tc.redstormrising-第123章

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hundred　miles　from　the　Soviet　bomber　bases：　they　could　e　out　with　nearly　their　maximum　ordnance　loads。　To　stop　the　Russians；　the　Navy　had　six　squadrons　of　Tomcats；　and　six　more　of　Hornets；　nearly　a　hundred　forty　fighters　in　all。　Twenty…four　were　aloft　now；　supported　by　tankers　while　the　ground　attack　aircraft　pounded　Russian　positions　continuously。　The　battleships　had　ended　their　first　visit　to　the　Keflavik　area　and　were　now　in　Hvalfj〃rdur…Whale　Bay…providing　fire　support　to　the　Marines　north　of　Bogarnes。　The　entire　operation　had　been　planned　with　the　likelihood　of　a　Russian　air…to…surface　missile　attack　in　mind。　There　would　be　more　vampires。
The　loss　of　northern　Norway　had　eliminated　the　utility　of　Realtime。　The　submarine　was　still　on　station　gathering　signal　intelligence；　but　the　task　of　spotting　the　outbound　Russian　bomber　streams　passed　on　to　British　and　Norwegian　patrol　aircraft　operating　out　of　Scotland。　One　of　the　latter　spotted　a　three…plane　Vic　of　Badgers　heading　southwest　and　radioed　a　warning。　The　Russian　aircraft　were　roughly　seventy　minutes　from　the　fleet。
Toland's　station　in　CIC　was　immediately　below　the　flight　deck；　and　he　listened　to　the　roar　of　jet　engines　overhead　as　the　fighters　catapulted　off。　He　was　nervous。　Toland　knew　that　the　tactical　situation　was　very　different　now　from　that　on　the　second　day　of　the　war；　but　he　also　remembered　that　he　was　one　of　the　two　men　who'd　escaped　alive　from　a　partment　just　like　this。　A　flood　of　information　came　into　the　room。　The　land…based　radar；　the　Air　Force　E…3；　and　the　Navy　E…2s　all　linked　their　data　to　the　carriers。　There　was　enough　electromagnetic　energy　in　the　sky　to　cook　the　birds　in　flight。　The　display　showed　the　fighters　proceeding　to　their　stations。　The　Tomcats　reached　out　to　the　northern　Icelandic　shore；　curving　into　loitering　circles　as　they　awaited　the　Russian　bombers。
〃Ideas；　Toland。　I　want　ideas！〃　the　Admiral　said　quietly。
〃If　they're　after　us；　they'll　approach　from　the　east。　If　they're　going　for　the　'Phibs；　they'll　e　straight　in。　There's　just　no　percentage　in　deceptive　tactics　if　they're　heading　for　Stykkishohnur。〃
Jacobsen　nodded。　〃That's　how　I　see　it。〃
The　pounding　on　the　flight　deck　continued　overhead　as　strike　aircraft　landed　to　rearm　for　new　bombing　strikes。　Aside　from　the　expected　material　effect；　they　hoped　to　wreck　the　morale　of　the　Soviet　paratroopers　by　violent　and　continuous　air　attacks。　Marine　Harriers　were　also　in　action；　along　with　attack　helicopters。　Initial　progress　was　somewhat　better　than　expected。　The　Russians　did　not　have　their　troops　as　widely　dispersed　as　they'd　thought；　and　the　known　concentrations　were　being　subjected　to　a　hurricane　of　bombs　and　rockets。
〃Starbase；　this　is　Hawk…Blue…Three。　I'm　getting　some　jamming；　bearing　zero…two…four　。　。　。　more　jamming　now。〃　The　data　was　linked　directly　to　the　carrier；　and　the　thick　yellow　strobes　came　up　on　the　electronic　display。　The　other　Hawkeyes　quickly　reported　the　same　information。
The　fleet　air…ops　officer　smiled　thinly　as　he　lifted　his　microphone。　His　units　were　fully　in　place；　and　this　gave　him　several　options。
〃Plan　Delta。〃
Hawk…Green…One　carried　Independence's　air…wing　mander。　A　fighter　pilot　who　would　have　much　preferred　riding　his　Tomcat　for　the　mission；　he　directed　two　fighters　from　each　Tomcat　squadron　to　seek　out　the　Russian　jamming　aircraft。　The　converted　Badgers　were　spread　on　a　wide　front　to　cover　the　approach　of　the　missile…armed　bombers　and　advanced　at　five　hundred　knots；　three　hundred　miles　now　from　the　line　of　radar…picket　aircraft。　The　Tomcats　homed　in　on　them　at　five　hundred　knots　as　well。
