Midtguardian Defence Forces

[OPSSG]

G'day Bozoo,

I don't think that I was on here when you were posting about Midtguardian earlier. Could it be possible for you to give us newbies some background on the nation; population, government type, GDP, it's economy, wealth etc., please? Gives us an idea of what we are working with. Given that it appears to be complicated with Norway, would I be correct in presuming that it has significant mineral deposits including hydrocarbons?

This nation of yours exhibited in models that tell a story, looks like an extremely interesting project that I look forward to following. In these troubled times take care and stay safe.

I've done a search of some of Bozoo's and Bozoo1's old posts from 10 years ago and copied them all I found here, so you can see the prior discussion. We just assume a physical location change but same people and resources. See below:

Midtguardia is an imagined country between the borders of Sweden and Norway, partly manefested in the H0 scale (1:87). It is imagined with a 100 km coastline, a capital city on the seaboard behind a sprawling archipelagos and a major international merchant shipping fleet.

In addition to the capital city, I am modelling the Midtguardian defence forces (if interested, please refer to the other two Midtguardian defence threads on Army and General defence)

The navy currently consists of a Vosper Fast patrol boat, an ex US Coast Guard cutter, a German type modern LCU and 3 old WWII vintage landing craft.

I now have the opportunity to purchase one custom produced ship model of my own choice. I would like some input as to which class of ship I should commission. I am thinking of a general purpose frigate, perhaps along the lines of a British type 23 Duke class frigate. Nothing substantially bigger, as this model would be more than one meter long.

Possible roles:

Fleet flag ship
C3I for landing operations
escort duty (in cooperatoin with allied shipping)
counter blockade operations

The ship must have some ASW capability and sufficient air defence not to be entirely helpless on its own. Good coms and room for staff.

Main sub hunting/mine hunting capability by land based CH 53 helicopters

Planned additions to the navy will be 6 coastal subs and 2 - 5 missile patrol boats.

Please, no discussion about whether or not the Midtguardian society can support such a vessel, just take my word for it, it can. What I need is to find the best ship.

Suggestions for the missile partol boats are also welcome. I will retire the Vosper when the new boats are on line.

As Bozoo1 said before, the country has 1,200.000 citizens, where nearly 70 % live in the capitol, Gustavsberg. Midtguardias financial rescources come mainly from their large international merchant fleet, substantial ownership of foreign companies, proceeds from the financial district, some oil rescources, fisheries as well as mining industry producing steel and aluminum together with a well established hi-tech industry.

I trust this is of assistance to both of you.

Midtguardia is an imagined country situated between Norway and Sweden on their southernmost borders. The country is surrounded by hills on three sides with the Skagerak sea on the fourth side. there is a large river and a substantial archipelagos with numerous small and uninhabited islands.

The country was carved out by a stubborn expeditionary force during the end of the napoleonic wars, preferring to stay put where they were in stead of heading home to certain death or dishonour after treacherous treatment by their king. Neither Norway nor Sweden had enough military forces to evict the well trained and equipped corps and they stayed, gradually creating their own little country.
Neither Norway nor Sweden have ever recognized the country, but there has never been an all out attack either, and following some skirmishes by which the Midtguardians were victorious, an uneasy peace has reigned.

The leading citizens of Midtguardia had close ties to both the English and German aristocracy and had large financial resources at their disposal. The Midtguardians have a long lasting and strong military tradition whereby the NCO class has been especially well established and the country as a whole are very aware that their existence depend upon a viable military where more or less every able bodied citizen, man an woman alike, have a role in defending the country.

The well equipped defence forces as well as astute political maneuvering saw Midtguardia through both world wars as neutrals, although they did provide a partially secure haven for jews during most of the war, laying the foundations for their role as a financial center today.

The country has 1,200.000 citizens, where nearly 70 % live in the capitol, Gustavsberg. Midtguardias financial rescources come mainly from their large international merchant fleet, substantial ownership of foreign companies, proceeds from the financial district, some oil rescources, fisheries as well as mining industry producing steel and aluminum together with a well established hi-tech industry.

The question we are concerned with here is the continuing problem of defense. The Midtguardian Defense Forces are organized with an army, navy and airforce as well as a home guard and a civil defense force.

The simulation is based on scale H0 modelling (1:87). All military units are fully represented in H0 scale models, the demand of scale very strict so that 1:72 and 1:100 models are fully out of the question. This creates a number of problems of availability as especially ships and airplanes are difficult to come by. The budgetary problems normally encountered by any real country is simulated by the reallife budgetary problems governing the aquesition of models and the production of these.

This thread is therefore related to building a functioning military system with H0 scale models for all units involved and is therefore more concerned with the real interoperability of the modeled systems and scale of numbers then with super detailing, even though we to some extent concern ourselves also with this.

