Sea Power News

Sea Power Development Update – December 2025

[h2]Sea Power Development Update - December 2025[/h2][p]Happy Holidays from the Triassic Games team! [/p][p]As we approach the end of 2025, we wanted to take a moment to look back at what the team has delivered this year, introduce two new members of the development team, and provide a brief update on several major initiatives currently in progress. We are also using this opportunity to roll out a small update to Sea Power, which is described below.[/p][p]This year has been a significant one for Sea Power, both in terms of feature depth and long-term foundations for the future of the game.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]2025: Year in Review[/h2][p]Throughout 2025, development focused on building upon the core mechanics of Sea Power, as well as expanding the overall scope of the game with new factions, missions, and a campaign. Major updates this year included:[/p]

[p]New playable JMSDF and PLAN factions, each with brand new units and scenarios.[/p]
[p]Major rework of Flight Deck operations for enhanced realism and more interesting carrier and airbase gameplay.[/p]
[p]Introduction of save/load functionality, enabling longer and more complex scenarios to be enjoyed in more than one session.[/p]
[p]Tacview integration, allowing players to analyze engagements in detail outside the game.[/p]
[p]Release of the first Linear Campaign, providing a structured story-based experience with connected and branching scenarios.[/p]
[p]New missions, weapons, and units across all factions, expanding historical scope and providing for more variety.[/p]
[p]Ongoing AI improvements, providing for better replayability and more challenge for players.[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Team Update[/h2][p]We are excited to welcome two new team members to Triassic![/p][p]Chris (skyblazer) has joined the art team as a 3D modeler, focusing on the creation of new units. He is a long time Sea Power mod maker known for his work on the Royal Australian Navy mod pack. Chris is based in Australia and brings a strong background in 3D design and asset creation to the team.[/p][p]Nick (bluedot) has joined the team as a software developer and is currently focused on performance optimization and enhancing aircraft behavior and air-to-air combat fidelity. Like Chris, Nick is an experienced mod maker with a professional background in .NET web development.[/p][p]Welcome Chris and Nick![/p][hr][/hr][h2]Current Development Initiatives[/h2][p]As we move toward 2026, several major initiatives are underway. Below is a brief status update on each:[/p][h3]AI Improvements[/h3][p]Throughout the second half of 2025, the team has introduced a variety of enhancements to the Sea Power AI. The latest on AI has been shared throughout the last few community updates, but here is a recap as we approach the end of the year:[/p]

[p]The AI commander can now classify player ship and aircraft formations based on shared characteristics such as heading, speed, and grouping.[/p]
[p]AI airbases and carriers automatically launch AEW&C, maintain CAP, and scramble interceptors in response to inbound strikes.[/p]
[p]AI aircraft will prioritize attacks on detected targets more appropriately, and defend themselves against CAP effectively.[/p]
[p]AI submarines employ wake-homing torpedoes more effectively by engaging at closer ranges.[/p]

[p]AI capabilities under active development:[/p]

[p]Active AI reconnaissance using available assets.[/p]
[p]Expanding airstrike capabilities beyond bomb-only attacks.[/p]
[p]Enabling the AI to coordinate SEAD and jammers with airstrikes.[/p]
[p]Morale-based AI behavior and reactions.[/p]
[p]Improved ASW tactics against player submarines.[/p]
[p]Better AI weapon employment within appropriate engagement envelopes.[/p]
[p]Delivery of the AI Framework to the community, allowing scriptable AI for custom missions.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Pictured: experimental AI logic built inside the scriptable AI Framework for transiting Ship A (yellow) past Threats X, Y, and Z (red) to Destination B (green). Weighted threat values (black arrows) for each detected/classified red Threat influence the pathing decisions for Ship A (yellow). Ship A (yellow) is simulated Kidd class DDG, while Threat X (top) is simulated Oslo class FF, Threat Y (top right) is simulated Belknap class CG, and Threat Z (bottom) is simulated Sovremenny class DDG. The sharp turn to the south on classification of Threat Z (Sovremenny) is due to AI understanding of the greater anti-ship threat posed by Sovremenny with its highly capable SS-N-22 missiles.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Performance Optimizations[/h3][p]Performance of Sea Power, especially in larger scale or longer running missions, has been a consistent point of feedback from the community. The team is making a focused effort to identify performance bottlenecks and optimize where possible.[/p][p]Recent improvements include:[/p]

