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t no percentage in deceptive tactics if they're heading for Stykkishohnur。〃
Jacobsen nodded。 〃That's how I see it。〃
The pounding on the flight deck continued overhead as strike aircraft landed to rearm for new bombing strikes。 Aside from the expected material effect； they hoped to wreck the morale of the Soviet paratroopers by violent and continuous air attacks。 Marine Harriers were also in action； along with attack helicopters。 Initial progress was somewhat better than expected。 The Russians did not have their troops as widely dispersed as they'd thought； and the known concentrations were being subjected to a hurricane of bombs and rockets。
〃Starbase； this is Hawk…Blue…Three。 I'm getting some jamming； bearing zero…two…four 。 。 。 more jamming now。〃 The data was linked directly to the carrier； and the thick yellow strobes came up on the electronic display。 The other Hawkeyes quickly reported the same information。
The fleet air…ops officer smiled thinly as he lifted his microphone。 His units were fully in place； and this gave him several options。
〃Plan Delta。〃
Hawk…Green…One carried Independence's air…wing mander。 A fighter pilot who would have much preferred riding his Tomcat for the mission； he directed two fighters from each Tomcat squadron to seek out the Russian jamming aircraft。 The converted Badgers were spread on a wide front to cover the approach of the missile…armed bombers and advanced at five hundred knots； three hundred miles now from the line of radar…picket aircraft。 The Tomcats homed in on them at five hundred knots as well。
Each jammer created a 〃strobe；〃 an opaque wedge shape on the U。S。 radar screens； so that they looked like the spokes of a wagon wheel。 Since every such spoke was particular to each of the radar transmitters； the controllers were able to pare data； triangulate； and plot the position of the jammers。 The Tomcats closed in quickly while the radar…intercept officers in the back seat of each fighter flipped the Phoenix missile seekers to home…on…jam guidance mode。 Instead of depending on the aircraft's own radar for guidance； the missiles would seek out the noise transmitted from the Badgers。
Twenty jamming aircraft were plotted。 Eighteen fighters headed for them； targeting at least two missiles at each。
〃Deltaexecute！〃
The Tomcats launched on orders forty miles from their targets。 Once more； Phoenix missiles streaked through the air。 Flight time was a mere fifty…six seconds。 Sixteen of the Badger jammers went off the air。 The surviving four all switched off when they saw the smoke trails of missiles and dove for the deck with Tomcats in pursuit。
〃Numerous radar contacts。 Raid One is fifty aircraft； bearing zero…zero nine； range three…six…zero； speed six hundred knots； altitude three…zero thousand。 Raid Two…〃 the talker went on as the enemy aircraft were plotted。
〃We have the main raid； probably Badgers going for the 'phibs。 This one will be Backfires。 They'll try to launch on us； probably far out to draw our fighters off；〃 Toland said。
Jacobsen spoke briefly to his operations officer。 Hawk…Green…One would control the defense of the amphibious force。 Hawk…Blue…Four from Nimitz would defend the carrier groups。 The fighters divided according to plan and went to work。 Toland noted that Jacobsen was leaving control of the air action to the officers in the control aircraft。 The fleet air…defense officer on USS Yorktown controlled the SAM ships； an of which went to full alert but left their radar transmitters on standby。
〃The only thing that worries me is they might try that drone crap again；〃 Jacobsen murmured。
〃It worked once；〃 Toland agreed。 〃But we didn't have them this far out before。〃
The Tomcats divided into four…plane divisions； each controlled by radar。 They； too； had been briefed about the drones that had fooled Nimitz。 The fighters kept their radars off until they were within fifty miles of their targets； then used the radars to locate targets for their on…board TV systems。
〃Hawk…Blue…Four；〃 one called。 〃Tallyho； I got eyeballs on a Backfire。 Engaging now。 Out。〃
The Russian plan of attack had anticipated that the American fighters would try to bum through the jamming aircraft to the north； then be caught off balance by the appearance of the Backfires to the east。 But the jammers were gone； and the Backfires did not yet have the American carrier fleet on radar and could not launch their missiles on the basis of hours…old satellite photographs。 Neither could they run away。 The supersonic Russian bombers went to afterburner and activated their radars in a contest with time； distance； and American interceptors。
Again it was like watching a video game。 The symbols designating the Backfires changed as the planes switched on their own protective jammers。 The jamming reduced the effectiveness of the Phoenix missiles； but Russian losses were already serious。 The Backfires were three hundred miles away。 Their radars had an effective range of only half that； and already fighters swarmed over their formations。 〃Tallyho〃 calls cluttered the radio circuits as the Tomcats converged to engage the Russian bombers； and the ^ symbols started dropping off the radar screens。 The Backfires closed at seventeen miles per minute； their radars searching desperately for the American fleet。
〃Going to get some leakers；〃 Toland said。
〃Six or eight；〃 Jacobsen agreed。
〃Figure three missiles each。〃
By now the Tomcats had fired all of their missiles； and drew off for the Hornets to join the action with Sparrows and Sidewinders。 It wasn't easy for the fighters to keep up with their targets。 The Backfires； speed made for difficult pursuit curves； and the fighters were notoriously short on fuel。 Their missiles continued to score； however； and no amount of jinking and jamming could defeat all of them。 Finally one aircraft got a surface radar contact and radioed a position。 The seven remaining Backfires fired their missiles and turned north at Mach 2。 Three more fell to missiles before the fighters had to turn away。
