tc.thebearandthedragon-第141部分

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　SuBPAC　nodded。　〃It'll　take　a　little　time　to　surge　more　of　my　boats　west；　but　they're　trained　up；　and　we　can　give　their　navy　a　major　bellyache　if　we　have　to。〃
　Then　eyes　turned　to　the　Marine。　〃I　hope　you're　not　going　to　tell　me　to　invade　the　Chinese　mainland　with　one　division；〃　he　observed。　Besides；　all　of　Pacific　Fleet　didn't　have　enough　amphibious…warfare　ships　to　land　more　than　a　brigade　landing　force；　and　they　knew　that。　Good　as　the　Marines　were；　they　couldn't　take　on　the　entire　People's　Liberation　Army。
　〃What　sort　of　shape　are　the　Russians　in？〃　Seventh　Fleet　asked　General　Lahr。
　〃Not　good；　sir。　Their　new　mander　Far　East　is　well　regarded；　but　he's　hurting　for　assets。　The　PLA　has　him　outnumbered　a　good　eight　to　one；　probably　more。　So；　the　Russians　don't　have　much　in　the　way　of　deep…strike　capabilities；　and　just　defending　themselves　against　air　attack　is　going　to　be　a　stretch。〃
　〃That's　a　fact；〃　agreed　the　general　manding　the　Air　Force　assets　in　the　Pacific　Theater。　〃Ivan's　pissed　away　a　lot　of　his　available　assets　dealing　with　the　Chechens。　Most　of　their　aircraft　are　grounded　with　maintenance　problems。　That　means　his　drivers　aren't　getting　the　stick　time　they　need　to　be　proficient　airmen。　The　Chinese；　on　the　other　hand；　have　been　training　pretty　well　for　several　years。　I'd　say　their　air　force　ponent　is　in　pretty　good　shape。〃
　〃What　can　we　move　west　with？〃
　〃A　lot；〃　the　USAF　four…star　answered。　〃But　will　it　be　enough？　Depends　on　a　lot　of　variables。　It'll　be　nice　to　have　your　carriers　around　to　back　us　up。〃　Which　was　unusually　gracious　of　the　United　States　Air　Force。
　〃Okay；〃　Mancuso　said　next。　〃I　want　to　see　some　options。　Mike；　let's　firm　up　our　intelligence　estimates　on　what　the　Chinese　are　capable　of；　first　of　all；　and　second；　what　they're　thinking。〃
　〃The　Agency　is　altering　the　tasking　of　its　satellites。　We　ought　to　be　getting　a　lot　of　overheads　soon；　plus　our　friends　on　Taiwan…they　keep　a　pretty　good　eye　on　things　for　us。〃
　〃Are　they　in　on　this　SNIE？〃　Seventh　Fleet　asked。
　Lahr　shook　his　head。　〃No；　not　yet。　This　stuff　is　being　held　pretty　close。〃
　〃Might　want　to　tell　Washington　that　they　have　a　better　feel　for　Beijing's　internal　politics　than　we　do；〃　the　senior　Marine　observed。　〃They　ought　to。　They　speak　the　same　language。　Same　thought　processes　and　stuff。　Taiwan　ought　to　be　a　prime　asset　to　us。〃
　〃Maybe；　maybe　not；〃　Lahr　countered。　〃If　a　shooting　war　starts；　they　won't　jump　in　for　the　fun　of　it。　Sure；　they're　our　friends；　but　they　don't　really　have　a　dog　in　this　fight　yet；　and　the　smart　play　for　them　is　to　play　it　cautious。　They'll　go　to　a　high　alert　status；　but　they　will　not　mence　offensive　operations　on　their　own　hook。〃
　〃Will　we　really　back　the　Russians　if　it　es　to　that？　More　to　the　point；　will　the　Chinese　regard　that　as　a　credible　option　on　our　part？〃　AiRPAC　asked。　He　administratively　〃owned〃　the　carriers　and　naval　air　wings。　Getting　them　trained　was　his　job。
　〃Reading　their　minds　is　CIA's　job；　not　ours；〃　Lahr　answered。　〃As　far　as　I　know；　DIA　has　no　high…quality　sources　in　Beijing；　except　what　we　get　from　intercepts　out　of　Fort　Meade。　If　you're　asking　me　for　a　personal　opinion；　well；　we　have　to　remember　that　their　political　assessments　are　made　by　Maoist　politicians　who　tend　to　see　things　their　own　way　rather　than　with　what　we　would　term　an　objective　outlook。　Short　version；　I　don't　know；　and　I　don't　know　anyone　who　does；　but　the　asset　that　got　us　this　information　tells　us　that　they're　serious　about　this　possible　move。　Serious　enough　to　bring　Russia　into　NATO。　You　could　call　that　rather　a　desperate　move　towards　deterring　the　PRC；　Admiral。〃
