CARRIER 3: ARMAGEDDON MODE

‘<'- Protecting a task force like CBG-14 was envisioned as a layered battle, with the Tomcats knocking down everything they could, concentrating on eliminating aircraft and surface vessels before they could launch their deadly ordnance loads. Missiles that got past the Tomcats would be taken on by the fleet's . Sea Sparrows. And any surviving missiles, the "leakers," would be downed by the computer-controlled Callings. :* At least, that was the way it was supposed to work. Things .':: were feeling crowded already, since Jefferson's hundred-mile air defense zone extended all the way to the Indian coast to the northeast, while Indian surface ships were entering the zone from the southeast. And those Osas were much closer, well inside the missile defense zone. •;• The British had used a similar system at the Falklands, but determined Argentinian attacks and some mistakes on the part of the Brits had resulted in the loss of several ships. More than once, it had not been just missiles but bomb-carrying aircraft mat had made it into the British task force's inner defensive •;; perimeter . . . especially when die strike aircraft were able to ,.,> r|jpt in close beforehand by utilizing the radar cover provided by

•V.me rugged mountains of the Falklands themselves.

There were no mountains to block radar here . . . but there ( was die heavy ocean swell, and radar jamming had already .; begun. Tombstone knew with a sure, sick certainty that those /:, Indian aircraft would be moving south in waves any moment

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now. The Tomcats would never be able to stem that tide. How many Styx and Exocet missiles could the Indians throw at the American CBG? Would there be so many leakers that Jefferson’s three on-board Phalanx systems would be overwhelmed?

How many hits would it take to render Jefferson useless in the coming fight?

“Mr. Magruder?” Costello murmured at his side. “It’s not looking good, is it?”

“We’ve been in tough spots before, Hitman.”

But he knew Jefferson and her people had never faced anything like this.

0741 hours, 26 March Tomcat 201, on CAP

Army Garrison studied the growing armada arrayed against them and wished Tombstone were here. The tall, quiet skipper of VF-95 had an uncanny tactical sense that had stood the squadron through some tough fights already, above Wonsan in Korea, and later over the Thai jungles.

What would Stoney do? he asked himself.

“Hey, Dixie,” he called. “Can you do anything about this fuzz on the radar?”

‘ ‘Negative. Commander Garrison. I think they’re finding our windows and plugging them as fast as we open them.”

For the moment, it was a high-tech war of computers and radio. Right now, Jefferson’s EA-6B Prowlers would be doing their best to jam Indian radars while leaving clear windows for the Tomcats’ use. The Indians would be trying to locate those windows and fill them with snow. Finding the right combinations of clear frequencies for both radar and communications was part of the continuing Electronic Warfare battle between the two sides. The Indians, Army thought, probably had an EW aircraft patrolling somewhere near the coast. Where was it? he wondered.

And what were the Russians doing about EW right now? Army shook his head. This mess was becoming more confused by the second.

“Viper Two-one-six,” he called. “This is Viper-Two-oh-one.”

ARMAGEDDON MODE

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“Copy, Army,” Batman’s voice replied. “Go ahead.”

“We’re going to have to split up and take the missiles at knife-fighting distance.”

“Roger that.”

“See if you can run interference for Homeplate. I’ll try an end run and catch them from the flank.”

“Rog. We’ll take ’em down on the deck.”

“Victor Tango One-one,” Army said, switching to the Hawkeye air controller’s frequency. “This is BARCAP one-One. Did you copy my last?”

“Affirmative, BARCAP One. We concur with your plan.”

The two Tomcats spilt apart as Batman pulled a wing-over and plummeted toward the sea. Army lined up with another target and started his descent.

With Phoenix missiles they could knock the Styx down six at a time, but that would leave them unarmed to face the Indian hordes. Perhaps the two Tomcats could take out their share of the ship-killers with gunfire.

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