Back to Archive Index

COMBATSIM.COM DAILY NEWS (ARCHIVE) If you have a news item, please send it to [email protected] Return to COMBATSIM.COM Main

Friday, November 19, 1999

Flanker2 Ladder Open Adam Adamski Bank's Flanker 2 Head To Head Challenge Ladder is up and running. The F2 ladder is open to all and is currently accepting members. Adam Banks owns and operates the ladder, and hosts the Warbirds and Su-27 Flanker 1.5 ladders as well. Click here to visit the ladders. The Flanker Ladders are considered the toughest Jet competition Internet Ladders in the world. Flanker2 Contest Winners Grand Prize: Limited edition (only seven made) scale replica of a Flanker Su27 Jetfighter. Set on a wood stand with "Flanker" embossed in gold. A $250 value! Greg Ferrell Second Prize (2 awarded): Exclusive (only twenty made) elegantly framed display stands featuring the box cover artwork on one side and screenshots of from Flanker 2.0 on the other. Autographed by the Russian producers! Value? Priceless! Philip Siems Jake Meltzer Third Prize (5 awarded): Exclusive SSI Prize Pack. Includes a camo mug, pen, keychain, desktop clock, compressed T-Shirt, Swiss Army knife, and an SSI drawstring bag. Value is $45. Keith Phillips Brennan Slavik Andreas Ott Andrew Hody Sean Duffy Fourth Prize (10 awarded): Autographed Flanker 2.0 game. Box signed by Producer Sean Decker. Value? Incalculable! Tom Bond John Guentzel Darby Johnston Ron Chambless Graeme Ward Suneil Kalia Charles Baldner Han Chu Joe Lorenc Cliff Alcorn What's in a Name? Our sources at Hasbro tell us that Gunship3 and M1 Tank Platoon3, scheduled for end of Q1 2000, are in for a name change. Gunship3 will be called Gunship! and M1 Tank Platoon3 will simply be Tank Platoon. Reason for the change? There's a perception by consumers that unless they've played the previous versions they won't be able to enjoy or even comprehend the newest release. Hmmm, good point. New @ COMBATSIM.COM Review: JANE'S USAF USAF isn't a Novalogic sim, where systems are simplified and the emphasis is on action. Neither is it Falcon 4.0, where each system is replicated in exacting detail, requiring many hours of practice at high levels of realism. USAF stands firmly in the middle and succeeds admirably. Flanker2 Demo The official demo for Flanker 2.0 has been released. Click here to download from Flanker2.com Mods @ RogueSpear Database Single Player Kit *Updated* - Gives you the multiplayer weapons in single player, but this time with images and descriptions for the weapons. Nighthawk Maps v0.9a - Four modded maps which give an intense game. DEATH Mission Pak - Three new single player missions. Missions are: Assassination, Postal, and Ruined Lives. Digital Mod v3.2 Beta - This is a weapon mod that adds lots of new weapons, including some silent sniper rifles, and a "Digital Sniper". Mod is still in the beta stage, the final version will include lots more. 3DFiles.com: Hidden & Dangerous Patch Here's what's new in version 1.3: Improved AI of allied soldiers. Status: Improved Follow mode, Move on command and overall AI of allied soldiers. Improved AI of enemy soldiers. Status: Improved covering after being shot. Walking by preprogramed path. Smarter grenade throwing. Overall enemy intelligence improved. Killing by the knife through the wall. Status: Fixed. Vehicles. Status: Vehicles sky launch bug fixed. Vehicles falling under terrain fixed. Hardware fixes. Status: PIII compatibility promblem fixed. Running HD on low memory cards improved. Click here to download. Edwards aerospace pioneer dies Retired Col. (Dr.) John Stapp, who died Nov. 13 at 89, was renowned as a rocket sled pioneer. In the late 1940s and early 50s, he was frequently strapped into sleds and hurled down deceleration tracks to study the human body's tolerance for gravity forces. Click here for complete story details. Jane's Defence Weekly for 17 November 1999 Latest Patriot missile technology gets export approval The US Department of Defense has approved for international sale the most advanced model of the Patriot anti-missile system in a move aimed to ensure US industry remains competitive in the international market for missile defence technologies and clear the way for a possible $4.2 billion sale to South Korea. Italian Air Force signs as first Spartan customer The Italian Air Force is to become the launch customer for the US/Italian Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems C-27J Spartan, with the announcement last week that it is to receive 12 of the aircraft from 2001. USAF looks to phase out laser-guided bombs The US Air Force (USAF), in its search for weapons capable of operating in all weather conditions, is poised to phase out laser-guided munitions by retrofitting its substantial inventory with satellite guidance packages. USN calls for advanced land-attack missile proposals The US Navy (USN) is accepting proposals from contractors to develop an advanced land-attack missile that could enable destroyers to hit precise