Herman

AAR: The Empire Strikes Back

By Paul Bridge

"I can smell'em", said Commander Pettigrew. "I can just smell skunks in those straits". The Queen had been attacked and our orders were to have the HMAS Melbourne and group attack the base at Hasanuddin. The only way to do this was for us to close the distance to the base. This meant that we had to travel through the Indonesian islands in order to close the range so that our Sea Venom could reach the target. Whether or not Cmdr. Pettigrew really could smell submarines was now immaterial. Orders were orders.

Orders were also issued to the Eagle TG to make best speed towards the bases in the Western part of Indonesia. I allowed the TG commander to plot a course that might allow him to avoid the Soviet spy trawler that appeared to be in his direct path and decided to hold back my long range bombers from any raids until all were available. I wanted a decisive blow to overwhelm any air defences.

The Gannets from HMAS Melbourne investigated the unknown contacts in their vicinity and discovered 2 Komar patrol boats that quickly opened fire on her. She issued a sitrep, called for reinforcements, and proceeded to attack. A full salvo of her rockets managed to damage but not sink one of the boats. The other Gannet on patrol also located a P6 gunboat which opened fire on her. She returned fire with rockets and killed her with only 8 of them. She immediately found and killed another with her remaining rockets. For her 2 victories, the pilot would be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Mention in Despatches.

Six Sea Venom arrived over the two Komar boats and proceeded to attack with guns and rockets. Even after suffering what appeared to be a tremendous number of hits, both boats continued to cruise at 15kts. Definitely, something stronger would be needed.

Meanwhile, the Shackleton on patrol in the centre of the Area of Operations [AO] identified a 'neutral' task group of Russian vessels. While conducting her reconnaissance, she detected a lone air contact that turned out to be a Shackleton. Well, diamond cut diamond. The more aggressive members of her crew wanted to investigate and possibly engage their mirror image if it turned out to be hostile. However, the pilot reminded everyone of their primary mission, reconnaissance. Instead, she called for assistance from two distant MirageIII loitering on Combat Air Patrol [CAP]. Interceptor radar was detected so even if they did not catch the Shackleton, their mission might not be wasted. They could still try to kill the interceptors if they proved hostile.

A Neptune found a TG off of Sumatra centred on the Mod Skory-class KRI Brawidjaja. Lacking any any ASuW weaponry herself, she directed the SS Oberon to intercept. An Indonesian fighter plane was in the area so she quickly retired to quieter waters.

The Mirage arrived and destroyed both the Shackleton and a MiG. Elsewheres, a Neptune on patrol finished off the damaged Komar craft with 8 rockets each. The Eagle group was cautiously attempting to manoeuvre between the Russian Spy trawlers in an attempt to remain undetected while she made her approach to attack the airfields.

Two more Komar were detected north of SS Andrew. Their destruction was assigned to the bombers at RAAF Darwin. A nosy Catalina PBY started snooping around the vicinity of HMAS Melbourne. Three pairs of Sabres on CAP tried to kill her with no luck. I also launched my Sea Venom cum interceptors with no luck. Only when she walked into the AAA envelope of the HMAS Arunta was she finally blotted from the sky. Hopefully, before she was able to send off a position report. Since the Sea Venom still had their bomb loads, they were re-directed to kill the Komar missile boats.

Luck was not with the CTF Melbourne this day. Electronic Support Measures [ESM] reported multiple contacts from Badger aircraft. The group sounded general quarters and prepared for Air Action West! The Carrier and her replenishment vessel turned off their radar and hoped that the escorts would bear the brunt of air strike. Her defending Sea Venom required an additional 40 minutes before being ready for flight. This was time that they were not going to get.

As the Melbourne prepared to defend herself, RAAF Darwin reported incoming aircraft! Badger radar and jamming had been detected just 40 miles from the base. The cheeky devils had decided to raid Australia itself! Bloodhound SAMs immediately knocked one of the raiders out of the sky. A second salvo exterminated the surviving Badger bomber. If the Indonesians were this daring, they might also try to bomb my other bases. I immediately ordered my RAF bombers to launch.

HMS Andrew was at periscope depth and able to report Badgers almost directly overflying her position. The Melbourne watched helplessly as the bombers approached. Two Sabres, at the limits of their endurance, managed to intercept and kill one of the bombers but one of them was also shot down by the Badgers' tail guns! The surviving bombers launched their missiles. HMAS Perth engaged with her Tartar missiles and did reasonably well; bringing down 3 of the missiles. However, close would not be good enough today. The lone missile continued tracking and hit HMAS Vampire. The thousand pound warhead was more than enough to ensure that there would be no need to search for survivors. A second flight of Badgers was intercepted by SeaVenom.

As my bombers were reaching out from RAAF Darwin, they detected more Badger emissions. The Mirage pilots were ecstatic. No only would they be allowed to Air-to-Mud action, but the gods were presenting them with these fat lumbering bombers as an appetizer. They closed on the bombers and brought both of them down with a combination of gunner and missiles before continuing on to their assigned target at Hasnuddin.

My strike forces were being very cagy. With their phenomenal range, I elected to take circuitous routes. I would be knocking on many back doors this day. However, I gravely mis-calculated! As my strikers were going around the anticipated CAPs, my Canberra units all had to Return To Base. A collective, "Agggghhh", was heard over the radio frequencies. What an embarassment to run out of gas. I decided to press onwards with my Vulcan bombers. Meanwhile, SS Oberon had crept into the midst of 3 ships. She selected 2 torpedoes for each target and sent them all to the bottom. Only one required servicing from a second round of torpedoes.

