Herman

AAR: The Five-Pointed Star [spoiler Alert] By Quinton Van Zyl Wow, talk about walking into the lion's den. The Chief of Staff opined to the Admiral privately, "Pourquoi ne pas simplement les laisser prendre Djibouti?" << Why don't we just let them HAVE Djibouti? >> Of course, it was only in jest. He and the Admiral had expressed this same sentiment countless times before; on many different missions throughout the empire. The only response was the same response that had been given to him on every other occasion, "Pour l'honneur de la France." << For the Honour of France >> From the air, the Gulf of Aden really did resemble the open maw of a lion and we were walking right down its throat. The Amphibs and the CVBG were ordered to remain radar silent except for the DD Surcouf who was assigned to radiate her radar in order to provide the Commander with a modest picture of the area. The bases to the south of the ships were known to be hostile, but the bases to the north were an open question mark. Several unknown vessels were detected in our wake so an ASW helo was launched to classify them. Forces within the base began to take immediate casualties from the artillery bombardment. FF Balny and Minesweepers Antares and Aldebaran were ordered to support the city's defences with Naval Gunfire Support [NGFS]. The reaction force was also dispatched on the Puma helos. The last call received from the platoon commander of the armoured platoon was, "That damned artillery is murderi... [ssssssssss]". A lone aircraft rose from Aden. The AAW officer believed that it was only a recon platform as it was only making 286 knots. A single F-8 Crusader was launched to intercept and classify this intruder. The contact turned out to be a Cub. As it exhibited no hostile behaviour, it was allowed to pass. The infantry reaction force of three helos tried to take a circuitous route to the 105mm artillery battery that had just destroyed the only French armour unit. Unfortunately, the Somalis appeared to be well supplied with SA-7s and one of the helos was quickly blown from the sky. The survivors dove down into the weeds in hopes of evading the air defences. They were only partially successful. Another helo was shot down by a SAM before the last helo was able to carry out its attack on the artillery unit. However, it was unable to even distract the gunners from their murderous work. This last helo was also destroyed as she fled for home. The ships nearest the relief force turned out to be neutral, but three bogeys were seen over Ethiopia. They were flying a very suspicious profile. The air base commander exclaimed, "If those aren't Somalis, I'll give up my wine ration for a year." One flight of three Mirage was ordered to intercept. On their way, the Mirage pilots reported muzzle flashes from another artillery group. The fighters were identified as positively identified as MiG Frescoes and the pilots rolled in the attack with the sun at their backs. FF Balny had just arrived and promptly began an artillery duel with the 105mm artillery unit. The Mirages closed up behind the Frescoes and kept their radar off in order not to reveal themselves. They engaged with guns first and caught the enemy totally by surprise thus killing one before they were even aware that they were under attack. Then the pilots re-engaged with Magic infrared-homing [iR] AAMs and shot down the two dazed survivors. Although the commander's wine ration was safe for the upcoming year, they had no time to rejoice as two more bogeys were detected over Ethiopia. The Balny gunners raised a cheer as a huge fireball rose over their target. Evidently, the ammunition stockpiles had been located. However, the forward ground units were still reporting artillery strikes on their position. The second, recently discovered group must be the cause of their torment. The Captain of the Balny was very hesitant to engage this second battery. The enemy guns were 122mm and out-ranged his own guns by nearly 50%! However, the cries for help overrode his reluctance and he set a course to bring the enemy under the Iron Flail. It was a bad decision on his part as he soon began seeing artillery splashes all around his ships. He immediately ordered a withdrawal, but was unable to clear the area before his ship was hit and damaged. The damage was extensive and she was in serious danger of sinking. Instead, he decided to concentrate his artillery on the units that would not shoot back and let the air force prima donnas earn their pay. The resulting artillery barrage smashed all the surviving platoons of Somali tanks. The ground forces would fight on even terms; with bullets, grenades, and bayonet. Two more bogeys were detected rising from Hargeisa and the second flight of Mirage interceptors were ordered to launch. After hearing his commander's tale of derring-do for the 17th time, flight leader Marcoux looked forward to the upcoming encounter. While not as exciting as his commander's venture, his flight easily brought down the two enemy fighters while the crew of the Balny furiously pumped water out of their ship. Captain Deladrier vowed that if his ship were to go down, it would not do so with any ammunition for her guns left unfired. Two MiG Fishbeds (followed by two more) showed up. They were intent on contesting the airspace over Djibouti. Captain Marcoux quickly dispatched the Fishbeds with Magic AAMs, but this left him critically short for the second pair. In the tradition of Charles Guynemer, his flight went to afterburner to close for a gun kill. The enemy's flight leader was killed with the last of the missiles and now it 3:1 odds against the wingman. Marcoux admired his courage even if the African pilot lacked skill and élan; just as he pulled the trigger and shredded the cockpit with his 30mm DEFA cannon. Ten more bogeys were coming in on the deck. Marcoux reported that his flight was 'winchester' [out of ammo]. His commander said, "Well, you still have gun ammo, don't you? We need 20 more minutes can you buy us 20 minutes?" All Marcoux could say was, "Mais oui, mon commandant." The first two MiG Fagots were quickly dispatched. However, this still left 8 attackers. One more was brought down, but Lt. Didier was caught in a burst of return cannon fire. No chute was seen from his plane. All Marcoux could think was, "I certainly hope that it was worth it." As the Fagots bore in, the AAA and SAM batteries and let loose with a huge barrage. Amazingly, all of the enemy strikers were shot down! Certainly, today, each branch of the French armed forces would be pulling their own weight. A flight of four Mirage bombers was sent to quell the artillery that had been wreaking havoc on French forces. A combination of Mirage bombs and rockets from helicopters destroyed the 122mm artillery battery and allowed the navy to get back into the game with its bombardment schedule. Freed from their bomb payloads, the Mirage pilots exulted in their newly found manoeuvrability when two more bogeys were detected approaching on the deck. In the heart of every bomber pilot lays a fighter pilot waiting to get out and these pilots were no different. They eagerly banked their aircraft and thundered after the intruders. Both Fishbeds were destroyed with Magic AAMs, but the French pilots also learned a valuable lesson. MiGs have teeth, too, as Atoll missiles were flipped back at them. No losses were incurred, but the pilots each silently decided to leave the MiG-hunting to the fighter pilots. Two Osa-class missile boats were spotted on a course to intercept the Amphibious group. A flight of Etendard from the Foch left them both ablaze from stem to stern and only a threat to navigation. The aircraft concentrated on smashing the infantry in preparation to the landing their own troops. Several times, enemy infantry helicopters were detected trying to land re-enforcements to their forward elements, but they were simply meat on the table for the jet interceptors. Frescoes from Berabera airbase tried to disrupt the air-ground missions, but were easily killed by the Mirage interceptors. Two P6 patrol boats were quickly spotted and sunk with quick cannon bursts from passing fighters. Six Fresco flew a sortie from Berabera in search of trouble in the Gulf of Aden. Four Crusaders rose from the deck of Foch and slew them before they had any idea that the enemy was even in the neighbourhood. Shortly thereafter, eight Shaddock missiles were seen enroute to Djibouti. Their early detection by the Foch group allowed sufficient fighters to launch from Djibouti and shoot them all down. As intelligence had not reported any Shaddock SSMs in the Somali order of battle, this had the distinct odour of Soviet intervention and they were likely launched from a submarine so that there would be 100% plausible deniability. Cute. No sooner had the fighters turned for home when eight more missiles were detected along with more Frescoes approaching Djibouti from the south. Excellent timing for the enemy. Curse all talented foes. The SSMs would pass near the ships so the commander decided to try and cull a few in order to lend a hand to the beleaguered ground forces. The SAMs performed admirably and left only three for the air force to bring down. However, while occupied with the SSMs, the Fresco were given a free ride to their destination. This time, the AAA crews were only able to shoot down a lone bomber. The survivors easily sank the struggling Balny and the Aldebaran. Four Beagle bombers were spotted coming out of Aden. The battle group commander was very suspicious of them as they were flying an attack profile; low down on the water. So, he had two Crusaders investigate and tail them. One of the gunners aboard the Beagles must have been anxious for he opened fire on the fighters. The fighters immediately declared the French equivalent of, "Tallyho!" and splashed the entire flight with missiles and aerial gunnery. The gunner did manage to destroy one of the interceptors before his plane exploded from an AAM close aboard. Two trailing Beagles were also intercepted and destroyed by the surviving fighter. Even in death, the Beagles served a noble purpose. They had exhausted the aerial defences of the battle group so that when Styx SSMs were detected, little could be done to counter them. DD Vauqelin died in a wall of flame when two missiles struck her fore and aft. No sooner had the fireball died down than two more Beagles were detected inbound. A lone Crusader stood in their way. The pilot managed to kill both attackers with the last rounds of his gun ammunition and spared the battered force from further damage. Two Kildin-class destroyers were detected steaming out of Aden harbour. These must have been the vessels that launched the Styx that killed our destroyer. And they had the sheer audacity to continue to fly neutral colours! A visit by four Etendard from the Foch quickly sank these high-seas bushwhackers after they opened fire on the aircraft. An F-8 Crusader on patrol went to investigate a strange radar contact and stumbled upon the source of the Shaddock missiles. Two Soviet cruisers and two frigates were found trailing the CVBG. The pilot promptly shot down the Hormone search helicopter that had been supporting this group and then retired on afterburner all the while being chased by SA-4 Goa missiles. As the relief forces neared Djibouti, the Somalis tried one last surge to attack the transports. However, the Admiral had been anticipating such a move and had all his aircraft sitting at 'ready 5' status. Within minutes, he had flooded the air with interceptors. No attacker ever came within visual range of the ships. The relief effort made landfall and disgorged their troops unopposed. The superior mobility of the French troops in their helicopters quickly convinced the Somalis to withdraw from the action. Although France had successfully defended Djibouti, she has received a major black eye in the view of the world since two minesweepers and a destroyer had been sunk. She held the battlefield, but has lost in the world of public opinion. Thanks for sharing another exceptional scenario with action throughout. All it took was one wrong decision by me and it was game over. Linguistic assistance provided by Robin Reeve.

