret wish of all ground attack pilots: one-on-one combat with enemy fighters. Immediately, one Marut exploded from an air-to-air missile. The remaining seven vented their fury upon the intruders. After a wild gunnery melee, both Corsairs were destroyed while another Marut was lost. A swarm of Skyhawks also tried to overwhelm the Colombo defences from the opposite direction. Six Marut rose to engage them along the ground defences. The combination was sufficient to kill all the attackers while only losing two more of the bombers.

Another stream of bogeys was detected approaching Trivandrum. The fighters assigned to that base had just been diverted to another threat elsewhere, but were immediately recalled for base defense. The attack was, again, excellently timed with the Crusader escorts arriving just prior to the Skyhawks. The defending MiGs were able to kill the escorts, but didn't have sufficient ammo to engage more than two of the strikers. Even in death, the Crusaders had performed their mission admirably. The Skyhawks left the air-defences around Trivandrum heavily damaged.

The Soviets were proving themselves to be faithful allies. The PhibRon from Diego Garcia was localized by the Russian AGI and another large group was detected right behind it so I re-tasked the Osa missile boats to attack these targets as they were likely to be more vulnerable to missile attack.

Kursura came up to sniff the air and found herself in the midst of an entire CVBG! She quickly loosed torpedoes at the carrier and a nearby escort before diving to seek escape. She was killed by a torpedo from Forrest Sherman-class DD and never knew if her torpedoes had found their mark.

Kanderi was enroute to intercept the same CVBG and stumbled across a submarine contact. Sonar reported that it was likely a direct path contact. This meant that it was close! She immediately activated her sonar and launched a brace of torpedoes. After only a thirty second run, she heard two explosions. A Dakota MPA closed on the CVAN Enterprise and saw that she was only doing 8 knots. I hoped that the Kursura had damaged her enough for the Kanderi to catch her.

Kalvari was closing on both the CVBG Hancock and the PhibRon and elected to attack the PhibRon. Naval aviation is fearsome, but only Marines could control Sri Lanka. As Kalvari crept closer, Kanderi was about to conduct her own attack. She had slipped behind a CF Adams DDG and was not going to make the same mistake that Kursura did. She was not going to divide her fire. She would save all of her "eels" for the Big Fish, CVAN Enterprise. She crept into range and unleashed 5 wake-homing torpedoes against the Enterprise. DDG Barry, in an incredible act of bravery, detected the inbound torpedoes and interposed herself between them and the carrier. All four fish struck her and broke her back. She went down in less than thirty seconds.

The crew of Kanderi raced to re-load. Soon, six more torpedoes were launched towards the Enterprise. Four explosions were heard, but she was still steaming! The "Big E" was certainly as tough as her WWII namesake. Four more torpedoes were fired before she was finally stopped dead in the water with a 27 degree list to starboard. Kanderi dove into the depths in search of escape, but the enraged escorts continued to hound her. She had shot her way into the battle group so she decided to shoot her way out. A Gearing-class DD launched a torpedo at her so she replied in-kind. Kanderi was successful and the American vessel was not. She finally made good her egress by creeping out of the battle zone underneath the thermal layer.

Kalvari tried to sneak into the PhibRon, but was caught in the act by a vigilant escort. In a quick exchange of torpedoes, both vessels were sunk. Now, Vela tried to creep in through the hole created by Kalvari. She tried to widen the gap by killing CG Providence, but was caught by a SeaSprite helo on patrol when she ran her periscope up. With a Mk 46 torpedo closing rapidly on her, the Captain elected to go out in a blaze of glory and fired every torpedo left in his tubes at the nearest available targets. The Mk46 had just locked onto the brave little submarine as she finished emptying her torpedo tubes. The Captain ordered the submarine to dive and eject counter-measures, but they had no effect. The torpedo struck just aft of the manoeuvring room and the Vela continued her dive until she imploded at crush depth.