[p]Significant performance gains in large-scale scenarios, with Public Beta participants (and dev team profiling) showing a 50% increase in FPS in missions. These improvements stem from optimization work led by Nick, our new programmer, who continues to identify areas for improvement.[/p]
[p]Engine- and system-level optimizations, including revised sensor line of sight checks, improved unit file referencing to reduce load times, and better handling of large unit formations. [/p]
[p]Progress on hunting down a long-standing memory leak that would result in longer missions slowing down or crashing, preventing the need to save and restart the game to avoid crashes. [/p]

[p]The Triassic Team expects to continue to deliver further performance improvements with each major update. Please stay tuned![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]Aircraft Behavior Rework[/h3][p]Improving the management of aircraft in Sea Power is a high priority for our team. Recently, the team conducted a special session to identify the main areas of aircraft behavior that will be addressed:[/p]

[p]Improving the aircraft control UI to make aircraft more intuitive to operate.[/p]
[p]Introducing more realistic missile kinematics to make real defensive/offensive air combat tactics viable.[/p]
[p]Adding capability to draw out specific patrol/free-engagement zones for aircraft (and extending this capability to ships and other units).[/p]
[p]Improving WTA (Weapon Target Assignment) algorithms of AI aircraft, so that fighters prioritize targets correctly.[/p]
[p]Adding more realistic fuel elements to the aircraft simulation, including aerial refueling.[/p]
[p]And of course, continuing to work out bugs in the flight model (especially the recalcitrant issue where aircraft will climb to 100,000' without explanation...)[/p]

[p]Aspects of these priorities have already been delivered and are live in the latest release (please see release notes below). For the rest, please stay tuned for updates throughout the next few months.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]Dynamic Campaign[/h3][p]With continued progress on Sea Power’s AI systems, the team has begun active development of the Dynamic Campaign. [/p][p]As outlined in previous updates, the initial implementation will focus on a North Atlantic theater set during a Cold War–gone-hot conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact in Europe. Our current efforts focus on the strategic map view and the objectives and events shown there (for which the Linear Campaign system has provided a basic framework).[/p][p]As development progresses, we will share additional details with the community.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h3]Environment/Terrain Overhaul[/h3][p]Work is underway on a major overhaul of Sea Power's terrain and environment systems, led by Ian and Mek on the art team. This effort is focused on improving the visual fidelity of terrain, vegetation, coastlines, undersea environments, and cities within the game.[/p][p]Here is a first look at some of the enhancements. We expect to release the environment overhaul sometime in Q1 of 2026:[/p][carousel][/carousel][carousel][/carousel][hr][/hr][h3]Royal Navy Faction Update[/h3][p]As mentioned in our roadmap (and teased on the Microprose Discord), the next faction we are releasing will the Royal Navy. The following units have been revealed so far, with more to come:[/p]

[p]Type 21 (Amazon) class frigate[/p]
[p]Type 42 (Sheffield) class destroyer (Batch 1)[/p]
[p]Type 22 (Broadsword) class frigate[/p]
[p]Lynx HAS.1 helicopter[/p]

[p]Royal Navy faction release is currently targeting Q2 2026, and like previous faction updates, will include a variety of new units and scenarios. Nils from the art team has been hard at work on these new ships:[/p][p]Pictured: Type 21 (Amazon) class frigate[/p][p]Pictured: Type 42 (Sheffield) class destroyer (Batch 1)[/p][p]Pictured: Type 22 (Broadsword) class frigate[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Miscellaneous Updates[/h3][p]Additional areas of development are outlined below. These efforts are largely focused on quality-of-life improvements and content updates, and will be delivered incrementally over the coming year.[/p]

[p]New native language voiceovers for Chinese and Japanese[/p]
[p]New accented English voiceovers for European powers and others[/p]
[p]Continuous improvement of the game's Mission Editor[/p]
[p]Continuing to update and improve the base game's original scenario set[/p]
[p]Adding new scenarios for all factions[/p]
[p]Adding two new Linear Campaigns, the details for which will be shared soon™️[/p]
[p]Adding new units for all factions outside the major faction releases, with a sneak peek below:[/p]

