twilight2000-digest Friday, May 9 1997 Volume 1996 : Number 043 The following topics are covered in this digest: Re: Movies about WW III Re: Movies about WW III Re: Movies about WW III Re: Movies about WW III [Fwd: Re: Another Game systems sale] ping Re: ping Re: ping shtora Re: shtora Re: shtora Infantry survivability Re: Infantry survivability Re: ping South Korean Weapons Reservist charged with stealing from Marine Corps (fwd) Countermine Products (fwd) NPR Arms Series #2 (fwd) Wages of War (The Business of Battle), New World Computing (fwd) THAI HELICOPTER UPDATE (fwd) Delivery of Tanks to Pakistan Sets Off Sales War With Russia: Moscow stops licensing parts exports to Ukraine. (fwd) Mercenaries who show no mercy (fwd) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 03:22:41 EDT From: q-guy@juno.com (Christopher Stainton) Subject: Re: Movies about WW III OrrinLadd@aol.com writes: >I was wondering if anyone knew any movies out there about World War >III besides Red Dawn? There was a mini-series in the early to mid 80's called WWIII which starred David Soul (ala Starsky & Hutch), and took place in Alaska as the soviets invaded. The day after is another good movie, even if just to get a "feel" for the horrors of it. And there are tons of B- grade movies on the Sci-Fi shelves at Blockbuster, et al.... Chris ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 20 Apr 1997 16:17:24 -0400 (EDT) From: OrrinLadd@aol.com Subject: Re: Movies about WW III In a message dated 97-04-20 04:00:39 EDT, you write: << There was a mini-series in the early to mid 80's called WWIII which starred David Soul (ala Starsky & Hutch), and took place in Alaska as the soviets invaded. >> seen that it sucked. the sovs send spetsnaz to destroy an oil refinery and are stopped by Alaska national guard. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 10:24:05 +0200 From: "Marco" Subject: Re: Movies about WW III > OrrinLadd@aol.com writes: > > >I was wondering if anyone knew any movies out there about World War > >III besides Red Dawn? > > The day after is another good movie, even if just to get a "feel" for > the horrors of it. Next to Red Dawn, 'The Day After' was responsible for my WW III / Nuclear War interest. But there is one thing that always seems wrong to me. In all these movies and in the Twilight game itself, Nuclear War is incredibly underestimated! Even the Day After seems very cruel, but in my belief it's just to soft! I once read a mailing on this list from someone who created an alternative timeline. It was said there that after the nuclear war the nuclear winter was almost non-existing. This is so wrong! I read in a book (I don't know the title or writer) an assessment of several nuclear scenarios. And even scenarios with few nuclear strikes were lethal to the atmosphere. Estimates for a nuclear winter were between (by memory) 5 and 50 years or something. These were very, very bad scenarios! I shall get this book from our library and I post some text Wednesday. In the world of Twilight it's not very nice to get the players killed by an unknown disease, so I agree that a full scale nuke war has to be down-scale for the players convenience, but it's not right! M.Pietersen@ROC-ON.nl - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - -- "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." -- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless March of science, 1949 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - -- > And there are tons of B- grade movies on the Sci-Fi shelves at > Blockbuster, et al.... > > Chris ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 13:51:24 EDT From: q-guy@juno.com (Christopher Stainton) Subject: Re: Movies about WW III m.pietersen@roc-on.nl> writes: >Next to Red Dawn, 'The Day After' was responsible for my WW III / >Nuclear War interest >But there is one thing that always seems wrong to me. In all these >movies and in the Twilight game itself, Nuclear War is incredibly >underestimated! yup >Even the Day After seems very cruel, but in my belief it's just to >soft! I once read a mailing on this list from someone who created an >alternative timeline. It was said there that after the nuclear war >the nuclear winter was almost non-existing. This is so wrong! yup, but the twilight concept is one of world war III, ground forces fighting it out on european soil again, who'd be left to fight if all the nukes were dropped? maybe someone in New Zealand..................... The use of Nukes in T2000 (IMHO) was more for the story enhancement, and to make life more of a challenge for characters (PC & NPC Alike). I run (from time to time) a T1997 game where you are actually in the war, and the technology is such (on both sides) that it's really hard to imagine ANY armed conflict of