AAR: Operation Raffles - Invasion [spoiler Alert] By Paul Bridge Today was the day that Imperial forces would remove the Communist government from Indonesia. The British Empire might be on the road to granting her colonial possessions independence, but today, she would prove that the Lion Rampant still had her claws. After a quick examination of the forces available, I ordered the ready-force Canberra bombers aloft from Selatar - destination: Adisumarmo. After reading reports of how HMS Eagle was almost blown out of the water, the Badger bombers were judged to be the most lethal force in the Indonesian arsenal. I hoped that a swift strike on their home base at Adisumarmo would be able to silence them quickly and painlessly. These bombers were joined by Canberra from Butterworth. I tasked the Mirage bombers with Pekanbaru as she was the closest target to Butterworth air base. HMAS Melbourne was originally tasked for ASW, but I changed her orders instead to make a high-speed run towards Pontianak and snuff that base with a naval bombardment. The limited number of my air assets made me dubious of their ability to properly nullify that base. The landing forces plotted their paths through the straits; right next to a known helicopter base. The strait was an obvious choke point for submarines, I felt that the increased risk from a round-about journey did not outweigh the benefits of getting my Marines to their destination, soonest. Right away, two Mitchell bombers were detected rising from Pontianak, but both were quickly intercepted and killed by SeaVenom from HMAS Melbourne. The lone Canberra reconnaissance plane already aloft was ordered to identify the numerous surface contacts that had been detected throughout the area. Next to the Badgers, the Komar missile boats were my next greatest fear due to the fearsome punch they could deliver from their Styx SSMs. Three Hunters from Kuching AB became operational and tried to make a quick bomb attack on Pontianak. Unfortunately, everyone missed missed their target. Evidently, one squadron commander had been gun-decking his readiness reports on the level of training his pilots had been receiving. Luckily, the second flight was armed with Bullpup missiles and led by a more competent leader who delivered his ordnance right on target by killing the hangars. Next, four MiG Farmers launched on patrol to challenge the AEW aircraft. They were intercepted and killed by Sea Vixen from HMS Victorious, but this came at a high price as two planes exploded in fireballs from the dogfight. Two Canberra then tried to sneak in through the side door to attack Khalijati AB, but ran right over an AAA battery! Argh, the element of surprise was totally lost and the MiG Fishbed on Combat Air Patrol [CAP] moved to intercept. Now it was a race to see who reached their release point first! The Canberra won the footrace this time and released their ordnance while the Fishbed turned to make her run. Although they managed to successfully target aircraft facilities, the damage was minimal. This was likely due to the known presence of enemy fighters in their rear aspect. The aircrew simply rushed to complete their bomb runs and were too hasty. Free from their ordnance, the pilot declared that they were no longer on government time and ran for home as fast as their little engines could carry them. The lone Fishbed on CAP would not be denied. The Canberra fled at 590 kts, but the MiG went to afterburner and could make 890 kts in a sprint. Now the question would be, "Who would run out of gas first?" While great for short sprints, the MiG-21 proved why it was only a point defense fighter and had to give up the dash in very short order. The Canberra crews breathed a collective sigh of relief, but kept a close watch astern for any other hunters. Four more Canberra were enroute to finish what their cousins had started. Meanwhile, four other Canberra were about to pay a most unwelcome visit to Adisumarmo AB. Knock, Knock! They were more successful that their brethren and managed to smash a large hangar. HQ fervently hoped that it contained some of the lethal Badger bombers that had wrought such havoc on Her Majesty's Navy. The second wave of Canberra were approaching their initial point for bomb release on Khalijati when the protective Fishbed was once again spotted trying to intercept. Another footrace ensued as the bombers climbed desperately to bomb release altitude. This flight proved to be calmer. They both laid their stick of bombs in two separate deliveries right across two hangars and caved them in before fleeing the scene of the crime. This time, there was no pursuit. Eight more Canberra were approaching Adisumarmo and Iswahjudi at oblique angles. The four attacking Adisumarmo were spotted just as they were releasing their Bullpup missiles. The MiG Fresco was just attempting a turn to intercept when the missiles arrived to smash the surviving aircraft facilities. Adisumarmo was out of business. However, this time, a price would be paid by the raiders. The Fresco had an unseen wingman who dove in from the sun and managed to intercept and shoot down three of the Canberra bombers. Overall, the British were trading their heavy bombers in the air for the Indonesian heavy bombers on the ground. Their sacrifice was not in vain as it distracted the fighters from the second group climbing to release altitude over Iswahjudi AB. A score of iron bombs rained down and totally levelled the airbase. Her Majesty's forces would face no harassment from this particular airfield anytime in the near future. One by one, the Indonesian air forces were hammered into submission. Mirage strikers from Butterworth put Pekanbaru out of commission with little opposition. However, Khalijati was still operational and a second strike would be required. Once again, Canberra bombers closed on the air base with the airborne CAP racing back to defend the airbase. This time, the bombardiers were steadier and laid enough of their bombload on the airbase to prevent further air operations for the next twenty-four hours; more than enough time to get the Marines ashore. The Recon elements had a busy time, themselves. Several Indonesian gunboats were detected in the path of the Amphibious groups. It was determined that only the Komar warranted immediate attention as she had the most deadly armament, Styx SSMs. Buccaneers from the Victorious quickly put her on the bottom. As the Melbourne was making her way towards Pontianak, two more Komar PGMs were spotted and they were dangerously close to the carrier group. A Canberra-strike group armed with Bullpup ASMs were quickly diverted from their strike mission to Khalijati to deal with this immediate threat while the Task group ran away as fast as they could. The Canberra crews were able to destroy one boat with an ASM while leaving the other dead in the water from nearby bomb bursts. The Dutch ASW screening force detected a submarine running near the surface with her gunwales awash. This submarine was thoroughly investigated by aircraft, but gave no hint as to her nationality. Intelligence had warned that Soviet submarines were also in the area and that our Rules of Engagement [ROE] ordered us to avoid provoking a war with the Soviets. Since her intentions could not be properly ascertained, the amphibious ships were ordered to give her a wide berth. The Dutch commander, however, was much more daring and closed the range to the submarine, but it took no hostile action. Today, at least in this instance, it was live and let live. With no aerial resistance remaining from the Indonesians, the camera-equipped Canberra aircraft concentrated on surveillance of the landing beaches, Indonesian navy, and the Soviet Surface Action Group [sAG]. The Canberra nearest the Soviet task group detected intense jamming from the ships so decided to investigate for visual confirmation. As she closed, her Radar Warning Receiver [RWR] went wild with fire control emissions being detected. She tried to pull away, but was caught and killed by a SAM from the CG Kanin. Evidently, the Soviets had decided to choose sides in the conflict. The loss of the plane was quickly reported and the Victorious commander ordered immediate unrestricted anti-submarine warfare. The previously detected submarine was still in contact and four helicopters were launched to prosecute her. She barely detected the air-dropped torpedo before it slammed into her engine room and instantly flooded it. She sank stern first with no survivors. A group of seven Canberra returned to the scene of the crime and proceeded to sink every offending vessel in the group with a combination Bullpup missiles and iron bombs. The Kanin would claim one more victim before she, herself, was struck by three of these potent missiles and exploded in a gigantic ball of flame. The Soviet navy would fight their first and last action of this conflict only to end as a forgotten footnote in history. The surviving Canberra force re-armed and made repeated runs over the invasion beaches to smash concentrations of artillery, troops, and AAA. By the time the invasion forces arrived to unload the Marines, there was no one left to oppose them. The Marines stormed Government house and captured the communist leader; who had remained alone in the Chamber of Deputies. Regime-change had come to Indonesia. Thanks for a very challenging scenario.

U.S. Moves to Boost Japan’s Missile Shield By REUTERS, WASHINGTON defensenews The Pentagon notified Congress June 29 of a proposed sale to Tokyo of nine more sea-based missiles and related gear valued at up to $387 million to strengthen Japan’s fledgling ballistic missile shield. The nine SM-3 Block IA Standard missiles, built by Raytheon Co., are the second batch requested by Tokyo in recent months. They would be used on Japanese ships equipped with high-technology AEGIS combat systems built by Lockheed Martin Corp. One such Aegis weapon system would be upgraded for ballistic-missile defense under the new proposed sale, the Defense Department said. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which handles U.S. government-to-government arms sales, acknowledged that no comparable weapons were currently deployed in Japan’s neighborhood. Traditional U.S. policy is to shun becoming the first country to introduce a higher level of military technology into a region so as to avoid an arms race. “Although comparable weapons are not currently deployed in Northwest Asia, the proposed sale of SM-3 missiles and (ballistic missile defense) upgrades to the AEGIS Weapon System will not significantly alter the existing military balance in the region as the proposed sale enhances only defensive capabilities,” the arms-sale agency said. Japan is a key U.S. ally in ensuring the region’s peace and stability, it added. The notice cited Japan’s agreement to provide fuel and logistic support to U.S. allied ships involved in the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq and its deployment of an AEGIS destroyer to the Indian Ocean. On May 5, the Pentagon notified Congress of the proposed sale to Japan of an initial nine SM-3 Block 1A Standard missiles, upgrades to one AEGIS weapons system and an AEGIS ballistic missile defense vertical launch system valued at as much as $725 million. Japan has four AEGIS destroyers operating with older SM-2 missiles at sea. A fifth and sixth AEGIS destroyers are under construction. Together with the Japanese Self Defense Forces’ PAC-3 Patriot missiles the upgraded AEGIS weapons systems and Standard missiles make up an initial anti-missile bulwark for mainland Japan, the Pentagon said. In addition to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, a principal contractor would be United Defense Industries, Inc., a newly acquired arm of Britain’s BAE Systems Plc, it said. The notice of such a sale is required by U.S. law. It does not mean the sale has been concluded. Also, Congress retains potential blocking power.

Taiwan to Get U.S. Early Warning Radar By JIM WOLF, REUTERS, WASHINGTON DefenseNews The U.S. Defense Department said on June 23 it would supply Taiwan with key elements of a missile and air defense capability, a move aimed at defusing the threat from China. Raytheon Co. won a U.S. Air Force contract worth up to $752 million to supply the Early Warning Surveillance Radar by September 2009, the Pentagon said. In a move bound to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, the system will let Taiwan’s air force detect and track long- and short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, enemy aircraft and surface ships with “no doubt” reliability, said Raytheon, based in Waltham, MA. The system includes an ultra-high frequency “phased array” radar to be integrated with Taiwan-supplied beacons that identify aircraft as friends or foes as well as two missile warning centers, a Defense Department contract announcement said. Raytheon began exploratory talks with Taiwan on the project in 1996, said Dan Martin, a vice president of the company’s Integrated Defense Systems business unit. Such a system represents an important step toward identifying any inbound threats, said James Mulvenon of the Center for Research and Analysis, a Washington-based group that consults for U.S. intelligence agencies. Eventually, it could be mated with Patriot Advanced Capability 3, or PAC-3, anti-missile batteries the United States has also offered to sell Taiwan. “The surveillance radar is the first step in the chain of engagement,” said Martin. Mulvenon said Beijing would be particularly upset because missiles were at the forefront of its strategy for coercing Taiwan, a democratically governed island China has vowed to return to its fold by force if necessary. “This raises the possibility that Taiwan will actually be able to defend itself against those missiles,” Mulvenon said.