　〃So；　we　regard　war　as　a　highly　possible　eventuality？〃　Mancuso　summarized。
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Lahr　agreed。
　〃Okay；　gentlemen。　Then　we　treat　it　that　way。　I　want　plans　and　options　for　giving　our　Chinese　brethren　a　bellyache。　Rough　outlines　after　lunch　tomorrow；　and　firm　options　in　forty…eight　hours。　Questions？〃　There　were　none。　〃Okay；　let's　get　to　work　on　this。〃
　
　Al　Gregory　was　working　late。　A　puter…software　expert；　he　was　accustomed　to　working　odd　hours；　and　this　was　no　exception。　At　the　moment　he　was　aboard　USS　Gettysburg；　an　Aegis…class　cruiser。　The　ship　was　not　in　the　water；　but　rather　in　dry　dock；　sitting　on　a　collection　of　wooden　blocks　while　undergoing　propeller　replacement。　Gettysburg　had　tangled　with　a　buoy　that　had　parted　its　mooring　chain　and　drifted　into　the　fairway；　rather　to　the　detriment　of　the　cruiser's　port　screw。　The　yard　was　taking　its　time　to　do　the　replacement　because　the　ship's　engines　were　about　due　for　programmed　maintenance　anyway。　This　was　good　for　the　crew。　Portsmouth　Naval　Shipyard；　part　of　the　Norfolk　Naval　Base　plex；　wasn't　exactly　a　garden　spot；　but　it　was　where　most　of　the　crew's　families　lived；　and　that　made　it　attractive　enough。
　Gregory　was　in　the　ship's　CIC；　or　bat　Information　Center；　the　partment　from　which　the　captain　〃fought〃　the　ship。　All　the　weapons　systems　were　controlled　from　this　large　space。　The　SPY　radar　display　was　found　on　three　side…by…side　displays　about　the　size　of　a　good　big…screen　TV。　The　problem　was　the　puters　that　drove　the　systems。
　〃You　know；〃　Gregory　observed　to　the　senior　chief　who　maintained　the　systems；　〃an　old　iMac　has　a　ton　more　power　than　this。〃
　〃Doc；　this　system　is　the　flower　of　1975　technology；〃　the　senior　chief　protested。　〃And　it　ain't　all　that　hard　to　track　a　missile；　is　it？〃
　〃Besides；　Dr。　Gregory；〃　another　chief　put　it；　〃that　radar　of　mine　is　still　the　best　fucking　system　ever　put　to　sea。〃
　〃That's　a　fact；〃　Gregory　had　to　agree。　The　solid…state　ponents　could　bine　to　blast　six　megawatts　of　RF　power　down　a　one…degree　line　of　bearing；　enough　to　make　a　helicopter　pilot；　for　example；　produce　what　cruel　physicians　called　FLKs：　funny…looking　kids。　And　more　than　enough　to　track　a　ballistic　reentry　vehicle　at　a　thousand　miles　or　more。　The　limitation　there　also　was　puter　software；　which　was　the　new　gold　standard　in　just　about　every　weapons　system　in　the　world。
　〃So；　when　you　want　to　track　an　RV；　what　do　you　do？〃
　〃We　call　it　'inserting　the　chip；'　〃　the　senior　chief　answered。
　〃What？　It's　hardware？〃　Al　asked。　He　had　trouble　believing　that。　This　wasn't　a　puter　that　you　slid　a　board　into。
　〃No；　sir；　it's　software。　We　upload　a　different　control　program。〃
　〃Why　do　you　need　a　second　program　for　that？　Can't　your　regular　one　track　airplanes　and　missiles？〃　the　TRW　vice　president　demanded。
　〃Sir；　I　just　maintain　and　operate　the　bitch。　I　don't　design　the　things。　RCA　and　IBM　do　that。〃
　〃Shit；〃　Gregory　observed。
　〃You　could　talk　to　Lieutenant　Olson；〃　the　other　chief　thought　aloud。　〃He's　a　Dartmouth　boy。　Pretty　smart　for　a　j。g。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　the　first　chief　agreed。　〃He　writes　software　as　sort　of　a　hobby。〃
　〃Dennis　the　Menace。　Weps　and　the　XO　get　annoyed　with　him　sometimes。〃