targets at ranges of up to 450km. Irish install armament on new OPV The Irish Naval Service is in the process of installing a 76mm OTOBreda medium-calibre gun aboard its new 79m offshore patrol vessel (OPV) LE Roísín, accepted from UK yard Appledore Shipbuilders at the end of last month. More firepower for ZSU-23-4 SPAAG Russia's ZSU-23-4 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) system has been upgraded with the addition of two pods of fire-and-forget surface-to-air missile systems. New Zealand's navy chief argues four-frigate case With both its operational frigates currently deployed to support UN operations, the Royal New Zealand Navy's most senior officer has made a renewed call for the re-establishment of a four-frigate Naval Combat Force. US plan to sell rocket launchers to South Korea The US Department of Defense has notified Congress of Washington's intention to supply South Korea with 29 Multiple Launch Rocket System launchers, together with associated equipment and support material, worth an estimated $490 million. Ineffective DRC ceasefire hailed as 'null and void' More than two months after it was signed, the ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is no nearer to effective implementation and has been declared 'null and void' by several of the parties to the ceasefire. Israel seeks new money in Asia Israel is bracing itself for a realignment of its Asian market next year with defence officials predicting a significant downturn among its major customers, particularly in East Asia, but Israel hopes to offset the losses by developing other markets on the continent. ASEAN wanting on rapid deployment The requirement to deploy peacekeeping forces at short notice to East Timor, and subsequently sustain them, has revealed the weaknesses in the rapid deployment capabilities of the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) that has forced a reliance on Australia. Jane's Defence Upgrades 16-30 November 1999 Su-30MKK upgrade targeted for China Russia's Ramenskoye PKB (Priborostroitelnoye Konstruktorskoye Byuro - Instrument Building Design Bureau) has developed an upgrade for the Sukhoi Su-27/-30, targeted at China, which has 46 Su-27s. The modernisation programme offers two variants: a minor upgrade, similar to that developed for Russia, and a major upgrade, which brings the Su-27/30 up to the standard of Su-27M (Su-35) and Su-30MK versions. German sonar for Improved Sauro MLU STN Atlas Elektronik reports that factory acceptance tests (FATs) of the first ISUS 90-20 command/combat system - as part of the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of Italy's four Improved Sauro-class diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) - are well under way, with delivery planned for early 2000. M16 upgrade contract for FNMI FN Manufacturing Inc. (FNMI) of Columbia, South Carolina, has been awarded a contract, worth over US$84 million, to supply 20,635 M16 rifle conversion kits to convert US Army Colt M16A1 rifles to M16A2 standard. Up to 60% of M16A1 components have to be changed to bring them to M16A2 standard, which is considered to be a better all-round rifle than its predecessor. Brazilian F-5 avionics contractor examined The Brazilian government is to launch an investigation into alleged irregularities arising from the October 1998 selection of Israel's Elbit Systems to upgrade 48 Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The objections are understood to centre on the prime contractor Embraer's inclusion in the upgrade selection panel. SHOW REPORT: The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Scott R Gourley reports on some upgrade highlights of the AUSA exhibition, held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington DC in October . These include two possible upgrades to the yet-to-be-fielded ''Crusader'' self-propelled artillery system; the announcement that cockpit air-bag systems (CABS) are in the process of being qualified on OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters; and a display of the Military Underlift Model 250M, from the Tru-Hitch Corporation. TECHNOLOGY INSERTION: Russia proposes upgrade of Su-24 Fencers The Gefest & T joint stock company of Russia is offering to 'upgrade while in service' (without sending the aircraft to repair works or specialised facilities) the full range of Sukhoi Su-24 'Fencer' strike/reconnaissance aircraft in Russian service. This will improve their capability to strike against ground and sea-based targets in more difficult conditions and provide a significant increase in the aircraft's combat potential. Nikolai Novichkov reports. BACKGROUND BRIEF: Slovenia's PC-9M Swift - an Israeli-executed conversion The appearance of a fully armed Slovenian Pilatus PC-9M at this year's Paris air show looked to fly in the face of the Pilatus policy of not providing armed aircraft. In reality, this proved to be an innovative upgrade from Radom Aviation Services of Israel. George Mader explains.