All feedback and contributions as to the viability of the Midtguardian defense forces are welcomed.

The organization is as follows:

Army:

1 armored Brigade with following subunits:

1 Brigade HQ
4 armored sqdr. each 24 M1 Abrahms
1 mech infantry sqdr M 2 Bradleys
1 arty battery M 109
1 air def. sqdr. Gepard
1 combat support sqdr.
1 supply sqdr
1 maint sqdr

1 motorized infantry brigade with subunits:

4 motorized infantry batallions
1 Brigade HQ
1 light arty battery
1 antitank coy
1 Fibua coy
1 supply and maintenance Bn

There is a divisional HQ with the following divisional units in addition to the above mentioned main maneuver units:

1. Artillery Bn, - LARS, MLRS, M 40, M 109, M 110
1. Air defence Bn, - Chapparal, Gepard, Roland, Avenger
1 Engineer Bn - minelayers/clearing, bridging, demolition, construction, combat eng
1. Signals BN, Ptarmigan, Eloka, RDF, Elint, Sigint,
1. Recce Bn, Lynx, Me 105 helicopters, UAVs, M 551
1 Transport Bn
1. Maintenance Bn
1 Field hospital w/ ambulance Coy
1 MP Bn
1 Specops Coy

There are some divisional maneuver units;

1 independent mech inf. Coy - M113, M106, M 41
1 div. armored reserve, Leopard 1A4, Marder
1 Rapid deployment force Leopard 1A3/M60
1 Mountain Coy

Airforce:

12 UH1-D Gunships, 30 UH1D transports, 5 Me 105 Recce, 12 AH64 D Apache, 2 CH 53, 13 AH1W, 3 Eurocopter 135 (VIP flight), 12 F 4 G Phantom, 3 RF 4 Phantom, 12 Eurofighters, 1 A10.

24 Eurofighters and 11 A-10s will be bought., as well as 3 Airbus 400M. Considering EC2 Hawkeyes, Rivet Joint, more CH 53's, C160 Transall (with tanker capability), another 6 Apaches

Navy:

5 Storm class missile gunboats
1 LCU

Considering 2 frigates, 6 SSK subs, more landing craft, minelayers and sweepers

This is just an overview. Would appreciate any input.

Have fun posting everyone.

 

[Bozoo2]

G'day Bozoo,

I don't think that I was on here when you were posting about Midtguardian earlier. Could it be possible for you to give us newbies some background on the nation; population, government type, GDP, it's economy, wealth etc., please? Gives us an idea of what we are working with. Given that it appears to be complicated with Norway, would I be correct in presuming that it has significant mineral deposits including hydrocarbons?

This nation of yours exhibited in models that tell a story, looks like an extremely interesting project that I look forward to following. In these troubled times take care and stay safe.

Some of the background is found in the post from january 31. 2010. Since then, the Midtguardian Defence Forces have grown in size and matured and I have found that the small enclosure originally envisaged on the southern part of the border between Norway and Sweden no longer gives room for the forces of Midtguardia, and I have therefore changed the geografical position to that of the Norwegian county of Vestfold, om the west side of the Oslo fiord.

Midtguardia today has a population of 2.200.000, half of whom live in the capital city of Gustavsberg, which is placed on the reallife city of Tønsberg. The rest of the population are consentrated in the towns of Horten, Holmestrand, Sandefjord and Larvik. as well as in the rural districts. I have not dwelved into the budjetary and manpower problems as I am concerned with the military aspects. If you wish to assist me in looking into the financial aspects of Midtguardia, please feel free to do so.

The restraints experienced are the real life restraints as to how much I can spend on buying models, how much time I can use making them and the availability of models in strict H0 scale, that is 1:87. The systems I model must be available in real life and any systems not portayed due to size must
be described by functionality as well as tactical deployment in the MDF.

The government is that of a semi democracy with the head of state beeing the herediatary Prince. It is therefore a principate.

Midtguardia was founded in 1786 by brigadeer general Reinholdt Aamodt and the remnants of the 23. Dragoon regiment after fighting their way from Trondheim towards Denmark following an attempt by the Danish-Norwegian king to have the general and his family executed abd the regiment left to flounder due to treacherous machinations by his enemies. Without dwelving further into the history, which in itself is an exiting tale, the general and his followers refuset the Royal command and escaped to the natural fortress that today is Midtguardias capital city of Gustavsberg. There they carved out their own country and repelled all attacks from both Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Norway especially took exception to someone establishing their own state on their territory.

Reinholdt Aamodt, beeing of good ancestry with close ties to England, and of considerable wealth, managed to manouver politically in the volatile situation, to such an extent taht he managed to keep his and his family's wealth and thereby to buy the supplies and weapons that, together with a lojal and military capable population, negated Norways attempt to regain their territory and attempts by Sweden and Denmark to take advantage of
teh situation.

