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Daily News
By Gail Helmer

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Wednesday, January 08, 2003

PC News
Raven Shield Demo v1.1
Featuring a new map (Import_Export) and a new game mode (Escort the Pilot), the highly anticipated demo update is finally out.



Tom Clancy's Raven Shield

Fixed Bugs
  • Floating elements (HBS/Helmets/Grenades)
  • Connection for slow PCs (which cause a black screen)
  • Getting stuck on ladders
  • Switching weapon
  • Sound Error Messages
  • Fix some cheat issues
  • Death Physics improvement
  • Misc. Network Optimization
  • A countdown has been added in the beginning of each round


Other Changes
  • NEW GAME MODE: Escort the Pilot
  • Goal: Green team must escort a downed pilot, played by one of their own, to the extraction zone. Red team must prevent him from reaching the extraction zone.
  • NEW MAP: Import_Export
  • Location: Porto Alegre, Brazil
  • Arm Patches features - Officially added
  • Adjusted player speed slightly (faster)
  • Tweaked explosive ranges (increased)
  • Tweaked reticule speed ("more like Rogue Spear than it was before")
  • Increase ladder mount and crawl speed
  • Chat in between rounds will be easier to read
  • You can now set no time limit between rounds and launch game by clicking 'ready'. (Can be set by decreasing time between rounds to '--')
  • Adjusted miscellaneous message time (Chat and Drawing Tool [F4])


Full Details: Raven-Shield.com

CDV Declares War on the Americas. Contest Prizes Worth $10,000.
CDV Software Entertainment is asking gamers throughout Europe to unite in a battle to defeat their American counterparts.

The American Conquest War of Independence – sponsored in part by Gainward – will run on both sides of the Atlantic between February 14th and May 15th of 2003. Over 4,000 players are expected to enter worldwide, making this one of the biggest organised knockout tournaments around.

The tournament will be conducted via Internet-based games initially, until the field is whittled down to the best 16 players. At this point, the competition becomes serious as these great players will be invited to London to compete in a gruelling final stage which will unearth the best player in Europe.

A similar tournament will run concurrently in America – and once the best player over there has been declared, it's time for the two continents to go head to head in a glamorous Los Angeles final.

The European will win an expenses-paid three-day trip to LA in May. But this glamorous prize will be nothing compared to the real trophy – to be victor in Independence Day II, proving once and for all that the initial victory was nothing more than a lucky fluke. The winner of the final itself will claim an astonishing array of prizes, worth $10 000 US .

American Conquest – due for release on February 14th 2003 – portrays 300 years of historical conflict, from the moment Columbus arrived in Newfoundland to 1492, to the War and Declaration of Independence in 1776. Up to 32,000 units – a gaming record – can take part in each battle, resulting in some of the most sophisticated and epic depictions of war ever seen in a computer game. The title is historically accurate, utilising weapons and strategies of the period – which evolve throughout the game, obviously – making this a valuable educational tool, as well as a hell of a strategy game.

"This event will be see all CDV territories working together to find the undisputed strategy game king of the world," says Terry Malham, president, CDV Software Entertainment UK. "It's the most ambitious tournament we've ever organised and the prize will enable the winner not just to soak up the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, but, hopefully, humiliate an American in the process. It's time we restored part of the Empire."

Further information on the War of Independence can be found at www.war-of-independence.com.

Soldner: Secret Wars Reveals AFV
JoWooD Productions is proud to announce new details on the forthcoming Online Military Tactical Shooter, Söldner: Secret Wars. Information on AFV - Advanced Fighting Vehicles, can now be found on the official website at www.secretwars.net



Ka-50 Hokum AFV in Soldner: Secret Wars

A vast range of actual, 'modernised' units are included within Söldner as well as a host of futuristic designs based upon detailed military research will be available on the website updated every week. These will include modern day tanks and Humvees, modified lightweight versions of units such as the M1A1, through to newly designed units such as the large-wheeled, mine-proof small transport vehicle. Details on exotic units such as snow speeders and combat motor cycles will also be outlined over the following weeks. Visitors to the site will today learn about the Chinese and Russian vehicles featured within the game.

