The Sovremenny in a final act of defiance fires off its CIWS, but she takes some hits and is on its way to the briney deep. She manages to take out three of the eight Harpoons (important note: in order to maximise kill probabilities, two missiles are ripple fired at a single contact on auto-attack mode).Īnd all of that proves in vain. However, since the Sovremenny only has one on the launch rail at a time, it's an uphill battle against the vampires. I try to force the Sovremenny to engage the Harpoons with her SA-N-7 Gadflies, but it gives me this: "All directors unable to illuminate this target (insufficient reflection, no LOS, etc.)Įventually they close in enough to be engaged with the navalised SA-11. However, it is by virtue of detecting the Harpoons' emissions from its ARH seeker. "Vampire! Vampire! Vampire!" the Sovremenny is finally able to detect the incoming sea-skimmers at a range of 16nm. The explanation: "Target is out of weapon range (uses search pattern, 10% reduction in range)." However, the Sovremenny is unable to detect the incoming Harpoons, or even return fire.
COMMAND MODERN AIR NAVAL OPERATIONS FULL
Likewise, I switch to the Red side and clear the Sovremenny to engage the surface contact (even though for all she knows it could be as easily be a cruise ship as a low-observable Destroyer going by its radar cross-section alone, since the Sov isn't picking up any emissions from the Kongo).Īs they approach, the Tactical Action Officer of the Kongo is confident enough to engage the Sovremenny with her full complement of Harpoons. On the Blue side I mark the contact (Sovremenny) as hostile. The Sov detects the Kongo at a distance of approximately 100 nm.Įnough games. However, even with the Sovremenny's sensors having a clear line of sight with the Kongo, it detects her with her surface search radar instead. One might think her ESM operator took a little too much Samogan with his morning tea, but a look into the database reveals something telling: As opposed to the Kongo, the Sovremenny's ELINT suite lacks over-the-horizon capabilities of the Aegis Destroyer. Meanwhile, the Sovremenny continues to meander towards the awaiting maw of the Kongo. The Kongo, almost as soon as the scenario starts, is able to detect the Sovremenny's emissions and classify her at approximately 200nm using its ESMĮventually, the Kongo is able to approximate the location of the Sovremenny. I also set both on a collision course with each other.
To replicate conditions in Wargame, they are in EMCON state A (unrestricted emissions) which includes both all radars and offensive ECM suites on at full blast. I start with the Kongo and the Sovremenny at approximately 200nm away from each other. That said, if it is biased I do not believe it to be overly so as it is constantly updated with the input of players and armchair admirals of all stripes. I admit that it is within the realm of possibility that there may be some systemic bias towards the believed superiority of western systems as part of Database 3000 which Harpoon and Command: Air/Naval Operations uses.
Having played Harpoon and Fleet Command before, I know that these two vessels are not directly comparable to an Aegis-capable vessel and will freely admit that the Kara, Slava, and Kirov are far better comparisons to the Ticonderogas out there. This thread is not a knock on the Udaloy or the Sovremenny. I have done my utmost to ensure the most sterile and balanced test conditions and the best time-period parity (in the case of the Kongo, the earliest possible version of it in 1993 and the latest possible Sovremmeny and Udaloy in the existence of the Soviet Navy). This thread is not a "ARLEIGH BURKE/KONGO STRONK" post. However I have some caveats to get out of the way first:
Having installed Command: Air/Naval Operations on my new SSD and with the latest version approximating something like stability, I decided to do some tests of the available vessels of Red Dragon.