Feature Request - Naval Asset Addition - Australia

[cailean_556]

I put forward the request that Australia, in DCS, be given the Oliver Hazzard Perry-class (OHP) guided missile frigate (FFG) as a naval asset.

 

The Royal Australian Navy operated 6 Adelaide-class FFGs which were, for all intents and purposes, externally identical to the OHP-class (save the distinctive 'Red Rat' painted on the sides of the forward superstructure - Red Rat being an affectionate term for the red Kangaroo motif painted on most Australian vehicles as well as being part of the RAAF roundel). While the Adelaide-class was eventually upgraded to feature a 21-cell VLMS mounted forward of the SM-2 missile rail, they were virtually identical in external layout to the Oliver Hazzard Perry-class FFGs.

 

Considering Australia has been given the MQ-9 Reaper asset, a capability which Australia is yet to receive though it has been announced, and that other nations which have operated far fewer OHPs have them assigned (Bahrain, in particular) there is a precedence - of note is that two of the RANs FFGs are allegedly being sold to Chile, which could then also be added to Chile within DCS. They could be referred to as Adelaide-class FFGs whilst using the OHP model or could simply be added as OHPs.

 

This is a 'quick win' as it requires only a few lines of code to achieve the desired outcome (unless an Australia-specific livery for the ship is desired, which requires a livery to be created).

 

Another, more complicated, request is that a MEKO 200 frigate model be created and added to DCS. The MEKO 200 and its variants serve, or have served, with 7 nations worldwide - 6 of which are represented in DCS (Australia - as the ANZAC-class, Turkey, Greece, South Africa, Portugal and Algeria use, or have used, the MEKO 200 in one variant or another. New Zealand also uses ANZAC-class however New Zealand is not yet represented as a faction in DCS).

 

With the pending addition of the Marianas Islands map (which has significantly more ocean than the Caucasus or Persian Gulf) more naval assets for some, if not most or all, nations represented within DCS would be beneficial as several nations with large blue-water navies are not adequately represented - such as the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Brazil.

[Nobolony]

I totally agree with you. More Australian naval and RAAF assets please!!