Then a few weeks ago we spoke to Rod Swift, Managing Director for Digital Integration, and we added new information to the previous interview with James Baker. The substance of that information indicates that Super Hornet is more in the lineage of Tornado than any other simulation to date. Good news! Super Hornet will include a fully dynamic campaign system as well as a tactical dimension far beyond F16.

Now we have new screen shots, including some GUI shots, from this new simulation. The terrain looks much better than CSF, but then this is not satellite generated data (although it is accurately modeled and river and road placement is based on satellite maps).

The recent press release mentions some features of interest, including "the gaming world's first ever fully interactive carrier-deck. The inclusion of a fully interactive carrier deck is a first for flight sim fans and means that pilots will now be able to experience exactly what its like to land and take-off from an active US Navy Super-Carrier, with aircraft constantly landing and taking off around them. The complete deck simulation also features an interactive deck crew - with 15 types of hand signals, Fresnel light landing systems and talk downs." Here is the rest of the info:

SUPER HORNET FEATURES

• · Two ultra-realistic war-zones: Barents Sea and Indian Ocean - each 40,000 sq. miles
• · Unlimited number of single missions, with easy to use mission generation system
• · Comprehensive dynamic campaign in each war zone with players controlling up to 32 aircraft across 4 squadrons.
• · Four instant action Quickstart missions for air-to-air combat and ground attack
• · Advanced mission planner provides automatic or manual mission design.
• · Two player co-operative gameplay, head to head action and network gaming for up to 16 players
• · On-line interactive tutorial with information and guidance on flying Super Hornet.
• · Carrier take-off and landings, with marshaling deck crew and vehicles
• · State-of-the-art target rich environments.
• · High fidelity flight model.
• · Wingman control.
• · Fully "active" virtual cockpit, with comprehensive implementation of cockpit instrumentation, Heads Up Display and "Headlock" view for immersive air-to-air combat.
• · Vast range of weapons including the latest "smart" munitions.
• · Auto-pilot, terrain-following and auto-land facility.
• · Spectacular rendered animations
• · High performance 3D visual system with dynamic coloured lighting and light source shading.
• · Integrated MMX and Direct 3D support for latest 3D accelerator cards.

COMBAT ZONES

Would be Top Guns get to experience for themselves the pumped up, adrenaline charged excitement of real air-to-air and ground attack combat across two highly detailed, realistic war zones; the Barents Sea and the Indian Ocean

In the Barents Sea flash point (based around Murmansk) pilots fly against a rebel Communist faction of the Russian Federation which controls the Russian Northern Fleet. This war zone includes realistic carrier vs. carrier combat with the impressive Northern Fleet containing the Russian equivalent of the Super Carrier. This war zone also allows the player to face the formidable threat of both Bear and Backfire Bombers as well as the deadly MiG 29 and Su 27.

Over the Indian Ocean pilots do battle against the might of India, which is attempting an invasion of Sri Lanka. The Indian Navy is very formidable, featuring two heavily armed and well defended Harrier carriers. India also flies the Mirage 2000, so pilots will be up against one of the most modern and deadly of the French warplanes.

Each realistic war zone features over 18 different ships, 30 different vehicle types and 30 different plane types and takes place in a flying area in excess of 40,000 square miles, generated from real world terrain data.

GAME OPTIONS - Varied Levels of Gameplay

F/A-18E Super Hornet's realistic combat simulation features varied levels of immersive gameplay specifically designed to appeal to all flight sim enthusiasts, as well as arcade gamers, thanks to its quick start mission option which throws the player straight into the no-holds-barred action. There's also an interactive training area for budding top guns wanting to push themselves further. Super Hornet's featured levels of game-play include:

Quickstart: Four instant-action 'free-for-all' quickstart options involving air-to-air combat and ground attack

Training: A comprehensive range of missions to familiarise player with aircraft handling and weapon systems

Combat:

Randomly generated, or manually designed, self-contained single missions based upon roles of the F-18 in modern warfare, including:

• · Air-to-air combat
• · Anti-shipping
• · Close air support
• · Air interdiction
• · Defence suppression
• · Reconnaissance
• · Strategic attack

MISSIONS & THE 'REALITY' OF WAR

Super Hornet features the kind of completely immersive campaign system flight sim enthusiasts have been crying out for for years. In "Command" players will be able to experience what it's really like to be involved in a full scale war where your every action has repercussions on the outcome of the war.

Never before have gamers been able to live the fluid progress of war, to such an extent - each enemy and ally is programmed to react to the actions of the other. So whilst would be top guns are flying missions the ground war will continue to rage on beneath them.