[p]Pictured: one of the new units in progress by Chris on the art team. [/p][hr][/hr][h2]Release Branch Update[/h2][p]\[ADDED 26 DEC]: please note, as of 26 Dec (Friday), we have ROLLED BACK this update as some users were reporting crashes and framerate issues. We are investigating these issues and will get a patch release out ASAP. Until then, please use the Public Beta if you would like to try the changes mentioned below![/p][hr][/hr][p]Last but not least, we will be rolling out an update to Sea Power today that incorporates the same set of improvements recently tested on the Public Beta branch. These updates were mentioned in our last post, but here is a recap for those interested:[/p][h3]What's New[/h3]

[p]Performance optimizations across core systems, delivering faster load times and improved FPS, especially in large-scale scenarios.[/p]
[p]Aircraft will no longer jettison external fuel tanks unless under attack.[/p]
[p]Fighters can now perform cranking maneuvers during BVR engagements while continuing to guide missiles.[/p]
[p]Aircraft that run out of fuel without a nearby recovery airfield will now ditch.[/p]
[p]Many new loadout options for US aircraft (P-3C, S-3A, SH-3H, SH-2F, A-6E, and A-7E)[/p]
[p]New Rubezh land-based Styx platform[/p]

[h3]Full change list[/h3][p]Newly added features in this release:[/p]

[p]Aircraft in BVR combat can now properly crank when launching long-range missiles[/p]
[p]Aircraft without an airfield nearby will now ditch when fuel tanks are empty[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Heading now changes according to the first Waypoint position if present[/p]
[p]Added USN Mark 54 depth bomb (conventional)[/p]
[p]Added conventional depth bomb loadouts for SH-3H and S-3A[/p]
[p]Added new wing root pylons and Sidewinder rails for P-3C[/p]
[p]JMSDF P-3C now use ASM-1 instead of Harpoon for AntiShip loadouts[/p]
[p]Updated all P-3C and S-3A loadouts with new capabilities[/p]
[p]New Anti Ship Long Range loadout for A-6E based on historical Surface CAP loadouts[/p]
[p]New SEAD Long Range loadout for A-7E based on historical loadouts[/p]
[p]New ASW Long Range loadout for SH-2F[/p]
[p]New Grail mounts for Shershen-E and Mol classes, enabled SA-N-5 on Mol class[/p]
[p]South African Air Force Mirage F1 callsigns[/p]
[p]New 4K51 Rubezh shore-based Styx launcher[/p]
[p]Added DECM to Yak-38[/p]

[p]Changes from previous release:[/p]

[p]Preferred arcs now will launch weapon even if it is not possible to fully align mount with target[/p]
[p]Performance: Drastically improved mission loading times (thanks Bluedot!)[/p]
[p]Performance: Re-enabled Burst compile in Synthesizers for speedup[/p]
[p]Performance: Reworked sensor and line of sight logic to improve performance[/p]
[p]Performance: Improved performance with large formations[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: changed waypoints so that first waypoint can properly change unit weapon status[/p]
[p]Campaign: updated all campaign missions to accommodate new limited fuel for unbased aircraft[/p]
[p]Scenario: updated all scenarios to accommodate new limited fuel for unbased aircraft[/p]
[p]Scenario: Removed "Crimson Tide" unfinished/broken scenarios from NATO and WP folders; will rework and add back later on[/p]
[p]Scenario: Updated "Dong Hoi" for new mechanics, fixed name conventions in Volga Exercise[/p]
[p]Scenario: Moving incomplete/broken "Head of the Snake" scenario to WIP folder[/p]
[p]Scenario: Pact/"Hunters or Hunted" - changed Il-38 to Ka-25 with buoys only for proper difficulty[/p]
[p]MiG-23 radar parameters according to data from nuclearstonk[/p]
[p]Updated translations[/p]
[p]New loadouts for P-3C, S-3A, SH-2F, SH-3H[/p]
[p]AntiShipLongRange loadout for A-6E based on historical Surface CAP example[/p]
[p]P-3C bank angle increased for better bombing/buoy deploy performance in line with actual capabilities[/p]

