COMING FALL 1993 FROM MPS LABS: FLEET DEFENDER F-14 "Tomcat" Picture yourself on the deck of a modern nuclear aircraft carrier. You're strapped into an F-14 with 40,000 lbs. of thrust spooling up behind you. Underneath you, a steam-powered catapult is slowly building up pressure. By the time the "cat" is ready, it's got enough force behind it to send a Volkswagen into outer space. But instead, it's gotta get your 30 ton "Tomcat" airborne in less than 300 feet of runway. When you think about it, your take-off roll is just a little bit longer than the wingspan of a C-5 Galaxy transport. That's not a big margin for error. Every carrier take-off is literally life or death. You've only got one chance to get it right. Two seconds later, you'll either be flying or you'll be swimming. Well, at least the sea is calm today. That's a break. Taking off from a heaving deck is challenging, having to land on one can be downright terrifying. After waving the traditional "thumbs up", the Cat Officer signals full power on the "cat." You await the launch acceleration by making sure your head is facing forward and placed securely in your headrest. Any second now and ....... With a deafening roar and superheated blast of air, your F-14 is thrown like a pebble from a sling-shot. In the blink of an eye, the "Tomcat" is out over the water. There's no turning back now... you're committed. You've become a Fleet Defender. From "cat shot" to "catchin' the wire," get ready for the ride of your life. Fleet Defender- F-14 "Tomcat" , gives players the opportunity to fly the F-14A+ and participate in pitched aerial battles with in-coming hostile aircraft. FD is the first flight simulator to accurately recreate carrier take-offs and landings (TOLs) and it combines these activities with challenging air combat in two all-new theaters of war. Nothing is left to the imagination. FD simulates all the nervous excitement and tension of an actual carrier launch. But the fun doesn't stop there... in fact getting off the deck is only the beginning. * Carrier Operations. Carrier operations are portrayed in a level of detail not found in other simulations. FD is targeted toward the hard core flight sim fan who wants realism rather than arcade level play. No matter who "calls the ball", carrier take-offs and landings are guaranteed to make you sweat. * Strike Packages. FD features an assortment of friendly aircraft including F/A-18s, A-6s, A-7s, and the E-2C "Hawkeye" AWACS. Each mission requires you to integrate your F-14 with strike packages composed of a variety of modern naval aircraft. You'll fly escort for strike missions against ground targets on land and enemy naval vessels at sea. * Accurate Cockpit representations. Both front and back seat cockpits of the F-14 are accurately recreated. Each is equipped with functioning flight controls and monitoring devices. * Expanded Player- Wingman interaction. As the flight leader, you issue orders to a computer-controlled wingman. Have your wing-man fly in formation with you or send him off to perform missions on his own. A wide range of interactive commands allow you to exercise complete tactical control of your wingman. * Realistic enemy AI. New artificial intelligence routines have been patterned after Soviet and Third World doctrines. Even on the easiest level, every engagement is a test of your piloting skill. Hostile aircraft assume a variety of combat formations and dogfight using modern fighter tactics. * AWG-9 Radar and Weapons Systems. This simulation showcases the F-14's AWG-9 radar and weapons systems, to include the long range AIM-54 "Phoenix" missile. FD features the same level of system detail pioneered in F-15 Strike Eagle III. Electronic systems and counter-measures are accurately portrayed. * Terrain Graphics. Ever wonder what it would be like to play chicken with a MiG inside a fjord? FD features the latest in 3-D terrain generating technology derived from digitized information taken directly from LANDSAT geological surveys. Fly your F-14 over everything from rolling texture-mapped hills to knife-edged ridge lines. * Three Theaters of Play. FD features three theaters of play, two combat theaters and a third devoted solely to training flights. Each theater contains 10 million cubic miles of usable airspace. Players can fly combat missions over a variety of terrain backdrops, everything from the arctic wastes of the Norwegian north cape to the shimmering deserts of Libya. The training theater is centered around the home of the Atlantic fleet "Tomcats"; Oceana, Virginia. Players can learn to fly the F-14 at Oceana before venturing overseas and into combat. * Campaign Scenarios. A linked set of scenarios hypothesize a Soviet invasion of Norway in the mid-1980s. Futuristic scenarios pit your task force against a Russian surface action group which includes the aircraft carrier, Admiral Kunetsov. The Mediterranean scenarios are drawn from historic confrontations which took place during 1980s. In addition to defending the fleet from Libyan attack, you are called on to escort strike missions, even intercept terrorist leaders in mid-air. NOTE: The above specifications are TENTATIVE and subject to change in the final version of the game. FLEET DEFENDER: F-14 TOMCAT is Copyright 1993 by MicroProse, Inc.