With the Providence out of the way, the Surface Action Group [sAG] Mysore closed on the PhibRon. Unfortunately, there was yet another guided-missile cruiser in the vicinity. So long as she was present, her missiles easily out-ranged the 152mm guns aboard the light cruisers [CLs]. Instead of waltzing in and settling the issue with an old-fashioned naval gunnery duel, SAG Mysore had to wait for the smaller Osa missile boats to eliminate the Leahy. The Styx SSMs from the Osas quickly found their mark and sank the last of the missile-armed escorts. With no remaining screen elements to bar their way, SAG Mysore plunged like a dagger into the heart of the two formations and wrought havoc. The two CLs sent salvo after salvo into the helpless mass and sank every ship in both the task groups. Soon afterward, Victory was awarded. For humanitarian reasons, the second PhibRon was allowed to search for survivors unmolested.

Thanks for another exceptionally entertaining scenario.

Electronic warfare role eyed for B-52

By Glenn W. Goodman Jr.

October 11, 2005

ISRJournal

The Air Force plans a return to the radar-jamming business, which it ceded to Navy and Marine Corps EA-6B Prowlers in 1998, when it retired its EF-111 Raven aircraft.

This month, the service will select an industry lead systems integrator for its B-52 Stand-Off Jammer program, which will assign the venerable B-52H long-range bomber a new role.

The aircraft, the last of which was delivered in 1962, will be fitted with two long outboard wing pods packed with powerful radar-jamming gear designed to disrupt enemy air defenses from beyond their lethal range.

The Air Force will award the lead systems integrator a $236 million, 25-month contract for the pre-system development and demonstration phase of the program. The two main competitors are Northrop Grumman and a Boeing-BAE systems team.

The Air Force plans to modify 16 of the high-altitude bombers to carry 12 two-pod sets, with an initial operational capability in 2014 and an early operational capability desired in 2012, according to Dave Kratz, the B-52 SOJ capture team leader at Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems in Bethpage, N.Y. The 16 B-52Hs and another 60 of the aircraft are slated to receive new electronic support measures equipment for detecting enemy radar emitters.

If funding permits, the service hopes to modify those 60 additional B-52Hs to carry the 30- to 40-foot-long electronic warfare pods. The B-52Hs will retain their full bombing capability.

The B-52 SOJ will be part of a new and expanded family of airborne electronic attack systems, jointly planned by the Air Force and Navy, planned for rollout around 2015 to meet all the services’ needs.

The Air Force, with the B-52 SOJ, will take the lead in the standoff jamming area. Its 14 EC-130H Compass Call aircraft will be upgraded to perform some radar jamming from standoff ranges but primarily will continue to jam enemy voice and data communications.

Navy Prowlers will perform escort jamming, accompanying packages of strike aircraft, until they are all retired by 2014. They will be replaced in the escort jamming role by 90 EA-18Gs — modified two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters.

Two systems will handle so-called “stand-in” jamming — in close proximity to enemy air defense radars.

The first will be the air-launched, missilelike Miniature Air-Launched Decoy Jammer developed by Raytheon, which could be launched by a B-52H or a fighter aircraft.

The second planned close-in, penetrating jamming platform will be a stealthy unmanned combat air vehicle outfitted with a radar jammer in addition to its weapons load.

Glenn W. Goodman Jr. is the editor of C4ISR magazine.

AAR: Nicobar Vengeance [spoiler Alert]

By Mark Gellis

How do you find a submarine that doesn't want to be found? Well, at least I had a surfeit of ASW assets. Wow, a full complement of helos on my 2 little ships; my Horn-of-Plenty was certainly overflowing.