The Vulcans started to climb as they neared Adisumarmo. They had detected Badger-type emissions in the vicinity and thus inferred that the Badgers were operating from this base. To spare CTF Melbourne from future attacks, this base would be struck first. The bombers levelled off at 20,000 ft and made their attack run. Sufficient ordnance was allocated to crush all of the aircraft facilities. Once the base was no longer airworthy, the bombers turned towards Iswahjudi and increased speed. Their presence was known and they hoped to release the remainder of their ordnance before hastening to escape.

The Vulcans made their attack runs at full speed and also managed to totally smash the base. Unfortunately, just as they were completing their bomb runs, a flight of interceptors cleared the runways and smote five of the six planes from the sky. Mirage bombers from RAAF Darwin visited Hasnuddin at the same time and destroyed all of her aircraft handling facilities. The strikes were a complete, but costly, success story. Unfortunately, victory had not been awarded. There would be need for a second strike as some facilities were still operational at A. Salah and Adisucipto air bases.

The re-arming period was largely uneventful. A submarine was detected near the Eagle group and she launched a torpedo that missed. She was set upon by four very angry helo crews and sunk from repeated torpedo hits.

Once re-armed, the bombers once again took off to complete the destruction of the Indonesian air forces. No opposition beyond some desultory AAA fire was encountered and the two surviving bases were put out of commission. Victory was awarded as the bombers returned to base.

Another fine scenario. Thanks for sharing it.

INDIA TO ASSEMBLE RUSSIAN FIGHTER JETS

12:16

Novosti

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti) - Indian President Abdul Kalam has arrived in Russia and visited the Sukhoi aircraft corporation in the forerun to India's assembly of 140 Su-30-MKI fighters under a Russian license, Izvestia, a daily, reported.

Kalam and Sukhoi CEO Mikhail Pogosyan discussed New Delhi's participation in developing the fifth generation fighter and the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) medium-range airliner. India is ready to channel $100 million into the RRJ program.

In 2004, Sukhoi won a state tender for developing the fighter, which is to phase out current Sukhoi and Mikoyan-Gurevich warplanes. Flight tests are set to begin in 2007.

Sukhoi has been cooperating with France since 2002. New Delhi previously received Su-30-MKI fighters with French-Israeli avionics. Russia invited India and France to participate, but Paris said it has no intention of financing the Russian project, and that it will develop the Raphael fighter instead. Russia faces similar problems with India. New Delhi has refused to sign an intellectual-property agreement with Moscow. This document entitles Russia to its share of proceeds during the sale of Russian-Indian hardware on third markets.

According to Kalam, an agreement could be drafted in a few weeks. A Russian-Indian expert group is now working on the document. But New Delhi still does not know which plane it really needs.

It is unclear whether Kalam, who helped develop Indian nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, has solved this problem. According to official reports, the concerned parties do not solve various problems at this level.

Sukhoi and the Irkut corporation delivered 32 Su-30-MKI fighters to India this year, helping New Delhi master their license production. This is the largest contract in the history of Russian-Indian cooperation at more than $3 billion.

It might be more accurate to call them "Ships of Battle" than Battleships

RUSSIA TO GET NEW BATTLESHIPS

Novosti

MOSCOW, May 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Navy is set to acquire 10 to 20 new battleships by 2015 that will set it back 5 to 10 billion rubles per frigate, Biznes, a business daily, reported.

The keels of a new frigate and a new large amphibious landing ship will be laid July 31 on Navy Day, said Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy.

The new Mk 22350 multi-role and long-range frigate will conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, hitting other naval targets. It will take three or four years to complete one frigate, if this project gets regular appropriations.

"Most likely, this project will feature engineering solutions that were used to build Mk 11356 frigates for the Indian Navy," Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director of the Center for Analyzing Strategies and Technologies, said.

"This is, in fact, a large destroyer that is called a 'frigate' for political reasons," Mikhail Barabanov, scientific editor of Arms Exports magazine, said.

Experts have some misgivings about the July 31 deadline because a contract is usually awarded after a tender, but as of yet, no tender has been laid out.

According to the navy's Kuroyedov, the keel of a new large amphibious-landing ship will be finished before the year is out. That ship will displace 8,000 to 9,000 tons.

"The Russian Navy still has two amphibious landing ships that are unfit for action," Barabanov said. "It will take at least five billion rubles to build this ship."

If the tender is completed and the contract signed, these will be the first new ships for the navy since the year the Soviet Union collapsed, a navy source said.

"Not a single warship has been designed and built for the Russian Navy since 1991," he said, adding that the state has now started setting aside money.

The Russian military ship building industry's recovery has positively influenced armed exports.

"Naval hardware sales will account for 50% of Russian arms-export volumes, or more than $2.5 billion this year," Rosoboronexport head Sergei Chemezov said.

Sale of Aegis Weapons Systems to Australia Proposed

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

DefenseNews

The Pentagon on May 23 announced the possible sale of three Aegis naval weapons systems to Australia, saying it would increase the ability of the U.S. and Australian navies to operate together.

The Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) estimated the value of the sale at as high as $350 million.

Aegis systems are centered on a sophisticated computerized command system that can cue air defense missiles to enemy missiles and aircraft detected by targeting radar. Using its AN/SPY-1 phased array radar, it can track more than a hundred targets simultaneously.

Noting Australia’s strategic location, the DSCA said helping the Royal Australian Navy modernize its fleet of surface warships is vital to U.S. interests.

“The procurement also aids in maintaining the U.S. Navy production base and will improve interoperability between RAN and USN forces,” it said. “This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives, and facilitates burden sharing with our allies.”

