The Cardinal of the Kremlin - Tom Clancy [43]
"Not that I have ever heard about," Ryan said truthfully.
Ramius shook his head. "They tell us you do. When we fire our rockets, then we dive deep and race at flank speed, straight line in any direction."
"Right now I'm trying to figure out how interested the Soviet government is in copying our SDI research."
"Interested?" Ramius snorted. "Twenty million Russians died in Great Patriotic War. You think they want to have this happen again? I tell you, Soviets are more intelligent about this than Americans-we have harder lesson, and we learn better. Someday I tell you about my home city after war, destruction of everything. Yes, we have very good lesson in protect Rodina."
That's the other thing to remember about the Russians, Jack reminded himself. It wasn't so much that they had abnormally long memories; they had things in their history that no one would forget. To expect the Soviets to forget their losses in the Second World War was as futile as asking Jews to forget the Holocaust, and just as unreasonable.
So, a little over three years ago, the Russians staged a major ABM exercise against submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The acquisition and tracking radar worked, but the system failed due to a computer problem. That was important. But-
"The reason the computer didn't work well enough-"
"That is all I know. All I can say is was honest test."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked.
"Our first yes, our original orders were to fire from known location. But the orders were changed just as submarine left dock. Eyes-only to Captain, new orders signed by aide to Defense Minister. Was Red Army colonel, I think. Do not remember name. Orders from Minister, but Colonel sign them, yes? He wanted the test to be-how you say?"
"Spontaneous?"
"Yes! Not spontaneous. Real test should be surprise. So my orders sent me to different place and said to shoot at different time. We have general aboard from Voyska PVO, and when see new orders he is banana. Very, very angry, but what kind of test is it without no surprise? American missile submarines do not call on telephone and tell Russians day that they shoot. You either are ready or not ready," Ramius noted.
"We did not know that you were coming," General Pok-ryshkin noted dryly.
Colonel Bondarenko was careful to keep his face impassive. Despite having written orders from the Defense Minister, and despite belonging to a completely different uniformed service, he was dealing with a general officer with patrons of his own in the Central Committee. But the General, too, had to be wary. Bondarenko was wearing his newest and best-tailored uniform, complete with several rows of ribbons, including two awards for bravery in Afghanistan and the special badge worn by Defense Ministry staff officers.
"Comrade General, I regret whatever inconvenience I have caused you, but I do have my orders."
"Of course," Pokryshkin noted with a broadening smile. He gestured to a silver tray. "Tea?"
"Thank you."
The General poured two cups himself instead of summoning his orderly. "Is that a Red Banner I see? Afghanistan?"
"Yes, Comrade General, I spent some time there."
"And how did you earn it?"
"I was attached to a Spetznaz unit as a special observer. We were tracking a small band of bandits. Unfortunately, they were smarter than the unit commander believed, and he allowed us to follow them into an ambush. Half the team was killed or wounded, including the unit commander." Who earned his death, Bondarenko thought. "I assumed command and called in help. The bandits withdrew before we could bring major forces to bear, but they did leave eight bodies behind."
"How did a communications expert-"
"I volunteered. We were having difficulties with tactical communications, and I decided to take the situation