this magnitude and technology lasting for very long (thermal imaging, satellites, B-2 Stealth Bombers, etc.,) Just some food for thought...... Chris ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 10:34:06 -0700 From: "Judy I. Hale" Subject: [Fwd: Re: Another Game systems sale] This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - --------------1EA359013CB0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A tid bit of info on TSR. TTFN Ron Hale - --------------1EA359013CB0 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline X-POP3-Rcpt: rrrj@twilight Return-Path: nostromo!MP-error@nostromo.gate.net Received: from osceola.gate.net (root@osceola.gate.net [199.227.0.18]) by twilight.c-zone.net (8.8.5/8.8.0(twilight)) with ESMTP id MAA17479 for ; Tue, 22 Apr 1997 12:12:48 -0700 Received: from inca.gate.net (upbpost@inca.gate.net [199.227.0.11]) by osceola.gate.net (8.8.5/8.6.12) with ESMTP id PAA473004; Tue, 22 Apr 1997 15:12:40 -0400 Received: (from upbpost@localhost) by inca.gate.net (8.8.5/8.6.9) id PAA34568; Tue, 22 Apr 1997 15:13:32 -0400 X-Authentication-Warning: inca.gate.net: upbpost set sender to nostromo!MP-error@nostromo.gate.net using -f Received: by nostromo.gate.net (V1.17-beta/Amiga) id ; Tue, 22 Apr 97 14:25:36 EST Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 13:20:03 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <199704221720.NAA18109@mh101.infi.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Reply-To: MP@nostromo.gate.net (Mailinglist 'MP') Sender: MP-error@nostromo.gate.net Precedence: bulk From: Rick Stevens To: MP@nostromo.gate.net (Mailinglist 'MP') Subject: Re: Another Game systems sale At 11:16 PM 4/20/97 -0000, you wrote: >Hey guys- > >Some of you probably already know this, but I'll tell you anyway! > >TSR has just been sold to the game company that produces "Magic" and "The= =20 >Great Dalmuti". Janel, When I read your post, I just couldn't believe it. It was the first I'd heard about it and so I wrote to Roger Moore, an old friend of mine, ex-editor-in-chief of Dragon Magazine and currently working in the Mystara development section for TSR. He assured me you were correct and sent me the following press release. But its not California, its Seattle and apparently they want to keep TSR pretty much the way they get it, so it may not move at all. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Steven Kam David Emanuel Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Ketchum Public Relations (206) 204-7695 (415) 984-6236 WIZARDS OF THE COAST TO ACQUIRE TSR INC. April 10, 1997 (Renton, Wash.)=FEWizards of the Coast Inc. and TSR Inc., the two leaders of the adventure gaming industry, announced today that a letter of intent has been signed by both parties for Wizards of the Coast to acquire TSR Inc. The transaction is expected to be completed in May, 1997. Wizards of the Coast is the publisher of the world's best-selling trading card game, Magic: The Gathering=FE. Lake Geneva, Wis.-based TSR Inc. is the publisher of the world-renowned adventure game Dungeons & Dragons=FE. Founded 22 years ago in 1975, TSR Inc. rose to a market leadership position that endures today with the introduction of Dungeons and Dragons. The internationally famous game further generated a wide variety of best-selling adventure and roleplaying games and merchandise, including the New York Times' best-selling book series, Dragonlance. The game Dungeons and Dragons was featured in an early scene of the 1982 Steven Spielberg hit movie, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. "TSR Inc. is the pioneer of adventure games and carries an important industry legacy," said Peter D. Adkison, president and CEO of Wizards of the Coast. "We look forward to drawing on TSR's world-wide reputation and established lines of popular games to complement our current business." Lorraine Williams, president and CEO of TSR Inc., added, "The synergies that already exist between Wizards of the Coast and TSR ensure a solid home and future for the vast library of intellectual property which TSR has created, and for its creative community." Wizards of the Coast is a leading developer and publisher of entertainment products, including Magic: The Gathering. Since the game was released in 1993, over two billion cards have been sold, and the game is available in nine languages. Other products published by the company include the trading card game BattleTech=FE and the soon-to-be-released card game Corporate Shuffle=FE, based on the popular comic character DILBERT=FE. The company is headquartered just outside of Seattle, Washington in the city of Renton, and has international offices in the United Kingdom, Belgium and France. For more information on Wizards of the Coast, visit the company's website at . =FE1997 Wizards of the Coast Inc. All rights reserved. WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Magic: The Gathering, and Corporate Shuffle are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc. Dungeons & Dragons is a registered trademark of TSR Inc. BattleTech is a registered trademark of FASA. The BattleTech universe is owned by FASA Corporation and used under license. DILBERT =FE United Feature Syndicate Inc. =1A Sorry if it doesn't have a lot to do with TMP, guys, but TSR pretty much invented the mass market RPG and as such I felt it important info for ALL gamers. Rick Stevens I'm desperately trying to figure out why kamikaze pilots wore helmets. - -Dave Edison- *********************************************************************** * The Morrow Project's FRPG List! To unsubscribe send Email to * * ListServ@nostromo.gate.net and in the body of message type * * "delete yourname@yoursite MP" (minus the "" of course:) All other * * questions should be sent to damocles@nostromo.gate.net. * *********************************************************************** - --------------1EA359013CB0-- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 26 Apr 1997 16:46:48 EDT From: q-guy@juno.com (Christopher Stainton) Subject: ping Now that GDW's death is being avenged (fingers crossed), what are Tantalus' current plans for the RPG? I've been off-line for a few months, and was wondering if there have been any changes................. What about net-books or source material, or pre-made adventures? Anyone know of any? Just wondering, Chris ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 09:23:36 -0700 From: "Judy I. Hale" Subject: Re: ping Christopher Stainton wrote: > > Now that GDW's death is being avenged (fingers crossed), what are > Tantalus' current plans for the RPG? > I've been off-line for a few months, and was wondering if there have been > any changes................. > > What about net-books or source material, or pre-made adventures? Anyone > know of any? > > Just wondering, > Chris Last I heard they had no plans of any kind for any new or re-release of products. If they have changed their minds on this someone, please, let us know? Does anyone have Tantalus's e-mail address? TTFN Ron Hale ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 15:10:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Re: ping Greetings All: > Christopher Stainton wrote: > > Now that GDW's death is being avenged (fingers crossed), what are > > Tantalus' current plans for the RPG? > > I've been off-line for a few months, and was wondering if there have been > > any changes................. > > What about net-books or source material, or pre-made adventures? Anyone > > know of any? Nothing has changed. AFAIK, Tantalus still hasn't done anything with the GDW titles it picked up. > > Does anyone have Tantalus's e-mail address? > TTFN > Ron Hale > In the early posts to this list, Rob Miracle said any inquiries should be go through him any he would direct them accordingly. In his .sig, his email address was given as: rwm@TanSoft.com , but he posted to the list from: rwm@MPGN.COM. Take your pick. #!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#! Chris Callahan HTML Writers Guild/ List Guide (hwg-basics) crcallahan@ucdavis.edu callahan@geology.ucdavis.edu hector@techrefuge.com http://www.techrefuge.com/hector/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 21:10:45 -0400 (EDT) From: OrrinLadd@aol.com Subject: shtora does anybody have any info on the "Shtora" defensive system on Russian T-90's? supposedly its supposed to jam laser guidance systems?? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 09:29:32 -0700 From: "Judy I. Hale" Subject: Re: shtora OrrinLadd@aol.com wrote: > > does anybody have any info on the "Shtora" defensive system on Russian > T-90's? supposedly its supposed to jam laser guidance systems?? Can't recall anything about laser jamming. However, I do know the russians have developed an anti-missile system. I saw it on an episode of FirePower, on the Discovery Channel. It consisted of a sensor unit on the turret deck, attached to pads, of what amounted to directional mines, around the turrets sides. The sensor detects and tracks incoming missiles, when they are close enough it jetisons a mine, and detonates it. The shrapnel from the mine tears the missile apart. TTFN Ron Hale ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 19:13:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Re: shtora Greetings: This is an excerpt from a post I was able to dig up in a newsgroup archive:
The new Jane's Armour and Artillery Upgrades (96-97) has reached the library, so I had a glance through it and pulled out the following data to improve upon, clarify, and correct what I posted earlier.