AAR: Broadsides

By Paul Bridge

The task force started under immediate observation by Russian Spy Trawler [AGI]. They tried to double back in an attempt to shake these Nosy Nelly. They used a tactic from Roger's Rangers: "If someone's trailing you, make a circle, come back on your own tracks and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you." TF Belfast was ordered to maintain the radar picture while Bulwark went under Emissions Control [EmCon] so that the enemy could not track her transmissions.

I ordered the CAP already aloft to move to cover the TF. Enroute, their RWR detected radar and jamming. As their fuel was limited, I decided to investigate since they would not have much discretionary time remaining. It was a matter of use them or lose them. Their efforts revealed the KRI Irian and 2 Skory Mod destroyers; a big ASuW punch. I regret not locating the more potent Komar missile boats, but I was running out of fuel. The fighters would only have sufficient fuel for one quick gunnery pass and they chose to try and damage one of the DDs. They had no hope of sinking her, but they might be able to delay her long enough for additional assets to be brought into play. They made their firing passes and did light damage that was almost unnoticed by the Indonesians. On their homeward leg, 2 Fresco fighters intercepted them and they managed to kill one of them before the surviving Fresco broke off the attack.

The Bulwark group managed to shake the AGI only to be stumbled upon by a Beagle recon aircraft. Of all the bad luck. It seems as though I would not be able to shake their prying eyes, today. However, luck is a double-edged sword. The Beagle managed to locate me but also came into range of my SAMs. A volley of them quickly killed her.

I had the distinct unpleasant feeling that my group position had been relayed to the enemy's airbase at Pekanbaru and that an air attack was imminent. However, I only had 2 Javelin interceptors ready at RAAF Butterworth. If I launched them as an immediate relief Combat Air Patrol [CAP], they would likely be out of fuel by the time the real air attack materialized. With a re-fueling period of 6 hours, they would almost be out of commission for the duration of the game. I elected to gamble and keep them on the base for Deck-Launched Intercept [DLI] missions.

KRI Irian was foremost on my mind at the moment. She carried 152mm guns that easily matched those on CL Belfast. I needed to find a way to neutralize her. A gunnery duel would likely leave me on the short end of the equation so I order my 2 Neptune patrol aircraft to attack in hopes of a critical hit.

As they made their approach, they encountered a Komar boat. I quickly called off the attack and re-directed my efforts to the PGM. Her SSMs posed a greater threat. A pass from one Neptune was sufficient to kill her. The other Neptune returned to attack the Irian; a seemingly useless effort.

Two Kronshtadt-class vessels were found and killed with long-ranged gunnery and strafing attacks. I ordered my ships to hug the Malaysian coast in hopes of avoiding detection. They slowed their speed to maintain separation from the AGI and shut down their radar.

As my Hunters and other aircraft became available, I sent them to attack the Irian repeatedly. However, their puny rockets were little more than pea shooters when dealing with an armoured cruiser. One Hunter was even lost to AAA fire. I decided that only aircraft with heavy ordnance would be tasked with her destruction.

The enemy cruiser force stopped neatly astride my Path of Intended Movement [PIM]. There would be no way of avoiding the fight that appeared to be looming. I launched 3 Hunters with Bullpup AGMs. I fired all six at the cruiser, but failed to sink her. She was one tough ship. A Neptune strike left here ablaze but she was still able to make 14 knots. Say what you will about Russian standards. Their Sverdlov-Class cruisers were top-notch.

I tried to evade the Surface Action Group [sAG] by taking an inshore route. However, somehow, the enemy commander must have guessed my move for the SAG moved to intercept me. I ordered the naval equivalent of an infantry counter-march. I tried to sail away from the enemy in order to give my aircraft one last chance to sink that armoured behemoth. Luckily, the aircraft had damaged her sufficiently so that she could only make 14kts. of steam. I could easily maintain the distance. A second Neptune strike must have managed a lucky hit for her speed decreased to 8 knots. I decided to try the inside passage again just as a flight of Hunters was re-armed and closing to attack.

The Hunters were finally able to sink the cruiser. The surviving Skory DDs were met by the CL Belfast. Through expert seamanship, she was able to keep the enemy ships under the iron flail of her gun batteries while not allowing them to close to effective range of their own guns. Both Skory were sunk without inflicting damage on the British vessels. For this classic display of naval superiority, her Captain would win the Distinguished Service Order.

The Bulwark continued her voyage. However, she was not able to avoid detection. The Russian AGI, displaying exceptional prescience, cornered her and reported her position as she made her transit betwixt the islands. The Task Force went to General Quarters and they were not disappointed as the first bogeys were detected from Pekanbaru. Three Javelin interceptors rose from Butterworth and successfully intercepted 3 Farmer fighter-bombers. Lacking further targets, they killed a pair of Fresco that had been making a nuisance of themselves on Combat Air Patrol [CAP] before returning to base.

Not long after, five more bogies were detected. A pair of Javelin scrambled to intercept and were able to catch and destroy all five Invaders without loss to themselves. When the third raid was reported, only one Javelin was available. I ordered two Hunters to accompany her. Their guns would be better than nothing. There were only three Beagles in this attack but they would prove to be worthy opponents; destroying the Javelin and one Hunter before they themselves died. No further attacks were experienced as the Bulwark arrived safely.

Thanks for sharing another interesting and challenging scenario.

Here's the latest Installment in the Indonesian Campaign

HarpoonHQ

and

StrategyZone Online

"BROADSIDES"

Date: 10th June 1966

Location: Andaman Sea

Sides: UK and ANZAC Forces

The Air Strikes were considered a success on the Indonesian Airbases, destroying many of the A.U.R.I aircraft in the air and on the ground. Most of the Badger aircraft have been destroyed but at least 6 still remain operational.

The down side of the attacks were the numerous losses to the Vulcan and Canberra's which were badly mauled by the Mig-21's.

