kneecaps

It's probably worth me pointing out I don't actually have Harpoon 4 (don't want anybody thinking I couldn't be bothered to lookup the rule) . Looks like fun though. I'll certainly get it if I can find it at a reasonable price.

It is 4.4.2.4 Bearing Ambiguity and Towed Array Stabilization (Optional Rule) Also of note, the Akula being at Intermediate II depth puts it below the Layer/Thermocline. See 4.4.4.1, but essentially if the layer is between the sonar and the target, whether active or passive, the sonar range is halved. There is an exception when the scenario sea state is 5 or higher, the roughness of the seas prevent the layer from forming. Bearing Ambiguity only requires a turn (of the array) to eliminate...once the false bearing will develop a very high line of sight rate. I don't know how the rules deal with it.

GIUK 5.0 is all about the "surge" of Soviet submarines through the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Gap. Your Orions and Nimrods are great tools for nipping that surge in the bud. Keflavik is already fairly well placed to put some Orions on formation patrols that will cover large parts of the Gap. You will probably only a need a few more aircraft - including Orions from Keflavik and Nimrods from the UK - operating outside the formation in order to achieve very good coverage. Set courses for these "independent" aircraft that will pass back and forth over a certain piece of real estate in the Gap. You can tap the 'drop sonobuoy' key to manually lay sonobuoy fields, and if nothing else, you're getting MAD and radar coverage. You can also expand the zone sizes at Kinloss (UK) so that you can use formation patrols to get better coverage of the gap between the Faeroes and the Shetlands. Thanks! Great advice, I'll get started tomorrow.

Thanks, I guess thats the only way. It's a waste really, the Orion and Nimrod are great search platforms of the own, I think automated search/patrol patterns are top of my wishlist now

Awww....GIUK 5.0. I have nearly 30 long range ASW aircraft at my disposal.... Somewhat difficult to micromanage! Any suggestions?

I think a Perry at a greater distance than this would be able to classify an Akula, Perry's have great towed arrays! Also, you don't NEED to classify it. Intel would tell you if you had friendly sub in the water. Shoot a fish down his bearing, watch him turn and run. ) I really enjoy these paper rules AARs.

Happens with a very large area of uncertainty. The default activation range is set to a shorter distance than is wise. You can say that again! It's especially amusing as the Sunburn was heading towards a Norweigian patrol boat, the sunburn wasn't even worth wasting on the patrol boat, the net effect was killing the Kirvak AND saving the patrol boat Additionally (slightly of this particular topic), I was able to take out the whole group (Sovremenny, Udaloy, Kresta, Kashin, 2 x Nanchukas) with harpoons launched from a OHP, Knox and Spruance + 2 x Orions. This didn't quite do it so I had a flight of 5 F-16s loitering nearby, they swooped in and rained fire with their Mavericks. I don't know if it was the earlier harpoon attacks (damaging radars and mounts?) or the jammers on the Falcons but the Sovremenny and Udaloy didn't muster any kind of effective AA response.

If I hadn't just sent the rest of the group down to Davy Jones locker, that skipper would have had some explaining to do However, surely it's a total rookie mistake to set to activation range to within your formation ))

I'm currently playing GIUK 4.0. So Trondheim detects a number of missiles in the air from a Russian surface group (I know where it is rougly due to air recon). I also know there is a Kirvak pretty far ahead of the main body. Next thing I see the Kirvaks point defences shooting down a Sunburn. The next Sunburn hits the Kirvak sinking it. Presumably it works a little like the Harpoon? It's activated too soon and guided in on ther first ship its found! Very amusing!

Glad you like it. I hadn't really intended to introduce a scenario for this discussion, as it really just focuses on the functional aspects of the formation editor in the SE/GE and why it is set up that way. We'll start introducing scenarios with the discussion on ASW, the first part of which has been posted here. Thanks, for the reply, i'll move onto the ASW one in that case! Great stuff.

Long range patrol missions do not currently have the ability to conduct their own independent ASW searches. So you have to set up a search yourself and micro manage it. If you look at the Wish Lists sub forum, you'll notice that this issue is at the top of just about everyone's wish list. Thanks for pointing this out! I did put one of the PC3s in a patrol formation with it's airbase and it does a helicopter like random bouy drop.

I launch an Orion and tell it where to patrol. It's sitting loitering, rather than patrolling. Shouldn't it be dropping bouys? Am I going to have to put it in formation with the airbase to get it to do that?

This is EXCELLENT!!!! It really is Tactics 101! Is there a scenario file for this so we can play about with what your describing? Thanks! Pete

Additionally you wouldn't want to set your fish to enable at 0.1 NM through to 7NM...for starters the active head on the fish is not likely to even see the target should it be 7NM out (14,000 yards!) Also i beleive that most types execute a snake or circle pattern once they enable, this is going to reduce the endurance of the torpedo if it starts snaking shortly after it leaves the tube. Other reasons for setting a good run to enable is to protect other targets in the area, although I beleive floors and ceilings are also good for protecting surface shipping. You don't want your fish going active too soon and potentially acquiring the wrong target...also you can predict that the target contact is going to turn tail, drop a few counter measures and run, RUN RUN.....if you enable too soon there's a good chance your going to acquire those countermeasures, if you don't enable until after where the countermeasures will be deployed then it's going to elminate any chance of being fooled by them.

With basic TMA it isn't difficult (assuming the contact isn't changing course and speed) to establish a pretty accurate idea of the targets distance. It's also often possibly to quickly determine a targets speed from the sounds generated by the screw.