Söldner: Secret Wars will be released in Q3 2003 on PC CD-ROM.

Activision's Medieval: Total War Expands Northwards With Viking Invasion Expansion Pack
Activision announced an expansion pack for Medieval: Total War, the critically acclaimed PC strategy game which was honored as the top PC game of all time by PC Gamer (UK). Developed by The Creative Assembly, Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion turns the clock back to 790AD, when the Viking hordes descended from their Scandinavian strongholds to pillage their neighbors.

Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion challenges players to control eight new factions, including the Vikings themselves, the Saxons, Scots, Irish, Welsh and Picts, and embark on a campaign to dominate the British Isles. With a wealth of new historical heroes, players can lead a range of new units into battle, including Viking Berserkers, Saxon Huscarles and Fyrdmen, while conducting sieges enhanced by the introduction of flaming arrows and boiling oil.

"Medieval: Total War's mixture of epic battles, historical accuracy and brilliant design put the game in a class all its own," states Larry Goldberg, executive vice president, Activision Worldwide Studios. "Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion adds to this incredibly formidable mix in what is sure to be one of the best expansion packs of the year."

"We felt the era of Nordic raiders offered the perfect opportunity to add new flavors to the Medieval: Total War experience," explains Tim Ansell, founder, owner and managing director of developer The Creative Assembly. "Players can now sweep west from Scandinavia to raid, pillage and conquer just as they did over 1200 years ago."

Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion introduces new features that will be welcomed by fans of the franchise Players can now plan reinforcements and scout enemy formations before taking to the field from a new pre-battle screen. In addition, there will be new playable factions and a new heavy weapon in the shape of the fearsome Organ Gun. Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion is slated for release in the Spring of 2003 and has yet to be rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Medieval: Total WarTM visit the website at www.totalwar.com. For more information on The Creative Assembly visit the website at www.creative-assembly.com.

New Harpoon4 Site



New Harpoon4 website

Ubi Soft has launched the new Harpoon4 website here: http://harpoon4.ubi.com. Thanks to COMBATSIM forum member, JohnMc, for the tip.

Military News
India Plans Ballistic Missile Tests
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is preparing to test a range of missiles over the next few days, including a shorter-range version of its Agni nuclear-capable missile, a defense official said Wednesday.

The surface-to-surface Agni, which means fire in the Sanskrit language, is a key element of India's nuclear self-defense strategy against nuclear-armed neighbors China and Pakistan. India has had an indigenous missile program for nearly 20 years.

India and Pakistan have ended a 10-month military buildup on the border last year but continue to wrangle over the disputed the Himalayan region of Kashmir and in recent days have engaged in tough nuclear rhetoric.

A Pakistani official said firing by Indian troops on Wednesday across the heavily militarised Kashmir frontier had killed one civilian and wounded two others. There was no immediate comment from Indian officials.

Defense experts, however, said the proposed Indian missile tests were unlikely to re-ignite military tensions with Pakistan because these were routine trials.

The Indian defense official said preparations had been made to test an Agni 1 missile, with a range of 370 to 500 miles, from a launch pad in the Bay of Bengal.

An intermediate version of the ballistic missile with a range of 1,550 miles has already been declared operational.

"Experts are camping at the site, we expect the tests to take place in the next few days," the official said.

Defense scientists also plan to test a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed with Russia. The Brahmos missile, with a range of 175 miles, is set to enter production by year end.

Russia and India have close defense ties stemming from the Cold War. Nearly 70 percent of India's defense hardware is of Soviet origin. In recent years, New Delhi has ordered fighter planes, tanks and submarines from Russia.

The armed forces also plan to test a 150-mile range variant of its surface-to-surface missile, Prithvi, which is thought to be nuclear capable. A 90-mile version of the Prithvi, which means earth, is already being used by the army.

Pakistan, which matched India's underground nuclear explosions in May 1998 with tests of its own, has also developed a range of missiles to deliver such weapons.