The Arena Active AFV Defence System is made by the Kolomna design bureau, and is currently still in development, not service as they seemed to imply earlier (marketing?). It uses a large mast mounted sensor on the turret rear with multiple circular radar antennae to cue the computer to fire one of twenty large explosive panels arranged around the turret in a circular array. Each panel is angled downwards by thirty degrees, can deal with targets in an area from +65 degrees to -85 degrees in elevation. The incoming missiles are detected approximately 50m away, lock on is accomplished at 7.8 to 10.6 meters, and panel detonation occurs when the missile is about 1.3 to 3.9 meters away. In the event of a missing panel the designers claim the system will automatically rotate the turret to bring a good panel to bear. [ With a detection range of 50m?? Yeah, right...] The whole system weighs from 800 to 1,000 kg, depending on the number of panels required.

The Shtora-1 AFV Defence System is a four part system, and not a part of the Arena system as my earlier info indicated, although it could be deployed on the same vehicle. It is composed of a control system (15 kg), a laser warning system with precision and coarse heads (20 kg ea.), usually two IR lamp jammers (80 kg ea.), and a bank of smoke grenade launchers for automatic deployment of appropriate aerosols (115 kg). The system is in production for T-80U, T-84, and T-90 tanks.

The IR jammers are designed to confuse the SACLOS guidance system in missile systems like TOW, which track the missile in flight by tracking flares mounted on the rear of the missile. The IR decoys on the tank are designed to attract the attention of the guidance sensors, making the sytem think that the missile is somewhere it's not. The command unit will then try to make course corrections based on the erroneous information, causing the ATGM to miss the intended target. Follow? Sorry if I'm rambling, I'm both tired and in a hurry. :) #!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#!#! Chris Callahan HTML Writers Guild/List Guide (hwg-basics) crcallahan@ucdavis.edu callahan@geology.ucdavis.edu hector@techrefuge.com http://www.techrefuge.com/hector/ http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/9717/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 14:43:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Infantry survivability Greetings All: I just stumbled across a thread from a newsgroup discussing various approaches to augmenting infantrymen, ranging from the Army's SIPE (Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble) that I used to see in all the magazines/TV shows, to more extreme versions of powered armour. The thread is at: http://www.ma.ultranet.com/~eclipse/powarm.html BTW, did my post regarding the Arena/Shtora AFV defence systems come through on the list last night? I didn't seem to get it. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 10:08:34 -0500 From: Robert Beck Subject: Re: Infantry survivability At 02:43 PM 4/29/97 -0700, Chris wrote: > BTW, did my post regarding the Arena/Shtora AFV defence systems >come through on the list last night? I didn't seem to get it. Yes, I saw it early. Pretty informative. I remember a friend of mine stationed in Korea talking about the field testing of some of the components of the augmented soldier system back in '90. He said the first prototypes had to be toned down for finer control, as they tended to perform too well. He cited an example of power assisted glove/lower arm assembly that, when flexed, broke several bones in the hand of the test soldier. That was, of course, seven or more years ago, so I'm sure the system is a little better refined by now. Haven't seen much of the latest info, so I'll check out that web site you posted. Rob. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 15:26:56 EDT From: q-guy@juno.com (Christopher Stainton) Subject: Re: ping >Does anyone have Tantalus's e-mail address? Well, supposedly the MPGN lists are all run by tantalus ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 23:09:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: South Korean Weapons Greetings All: This came through another ML I subscribe to: South Korea's main intelligence agency arrested a 62-year-old American on Wednesday: Donald Ratcliffe, head of Far Eastern operations for Litton Industry Inc.'s Guidance and Control Systems Division. He was charged with collecting classified information on South Korea's arms procurement plans. His arrest comes as a time that U.S. defense contractors face increased competition in the multibillion-dollar South Korean arms market. For decades, South Korea has bought most of its weapons from the United States, but lately it began diversifying, buying weapons from Russia, Britain and Israel. It plans to spend $33.6 billion over the six years starting in 1998 on new weapons. Does anyone happen to know what the ROK is buying from these other countries? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 12:58:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Reservist charged with stealing from Marine Corps (fwd) Greetings All: This came through on another ML I subscribe to, and I thought it was interesting... Reservist charged with stealing from Marine Corps DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. - A U.S. Marine Corps reservist has been jailed in Florida after investigators found military weapons and anti-government literature in two of his storage units, police said Tuesday. Donald Kornse, 31, was charged with theft of government property after investigators, acting on a tip from his estranged wife, found smoke grenades, 2,000 rounds of ammunition for M-16 rifles, three guns and military clothing including gas masks, helmets and flak jackets. They said they also found anti-government literature and pamphlets that one investigator described to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel newspaper as ``survivalist stuff.'' ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 13:26:04 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Countermine Products (fwd) Greetings All: This came through one of my other mailing lists. The page may be worth checking out. BTW- I have thus far been unsuccessful in finding out about the M16A3. Some sources imply that it is merely an M16A2 with a scope, some imply it is a flat-top. Does anyone know for sure if it's (1) just an -A2 with a scope, (2) one of the cheesy flat-tops that still has the front sight and a detachable carrying handle/rear sight, or (3) a true flat-top (no iron sights at all)? http://www.pica.army.mil/orgs/pm-mcd/cmprods.htm Countermine Products Welcome to the world of Countermine Products. This section provides insight into the multitude of products within the realm of countermine operations. For a Timeline detailing the fielding dates for the various Countermine products, click HERE Developmental Items: Detection Equipment: Airborne Stand-off Minefield Detection System (ASTAMIDS) Hand-held Stand-off Minefield Detection System (HSTAMIDS) Breaching Equipment: Antipersonnel Obstacle Breaching System (APOBS) Standoff Minefield Breacher (SMB) Launched Grapnel Hook (LGH) Fielded Items: Detection Equipment: AN/PSS-12 Metallic Mine Detector Breaching Equipment: M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) PM1 Mine Clearing Blade Mine Clearing Roller Marking Equipment: Hand Emplaced Minefield Marking Set (HEMMS), M133 Cleared Lane Marking System (CLAMS) END OF COUNTERMINE PRODUCTS HOMEPAGE ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 15:29:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: NPR Arms Series #2 (fwd) Greetings All: What's this, a high-tech FAV/DPV? (from an NPR news story about IDEX '97) General Dynamics of the United States was displaying one of the most unusual items at IDEX, the Advanced Light-Strike Vehicle. It looks like something out of "The Road Warrior" movies, a dune buggy with machine guns. That's, in fact, what it is. And an earlier version played a key role in the search for Skud missile launchers in the Iraqi dessert during the Gulf War. The Advanced Light Strike Vehicle is the pet project of Maxwell Johnson (ph), a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel who shaves his head and smokes a Meerschaum pipe. LIEUTENANT COLONEL MAXWELL JOHNSON, USMC, RET.: This vehicle can stop on a -- on a slope, seemingly almost straight up -- It's not quite that -- but stop mid-slope and go down completely -- and then go up the rest of it. It can then turn around and back up the slope. There's no vehicle that I know of that can do that, besides a tank, that can dig in with its tracks. SHUSTER: The Advance Light-Strike Vehicle is also new. Johnson says only one has been sold so far, to the United Arab Emirates. Paul Beaver (ph) of Jane's Defence Information Group says exhibitions like IDEX are becoming increasingly important in bringing new military products to the worldwide market. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 16:13:28 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Wages of War (The Business of Battle), New World Computing (fwd) Greetings All: Did Tantalus go and release a M2k game w/o telling us? :) And to think, some say that T2k/M2k have lost their audience... - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- As this list occasionally follows mercenary doings I thought I would pass along the following; an example of art imitating life. ENTERTAINMENT: - -------------- Wages of War (The Business of Battle), New World Computing Street Price: $32.00 Mac/Win 95 Reviewed by William O'Leary Requirements: 486/66 & 100% Compatible (Pentium Recommended),8 MB RAM (16MB Recommended), Windows 95, 2x CD-ROM, SVGA, 50 MB Free Space, Mouse Supports: All major sound cards Rating: KA --> Kids (6+) to adults Ever wanted to lead the A-TEAM on a mission, and make a ton of money while doing so? With Wages of War from New World Computing, you get your chance to finance and run your own mercenary agency, and take care of all the business in between. The game play is roughly broken into two parts: taking care of office finances (not in scenario mode) and going out into the field. The game begins in your MERCS Incorporated office. You receive a phone call on your vid-phone