AAR: Guinea - Operation Jaya Wijaya - Indonesia By Freek Schepers President Sukarno saw an excellent opportunity to avenge Indonesia's mis-treatment by their former Dutch oppressors. The honour of her ancestors would be restored. Orders were issued to execute operation Jaya Wijaya, the invasion of New Guinea. Badger recon aircraft were immediately launched to pinpoint the Dutch defenders. As soon as they were available, a pair of Badger strike aircraft were assigned to attack each of the nearest airstrips at Sorong and Fakfak. The search planes were able to detect many surface targets, but they had to be very cautious of the wandering enemy fighter patrols. By keeping a significant distance between themselves and unidentified planes, they were able to conduct a proper reconnaissance patrol without loss and pinpointed the bulk of the defending Dutch forces. Pre-strike reconnaissance of Fakfak proved to be very tricky. It was easy to identify the Dutch Maritime Patrol Aircraft [MPA] by their slow speed. The obvious fighters surged forth in an attempt to intercept the search plane but I made certain to have her turn away with a fair margin of safety. With the air patrols safely distracted by the recon plane, both pairs of Badger bombers were able to make their ingress unopposed and flattened the Sorong and the Fakfak airstrips. Two destroyers were detected near Fakfak so a request for the Tu-14 Bosun torpedo planes was sent to Ambon airbase. While they were enroute, a Whiskey-class SS detected the emissions from a pair of Dutch destroyers. She made her approach silently at shallow depth with a few sporadic periscope sightings to confirm her targets. She crept into torpedo range without ever being counter-detected and loosed a full spread of four torpedoes. They had only completed 50% of their run time when the destroyer reacted violently by going to flank speed to evade. The enemy was successful this time. Again, she crept into range. This time, she halved the distance before firing a second spread. This time, the Dutch destroyer, DD Groningen, was not so lucky as she was struck by three torpedoes. The resulting detonations left no possibility of survivors and she sank in 37 seconds with little to mark her passage. A second destroyer, DD Evertsen, in the same group died from a spread fired by a second Whiskey-class SS just seconds later. The Evertsen was able to counter-fire a single torpedo back towards my sub. Both vessels attempted to evade; neither was successful. Meanwhile, my landing forces were having ASW problems of their own. Ships in the Sorong PhibRon just started exploding and sinking! I soon realized just how insignificant my ASW capabilities really were. The sonar suites were barely functional and as useless as a man on an inner tube with a hearing aid. The only thing that I could do was RUN! The convoy scattered to the three winds. Three ships were lost to a threat that was never detected. After learning of their ordeal, my other naval commanders silently agreed with each other that they would fire first and ask questions later. They got their chance almost immediately. TF 07 stumbled right onto a submarine contact. The destroyer captain ordered an immediate Depth Charge attack while initiating evasive manoeuvres. Luckily, the sub was destroyed without any counter-fire received. The two Tu-14 Bosun were just arriving on their targets just off of Fakfak. Both vessels were destroyer-class size and would make worthy prizes. A fighter patrol engaged the Combat Air Patrol [CAP] and allowed the torpedo bombers to make their ingress unmolested. They were approaching the first target from the port bow at a speed of 400kts and at low altitude when they were detected and engaged by the ship's AAA batteries. Fountains of water rose all around them intermingling with the puffs of black smoke from proximity fuses. At a distance of just 2 nm, both planes loose a single torpedo and banked hard to port; the angry AAA fire following them all the way. There was another destroyer out there that needed servicing. The first destroyer suffered two hits and disintegrated under the torpedoes' warheads. The aircrews took no notice it, though. They were totally focused on the second destroyer. Suddenly, one of the bombers took a hit and cartwheeled into the sea. The surviving bomber had no time for regrets as she doggedly closed the distance. 6nm, 5nm, 4nm, 3nm, 2nm before she released her second torpedo. Unfortunately, she was unable to avenge her partner. Follow on strikes were able to kill the destroyer with Iron Bombs where torpedoes had missed. Outside of Biak, a force of three destroyers was detected on a sortie to engage two of my landing groups. I had one submarine try and intercept and whittle down the force. She saw one destroyer running between two islets and wanted to ambush her in the passage. After confirming the target's speed and direction, she submerged to make her final approach stealthily. However, much to the disgust of her skipper, she had mis-timed the approach and found herself behind the destroyer! Arggh! The captain threw a fit worthy of a two year-old when he realized his missed opportunity. There was no way that he was going to catch her in a stern chase. This defending group of three was able to make their way to nearly contact the landing groups. The escorts were definitely out-gunned. However, they had an ace up their sleeves - Styx SSMs. A pair of SSMs were allocated to each of two destroyers while a submarine had managed to position herself directly in front of the third DD. The SSMs struck without warning and obliterated the pair of destroyers. The sub was able to watch her prey walk deep into the trap before striking it with a spread of four torpedoes from a distance of 1.5nm. Successive waves of Badgers and Dakotas had dropped bombs and paratroops, respectively, all over Biak and smothered her facilities. It appeared as though all the impediments to a successful amphibious landing had been removed. However, when the ships were about to make their amphibious assault on Biak, some started to explode! Evidently, there were hidden shore batteries. The Task Force commander ordered an immediate withdrawal so that these batteries could be located and destroyed. After a long wait, planes arrived from Hanasuddin to identify and mark them for destruction. Once the way was cleared, the landing forces were deployed and the paratroops linked up and relieved. I was granted victory, but I was also facing a court-martial. Evidently, the submarine that I had sunk was a neutral vessel! Woe is me... A great scenario with lots of action and a superb little surprise at the end. Thanks for sharing it with the community. StrategyZone Online hosts the greatest collection of quality scenarios for Harpoon3 and Harpoon Classic on the web. Check it out in the SZO File Archives.

Taiwan frigates sent into disputed waters By Kathrin Hille in Suao and Reuters Published: June 22 2005 01:31 | Last updated: June 22 2005 01:31 FT.com Taiwan yesterday sent two navy frigates armed with anti-ship missiles to disputed waters in the East China Sea after its fishermen complained of harassment by Japanese patrol boats. The unprecedented move, aimed at silencing domestic criticism that the government is too timid in enforcing the island's fragile sovereignty, risks disturbing relations with Japan, Taiwan's most important unofficial ally in Asia. The trip to waters close to the archipelago called Diaoyutai in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese and claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan came after a fishing dispute escalated when Taiwanese fishermen rounded up Japanese coast guard vessels in a protest earlier this month. Calls for the government to better protect its fishermen have grown into a populist campaign by the opposition demanding Taipei enforce its claims over the area which provides access to rich fishing grounds. The government, at first reluctant to provoke its neighbour, agreed to send warships on a one-off “fish ground safeguarding mission”. Lee Chieh, minister of defence, Wang Jin-pyng, legislative speaker, lawmakers, fishermen and almost 100 reporters boarded the frigates in Suao on the north-east coast of Taiwan. When the ships approached the disputed area, Mr Wang and the lawmakers waved national flags and shouted: “Diaoyutai is the territory of the Republic of China! Protect our sovereignty, long live the Republic of China!” No Japanese aircraft or patrol boats were seen on the trip. A fisherman in Suao said: “It's good to see it's finally our turn to scare the Japanese.” Officials from Taiwan and Japan have held 14 rounds of talks on the islands since 1996 but have made little progress. A spokesman for the Japanese Coast Guard said they were not on heightened alert as the Taiwanese were unlikely to enter Japanese territorial waters. The event appeared as a political show to boost support for Mr Wang, campaigning for next month's election as chairman of the main opposition party Kuomintang, and for KMT legislators running in local polls in December. The incident is the latest outbreak of controversy over Taiwan's relations with Japan as political parties quarrel over the island's confused national identity along the lines of its relations with China and Japan. Taiwan was ruled by Japan as a colony from 1895 to 1945. Political parties are divided over whether Japanese colonial rule or the ensuing five decades of one-party rule by the Kuomintang, which came from China, hurt or helped the island more. The opposition argues that the frigate dispatch can raise Taiwan's negotiating capital in fishing talks with Japan next month. The Japanese government said it had told Taiwan the dispatch would raise tension. Also reported in: Navy frigate to defend Taiwan fishermen (Agencies) Updated: 2005-06-21 11:42 ChinaDaily Taiwan sent a navy frigate with anti-ship missiles Tuesday, June 26, to defend fishermen who repeatedly have been chased from disputed East China Sea waters by Japanese patrol boats. Japanese navy vessels chase away Taiwanese fishing boats in the East China Sea in this undated file AP photo. A group of 15 Taiwanese "lawmakers" - led by "Legislative Speaker" Wang Jin-pyng and escorted by "Defense Minister" Lee Jye - was aboard the Knox-class frigate when it departed Taiwan's eastern Suao port for the four-hour trip to an island group that both Tokyo and China's Taiwan claim is in their exclusive economic zone. "This area belongs to us historically, geographically and legally. There is no question about it," Wang told reporters before boarding on Tuesday. "We must defend our sovereignty and protect our fishing rights," said Wang. Taiwan fishermen said they have been repeatedly driven away by Japanese patrol boats in what they said were their traditional fishing grounds. They have demanded government protection. The cluster of tiny, uninhabited islands in the East China Sea provides access to the fishing grounds and possible oil deposits. "It's good to see it's finally our turn to scare the Japanese. They have always bullied us and make us feel we are thieves at sea," a fisherman in Suao told local cable news network, TVBS. Two Taiwan Navy Knox-class frigates prepare to embark from Taiwan's eastern coastal port of Suao to islands north of Taiwan to protect Taiwan fishermen June 21,2005. [AP] China and Japan, the world's second- and third-biggest oil consumers respectively, have been at odds for months over China's exploration for natural gas in the East China Sea near an area Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone. Taiwan military officials said the U.S.-made frigate equipped with anti-ship missiles would sail to the disputed waters but not go as far as the Diaoyu islands. About 50 fishing boats from Taiwan sailed to the waters this month in a protest to challenge Tokyo's claim. Japan sent helicopters to monitor the event but avoided a conflict by not sending patrol boats. Taiwan has said more than 10 of its fishing boats in the area had been expelled or detained by Japan this year and urged Tokyo to resolve the issue quickly through negotiations. Japan's representative in Taipei, Tadashi Ikeda, warned Taiwan on Monday that plans for the frigate's trip were inappropriate, saying the military should not be brought into a fishing dispute. The 3,800-ton "Fengyang," equipped with anti-ship missiles, was to sail 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) to the group of uninhabited islands north of Taiwan known as Sakashima in Japan and Hsientao in Taiwan. The waters surrounding the islands are rich in fish. Taiwan has long avoided sending naval ships to protect its fishing boats against interference by Japanese patrol boats, fearing conflict with Japan, major trading partner. The decision to send the frigate follows complaints by fishermen that Taiwanese authorities have not done enough to protect them from Japanese patrol boats in the disputed area. Japan often fines ship owners and impounds Taiwanese fishing vessels that enter the waters.