Since a Bear can stay up all week, I launched it right away. I intended to ferry my fighters over to Port Blair and refuel them before going out on patrol. However, a pair F-16 lurkers were spotted approaching my ships and the Bear. As my Rules of Engagement [ROE] forbade me from initiating hostile action, my beautiful long-ranged Air-to-Air missiles were simply going to be dead weight. I moved my escorting Flankers to interpose themselves between my Bear maritime reconnaissance plane and the approaching Falcons. As good bodyguards, they set themselves up to "Catch the Bullet" for their Charge de Protection. It was a dangerous game of cat and mouse, but the Falcons let loose with 4 AIM-9L Sidewinders at near point-blank range. My pilots immediately returned fire with AA-11 Archers. Since the Archers were slaved to a helmet-mounted sight, they could be fired without requiring the pilots to be directly pointed at their targets. This meant that the Flankers could turn away more quickly after releasing their own infrared-homing missiles and this fact saved them from loss after the Falcons exploded in twin fireballs.

The Flankers retired to India for refueling while the Bear pressed onwards in hopes of locating some clue to the whereabouts of the submarine. She saw nothing but a passing freighter. Instead, she issued a Mayday call that was cut off in mid-transmission. Her last reported position was just north of Sumatra. HQ listed her as "Missing and Presumed Lost" and I still had no idea where that sub might be lurking. All that I knew was that there were lethal air defences active in the region.

I sent my Sea King aloft for surveillance of the local area when a sub contact was returned from ZYR Nagala. (I think it is a game bug.) So, I guess luck cuts both ways. She was in the vicinity of the last reported position of the Bear so I was expecting things to get very HOT. It turned out to be a Neutral sub (definitely a game sonar bug).

I had the Flankers ferry over to Port Blair, re-fuel, and then ordered them to investigate the disappearance of the Bear and look for possible survivors. They found a Searchmaster on patrol and 2 Hawk Mk 209s on a course to intercept them. Another game of chicken ensued. Once in visual range, the Hawks fired 4 AIM-9P Sidewinders at the Flankers. The Flankers returned fire and turned the Hawks into chicken soup before they went to Bingo fuel status and had to return to Bangalore. On their return leg, they stumbled over a pair of Mandau gunboats and reported them to the approaching frigates.

The submarine contact was reported as a Cakra Type 209. Indian intelligence knew that these subs were in the Indonesian Order of Battle. I was baffled as to why it was evaluated as neutral, but I had to watch my step in possibly firing on neutral vessels.

My Flankers, again, ran into a counter-air patrol of Hawk 209s over Banda Aceh. I got the distinct impression that the Indonesian military did not want any interlopers in this area. Another exchange of missiles and 2 more Indonesian pilots joined there ancestors.

Two Skyhawks emerged from the Indonesian airbase on a course that would take them near my approaching ships so I ordered the Combat Air Patrol [CAP] to investigate. As they came within visual range, they were engaged with gunfire so they returned fire and 2 more Indonesians would not see the next dawn.

The Mandau gunboats were beginning to stir and approach my frigates. As they had exhibited no overtly hostile actions, I could not take them under fire with the superior range of my Surface-to-Surface missiles [sSMs]. Instead, I positioned my Flanker CAP between the ships in hopes of him being able to shoot down any enemy missiles should they be fired. The Mandau turned away at the last instant and a confrontation was avoided. This time.

My little task force continued to comb the area but could not re-establish contact with the Cakra. They did walk all over a wandering whale, but never found the sub again. Time expired and victory was denied.

A nice little scenario with an interesting setup. Having to perform Combat Air Patrols [CAP] at the limit of their endurance was definitely a challenge.