Midtguardia managed to stay out of WWI and was never challenged during WWII, even though providing a safe haven for jews and other refugees trying to escape nazi rule. The country, even then, beeing more or less a military orgaization bristling with weapons and with nearly every man and woman under arms in one way or other, was by Hitler considered not worth the losses an attack would incur and the nazis left Midtguardia alone, even though it was fiercly anti nazi and time and again flounted Hitlers many attempts to bring preassure to bear.

Midtguardia has not been accepted as a nation by any other nation in the world and neither Norway nor Sweden has made official peace. Since 1945 Norway has tacitly tolerated the country and there are today railroad routes between the countries.

The country is quite rich, partly due to it beeing a tax haven and an international finance hub, not the least thanks to the influx of jews around WWII, but also on account of its large international shipping fleet ranking as the worlds 6 th largest. The country also has oil, minerals and IT industry.

The country is a Principate, that is as a monarchy, but with the head of state having the title Prince, not King. The Prince is an hereditary title going to the oldest son, directly lineated from the original brigadeer general.

There is a national assembly, the tingvald, which, with some exceptions, can overturn rulings made by the prince. The Tingvald is the lawmaking assembly, but the Prince and his family have a numbe rof privileges, many of financial and personal character. There is a Government as in every modern society, but there is no prime minister, as the Prince is head of state. The prime ministers role is to some extent carried out by the secretary of the interior. The country is, as you see, no traditional democracy, but neither is it a dictatorship.

The ruling family as a long tradition of beeing well liked and benevolent rulers, much loved by generations of devout followers, which is probably why this archiac rule still exists. The ruling family are very rich with substantial international assets and contribute in a major way to the upkeep of the Midtguardian armed forces.

The strategic defence policy is to be able to ensure such high cost and casualty rate to an attacker to make any nation think twice. This has proven succesful for three hundred years and is firmly adhered to by both the military and the population, the memory of the Norwegian kings treachery still very much alive in the minds of the people. Thus the "reason d'ettrai" for Midtguardia is in itself of military origin and its military forces have a long and proud military tradition.

I hope this gives some insight into the Midtguardian society.

 

[OPSSG]

Since then more fighters have come available in the H0 scale and the MDF has now converted to Eurofighter Typhoon II. The MDF now operates two complete squadrons of 12 Typhoons, one of which is Swing Role (can change role from air defence to attack during flight). A third squadron of twelve is under establisment and the final count is set to four squadrons of twelve fighters. All aircraft have been bought and new fighters are being built as time allows. A three squadron force is expected to be operational within the end of the year. The final twelve will take longer to come on line.

Rather than raise 4 squadrons of equal size, I would create:

(i) 3 squadrons of 14 Typhoon FGR4 each (which will be on rotation to be on Alert 5 for air sovereignty patrols) -- with 8 Typhoons in each of these squadrons be equipped with the Litening 5 targeting pod to perform a swing role -- with 6 Typhoons in each of these squadrons be equipped with the ELL-8222WB (Wide Band) Self-Protection ECM or the bigger ELL-8251 pods to escort the swing role fighters; and​

​

(ii) 1 squadron of 6 Typhoon FGR4 equipped with the DB-110 sensor (giving these sensors a stand-off range of 80-plus nautical miles along with the ability to collect more than 10,000 square miles of high-resolution imagery per hour) and for these same aircraft to develop new maritime strike options with the Marte ER anti-ship missile (new weapons integration testing). And top up this squadron with additional 6 fighters, when the F4Gs retire.​

Beyond the fact that modern fighters need EW support, there are two other points to note:

One, there is logic for having squadrons of 14 Typhoon FGR4 each, is to ensure that 12 are always available (assuming that 2 are under maintenance).​

​

Two, you will need 3 squadrons to rotate through operational cycles, where 1 squadron is undergoing build up training that takes around 6 to 9 months.​

The final six airframes have been converted to maritime strike craft carrying Exocet sea skimming anti ship missiles.

Good choice as an interim capability.

In addition to the operational squadrons, the air force pilot training has four two seater versions for advanced jet training. The air force pilot training school trainees... lack jet trainers, which must therefore be done abroad. Six light jet trainers are quite high on the air force priority list, thus enabling all pilot training to be done in Midtguardia. I am considering Alfa Jets.

Is the M-346 or KAI T-50 available in A0?

replaced in the ELINT wing by two F 4 G's following the replacement of the F 4's by the Typhoon II's as fighters. The three RF 4 G recon birds are still going strong in their original role. Of the remainder of the 12 ship F 4 squadron four airframes have been converted to tankers, utilizing the F 4's load capacity to allow at least some degree of in flight refueling for the Typhoons allowing assistance when retreiving fighters approaching bingo fuel.

Good choice.