Thursday, November 18, 1999

New @ COMBATSIM.COM Simulation Survey What would YOU like to see for Rowan's next project? What about JANE'S? Are you still hoping for an F14 simulation? History: 17 November, 1942. The 303rd Bomb Group first went into action on November 17, 1942. Following a feverish night of activity during which all traffic to and from the base was halted, the few bombers on hand took off with a load of bombs for St. Nazaire. Close Combat4 Demo SSI has released the demo for Close Combat 4: Close Combat-Battle of the Bulge is a tactical real-time WWII wargame that emphasizes realism. The game focuses on the infamous 1944 "Battle of the Bulge" and has everything from surprise attacks, stalwart defenders, spies and sabateurs, soldiers attacking from the skies, big tanks, desperate battles and even the calvary riding to the rescue. Click here to download from SSI. Thanks to Clarke for the tip. Another Delta Force 2 Patch 3Dfiles.com has posted another patch for Delta Force 2. You can download here or autoupdate through your game. Internet Explorer 5.01 Microsoft has released an update for Internet Explorer 5.0. To update simply use the update feature in Internet Explorer. Rogue Spear - Air Force One Mod Rogue Spear Database has posted a new mod for Rogue Spear: Rodion M. Herrera (author of Make Yourself an RS Operative) has completed his Air Force One Mod. This is an excellent mod that replaces Mission 05: Operation Perfect Sword with "Operation Lost Edge", in which your objective is to save the president and the first lady from their Air Force One aircraft. Click here to download the Air Force One Mod. US Military News Air Force to get six F-22s in 2002 The Air Force will acquire six test F-22 aircraft in 2002 with funds provided by Congress in the budget resolution passed Oct. 5. In the resolution, Congress delayed production of the F-22 from December 1999 to December 2000, and cut funding by $560 million to make the Air Force justify the F-22's cost and prove its technology. Click here to read the full story. V-22 Osprey takes to skies over Hurlburt Field The V-22 Osprey recently flew overhead here during an orientation flight for Lt. Gen. Clay Bailey, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command. The Osprey is here for two weeks to undergo a critical operational evaluation that will determine its readiness to join the fleet. Click here to read the full story. Remains Identified and Returned Remains of eight U.S. Navy sailors who were missing in action from World War II have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial in the United States. On Aug. 6, 1942, these crewmen were flying a routine patrol mission whose search sector took them over the island of Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. The weather was reported as adverse, and the aircraft never returned to its home base in New Caledonia. Searches failed to uncover any traces of the PBY-5 Catalina aircraft or crew. Click here for complete story details.

Wednesday, November 17, 1999

New @ COMBATSIM.COM Editorial: Sim Design Immersion... the willing suspension of disbelief. Just what makes a simulation appealing anyway? Feature: MiG Alley Recently I met Major General "Boots" Blesse, the author of "Check Six," and had a chance to hear some of his life stories as well as to chat with him afterwards. His experiences help make sense of the MiG Alley campaign and offer unique insight into the tactics of the time. FleetCommand Warship Database Project Update The Warship Database Project Version 4.2 is now available for download! This latest version includes enhancements to the air defenses of surface ships, improved gunfire routines for air defense and surface combat, improved SSM salvo fire for the AI, some new ships for the added Canadian Navy, and many other fixes and improvements. See our Mission Download page for the link. Guillemot Announces USB Guillemot has announced the next products to be presented to gamers will be the new ThrustMaster controls which will be shown at E3 in May 2000. These flight simulations tools will be engineered to follow up the successful HOTAS systems - FLCS, F-22 and F16TQS - and will include among other technical features a USB interface.