AAR: Guinea By Freek Schepers My orders were to protect Her Majesty's dominion in New Guinea, a daunting task, indeed. I started by launching most of my Maritime Patrol Aircraft [MPA] to seek out and locate the Indonesians. As with most battles, the initial phase is always about Intelligence. As my MPA spread out from Biak, I was happy to see that they possessed radar more than adequate to search long stretches of water leading me to assume that this battle was going to be a milk run. Well, as every primary school child knows, you never "assume" anything because it makes an "Ass" out of "U" and "Me". The MPA spread out on their reconnaissance duties while I ordered my ships to potential choke-points that the enemy would, hopefully, be forced to pass through. Sure enough, DD Skoriy was found escorting an LST along with a Komar missile boat just crossing the border near Fakfak. The MPA was loaded with bombs and she immediately proceeded to attack the missile boat. While the DD was far larger and more tempting, the Komar carried Styx SSMs which had much greater range than anything the Dutch navy carried. She was quickly sunk. A follow-up strike by Hunters based at Fakfak sank the DD and the LST was left for the task group to kill with gunfire. Another landing force was detected NE of Woendi. I ordered SS Dolfijn to intercept and authorized an impromptu attack by the MPA, as well. This was a big task force so I focused my attacks on ASW-capable vessels in hopes of opening a breach in the defences for my submarine to exploit. She was able to sink one frigate [FF] but then my MPA was blown out of the sky from the intense AAA fire. I immediately launched the bombers from Sorong in hopes of widening the gap. They showed up and sank the DD escort. The PhibRon now lay naked and was pretty much defenceless for my submarine. The Indonesian air force retaliated quickly and efficiently by striking my air bases at Fakfak and Sorong; putting both out of commission and destroying their aircraft on the tarmac. My Hunter interceptors were simply too far away in Biak to render any meaningful assistance. Another landing force was spotted near Doka island. Again, the MPA proceeded to make a hasty attack that destroyed two escorts before retiring to keep the TF under radar surveillance. Two more landing groups were detected to the NW of New Guinea. Indonesia was pulling out all the stops for this invasion. The MPA that located them put in an attack and killed another ASW-escort so that SS Seeleeuw could make an easier approach for her torpedoes. Smaldeel 4.1 squadron, consisting of three destroyers, was given an intercept vector for these 23 ships. Also, a number of small gunboats were detected near Sorong. A quick pass by fighters destroyed two and the survivors were chased down and destroyed by Smaldeel 4.3 squadron that had been sent to protect the nearby chokepoint. I decided not to re-arm my MPA after they had expended their ordnance because I felt that I needed their 'eyes' more than I needed their brawn. Then the Indonesian fighters started appearing throughout the AO. The MPA were pursued mercilessly all the while calling for fighters from my sole surviving base at Biak and Biak was a long ways away. Only by continuously shuttling fighters out to protect the MPA did enough survive to maintain contact with the enemy landing forces. Often, the MPA pilots found themselves surrounded by enemy fighters and forced to evade aggressively. As Smaldeel 4.1 raced to intercept the Indonesian invasion forces, a lookout reported, "Periscoop zichtbaar aan bakboord! Binnen schootsafstand!" << Periscope feather off the port bow! Two points below the horizon! >> That was within torpedo range! The squadron commander ordered immediate evasive action and all three ships were told to scatter at flank speed. Two MPA were pulled away from their surveillance duties to drop depth charges on her with no sign of success. Since I had no additional ASW weapons available, I ordered Smaldeel 4.1 to take a wide detour around the submarine since her torpedoes would easily out-range my own ship-borne ASW weapons. The enemy fighters were really bad news. They killed more than one MPA before finally being suppressed by my over-worked escorts. However, the MPA survived long enough to see the Dolfijn penetrate the screen of the force aimed at Sorong and then proceeding to sink every vessel within the group. Her colleague, Seeleeuw, was also able to penetrate a second landing force to slaughter the troop-laden transports. With over 50% of their landing forces destroyed for little gain, Victory was granted to the Dutch. Sukarno's plans for expansion would have to wait for another day. This is an excellent scenario. The shorter-ranged weapons make for very interesting encounters. The action is constant and unrelenting and made for a very exciting time for my MPA assets. Thanks to Frans Koenz for his linguistic assistance in writing this AAR. StrategyZone Online hosts the greatest collection of quality scenarios for Harpoon3 and Harpoon Classic on the web. Check it out in the SZO File Archives.

31st Scenario posted this year! Freek Schepers has released his latest creation. This is scenario also uses the Colonial Wars database edited by Paul Bridge. Some players might actually still be able to remember the Indonesian crisis as the world held its breath. OPERATION JAYA WIJAYA When Indonesia became independent in 1949, The Netherlands held onto New Guinea, a vast island group in the east of the archipelago. The Netherlands maintained permanent army (KNIL), navy, and air force units on the islands. In the early 1960s, President Soekarno started guerrilla operations against the British in Malaysia and against the Dutch in New Guinea to force them to relinquish their colonies. Indonesia built up its military with modern Russian weapons and, in 1961, Indonesia had the strongest air force in the Southern Hemisphere while The Netherlands post-war economic position had allowed it only limited military investments. A visit of the Dutch aircraft carrier "Karel Doorman" to the region in 1961 inflamed the situation and serious incidents started the next year. In March of 1962, Dutch patrol planes sank an Indonesian Schooner and, in July, Dutch destroyers sank the Indonesian torpedo-boat Matjan Tutul carrying soldiers to New Guinea. Dutch Neptunes intercepted and shot down some of the Mitchell bombers and Dakotas dropping paras in company strength in the jungle. During the summer, a bloody guerrilla war started between these para's and Dutch Marines in the jungle of New Guinea. Politically, the Soviet Union was rattling its sabre in Cuba, Vietnam, and gave overt support to Indonesia (including supplying crews to Indonesia's newly built submarines). President Kennedy was very worried about the threat of Soviet influence in Indonesia with its strategic sea lanes. The Dutch Prime minister de Quai and his foreign minister Luns refused to negotiate with Soekarno and tried to make New Guinea a UN-protectorate only to face a Russian veto. Finally, in August of 1962, Soekarno gave orders for the liberation of New Guinea by force through operation Jaya Wijaya. Merchant ships and the Indonesian navy formed up east of the Celebes and the Indonesian Air Force was deployed to forward bases. Still, the newly formed Indonesian navy faced a small, though battle-hardened Dutch navy. The operation was by no means a sure thing. This changed when Russia deployed Badger bombers and long-range submarines and dressed up their crews as Indonesian 'volunteers'. The Netherlands had good intelligence, Dutch submarines had crossed the Pacific, and, for the first time in decades, the Netherlands sent conscript troops to defend the colonies. On August 18th, Prime Minister de Quai gave in under severe pressure from President Kennedy and agreed to hand over New Guinea to Indonesia later that year. This scenario investigates what would have happened if the Netherlands would have let the conflict erupt. Soekarno had already ordered his invasion fleet to sail from the Celebes and, although some sources maintain Soekarno had not yet achieved the 3:1 superiority in forces required, the Russian forces would have played a decisive role in the battle. Author: Freek Schepers Check it out at either the StrategyZone File Archives or FilesOfScenShare

Airborne Mine-Detection System Enters Production Source: Northrop Grumman Jun. 17, 2005 eDefense The US Navy has announced that the Northrop Grumman (Melbourne, FL) airborne laser mine-detection system has reached Milestone C – signifying the end of system development and demonstration – and is now poised to enter its production phase. The airborne laser mine-detection system uses light-detection and ranging technology to detect, classify, and localize floating and near-surface moored sea mines so that ships can maneuver through clear sea lanes. Contained in external equipment pods mounted on a Navy MH-60S helicopter, the mine-detection system also provides mine-location information for follow-on neutralization by other systems such as Northrop Grumman's rapid airborne mine-clearance system. The mine-detection system will support the mine-warfare mission module for the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship to provide airborne mine defense to the battle force. The program is managed out of PMS 495, Naval Sea Systems Command, under the leadership of the Program Executive Office, Littoral and Mine Warfare. The mine-detection system is one of five airborne mine-countermeasures systems planned for use on the MH-60S helicopter. It also has been qualified for mounting on other MH-60 series aircraft.

