Executive Intent

“Including deadly force, sir?” Darzov asked incredulously.

“Including deadly force, General,” Truznyev insisted. “What is the range of an American air-launched antiship cruise missile?”

“Uh…uh…” Darzov had to struggle to recall the information: “The American Harpoon antiship missile has a range of about one hundred kilometers when launched from low altitude-”

“Fine. If the bomber comes within two hundred kilometers, use any means necessary to chase it away.”

“But, sir, free navigation of the skies and seas never prohibits an aircraft from flying that close unless-”

“Two hundred kilometers away if it is an attack aircraft, General,” Truznyev said finally. “No nation flies near our task force with impunity. The Americans believe they can fly their spacecraft and bombers anywhere they wish and it is all just a ‘photo opportunity’? I will teach them differently.”

Just as the captain finished his logbook entries and turned to head topside, the Red Phone beeped. He snatched it up immediately. “Yes, Admiral?”

“Change in procedures, Captain,” the admiral said. “Keep weapons tight, but full tactical engagement procedures, air and surface. Repeat, full tactical engagement, weapons tight. If it is a bomber, keep it two hundred kilometers away from the task force. Advise me as soon as visual identification is made.”

“Excuse me, sir, but you want to radiate with what is probably an American bomber coming at us?” the captain asked. “If it’s a bomber, they can probably analyze our signals.”

“Orders direct from Moscow,” the admiral said. “They say they anticipated a patrol plane such as a Global Hawk. The bomber is a serious provocation, and they want to hit them with everything. Acknowledge my orders.”

“Understood, sir,” the captain said after a moment of shock. “Weapons tight, full tactical engagement air and surface, keep bomber aircraft away two hundred kilometers from the task force.” The admiral rang off, and the captain hung up. “TAO, weapons tight, full tactical engagement procedures, air and surface.”

The tactical action officer turned to the captain in complete surprise. “Sir?”

“You heard me, Commander,” the captain said. “Acknowledge and report by all stations that weapons are tight. If it is a bomber, it is to be kept at least two hundred kilometers away from the outer ships of the task force.”

The TAO swallowed, then said, “Weapons tight, full tactical engagement, air and surface, two hundred kilometers if it is a bomber,” he repeated. “All stations, all stations, this is the TAO, check weapons status and report.”

After Truznyev hung up the phone with Darzov, he dialed another number himself. When the private secure line was answered, he said without preamble or greeting, “I have just decided to twist the tiger’s tail in the Gulf of Aden, Premier Zhou. Alert your task force that there is about to be some activity out there.”

ABOARD THE EB-1C VAMPIRE BOMBER

THAT SAME TIME

A yellow triangle appeared on the nose of the Su-33’s icon on the display. “Bandit’s radiating,” Frodo said. “He’ll be locked on in three minutes.”

“American patrol aircraft, we are tracking you on radar at this time,” the Russian pilot said a few minutes later. “Be advised, you are approaching a Russian military naval task force at your twelve o’clock position. Unidentified aircraft are not permitted to fly near Russian warships. You must alter course at least thirty degrees immediately or you may be fired upon. Acknowledge.”

“Russian patrol aircraft, this is a routine patrol mission,” Boxer said, shaking her head in confusion. “We intend to do a visual inspection of your ships in international waters. We’re complying with your communications requirements.”

“Fracture, Armstrong,” Gonzo reported from Armstrong Space Station, “bandits are speeding up, five hundred…six hundred…seven hundred knots…going supersonic. Intercept in about three minutes.”

“They’re going supersonic?” Frodo asked nervously. “What’s going on?”

“It’s all for show,” Boxer said. “At that speed, they’ll have us in sight for about two seconds, they’ll waste fifty miles turning around to chase us, and they’ll be burning gas like crazy.”

“But…but that must mean that-”

“Fracture, Armstrong, we’ve got two more lifting off from the carrier,” Gonzo reported.

“-that they’ll have to launch more planes after us,” Frodo said, finishing his thought with a slight crack in his voice. At that moment a separate window opened up on Frodo’s large supercockpit display, and it showed two more Sukhoi-33 fighters taxiing onto the aircraft carrier Vladimir Putin’s forward catapults, with two more behind the blast deflectors, getting ready to hook up to the catapults as well. It was the data being passed down from the space station. “Is that happening right now?”

“Now it’s starting to get interesting,” Boxer said, and suddenly she didn’t feel like cracking jokes anymore. “We’re getting your imagery, Armstrong,” she radioed.