                               Command : SWEEP

NAME
   sweep - Use planes to remove mines from sea sectors

Level: Expert

SYNTAX
   [##:##] Command : sweep <PLANES> <ESCORTS> <SECT> route|destination

The  "sweep"  command  is  used  to sweep sea mines from the sectors along the
route.

<PLANES> represents a list of planes which are to  perform  the  mine-sweeping
mission.   Only planes with capability sweep and sufficient mobility, based in
a sector stocked with petrol, will be successfully selected for the mission.

<ESCORTS> represent a list of fighter planes which are  capable  of  escorting
the  transports  all the way to the target.  To be selected, escorts must have
fuel and mobility.

<SECT> represents an assembly point, where all of the planes  in  the  mission
meet  before  proceeding  on to the target sector.  The assembly point must be
owned by you or an ally, or you or an ally must have a ship  there.   It  must
not  be  more  than  four sectors away from any of the planes selected for the
mission.

Route is a normal empire path specification. You may also give  a  destination
sector  on the command line, or at any time while giving the route, and empire
will use the best path from the current sector to the desired destination sec-
tor.

When  getting  a  path interactively, empire will show you the information you
have (from your bmap) concerning the current area, to help plot your course.

Information given by sweep/recon is not totally accurate.

Sweep missions can be intercepted just like any other mission.  See info  "In-
tercept".

If  the  destination  sector is not an airport, then all planes in the mission
must have V/STOL capability.

Planes will automatically attempt to sweep sea mines in sea sectors they over-
fly.   Their  chance  of sweeping is (100-acc), and they can only sweep 1 mine
per overflight of the sector.

The planes will additionally gather intelligence, just like they do on a recon
mission.  See info "recon".

Note  that  a  plane  must  be  at least 40% efficient before it can leave the
ground.

SEE ALSO
   Plane-types, bomb, fly, paradrop, drop, recon, Planes

