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Daily News
By Gail Helmer

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Friday September 13, 2002

PC News
Falcon 5 Grounded
COMBATSIM.COM has learned that development of the highly anticipated modern air combat simulation, Falcon 5, has been put on hold. Our sources tell us that funds for the project are not forthcoming at this time and most of the team (e.g., programmers, modelers) working on Falcon 5 have packed up, left the project, and are now in search of new opportunities. We are also told, however, that most of the team are still enthusiastic about the project and would willingly return if funding for the project were to once again become available.

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down Multi-Player Demo v11
After a few delays, the promised multi-player demo of Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, the tactical first-person shooter by NovaLogic, has now been released. The demo offers team deathmatch mode on one multi-player level with day and night settings, called "City Limits," that's playable over NovaWorld and LAN. Update: The original demo contained an NetQuartz 'ezpad' utility that caused problems for some users, so there's now an updated version 11 demo without it. Players that already have the v10 demo can simply use the 'Update Game' button in the game and then uninstall 'ezpad'.Download

Prisoner of War Movie
We have the lastest movie release from Codemasters upcoming 3rd-person adventure game, Prisoner of War. The game captures the heroism of Allied escape attempts from POW camps during World War II and Colditz is its toughest stronghold. Prisoner of War has gone gold and is due to ship to North American retailers on September 17. It’s available for download from here (file: Prisoner of War Game Trailer: Stone’s Story)

Military News
Pilots Charged with Manslaughter in Friendly Fire
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. F-16 fighter pilots have been charged with manslaughter and assault in the April "friendly fire" bombing of Canadian troops in Afghanistan that killed four soldiers and injured eight, the Air Force said on Friday. The highly unusual criminal charges by the Air Force against Illinois Air National Guard pilots Maj. Harry Schmidt and Maj. William Umbach followed a long joint investigation of the April 18 bombing.

Schmidt, who launched a 500-pound laser-guided bomb on Canadian troops conducting a night live-fire exercise near Kandahar, and flight leader Umbach each faced four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of assault. Schmidt was also charged with failing to exercise flight discipline and not complying with the military "rules of engagement" in the area. And Umbach was charged with negligently failing to exercise appropriate flight command and control and ensure compliance with the rules of engagement. [More...]

Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft Contracts Awarded
The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.contracts for Phase I of the U.S. Navy's Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) Component Advanced Development (CAD) program. The MMA program will replace the Navy's existing fleet of P-3C and EP-3E aircraft.

During CAD Phase I, contractors are expected to validate risk mitigations for each concept via modeling and simulation; define and select system architecture; and refine system requirements, validate the operational requirements document, seek source selection for system development and demonstration, and develop milestone-B acquisition documentation.

Once this five-month effort is complete, the Navy will choose two or three preferred concepts to be carried forward into CAD Phase II. These concepts will then be further refined and will form the basis of competitive proposals for a single contract award for MMA System Development and Demonstration (SDD), expected in early 2004.

Lockheed Martin's proposed integrated support system approach is a blend of commercial best practices and proven technologies leveraged from military programs, including the S-3 Prime Vendor Support (PVS) and the F-117 Total System Performance Responsibility programs. S-3 PVS has reduced overall depot-level scheduled maintenance costs by nearly 50 percent, increased aircraft availability by 25 percent and reduced scheduled maintenance tasks by 57 percent.

In meeting the Navy's requirement, the Boeing offering will bring advantages in aircraft performance, mission system performance, total ownership cost reduction, return-on-investment and will support the Navy's move to transformational war fighting concepts. The offering consists of a Next Generation 737-700 increased gross-weight aircraft militarized with maritime weapons, modern open-mission-system architecture, transformational employment concepts and commercial-like support for affordability.

The Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft program is intended to replace the P- 3C and EP-3E aircraft. The P-3C aircraft provides the U.S. Navy with strategic blue water and littoral undersea warfare capabilities and performs armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance functions. The EP-3 aircraft engages in the collection of signals intelligence, indications and warnings and information warfare.

Recovery Operations Conclude For Navy S-3B Aircraft
Recovery operations for the Navy S-3B “Viking” aircraft and crew reported missing Tuesday night have concluded and family members were notified that there were no survivors.

Remains and wreckage were recovered from the site of the debris field about 25 miles south-southeast of Puerto Rico.

The three deceased crewmembers have been identified as: Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey J. Gray, 40, of Mound, Minn.; Lt. Cmdr. Michael D. Chalfant, 36 of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Lt.(jg) Thomas Brandan McCombie, 25 of State College, Penn.

The Harry S. Truman Battle Group and other ships and aircraft operating in the southern Puerto Rican Operating Area covered more than 3600 square miles of water in search of the crewmembers.

The Truman Battle Group - currently conducting training exercises as part of a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) - had been conducting search and rescue efforts around the clock since the aircraft failed to return to the carrier.

The U.S. Navy has initiated an investigation into the cause of the incident.

The S-3B "Viking" is one of eight aircraft assigned to Sea Control Squadron Twenty Two (VS-22) Checkmates operating from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). The squadron is based out of Naval Station Jacksonville and is one of the eight squadrons that make up Carrier Air Wing Three.


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