Sky Masters полностью

“Sir! Destroyer Zunyi reports he is under attack by antiship missiles from the east,” another report suddenly came in. “Zunyi is engaging. Sichuan-Ten flight of two Q-5 fighters are engaging suspected B-52 bombers at low altitude.”

“Where’s Zunyi?” Jhijun shouted. The answer came a few moments later — only one hundred nautical miles east of Jinan. Zunyi was an older Luda-class destroyer, part of the Philippine Sea cordon; it carried no surface-to-air missile system because it was designed to engage surface ships and submarines, not aircraft. “Get a feed from ZunyCs CIC and integrate their plots on our—”

“Sir! Incoming missiles! Bearing two-six-five, high altitude, range twenty nautical miles, speed subsonic, multiple inbounds, intercept course!”

“What?” Jhijun resisted the urge to swivel around in his seat and look at the west — it was pitch black outside, with a light overcast sky, and he knew he wouldn’t see a thing. “How the hell could missiles get that close? Radar, get your heads out of your asses or I will have you on deck when those missiles hit! Report on fire-control status — immediately!”

“Fire control reports fully operational, good track on all inbounds, intercept confidence is high.” Jhijun wished he could be more confident himself — first contact at twenty miles was far, far too close.

“Targets maneuvering slightly,” the CIC officer reported. “Range to air targets, mark, fifteen nautical miles, bearing two-six-five, speed five hundred…”

The targets weren’t maneuvering… offset range was decreasing… bearing was constant… “Antiradar missiles!” Jhijun suddenly shouted. He knew all about the Americans’ radar-homing missiles, especially the loitering cruise missiles — this was probably a flight of them coming in now. But how in hell did those missiles get so close before being detected…?

Pushing the big Megafortress bomber to descend at over twelve thousand feet per minute, it took less than three minutes to descend to two hundred feet — yet with Chinese warships all around them, it felt like an eternity.

“Golf-band search radar at eleven o’clock…” Atkins shouted on interphone; “India-band gun fire control radar now at one to two o’clock position… Christ, Golf-band radar changing to Charlie-band missile director… another India-band fire control radar at two-thirty… dammit, are we in range of that destroyer yet? We’re going to get nailed…! I’ve got a possible fighter GCI signal from that destroyer now, he might be vectoring in more fighters.”

“Ready in range with the first TACIT RAINBOW missile,” Kellerman called out after checking the information on the side-looking radar display once again and updating her map of all the ships in the area. “Right turn thirty degrees to escape, next target will be off the nose at twenty miles.”

Atkins rechecked the weapon indications one more time — missile engine, guidance, autopilot, data link, warhead continuity all reporting ready. “Doors coming open… missile one away… missile two away…”

As the Megafortress banked away to the right, the AGM- 136A TACIT RAINBOW missiles sped off to the left and descended to less than one hundred feet above the sea, then continued their left turn until they were aiming directly at the Chinese destroyer. At the same time, Atkins programmed another missile on the next target, what ISAR reported as a Huangfeng-class guided-missile patrol boat transmitting with an India-band gun fire control radar. “Missile three reporting ready.”

“Left turn ten degrees to escape,” Kellerman called out. “I’ll take us within ten miles of that patrol boat unless a missile radar comes up.” In which case, Kellerman thought, Atkins better hold it together long enough to warn the crew. She knew it was a big mistake to send that scrawny little BB-stacker on this mission — Atkins might have an IQ larger than the national debt and could modify a wristwatch to jam half of Cleveland, and he seemed to do OK with Karbayjal holding his hand, but he simply wasn’t cut out for combat. “Pilots copy,” Carter acknowledged.

“Missile three counting down… missile three away… doors closed, clear left turn.”

“Sir, destroyer Kaifeng reports their patrol boats are engaging inbound cruise missiles. Admiral Feng is recommending frigate Yingtan move east to help cover the southeast approaches.”

“Negative,” Captain Jhijun shot back. “My vessels are under attack by antiradar missiles — they are right on top of us. Yingtan will remain where it is until—”