tc.redstormrising-第95部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


But　now　he　stood　in　front　of　the　mirror；　looking　at　a　man　with　hollow　eyes　who　wished　his　wife　were　there。
Morris　went　out　to　the　kitchen　of　his　one…story　house　and　went　mindlessly　through　the　process　of　making　coffee。　The　morning　paper　was　on　the　doorstep；　and　he　found　himself　reading　stories　about　the　war　that　he　knew　to　be　inaccurate　or　out　of　date。　Things　were　happening　much　too　fast　for　reporters　to　keep　up。　There　was　an　eyewitness　account　from　an　unnamed　destroyer　about　a　missile　that　had　leaked　through　her　missile　defenses。　An　〃analysis〃　piece　explained　how　surface　warships　were　obsolete　in　the　face　of　determined　missile　attacks　and　asked　where　the　fleet's　vaunted　carriers　were。　That；　he　thought；　was　a　pretty　good　question。
Morris　finished　his　coffee　and　returned　to　the　bathroom　for　a　shower。　If　he　had　to　be　awake；　he　thought；　he　might　as　well　be　at　work。　He　had　one　set　of　undress　whites　in　the　closet。　He　donned　them　a　few　minutes
later　and　walked　out　to　his　car。　It　was　already　first　light　when　he　drove　to　the　Norfolk　Navy　Base。
Forty　minutes　later　he　was　in　one　of　several　operations　rooms；　where　the　positions　of　convoys　and　suspected　submarine　locations　were　plotted。　On　the　far　wall　the　threat　board　listed　estimated　Russian　assets　and　the　numbers　and　types　of　kills　accumulated　to　date。　Another　wall　showed　losses。　If　the　intel　guys　were　right；　he　thought；　the　war　at　sea　had　the　look　of　a　draw…but　for　the　Russians　a　draw　was　the　same　as　a　win。
〃Good　morning；　mander；〃　NAVSURFLANT　said。　Another　man　who　had　not　slept　very　much。　〃You　look　a　little　better。〃
Better　than　what？　Morris　wondered。
〃We　have　some　good　news　for　a　change。〃

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　B…52　crews　were　nervous　despite　the　heavy　fighter　escort。　Five　thousand　feet　above　them；　a　full　squadron　of　F…14　Tomcats　flew　top　cover；　having　just　refueled　from　KC…135　tankers。　The　other　squadron　was　tanking　now　for　their　part　in　the　mission。　The　sun　was　just　peeping　above　the　horizon；　and　the　ocean　below　them　was　still　dark。　It　was　0300　local　time；　when　human　reaction　times　are　at　their　worst。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
The　alarm　klaxon　jolted　the　sleeping　Russian　pilots　off　their　cots。　Their　ground　crews　took　fewer　than　ten　seconds　to　begin　preflight　procedures　as　the　airmen　climbed　the　steel　ladders　into　their　cockpits　and　plugged　in　their　helmet　radios　to　learn　what　the　emergency　was。
〃Heavy　enemy　jamming　activity　to　the　west；〃　the　regimental　mander　announced。　〃Plan　Three。　Repeat：　Plan　Three。〃
In　the　control　trailer；　radar　operators　had　just　seen　their　radar　screens　turn　to　a　cluttered　nightmare　of　white…noise　jamming。　An　American　raid　was　ing　in　probably　B…52s；　probably　in　force。　Soon　the　American　aircraft　would　be　so　close　that　the　ground…based　radars　could　bum　through　the　jamming。　Until　then；　the　fighters　would　try　to　engage　as　far　out　as　they　could　to　reduce　the　number　of　bombers　before　they　could　strike　their　target。
The　Soviet　pilots　had　been　well　drilled　in　their　time　on　Iceland。　Within　two　minutes　the　first　pair　of　MiG…29s　was　rolling；　in　seven　all　were　in　the　air。　The　Soviet　plan　left　a　third　of　the　fighters　over　Keflavik　while　the　others　charged　west　toward　the　jamming；　their　own　missile…targeting　radars　on；　seeking　targets。　They　were　ten　minutes　out　when　the　jamming　stopped。　A　single　MiG　got　a　radar　contact　off　a　retreating　jamming　aircraft　and　radioed　Keflavik；　only　to　learn　from　his　ground　controllers　that　nothing　was　on　the　scopes　out　to　a　range　of　three　hundred　kilometers。
