Executive orders - Tom Clancy [393]
Uh-oh, the petty officer on the ESM board said. Sir, Raid Seven, their RADARs just shifted to tracking mode. Instead of just searching for targets, the airborne systems were now operating in the manner used to guide air-to-air missiles. What had been merely unfriendly a few seconds ago now became overtly hostile.
The F-16s broke into two pairs-elements-and began maneuvering freely. The outbound PRC fighters did the same. The original flight of four, Raid Six, was now across the line, heading west on what appeared to be a direct line to their airfield.
Oh, I think I know what's going on here, sir, look how-
A very small pip appeared on the screen, leaving one of the ROC F-16s.
Oh, shit, a sailor said. We have a missile in the air-
Make that two, his chief said.
Aloft, a pair of American-made AIM-120 missiles were now taking separate paths to separate targets.
They thought it was an attack. Oh, Christ, the captain said, turning to his communications. Get me CINCPAC right now!'
It didn't take long. One of the mainland fighters turned into a puff on the screen. Warned, the other jinked hard and dodged its missile at the last second.
Then it turned back. The southern PRC fighter element maneuvered also, and Raid Six turned radically to the north, its illumination RADARs now on. Ten seconds later, six more missiles were airborne and tracking targets.
We got a battle on our hands! the chief of the watch said. The captain lifted the phone:
Bridge, combat, general quarters, general quarters! Then he grabbed the TBS microphone, getting the captains of his two companion ships, both ten miles away, east and west of his cruiser as the alarm gong started sounding on USS Port Royal.
I have it, The Sullivans reported. That destroyer was outboard.
Me, too, Chandler chimed in. That one was closer to the island nation, but getting the RADAR picture from the Aegis ships via data link.
That's a kill! Another ChiCom fighter took its hit and headed down to the still-dark surface. Five seconds later, an F-16 died. More crewmen arrived in CIC, taking their battle stations.
Captain, Raid Six was just trying to simulate-
Yeah, I see that now, but we have a train wreck on our hands.
And then, predictably, a missile went wild. These were so small as to be hard for the Aegis RADAR to track, but a technician boosted power, throwing six million watts of RF energy into the exercise area, and the picture became more clear.
Oh, shit! a chief said, pointing to the main tactical display. Captain, look there!
It was instantly obvious. Someone had loosed what was probably an infra-red-seeking missile, and the hottest target in town was an Air China Airbus 310, with two huge General Electric CF6 turbofans-the same basic engines as those which powered all three of the American warships-which looked like the sun to its single red eye.
Chief Albertson, get him on guard! the skipper shouted.
Air China Six-Six-Six, this is a U.S. Navy warship, you have a missile inbound on you from the northwest, I say again, maneuver immediately, you have a missile tracking you from the northwest!
What, what? But the plane started moving, turning left and descending. Not that it mattered.
The plotted velocity vector of the missile never wavered from the target. There was a hope that it would burn out and fall short, but the missile was going at mach 3, and the Air China flight was already slowed down, commencing its approach to its home field. When the pilot