As for my experience with subs in the new Gold edition, I definitely envy you on not getting hit by the first enemy torp.  I've tried maxing the subs speed away from the direction of the torp direction, I've tried cruising away from the direction, Creeping away, just creeping, etc (any combination that I could think of - changing depths constantly, using and not using active sonar) and I almost always get hit (the reason I'm being a bit critical about this is that when I send planes/helos after enemy subs, I'm spending a half hour of my time dropping torps onto these boys and watching the computer evade torp after torp (with the occasional hit, but still limping away), and I'm at the 0nm point [as this was really the only way to get a decent hit from '97] engaging the sub.  Basically, if the situation is there and one of my subs detects another sub, I find the closest AntiSub Helo/Plane (which might be even a thousand nautical miles away) to deal with it - I haven't seen a great improvement in Sub to Sub combat over the previous version (granted, I'm probably not doing it right, but I have tried any method that can work).  I will say that, yes, I've fired torps at their maximum range, but only when the enemy sub (or ship) is heading towards me (and going very fast) and I've seen the AI just cruise by my torp with no hit (i've tried firing off multiple torps at the same time or staggered) and usually it might work - on the other hand it annoys me when the AI just shoots one and it still comes and hits me (emulating the AI tactics when it works for it doesn't seem to work for me).  I don't want to continuously type up all the methods I've used to help improve my sub tactics in Harpoon.  Any suggestions (I have used combinations that include changing speed/depth and waiting for sub (and sometimes ships) to get within 2/3 or 1/2 or even 1/4 of the torp range (if the enemy sub is moving away from me, I don't find it advantageous to try and chase down the enemy sub- considering the Russian subs always move faster than yours) are a nice help.

It nearly always works for me. I find that the AI also has a penchant for firing at maximum range. I can usually evade simply by going the other direction.

What you have described for your planes sounds like you are also firing torpedoes at maximum range. I wait until the ASW planes/helos are nearly on top of the target.

I can't say this for a certainty, but maybe the torps that you fire from ships/subs just don't have the needed detection range. I don't know the game mechanics and am only making a guess, here. If you fire a torp from 20nm and the sensor can only detect targets within, say 3nm, your target may be out of its detection radius when it arrives. Again, this is just a Wild-Assed Guess.

Another guess: Are you trying to avoid torpedoes fired at your groups? In the past, I have had escorts hit when they are in groups because when the group changes direction to avoid torpedoes, the escorts do not always move at their maximum speed. They might still be doing Sprint/Drift and this allows the torpedoes to catch them. When torpedoes are directed towards one of myt TFs, I often separate the ships under attack to be certain that they are running away at Flank speed.

Wow, that last paragraph was huge.  Hope I'm not being too wishy-washy on my postings...

[note:  I do have Harpoon 3, but the manual to that game is a bit huge, but I am going to try and read it one of these days.]

I own, play, and enjoy both games. Good for you! Both are worthy.

Here's a simple question - when I'm looking at the EA-6B Prowler and it gives me the percentage for its ECM pods (note the plural) is this a reduction in missile accuracy and/or scanning range (and why do they have more than one - does each one help reduce one of the other enemy's attributes in detecting/hitting me)?  Does it matter if I combine the plane with a strike unit or should I have it go ahead of the unjammed strike unit for its target?

YES! Combining a Prowler with your strike aircraft makes a huge difference. Tony got the Area Jamming working so a Prowler is now able to hide aircraft in the vicinity. They don't even need to be travelling in the same group for this to happen. The Area ECM model is one of the HUGE new features that was added after HCGold was released. I don't know about the jamming / detection reduction percentage, or if one pod jams one radar system... All I know is that from playing the scenarios like MedWar, the damned AI bombers can be practically invisible until they are atop your CVBG when they are escorted by jammers.

Another thing I would like to ask is why does the computer do such a marvelous job at evading torpedoes (I will confess that I do see a much bigger difference from Classic '97 to the 2002 Gold edition, as in that they don't evade as easily from the older version), ships or subs, but I almost always get hit on the first torp from a computer fired torp (this I haven't seen a difference from in the two versions of the Harpoon I have)?

I've been wanting to analyze scenerios by using the editor, but I keep getting stumped on why I can set initial ship speeds when doing a scenerio from scratch (note:  I haven't really read the scenerio editor guide, but I can't imagine why, from trial and error, it can't be easily done without delving into the onscreen manual to see what I'm really missing).

Well, try this.

1) Set up your group.

2) Plot a path for your group with (F3)

3) Edit the path by selecting [Previous Waypoint] until you come back to Waypoint Zero. This is the starting point.