The Air Force operates from two fixed Air Force bases, the MAFB (Midtguardian Air Force Base) Anki and MAFB Bassen. The MAFB Anki is partially represented in H0 with a module based exhibition.

Pix please.

 

[Bozoo2]

Some pictures of the MNS Jarl Einar.

 

[Bozoo2]

Another picture of MNS Jarl Einar, this time from the Stern.

 

[Bozoo2]

Thanks for the feedback. This is of coarse exactly why it is valuable for me to get such feedback. If I understand you correctly, the 6 birds With the Litening pods will fill a role something akin to the old Prowler? The Three squadrons would be optimized for the strike configuration. Will this have adverse effects when used in the air superiority role, or does the added weight and drag of the pods not effect maneauverability in a significant manner? Even if it is the missile that usually do the offensive maneuvering in the air combat role, you still need agility to break missile Lock?

It makes obvius sence to give all squadrons the same capabilities and not necessitate activating two squadrons activation for strike ability. I will configure my squadrons this way. I'll start making the pods With 3 D print, which is quite a job, but fun. Good advice.

 

[Bozoo2]

How do I quote just a part of your answer?

 

[Bozoo2]

The flag you see at the stern of the MNS Jarl Einar is that of the Midtguardian national colors.

 

[Bozoo2]

Another picture of MNS Jarl Einar, this time from the Stern.

 

[OPSSG]

How do I quote just a part of your answer?

(QUOTE="OPSSG, post: 360045, member: 20180")
Rather than raise 4 squadrons of equal size, I would create:

(i) 3 squadrons of 14 Typhoon FGR4 each (which will be on rotation to be on Alert 5 for air sovereignty patrols) -- with 8 Typhoons in each of these squadrons be equipped with the Litening 5 targeting pod to perform a swing role -- with 6 Typhoons in each of these squadrons be equipped with the ELL-8222WB (Wide Band) Self-Protection ECM pods to escort the swing role fighters; and
(/QUOTE)

Sample BB coding shown with ‘[‘ replaced with ‘(‘. Also in edit mode, there is a selection of “...” (beside icon) to add quotes to the text you highlighted/selected.

 

[Bozoo2]

A picture of one of the Typhoons with tailnumber Alfa India, th A signifying that it belongs to 301 squadron and the I signifying that it is the ninth aircraft of that squadron.

 

[OPSSG]

If I understand you correctly, the 6 birds With the Litening pods will fill a role something akin to the old Prowler?

It is the 6 birds with the lightweight (100kg), low drag ELL-8222WB (Wide Band) Self-Protection ECM pods that provide jamming against long range SAM and air-to-air missile shots, over and above Typhoon’s existing Praetorian electronic support measures, active missile approach warner, electronic countermeasures, a starboad sidetowed decoy on a wingtip pod and chaff/flares. But these Self-Protection pods are not as capable as the bigger ELL-8251 pod or the EW systems found on the Growlers or Prowlers.

The Litening pods are for air to ground to employ MBDA’s Brimstone 2 air-to-surface weapon and Raytheon’s Paveway IV.

The Three squadrons would be optimized for the strike configuration. Will this have adverse effects when used in the air superiority role, or does the added weight and drag of the pods not effect maneauverability in a significant manner? Even if it is the missile that usually do the offensive maneuvering in the air combat role, you still need agility to break missile Lock?

The drag is minimal for the Self-Protection pods but if the strike fighters are forced into a fight on the way to deliver bombs, they have to drop ordinance to gain speed and energy fast — so as to engage in air combat maneuvers.

This means that 4 fighters out of a strike package are dedicated in an Offensive Counter Air (OCA) role, with 2 on Defensive Counter Air (DCA), to protect the tankers refuelling the squadron of 14. The 4 birds performing OCA will carry the ELL-8222WB pods and with air-to-air missile load out — they will fire the METEOR missile at BVR ranges — to escort the other 8 strike fighters with the Litening pods.

In Apr 2016, Kuwait signed a €7.957 billion (US $9.062 billion) contract to be the first country to introduce 28 Typhoons equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar (developed by the Euroradar consortium), in place of the mechanically scanned Captor M. Qatar will also receive aircraft with the new sensor. An AESA update has long been viewed as potentially also on the cards for the programme’s European partner nations, but none have yet signed contracts to integrate. The Captor-E AESA radar of the 4 OCA & 2 DCA birds will be in air-to-air mode, doing the following:

• Search Modes - Range While Search (RWS), Velocity Search (VS) and multiple target Track While Scan (TWS)
• Lock-Follow Modes, which are tailored for long range tracking and short range tracking for use in visual identification or gun attacks
• Air Combat Acquisition Modes allowing a choice of boresight, vertical scan HUD field of view or slaved acquisition

This will prevent task saturation by the pilots.