HMS Eagle dispite her defenses was hit by single AS-1 missile and the resulting damage and fires destroyed her catapults and numerous aircraft in the hanger and flightdeck, at present ship is limping back to Perth for repairs.

HMAS Melbourne faired better only receiving minor damage from rocket fire and is now in Singapore awaiting spare aircraft to bring her depleted airgroup up to full strength.

HMS Victorious still remains trapped in drydock, but with continuing repairs to the drydock gates she should be floated out by the end of the week. A large proportion of her airgroup have been destroyed at the airbases in Singapore due to sneek air attacks and terrorist attacks, replacement aircraft are on route from the UK.

At present HMS Bulwark and her cover group comprising of the WW2 Cruiser HMS Belfast have sailed from Aden and have now entered the Andaman sea on route to Singapore. Bulwark has embarked 45 cdo Royal Marines and a full complement of Wessex helicopters for future operations and are a prime target, She is due to anchor near RAAF Butterworth to take on supplies and must be protected at all costs.

The KRI Irian is unlocated but believed to be in the area , air threat is light and the submarine threat is assessed as medium.

Can HMS Belfast protect the Bulwark .....the choice is yours !

EU Creates New Rapid Reaction Forces

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BRUSSELS

DefenceNews

The European Union on May 23 launched two new “battle group” rapid response forces, part of a growing number of such units able to rush to crisis zones worldwide.

France, Germany and Spain agreed to set up one such force, while Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Germany also signed an agreement to create another at a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels.

The force is a “concrete contribution to the rapid reaction capacities that the European Union has decided it wants to have,” French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on the sidelines of the Brussels talks.

The EU plans to have 13 rapid response “battle groups” in operation by 2007, and sees them as a major step in matching its economic and growing political strength with military muscle.

The 1,500-strong tactical groups, which will put flesh on long-standing EU plans to have an independent military capacity, will be able to be deployed within 15 days and remain on the ground for up to four months.

Alliot-Marie, who was accompanied by Spanish Defense Minister Jose Bono and junior German defense minister Peter Eickenboom, said such forces of “immediate intervention could help prevent a conflict from deteriorating.”

The groups are an illustration the EU’s new strategy of deploying quickly to conflict zones, exemplified by the Artemis mission, deployed to quell violence in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the summer of 2003.

Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Norway, which is not an EU member, were expected to agree on another battle group later in the day.

US Criticizes UN Nuclear Watchdog Agency

Voice of America

The United States has blasted the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency for failing to report Iran's longstanding non-compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The criticism came on the first working day of a treaty review conference at U.N. headquarters, where VOA's Peter Heinlein picks up the story.

U.S. State Department official Andrew Semmel Thursday accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of failing to act on its own findings that Iran was violating the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Speaking to a conference on strengthening the treaty, Mr. Semmel noted that IAEA Director Mohammed ElBaradei had reported "damning findings" against Iran in 2003, and again in 2004. He urged the IAEA board of governors to meet its treaty obligation by immediately referring the case to the U.N. Security Council.

The Iranian government still has not provided a complete picture of key aspects of its nuclear program and continues to restrict access by IAEA inspectors. Unfortunately, more than 18 months later, the Board of Governors has yet to fulfill its legal responsibility to report Iran's serious and longstanding safeguards noncompliance to the Security Council. We think the time is long overdue.

The U.S. official's comment came on the first working day of a conference held every five years to review the treaty that is considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation efforts. The month-long gathering had been stalled for nearly three of its four-week session because of agenda disputes, prompting predictions that it will end in failure.

Conference President Sergio de Queiroz Duarte of Brazil has expressed hope that the final outcome can be rescued as delegates race against a May 27th deadline. But Algerian Ambassador Abdallah Baali, who chaired the last conference five years ago, says the volume of work, and continuing disagreements, make failure almost certain.

We have wasted a lot of time. It's a huge waste of time and energy and good will. We have not been able so far to address the substantive issues. We got stuck in the procedure issues, and we have too little time left to make any kind of progress, so obviously the conference has already failed.

Conference delegates were buoyed Thursday by news that U.S. and North Korean diplomats held talks in New York last week. Washington initiated the contact, and the White House said U.S. diplomats had urged their North Korean counterparts to return to stalled six-party nuclear negotiations.

North Korea is the only one of the 189 NPT member states not attending the twice-a-decade conference. Pyongyang withdrew from the treaty in 2003 after admitting it had a secret nuclear weapons program. Three other countries, India, Pakistan and Israel, have not signed the treaty.

Upgrades toughen 'floating targets'

Gregor Ferguson

The Australian

May 21, 2005

THE Navy's Anzac class frigates, famously dismissed as "floating targets" by former defence science and personnel minister Bronwyn Bishop, are being toughened up.

Under a swag of overlapping upgrade projects worth over $600 million, the eight Anzacs are being re-armed with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, new Evolved Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles, and new anti-submarine torpedoes and sonars.

Defence has pioneered a new business model for these upgrades. It has created an Anzac Alliance with the ships' builders, Tenix Defence, and the designer of their combat system, Saab Systems. The Alliance is proving an efficient way of designing and managing the upgrades and controlling their costs.

But one of the most important elements of this program, the $500 million so-called Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade, has been waiting for two years for final government go-ahead. The first stage of the ASMD, worth some $260 million, was finally announced last week as part of the new defence budget.

This stage will link the other upgrades into a coherent whole. The Navy wants an infra-red search and tracking system (IRST) to help detect sea-skimming missiles, and an upgraded combat system to process the enhanced sensor and fire control data more quickly.

The Navy is also considering installing a second Saab-built fire control radar so the ship can engage two targets simultaneously, and two short-range heat-seeking missile launchers aboard each ship as a last-ditch defence against supersonic anti-ship missiles.