　〃Why？〃　Gregory　asked。
　〃Because　he　talks　like　you；　sir；〃　Senior　Chief　Leek　answered。　〃But　he　ain't　in　your　pay　grade。〃
　〃He's　a　good　kid；　though；〃　Senior　Chief　Matson　observed。　〃Takes　good　care　of　his　troops；　and　he　knows　his　stuff；　doesn't　he；　Tim？〃
　〃Yeah；　George；　good　kid；　going　places　if　he　stays　in。〃
　〃He　won't。　puter　panies　are　already　trying　to　recruit　him。　Shit；　paq　offered　him　three　hundred　big　ones　last　week。〃
　〃That's　a　living　wage；〃　Chief　Leek　mented。　〃What　did　Dennis　say？〃
　〃He　said　no。　I　told　him　to　hold　out　for　half　a　mil。〃　Matson　laughed　as　he　reached　for　some　coffee。
　〃What　d'ya　think；　Dr。　Gregory？　The　kid　worth　that　kinda　money　in　the　'puter　business？〃
　〃If　he　can　do　really　good　code；　maybe；〃　Al　replied；　making　a　mental　note　to　check　out　this　Lieutenant　Olson　himself。　TRW　always　had　room　for　talent。　Dartmouth　was　known　for　its　puter　science　department。　Add　field　experience　to　that；　and　you　had　a　real　candidate　for　the　ongoing　SAM　project。　〃Okay；　if　you　insert　the　chip；　what　happens？〃
　〃Then　you　change　the　range　of　the　radar。　You　know　how　it　works；　the　RF　energy　goes　out　forever　on　its　own；　but　we　only　accept　signals　that　bounce　back　within　a　specific　time　gate。　This〃…Senior　Chief　Leek　held　up　a　floppy　disk　with　a　hand…printed　label　on　it…〃changes　the　gate。　It　extends　the　effective　rage　of　the　SPY　out　to；　oh；　two　thousand　kilometers。　Damned　sight　farther　than　the　missiles'll　go。　I　was　on　Port　Royal　out　at　Kwajalein　five　years　ago　doing　a　theater…missile　test；　and　we　were　tracking　the　inbound　from　the　time　it　popped　over　the　horizon　all　the　way　in。〃
　〃You　hit　it？〃　Gregory　asked　with　immediate　interest。
　Leek　shook　his　head。　〃Guidance…fin　failure　on　the　bird；　it　was　an　early　Block…IV。　We　got　within　fifty　meters；　but　that　was　a　cunt　hair　outside　the　warhead's　kill　perimeter；　and　they　only　allowed　us　one　shot；　for　some　reason　or　other　nobody　ever　told　me　about。　Shiloh　got　a　kill　the　next　year。　Splattered　it　with　a　skin…skin　kill。　The　video　of　that　one　is　a　son　of　a　bitch；〃　the　senior　chief　assured　his　guest。
　Gregory　believed　it。　When　an　object　going　one　way　at　fourteen　thousand　miles　per　hour　got　hit　by　something　going　the　other　way　at　two　thousand　miles　per　hour；　the　result　could　be　quite　impressive。　〃First…round　hit？〃　he　asked。
　〃You　bet。　The　sucker　was　ing　straight　at　us；　and　this　baby　doesn't　miss　much。〃
　〃We　always　clean　up　with　Vandal　tests　off　Wallops　Island；〃　Chief　Matson　confirmed。
　〃What　are　those　exactly？〃
　〃Old　Talos　SAMs；〃　Matson　explained。　〃Big　stovepipes；　ramjet　engines；　they　can　e　in　on　a　ballistic　track　at　about　twenty…two　hundred　miles　per　hour。　Pretty　hot　on　the　deck；　too。　That's　what　we　worry　about。　The　Russians　came　out　with　a　sea…skimmer　we　call　Sunburn…〃
　〃Aegis…killer；　some　folks　call　it；〃　Chief　Leek　added。　〃Low　and　fast。〃
　〃But　we　ain't　missed　one　yet；〃　Matson　announced。　〃The　Aegis　system's　pretty　good。　So；　Dr。　Gregory；　what　exactly　are　you　checking　out？〃
　〃I　want　to　see　if　your　system　can　be　used　to　stop　a　ballistic　inbound。〃
　〃How　fast？〃　Matson　asked。
　〃A　for…real　ICBM。　When　you　detect　it　on　radar；　it'll　be　doing　about　seventeen　thousand　miles　per　hour；　call　it　seventy…six　hundred　meters　per　second。〃
　〃That's　real　fast；〃　Leek　observed。　〃Seven；　eight　times　the　speed　of　a　rifle　bullet。〃
　〃Faster'n　a　theater　ballistic　weapon　like　a　Scud。　Not　sure　we　can　do　it；〃　Matson　worried。
　〃This　radar　system'll　track　it　just　fine。　It's　very　simila