 

[Bozoo2]

The unit you see in these pictures is one of four mobile radar posts belonging to the air surveillance platoon of 1. Div 5. Bn Air Defence. It is a self sufficient unit featuring a AN/TPS 74 3 D synthetic Aperture radar with a 240 Mile coverage, a communication vehicle with twin independent communication modes, connecting both to the Ptarmigan II Multiple Subscriber Equipment and a direct microwave relay connecting to the tactical SOC (Sector Operating Centre) and thus securing innput to the common air situation picture irrespectable of communication problems in one of the systems.

Finally there is an M 557 command module. There is a mobile generator trailer and a trailer with fuel supply and a decoy transmitter.

 

[Redlands18]

Wow 3500 models, I’m impressed, i done a few of the Airfix Models when i was a kid, some WW2 Warships and Aircraft.
What a great way to do an imaginary Military, with many of the restrictions in place that exist in the real world incl Budget, Build time, a balanced Military and you are restricted to what you can and can‘t buy due to availability, you have put a lot of thought into it.
keep up the good work.

 

[ngatimozart]

How good are you at scratch builds? Could you modify an existing model to look like a variant? Why I ask is because I can then suggest some replacement capabilities for your air force. I'll proceed on the presumption that you are very capable.

Rivet Joint. I would suggest replacing this with a modified business jet, such as a G550 or a G6000. Elta or Elbit are arguably the best at this, so they will give you good bang for buck.

The Hawkeye. I would replace that with the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail. This is absolutely the best AEW&C platform around at the moment. It's based on the Boeing 737-700 aircraft. I would try and form some sort of relationship with the Royal Australian Air Force because they are leading the development of the capability of the platform whilst it is in service and it is operator lead, and by operator I mean at squadron level by the people in the back of the aircraft. Like the P-8, it is also capable of being refueled in the air. I would suggest a minimum of 5 to ensure that you'll always have one available 24/7/365.

I note that you would like to acquire the Boeing P-8A. You stated 4, but as I mentioned above for the Wedgetail, 5 would be better. Because yyou have to unfriendly nations neighbouring you, plus the Russians, all having subsurface and surface forces operating in your region, I would be tempted to go with 6 P-8A. I would also look at what antiship missiles are being integrated on to it and acquire those, both for your air force and navy.

You also mentioned air to air refuelling. You could use a hose and drogue system from the Hercules, but if you acquire the Wedgetail and P-8A you can't refuel them that way. You have 2 choices; the Airbus A330MRTT based on the A330, or the Boeing KC-46A based on the Boeing 767. Of the 2 the A330MRTT is a mature extendable boom and hose and drogue design, that is in service with a variety of air forces. Whereas the Boeing KC-46A is a proving problematic with Boeing over promising and under delivering, more than usual.

You could also look at a squadron of Boeing F-18G Growlers. They could accompany your Typhoon strike packages in doing much the same as the E-6 Prowler.

I think your UH-1D Iroquois helicopters are well past their use by date. Here in New Zealand we finally retired our own UH-1H in 2014, from memory, with them doing about 45 - 48 years of service. We replaced them with NHI NH90 helicopters, which are doing the job, but our government is stingy and didn't buy enough.

I would also suggest upgrading your Hercules to the J model. I don't see any point in your acquiring the A400M at the moment because it is also a problematic program with much over promising and much under delivering.

I definitely would replace the Exocet missile because it, like the AGM-84 Harpoon, is obsolete and can be defeated by modern shipborne anti air systems. The USN is integrating the AGM-158C LRASM on to the F-18 and at some stage to the P-8A. It has a long range, large warhead, is stealthy and is a smart missile.MDMA also have a new anti ship missile on the market as well, plus Kongsberg and Raytheon have developed the Joint Strike Missile which is an upgraded air launched variant of the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile.

That is about it for the moment. Hope this helps.

 

[Bozoo2]

How good are you at scratch builds? Could you modify an existing model to look like a variant? Why I ask is because I can then suggest some replacement capabilities for your air force. I'll proceed on the presumption that you are very capable.

Scratchbuild is difficult and time consuming as you construct everything from scratch. The only major piece of kit I have scratchbuilt is a floating dock to maintain the navys fast missile boats. Not too bad result. I'll post a picture later. Entire airframes is another matter - I'm not skilled enough for that. What I do regularly is to modify existing models to variants. That is not difficult and I have the necessary Tools. I also have 3 D printer and some times buy pieces of kit from shapeways.

Rivet Joint. I would suggest replacing this with a modified business jet, such as a G550 or a G6000. Elta or Elbit are arguably the best at this, so they will give you good bang for buck.

Good suggestion. G550 airframes are avaliable as 3 D prints.