Subs: Cold War tool or future need? By Shir Haberman shaberman@seacoastonline.com PORTSMOUTH - One of the primary justifications for placing Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on the base closure list this year is the reduction in the number of submarines the Navy expects to use in the future. "In the past, we had 100 attack submarines. Now, it’s in the 50s, and in the future there will be 41," Adm. Vern Clark, chief of Naval operations, told the Base Realignment and Closure Commission earlier this month as one of the reasons for recommending the closure of the local shipyard. "In order to have a Navy of the future, we need to redirect our resources in order to run more efficiently." The Navy has justified its decision to reduce the number of submarines it operates on the assumption that they are primarily Cold War weapons of little or no value in today’s global war on terrorism. "Do we need more attack submarines? More nuclear platforms? More stealth bombers? More armored divisions?," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in his May 16 testimony before the closure commission. "I think we need a more mobile, and better trained and equipped force, which is exactly what the DoD has been pushing for." Evidence of this shift lies in the budget dictates of the Department of Defense. The cut to funding available for refueling the existing Los Angeles-688-class subs, which is the primary work being done at the Portsmouth yard, will lead to the decommissioning of these vessels. Additional cutbacks in the purchases of new subs means fewer subs in the fleet of the future. There are many, both inside and out of the military however, who believe these assumptions about the usefulness of submarines in Rumsfeld’s new Navy are just plain wrong. "I think they’re being shortsighted," said New Hampshire 1st District Congressman Jeb Bradley. "What happens if something happens between China and Taiwan? What are we going to send in there?" The conservative Washington, D.C.-based think tank, the Heritage Foundation, agrees. "A robust fleet of attack submarines is imperative in today’s world," wrote Jack Spencer, the foundation’s senior policy analyst for defense and national security, in a March 30 article. "In wars, especially in distant regions of the world where the United States has vital national interests, forward-deployed attack submarines can mount the first line of defense against advancing enemy forces or provide the initial salvo of a surprise offensive." In fact, on March 21, 2003, within the first two days of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, the USS Pittsburgh, did just that, firing her missiles at Baghdad. The Pittsburgh is one of the many submarines involved in the latest war with Iraq to be refueled and repaired at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. And the Heritage Foundation chronicled many other conflicts in which submarines played important roles. "During the first Gulf War, and again in 1997 and 1998, submarines launched cruise missiles at Iraqi targets," Spencer wrote. "(Submarines) launched cruise missiles at Bosnian targets in 1995 and fired 25 percent of the Tomahawk missiles that were used in the Kosovo conflict in 1999." Subs were also used in limited-strike missions, such as those against suspected terrorist camps in Afghanistan in 1998 and suspected chemical weapons facilities in Sudan, the Heritage Foundation analyst said. Perhaps the most important reason for maintaining a strong submarine fleet is the ability of these vessels to deploy quickly. This is a critical aspect of what Adm. Clark calls "the Fleet Response Plan (FRP)," which he instituted in 2003. "The goal of FRP is to keep the Navy ready to surge adequate forces at a moment’s notice, without regard to fixed deployment times and intervals," (UnderseaWarfare - The Official Magazine of the U.S. Submarine Force noted in its fall 2004 edition.) According to Vice Adm. Kirk H. Donald, commander, Naval Submarine Forces, it is a role the vessels under his command are uniquely suited to fill. "The ongoing global war on terrorism has required rethinking how Naval forces, including submarines, prepare to deploy and are sustained during a protracted war," Donald told UnderseaWarfare. "The role of the submarine continues to expand. We provide a unique capability to surge when and where we are needed, arrive on station early, observe the enemy covertly as long as necessary, deploy special operations forces, unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned sensors, and conduct strike operations with unmatched speed, responsiveness, accuracy and lethality." All this capacity is being compromised by the Bush defense budget and the Pentagon, Spencer said. "Despite warnings in recent years from U.S. Navy officials, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Science Board that the U.S. needs more submarines, the Pentagon’s budget could lead to fewer," the Heritage Foundation analyst said. "Three Los Angeles-class subs were scheduled to be refueled and overhauled in 2007. However, because the president’s 2006 budget cuts funding for two of these overhauls, those subs will be lost." And Spencer believes that in the final analysis, it will be cheaper to overhaul the Los Angeles-class vessels than to purchase newer-model submarines. "The new Virginia-class subs cost over $2 billion each," he said. "By refueling older, but still very capable Los Angeles-class subs, the Navy can get over a decade of use for only $200 million per submarine." Spencer joins the growing chorus of those who believe the Navy is misguided in its decision to limit the number of submarines in the nation’s arsenal. "Although other Naval platforms can perform some of the (submarine service’s) functions, none can perform them all," the Heritage Foundation analyst said. "More important, none can perform them undetected." That is why the foundation is asking Congress to restore funding to refuel two Los Angeles-class submarines in 2007.

If they use it for search, I think that they will simply be swamped with contacts, especially in shallow waters. That's the big problem with sensitivity. Too much and you get flooded with static.

ADMIRAL KUROYEDOV PLANS IMPROVEMENTS TO RUSSIAN NAVY By Roger McDermott Friday, June 10, 2005 Eurasia Daily Monitor Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, has promised improvements to the Navy in response to the challenge of meeting emerging and future threats to the Russian state or its interests. These reforms, long overdue and vital if the collapse of the Navy is to be avoided, envisage the creation of strike forces in conjunction with other service branches. It also underscores Kuroyedov's confidence that he will retain his post, despite the catalogue of Naval disasters that has plagued his tenure in recent years, and despite the apparent conviction that real reform can be achieved in the Russian Navy without massive overhauls or more systemic reform. In essence, Kuroyedov is attempting to implement lessons learned by the Russian military from the experience of Western militaries in their campaigns in the Gulf War, Yugoslavia, and Iraq, witnessing the harnessing of such "strike group." This would involve in practical terms the inclusion of submarine, aircraft, and coastal troop elements. Eliminating unnecessary duplication of commands and enhancing the efficiency of the command-and-control structure is his aim, justified on the basis of reluctantly admitting that the Soviet methods must be abandoned: "There are fewer ships and men now, and the control-and-command system has become hardly manageable and too cumbersome, and we should therefore go over to a two-tier or three-tier control-and-command system," Kuroyedov confessed (Interfax, June 4). A test case for the realization of such reform plans will be the planned abolition of the command-and-control body of the 7th operational squadron of the Northern Fleet, in order to streamline the command system and eliminate needless duplication of orders. Kuroyedov has a proven track record for identifying the high stakes involved in balancing his own survival and claiming to promote a rather grand vision of the Russian Navy, which flies in the face of its well-publicized structural and material problems. That his reform plans begin with the Northern Fleet is not unexpected, since its problems are widely known. On June 7 20 Western defense attaches, including representatives from the United States, Britain, Germany, and Italy, participated in a familiarization visit to the Northern Fleet at Murmansk (Itar-Tass, June 7). Their purpose was to learn the routines, recreation, and combat training of the Northern Fleet's personnel and how it is organized. Western countries will await with interest the outcome of Kuroyedov's reform plans. Underlying these displays of the continued "strength" of the Russian Navy, there are real concerns about whether Western countries will financially assist Russia in the more expensive aspects of managing the crisis in its Navy. Sergei Antipov, deputy director of Russia's Federal Atomic Energy Agency, has urged the G8 to increase its support for the allocation of aid to dismantle nuclear submarines decommissioned by the Navy (Itar-Tass, June 6). He said that 80 submarines decommissioned to date cost $4 billion, though donors had only pledged to allocate around $2.5 billion, with the bulk of the money earmarked for disassembling submarines in western Russia. "Our goal here is to draw the attention of all the signatory nations of Global Partnership to the fact that the problem of decommissioned submarines is no less acute in Russia's Far East than in western regions, while financing for the Far East is far scantier," Antipov asserted. Japan is the only G8 donor currently allocating money for disposal of submarines in the Far East. The Japanese government has promised to allocate $100 million, though only providing $6 million, enough to scrap just one submarine. Promoting the plight of the Russian Far East was certainly an important priority during the historic visit of Vice-Admiral Enichi Nakashima, commander of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force to the Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok, ostensibly to develop closer bilateral Naval relations. Accompanied by Admiral Viktor Fedorov, Pacific Fleet Commander, and Vladimir Nikolayev, mayor of Vladivostok, Nakashima inspected the Varshavyanka diesel submarine, a marine unit, and the Varyag missile cruiser. The visit will end on June 10 with a high-profile joint rescue exercise involving Russian warships, including the Admiral Vinogradov, as well as a missile boat, airplane, and a helicopter, far from Kuroyedov vision of strike-force groups. While the visit itself has triggered speculation concerning the purpose behind the development of bilateral Naval links between Russia and Japan, there can be little doubt that such closer relations are linked to Antipov's concerns that contacts should be concluded with Japan to assist in the disposal of at least five more submarines (Itar-Tass, June 6; Interfax, June 7). The main drawback to Kuroyedov's "vision" for the reform of the Russian Navy, is that Russia still avoids considering exactly what sort of Navy it requires for the 21st century, while remaining vague about the precise nature of the threats envisaged that may demand the formation of appropriate strike forces. What is becoming obvious to Russian commanders is the need to improve the command-and-control system in the Navy and to replace existing Soviet models and thinking, which have become dated and no longer relevant to Russia's security needs. Disposing of dangerous nuclear vessels will require greater Western aid; something Russia will continue to press at all levels.

Blunt arrows: the limited utility of ASATs by Dwayne Day Excerpt from The Space Review Monday, June 6, 2005 Last week in The Space Review Mark Listner wrote about the Outer Space Treaty and anti-satellite weapons (ASATs): “Although technically the treaty does not allow these types of weapons (considering the ban on military activities), the fact is that these have been under development at times in the past, and may be so today.” (See “It’s time to rethink international space law”, May 31, 2005) This is false. The Outer Space Treaty places no limits on anti-satellite weapons and never has. During the Cold War neither superpower actively sought an international treaty that would restrict their development of anti-satellite weapons. There were several reasons for this, but a primary one was the difficulty in verifying such a treaty, especially considering the nature of the Soviet ASAT system, which utilized rockets that were indistinguishable from active ICBMs unless they were physically inspected. Many of the conditions that make ASAT weapons not very attractive remain in effect, and some of the conditions that led to their approval in the past do not exist today. Despite the lack of ASAT arms control, the United States has not demonstrated much enthusiasm or interest in developing an ASAT weapon since the beginning of the space age. This was because ASAT weapons were expensive, limited in military utility, and provocative. In fact, it appears that the decisive factor in developing or not developing an American ASAT has often been the existence of an enemy ASAT capability. Given the high cost and limited utility of the weapon, multiple justifications were needed to make it possible, and the one that tipped the balance in favor of development was the existence of an enemy that needed to be deterred. The international situation has changed significantly since the Cold War. However, many of the conditions that make ASAT weapons not very attractive remain in effect, and some of the conditions that led to their approval in the past do not exist today. Banning WMDs, not ASATs The Outer Space Treaty resulted from a long series of discussions within the United States government and eventually between the two superpowers. The most important section of the Outer Space Treaty is Article IV, which states: “States Parties to the Treaty undertake not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner. The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all States Parties to the Treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes. The establishment of military bases, installations and fortifications, the testing of any type of weapons and the conduct of military maneuvers on celestial bodies shall be forbidden. The use of military personnel for scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes shall not be prohibited. The use of any equipment or facility necessary for peaceful exploration of the Moon and other celestial bodies shall also not be prohibited.” Like most Cold War era treaties, this one essentially codified actions that the superpowers did not find attractive to pursue in the first place. Putting weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear bombs in orbit makes little sense. Orbital mechanics means that an orbiting weapon spends most of its time out of range of its target, unlike an ICBM that is always the same distance from its target. In addition, limited computing power also restricted the utility of an orbiting bomb, because it could not be programmed with a large target list. Finally, command and control of a weapon overhead was worrisome—what if the other side was able to jam or take over the weapon? Neither side therefore wanted to place weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in orbit, making a treaty banning them possible. Similarly, there is no logical reason to base weapons on other planets unless they are defending other installations there. If both superpowers had active moonbases they might take weapons to defend them. But neither had plans for moonbases and so it was an easy step to ban all weapons—not simply WMDs—from the moon, Mars, and other terrestrial bodies. A State Department website explains the origins and significance of the Outer Space Treaty, noting that its two most important provisions are the ban on WMDs and the ban on weapons on other terrestrial bodies. Nowhere does it mention a ban on ASATs. The Outer Space Treaty mentions nothing about ASATs, and for good reason—both the United States and the Soviet Union already possessed them when they signed the treaty. The Outer Space Treaty mentions nothing about ASATs, and for good reason—both the United States and the Soviet Union already possessed them when they signed the treaty. The United States had Program 437, a system that utilized a Thor ballistic missile equipped with a 1.4 megaton nuclear warhead. It would launch from Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean and fly essentially a ballistic trajectory. Program 437 operated from 1964 until the early 1970s, at which time the inefficiency, expense, and limited usefulness of the weapon led to its withdrawal from service. Notably the Program 437 ASATs were both ground-based and used a nuclear weapon (a weapon of mass destruction), but did not enter orbit. These facts did not prevent the United States from signing the Outer Space Treaty, nor did any other signatories charge that the Americans were in violation of a treaty that they were signing. The Soviets possessed their own ASAT weapon. Known as the “satellite destroyer” (or “Istrebitel Sputnikov” in Russian), it was fitted atop a modified ballistic missile and used the co-orbital technique, meaning that it entered the same orbit as its target and essentially got close enough to it to fire a weapon, sort of like a Claymore directional mine or a shotgun blast. Work on the IS started in the early 1960s and it was tested through the early-1970s. The existence of the satellite destroyer also did not prevent the signing of the Outer Space Treaty. The existence of both of these weapons did vastly complicate any effort to ban ASAT weapons, however. In order to verify such a ban, each side would have to inspect the payloads of the other side. During the early 1960s the United States held substantial internal discussions about this subject, particularly the concern that the Soviets would want to inspect American rockets carrying reconnaissance satellites. This was discussed in the NSAM 156 Committee, named after the National Security Action Memorandum that established it. Over time, those concerned with ASAT arms control both inside the executive branch and in Congress determined that on-site verification was impossible, and so any ban would have to focus on testing which should be detectable under many circumstances. But the fact that the Soviet weapon had already been tested and was considered to be operational tended to complicate and nullify this debate. For the full article, visit The Space Review