The delay in getting the ASMD upgrade started is partly due to recent sea trials of an innovative Australian-designed alternative to the second Saab radar.

Canberra-based CEA Technologies has developed a family of modular solid state radars whose beams are steered electronically rather than by the traditional rotating antenna. The Lockheed Martin SPY-1 radar which forms part of the Aegis air warfare system uses the same "phased array" principle.

The US Government has already ordered two of the company's CEA-FAR radars for an undisclosed "black" surveillance application, while German shipbuilder Blohm + Voss has also specified the CEA-FAR as the baseline fire control radar for its innovative new Meko-D family of frigates.

Early this year, Navy put CEA-FAR aboard the Anzac-class frigate HMAS Arunta to test its performance against everything from low-flying Hornet fighters to simulated sea-skimming missiles.

The sea trials are presumably confirmed predictions of CEA-FAR's performance, but the technology is still very new and Defence is still studying the risks associated with it. An announcement is expected by mid-year on whether that second Anzac frigate fire control radar will consist of CEA-FAR and its smaller brother CEA-MOUNT.

The two radars will work as a team: CEA-FAR will track incoming aircraft and missiles while CEA-MOUNT will "illuminate" them at a different radar frequency to guide the ship's Sea Sparrow missiles to their targets. Their electronically steered beams will enable the ship to engage several targets simultaneously, rather than just one, increasing their survivability and combat effectiveness.

CEA Technologies' radar antennas resemble 60cm tiles which can be assembled into large panels. They will be arranged hexagonally atop the bridge of the frigates to provide 360-degree coverage.

New Chinese submarine base in Indonesia

India Defence.com

14 May 2005: Deepening its “strings of pearls” strategy of acquiring bases and cultivating ties from the Middle East to Southern China, China is now planning a submarine facility on one of the Indonesian islands close to the Malacca Straits, and Australia has protested this.

Diplomatic sources said that China ostensibly wants to protect the sealanes of communication in the Indian Ocean, especially the transit of oil tankers from the Persian Gulf, but it is also seen as a measure to preempt a US blockade of China’s energy sources in the event of a war with Taiwan.

In January, The Washington Times published an internal report for US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld in which the “strings of pearl” strategy was posited, and the key under-construction Chinese bases that were identified were Gwadar in Pakistan, and facilities in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, and the South China Sea generally, but Indonesia is a new addition.

The Pentagon report said, “China is building strategic relationships along the sealanes from the Middle East to the South China Sea in ways that suggest defensive and offensive positioning to protect China’s energy interests, but also to serve broad security objectives.”

The report added that “China…is looking not only to build a blue-water navy to control the sealanes, but also to develop undersea mines and missile capabilities to deter the potential disruption of its energy supplies from potential threats, including the US Navy, especially in the case of a conflict with Taiwan.”

“The Iraq War, in particular,” said the report, “revived concerns over the impact of a disturbance in Middle East supplies or a US naval blockade,” adding that Chinese military leaders wanted an ocean-going navy and “undersea retaliatory capability to protect the sealanes.”

As a direct consequence of such thinking, China will mass the Indian Ocean with attack submarines, and sources do not rule out deployment of nuclear submarines as well.

Because of anomalies in GPS data immediately available to undersea submarines, diplomatic sources warned that there would be a growing number of Chinese territorial violations in respect of India, and Australia has already objected to the upcoming Chinese facility in Indonesia.

I had the chance to try an HCDB scenario with these vessels. It was quite cool to see them simulated. Being nearly invisible was a huge advantage.

US Navy to test Norwegian stealth vessels

Norway Post

 

The US elite force Navy Seals has shown considerable interest in the Norwegian high speed patrol boats of the "Skjold" class, built with stealth technology, Aftenposten reports.

 

The stealth technology makes the vessels difficult to detect by radar.

 

 

The US Navy had one patrol boat on loan for a year for test purposes, and the Norwegian Umoe Mandal Yard has now entered into a contract with the Navy Seals for a further study and evaluation of the suitability of the new patrol boats for US purposes.

 

The Norwegian Navy has already ordered six of the high speed patrol boats, the last to be delivered by 2008.

 

Umoe Yard CEO, Peter Klemsdal, says that if the tests should result in a contract with it the US Navy, it may be necessary to find a US partner for the project.

 

Rolleiv Solholm

Battleset window

When viewing the Battleset loading window, it is not possible to view the orders for individual scenarios. The scenario is automatically loaded if it is selected instead of pausing to allow the player to view the orders first.

A additional perspective:

Singapore Highlights Work on Unmanned Surface Vessels

Source: Singapore Ministry of Defense

May. 17, 2005

eDefense

The Royal Singapore Navy (RSN) hosted a display on May 16 of 18 warships and two unmanned surface vessels (USVs) at Changi Naval Base (CNB) as part of the program for the International Maritime Defense Exhibition Asia (IMDEX Asia) 2005.

The warships were from Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, the Republic of (South) Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the US. Singapore Minister for Defense Teo Chee Hean visited some of the foreign warships. He also observed a demonstration of the Spartan USV.

The RSN and the US Navy are collaborating in the development of the Spartan USV, which can be configured for a variety of roles such as surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as mine countermeasures. The use of unmanned technology is an important component of the transformation efforts of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The RSN already operates the Protector USV, which was employed for force protection when the RSN deployed an LST to the Arabian Gulf for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Both the Spartan and Protector USVs are being showcased at IMDEX Asia for the first time.

The RSN is also hosting the 10th Naval Platform Technology Seminar (NPTS) 2005 in conjunction with IMDEX Asia 2005. The theme of this two-day biennial seminar was "Transformational Technologies for the Future Navy." More than 800 technologists, academics, and naval officers attended the seminar, which is a forum to encourage international research and sharing on the potential of future naval platform technologies.