Again the Vampire call came in； and again Toland cringed。 Twenty ining missiles were plotted。 The formation activated jammers and SAM systems； with a pair of Aegis cruisers on the threat axis。 In seconds they were launching missiles； and the other SM2…equipped SAM ships added their own missiles to the 〃basket；〃 allowing their birds to be guided by the Aegis puter systems。 The twenty ining missiles had ninety SM2s targeted on them。 Only three got through the SAM cloud； and only one of them headed for a carrier。 America's three point…defense guns tracked the AS…6 and destroyed it a thousand feet from the ship。 The other two missiles both found the cruiser Wainwright and exploded her four miles from Independence。
〃Damn。〃 Jacobsen's face took a hard set。 〃I thought we had that one beat。 Let's start recovering aircraft。 We got some dry fighters up there。〃
Everyone's attention turned to the Badgers。 The northern Tomcat groups were just ing within range of the older bombers。 The Badger crews had expected to follow their jammers in； reversing earlier tactics。 Some were slow to realize that they had no electronic wall to hide behind； but none had a choice。 They detected ining fighters while still five minutes from their launch points。 The Badgers held course and increased to full speed to lessen their time of vulnerability while their crews looked anxiously for missiles。
The Tomcat pilots were surprised that their ining targets were not altering course； which made the possibility of drones seem even more likely。 They closed to get visual identification of their targets for fear of being tricked again into shooting at drones。
〃Tallyho！ Badger at twelve o'clock and level。〃 The first Tomcat loosed a pair of missiles from forty miles out。
Unlike the Backfires； the Badgers had a location fix for their targets； which enabled them to launch their AS…4s from maximum range。 One by one； the twenty…year…old bombers launched and turned as tight as their pilots dared to escape。 Their escape maneuvers allowed half to survive； since the Navy fighters were unable to pursue。 Aboard the radar aircraft； kills were being tallied even as the missiles flew toward Stykkisholmur。 Soviet Naval Aviation had just taken fearful losses。
USS NASSAU
Edwards was still in the twilight of anesthesia when he heard the electronic gonging of the General Quarters alarm。 He was only vaguely aware of where he was。 He seemed to remember the helicopter ride； but his next impression was that of lying in a bunk with needles and tubes stuck in various parts of his body。 He knew what the alarm meant； and knew intellectually that he should be afraid。 But he couldn't quite work his emotions up through the drug…induced haze。 He succeeded in raising his head。 Vigdis was sitting on a chair next to his bed； holding his right hand。 He squeezed back； not knowing that she was asleep。 A moment later he was； too。
Five levels up； Nassau's captain was standing on the bridge wing。 His normal battle station was in CIC； but the ship was not moving； and he figured that this was as good a place as any to watch。 Over a hundred missiles were inbound from the northeast。 As soon as raid warning had been received an hour earlier； all of his boat crews had set to lighting off the smoke pots set on the rocks in this so…called anchorage。 That was his best defense； he knew； hardly believing it himself。 The point…defense guns at the ers of the flight deck were in automatic mode。 Called R2D2s for their shape； the Close…In…Weapons…System Gatling guns were elevated twenty degrees； pointing off to the threat axis。 That was all he could do。 It had been decided by the air…defense experts that even firing off their chaff rockets would do more harm than good。 The captain shrugged。 One way or another； he'd know in five minutes。
He watched the cruiser Vincennes to the east； steaming in slow circles。 Suddenly four smoke…trails erupted from her missile launchers； and the missile firing cycle began。 Soon the northeastern sky was a solid mass of gray smoke。 Through his binoculars he began to pick out the sudden black puffs of successful intercepts。 They seemed to be ing closer； and he noticed that the missiles were； too。 And the Aegis cruiser could not get them all。 Vincennes emptied her magazines in four minutes； then bent on full speed to race between a pair of rocky islands。 The captain was amazed to see it。 Someone was taking a billion…dollar cruiser into a rock garden at twenty…five knots！ Even off Guadalcanal…
An explosion rocked the island of Hrappsey； four miles away。 Then another on Seley。 It was working！
Ten miles up； the Russian missiles switched on their radar seeker heads and found their target windows crammed with blips。 Overloaded； they automatically scanned the largest for infrared signatures。 Many of the blips gave off heat； and the missiles automatically selected the largest for their attention as they made their final Mach 3 dives。 They had no way of knowing that they were attacking volcanic rocks。 Thirty missiles got through the SAM defenses。 Only five of them actually aimed themselves at ships。
Two of Nassau's R2D2s swiveled together and fired at a missile traveling too fast too see。 The captain looked in the direction of the barrels just in time to see a white flash a thousand feet overhead。 The sound that followed nearly deafened him； and he realized how foolish it was to be exposed when fragments dinged off the pilothouse next to him。 Two more missiles fell into the town to his west。 Then the sky cleared。 A fireball to the west told him that at least one ship had been hit。 But not mine！
〃Son of a bitch。〃 He lifted the phone to the bat Information Center。 〃bat； Bridge； two missiles fell into Stykkisholmur。 Let's get a helo over there； there's gonna be some casualties。〃
As Toland watched； the tapes of the air engagement were replayed at fast speed。 A puter tallied the kills。 Everything was automated now。
〃Wow；〃 the intelligence officer said to himself
〃Not like before； was it； son？〃 Jacobsen observed。 〃Spaulding； I want word on the 'phibs！〃
〃Just ing in now； sir。 Charleston took a hit and broke in half。 We have minor damage to Guam and Ponceand that's it； Admiral！〃
〃Plus Wainwright。〃 Jacobsen took a deep breath。 Two valuable ships and fifteen hundred men were gone； yet he