Super Hornet contains a wide variety of mission types, targets, aircraft, weapon types, escort and AWAC's support. To create added variety as well as realism to missions weather conditions have been included alongside the advent of day, dusk and night.

MM Intro. Click for larger image.

STRATEGIC MISSION DESIGNER

Due to demand from game players across the globe, one of Super Hornet's strongest features is the inclusion of a comprehensive Strategic Mission Designer which offers players fully automated or manual mission planning right through to the smallest detail.

In "Command" the player's overall objective is to force the enemy to surrender. Just like in a real war, mission objectives will depend upon the success or failure of the player during his previous mission. But in addition to flying the awesome Super Hornet, players can also experience what it's like to plan the tactics of the war, controlling up to a maximum of 32 allied aircraft across 4 squadrons. No missions are pre-scripted and no outcome will ever be the same. Features include:

• · Flight plan generation for multi-aircraft sorties
• · Contoured terrain
• · Target prioritisation
• · Target selection
• · Target area preview
• · SAM, AAA, EWR threat analysis
• · Ground force positions
• · Territorial gains / losses
• · Display of infrastructure - supply routes, industrial sites, airfields etc

STATE-OF-THE-ART 3D VISUALS

Super Hornet has a high performance Direct3D-based 3D engine that supports MMX and 3Dfx, full 16bit colour, dynamic coloured lighting and light source shading. The terrain relief is fully textured, with each war zone having its own visual 'character' with towns, villages, airfields, harbours and industrial facilities.

Super Hornet has a virtual cockpit, with a scrollable field of view of 135 degrees left and right, 90 degrees up, and 30 degrees down. The player will also be able to 'snap' the view left, right, up and down. Also included is DI's "Headlock" view which tracks targets during air-to-air combat. There are over eight different external viewing modes.

The highly detailed Super Hornet model has full articulation of tail plane, rudder, landing gear, arrestor hook, ailerons, flaps, speed brakes and ALE-55 towed decoy.

ACTIVE COCKPIT

Super Hornet features an "active" cockpit which allows the player to select functions on the instrument panel using the mouse in exactly the same way that the pilot makes his selection in the real aircraft.

What's more the "active cockpit" is fully floating, which allows the player to look left, right, up and down smoothly. There is also the option of the new "Headlock View", which allows the pilot to automatically track an enemy fighter during air to air combat, just as a pilot would in a real combat situation.

The cockpit of the Super Hornet has been faithfully modeled on that of the real fighter. Other features include:

• Up-Front Control Display
• "Touch-sensitive" panel used to select autopilot modes, communications and navigation functions.
• Digital Display Indicators (DDI)

WEAPONS EQUPMENT

When it comes to sheer firepower no other fighter even comes close to the Super Hornet. It offers a huge selection of state-of-the-art weaponry, including the latest in smart munitions:

Air-to-Air

• · GUN - M61A1 Vulcan 20mm Rotary Cannon
• · AIM-9M "Sidewinder"
• · AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile) - a long range fire and forget, beyond visual range, air-to-air missile

Air-to-Ground

• · GUN - M61A1 Vulcan 20mm Rotary Cannon
• · LAU-61A Rocket Pod with M151 (high explosive) & M247 (Armour Piercing) Rockets
• · Mk82, Mk83, Mk 84 General Purpose Bombs
• · Mk82, Mk83 Retarded Bombs
• · Mk82, Mk83, Mk 84 Laser Guided Bombs
• · Mk82, Mk 84 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition)
• · CBU-15 Durandal Anti Runway Weapon
• · CBU-87B Combined Effects Munition
• · CBU-89B Mine Dispenser
• · CBU-97B Wide Area Anti Armour Munition
• · Mk60 Captor (EnCAPsulated TORpedo)
• · Mk62 Quickstrike Mine
• · AGM-65E Laser Guided Maverick
• · AGM-65F Imaging Infra-Red Maverick
• · AGM-84D Harpoon - an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system
• · AGM-84E SLAM - (Stand-off Land Attack Missile) - long range precision strikes
• · AGM-88A HARM (High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile) - used to destroy radar-equipped air defense systems
• · AGM-154A & B JSOW - (Joint Stand-Off Weapon) - munitions dispenser used to destroy area targets

Equipment

• · ALE-47 Chaff & Flare Dispensers
• · ALE-55 IDECM (Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures)
• · AAR-50 TINS (Thermal Imaging Navigation System)
• · AAS-38A NITE Hawk (Navigation IR Targeting Equipment)
• · ASQ-173 LDT/CAM (Laser Detector-Tracker/Strike Camera)
• · AWW-9 DataLink Pod
• · Reconnaissance Sensor Pod
• · 330 & 480 Gallon Drop Fuel tanks