tc.redstormrising-第37部分

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erpiece　of　electronic　technology　inside；　she　usually　didn't　use　her　active　systems。　Radars　and　radios　made　electronic　noise　that　an　enemy　might　detect；　and　the　whole　idea　of　the　Frisbee　was　that　she　didn't　seem　to　exist　at　all。
Far　over　their　heads　on　both　sides　of　the　border；　hundreds　of　fighter　aircraft　played　a　deadly　game　of　bluff；　racing　toward　the　border　and　then　turning　away；　both　sides　trying　to　goad　the　other　into　mitting　to　battle。　Each　side　had　airborne　radar　aircraft　with　which　to　control　such　a　battle　and　so　gain　the　advantage　in　a　war　which；　though　few　yet　knew　it；　had　already　begun。
And　we're　getting　a　quick　one　in；　Ellington　thought。　We're　finally　doing　something　smart！　He'd　had　a　hundred　missions　over　Vietnam　in　the　first　production　F…111A　fighters。　The　Duke　was　the　Air　Force's　leading　expert　on　covert　low…level　missions；　and　it　was　said　that　he　could　〃bull's…eye　a　chuckhole　in　a　Kansas　tornado　at　midnight。〃　That　wasn't　quite　true。　The　Frisbee　could　never　handle　a　tornado。　The　sad　truth　was　that　the　F…19　handled　like　a　pig…a　consequence　of　her　ungainly　design。　But　Ellington　didn't　care。　Being　invisible　was　better　than　being　agile；　he　judged；　knowing　that　he　was　about　to　prove　or　disprove　that　proposition。
The　Frisbee　squadron　was　now　penetrating　the　most　concentrated　SAM　belt　the　world　had　ever　known。
〃Range　to　primary　target　is　now　sixty　miles；〃　Eisly　advised。　〃All　onboard　systems　continue　nominal。　No　radars　are　locked　onto　us。　Lookin'　good；　Duke。〃
〃Roger。〃　Ellington　pushed　the　stick　forward　and　dived　as　they　passed　over　the　crest　of　a　small　hill；　then　bottomed　out　at　eighty　feet　over　a　wheatfield。　The　Duke　was　playing　his　game　to　the　limit；　drawing　on　years　of　experience　in　low…level　attacks。　Their　primary　target　was　a　Soviet　IL…76　Mainstay；　an　AWACS…type　aircraft　that　was　circling　near　Magdeburg；　agreeably　within　ten　miles　of　their　secondary　target；　the　E…8　highway　bridges　over　the　Elbe　at　Hohenroarthe。　The　mission　was　getting　a　lot　hairier。　The　closer　they　got　to　the　Mainstay　the　more　radar　signal　hit　their　aircraft；　its　intensity　growing　at　a　square　function。　Sooner　or　later；　enough　signal　would　be　reflected　back　to　the　Mainstay　to　be　detectable；　even　by　curved　wings　made　of　radar…transparent　posites。　All　the　Stealth　technology　did　was　to　make　radar　detection　harder；　not　impossible。　Would　they　be　seen　by　the　Mainstay？　If　so；　when；　and　how　quickly　would　the　Russians　react？
Keep　her　on　the　deck；　he　told　himself。　Play　the　game　by　the　rules　you've　practiced　out。　They　had　rehearsed　this　mission　for　nine　days　in　〃Dreamland；〃　the　top…secret　exercise　area　in　the　sprawl　of　Nellis　Air　Force　Base；　Nevada。　Even　the　E…3A　Sentry　could　barely　make　them　out　at　forty　miles；　and　the　Sentry　was　a　far　better　radar　platform　than　the　Mainstay；　wasn't　it？
That's　what　you're　here　to　find　out；　boy　。　。　。
There　were　five　Mainstays　on　duty；　all　a　hundred　klicks　east　of　the　inter…German　border。　A　nice　safe　distance；　what　with　over　three　hundred　fighters　between　them　and　the　border。
〃Twenty　miles；　Duke。〃
〃Right。　Call　it　off；　Don。〃
〃Roge。　Still　no　fire…control　emanations　on　us；　and　no　search　stuff　is　lingering　our　way。　Lots　of　radio　chatter；　but　mostly　west　of　us。　Very　little　VOX　ing　from　the　target。〃
Ellington　reached　his　left　hand　down　to　arm　the　four　AIM…9M　Sidewinder　missiles　hanging　under　his　wings。　The　weapon…indicator　light　blinked　a　lethal；　friendly　green。