Each　jammer　created　a　〃strobe；〃　an　opaque　wedge　shape　on　the　U。S。　radar　screens；　so　that　they　looked　like　the　spokes　of　a　wagon　wheel。　Since　every　such　spoke　was　particular　to　each　of　the　radar　transmitters；　the　controllers　were　able　to　pare　data；　triangulate；　and　plot　the　position　of　the　jammers。　The　Tomcats　closed　in　quickly　while　the　radar…intercept　officers　in　the　back　seat　of　each　fighter　flipped　the　Phoenix　missile　seekers　to　home…on…jam　guidance　mode。　Instead　of　depending　on　the　aircraft's　own　radar　for　guidance；　the　missiles　would　seek　out　the　noise　transmitted　from　the　Badgers。
Twenty　jamming　aircraft　were　plotted。　Eighteen　fighters　headed　for　them；　targeting　at　least　two　missiles　at　each。
〃Deltaexecute！〃
The　Tomcats　launched　on　orders　forty　miles　from　their　targets。　Once　more；　Phoenix　missiles　streaked　through　the　air。　Flight　time　was　a　mere　fifty…six　seconds。　Sixteen　of　the　Badger　jammers　went　off　the　air。　The　surviving　four　all　switched　off　when　they　saw　the　smoke　trails　of　missiles　and　dove　for　the　deck　with　Tomcats　in　pursuit。
〃Numerous　radar　contacts。　Raid　One　is　fifty　aircraft；　bearing　zero…zero　nine；　range　three…six…zero；　speed　six　hundred　knots；　altitude　three…zero　thousand。　Raid　Two…〃　the　talker　went　on　as　the　enemy　aircraft　were　plotted。
〃We　have　the　main　raid；　probably　Badgers　going　for　the　'phibs。　This　one　will　be　Backfires。　They'll　try　to　launch　on　us；　probably　far　out　to　draw　our　fighters　off；〃　Toland　said。
Jacobsen　spoke　briefly　to　his　operations　officer。　Hawk…Green…One　would　control　the　defense　of　the　amphibious　force。　Hawk…Blue…Four　from　Nimitz　would　defend　the　carrier　groups。　The　fighters　divided　according　to　plan　and　went　to　work。　Toland　noted　that　Jacobsen　was　leaving　control　of　the　air　action　to　the　officers　in　the　control　aircraft。　The　fleet　air…defense　officer　on　USS　Yorktown　controlled　the　SAM　ships；　an　of　which　went　to　full　alert　but　left　their　radar　transmitters　on　standby。
〃The　only　thing　that　worries　me　is　they　might　try　that　drone　crap　again；〃　Jacobsen　murmured。
〃It　worked　once；〃　Toland　agreed。　〃But　we　didn't　have　them　this　far　out　before。〃
The　Tomcats　divided　into　four…plane　divisions；　each　controlled　by　radar。　They；　too；　had　been　briefed　about　the　drones　that　had　fooled　Nimitz。　The　fighters　kept　their　radars　off　until　they　were　within　fifty　miles　of　their　targets；　then　used　the　radars　to　locate　targets　for　their　on…board　TV　systems。
〃Hawk…Blue…Four；〃　one　called。　〃Tallyho；　I　got　eyeballs　on　a　Backfire。　Engaging　now。　Out。〃
The　Russian　plan　of　attack　had　anticipated　that　the　American　fighters　would　try　to　bum　through　the　jamming　aircraft　to　the　north；　then　be　caught　off　balance　by　the　appearance　of　the　Backfires　to　the　east。　But　the　jammers　were　gone；　and　the　Backfires　did　not　yet　have　the　American　carrier　fleet　on　radar　and　could　not　launch　their　missiles　on　the　basis　of　hours…old　satellite　photographs。　Neither　could　they　run　away。　The　supersonic　Russian　bombers　went　to　afterburner　and　activated　their　radars　in　a　contest　with　time；　distance；　and　American　interceptors。
Again　it　was　like　watching　a　video　game。　The　symbols　designating　the　Backfires　changed　as　the　planes　switched　on　their　own　protective　jammers。　The　jamming　reduced　the　effectiveness　of　the　Phoenix　missiles；　but　Russian　losses　were　already　serious。　The　Backfires　were　three　hundred　miles　away。　Their　radars　had　an　effective　range　of　only　half　that；　and　already　fighters　swarmed　over　their　formations。　〃Tallyho〃　calls　cluttered　the　radio　circuits　as　the　Tomcats　converged　to　engage　the　Russian　bombers；　and　the　^　symbols　started　dropping　off　the　radar　screens。　The　Backfires　closed　at　seventeen　miles　per　minute；　their　radars　searching　desperately　for　the　American　fleet。
〃Going　to　get　some　leakers；〃　Toland　said。
〃Six　or　eight；〃　Jacobsen　agreed。
〃Figure　three　missiles　each。〃