The Hawkeye. I would replace that with the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail. This is absolutely the best AEW&C platform around at the moment. It's based on the Boeing 737-700 aircraft. I would try and form some sort of relationship with the Royal Australian Air Force because they are leading the development of the capability of the platform whilst it is in service and it is operator lead, and by operator I mean at squadron level by the people in the back of the aircraft. Like the P-8, it is also capable of being refueled in the air. I would suggest a minimum of 5 to ensure that you'll always have one available 24/7/365.

I'll look into the Wedgetail. Problem is this is a fairly large airframe that exceeds most 3 D printers capability, but there are ways around this. 5 AEW birds are a huge Investment for the Air Force (and for me) and I will have to settle for 3 to begin With. My AEW assets would not be on a rond the clock whatch, but would take off when air attack is regarded imminent.

I regard AEW as an extremely important capability and the aquesition of this is very high on my priority list. I am afraid the Hawkeye is just within the Production parameters of most commercially operating printers offering Production in the hobbyist price range. The alternative is to order scratchbuilt models in mahogeny, a solution I have allready tested without Luck. Such models will set me back USD 300 pr unit, so at the moment
Midtguardia will probably stick to the E 2 D. Thanks for Your suggestion anyway.

I note that you would like to acquire the Boeing P-8A. You stated 4, but as I mentioned above for the Wedgetail, 5 would be better. Because yyou have to unfriendly nations neighbouring you, plus the Russians, all having subsurface and surface forces operating in your region, I would be tempted to go with 6 P-8A. I would also look at what antiship missiles are being integrated on to it and acquire those, both for your air force and navy.

Now With the P 8 I agree With Your assessment for 5 ship squadron. This is further Down the road as this would cost me 1500 USD, but it is in the long time Budget.

You also mentioned air to air refuelling. You could use a hose and drogue system from the Hercules, but if you acquire the Wedgetail and P-8A you can't refuel them that way. You have 2 choices; the Airbus A330MRTT based on the A330, or the Boeing KC-46A based on the Boeing 767. Of the 2 the A330MRTT is a mature extendable boom and hose and drogue design, that is in service with a variety of air forces. Whereas the Boeing KC-46A is a proving problematic with Boeing over promising and under delivering, more than usual.

I definitely prefer well tried platforms, som the A 330MRTT would be my Choice. But Midtguardias ability to procure large airframes for the air force is very Limited due to price and avaliability. As we do need som tactical transports the C 130 J is an exellent choise as far as I can see, as they can be converted to air refuelling tankers and back again to transports as the situation requires. Have you any info on the time required to perform the Conversions?

You could also look at a squadron of Boeing F-18G Growlers. They could accompany your Typhoon strike packages in doing much the same as the E-6 Prowler.

The avaliablity of air frames in Our scale is Limited to F 4, Typhoon II and Tornados. Any other airframe must be specially ordered. I will therefore try to keep to these airframes unless a capability absolutely cannot be aquired within the limits of avaliable airframes. A single Growler would therefore cost the same as a Wedgetail. I gather the pods suggested by OPSSG in his post have an inferior capability compared to the Growler. Can you tell me anything about the comparable limitations operationally?

I do not envisage using my Typhoons in CAS or interdiction role as they represent my only air defence in the medium to high altitude and range brackets. Midtguardias GBAD uses Rolands, Gepards and Avenger systems, and I would be loathe to risk the Typhoons in a strike mission. The only situation I see us using the Typhoons in strike missions would be on a maritime strike to attack major enemy assets intent on landing operations on
Midtguardian Territory or to break up blockade operations by Surface assets, in cojunction With the Midtguardia navy submarines.

I think your UH-1D Iroquois helicopters are well past their use by date. Here in New Zealand we finally retired our own UH-1H in 2014, from memory, with them doing about 45 - 48 years of service. We replaced them with NHI NH90 helicopters, which are doing the job, but our government is stingy and didn't buy enough.

Yes, the Huyes are definately long in the tooth. But they are agile, easy to handle and maintain, not to mention that we have 42 of them. The NH 90 are a catastrophee. The navy operate two of them and we are looking for a replacement. We are looking into the Lakota as a replacement for the UH 1 Ds. We use the Huyes in the medivac, SAR, light transport, utility and as personal transport for division and brigade Commanders.

I would also suggest upgrading your Hercules to the J model. I don't see any point in your acquiring the A400M at the moment because it is also a problematic program with much over promising and much under delivering.

I agree. Will do.

I definitely would replace the Exocet missile because it, like the AGM-84 Harpoon, is obsolete and can be defeated by modern shipborne anti air systems. The USN is integrating the AGM-158C LRASM on to the F-18 and at some stage to the P-8A. It has a long range, large warhead, is stealthy and is a smart missile.MDMA also have a new anti ship missile on the market as well, plus Kongsberg and Raytheon have developed the Joint Strike Missile which is an upgraded air launched variant of the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile.