[p]Fixes from previous release:[/p]

[p]Air units no longer drop their tanks unless trying to evade missiles[/p]
[p]Flight Deck button is now properly hidden for units without a Flight Deck[/p]
[p]Placing waypoints or hitting Ceasefire no longer cancels Weapons Free state[/p]
[p]Fixed issue where new asset loading would error out when mods had incorrect ammunition types in a magazine[/p]
[p]Fixed issue with line of sight checks clipping into ground, preventing VID[/p]
[p]Prevented ghost objects at world origin causing low FPS at certain low sun angle[/p]
[p]Towed arrays could sometimes exceed max allowed depth[/p]
[p]Submarine towed sonars floated over subs if it was close enough to the bottom[/p]
[p]Towed decoys no longer appear on the map[/p]
[p]Fixed issue with some aircraft unable to properly turn to waypoints on landing[/p]
[p]Aerial Depth Charges now properly collide with seabed[/p]
[p]Nano memory leak[/p]
[p]Ambiguous keys were used for Circle as a formation type and as a drawing tool[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Random spawn works now for the whole formation if specified for a formation leader[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Random spawn now works properly for units in a custom formation (Loose)[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Tracked ammunition categories for Flight Decks with Custom Air Groups were not saved properly under some loading conditions[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Corrected ETA time for waypoints beyond the first waypoint[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Fixed issue with loading missions where all aircraft were launched from an airbase[/p]
[p]Scenario: Victory conditions for NATO/"Arctic Intercept" updated[/p]
[p]Tutorials: Clarified it is LEFT CTRL+Right Click to skip VID in tutorials[/p]
[p]Missing face (vertices) on Leahy model[/p]
[p]Submarine props now rotate backwards correctly at reverse telegraph settings[/p]
[p]Prop rotation directions for Delta III, Yankee, Victor II, Alvand, Petya II, Petya III, Virginia CGN, California CGN (thx to gmanwr from Steam!)[/p]
[p]Incorrect system-colliders linking in S-300 battery[/p]
[p]Su-24 aircraft kill effects fix (engines fire effect meshes were missing)[/p]
[p]Fixed superstructure on Ticonderoga now flush with hull[/p]
[p]Fixed new asset loading erroring out in situations where mods have incorrect ammunition types in a magazine[/p]

December Public Beta Update

[p]Hello from the Triassic Games team![/p][p]Today we are rolling out a new update to the Public Beta branch, with some meaningful improvements to overall performance. Recent work has focused on optimizing core systems, resulting in noticeably faster load times and improved FPS, especially in large-scale scenarios. We are excited to get these changes into your hands and encourage everyone on the Public Beta to put them through their paces and share feedback.[/p][p]We have also begun addressing community feedback around aircraft behavior. Several improvements are now live in the Public Beta:[/p]

[p]Aircraft will no longer jettison external tanks unless they come under attack.[/p]
[p]Fighters can now perform cranking maneuvers during BVR engagements while continuing to guide missiles.[/p]
[p]Aircraft that run out of fuel without an airfield nearby will now ditch. An option for unlimited aircraft fuel will be added to the Mission Editor prior to final release. This change supports the upcoming Aerial Refueling feature.[/p]

[p]Work on aircraft systems is continuing, with the following improvements currently in development:[/p]

[p]More realistic missile kinematics, enabling authentic defensive and offensive air combat tactics.[/p]
[p]Drawable map zones for assigning patrol or free engagement areas to aircraft formations.[/p]
[p]A review and refinement of the aircraft control UI to improve clarity and usability.[/p]
[p]Full aerial refueling support, including dedicated tankers such as the KC-135 and buddy-store tanker loadouts for compatible attack aircraft. 🤫[/p]

[p]As always, thank you for testing the Public Beta and for the continued feedback. It plays a key role in shaping the future of Sea Power![/p][p][/p][h2]Full changelist:[/h2][p]Newly added features in this release:[/p]