Chinese Submariners Are Different StrategyPage Opinion June 9, 2005: Chinese submariners are different. In the United States, submarines have crews that stay with the boat, just like on any other warship. The only exception is the SSBNs (ballistic missile subs), which have two crews, so that the boat can spend the maximum amount of time at sea. The Chinese do it differently. Each class of subs has crews trained for different types of missions, and these crews are assigned to a sub in order to train in their specialty (mine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare). Another reason for the multiple crews (usually two per sub) is also to increase the number of trained crews ahead of the introduction of many more new subs in the next decade. The Chinese have recognized, and accepted the fact, that it takes over a decade to train effective submariners, particularly the Chief Petty Officers (the “Chiefs”) who really make a boat work. The chiefs were given a big pay raise five years ago, and made to understand that being a naval NCO was a good, and lucrative, career choice. The only flaw in this plan is the poor condition and reliability of Chinese submarines. Chinese boats are either bad copies of Russian designs, or even worse attempts to build Chinese designs. But the Chinese know that just having submarine crews is not enough, you have to get these guys to sea, as much as possible. Under the old Soviet system, the sub crews spent most of their time living in barracks, and getting lectured in classrooms, or doing dry runs while their sub was dockside, motionless. When Soviet subs did go to sea, it was for a day, and then back to port and the barracks. By the end of the Cold War, the Russians and the Chinese were convinced that the Western approach (keep the boats at sea as much as possible) was ancient wisdom that still applied, and worked. The Chinese submariners have to work for their higher pay. Keeping their creaky boats at sea means a lot more maintenance and repair work in port, and a lot more alertness and tension at sea. There are more accidents as these boats are pushed beyond what they were designed for. The Soviet design theory held that you built subs that spent most of their time in port, and then went to war and maybe survived a few weeks or months, and maybe got a shot in. This didn’t work for the Soviets during World War II, but they stuck with the concept during most of the Cold War. Now China is trying to design and build a new generation of subs on the Western model (spend lots of time at sea in peace time, and be good enough to kick ass and survive in wartime.)

Eight retired submarines to be transported to Severodvinsk this summer Bellona Four civil crews from Severodvinsk are preparing the submarines for transportation at the navy base in Vidyaevo. 2005-06-08 19:00 Total eight nuclear submarines of 671RTM (Victor-III) project will be tugged from the Northern fleet bases to the Zvezdochka shipyard for scrapping in July and August, Interfax reported. Three subs located in the Ura Bay, two – in Zapadnaya Litsa, and three – in Vidyaevo. The dismantling works will be sponsored by Canada, which promised to allocate $18m for this purpose. This Canadian initiative is the part of the one billion Canadian dollars obligation in the frames of the Global Partnership program adopted in 2002 at the G8 summit. The dismantling of the first multipurpose submarine sponsored by Canada, has been already completed. Scrapping of another two submarines is under way. Canada pledged to allocate $100m to finance dismantling of 12 multipurpose submarines at the Zvezdochka shipyard. At the moment about 50 nuclear laid-up submarines are scattered around at the Northern fleet bases waiting for dismantling, most of them belong to the first and second generation nuclear submarines.

New destroyers too expensive June 8, 2005 - 1:34PM TheAge Australia is running the risk of buying expensive navy destroyers it doesn't need, forcing cuts to other key defence programs, a top defence analyst warns. Former defence official Hugh White said the most likely tradeoff for commissioning the $6 billion air warfare destroyers (AWDs) would be cuts to an RAAF plan to buy 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs). Such a cut would have serious strategic costs, he said. Mr White said the navy maintained it needed the AWDs to defend amphibious landing forces against air attack. However, there were few credible scenarios where such defence would be required. In an analysis released by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, Mr White said it made no sense to invest $6 billion in AWDs to support maritime operations if it meant cuts to frontline combat air power or to the land forces they were intended to protect. "There is no compelling strategic reason to buy AWDs and even less to build them in Australia," he said. Under the AWD plan, the navy will acquire three advanced warships, able to defend against aircraft, cruise missile and even ballistic missile attack, at a cost of $6 billion. The government has already specified that the ships will be fitted with the Aegis combat system and built in Australia by the Australian Submarine Corporation. It's yet to decide on the actual ship design. Mr White said there was really only one credible scenario when AWDs would be essential and that was if Australia needed to dislodge bases established by a hostile major power from somewhere like PNG. He said in most scenarios that protection could be just as well provided by the RAAF while in coalition operations that would be done by US forces. Mr White said the AWDs should not be acquired to the detriment of RAAF or army programs. "As things stand, buying AWDs might mean we need to cut the JSF program to as few as 60 aircraft. Apparently this possibility is now being seriously considered within defence," he said. Mr White also warned that the purchasing strategy, in which the navy is seeking a ship designed exclusively to meet Australian requirements, imposed high risks of cost blowouts, delays and capability shortfalls. "The AWDs would be by far the most complex naval project undertaken by Australia since the Collins Class submarine project and they carry many of the same kind of risk that caused such problems in the Collins," he said. Mr White said there was no rush as the navy's four FFG guided missile frigates were now being upgraded and would remain in service long after the planned AWD proposed entry to service in 2013. "There is plenty of time to consider this important and risky project more carefully," he said.

How do we model this in Harpoon?! Oz's Magnetic Sub-Hunter DefenseTech Being a sub-hunter has gotten tough, lately. The new diesel subs that Iran and China are buying up are tiny, quiet, and can swim through the crannies that hug the coasts. That makes 'em really hard to find. And it's a major reason why the U.S. Navy is switching from passive sonars to Slayer-loud, active sonars that makes whales slam dance onto dry land. Australian scientists may have found a better way to find these quiet subs, The Engineer reports -- one that doesn't drive whales psycho. The Australian development, called MAGSAFE, uses the detection of changing magnetic fields to identify and monitor a moving submarine. The method, which is unique in that it captures 12 magnetic field-related data values per reading as opposed to the single number measured by a conventional magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) magnetometer, arises from research into new minerals exploration technologies that detect magnetic fields... The technology is basically a 'tensor gradiometer', which is a device that can measure minute changes in magnetic field gradients. It uses three independent rotating sensors, which use high-temperature superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) to monitor the magnetic field gradient. In theory, the system means that pilots whose aircraft are fitted with MAGSAFE detectors will be able to measure the range, depth and bearing of a submarine, how fast it is going and if it is diving - all from one flyby.

Many Replacements for the Periscope StrategyPage June 5, 2005: The U.S. is experimenting with two new low-cost optics systems that would allow submerged submarines to "look" around at sea level without having to get close to the surface and deploy a traditional periscope. This also includes an upgrade for existing periscopes by adding a high-tech camera system. The Virtual Periscope will be tested aboard the USS Chicago this summer. It takes advantage of the fact that the surface of the ocean acts as a simple lens, collecting light from above the service and refracting it below. A small camera mounted on the sail of the submarine will collect the light and use high-speed signal processing software -- similar enhancement techniques used by NASA and government agencies for cleaning up blurred images -- to assemble a picture of what is on the surface. The images won't be good enough to identify what kind of ship type is above them, but it would be able to warn a submarine that there is something in the way on the surface. Virtual Periscope is good to about 100 to 200 feet below the surface before the light fades out and can spot a 30 meter tall object at about a distance of 1600 meters. U.S. Special Operations Command plans to put a smaller version of Virtual Periscope on its swimmer delivery vehicles. For cleaner pictures, the Low-Cost Expendable Sensor (LCES) using a small tethered camera on a buoy to bob to the surface to send images back. LCES can be deployed from the 76mm signal ejector and will ride above 3 inches above the surface to take pictures. Signal processing is used to assemble the images into a stable 360 degree view of what is above the ship. When finished, the line is cut and the sub can sail away. To an observer, the device looks like a piece of trash bobbing up and down on the surface, not a periscope. Each system has its drawbacks. LCES requires use of the signal ejector on the sub, so there is some noise emitted in deploying it. Virtual Periscope has no emissions, but the algorithms necessary to clean up the images are complex and need to be refined in order to make the system tactically useful. Both systems are the latest evolution away from the traditional fixed-mount periscope of conventional lenses and prisms. Virginia-class subs use electronics imaging equipment mounted on deployable masts that telescope upward out of the sail, with images transmitted down into the control room using fiber optics. Once transmitted, the images can be put up on large displays anywhere in the control room for anyone to examine. The Navy is also going to upgrade existing periscopes on older submarines to an integrated imaging system, mounting a digital camera at the top of the periscope and sending images via fiber-optic cable to a monitor in the control room. Moving the camera to the top of the mast gets rid of a lot of moving optical parts, increasing reliability. The Navy is looking into another upgrade to put an array of cameras onto the mast to provide a 360-degree view, again using some image processing to assemble the final result. Such a system would allow the Navy to free up precious space in the submarine that now goes to the pipes and hydraulics of the periscope handling system. Once in place, the camera and imaging hardware for the new system would also support both Virtual Periscope and LCES, so both features could essentially be added through software upgrades. – Doug Mohney