where a client explains his problem to you. Then a contract comes over your fax machine. You get to negotiate the terms of the mission (amount of money up front, amount of money for completing the mission, and how much time the mission can take). The contract is faxed back and forth until you and the client agree upon a price, or you can make the client angry and he'll make you a final offer. The choice is yours. After the contract is agreed upon, you must then decide on how to gather intelligence on the mission. There are various companies available for hire, and depending on how accurate they are or how soon you want the information, the price will vary. Once you accept an information source, the packet is slipped under your front door for you to review. Once you know what you're up against, mercenaries are hired to fulfill the mission. By flipping through a card catalog, each mercenary is displayed. You can hire up to eight of them, and they vary in price and abilities. (They even have a price you pay the family in case of the Merc's death.) Some Merc's will be available, some are MIA and others on mission already. But as time passes more people become available. Your next step is to lease weapons and equipment. You only pay for what you don't return so it's important to keep all your equipment intact! By flipping through catalogs, you browse from knives and handguns to automatic weapons (like an M-60!) and explosives. There are only so many types of guns available, and quantities vary. There are also special items (i.e. fence cutters and explosive timers) available as well. Any special items you need have a little yellow post-it message on the catalog page reminding you to buy it. After all of the planning is done, you now have to arrange travel plans for your team of Merc's. Depending on how fast you want to get to the mission sight, the price of airline tickets will vary. Once you secure a travel plan, you get to outfit your mercenaries with the weapons and equipment purchased. Each Merc can hold a certain amount of items (weight plays a large factor in this game) and each item has a certain weight. You have to balance among your team each weapon and extra item so that your team is able to carry everything and still have the ability to walk! The last option before the start of the mission is whether or not you want to train your team. They can train in three skills: Weapons, Mission skill, and Technical skills. Keep in mind though, that there is a time limit you must hold to because of your contract, and you must chose all your options wisely. Once you decide on training, you're ready to go out into the field and battle. Here is where the game gets extremely hard. A 3-D map of your mission sight comes up, and you must decide where to land your Merc's. Once they are deployed, they must move to the target sight and either blow something up, rescue someone, or eliminate someone (depending on the contracted mission). The instruction book is not very helpful in explaining game play, so you will have to experiment for a long time to get the hang of the game. Even though the game play is hard, the graphics and realism make up for it. Your Merc's can walk, run, crawl and kneel. They are things to watch out for such as spraining an ankle if they run too much. They may also be less likely to die from a leg wound then a gunshot wound to the chest. You can perform first aid on the field and pick up a wounded soldier and toss him over your shoulder to move him out of danger. If you're lucky, you can control a mortar and sight the explosive shells on the enemy. Both the terrain and your soldiers are detailed, making the game visibly pleasing. Overall, Wages of War is a good game. Unfortunately, the game does not get good until you figure out how to operate your soldiers in the field. The office sequences keeps you entertained (you can call your mother on the phone, or even order pizza) and negotiations give you a feeling of satisfaction. But the real satisfaction is the amount of money you make at the end of a completed mission (that's when a smile appeared on my face). Like Hannible Smith says, I love it when a plan comes together! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 11:38:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: THAI HELICOPTER UPDATE (fwd) Greetings All: Thailand has Seahwaks??? THAI HELICOPTER UPDATE Second Day May 7th, 1997 Regarding yesterday's news that GKN Westland is offering its Super Lynx helicopter to the Royal Thai Navy, the Thais actually require an anti-surface vessel (ASV) helicopter, not more ASW helicopters,. So it is assumed that BAe is also offering its Sea Skua ASV missile. This explains the Thai decision to open this helicopter requirement up to competition and not simply buy more SH0-60 Sea Hawks, to add to the ASW Sea Hawks now being delivered. It is presumed that Kaman will also be offering its SH-2G Seasprite as chosen by Australia and New Zealand and Eurocopter will be offering Panther, in an ASV configuration similar to that chosen by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 14:46:59 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Delivery