[p]Aircraft in BVR combat can now properly crank when launching long-range missiles[/p]
[p]Aircraft without an airfield nearby will now ditch when fuel tanks are empty[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Heading now changes according to the first Waypoint position if present[/p]
[p]USN Mark 54 depth bomb[/p]
[p]Added conventional depth bomb loadouts for SH-3H and S-3A[/p]
[p]Added new wing root pylons and Sidewinder rails for P-3C[/p]
[p]JMSDF P-3C now use ASM-1 instead of Harpoon for AntiShip loadouts[/p]
[p]Updated all P-3C and S-3A loadouts with new capabilities[/p]
[p]New Anti Ship Long Range loadout for A-6E based on historical Surface CAP loadouts[/p]
[p]New ASW Long Range loadout for SH-2F[/p]
[p]New Grail mounts for Shershen-E and Mol classes, enabled SA-N-5 on Mol class[/p]
[p]SAAF Mirage F1 callsigns[/p]
[p]New 4K51 Rubezh shore-based Styx launcher[/p]

[p]Changes from previous release:[/p]

[p]Preferred arcs now will launch weapon even if it is not possible to fully align mount with target[/p]
[p]Performance: Drastically improved mission loading times (thanks Bluedot!)[/p]
[p]Performance: Re-enabled Burst compile in Synthesizers for speedup[/p]
[p]Performance: Reworked sensor and line of sight logic to improve performance[/p]
[p]Performance: Improved performance with large formations[/p]
[p]Scenario: Removed "Crimson Tide" unfinished/broken scenarios from NATO and WP folders; will rework and add back later on[/p]
[p]Scenario: Updated "Dong Hoi" for new mechanics, fixed name conventions in Volga Exercise[/p]
[p]Scenario: Moving incomplete/broken "Head of the Snake" scenario to WIP folder[/p]
[p]Scenario: Pact/"Hunters or Hunted" - changed Il-38 to Ka-25 with buoys only for proper difficulty[/p]
[p]MiG-23 radar parameters according to data from nuclearstonk[/p]
[p]Updated translations[/p]
[p]New loadouts for P-3C, S-3A, SH-2F, SH-3H[/p]
[p]AntiShipLongRange loadout for A-6E based on historical Surface CAP example[/p]

[p]Fixes from previous release:[/p]

[p]Air units no longer drop their tanks unless trying to evade missiles[/p]
[p]Flight Deck button is now properly hidden for units without a Flight Deck[/p]
[p]Towed arrays could sometimes exceed max allowed depth[/p]
[p]Submarine towed sonars floated over subs if it was close enough to the bottom[/p]
[p]Towed decoys no longer appear on the map[/p]
[p]Fixed issue with some aircraft unable to properly turn to waypoints on landing[/p]
[p]Aerial Depth Charges now properly collide with seabed[/p]
[p]Nano memory leak[/p]
[p]Ambiguous keys were used for Circle as a formation type and as a drawing tool[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Random spawn works now for the whole formation if specified for a formation leader[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Random spawn now works properly for units in a custom formation (Loose)[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Tracked ammunition categories for Flight Decks with Custom Air Groups were not saved properly under some loading conditions[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Corrected ETA time for waypoints beyond the first waypoint[/p]
[p]Mission Editor: Fixed issue with loading missions where all aircraft were launched from an airbase[/p]
[p]Scenario: Victory conditions for NATO/"Arctic Intercept" updated[/p]
[p]Tutorials: Clarified it is LEFT CTRL+Right Click to skip VID in tutorials[/p]
[p]Missing face (vertices) on Leahy model[/p]
[p]Submarine props now rotate backwards correctly at reverse telegraph settings[/p]
[p]Prop rotation directions for Delta III, Yankee, Victor II, Alvand, Petya II, Petya III, Virginia CGN, California CGN (thx to gmanwr from Steam!)[/p]
[p]Incorrect system-colliders linking in S-300 battery[/p]
[p]Su-24 aircraft kill effects fix (engines fire effect meshes were missing)[/p]
[p]Fixed superstructure on Ticonderoga now flush with hull[/p]
[p]Fixed new asset loading erroring out in situations where mods have incorrect ammunition types in a magazine[/p]

Patch Notes 0.6.5 - 0.6.8

Hello everyone, we will be rolling out another hotfix for some issues we've seen since the last update. Namely, a big crash fix with the UI system has been addressed.