4) Enter a speed command.

I think that this will set your initial speed.

Call this the really lame newbie question - can you play the Harpoon Classic game against another human player?

     Please feel some pity for the questioner.

Pity?! Why? If you are already playing around with the scenario editor, I can't wait to play your first scenario!

Shock tactics to destroy torpedoes

06 October 2005

NewScientist.com news service

Paul Marks

THE US navy wants to protect its warships with a system that will destroy incoming torpedoes by firing massive underwater shock waves at them.

The ships would be equipped with arrays of 360 transducers each 1 metre square - effectively big flat-panel loudspeakers - running along either side of the hull below the waterline. When the ship's sonar detects an incoming torpedo, the transducers simultaneously fire an acoustic shock wave of such intensity that the torpedo either detonates early or is disabled by the pulse's crushing force, according to the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is funding the project.

But these are no ordinary loudspeakers: instead of having a membranous diaphragm that can vibrate in response to a range of audio frequencies, each of the devices has a ram-like cylindrical metal armature at its centre. This is projected outwards by electromagnets at very high speed, producing a shock wave. The array can be fired as many times as needed.

When the six rows of 60 transducers on each side of the ship fire at once, the cumulative action should generate a "destructive pressure pulse capable of disabling an enemy's torpedo", according to DARPA.

Exactly how the system works is shrouded in military secrecy. But by making a speaker several times larger than the wavelength of the sound wave required, a tightly focused beam can be produced in front of the speaker. This is because beam width is partly determined by the aperture of the source - a bigger loudspeaker focuses sound in a smaller area. (New Scientist, 9 September 2000, p 38). And the combined size of the array makes for a very large speaker indeed. This focusing would allow the array to precisely target incoming torpedoes. In addition, the beam can be steered in different directions - probably by slightly altering the phase of the applied signals - a technique that is widely used to steer radio waves using side-by-side antennas. So torpedoes homing in on the ship's wake from many directions can be targeted (see Diagram).

So far, the system's developers, Anteon Technologies of Fairfax, Virginia, and BAE Systems of Farnborough, UK, have only built one transducer. But encouraged by software simulations that show the array should work, they plan to press ahead with a one-quarter-scale test rig.

If it reaches the stage of testing in the open ocean, however, the developers are likely to come into conflict with marine biologists. They have evidence that whales blasted by frequent acoustic signals from submarine or ship sonar appear to develop symptoms of decompression sickness, and die. (New Scientist, 11 October 2003, p 10).

“The torpedo detonates early or is disabled by the pulse's crushing force”But neither DARPA, Anteon, nor BAE Systems was willing to respond to questions about the array's proposed energy levels and any threat to marine mammals they might pose.

Sounds a little like James Bond's Thunderball meets GoldenEye.

Looks great. Thanks for sharing it.

UPDATE 2-Stealth frigates deal eludes France and Italy

Tuesday 4 October 2005, 11:30am EST

Reuters

By Paolo Biondi and Sophie Louet

PARIS, Oct 4 (Reuters) - A last-minute failure to agree on a major defence deal to build "stealth" frigates at a Franco-Italian summit on Tuesday threw the fate of Europe's largest single naval construction project into confusion.

The two NATO allies backed away from signing the 11-billion-euro ($13.12 billion) deal to build the 27 frigates to modernise their navies that should have crowned talks between President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Delegates said the two sides also failed to make progress in long-running discussions over whether Italy's state power firm Enel (ENEI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) should be allowed into the French energy sector or whether their national airlines should deepen existing ties.

In an embarrassing setback, French officials were forced to retract a statement that the frigates deal had been signed after apparently discovering a last-minute hitch in negotiations.

Neither side explained why the deal had not been signed as expected.

Plans to announce the deal unravelled behind the scenes even as Chirac was highlighting its benefits in a joint post-summit news conference with Berlusconi.

"We are going to put in place our project for multi-purpose frigates," Chirac said, adding that the venture reflected strong defence ties which also include a deal to allow each side to use the other's airspace to prevent terrorism.