of Tanks to Pakistan Sets Off Sales War With Russia: Moscow stops licensing parts exports to Ukraine. (fwd) Greetings All: From the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/"> Friday, May 2, 1997 Delivery of Tanks to Pakistan Sets Off Sales War With Russia Moscow stops licensing parts exports to Ukraine. By MARY MYCIO, Special to The Times KIEV, Ukraine--With its infrared night-vision optics, antiaircraft machine guns and desert-storming diesel engine, the T-80UD tank is a formidable assault weapon. And when a contingent of them recently trundled through Islamabad, it signaled a Ukrainian conquest--but not by force of arms. The tanks displayed during a military parade had invaded a market, with a $600-million contract for Ukraine to sell 320 T-80UDs to Pakistan. It is Kiev's biggest arms sale to date. But officials are still cagey about it. They have cause for concern. Pakistan's first major purchase of land weapons from a former Soviet republic has raised hackles in Russia, whose factories produce many of the parts that Ukraine's factories assemble into T-80UDs. Soon after the first 15 tanks arrived in Pakistan, Russia announced that it would not license export of any more T-80UD parts to Ukraine. The official reason: Moscow is actively pursuing arms sales to Islamabad's chief rival, India. A source at Rosvooryzhenye, Russia's state-owned weapons dealer, told Interfax news agency that Russia "strictly refrains" from selling arms to Pakistan. But the T-80UD sale puts it in the "ambiguous position" of supplying weapons parts destined for that very country. Officials and analysts here, however, suspect that the real reason for the embargo is to block Kiev's new challenge to Moscow's near-monopoly on arms exports from the region. "Russia cut off the supply of parts, thinking Ukraine won't be able to fulfill the contract alone," says lawmaker Serhiy Sobelev, head of parliament's Reform faction. "It wants the Pakistan contract for itself." The growing rivalry between the Slavic neighbors over shrinking international weapons markets was evident in March at the world's largest arms fair, the International Defense Exhibition, in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. Judging by each country's newspaper reports, Ukrainian and Russian arms dealers were elbowing each other aside to draw attention to their weapons. One Ukrainian paper closely tied to President Leonid D. Kuchma proclaimed: "Ukraine is the only post-Soviet republic that can compete with Russia in the arms market." Meanwhile, a Russian daily happily described the crowds at its country's exhibit and underscored former Soviet republics' reliance on Russian-made parts for their weapons production. That dependence is a leftover from Soviet times, when weapons assembled here depended on other republics, especially Russia, for 80% of their parts. Today, the percentage is smaller, though the specific proportions depend on the arms system. The top-of-the-line T-84 tank is 80% Ukrainian-made, while the T-80UD is, in the words of Ukrainian national security advisor Volodymyr Horbulin, "a largely Russian" product. Some officials, citing Russia's own dependence on Ukrainian-made parts--especially for its space program--hinted at a counter-embargo. But Kuchma's administration refuses to consider losing such potentially lucrative business. Instead, Hryhori Maliuk, director of the Kharkiv-based Malyshev tank factory--the biggest in the former Soviet Union--announced that the next consignment of 35 T-80UDs would be cobbled together from old tanks and parts from former Eastern Bloc countries such as Poland. But cannibalizing existing tanks won't be enough to arm the hundreds of additional T-80UDs that Ukraine must deliver over the next three years. Instead, its struggling military industry is doing what lawmakers such as Sobelev believe that it should have been doing all along: giving its own jobless factories work and ending reliance on Russia in a sensitive security matter such as arms production. Factories all over the country's depressed, industrialized east are switching into high gear, testing prototypes and developing mass production of artillery systems, engine batteries and optical systems to replace the Russian-made parts. Copyright Los Angeles Times ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 May 1997 14:09:59 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Callahan Subject: Mercenaries who show no mercy (fwd) From=20another mailing list: Role models for M2k PC's... :) - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- http://www.enews.com/monster/news/body.html#Military=20 Tuesday 25 February 1997 Mercenaries who show no mercy By LINDSAY MURDOCH, Canberra, and PHILLIP van NIEKERK, Johannesburg The mercenaries hired by Papua New Guinea are no ordinary=20 band of rogues.=20 They fly sophisticated combat aircraft, including MiG-27=20 ground attack fighters, they are adept at night-fighting=20 and their high-technology warfare skills include the ability=20 to jam communications. They are expert at psychological campaigns=20 and at getting the dirt on politicians they are paid to discredit.