However, we have recently upgraded our UI system and it has lead to a new bug where the first waypoint will no longer visually update when being changed. The unit will move to the new position, it just will not properly display on the tac map/map. We will be working on a fix as soon as possible for this issue.

EDIT: The waypoint issue has been fixed with patch 0.6.6.

EDIT: The font issues for Chinese and Korean have been fixed with patch 0.6.7.

EDIT: The "black terrain" issue has been fixed with patch 0.6.8.

Change log:

Fixes/Improvements

Fixed crash in Flight Deck and potentially other UI related areas
Adjusted logic for aircraft launch of certain weapon types (AGM-62, AS-14B) to accommodate new aircraft re-attack update
Speeded up loading times
Updated HY-3 with more accurate specs, thanks to SqnLdrMartin
Aircraft popup mechanics
translations updated
Chinese and Korean fonts were partially missing
Mission editor: missing countries in the list of countries; plans for ships are displayed again
Mission editor: Simplified workflow for countries
Setting Autogen Off in options caused terrain to be black, and some other lighting issues

Sea Power Black Friday Update

[h2]Black Friday Update[/h2][p]Hello from the Triassic Games team! Sea Power is now discounted as part of the Steam Black Friday Sale, running through Sunday, November 30th.[/p][p]Alongside the sale, we are launching a major update with improvements and new content. This update continues our ongoing work to refine the game's core systems, expand the game's roster of units and scenarios, and support both the mission-making and modding communities with enhancements.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Major Overhaul of Flight Deck Mechanics[/h3][p]This update includes a major rework of how Flight Decks function. This change applies to aircraft carriers, airbases, and all ships with hangars. [/p]

[p]Aircraft Prep & Servicing: All aircraft now have individual prep times before launch and cooldown/servicing times after recovery.[/p]
[p]Ground Crews & Deck Park Limits:[/p]
- [p]Flight decks now use a limited number of Ground Crews for fueling and arming; once all crews are busy, additional prep orders must wait.[/p]
- [p]Deck Park space limits how many prepped aircraft can queue for launch; once full, aircraft must launch to free space.[/p]
- [p]Prep/cooldown timers appear in the Flight Deck UI; Ground Crew and Deck Park usage are shown via gauges that fill up as space is used.[/p]
[p]Rally Points: Players can now set rally points and altitudes for aircraft launched from an airbase or carrier.[/p]
- [p]Right-click the airbase/carrier → Flight Deck > Rally Points.[/p]
- [p]Rally points can be set separately for fixed-wing, VTOL aircraft, and helicopters.[/p]
- [p]Place a rally point by selecting the aircraft type and right-clicking on the map; rally points appear when the base/carrier is selected and can be dragged to reposition.[/p]
[p]Limited Ordnance Stores: Flight Decks now track limited ammunition, especially advanced weapons like Phoenix and Harpoon missiles.[/p]
[p]Mission Editor Updates: Mission creators can now configure prepped aircraft and assign airbase/carrier ammunition stores.[/p]
[p]New Timing Options: A Flight Deck Timings setting has been added to the Options menu, allowing players to adjust simulation depth. Realistic, Casual, and Arcade modify prep and cooldown durations, while Cheat mode disables the system entirely.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Native Support for Loading of 3rd Party Models[/h3][p]Loading of 3rd party models (OBJ format) is now supported natively in-game! This greatly simplifies use of mods with custom models, as chain loader tools are no longer required.[/p][p]This change means that any Workshop mods that previously required Anchor Chain and Sea Lifter can be loaded without the manual install steps needed for these dependencies. [/p][p]We greatly appreciate the work the modding community did to enable 3rd party model loading with these tools during Early Access, and we are excited to incorporate a change that removes a barrier for the average user who wants to play with mods.[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][h3]New Units and Scenarios[/h3][p]This update includes a range of new units for various factions, including both brand new units and new liveries for existing units. Three new scenarios are also included.[/p]