A　minute　later；　the　jamming　began　again；　this　time　from　the　south　and　east。　More　cautiously　this　time；　the　MiGs　flew　south。　On　orders；　they　kept　their　radar　systems　shut　down　until　they　were　a　hundred　miles　offshore；　but　when　they　switched　on　they　found　nothing。　Whoever　was　jamming　was　doing　it　from　a　great　distance。　The　ground　controllers　reported　that　three　jammers　had　been　involved　in　the　first　incident　and　four　in　the　second。　Quite　a　lot　of　jammers；　the　regimental　mander　thought。　They're　trying　to　run　us　around；　trying　to　make　us　use　up　our　fuel。
〃e　east；〃　he　ordered　his　fight　leaders。
The　B…52　crews　were　really　nervous　now。　One　of　the　escorting　Prowlers　had　picked　up　the　voice　radio　orders　from　the　MiGs；　and　another　had　caught　a　flash　of　their　air…intercept　radars　to　the　southwest。　The　fighters　eased　south　also。　They　were　now　one　hundred　fifty　miles　from　Keflavik；　crossing　the　Icelandic　coast。　The　mission　mander　evaluated　the　situation　and　ordered　the　bombers　to　turn　slightly　north。
The　B…52s　carried　no　bombs；　just　the　powerful　radar　jammers　designed　to　allow　other　bombers　to　reach　targets　within　the　Soviet　Union。　Below　them；　the　second　squadron　of　Tomcats　was　heading　for　the　deck；　the　eastern　slopes　of　the　Vatna　glacier。　With　them　were　four　Navy　Prowlers　for　additional　protection　against　air…to…air　missiles　in　case　the　MiGs　got　too　close。
〃Starting　to　get　some　airborne　radars；　bearing　two…five…eight。　Seems　to　be　closing；〃　one　Prowler　reported。　Another　copied　the　same　signal　and　they　triangulated　the　range　to　fifty　miles。　Close　enough。　The　mission　mander　was　flying　a　Prowler。
〃Amber　Moon。　Say　again；　Amber　Moon。〃
The　B…52s　turned　back　east　and　dove；　opening　their　bomb　bays　to　disgorge　tons　of　aluminum　chaff　that　no　radar　signal　could　penetrate。　As　soon　as　they　saw　that；　the　American　fighters　all　dropped　their　external　fuel　tanks；　and　the　Prowlers　broke　off　from　the　bombers　to　orbit　just　west　of　the　chaff。　Now　came　the　tricky　part。　The　fighters　of　both　sides　were　closing　at　a　bined　speed　of　over　one　thousand　miles　per　hour。
〃Queer　check；〃　the　mission　mander　radioed。
〃Blackie　check；〃　acknowledged　the　skipper　of　VF…41。
〃Jolly　check；〃　replied　the　mander　of　VF…84。　Everyone　was　in　position。
〃Execute。〃　The　four　Prowlers　flipped　on　their　antimissile　jamming　gear。
The　twelve　Tomcats　of　the　Jolly　Rogers　were　strung　on　a　line　at　thirty　thousand　feet。　On　mand　they　activated　their　missile…guidance　radars。
〃American　fighters！〃　shouted　a　number　of　Russian　pilots。　Their　threat　receivers　instantly　told　the　pilots　that　fighter…type　radars　were　locked　on　their　aircraft。
The　Soviet　fighter　mander　was　not　surprised。　Surely　the　Americans　would　not　risk　their　heavy　bombers　again　without　a　proper　escort。　He'd　ignore　these　and　bore　in　for　the　B…52s；　as　his　training　dictated。　The　MiG　radars　were　heavily　jammed；　their　ranges　cut　in　half　and　as　yet　unable　to　track　any　targets　at　all。　He　ordered　his　pilots　to　be　alert　for　ining　missiles；　confident　that　they　could　avoid　those　that　they　saw；　and　had　all　his　aircraft　increase　power。　Next；　he　ordered　all　but　two　of　his　reserve　force　to　leave　Keflavik　and　e　east　to　support　him。