〃Eighteen　miles。　Target　appears　to　be　circling　normally；　not　taking　evasive　action。〃
Ten　miles　to　the　minute；　Ellington　puted　in　his　mind；　one　minute　forty　seconds。
〃Sixteen　miles。〃　Eisly　read　the　numbers　off　a　puter　readout　keyed　to　the　NAVSTAR　satellite　navigation　system。
The　Mainstay　would　not　have　a　chance。　The　Frisbee　would　not　begin　to　climb　until　she　was　directly　underneath　the　target。　Fourteen　miles。　Twelve。　Ten。　Eight。　Six　miles　to　the　converted　air　transport。
〃The　Mainstay　just　reversed　her　turn…yeah；　she's　jinking。　A　Foxfire　just　swept　over　us；〃　Eisly　said　evenly。　A　MiG…25　interceptor；　presumably　acting　on　instructions　from　the　IL…76；　was　now　searching　for　them。　With　its　high　power　and　small　arc；　the　Foxfire　stood　a　good　chance　of　acquiring　them；　Stealth　technology　or　not。　〃The　Mainstay　might　have　us。〃
〃Anything　locked　on　us？〃
〃Not　yet。〃　Eisly's　eyes　were　glued　to　the　threat…receiver　instruments。　No　missile…control　radars　had　centered　on　the　Frisbee　yet。　〃ing　under　the　target。〃
〃Right。　Climbing　now。〃　Ellington　eased　back　on　his　stick　and　punched　up　full　afterburners。　The　Frisbee's　engines　could　only　give　him　Mach　1。3；　but　this　was　the　place　to　use　all　the　power　he　had。　According　to　the　weather　people；　these　clouds　topped　out　at　twenty　thousand　feet；　and　the　IL…76　would　be　about　five　thousand　above　that。　Now　the　Frisbee　was　vulnerable。　No　longer　lost　in　the　ground　clutter；　her　engines　radiating　their　maximum　signature；　the　Stealth　aircraft　was　broadcasting　her　presence。　Climb　faster；　baby　。　。　。
〃Tallyho！〃　Ellington　said　too　loudly　over　the　inter　as　he　burst　through　the　clouds；　and　the　night…vision　systems　instantly　showed　him　the　Mainstay；　five　miles　away　and　diving　for　cover　in　front　of　him。　Too　late。　The　head…on　closing　speed　was　nearly　a　thousand　miles　per　hour。　The　colonel　centered　his　gunsight　pipper　on　the　target。　A　warbling　tone　came　into　his　headset：　the　Sidewinders'　seekers　had　locked　onto　the　target。　His　right　thumb　toggled　the　launch…enable　switch；　and　his　forefinger　squeezed　the　trigger　twice。　The　Sidewinders　left　the　aircraft　half　a　second　apart。　Their　brilliant　exhaust　flames　dazzled　him；　but　he　did　not　take　his　eyes　off　the　missiles　as　they　raced　for　the　target。　It　took　eight　seconds。　He　looked　them　all　the　way　in。　Both　missiles　angled　for　the　Mainstay's　starboard　wing。　Thirty　feet　away；　laser　proximity　fuses　detonated；　filling　the　air　with　lethal　fragments。　It　happened　too　fast。　Both　of　the　Mainstay's　right…side　engines　exploded；　the　wing　came　off；　and　the　Soviet　aircraft　began　cartwheeling　violently　downward；　lost　seconds　later　in　the　clouds。
Jesus！　Ellington　thought　as　he　rolled　and　dived　back　to　the　ground　and　safety。　Nothing　like　the　movies。　The　target　was　hit　and　gone　between　blinks。　Well；　okay；　that　was　easy　enough。　Primary　target　gone。　Now　for　the　hard　part　。　。　。
Aboard　an　E…3A　Sentry　circling　over　Strasbourg；　the　radar　technicians　noted　with　satisfaction　that　all　five　Soviet　radar　craft　had　been　killed　within　two　minutes：　it　all　worked；　the　F…19　really　did　surprise　them。
The　brigadier　general　in　mand　of　Operation　Dreamland　leaned　forward　in　his　mand　chair　and　toggled　his　microphone。
〃Trumpeter；　Trumpeter；　Trumpeter；〃　he　said；　then　switched　off。　〃Okay；　boys；〃　he　breathed。　〃Make　it　count。〃