=20 A glossy brochure from the London office of Sandline International,=20 the company hired by PNG for a reported $40million, boasts simply=20 that it ``has been able to assist clients in being able to meet their outco= mes''.=20 Sandline is connected with one of the world's most formidable private force= s, known as Executive Outcomes, an organisation able to quickly mobilise 1000 mostly former South African-based combat veterans and a small but highly effective air-wing.=20 These are the men believed to comprise the 30 to=20 40-strong group that has so far arrived in PNG.=20 According to the United Nations, Executive Outcomes has conducted a range of illegal acts under the guise of commercial activities. A UN report= last year castigated the company, saying that in 1993 it sent about 500 mercenaries to the African state of Sierra Leone, a move that had ``serious consequences for the enjoyment of human rights by the people concerned''.= =20 The report said the company used a network of security companies operating in various countries, soldiers of fortune and intelligence circles to help = it undertake military actions that included ``psychological campaigns aimed at creating panic among the civilian population''.=20 The UN's Special Rapporteur reported: `` ... Executive Outcomes is involved in the recruitment, contracting and training of the mercenaries and the planning of their operations. It uses them in a variety of situations where= , in return for payment, it has carried out all kinds of illegal acts.''=20 Executive Outcomes' army is constructed from South Africa's old war machine to enforce apartheid. The firm is linked to an Africa-wide business conglomerate and is almost certainly involved in the inter-linking wars in = the Great Lakes region of Africa, from Zaire to the Sudan. But, wary of a bad press, the firm has become clandestine.=20 Executive Outcomes was one of a network of front companies set up by South Africa's old security establishment. Its managing director, Mr Eeben Barlow, 41, worked in West European operations for the Civil Cooperation Bureau.=20 The firm's foot-soldiers are the veterans of South Africa's wars in Africa. Black and white, they hail from the most infamous and toughest units.=20 Their expertise is fighting bush wars, but the firm has diversified. ``At t= he end of the day, we're a business,'' Mr Lafras Luitingh, one of the directors, h= as explained. The firm has interests in at least 30 countries in construction,= cell phones, tourism and computer software.=20 Executive Outcomes is Africa's new-wave entrepreneur, recolonising parts of the continent where war and the erosion of the nation state have resulted i= n a collapse of law and order.=20 The common denominator in all the firm's interventions - which is of relevance for Papua New Guinea - is mineral wealth. Executive Outcomes is often an advance guard for Western business interests wanting the security that the state is not able to provide them to exploit the mineral wealth of Africa. In Angola and in Sierra Leone, Executive Outcomes negotiated diamond concessions in return for its services.=20 The firm's employees earn at least $US15,000 a month and are provided lucrative life insurance policies. But there are other rewards; several yea= rs ago about 100 of its soldiers were in the attacking column of 1500 Angolan troops when they captured Cafunfo, centre of the diamond trade in Angola's war-torn north.=20 One of the mercenaries told an American journalist about the party that followed. ``We plundered the town,'' he said, adding that his only regret w= as that he and his friends got too drunk to find any diamonds.=20 The firm, which has as its logo a paladin, the same chess knight featured o= n the old TV series, Have Gun, Will Travel, claims it has assisted African stability. Mr Barlow once said: ``We are dynamic, professional and work to achieve success ... we are profit-driven and our profit depends on the satisfaction of our client.''=20 One of Executive Outcomes' earliest assignments was in Angola where it was hired for $US40million by the MPLA Government to train the army it was trying to rebuild to take on the rebel forces of Unita's Jonas Savimbi.=20 This was one of history's about-turns: most of Executive Outcomes' staff ha= d spent more than a decade fighting for Mr Savimbi to try to topple the MPLA.= =20 The deal was brokered by elements in the African National Congress, repaying the MPLA for its support during the South African liberation struggle. Executive Outcomes' involvement marked the turning point: Savimbi was brought to his knees.=20 But the firm's shady origins and its lack of transparency give rise to conc= ern over its influence in Africa. The ANC Government, now embarrassed at finding itself one of the world's largest exporters of mercenaries, has pla= nned legislation to curb them - but it is doubtful this will have the desired ef= fect. Executive Outcomes has mastered the ability to mutate and reappear in new guises.=20 =A91997 David Syme & Co Ltd=20 ------------------------------ End of twilight2000-digest V1996 #43 ************************************