The RSN will also be hosting three Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) events involving ships and personnel representing 19 WPNS navies. The participants this year include ships from Australia, Canada, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand, with personnel from navies of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and the US. Besides the 3rd WPNS Multilateral Tactical Training Center Exercise (MTTCEX), the RSN will also host the inaugural WPNS Multilateral Sea Exercise (WMSX) and the first WPNS Maritime Security Information Exchange Seminar. These WPNS events are useful avenues for building professional capacities, enhancing mutual understanding, and strengthening interoperability among WPNS navies.

Unmanned-systems technology is a key enabler in the transformation to the third-generation SAF, and the RSN is exploring the capabilities of USVs, which are controlled remotely from the mother ship and can perform a range of functions, including force protection, surveillance, and anti-submarine warfare, depending on their configuration.

The RSN has acquired a small number of Protector USVs, a commercial off-the-shelf system. The Protector was fielded to meet an operational requirement when the RSN deployed in the Arabian Gulf for Operation Iraqi Freedom recently. The Protector, being remotely controlled, offers enhanced surveillance, identification, and interception capabilities, while reducing risks to personnel in an operational environment.

The RSN is also participating in a collaboration program with the US Navy to develop the Spartan Scout USV and concepts for its operation. The Spartan Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program started in 2002. The Spartan USV is modular and can be configured for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; mine countermeasures; anti-surface warfare; and anti-submarine warfare roles. The RSN will commence testing the Spartan in local waters this year.

Singapore Navy Unveils Remote-Controlled Vessels

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, SINGAPORE

DefenseNews

Singapore on May 17 unveiled a fleet of remote-controlled vessels, which Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said would give the city-state a high-tech boost in the battle against maritime piracy and terrorism.

The two-ton Spartan Scout Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV), which can be operated from a main warship, can be individually configured to carry out a range of missions, including surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.

Teo, who witnessed a “live” demonstration of the Spartan’s capabilities, said the remote-controlled vessels would strengthen Singapore’s anti-piracy measures.

“The USVs allow ships to deploy such a vessel without getting the men into too close contact with a suspicious boat, which may have undesirable intentions,” Teo told reporters after the demonstration.

Singapore is developing the Spartan in conjunction with the U.S. Navy and expects to begin testing in local waters this year, the defense ministry said.

A less-equipped USV fleet that Singapore bought, the Protector series, is already in operation and was recently deployed by the Singapore navy during a deployment near Iraq to help U.S.-led forces, according to the defense ministry.

Both fleets were presented to the media on the first day of Imdex Asia 2005, a regional maritime conference showcasing the latest maritime defense technologies and products of 23 countries.

Speaking earlier at the conference’s opening ceremony, Teo, referring to the USVs as an example, said regional navies should engage in technological collaboration to combat pirates and potential terrorists lurking in the region’s waters.

“We need to develop new technological applications for more effective ways of carrying out our maritime security missions,” he said.

“In particular, unmanned surface vehicles can offer safer and more effective responses to maritime threats.”

Teo did not say how much the USVs cost nor exactly how many Protectors the Singapore navy had, describing the fleet only as “small”. No details were given on how far the USVs can operate from the main warship.

Time of day

Night and day are reversed so that daytime is actually 1801 to 0559.

Reported by Petar.

Aircraft destroyed

Aircraft destroyed on the ground/ship often do not get counted into Victory Conditions.

This is more of a glitch/hiccup than "bug".

Weapons allocation menu

When ordered to fire on an enemy unit, the Weapons Allocation window will sometimes open even if no weapons are available/able to attack the enemy unit.

BEST OF ANTI-MISSILES AXED

DefenseTech.org

Edited by Noah Shachtman

The most successful part of the star-crossed missile defense system has been the one based at sea. So, naturally, the Pentagon has decided to cut the program's budget, Defense Daily reports.

Launched from cruisers off the Hawaiian coast, the Standard Missile-3 interceptors have managed to hit their targets in five out of six recent tests. Land-based anti-missiles, on the other hand, couldn't even make it into the air during two recent exercises over the winter.

But never mind all that. The sea-based interceptors have been slated for a $95 million cut. That could keep a key signal processor from coming on line, which might "set back the whole program at least a year," Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) complained in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing. (Here's the transcript.) "Why are we setting aside such a successful program, where the outcome is almost predictable, and spending it on other, riskier programs?"

See if you can find the thread of logic in this answer from Missile Defense Agency chief Lt. Gen "Trey" Obering. Because I sure can't.

Well, let me get to the -- first of all, the program has been very successful in the testing that we have done to date.

Now, one of the things we have not done yet is fly against a separating [warhead – one that detaches from the main body of the missile]. And that is something that we do need to do because that represents the lion's share of the threats that we may be facing around the world.

And the reason that we haven't done that is because, if you recall, the one failure that we did have in the test program had to do with the [malfunction of the] divert attitude control system… that we would need for a separating warhead.

And we have not completely fixed that yet in the program. We're still going through the ground testing for a new design to validate that we do have a fix. We think we have identified the root cause of that and we've taken steps to address that.

But that's why we don't have a more robust profile, either in testing or in our production profile, because we haven't jumped all those technical hurdles yet. But we are in the process of doing that.

"Would it improve the program if you got your signal processor?" Inouye responds.

Obering replies, "Yes, sir, it would."

So Obering is worried his sea-based missiles can't hit separating warheads, therefore he's scaling the project back. But his land-based missiles can't hit anything at all -- so he's going full steam ahead with those. WTF?!?!?