The　Americans　needed　only　seconds　to　lock　onto　targets。　Each　Tomcat　carried　four　Sparrows　and　four　Sidewinders。　The　Sparrows　went　first。　There　were　sixteen　MiGs　in　the　air。　Most　had　at　least　two　missiles　targeted；　but　the　Sparrows　were　radar…guided。　Each　American　fighter　had　to　remain　pointed　at　its　target　until　the　missile　hit。　This　ran　the　risk　of　closing　within　range　of　Soviet　missiles；　and　the　Tomcats　were　not　equipped　with　protective　jammers。
The　Americans　had　taken　position　up…sun　from　the　Russians。　Just　as　their　radars　began　to　burn　through　the　American　jamming；　the　Sparrows　arrived；　the　first　directly　from　the　sun；　exploding　its　MiG　in　midair　and　warning　everyone　in　its　flight。　The　Soviet　aircraft　began　radical　jinks　up　and　down；　some　pilots　breaking　into　hard　turns　as　they　saw　the　seven…inch　wide　missiles　racing　in；　but　four　more　found　their　targets；　and　in　moments　there　were　three　hard　kills　and　one　severely　damaged　aircraft　that　turned　to　limp　for　home。
The　Jolly　Rogers　turned　as　soon　as　their　missiles　were　spent　and　ran　northeast　with　the　Soviets　in　pursuit。　The　Russian　mander　was　relieved　that　the　American　missiles　had　performed　so　poorly；　yet　still　enraged　at　the　loss　of　five　aircraft。　His　remaining　aircraft　bore　in　on　after…burner　as　their　targeting　radars　began　to　defeat　the　American　jamming。　The　American　fighter　escort　had　had　its　turn；　he　knew。　Now　it　was　his　turn。　They　ran　northeast；　their　visored　eyes　alternating　between　squints　into　the　sun　and　quick　looks　at　their　radarscopes　to　pick　out　targets。　They　never　looked　down。　The　lead　MiG　finally　had　a　target　and　launched　two　missiles。
Twenty　thousand　feet　below　them；　shielded　from　ground　radar　by　a　pair　of　mountains；　twelve　Tomcats　of　the　Black　Aces　went　to　afterburner；　their　radars　shut　off　as　the　twin…engined　fighters　rocketed　skyward。　Within　ninety　seconds　the　pilots　began　to　hear　the　growling　signal　that　indicated　their　Sidewinder　heat…seeking　missiles　were　tracking　targets。　Seconds　later；　sixteen　missiles　were　fired　from　a　range　of　two　miles。
Six　Russian　pilots　never　knew　what　hit　them。　Of　the　eleven　MiGs；　eight　were　hit　in　a　matter　of　seconds。　The　mander's　luck　remained　briefly　as　he　jerked　his　fighter　around；　causing　a　Sidewinder　to　break　lock　and　fly　into　the　sun；　but　now　what　could　he　do？　He　saw　two　Tomcats　running　south；　away　from　his　remaining　fighters。　It　was　too　late　to　organize　an　attack…his　wingman　was　gone；　and　the　only　friendly　aircraft　he　could　see　was　to　his　north…so　the　colonel　reefed　his　MiG　into　an　eight…g　turn　and　dove　at　the　American；　oblivious　to　the　warning　buzz　of　his　threat　receiver。　Both　Sparrows　launched　from　the　second　group　of　Black　Aces　struck　his　wing。　The　MiG　came　apart　around　him。
The　Americans　had　no　time　to　gloat。　The　mission　mander　reported　a　second　group　of　MiGs　heading　their　way　and　the　American　squadrons　regrouped　to　meet　them；　forming　a　solid　wall　of　twenty…four　aircraft；　their　radars　shut　down　for　two　minutes　as　the　MiGs　raced　into　the　cloud　of　jamming。　The　Russian　second…in…mand　was　making　a　serious　error。　His　fellow　pilots　were　in　danger。　He　had　to　go　to　their　rescue。　One　group　of　Tomcat　volleyed　off　its　remaining　Sparrows；　the　other　fired　Sidewinders。　A　total　of　thirty…eight　missiles　closed　in　on　eight　Soviet　aircraft　who　had　no　clear　picture　of　what　they　were　running　into。　Half　of　them　never　did；　blotted　out　of　the　sky　by　American　air…to…air　missiles；　three　more　were　damaged。
The　Tomcat　pilots　all　wanted　to　close；　but　the　mander　ordered　them　off。　They　were　all　short　of　fuel；　and　Stornoway　was　seven　hundred　miles　off。　They　turned　east；　ducking　through　the　cloud　of　aluminu