AAR: Torpedo Run [spoiler Alert] By Paul Bridge After receiving our latest orders, I asked the Jimmy (First Lieutenant) to plot an estimated path from the last reported position to Jakarta. I planned to position the Oberon astride their Path of Intended Movement [PIM] at this point. If we were unable to intercept them from the front, I was dubious if we would be successful in a stern chase. As we made transit southward, we periodically rose to periscope depth to 'sniff' the air for electronic transmissions with our Electronic Support Measures [ESM]. Two small patrol boats were discovered a fair distance away, but were not a threat to us. A pair of Gannet Maritime Patrol Aircraft [MPA] were also found during one of our Jack-in-the-box manoeuvres. These units were the most fearsome as they could strike without warning. A supply vessel was found heading in the direction of Jakarta. I decided to investigate. We ran a Target Motion Analysis [TMA] and calculated a firing solution. While the fire-control team was 'polishing the cannonball' by refining their solution, Oberon moved closer to shorten the run on her torpedoes. Just as I was about to fire, the target was found to be Neutral! An international incident was barely averted. Not long after, multiple ESM contacts were reported to the southeast. This had to be the convoy we had been seeking. We increased power to cruise speed and I was happy to see that we would be closing the targets off of their starboard bow. As the target courses and ranges firmed up, firing solutions were calculated and fed into the torpedoes. I saw that there would only be a single escort vessel between us and the freighters so I elected to 'shoot' our way into the convoy. Two Bidder Mk20S torpedoes were allocated to the escort and one Mk20S each at 2 freighters. The first salvo was launched at a range of 5nm. They were not detected until they were nearly at the end of their torpedo runs. All three targets were killed outright. A nice side effect had the remaining merchants running in the opposite direction. This allowed Oberon to move in even closer so that she now sat directly on their PIM and would not need to either expend energy or make noise for her second attack. Shorter-ranged Mk8 torpedoes were chosen for the second volley as the merchant vessels nearly overran the Oberon. Longer-ranged Bidders were saved for any interfering escorts. The surviving transports were destroyed so my option to attack escorts was exercised. Two more escorts were put on the bottom with a pair of torpedoes each. Soon afterward, victory was awarded. A nice little scenario for submarine enthusiasts. The Gannets did not play a major role in my game, but just the knowledge that they were present was enough to make my skin crawl as I expected my first indication of their presence to be either a depth charge or torpedo attack. Thanks for putting it together.

AAR: Cuban Missile Crisis [Cuba] By Freek Schepers Presidente Castro was in fine form, tonight. His six hour oration was just ending with, "Y los imperialistas no pondrán un pie en Cuba". << And the Imperialists shall never set foot on Cuba >> Those words were still ringing in my ears as I read my latest orders. My mission was clearly to protect our Soviet "guests" from the Yankee pirates. I ordered Combat Air Patrols [CAPs] to be stationed over all airbases. Four patrol boats were off-shore from Guantanamo Bay. The fact that the Imperialists took every opportunity to trail their coats in front of us was too much for me to endure. My machismo would not allow me to sit quietly while it happened so I ordered the four patrol boats to make a pass across the bay to show the Yankees that we were not afraid of them. As my CAPs climbed to patrol altitude, they found that the Gringos were not co-operating. They maintained their provocative air patrols over international waters so I ordered my CAPs to close and engage them. Who would be able to prove that the fight had not started over Cuban waters? I sent a pair of Farmers and another pair of Frescoes to scratch a couple of annoying fleas off of base Sagua La Grande's back. My Alkali SARH AAMs proved much more effective than the American Sidewinders. A Sabre and a Starfighter were killed outright. First blood to Aerea Fuerza Cubano! A swarm of unidentified air contacts were reported over international waters and my men salivated at the thought of combat with the Americans, but I restrained them and only released them to engage those contacts in or near Cuban air space. I knew that Key West AB had long-ranged Nike-Hercules SAMs and did not want to give the enemy a chance to test them on us. By a stroke of luck, a U-2 flew right into one of my MiG-21 CAPs over Libertad and was shot down. I needed to kill one more for my ViConds. My luck held as the same fighting pair managed to close upon a Skyraider EW platform that was wreaking havoc on my Ground Controlled Interception [GCI] radar. They loosed their Atoll missiles and were rewarded by watching it explode in mid-air. Score 4:0 for the home team. Another pair of Fresco had been sent north to hunt a pair of Bogeys. However, imagine their surprise when they turned on their Fire-Control Radar [FCR] only to find that they were in the midst of five enemy aircraft! However, true to their fighter pilot aggressiveness, they turned into the attack instead of running. They exchanged missiles with a Sabre without either side getting hit and turned back to engage with aerial gunnery. The fighters were escorting a Voodoo recon plane. Hopefully, they would be able to kill the Sabres for the main course and still be able to enjoy their dessert, the Voodoo. They evaded the AAMs and then slid into the Six-O'Clock position behind the enemy. The Sabre died without ever knowing what killed her followed by the unarmed Voodoo. Score was now 6-love. My missile and gunboats found the DD Charles Badger in Gitmo Bay and unleashed their four Styx SSMs and decided that they had done their duty for the revolution and retired westward. Unfortunately, no explosions were seen or heard. I kept my CAPs close to their home bases and successfully killed all enemy fighters that encroached with very light losses for the moment. I was beginning to worry that the enemy would not try to engage me under my own radar coverage and that I might have to venture into the Florida Strait to meet my ViCond of 50 aircraft kills. I wished that he would come south to do battle. The Chinese have sage advice regarding situations like this: "Be careful for what you wish." It was indeed prophetic. As my pilots were rejoicing their victories and their planes were being re-armed and re-fueled, the air raid sirens wailed long and hard. I had very little left with which to oppose these new strikers. Libertad AB managed to scramble sufficient interceptors to kill most of her assailants and thus survived with minimal damage to the base. However, as most of Sagua's and Holguin's defenders were out of action on the tarmac, these bases were hammered mercilessly. Sagua was almost totally flattened with only a handful of planes surviving the onslaught from Sabres based in Florida. It seems as though wave attacks were not limited to the PRC as wave after wave of attackers crashed upon Cuban shores. Holguin was similarly pulverized by Skyhawks that could only have come from as yet undetected CVBGs offshore. These three-pronged attacks were exceptionally well-timed. I had failed to protect my Soviet guests. During the attack, some strikers attacked the Soviet IRBM sites. Evidently, the Soviet commander elected to launch his missiles rather than risk losing them. Everyone watched helplessly as the ballistic missiles rose on pillars of flame towards ConUS. This war had now crossed the nuclear threshold as IRBM strikes wiped out MacDill AFB, Norfolk, and Jacksonville. However, I still had my orders so I continued to protect the Motherland as best I could. My bases at San Julien and Libertad were relatively unscathed so I transferred some of their defenders to Sagua and Holguin in an attempt to provide them some protection. As they were about to land, more attacks were detected from US naval aviation. They had fortuitously arrived just in time to engage and defeat this latest round of attacks. However, my eastern bases were still unprotected so I transferred yet more assets. Again, I was "rewarded" by their timely arrival to have them face more inbound strikers from the carrier battle groups. This time, they turned out to be nuclear-capable Vigilantes! I could only assume that the Gringo commander had decided to retaliate-in-kind after learning of the Soviet attack on his country. I could not afford to allow a single attacker to release its payload. One nuclear device could render Cuba uninhabitable. As my pilots intercepted each Vigilante, I kept my fingers crossed. There would be no second chance. Luck smiled upon me this day as I was able to destroy the entire wave of nuclear-armed bombers. Within hours, I was granted "victory" even as the firestorms continued to sweep through the Continental US [ConUS]. Another exceptional scenario. Thanks for sharing it. Thanks, also, to JM Serrano for his linguistic assistance in writing this AAR.

Boeing Eyes High-Flying Torpedo Navy League By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is proposing a new weapon that would enable sub-hunting aircraft to fire at targets from high altitudes, reducing the time between target acquisition and attack. Steven L. Wingfield, manager of JDAM Business Development for the Boeing unit, said the proposed antisubmarine warfare (ASW) weapon for the High-Altitude ASW Weapon Concept (HAAWC), would be launched from the P-8A Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) at an altitude of 30,000 feet and glide seven to 10 minutes to the water entry point, where it would shed its wings and activate a parachute to lower the torpedo into the water to begin its run toward the target. Currently, ASW aircraft such as the P-3 have to make a time-consuming descent from their surveillance altitudes of 30,000 feet to a release altitude of 300-1,000 feet and release a torpedo, Wingfield said. “That descent down to the release point and then the climb back up to surveillance altitude uses a lot of [fuel], reducing orbit and surveillance time. While you are climbing, (it) reduces your ability to surveill, as well.” The HAAWC would enable the P-8 to launch the weapon from a high altitude based on targeting information generated by its own sensors or the sensors of other platforms. This would save time in deploying a weapon, and obviate the need for the aircraft or other ASW platforms to enter threat zones. “I don’t know what the descent rate of MMA will be,” said Steve Morrow, Boeing’s manager for advanced development of naval weapons, “but it’s intuitive that we can probably get a torpedo down from altitude faster than you can get the airplane down.” That would be an advantage in “a fast-reaction attack based on a pop-up radar contact of a periscope,” he said. Wingfield said the HAAWC proposal is a derivative of the new Mk 54 antisubmarine torpedo that entered service in 2004. The Mk 54 is an all-digital lightweight torpedo that marries technology from the older Mk 46 and Mk 50 air- and surface-launched torpedoes with advanced software algorithms from the large submarine-launched Mk 48 torpedo. Stephen G. Sherrick, manager of business development for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, said that last fall “one of the Mk 54 torpedo guys asked us, ‘Hey, can you put a wing on that thing and guide it for us?’” The HAAWC comprises parts from other munitions. An Mk 54 would be fitted with the wings designed for a Standoff Land-Attack Missile-Expanded Response cruise missile to enable it to glide to the target area. The tail assembly would include the guidance kit designed for the Joint Direct-Attack Munition, which contains a Global Positioning System receiver for precision guidance. The HAAWC also could be equipped with a data link to transmit target position updates while the weapon is in flight, further improving the weapon’s accuracy, Wingfield said. The HAAWC concept, with its standoff capability, may offer tactical collateral advantages to offset some of those submarines have in the cat-and-mouse game of ASW. When running silent underwater, a submarine’s sensitive hull-mounted or towed-array hydrophones can detect a helicopter or patrol plane as it flies overhead. In addition, an attack on hostile submarines operating in the vicinity of enemy air-defense ships or shore-based air-defense networks currently would put the attacking aircraft at risk. Boeing “has provided NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) and the Naval Air Systems Command with a technical feasibility assessment and a [rough] cost assessment to conduct a high-altitude ASW weapon concept demonstration,” Morrow said. The information was provided at the request of those commands, he said. Spokespeople for the two systems commands and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center declined comment on the HAAWC because it is not a program of record.