THERE'S MORE: "Obering basically admitted that while the Aegis system may be progressing along its development path, it still cannot defend U.S. interests against the threat for which it was designed," says Center for Defense Information missile guru Victoria Samson.

Minus the SDACS (solid divert and attitude control system), which allows it more maneuverability, the Aegis BMD [sea-based ballistic missile defense] system cannot reliably intercept threat missiles with separating warheads, which, to Obering's own admission, represent "the lion's share of the threats that we may be facing around the world."

Which puts the so-called success of the Aegis BMD system in a different light.

AND MORE: Meanwhile, Defense Daily notes, one of missile defense' main cheerleaders in the Senate is calling for big changes in the interceptor effort. His suggestion: weapons in space that can knock down missiles in their "boost phase" – just as they take off. "We should begin the process of developing a space-based boost phase capability," Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) said.

There is no money in the current budget, or in next year’s request, for space-based systems, and Kyl bemoaned the fact that MDA is not expected to begin any development work on such programs until FY ’08. “Everyone knows that’s where we have to go,” Kyl said.

“It’s the political arguments that restrain us,” he said, adding that advocates must push the case for a space-based system.

In the 1980s, the Pentagon backed a space-based interceptor program known as “Brilliant Pebbles” that envisioned placing thousands of interceptors in outer space. Opponents ridiculed the concept, which became a lightning rod for criticism.

Obering also brought up space-based interceptors during his Senate testimony.

There are a lot of technical challenges that we need to address. And I think that while it is important to have the debate on the philosophical advantage and strategy of having space-based interceptors, it would be prudent to lay in a technical experimentation program to see if we can even do that.

"To my knowledge, that's the first time that someone from MDA has admitted that they may be breaking new ground with the SBI system and therefore should discuss the ramifications of doing so," Samson says. "Previously, Obering has been very careful to couch his remarks in the technical challenges to SBI, not the philosophical ones."

Bulgaria To Offer Three Bases To U.S.

Associated Press

May 16, 2005

Military.com

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria said Saturday it will provide three military bases for use by U.S. forces.

American officials have said they could use Bulgarian sites to deploy troops on rotational training tours as part of a broader U.S. strategy of shifting troops based in Europe further east.

An American team was expected in Bulgaria next week to discuss the bases, senior military officials have said.

Defense Minister Nikolai Svinarov said three bases will be offered to the Americans but "it remains to be determined which bases are to be chosen," according to the state news agency, BTA.

Parliament has the final say on the deployment of foreign troops, he said, adding a decision would be made by the end of the year.

Bulgaria, which joined NATO last year along with six other ex-communist nations, has declared its willingness to provide training grounds for U.S. troops.

Washington is interested in small, flexible bases, different from those set up to house large numbers of troops during the Cold War.

Earlier this year, the top commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Europe, General James Jones, said in Sofia he would propose to the U.S. Congress "four or five Bulgarian military facilities for use by U.S. forces."

Jones visited three possible locations - the Bezmer air base and the Novo Selo training area in southeastern Bulgaria, and the Black Sea port of Burgas.

Other possible options mentioned by military officials are the Graf Ignatievo air base in southern Bulgaria, the Black Sea base Atia and the nearby Sarafovo airport, used already by the United States to station refueling aircraft during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Russia developing new aircraft carrier

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - The Russian Navy is launching a project to develop a new aircraft carrier, the navy's commander Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov told Interfax.

"We are beginning work to develop a new aircraft carrier in 2005. Construction is to begin after 2010," Kuroyedov said.

"We are launching this development project and will involve leading experts to find out which materials and weapons we'll need and how many aircraft carriers should be built," he said.

Kuroyedov earlier told journalists that the navy is planning to put the new carrier into service in the Northern Fleet by 2016-17. Another carrier will be built for the Pacific Fleet, he said. "Deck aviation has a good future. A new multi-purpose aircraft will be created in a few years," Kuroyedov said.

The Russian Navy currently has only one aircraft-carrying cruiser, the Admiral Kuznetsov.

Royal Navy's new supply fleet could be built cheap in China

By Clayton Hirst

15 May 2005

Excerpt from The Independent

Britain could have its first fleet of naval ships built in China under plans being drawn up by shipbuilder VT Group.

The company is preparing to bid to supply the Royal Navy with up to 15 support vessels, in a contract thought to be worth £2bn.

But in a bit to reduce costs, VT is exploring the possibility of making the ships' hulls in China. The move would be controversial as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) insists that all warships be assembled in Britain.

However, VT believes that because the ships in the so-called Mars programme will be used to support front-line warships, the "made in Britain" rule will not apply.

Paul Lester, the chief executive of VT, said: "There could be an opportunity to get some of the hulls of those ships built in China or Eastern Europe and then brought over to the UK. The Mars programme brings that potential because they are support ships; they are not typical."

Assembling the hulls abroad would save a lot of money, he said. "There is no doubt that the cost of producing steel and doing some of the fabrication work offshore would be 25 to 30 per cent less than doing it in the UK. But a lot of work needs to be done to establish quality and reliability," he said.

The MoD kicked off the procurement process for the ships last month by asking companies to express an interest in bidding. It is understood that the MoD wants to sign contracts with a shipbuilder by the end of the year. VT is expected to face competition from BAE Systems and Swan Hunter.

The ships built under the Mars programme will replace out-of-date Royal Fleet Auxiliary craft that supply the Navy with oil, ammunition and food.

Hi

 

The current plan is that when this is published by Matrix Games, you will have both Single Player and Multiplayer together as a single purchase.

 

Licensed players can upgrade for $15, or with a really nice CD in a nice DVD style case for $25.  New players will have to pay $65/$75.