By　now　the　Tomcats　had　fired　all　of　their　missiles；　and　drew　off　for　the　Hornets　to　join　the　action　with　Sparrows　and　Sidewinders。　It　wasn't　easy　for　the　fighters　to　keep　up　with　their　targets。　The　Backfires；　speed　made　for　difficult　pursuit　curves；　and　the　fighters　were　notoriously　short　on　fuel。　Their　missiles　continued　to　score；　however；　and　no　amount　of　jinking　and　jamming　could　defeat　all　of　them。　Finally　one　aircraft　got　a　surface　radar　contact　and　radioed　a　position。　The　seven　remaining　Backfires　fired　their　missiles　and　turned　north　at　Mach　2。　Three　more　fell　to　missiles　before　the　fighters　had　to　turn　away。
Again　the　Vampire　call　came　in；　and　again　Toland　cringed。　Twenty　ining　missiles　were　plotted。　The　formation　activated　jammers　and　SAM　systems；　with　a　pair　of　Aegis　cruisers　on　the　threat　axis。　In　seconds　they　were　launching　missiles；　and　the　other　SM2…equipped　SAM　ships　added　their　own　missiles　to　the　〃basket；〃　allowing　their　birds　to　be　guided　by　the　Aegis　puter　systems。　The　twenty　ining　missiles　had　ninety　SM2s　targeted　on　them。　Only　three　got　through　the　SAM　cloud；　and　only　one　of　them　headed　for　a　carrier。　America's　three　point…defense　guns　tracked　the　AS…6　and　destroyed　it　a　thousand　feet　from　the　ship。　The　other　two　missiles　both　found　the　cruiser　Wainwright　and　exploded　her　four　miles　from　Independence。
〃Damn。〃　Jacobsen's　face　took　a　hard　set。　〃I　thought　we　had　that　one　beat。　Let's　start　recovering　aircraft。　We　got　some　dry　fighters　up　there。〃
Everyone's　attention　turned　to　the　Badgers。　The　northern　Tomcat　groups　were　just　ing　within　range　of　the　older　bombers。　The　Badger　crews　had　expected　to　follow　their　jammers　in；　reversing　earlier　tactics。　Some　were　slow　to　realize　that　they　had　no　electronic　wall　to　hide　behind；　but　none　had　a　choice。　They　detected　ining　fighters　while　still　five　minutes　from　their　launch　points。　The　Badgers　held　course　and　increased　to　full　speed　to　lessen　their　time　of　vulnerability　while　their　crews　looked　anxiously　for　missiles。
The　Tomcat　pilots　were　surprised　that　their　ining　targets　were　not　altering　course；　which　made　the　possibility　of　drones　seem　even　more　likely。　They　closed　to　get　visual　identification　of　their　targets　for　fear　of　being　tricked　again　into　shooting　at　drones。
〃Tallyho！　Badger　at　twelve　o'clock　and　level。〃　The　first　Tomcat　loosed　a　pair　of　missiles　from　forty　miles　out。
Unlike　the　Backfires；　the　Badgers　had　a　location　fix　for　their　targets；　which　enabled　them　to　launch　their　AS…4s　from　maximum　range。　One　by　one；　the　twenty…year…old　bombers　launched　and　turned　as　tight　as　their　pilots　dared　to　escape。　Their　escape　maneuvers　allowed　half　to　survive；　since　the　Navy　fighters　were　unable　to　pursue。　Aboard　the　radar　aircraft；　kills　were　being　tallied　even　as　the　missiles　flew　toward　Stykkisholmur。　Soviet　Naval　Aviation　had　just　taken　fearful　losses。

USS　NASSAU
Edwards　was　still　in　the　twilight　of　anesthesia　when　he　heard　the　electronic　gonging　of　the　General　Quarters　alarm。　He　was　only　vaguely　aware　of　where　he　was。　He　seemed　to　remember　the　helicopter　ride；　but　his　next　impression　was　that　of　lying　in　a　bunk　with　needles　and　tubes　stuck　in　various　parts　of　his　body。　He　knew　what　the　alarm　meant；　and　knew　intellectually　that　he　should　be　afraid。　But　he　couldn't　quite　work　his　emotions　up　through　the　drug…induced　haze。　He　succeeded　in　raising　his　head。　Vigdis　was　sitting　on　a　chair　next　to　his　bed；　holding　his　right　hand。　He　squeezed　back；　not　knowing　that　she　was　asleep。　A　moment　later　he　was；　too。
Five　levels　up；　Nassau's　captain　was　standing　on　the　bridge　wing。　His　normal　battle　station　was　in　CIC；　but　the　ship　was　not　moving；　and　he　figured　that　this　was　as　good　a　place　as　any　to　watch。　Over　a　hundred　missiles　were　inbound　from　the　northeast。　As　soon　as　raid　warning　had　been　received　an　hour　earlier；　all　of　his　boat　crews　had　set　to　lighting　o