The Waypoint Magazine

The Waypoint was a short-lived but very successful publishing endeavor from the Harpoon Headquarters (HarpoonHQ) crew during 2003. It addressed the limitations of the Yahoo-group used at the time by the Harpoon community, by oferring a regular, richer medium of communication and collaboration. It covered subjects directly related to Harpoon and other air/naval wargames, as well as real-life military systems & operations in general. While targetted at both hobbyists and professionals alike, it retained a high standard of presentation and several of its articles (such as a primer on phased-array radars or the famous two-parter on stealth & counter-stealth technology & tactics) still remain sources of reference on various subjects.

Six issues were published throughout 2003, in electronic (PDF) format. Circulation soared to 10.000 downloads per issue and remained steady to the last issue. The publication of Waypoint was meant with extremely positive feedback from the community, including industry veterans and active military personnel who printed issues on paper and read them on deployment.

With the introduction of a regular forum by the Harpoon HQ in 2004, the need for Waypoint as a communication platform was reduced. This, combined with the increased commitments of the HHQ personnel to other projects, led to the suspension of further publications. The success of Waypoint, however, has not been forgotten; a question brought up with surprising regularity at the forums is “so are you guys putting out another issue of that magazine?”. It’s a frequent temptation for the team and one that may well one day be realized.

PAST ISSUES

(click on header or front page to download)

December 2002 – Editorial: A year to remember – Making history: The story of modern wargaming – The Docks: Kashmir (H3), The Novaya Zemlya Installation (H2/3), Polaris Hunters (H3), SIMEX (H3), Clash of the Titans (H3), Warthog Strike (H3) – In Detail: Clash of the Titans – The infamous H2/3 Mission Editor – Part I – Platform Audit: Tornado – In Peril On the Sea: The ASCM threat and countermeasures – Kitting-up for Mud-moving: Selecting anti-surface munitions – Managing the Chaos: The Postwar Evolution Of Naval C3 Systems – Slava-class cruisers for the PLAN? – Platform profile: Sovremenny-class DDG, Harushio-class SSK, Akash SAM	January 2003 – Editorial: What is happening with Harpoon 4? – The Docks: Invasion of Norway (HC2002), Coming Storm (H2/3), Fight or Flight (H2/3), Joint Exercise ’02 (H2/3) – In Detail: BOOM! – The infamous H2/3 Mission Editor – Part II – H3 Movie-Maker: Harpoon on Replay – I will be your escort – Support jamming and force structures – Playing the Red Side in Harpoon – AAR: Invasion of Norway – Tactical Problem: Denying the Persian Gulf – Platform profile: JAS-39 Gripen, Halifax-class FFG, Su-24 Fencer, Collins-class SSK
February 2003 – Editorial: In the long run – The Docks: Survivors of Son Tay (H2/3), The Humbler (H2/3), Kola III (HC2002), Doolitle II (HC2002) – TacOps: Harpoon on land – Configuring H3 options: .ini, .opt and H3Launcher – The quick & easy guide to derivative platforms in H3 – Submarine SIGINT: Up Periscope, Up Antenna – Submarine sensors come to the surface – Shipboard phased-array radars – Platform Audit: The supersonic Tupolev bombers in service today – Platform profile: F-111/FB-111 Aardvark & EF-111 Raven, Sturgeon-class SSN, Delta-class SSBN, B-1 Lancer, Moskva-class CVHG – Slick’s Harpoon4 Mega-FAQ	March 2003 – Editorial: With the war upon us – Gulf War Journal – Part I. – The Docks: Canary’s Cage (H2/3), Shallow Waters (H2/3), Back to Baghdad (H2002) – Realistic aircraft ready-times: A milestone for Harpoon. – JED Special: Electronic defence for frigates & destroyers – Evolution and cost-effectiveness of AWACS aircraft – Airstrikes 101 – Nucflash – Platform profile: Kidd-class DDG, A-50 Mainstay AWACS, Kashin-class DDG, Charlie-class SSGN – Slick’s Harpoon4 Mega-FAQ
April/May 2003 – Editorial: Time of changes – The Vet’s Pen: The Idiot Factor in Gaming – NEW! Reader Survey – Gulf War Journal – Part II – The Docks: Tigers (H3), Tiran Transit (H3), Fall of the Dragon (H3), Red Flag 2004 (H3), Wolf and Rabbit #3 (H3), Helo (HC2002), Arena (HC2002) – EXCLUSIVE! “Global Conflict” first-look & interview – Scenario Design for Dummies – The 80/20-Rule Air Strike Planner – Killer Angels: Mirage 2000 and Rafale – Pack Hunters: Network-centric warfare for small naval combatants – Airborne Stealth in a Nutshell – Part I – “Grudge Match”: Excerpt from a novel-in-progress – Platform Profiles: MiG-29 Fulcrum, RC-135 Combat Sent / Rivet Joint, Oscar-class SSGN	December 2003 – Editorial: Ends and Beginnings – News: H4 gets the axe, plus a slew of military updates – The Docks: A flood of new scenarios for H3 and HC2002 – The Harpoon 3 Formation Editor: Organise your group like the real pros – The Harpoon 3 Sonar Model: How does it compare to the real thing? – New European surface ships – Joint European Task Forces: The first steps towards cohesion – Sub Attack! – Anti-Stealth technologies & tactics – Platform Profile: Tornados over St. John’s