Lockheed Martin Receives $341 Million Contract for PAC-3 Missile Production
DALLAS -- Lockheed Martin has received a contract for $341 million from the U. S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) for the production of the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile.

Under the contract, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control will produce 88 PAC-3 Missiles plus other associated hardware.

Production of all equipment will take place at the company's manufacturing facilities in Dallas and Lufkin, Texas, and the PAC-3 Missile All-Up Round facility in Camden, Ark. The first production PAC-3 Missiles were delivered to the Army in September 2001.



PAC-3 Missile

"The PAC-3 Missile is the world's most effective hit-to-kill air defense missile, and we're pleased to provide the U.S. Army with this powerful system," said Ed Squires, senior vice president - Air Defense Programs for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "The PAC-3 Missile works. It is a quantum leap ahead of any other air defense missile when it comes to the ability to protect the warfighter."

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is the prime contractor responsible for the PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade, which consists of the PAC-3 Missile, missile canisters, the Fire Solution Computer (FSC) and the Enhanced Launcher Electronics System (ELES).

The PAC-3 Missile is a high velocity, hit-to-kill missile and is the next generation Patriot missile being developed to provide increased capability against advanced theater ballistic missile, cruise missile and hostile aircraft. The PAC-3 Missile kills incoming targets by direct, body-to-body impact. The PAC-3 Missiles, when deployed in a Patriot battery, will significantly increase the Patriot system's firepower, since 16 PAC-3 Missiles load-out on a Patriot launcher, compared with four Patriot PAC-2 missiles.

The performance of the PAC-3 Missile during its testing phases over the past several years is unequaled by any other air defense missile. All PAC-3 Missile testing to-date has been deemed by the Army and DOT&E community as threat representative and operationally realistic. During the flight test program the PAC-3 Missile demonstrated hit-to-kill lethality against tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs) and advanced cruise missiles, as well as full-scale aircraft.

PAC-3 is one of the world's most sophisticated technologies. The PAC-3 Missile flights:

  • September 29, 1997 - Successful Control Test Flight
  • December 15, 1997 - Successful Control Test Flight
  • March 15, 1999 - Successful intercept TBM
  • September 16, 1999 - Successful intercept of TBM
  • February 5, 2000 - Successful intercept of TBM
  • July 22, 2000 - Successful intercept of low-flying cruise missile
  • July 28, 2000 - Successful intercept of low-flying cruise missile
  • October 14, 2000 - Successful intercept of TBM
  • March 31, 2001 - First "Tactical Ripple Mode" test - successful intercept of TBM by first PAC-3 Missile; successful tactical self-destruct of second PAC-3 Missile
  • July 9, 2001 - Successful intercept of an F-4 remotely piloted aircraft by PAC-3 Missile; second PAC-3 Missile fails to intercept TBM due to communications bus anomaly
  • October 19, 2001 - Successful intercept of advanced cruise missile
  • February 16, 2002 - PAC-3 Missile received an incorrect target location cue from the Patriot ground system: intercept was not possible, although the missile functioned as designed
  • March 21, 2002 - Successful intercept of TBM by first PAC-3 Missile; backup missile did not launch due to failure of a generator powering the launcher
  • April 25, 2002 - First of two schedule PAC-3 Missiles did not fire (anomaly identified and corrected) - Second PAC-3 Missile hit target but did not kill the warhead
  • May 30, 2002 - Successful intercept of TBM; backup missile did not fire (anomaly identified and corrected) In addition to these PAC-3 Missile flight tests, the PAC-3's predecessor missile, the Extended-Range Interceptor, demonstrated three hits in a row during the demonstration/validation program in 1994. Two of those tests involved TBM targets and one involved an air-breathing target (simulating a cruise missile or aircraft). The predecessor to missile to ERINT also achieved three consecutive body-to-body intercepts of targets in the late-1980s.


Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control develops, manufactures and integrates world-class air defense, fire support, strike weapon, naval munition, combat vision, anti-armor and advanced product solutions and systems for U.S. and international armed forces. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems products and services.

Source: Lockheed Martin


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