Tuesday, November 16, 1999

New @ COMBATSIM.COM Feature: MiG Alley Recently I met Major General "Boots" Blesse, the author of "Check Six," and had a chance to hear some of his life stories as well as to chat with him afterwards. His experiences help make sense of the MiG Alley campaign and offer unique insight into the tactics of the time. Review: Panzer Elite Panzer Elite is the creation of Wings Simulations and represents World War II platoon-level tank warfare. It is extremely focused on details and realism. This focus shows in the scope of the game. It is limited to German/American actions from late 1942 to mid-1943, the theaters of operations of North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Normandy. Another Shadow Company Patch (1.2) Ubisoft has posted a 1.2 patch for Shadow Company. This patch fixes many of the control and mobility problems encountered during the game. The patch also fixes problems with the ATI 3D card, cursors, and the control problem in Multiplayer mode. Clich here to download from 3DFiles.com. 3dfx Announces VSA-100 Scalable Graphics Processor 3dfx Interactive Inc. announced yesterday the first implementation of its new Voodoo Scalable Architecture technology. The initial advanced processor, the VSA-100™, is a highly scalable design that supports the integration of one to 32 chips per system, using proprietary programmable scan-line interleaving (SLI) techniques, to deliver fill rates and visual reality through digital cinematic effects. Additionally, the VSA-100 architecture improves 3D rendering quality by incorporating full-scene anti-aliasing technology. 3dfx also announced the Voodoo4™ and Voodoo5™ board products based on the VSA-100 processor. Voodoo4 and Voodoo5 are expected to ship in March, 2000.

Monday, November 15, 1999

New Flanker2 Add-On's There have been a couple of new graphical add-on's for Flanker2.0. The first is new "English" cockpit. There are two variants, one with some english components, the other is a complete english cockpit conversion. The other add-on is a new cockpit reflections with direction arrows to help with orientation. Click here to download the English Cockpit (basic) Click here to download the English Cockpit (complete) Click here to download the new cockpit reflections . Put the TGA file into your \Flanker2\bazar\World\Textures directory Patches/Updates on 3DFiles.com Panzer General 1.10 Patch Fixes include the crash to the desktop when the computer AI was ambushed by a player, paratroopers can now airmobile to any other friendly controlled airfield regardless of distance, several firing and shadow graphics have been fixed and The crash to desktop by using CTRL-I or CTRL-J when no unit was selected. Click here to download. Shadow Company Patch This patch Add Gamespy support to Shadow Company. Clich here to download. New Voodoo 3 Drivers Voodoo3 2000/3000 WHQL Win9x Retail Drivers - AGP/PCI Boards Version: 1.03.04. Updates include OpenGL support, fixed desktop corruption issues, fixed power management and screensaver issues. Clich here to download. New Banshee Drivers Voodoo Banshee - Version: 1.03.04 reference drivers for AGP/PCI boards running under Windows 9x. This driver kit includes: Glide 2.6, Glide 3.1, DirectX 7.0 (Direct3D and DirectDraw) and the Voodoo Banshee Control Panel. These drivers support Intel, Cyrix and AMD 3DNow! based CPU's. Click here to download. New Falcon4 3D Cockpit Frugals worlds has posted the first ever replacement 3D cockpit for Falcon 4. It is by Rufus Parsons and requires Julian Onions Skin Editor. Rufus also submitted his updated soundkit for Falcon 4. You can find them in the Cockpit's and Sounds sections of their Falcon 4 Files page. Gallaleo's Rogue Spear Stats Rogue Spear Stats version 2.3a is now available. 2.3a gives you the ability to delete players whose stats you do not want. You can download the RS stats 2.3a here from The RogueSpear Database New Flanker2 Squadron Maj Luch "Avalon" Bugini has announced the formation the KamiKali Virtual Air Force as a Flanker 2.0 Squadron. The 404th ADFR (Air Defense Fighter Regiment) opened its recruitment phase. If you are interested, you can email Maj Luca "Avalon" Bugini Operation Red Warrior Complete Success From the XO of the 187th VFW: Though we fought thru many technical issues, we were able to get 8 people in a force on force TE, 3 out of 5 times in Falcon 4. The war drew interest from many people thanks to your putting our news release on your site. I would like to thank you for giving our operation your time and attention. Should you have any questions or comments please contact me. The 16th TFW Flying Tigers and the 187th VFW Avengers would like to thank you for supporting on line gaming and Falcon 4 in particular. In case you are interested, the Avengers have a Press Release section of our website. Dusty "Redwolf" Rhodes LTC XO 187th VFW Avengers FIRST TO FIRE! Email Dusty WarRoom for Flanker 1.5 Back Up Ross MacGregor has put up a new site for hist Su27 WarRoom and Instant Action Generator tools for Flanker1.5. He's wrapping up tool development for Grand Prix Legends. You can check out his GPL site. Ross is currently gearing up for a new version of WarRoom for Flanker2.0 as soon as time permits. WarRoom is a dynamic mutiplayer campaign engine for Flanker 1.5. From moving battlefield lines to resource management, it's been considered a generation ahead any campaign today.