SSN - Tom Clancy [110]
A short while later, the OOD reported to the captain, "Tubes one and two are ready in all respects. Both outer doors are open." Cheyenne was getting so good that they were taking liberties with the battle stations versus the section fire-control parties.
"Very well, officer of the deck," answered Mack. Fortunately, the Akula was not tracking on any particular course. This meant he was loitering in the vicinity of the Typhoon, as Mack had hoped. This also allowed Cheyenne to close the range while the Akula did the maneuvering to allow the three BS Y-1 computers to compute the fire-control solution before the Akula could detect the launch of Cheyenne's Mk 48s. The other Akulas and the Typhoon remained silent.
Other than the signature obtained earlier, the Akula was quiet. Cheyenne was not able to detect it with either her spherical or conformal arrays. The course changes and the TB-23 inputs to the sonar consoles and to the three BSY-1 computer consoles made the solution possible for the section fire-control tracking party. When the BSY-1 operators and the section fire-control coordinator were satisfied with the TMA (target motion analysis) solution, Mack ordered battle stations manned.
As was routine for Cheyenne, Captain Mackey ordered, "Firing point procedures, Master 124."
The combat systems officer at the weapons control console reported the target course as random, speed three, and range 15,780 yards.
"Sonar, conn, stand by."
"Conn, sonar, standing by."
"Match sonar bearings and shoot, tubes one and two."
"Match sonar bearings and shoot, tubes one and two, aye."
"Tubes one and two fired electrically," the combat systems officer reported.
"Conn, sonar, units from tubes one and two running hot, straight, and normal," came the report from the sonar supervisor as the two torpedoes executed their wire clearance maneuvers and accelerated to medium speed for the inbound run.
"Very well, sonar," responded Mack.
The next report wasn't long in coming.
"Conn, sonar, the weapons are accelerating." This was confirmed by the combat systems officer, who reported acquisition by both units. Cheyenne had detected a second Akula when it accelerated to fiee the situation, but there was still no sign of the Typhoon.
The captain of the Typhoon, a capital ship of the former-and, perhaps, future-Soviet Union, was not about to give up his hovering. He hovered quietly with main engines secured and his two pressurized water reactors at the lowest possible power in order to generate as little steam-flow noise as possible. He had even secured the spinners, allowing his ship to swing with the current. This particular Russian captain intended to make admiral, following in the footsteps of his father.
The two Mk 48s from Cheyenne continued on course for their targets, but only the torpedo from tube one had targeted the original, noisy Akula, old Master 74. Mack had retargeted the other Mk 48 at the second Akula as soon as it sped up, allowing Cheyenne's sonars to detect it. Sending the second torpedo toward this Russian submarine was merely Mack's way of welcoming it to PACFLT.
"Conn, sonar, explosions bearing 195 and 178." Mack was hoping that the loss of two of his Akula escorts would rattle the Typhoon captain, but he maintained his posture, quiet as a titmouse in a church. Mack knew the Typhoon was out there, but he hadn't flushed it yet.
What Mack didn't know was that there was another Akula out there as well, one whose captain had more experience with the U.S. 688 class than his lost North Fleet fellow captain. The Akula, like the Typhoon, was refusing to be baited.
"Conn, sonar, still nothing from the Typhoon." The captain ordered an Mk 48 prepared for "swim-out" and off-board sensor tactics. This deployment was often extremely useful, especially under-ice, where the torpedo could seek out icepicking SSBNs and send the information back to Cheyenne