What are you reading?

[squorch2]

Ahh, youth...

 

[Brett327]

I think F-19 was the first game I bought when I upgraded my Atari 800XL computer to my first PC (Tandy w/ 8Mhz 80286). It had a dynamic RCS meter that spiked in a turn or when your weapons bay was open. Watch out for SAMs!

 

[squorch2]

It also roughly modeled pulse vs. Doppler radars and lots of A-G weapons. If you enabled "fighter" mode, you could carry sidewinder and AMRAAM too.

 

[Uncle Fester]

On the topic of miniseries that would be good: I'd really love to see Red Storm Rising as a TV Miniseries. I know the Clancy estate is in a bit of turmoil at the moment, but that would be pretty awesome. I read it last year again, and it was even better with my limited Navy knowledge now.

I had the same thought when I re-read "RSR" not long ago, that it'd be a great miniseries. Out of all the Tom Clancy books, it was pretty much the only one that didn't run with the Infallible American Superheroes in Uniform archetype. Shit breaks, good people fuck up, things don't go as planned. I think it's because it was essentially co-written by Larry Bond, whose books are in the same genre but a bit more nuanced as to how wars actually get fought.

There's a lot that's not realistic... a whole battle group getting suckered by Kelts, for instance. And given what we now know about Soviet doctrine, a real WWIII would've gone nuclear on the first day, though we kinda hoped that wasn't true at the time and anyway that would've been a much different, more depressing book. But still. It's not bad.

Red Storm Rising is a good read. Pretty funny to read about them taking out the experimental SH-60F...

And going to sea on the brand-new, high-tech FFG-7 class. So new the captain character's never even been aboard one before he takes command.

Speaking of nuclear combat toe-to-toe with the Russkies: there's a pretty good book in that vein called Resurrection Day. It's an alternate history that takes place ten years after the Cuban Missile Crisis turned into a war. It's pretty well-researched given what we know about the relative arsenals in 1962 and Soviet/Cuban plans in the event of an invasion. The US took several hits and is a impoverished shell but still functional, while the USSR was utterly wiped out. It buys a little too heavy into the JFK hagiography vs the warmonger generals, but it's not a bad read.

 

[Pags]

There's a lot that's not realistic... a whole battle group getting suckered by Kelts, for instance. And given what we now know about Soviet doctrine, a real WWIII would've gone nuclear on the first day, though we kinda hoped that wasn't true at the time and anyway that would've been a much different, more depressing book. But still. It's not bad.

Apparently Clancy and Bond used the Harpoon game to wargame out the raid on the CVBG.
http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/tne/pieces/choreographing-dance-vampires

 

[Flash]

As for the ASW Harrier, google books doesn't have page numbers, but they make mention of a British ASW Harrier.

Well I'll be....Overall though the book is remarkably well detailed and pretty accurate, along with being as 'realistic' as one can be for that kind of scenario. Apparently a lot of the credit goes to Larry Bond, the co-author, but Tom Clancy definitely wrote good stuff.

Edit: What Fester said too....

 

[Pags]

Well I'll be....Overall though the book is remarkably well detailed and pretty accurate, along with being as 'realistic' as one can be for that kind of scenario. Apparently a lot of the credit goes to Larry Bond, the co-author, but Tom Clancy definitely wrote good stuff.

Edit: What Fester said too....

For full disclosure I only know about the ASW Harrier because I was flying with one of my Skippers having a conversation like this one and he mentioned the ASW Harrier. And I said something to the effect of "no way. that's way too stupid to ever make it into a book." The skipper told me to re-read it and he was right. That stupid shit is right there.

 

[SynixMan]

To go full nerd on the topic of Red Storm Rising, and more specifically, the topic of a strike against a CSG, I read some interesting articles that shed light on Cold War Soviet Naval Air Force tactics that have come about lately. See here:

https://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment...9e30a5597cd/Kamikazes--The-Soviet-Legacy.aspx

and

http://www.informationdissemination.net/2014/10/deception-and-backfire-bomber-finale_31.html

The cat and mouse is interesting to look back on.

 

[jmcquate]

Apparently Clancy and Bond used the Harpoon game to wargame out the raid on the CVBG.
http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/tne/pieces/choreographing-dance-vampires

I've sent a few CVs to the bottom playing Harpoon. Although the game's AI was predictable and after a while, I was able to win every scenario.

 

[nittany03]

I've sent a few CVs to the bottom playing Harpoon. Although the game's AI was predictable and after a while, I was able to win every scenario.

They didn't use the computer version; they did it the old school D&D-esque way with miniatures.

 

[jmcquate]

They didn't use the computer version; they did it the old school D&D-esque way with miniatures.

Wow! Really? I didn't know there was a board version. I seems like the whole CIC view of the world would be hard to recreate that way. Especially the stuff underwater.

 

[nittany03]

To go full nerd on the topic of Red Storm Rising, and more specifically, the topic of a strike against a CSG, I read some interesting articles that shed light on Cold War Soviet Naval Air Force tactics that have come about lately. See here:

https://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment...9e30a5597cd/Kamikazes--The-Soviet-Legacy.aspx

and

http://www.informationdissemination.net/2014/10/deception-and-backfire-bomber-finale_31.html

The cat and mouse is interesting to look back on.

80-odd Backfires PER BOAT, with 3-5 carrying nukes, all missiles partially armored against CWIS fire, and targeted by Badgers on a suicide mission?

Holy cats.

 

[jmcquate]

The Soviets were always utilitarian about their weapons and tactics. Causalities were never an issue (........well, until Afghanistan). Numbers have always beat technology, but the game changer were the big nukes.............and thank God clearer heads prevailed and the two biggest kids on the block never squared off.

 

[nittany03]

The Soviets were always utilitarian about their weapons and tactics. Causalities were never an issue (........well, until Afghanistan). Numbers have always beat technology, but the game changer were the big nukes.............and thank God clearer heads prevailed and the two biggest kids on the block never squared off.

Interesting that he has some shots at our post-Cold War procurement processes, too, as well as the alleged "Little 'F,' big 'A'" mindset of modern VFA. But moot for a moment an alternate history, where Cheney doesn't kill the A-12/A-6F or Super Tom. We end up with VA flying some variant of A-6F/A-12, VF flying some variant of what would have presumably been the F-14E/F series, and everyone still spending the last 12 years flying 1xAIM-9X in the JDAMpalooza that was OIF/OEF after the initial strikes.

 

[Pags]

Interesting that he has some shots at our post-Cold War procurement processes, too, as well as the alleged "Little 'F,' big 'A'" mindset of modern VFA. But moot for a moment an alternate history, where Cheney doesn't kill the A-12/A-6F or Super Tom. We end up with VA flying some variant of A-6F/A-12, VF flying some variant of what would have presumably been the F-14E/F series, and everyone still spending the last 12 years flying 1xAIM-9X in the JDAMpalooza that was OIF/OEF after the initial strikes.

VF existed because there was an OAB. When the threat of an OAB went away the need for a dedicated interceptor went away with it. That hypothetical combination of aircraft fighting the wars of the past 20yrs would have broken the bank even sooner than the all Hornet fleet.