Amid　the　clouds　of　NATO　tactical　fighters　hovering　near　the　border；　a　hundred　low…level　attack　fighters　broke　clear　and　dove　for　the　ground。　Half　were　F…111F　Aardvarks；　the　other　half　〃GR。　I　〃　Tornados；　their　wings　heavy　with　fuel　tanks　and　smart　bombs。　They　followed　the　second　wave　of　Frisbees；　already　sixty　miles　into　East　Germany；　fanning　out　to　their　ground　targets。　Behind　the　strike　aircraft；　all…weather　Eagle　and　Phantom　interceptors；　directed　by　the　Sentries　circling　over　the　Rhein；　began　to　launch　their　radar…guided　missiles　at　Soviet　fighters　that　had　just　lost　their　airborne　controllers。　Finally；　a　third　team　of　NATO　aircraft　swooped　in　low；　seeking　out　the　ground　radar　sites　that　were　ing　on　to　replace　the　radar　coverage　of　the　dead　Mainstays。

HOHENROARTHE；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
Ellington　circled　his　target　at　a　thousand　feet；　several　miles　away。　It　was　a　double　bridge；　a　pair　of　concrete　arches；　each　about　five　hundred　yards　across；　and　with　two　traffic　lanes；　that　crossed　the　River　Elbe　in　the　middle　of　a　gentle　S…curve。　Pretty　bridges。　Ellington　guessed　that　they　dated　back　to　the　thirties；　since　this　main　road　from　Berlin　to　Braunschweig　had　been　one　of　the　first　autobahns。　Ole　Adolf　himself　might　have　driven　across　these　bridges；　Ellington　reflected。　So　much　the　better。
At　the　moment；　a　low…light　television　in　his　targeting　systems　showed　them　to　be　covered　with　Russian　T…80　tanks；　all　heading　west。　Ellington　evaluated　the　picture　on　his　television　screen。　This　could　only　be　the　second　echelon　of　the　army　deployed　to　attack　NATO。　There　was　an　SA…6　battery　atop　Hill　76　south　of　the　bridges　on　the　east　bank；　sited　there　to　defend　them。　It　had　to　be　fully　alert　now。　His　earphones　chirped　constantly　with　noise　from　his　threat　receiver　as　the　search　radars　from　a　score　of　air…defense　batteries　swept　continuously　over　his　aircraft。　If　only　one　of　them　got　a　good　return　。　。　。　Pucker　factor；　Ellington　reflected　grimly。
〃How's　the　Pave　Tack？〃
〃Nominal；〃　Eisly　responded　curtly。　Pilot　and　back…seater　were　both　under　enormous　stress。
〃Illuminate；〃　Ellington　ordered。　In　the　back　seat；　Eisly　activated　the　Pave　Tack　target…illumination　laser。
The　elaborate　Pave　Tack　gear　was　built　into　the　Frisbee's　drooping　nosecone。　Its　lowermost　part　was　a　rotating　turret　containing　a　carbondioxide　laser　and　television　camera。　The　major　used　his　joystick　controls　to　center　the　TV　picture　on　the　bridge；　then　unmasked　the　infrared　laser。　An　invisible　dot　appeared　in　the　center　of　the　north　span's　bridge　deck。　A　puter　system　would　keep　it　there　until　told　to　do　otherwise；　and　a　videotape　recorder　would　make　a　visual　record　of　the　raid's　success　or　failure。
〃The　target　is　lit；〃　Eisly　said。　〃Still　no　fire…control　radars　on　us。〃
〃Nemo；　this　is　Shade　4。　The　target　is　lit。〃
〃Roge。〃
Fifteen　seconds　later　the　first　Aardvark　screamed　south　a　bare　thirty　feet　over　the　water；　popped　up；　and　loosed　a　single　GBU…15　Paveway　laser…guided　bomb　before　it　turned　hard　to　the　east　over　Hohenroarthe。　An　optical…puter　system　in　the　bomb's　nose　noted　the　deflected　infrared　beam；　centered　it；　and　adjusted　the　fins　accordingly。
South　of　the　bridge；　the　SAM　battery　mander　was　trying　to　decide　what　the　noise　was。　His　search　radar　did　not　show　the　Frisbee。　He　had　been　told　not　to　expect　the　presence　of　〃friendly〃　aircraft…the　safe　travel　lane　was　fifteen　miles　to　the　north；　over　the　Frontal　Aviation　base　at　Mahlminkel。　Maybe　that's　where　the　noise　was　ing　from；　he　thought。　No　special　alarm　has　been　sent　out…
The　northern　horizon　went　bright　yellow。　Though　he　did　not　know