In chaotic moves alongside the summit, French state shipyard DCN called a news conference for late Tuesday to discuss the frigates deal once it had been signed, then brought it forward to avoid French transport strikes, then cancelled it suddenly.

Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino played down the significance of the delay.

"The signing slipped back because of a small technical problem," he said, adding that he hoped the deal would be signed soon.

French defence industry officials put the blame on the Italian side and said they would press ahead with their own part of the plan, which could create 2,000 French jobs.

"The signature was delayed for administrative reasons (in Italy)," said one French source close to the deal.

STEALTH TECHNOLOGY

The order for advanced FREMM multi-role frigates would be Europe's biggest confirmed naval project if it is launched, and covers 17 advanced warships for France and 10 for Italy.

The ships, armed with modern stealth technology to avoid detection, are designed for anti-submarine warfare and attacks deep inland and are expected to enter service in 2008.

Negotiations to build the ships have been dogged in part by uncertainty over how Italy, which is struggling to meet European Union fiscal targets, would finance the deal despite Italian Senate approval of a 4 billion euro funding measure in May.

The 27 ships are due to be built in France by a joint venture between DCN and arms firm Thales (TCFP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) and in Italy by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between shipbuilder Fincantieri and aerospace firm Finmeccanica (SIFI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research).

If original indications are confirmed once the deal is finally signed, the first firm part of the order is expected to be for eight vessels worth more than 3 billion euros.

The French share of the total order is worth 6.5 billion euros, making it the country's biggest naval order.

China raises stakes in Japan oil row

By Hamish McDonald

China Correspondent

Beijing

October 4, 2005

TheAge

A CHINESE warship trained its guns on a low-flying Japanese military patrol aircraft last month in the intensifying confrontation between the two Asian powers over disputed seabed oil and gas reserves.

According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, the incident occurred on September 9 when the Japanese navy sent a P-3C aircraft to look at five Chinese warships that had sailed close to a contested boundary between economic zones claimed by both countries.

One of the ships trained its guns on the aircraft, Kyodo quoted Japan Self-Defence Agency officials as saying. The Chinese vessel "probably did not intend to shoot, but it is a clear threat and rash conduct", one official said.

Chinese and Japanese diplomats met in Beijing for two days last week to try to resolve the long-standing dispute over economic rights in the East China Sea between Shanghai and Japan's Kyushu island.

In a new move, Japan offered a "comprehensive and final solution" by putting forward its own version of a Chinese proposal for joint development of resources in the disputed waters.

It proposed that all oil and gas reserves straddling the median line between the boundaries of the two countries be jointly developed. Fields clearly on one side or the other would be developed by China or Japan on their own.

The plan's main obstacle is that China claims the boundary should be much further east from the median line fixed by Japan, and its proposed joint development area would cover mainly areas claimed by Japan. Chinese oil companies are opening up production from three petroleum reserves called Chunxiao, Duanqiao and Tianwaitian just on its side of the median line. Japan claims that at least two, and probably all three of the fields, extend under the seabed into the zone it claims.

There have been calls in Japan for its companies to start drilling into the reserves on its side of the line. Negotiators from the two countries will meet again by the end of this month but there have already been hostile reactions to the Japanese plan in China's official media.

Japan was proposing that gas and oil fields on which China had spent hundreds of millions of yuan and 10 years of effort should be shared, the China News Service said yesterday.

"Experts have warned that China should caution against the 'territorial trap' created by the Japanese proposal," the agency said. The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed last week that a "reserve vessel squadron" had been stationed in the East China Sea to cover China's exclusive economic zone.

"The establishment of this vessel squadron is aimed at handling emergency situations, like rapid mobilisation and assistance at sea during peacetime, while also raising the ability of the navy," said ministry spokesman Qin Gang. The official news agency Xinhua had earlier said the squadron was able "to handle emergencies during peacetime" and "to fight during wars". It would also be equipped to "eliminate obstacles at sea".

