this evening, the much-concentrated remnants of a pot put on the hot
plate a long time ago. “Just passing through. What’s the word?”
“We’re on line now with both the Shiloh and Hawk One, sir,” he replied.
The duty officer gestured toward one of the several large computer
display situation boards commanding the entire compartment. Drawn in
zigzagging lines of colored light, crowded with small and cryptic
symbols, each tagged by strings of alphanumerics, it was a condensation
of tactical and map data relayed from several sources–in particular the
Hawkeye’s APS-125 radar and the high-tech array of search and tracking
radars that made up the Shiloh’s electronic sensor suite–but it
included data relayed to the CBG from other ships and aircraft and even
from military satellites as well.
The scale at the moment revealed only a fraction of the display’s reach,
out to about one hundred nautical miles from the Jefferson’s position.
At a glance, Tombstone could see the Turkish coast running southwest to
northeast some fifteen nautical miles south of the carrier. The Turkish
port of Zonguldak was prominent there, ringed by the glowing icons
representing air defense, tracking, and surface scan radar. The various
far-scattered ships and aircraft of the battle group were marked in
green, while yellow symbols represented identified Turkish radar
contacts, mostly military forces shadowing the American force.
One red-lit target stood out on the map display with ominous
clarity–the last known position and track of the presumed Russian
submarine following the Jefferson, closely shadowed by a green icon for
the Orlando. Tombstone pointed at the submarines, which were being paced
by two pairs of green aircraft. “I see you have our tail bracketed.”
Penhall grinned. “Sure do. The word just came through from Top Hat.
We’re gonna give him a concert. A rock concert.”
Top Hat, also known as Alpha Bravo, was the code name for Admiral
Douglas E Tarrant, CO-CBG-14, who was currently running the operation
from the Combat Direction Center aboard Shiloh. Those aircraft,
according to the information appearing next to them on the display, were
a pair of SH-60 Sea King ASW helos, part of Jefferson’s HS-19, plus two
Vikings from VAW-42, the King Fishers. Though belonging to Jefferson’s
contingent, the sub-hunters were operating under the direction of
Shiloh’s CDC now, while the CATCC and Air Ops people aboard Jefferson
simply listened in. The voices coming over the radio speaker were
contact and vectoring information, for the most part, between the ASW
aircraft and Shiloh’s CDC.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Tombstone said, smiling. “If the guy’s a
classical music lover, maybe he’ll give up and go home.”
Penhall laughed. “With luck, we’ll jangle his sonar and make his
operators’ ears ring. They won’t be able to hear the Jef’s screws from
ten meters off our stern.”
It was in many ways, Tombstone reflected, an operation similar to the
Bear hunts he’d participated in when he’d been a Tomcat driver flying
with VF-95. During the Cold War, the Soviets would routinely test an
American carrier battle group’s readiness and alertness by vectoring one
or more of their big long-range Tu-95 Bear-D reconnaissance planes
toward the CBG. Just as routinely, F-14 Tomcats would deploy to meet the
incoming Bears as far from the carrier as possible–usually several
hundred miles–and force them to change course. The same mock-war
feints, threats, and counters were part of the repertoire of the
carrier’s antisubmarine units as well. The “concert” Penhall had
mentioned would be a special, high-volume broadcast from the Sea Kings,
using their powerful AQS-13 dipping sonars, set to active mode to ping
the Victor III and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that he’d been
spotted. And if the sub’s skipper refused to take the hint, firmer
measures would be applied.
Tombstone continued studying the map display. “Let me see the Sustain
Hope AO,” he told Penhall.
“Yes, sir. Markowitz! Punch up Sierra Two on the main display.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
The map view shifted, showing now the eastern rim of the Black Sea. The
scale changed as well, covering the entire east shoreline, running from
the Turkish port at Hopa northwest all the way to Kerch at the extreme
east tip of the Crimea and guarding the narrow straits into the Sea of