CAP.”
The Kirov alone possessed formidable SAM defenses–SA-N-6 Grumbles and
SA-N-4 Geckos, plus Gatling guns similar to the American Phalanx CIWS. Any
Intruder attack would suffer savage losses.
“Not much we can do about the escorts,” Tombstone said slowly. “But we
could whittle down their air a bit.”
“Draw them away?” Paul Aiken asked. “With what, a diversion?”
“Several diversions, actually.” Tombstone gestured at the ragged coast
of Norway. “If we launch, oh, maybe three alpha strikes at their land bases,
one after another, they might feel compelled to beef up their air assets
ashore with carrier air. We could catch them scattered halfway across the
Norwegian Sea.”
Tarrant nodded, staring at the map. “I like it. Cape Bremanger in
reverse. Gentlemen, I move we plan things in that direction. But we’re going
to have to develop this thing fast, before they realize we have the Soyuz
spotted.”
“And,” Brandt added darkly, “before they spot us the same way.”
A week earlier, Tombstone had deployed a carrier-air attack–an alpha
strike in Navy parlance–against the Soviet amphibious ships and their escorts
making their way south along the Norwegian coast off Cape Bremanger. In order
to help clear the way for Jefferson’s aircraft, he’d ordered a diversionary
strike against the Soviet battle group, a feint designed to draw the Russian
carrier air back to the defense of the Soyuz. Against impossible odds, the
diversion had actually scored at least two Harpoon hits against the Russian
carrier.
Now, Tombstone was suggesting a reversal of that strategy. The Soviets
had captured dozens of Norwegian military air bases from North Cape to the
front lines north of Trondheim. Most of those bases were occupied now by
Soviet Frontal Aviation units shuttled in from the Kola Peninsula, units
engaged in close-support and air-superiority missions against the Norwegians
… or in the search for the American battle group. If Jefferson launched a
crippling attack against the most important of those bases, Soyuz would almost
certainly deploy its MiGs and Sukhois to help protect the captured airfields
and to track down the source of the strike.
And while part of the Soyuz’s air arm was defending the Norwegian
airfields, Jefferson would attack the carrier.
“Okay,” Tarrant said, after they had worked out the broad sweep of the
plan. “My staff and I will transfer to Shiloh this afternoon.”
“Sir?” Tombstone looked up, surprised. He’d expected Tarrant to run the
battle from Jefferson’s CIC.
“I’ll be able to follow things overall better from Shiloh’s CDC,” Tarrant
said. “And if a general surface action develops, I’ll want to have some sea
room for maneuver. But I want you to manage the air battle from here.”
Tombstone felt cold. “Yes, sir.”
Tarrant seemed to sense his surprise … and his worry. “I’ve got every
confidence in you, Commander. In your ability. And in your judgment.” His
eyes flicked across to Brody. “How about it, Jim? You don’t mind some help
down here from CAG, do you?”
“Nope.” The Operations Officer was studying the mosaic. “Frankly,
Admiral, I’ll be glad to have Stoney take it. This is a pretty far-flung op.”
Meaning you don’t know whether or not it’s going to work, Tombstone
thought. The hell of it is, neither do I. It was a long-odds gamble that
risked everything. If CVW-20’s losses were too high, if Jefferson’s hiding
spot in Romsdalfjord was discovered …
Soyuz had to be sunk or disabled first, or the American intervention in
Norway would be over before it had properly begun.
1050 hours Zulu (1150 hours Zone)
The Norwegian Theater of Operations
Norway
The EA-6B Prowlers went in first. Designed as electronic-warfare
aircraft, their primary mission was to jam enemy radar, but this time they
were also going in armed. Based on the Navy’s venerable and highly successful
A-6 Intruder, Prowlers were equipped to carry only one offensive weapon, the
HARM AGM-88A.
High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles homed on radar emissions. Each was
over thirteen feet long, weighed eight hundred pounds, and had a cross section
so narrow it was almost invisible to enemy radar. With a range of eighty
nautical miles, the HARM missiles came skimming over the mountains of central
Norway before the Soviet radar operators knew they were under attack.