 

Don

Armchair General and WarfareHQ have undergone some dramatic changes. Not only has WHQ become StrategyZone Online, but the forums and both sites have moved to a new server. Please drop in and give them a visit was well as changing your book marks accordingly to: http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/forums/

Congratulations, SZO.

NAVY WANTS UNDERWATER SPYCAM NET

Defense Tech

Submarines have been part of America's arsenal since the Civil War. But we still don't have a very good idea about what lies below. Even the coastal, or littoral, waters remain something of a mystery -- which is why the USS San Francisco ran aground in January. And trying to track the sneaky little diesel subs that Tehran and Beijing are stockpiling? That can be even harder still.

The Office of Naval Research's solution: a semi-autonomous "network of fixed bottom and mobile sensors" that can track ships and subs along in the shallows. According to Defense Industry Daily, the Navy's big thinkers have just handed Penn State a $27.7 million contract to put together this "Persistent Littoral Undersea Surveillance Network," or PLUSNET.

Not to be outdone, the mad scientists at Darpa are working on their own undersea spy network, "a floating field of smart, long-term, station-keeping sensors capable of observing the ocean environment at a known location over an extended period of time."

The program will exploit local environmental effects (wind, waves, solar energy, temperature differentials, etc.), and geo-location technologies to establish long-term, station keeping ocean environment sensors... capable of maintaining less than a 250m watch radius for 90% of the time and a 2,500 meter watch radius for 100% of the time over a four week period in currents as high as 2 knots...

DARPA is seeking concepts that will provide either an entirely new military capability or will enhance existing capability by orders of magnitude (based on demonstrable relevant metrics), rather than extensions to existing systems or minor improvements to present capability.

THERE'S MORE: Undersea authority Joe Buff tells Defense Tech...

The worldwide fleet of diesel subs, always at their best in their own littoral waters, will some year soon break a thousand. Getting the look-and-listen grid installed before adversary diesel subs can sortie from port, before access-preventing enemy minefields can be laid, and before the opponent can plant their own anti-incursion robotic sentries, would save lives, time, and potentially huge amounts of money. The U.S. Navy needs to establish dominance here, and get it right the first time. Call it "preemptive surveillance."

To minimize casualties, this ought to be done with robotics. The question is, can the gadgets to do all this be developed, operationally tested, and pre-packaged in useable form, fast enough to be cost effective? I sure hope so. The Advanced Deployable System (ADS) is a portable mini-SOSUS which already exists, but it needs a land-based headquarters that's forward deployed and thus vulnerable. The oceans are also becoming crowded with autonomous civilian research probes called Ocean Rovers, to the degree that hordes of these things could become counter-detection or collision hazards for military submarines.

ELF still controversial

BY EMILY FAWVER

Spooner Advocate

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 11th, 2005 10:14:16 AM

On Sept. 30, 2004, the United States Navy shut down the much-debated Project ELF (extremely low frequency) stations in Clam Lake, Wis., and Republic, Mich., after the Navy said the project was outdated and no longer of use.

Project ELF was built in 1968 and started transmitting ELF waves in 1989. The purpose of the project was to communicate with deeply submerged, fast-moving Trident and fast attack submarines, each carrying 24 missiles with up to eight nuclear warheads. The Navy used ELF waves because the waves are able to deeply penetrate the ocean so submarines do not need to surface to communicate with land.

Project ELF consisted of 28 miles of insulated cable buried in the granite bedrock of the Chequemgon-Nicolet National Forest. It required two above-ground antennas in Wisconsin, each 14 miles long, and three antennas in Michigan; two were 14 miles long, the other was 28 miles long. The antennas continually pumped 1.3 million watts of electricity into the bedrock.

Since the beginning of Project ELF, there has been continuous public protest, with efforts to legally and illegally shut the project down. In 1984, Wisconsin sued the federal government for not considering all potential environmental and health effects of electromagnetic pollution. Wisconsin won, but the verdict was thrown out.

Activists turned to civil disobedience acts and peaceful protests to speak out against the project, concerned that communications via ELF could precipitate nuclear war. Since 1984, activists have cut down Project ELF poles five times, disrupting outgoing messages to the deep sea for short periods.

According to Nukewatch, an organization that has continually fought to shut down Project ELF, and described by Matt Vogel, a writer for a New York publication called The Catholic Worker, “639 trespass citations have been issued, on 58 different occasions, over the past 13 years. More than 40 people have been sent to jail or federal prison for refusing to pay court-ordered fines stemming from civil disobedience connected with Project ELF.”

Not only were activists concerned about the role of Project ELF in relation to war, they were concerned about the effects ELF waves had on human health and the surrounding environment. The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwa lives near the vicinity of the Clam Lake site, and the band was very active in voicing opinions and conducting research on health effects from long-term exposure to the electromagnetic radiation of Project ELF. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields are possible human carcinogens.

Like any environmental or political debate, there are at least two sides to the story and a whole spectrum of ideas in between. For example, according to studies conducted by faculty and researchers at Michigan Technological University (MTU), trees found within Project ELF’s antenna grid grow faster than those outside of it. Some people also argue that Project ELF helps preserve our way of life, for it helps to protect the United States and all of its citizens.

Communication with deep-diving submarines is far from extinct. Currently, a proposal exists to build a High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (Project HAARP) about eight miles north of Gakona, Alaska. The project remains in a construction and testing phase. The Air Force Research Lab and the Office of Naval Research operates Project HAARP, which is designed to study the ionosphere and to “enhance communication and surveillance systems for both civilian and defense purposes,” according to the HAARP Web page. When complete, HAARP could potentially send ELF waves to submerged submarines.

For more information about the HAARP project or the related ELF program, go to http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/elf.html.

Emily Fawver is a Northland College senior and writing intern at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute (SOEI).