The formation of the squadron followed Beijing's creation in May of two naval groups in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea off the mainland's northern coast, Xinhua said.

AAR: Baltic Tide

By Dave Steinmeyer

Baltic Breakout - every NATO commander's nightmare - was about to come true. I immediately turned on the SAM radar of my I-HAWK batteries in order to have some semblance of an air picture as I would not have any AEW support from the E-3 Sentries. The picture did not look good. The Mk43 Sea King from Rygge combined with the Danish Hercules MPA [Maritime Patrol Aircraft] would be more than adequate for the surface surveillance role. However, I was severely lacking in air search assets.

Combat Air Patrols [CAPs} were formed over Lubeck Bay and Kobenhavn. The Swedes were out in force. I sincerely hoped that they would defend their neutrality vigorously so that I would have a secure northern flank. Very soon afterward, ground radar reported Floggers and helos rising from East German bases so the Falcons were ordered to intercept. Floggers and Fishbeds were easily shot down. However, encounters with Fulcrums were murderous.

When ordered to intercept a Fulcrum, the Falcons were easily outclassed by the superior range of the Alamo missile. The best that the Falcon pilots could hope for was to light their afterburners and try close and mob the Fulcrums before they themselves were destroyed. The Fulcrums were absolutely lethal. The situation was reminiscent of World War Two encounters with German Tiger Tanks. When Tigers were reported, four Shermans were dispatched and three were not expected to return. While not as drastic, the Fulcrums were usually able to match the Falcons kill-for-kill.

In one epic encounter, a MiG-29 pilot managed to dodge all 9 AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles fired at him. The pilots dubbed him "Boris the Bullet Dodger". Only the fact that he was outnumbered 5:1 was he finally destroyed in Air Combat Manoeuvring [ACM], but not before he had destroyed two of his tormentors and a Hercules MPA that had wandered too closely to his Alamo engagement envelope.

A sub was detected south of Oslo and a major hunt involving missile boats, Danish helos, and diesel submarines ensued.

The extremely short range of the helos made the effort very challenging, but resulted in a successful prosecution when a Mk 46 torpedo was dropped by a Danish Lynx helo.

Not all engagements were successful. Denmark was shocked to find supersonic bombers streaking towards them. They had skirted around Swedish territory and smote Kobenhavn while air defence command watched helplessly; their assets having been drawn away over the German Democratic Republic.

Slowly, but certainly, aerial supremacy was won over the eastern Baltic. Once achieved, CAPs were placed over the Gulf of Gdansk where there was a target rich environment.

Soviet air transports were easily detected and shot down over the Gulf. Their strict adherence to "The Plan" had doomed them once Soviet aerial superiority over the GDR had been lost. Now that control of the air was no longer in dispute, two amphibious groups departing from the ports of Donskoye and Gdynia were severely mauled.

Danish ASuW forces managed to sneak in an attack with Lynx armed with Sea Skua. They stole in at sea level and rose only high enough to unleash their AShMs [Anti-Shipping Missiles]. A surprised flotilla of Shershen missile boats was barely able to sound the alarm before dying in tremendous explosions. A flock of Parchim FFLs and a Koni frigate soon joined their cousins at the bottom of the Baltic.

As ground crews feverishly re-fueled and re-armed the strike aircraft, the Soviet SAG [surface Action Group] appeared off Bornholm Island. In what would soon be known as the Battle of Bornholm, long-ranged Harpoon missiles from FFG Simpson, FF Nils Juel, and FF Koln quickly stripped away the SAG's air defences and left a Kara- and a Kerch-class cruiser burning and dead in the water.

This allowed the aerial strikers to close and kill the rest of the escorts with German Kormoran AShMs and Penguin AShMs. The auxiliaries were then sunk by traditional naval gunfire and victory was awarded.

Thanks very much for an interesting scenario.

Check it out on the

SZO file archives

or at

FilesOfScenShare