I have never experienced this problem before. The reason probably is that I usually assumed the command of a cruiser while doing the campaign. I don't recall ever trying to command a carrier during a campaign. I'll have to look into this and get back to you.

It appears as though you are indeed correct. I do not see any way to package a planetary strike either. I will keep investigating and I will also refer this to the source code team to see if there is some way they can enaable such a feature in the games code updates that they are working on.

Thanks Brad for your consideration.

THis issue has been relayed to the source code team and has been added to their list of things to look at and hopefully improve upon.

This is going to be speculation on my part but...I believe the main reason why surface strike orders are unable to be issued while commanding a carrier is due to the fact that planetary surfaces are in a different instance. In other words, whenever ships break make (or break) orbit, they are being ported into a different region altogether. Thus, making it impossible to issue commands from a flagship.

The only simulation I can think of where one can transition to and from a planetary body, without porting from one instance to another, is Orbiter.

You are right maybe, but can you send figters on planet by setting some nav points in someway, while commanding a carrier.

I noticed that while transferred to a fighter wing, you can assign orders to a fighter wing to strike sam sites before starting a mission.

There are two objectives missing in nav point while in a carrier.

(i). Quantum jump destination cannot be assigned in nav window when in different sector from the ordered ship.

(ii) Strike missions are unavailable altogether. Objective list gives blank in nav window while in a carrier.

GOod point, Lucan. I hadn't thought about it that way, but you are probably right.

With reference to "Carrier Commander ordering Planet Strike". I have some comment. Today i discovered that i can indeed send fighters to planet surface (for e.g. selecting an idle fighter and select sector "Telmera" in nav window).

Once the fighters broke orbit they found absolutely nothing on the planet surface. It appears that the game somehow fails to insert objects (AA,SAM and Starbase) in Flight Ops.