I'll look into this. Missiles and pods are easily manufactured on 3 D printer.

That is about it for the moment. Hope this helps.

Thank you very much for Your feedback. Please excuse the intermittant use of unnecessary Capital letters, as this is generated by Your system and are impossible to correct.

 

[Bozoo2]

Wow 3500 models, I’m impressed, i done a few of the Airfix Models when i was a kid, some WW2 Warships and Aircraft.
What a great way to do an imaginary Military, with many of the restrictions in place that exist in the real world incl Budget, Build time, a balanced Military and you are restricted to what you can and can‘t buy due to availability, you have put a lot of thought into it.
keep up the good work.

Thank you for Your response. Keep a look aout, I'm trying to upload excisting Pictures from digital camera, showing some of the Midtguardian forces lined up batallion for batallion.

Bozoo

 

[OPSSG]

@Bozoo2, it is your choice but I would not go with a Wedgetail or E-2D for your AEW platform. The Wedgetail with a crew of 12 to 14, needs more base infrastructure to support and carries a large number of combat controllers — over-kill for the very small Midtguardian Air Force; and the E-2D is a slow mover.

1. I note that Israel Aerospace Industries is offering:

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(i) the G550 based ELl-3001 Airborne Integrated Signal Intelligence System for ELINT, SIGINT and COMINT; and​

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(ii) a modified version of its Gulfstream G550-AEW aircraft with the capability to detect targets at sea and near shores, which resulted in it winning the USN TRSA contract (see below). Alternatively, you can look at the ATR 72 maritime patrol aircraft from Leonardo-Finmeccanica as another alternative to the P8A.​

2. Like the Republic of Singapore Air Force, the 4.5 fighter squadron Midtguardian Air Force is too small to operate a 4 aircraft squadron of Wedgetails. Operating such a huge AEW will drain a country’s treasury during times of tension (as multiple daily fights are needed). Instead, you should look at the ‘fat boy’, G550AEW, with a crew of 8, instead — as the aircraft is capable of operating out of short-field, high-altitude airports. Equipped with a sophisticated mission suite that includes an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, the G550-AEW aircraft is able to detect, identify and track aerial targets. The G550-AEW aircraft has a longer detection range than the E2C Hawkeye — more than 200 nautical miles, as it flies at 41,000 feet.

3. The G550AEW has the speed (high sub-sonic) and endurance to fly more than 9 hours — which will help your Typhoon FGR4s find and kill Sweden’s Saab 340 AEW&C that flies lower and slower (a notional enemy of Midtguardia). Operators of the G550 in AEW variant include the tertiary air forces of Israel, Italy (see: Watch 20 Eurofighters from 3 air forces and a G550AEW @Red Flag 20-2) and Singapore.

4. As a special missions aircraft, the G550 is a very flexible platform, well suited for small to medium air forces. Type commonality will save the Midtguardian Air Force millions of dollars in operating costs and enable in-country stocking of spares and engines to increase operational tempo. I also note that:

(i) BAE Systems has begun work to transition its Compass Call electronic warfare (EW) system from the C-130H to the ‘fat boy’ G550s. BAE Systems is working with L3 Technologies to transition the Compass Call capabilities onto the USAF EC-37Bs. “After their analysis and sharing that with the program office, L3 has decided to use the Gulfstream 550 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft as the new platform,” US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said, according to DOD Buzz.​

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(ii) The USN's Tactical Airlift Program Office accepted delivery of a Gulfstream G550 AEW aircraft to be used as a Telemetry Range Support Aircraft (TRSA) for the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWC-WD) Sea Test Range Support, following its initial operating capability set for August 2021.​

(iii) The Australian Department of Defence has acquired four modified G550 for use by the RAAF in a A$2.46bn ($1.74bn) transaction. The new aircraft will be designated the MC-55A ‘Peregrine’. The RAAF’s MC-55As will feature a ‘canoe’ fairing under the forward fuselage, an upper fuselage satellite communications antenna, a bulbous rear tailcone fairing housing an integrated electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) turret, and an antenna fairing on the top of the vertical stabiliser, said Group Captain Jason Lind, Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) at RAAF Headquarters. “I don’t want to go into specifics, but all the modifications to the outer mould line of the aircraft have been used on previous designs, but they haven’t all been used together at once,” added the group captain. “It doesn’t mean we’re using the same sensors or mission equipment that other folks have used but certainly we’re using the outer mould so that we can leverage off engineering that has already been undertaken.”​

 

[ngatimozart]

@OPSSG thanks, I'd forgotten about the Israeli AEW option. Yes I agree that would be the better option and would give compatibility with the EW / ELINT G550 as well. As long as it gives good detailed ground coverage as well as air coverage. That's one thing that the Wedgetail is good at.

