Sky Masters полностью

Lieutenant Commander Paul Hart was the Bunker HilPs TAC, and the Aegis system was his pride and joy — while the captain preferred to stay on the bridge during these engagements and monitor them on his ASTAB automated status board monitors, Hart was in his element in the dark, rather claustrophobic confines on the CIC. Feinemann was a lot like Hart’s skipper — he was a boat driver who had little patience for the dazzling and sometimes confusing array of electronic gadgets deep within the heart of a warship. He was an ex-destroyer skipper and antisubmarine-warfare action group commander who had spent a length of time on shore studying newer antiair radar integration systems such as Aegis, but had little actual experience of it. Although Hart was the Aegis expert, Feinemann was still in overall command of antiair fleet defense and would command all antiair assets in the group from Bunker Hill

The big LSDs, or large-screen displays, were a bit intimidating for Feinemann, so he had his data-input technician give him a constant verbal readout of significant events on the screen while he tried to keep up. The data-input officer made a comment to Feinemann, prefaced with a short expletive, and the group AAW officer scanned the screen in momentary confusion — both because he couldn’t spot the event and because no one in Bunker Hill's CIC seemed very excited. “We’ve lost contact with one of our fighters?” Feinemann asked incredulously.

“Yes, sir,” Hart responded. “That B-6 must’ve got him before Bullet Three could take a shot. It was a long-range crossing snapshot, too — he must’ve been carrying PL-9 missiles.”

Feinemann stared at Hart in complete surprise, wondering what in hell the young officer was babbling about.

Hart continued. “Those C601 missiles got past both the Tomcats and the Phoenix missiles.” He turned to the tactical-alert intercom and radioed, “Bridge, CIC, I show four inbounds, altitude seven hundred feet, speed five hundred fifty knots, bearing two-niner-seven, range forty-two miles and closing, Charlie-601 antiship missiles. One bandit turning outbound, range now six-seven miles.” To his communications officer he said, “I need all Bullet aircraft to stay clear. Have Basket take them northwest for their refueling and to counter the new inbound bandits, but tell Basket to keep them away from my engagement lane. If Ranger launches the ready-alert birds, make sure Hawkeye or Basket takes them well north.”

“How do you know those are C601 missiles, and how do you know those were Chinese B-6 bombers, son?” Feinemann snapped. “You’re making reports-to your bridge on enemy aircraft that, as far as I can see, you have absolutely no information to make. You’re also chasing away three air-defense fighters from possible engagements without knowing all the facts.”

“The flight profiles, sir,” Hart explained patiently. “They launched two missiles each from over a hundred miles’ range — that’s too far for a C801. Those missiles climbed first, but now they’re descending to about a hundred feet, and they’re cruising at about six hundred knots — typical profile of a C601 missile…”

“It’s also the profile of an Exocet, a Harpoon, or a Soviet AS-5 missile, or any number of antiship missiles,” Feinemann pointed out, his eyes narrowing on Hart.

“If we were facing off against the French or the Soviets,

I’d agree, sir,” Hart replied. “The reports from the recon plane say that a Chinese EF4-class ship was in the area and that Chinese troops invaded Mindanao; I’d assume that the fighters and these missiles are Chinese. My guess is still a C601, and that’s what I’ll assume when we begin responding.

“As far as the carrier aircraft — each plane was carrying two missiles plus air-to-air weapons, and it was doing some heavy active jamming, not just uplink trackbreaking. That’s too much payload for a J-7, B-7, or Q-5 fighter — it has to be a B-6 Badger bomber.

“And as far as the Tomcats are concerned, I want them out of the way. Aegis can prosecute sea-skimming targets better than a Tomcat, and I’m not worried about enemy fighters right now — I’m worried about those missiles. In sixty seconds I’ll start worrying about the inbound fighters.” Hart was expecting a reply; when he got none, he added, “Sir, I need clearance to release batteries and engage when those missiles cross the horizon.”

“Your captain might be impressed with your amateur intelligence analysis, Commander Hart,” Feinemann said irritably, “but the Admiral needs concrete data before he can commit any forces under his command. He can’t operate on guesses.”