[p]New units and liveries:[/p]
- [p]F-1 strike aircraft and T-2 trainer jet for Japan[/p]
- [p]SH-5 maritime patrol flying boat and HY-3 shore-based anti-ship missile for China[/p]
- [p]F-5A and F-5E Freedom Fighter (Norway, Netherlands, Greece, Philippines, South Vietnam, Turkey)[/p]
- [p]Delfin class submarines for Spain[/p]
- [p]Daphne class submarines for South Africa[/p]
- [p]Cuba liveries for MiG-17, MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, MiG-28, and A-5[/p]
- [p]Pakistan livery for A-5 (fictional)[/p]
[p]New scenarios:[/p]
- [p]The Better Part of Valor (1988) - NATO[/p]
- [p]Arctic Intercept (1985) - NATO[/p]
- [p]Operation Polar Fury (1985) - Warsaw Pact[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Mission Editor Improvements[/h3][p]Continuous improvement of the Mission Editor is a high priority for our team. With each update, we are bringing new refinements to it as we work through a backlog of requested features from the community. Most of the changes in this update are to support the Flight Deck overhaul, but several requested features have been added as well:[/p]

[p]Ability to define randomized spawn area for units[/p]
[p]Controls for all new Flight Deck mechanics from within the Mission Editor[/p]
[p]Ability to pre-plan aircraft preparation, making aircraft available immediately in the mission for player and/or AI[/p]
[p]Ability to customize Flight Deck ammunition stores[/p]
[p]New trigger actions for weather changes and reactivation of triggers[/p]
[p]New waypoints for sonobuoy deployment, including "drop in line" and buoy depth[/p]
[p]Checkboxes to disable airbase AI, and new trigger action to enable or disable it (allowing mission-makers to delay AI launching aircraft)[/p]
[p]Removed unused Stores and Damage dropdowns; these will be added back once functional in the future[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Core AI Enhancements[/h3][p]This release brings together a set of AI changes that have been developed over the past few updates. Some of these improvements were introduced earlier, but all of the behaviors listed below are now included in the current build and serve as the baseline for AI performance going forward:[/p]

[p]The AI commander can now classify player ship and aircraft formations based on shared characteristics such as heading, speed, and grouping.[/p]
[p]AI airbases and carriers will automatically launch AEW&C aircraft.[/p]
[p]AI airbases will deploy and maintain CAP fighters.[/p]
[p]AI will launch interceptors when an inbound strike is detected.[/p]
[p]AI will dispatch attack aircraft with jammer support when appropriate to engage detected player land or sea units, and strike composition will vary based on the type of target identified.[/p]
[p]AI aircraft will prioritize attacks on detected targets more appropriately, and defend themselves against CAP effectively.[/p]
[p]AI submarines will make use of wake homing torpedoes more effectively by firing at closer range and targeting ship wakes.[/p]

[p]Changes to the base game AI that are in currently in progress or planned include:[/p]

[p]AI reconnaissance using available assets to search for the player.[/p]
[p]Expanding AI airstrike capability beyond bomb attacks only.[/p]
[p]Implementing a Morale based system for AI behavior and reactions.[/p]
[p]Improved anti-submarine warfare tactics when hunting player submarines.[/p]
[p]Improving AI use of munitions with proper engagement envelopes for missiles.[/p]
[p]... and much more![/p]

[p][/p][h3]Full Changelist[/h3][p]
Aircraft

Fixes
[/p]

[p] Loadout availability was not updated if there were no planes of this type ready to fly on the FlightDeck
[/p]
[p] Flight Deck: Fixed an issue where hitting Prioritise on Flight Deck would cause CTD in some cases
[/p]
[p] Flight Deck: Add a timeout to awaiting full power on takeoff to avoid blocking runway with turboprop aircraft
[/p]
[p] CAP planes attack own missiles
[/p]
[p] Planes currently on RTB become uncontrollable after loading save
[/p]
[p] Typo in EA-6B Prowler speeds in ini that made it instantly spend all fuel on Max speed setting
[/p]
[p] No pilot spawn for F-15 and F-15C
[/p]
[p] B-52 phases through ground and Turboprops accelerate wayyyyy too fast
[/p]
[p] B-52 serial visible on a damage model without the tail
[/p]
[p] Wingman could block formation RTB if sent to act independently
[/p]
[p] Additional ready helicopter on loading game save
[/p]
[p] Ka-25 had too high negative boyancy for its dipping sonar, changed to be in line with other helicopters
[/p]