More Royal Navy frigates for Chile MercoPress The strong international price of copper for the second year running has bolstered Chile’s coffers and a percentage of that additional income is earmarked for military equipment purchases including several Royal Navy frigates, German Leopard tanks and refurbished F-16 fighters. Excess income from copper sales abroad represented last year an additional two billion US dollars for the Chilean government and for the military who are legally entitled to a percentage, almost 700 million US dollars in these last two years, although part of it has already been spent in cancelling debts. President Ricardo Lagos and the commanders of the three services agreed this week that those funds will be used in the coming nine years (until 2014) to keep advancing with the modernization process of the Chilean Armed Forces. The shopping list includes 20 to 28 refurbished F-16 fighter bombers belonging to the Dutch Air Force (with a twenty year horizon), which would replace the current Mirage fleet and act as support for the brand new ten F-16 already purchased directly from United States. Total cost is in the range of 150 million US dollars. The Chilean Navy already has defined the purchase of three missile Type 23 frigates from the Royal Navy, an operation involving 250 million US dollars, according to Navy commander Admiral Mighe Vergara who would like to see the contract signed before June 18 when he retires. Traditionally Britain has been the main supplier for the Chilean Navy. Finally the Army is planning to incorporate a first batch of 100 Leopard II German made tanks selling at an average cost of 400,000 US dollars each in the European market. The Chilean Army currently has 280 Leopard I tanks. However no final decision has yet been reached since the Dutch government has offered a full package which includes jet fighters, frigates and tanks.

AAR: Cuban Missile Crisis By Freek Schepers After reading and re-reading my orders and the accompanying Rules of Engagement [ROE] from SACLant, I immediately double-checked to make certain that all of my units had their weapons Weapons on Safe status and were locked down. I certainly didn't want to be the initiator of nuclear shooting war! I realized that many of my vessels were a long distance from the line that the President had designated as the limit of the quarantine zone. Therefore, I ordered all vessels in Guantanamo Bay to sortie. As well, much of NavSurfLant was currently positioned near Florida and Cuba. I elected to gamble and meet the freighters in a show of force at the boundaries of the Exclusion zone. My orders were quite clear. Under no circumstances was I to allow them entry into the Quarantine Zone. All vessels were ordered to full speed and a Combat Air Patrol [CAP] was launched from Guantanamo Bay. If this turned out to be a shooting war, she could expect to be attacked within minutes of it starting. I was very concerned about TF Iwo Jima. She was deep in the Caribbean, far from support, and pretty much limited by the search range of her helos. Sabre fighters were launched to escort my Voodoo recon planes from MacDill. Additional Sabres and Starfighters were also ordered aloft as Barrier CAPs [barCAPs] from Key West and Homestead AFBs. Very specific orders were given to the flight leaders that they were to remain over international waters and not to fire unless fired upon. The disciplined men of Naval Aviation did not bat an eyelash in the face of these orders and I knew that they would follow them to the letter. With fighters leading the way and, hopefully, clearing a path in front of any potential opposition, I launched my precious U-2 spy plane. Contrary to normal doctrine, I would try to make the ingress at low level and only climb to take photos when closer to the objective. I hoped that the high-flying fighter escorts and Voodoo reconnaissance planes would distract the enemy sufficiently so that the U-2 would be unmolested in her mission. I would also try to send her around the known air defences and through the back door. Starfighters from Key West were the first to meet aircraft rising from the Ciudad de Libertad airbase. They were approached on an intercept profile, but my orders forbade early engagement. They would have to prove themselves hostile before I was allowed to take action. The fighters turned out be Fishbeds and my planes were soon to be on the receiving end of Atoll missiles! While one flight evaded, the second flight launched six Sidewinders with no effect. The pilots went to Afterburner and activated their internal cannon. In violent Air-Combat Manoeuvres [ACM], both Fishbeds were shredded by the M61 cannon fire. A Beagle patrol plane was detected. The fighters must have been the assigned escort for this asset. As one flight approached her, the radar warning receiver went wild. A Goa SAM had been fired! Again, the men undertook wild evasive manoeuvres. This was going to be the common theme throughout the day. The men were lucky this time as the SAMs ran out of fuel. The Beagle appeared to be unprotected so one flight of 3 Starfighters approached her and set themselves up in her 'Six-O'clock' position. However, to their surprise, her gunners opened fire and killed two of the F-104s! The surviving fighter immediately returned fire and killed the Cuban, but it was small consolation for the loss of his two squadron mates. Two more Fishbeds rose to challenge the F-104s and managed to kill two of them with only the single loss of a Fishbed before all belligerents were forced to break off combat and return to base. Thus far, Cuba was leading in the scoring race, 4:3. The Sabre pilots from Homestead AFB heard the sad report over their guard frequencies and vowed revenge. Now, if only the Cuban pilots would co-operate. They met CAPs launched from Sagua La Grande AB but were not fired upon. The enemy was not co-operating and this frustrated them. Finally, after a series of feints, one Cuban loosed his Atoll missiles. They were evaded and he was closed and killed by guns after a swirling dance of death. Two more Fishbeds met my relief CAP from Key West. This time, both MiGs were downed for the loss of a Crusader. The score was now tied but the men wanted a win, not a tie. The Great Game moved back to Sagua La Grande. More Goa SAMs rose in opposition only to fall back into the sea when out of fuel. The MiGs fared better with both sides exchanging planes and lives. The score would remain tied. As hoped, the fighter pilots were distracting the air defences and allowing the U-2 pilot to make his run on Libertad unopposed. The cost was high in both men and planes. In the midst of the battle, my Skyraider Electronic Warfare [EW] bird suddenly blinked off of the screen! Curse all radar operators. A marauding Fresco fighter had evidently crept within range of her without anyone noticing and shot her down. Now all of my aircraft would be naked against the Cuban radar. Once Libertad was photographed, the U-2 dove back into the weeds and headed for St. Julien Air Base [AB] on the western tip of the island. She was in good company with her escorts. After another swirling battle with Frescoes and more SAMs, the U-2 was able to photograph the IRBM sites and leave. The price was 4 more fighters. The air force was learning a very hard lesson; aerial gunnery was not obsolescent even in the age of AAMs. In their turn, Sagua La Grande AB and Holguin AB were reconnoitred and photographed using the same swarming technique. Multiple flights of fighters would distract the defenders so that the U-2 was unmolested. The price of admission was paid by the fighters. After these orders were fulfilled, I chose to adopt a more defensive stance. Instead of aggressive Target CAPs [TarCAP], I re-assigned my fighters to Barrier CAPs [barCAP] midway between Cuban bases and Florida. Only one further 'Incident' was encountered. A Beagle raid was detected by Gitmo originating from Holguin AB. I managed to scramble sufficient Phantom interceptors to crush the raiders, but elected not to retaliate against the base. The Russian and Cuban installations were so intermingled that I was worried about accidentally attacking a Russian installation and provoking a nuclear response. Today, discretion would definitely be the better part of valour. On the high seas, I found myself in a quandry. The Quarantine zone was a large area and it was flooded with unknown contacts. I launched my Neptune Maritime Patrol Aircraft [MPA] to find and classify every ship. Unfortunately, radar can only tell me that a contact exists. It cannot tell you the nationality of the vessel. Thus, I had to overfly and positively identify each and every vessel; a long and arduous process. As each of my groups raced to the edge of the Exclusion zone, the ASW co-ordinator aboard CVAN Enterprise reported, "Probable submarine contact in the Torpedo Danger Zone!" Somehow, a suspected submarine had managed to evade my escorts and ensconced herself between the CVAN and my destroyers! The battle group commander immediately ordered all ships to scatter at flank speed and launched 4 helos to prosecute this contact. It was not a minute too soon, either, as torpedo contacts were soon reported. The quick response prevented any damage. The confirmed hostility of the unknown submarine quickly ensured her destruction at the hands of the helo pilots. As my MPA chased down vessels of all nationalities, they were able to positively identify six merchants flying the Hammer and Sickle. However, intelligence had reported seven such vessels leaving Soviet ports. A Golf-class SSG was even spotted running on the surface within the quarantine zone. I decided to give her a wide berth as her direction of travel was outward-bound. Six merchants were intercepted before they could cross into the Quarantine zone and they were 'escorted' away from the area. I finally managed to find the elusive seventh merchant, but the Essex PhibRon was simply too far away to intercept her before she reached the barrier. Luckily, she did not cross the barrier as all merchants had apparently received orders to return. The world would not be destroyed in a nuclear nightmare this day, but I lost the game because I did not intercept her before she reached the zone. This is a really neat scenario. Freek has done a good job simulating the ROE present during those 13 Days in October. Combat is possible and permitted, but the player must take extreme care in what and who he engages. Otherwise, the game crosses the nuclear threshold and into nuclear holocaust. An excellent job re-creating the Crisis on the High Seas. Thanks for putting it together.

Looks like another step taken by India to become the Regional Dominance.

Royal Navy 'Robots' to Hunt Down Underwater Mine Menace UK Ministry of Defence May 30, 2005, 13:10 The Royal Navy is to take delivery of a fleet of high-tech unmanned underwater 'robots' to help track down deadly sea mines. Known as REMUS - short for Remote Environmental Monitoring Units, the battery-powered vehicles will scan the seabed in water up to 100 m deep to ensure there are no underwater mines lurking to destroy ships and landing craft. Under the £2.75 million programme 10 vehicles will be bought by the Defence Procurement Agency before entering service early next year. It will be the first time the RN has had an advanced unmanned underwater vehicle capable of detecting hidden shallow water mines - traditionally a dangerous job that has been carried out by naval divers. Defence Procurement Minister Lord Drayson said: "REMUS will give the Royal Navy the ability to undertake rapid mine reconnaissance in very shallow water - cold and dangerous work in an area which up until now could only be done by divers. It is an advanced new capability that I am delighted to say will not only reduce the risk to divers during mine detection operations, but also help the Royal Navy undertake a wide range of other important tasks, from supporting search and salvage operations to protecting our ports and harbours against terrorist attack." Sea mines are one of the most deadly threats facing our naval forces, relatively cheap and easy to plant they can cause major problems for amphibious forces and are often notoriously difficult to detect. The 1.6 m long torpedo shaped vehicles use advanced detectors to pin-point the location of mines, before returning to their naval handlers for the raw data to be collected and evaluated. There are some jobs however that the REMUS robots cannot do - the task of clearing the mines it finds will still fall to highly trained naval divers. The vehicles, manufactured by Hydroid Inc, are expected to stay in service until 2011, and are part of an ongoing initiative by the MOD to introduce unmanned equipment to undertake hazardous tasks. URL of this article: http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_002459.shtml Source(©): UK Ministry of Defence