Bozoo originally said that he wanted the P-8A, so I presume that it's a govt purchase. Considering the unfriendlies he has in the area and their capabilities, the P-8A is about the only capability that will cut it. He wants to operate Type 212? subs as well so will require a high end platform to sanitize the area before his subs put to sea, especially considering the amount of national treasure invested in them.

 

[ngatimozart]

Scratchbuild is difficult and time consuming as you construct everything from scratch. The only major piece of kit I have scratchbuilt is a floating dock to maintain the navys fast missile boats. Not too bad result. I'll post a picture later. Entire airframes is another matter - I'm not skilled enough for that. What I do regularly is to modify existing models to variants. That is not difficult and I have the necessary Tools. I also have 3 D printer and some times buy pieces of kit from shapeways.

Regarding scratch building, I wasn't expecting you to scratch build the whole platform from the beginning, but only the bits to alter an existing model, that's all. Something like a standard G550 to an AEW one, for example, by making and adding on the extras.

Good suggestion. G550 airframes are avaliable as 3 D printer and some times buy pieces of kit from shapeways.

ll look into the Wedgetail. Problem is this is a fairly large airframe that exceeds most 3 D printers capability, but there are ways around this. 5 AEW birds are a huge Investment for the Air Force (and for me) and I will have to settle for 3 to begin With. My AEW assets would not be on a rond the clock whatch, but would take off when air attack is regarded imminent.

I regard AEW as an extremely important capability and the aquesition of this is very high on my priority list. I am afraid the Hawkeye is just within the Production parameters of most commercially operating printers offering Production in the hobbyist price range. The alternative is to order scratchbuilt models in mahogeny, a solution I have allready tested without Luck. Such models will set me back USD 300 pr unit, so at the moment
Midtguardia will probably stick to the E 2 D. Thanks for Your suggestion anyway.

Fair enough. If you look at OPSSG's post above you will see that we have discussed this and have a possible solution for you.

Now With the P 8 I agree With Your assessment for 5 ship squadron. This is further Down the road as this would cost me 1500 USD, but it is in the long time Budget.

I definitely prefer well tried platforms, som the A 330MRTT would be my Choice. But Midtguardias ability to procure large airframes for the air force is very Limited due to price and avaliability. As we do need som tactical transports the C 130 J is an exellent choise as far as I can see, as they can be converted to air refuelling tankers and back again to transports as the situation requires. Have you any info on the time required to perform the Conversions?

If you lòok at the KC-130J that the USMC use, the refueling capability is permanently integrated into the airframe. It doesn't impact upon the ability of the aircraft to haul troops or cargo. It has four hardpoints, 2 on each wing for auxiliary fuel tanks.

The availability of air frames in Our scale is Limited to F 4, Typhoon II and Tornados. Any other airframe must be specially ordered. I will therefore try to keep to these airframes unless a capability absolutely cannot be aquired within the limits of avaliable airframes. A single Growler would therefore cost the same as a Wedgetail. I gather the pods suggested by OPSSG in his post have an inferior capability compared to the Growler. Can you tell me anything about the comparable limitations operationally?

Yes they do. The Lightening pod is more a targeting pod, whereas the Growler is an EW platform designed to play havoc with an enemies air defence electronic capabilities. It requires an operator in the back seat to monitor the enemy frequency changes etc., and direct the counter effects, plus targetting and launching the anti radar missiles. However the Israelis have a pod that's pretty good as well, not as good as the Growler, but pretty good nevertheless.

I do not envisage using my Typhoons in CAS or interdiction role as they represent my only air defence in the medium to high altitude and range brackets. Midtguardias GBAD uses Rolands, Gepards and Avenger systems, and I would be loathe to risk the Typhoons in a strike mission. The only situation I see us using the Typhoons in strike missions would be on a maritime strike to attack major enemy assets intent on landing operations on
Midtguardian Territory or to break up blockade operations by Surface assets, in cojunction With the Midtguardia navy submarines.

You don't have to get low down and dirty to do CAS these days. In fact in a contested environment it'd be downright dangerous. With modern PGM (Precision Guided Munitions) you can undertake CAS and at height and at distance. If you wanted to get down low and dirty I would suggest attack helicopters.

Yes, the Huyes are definately long in the tooth. But they are agile, easy to handle and maintain, not to mention that we have 42 of them. The NH 90 are a catastrophee. The navy operate two of them and we are looking for a replacement. We are looking into the Lakota as a replacement for the UH 1 Ds. We use the Huyes in the medivac, SAR, light transport, utility and as personal transport for division and brigade Commanders.

Fair enough. You still require a helicopter capable of lifting troops in and out of combat. You could go with the UH-1Y Venom then that the USMC are now operating, Airbus, or one of the Augusta Westland helicopters.

No probs at all. I am quite enjoying thist.