tc.redstormrising-第56节

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re　their　slow　left　turns　took　them　toward　the　North　Atlantic。
Twenty　miles　off　the　North　Russian　coast；　USS　Narwhal　hovered　beneath　the　surface　of　a　slate…gray　sea。　The　quietest　submarine　in　the　U。S。　fleet；　she　was　a　specialized　intelligence…gathering　platform　that　spent　more　time　on　the　Soviet　coast　than　did　some　ships　in　the　Russian　Navy　Her　three　thin　ESM　antennae　were　raised；　as　was　a　million…dollar　search　periscope。　Technicians　aboard　listened　in　on　low…power　radio　conversations　between　aircraft　as　they　formed　up。　Three　uniformed　intelligence　specialists　and　a　civilian　from　the　National　Security　Agency　evaluated　the　strength　of　the　raid　and　decided　that　it　was　large　enough　to　risk　a　warning　broadcast。　An　additional　mast　was　raised　and　aimed　at　a　munications　satellite　twenty…four　thousand　miles　away。　The　burst　transmission　lasted　less　than　a　fifteenth　of　a　second。

USS　NIMITZ
The　message　was　automatically　relayed　to　four　separate　munications　stations；　and　within　thirty　seconds　was　at　SACLANT　headquarters。　Five　minutes　after　that；　Toland　had　the　yellow　message　form　in　his　hand。　He　walked　immediately　to　Admiral　Baker；　and　handed　the　message　over：　0418Z　REALTIME　SENDS　WARNING　AIR　RAID　TAKE　OFF　0400　HEADING　WEST　FROM　KOLA　ESTIMATE　FIVE　REGIMENT　PLUS。
Baker　checked　his　watch。　〃Fast　work。　CAG？〃
The　air　group　mander　looked　at　the　form　and　walked　to　a　phone。　〃Shoot　off　the　plus…fives；　recall　the　patrol　aircraft　when　they　get　to　station；　and　set　up　two　more　Tomcats　and　a　Hummer　on　plus…five。　I　want　the　returning　aircraft　turned　around　immediately。　Reserve　one　catapult　for　tankers。〃　He　came　back。　〃With　your　permission；　sir；　I　propose　to　put　another　pair　of　F…14s　and　another　Hummer　up　in　an　hour；　and　put　all　the　fighters　on　plus…five。　At　0600；　the　rest　of　the　fighters　go　up；　with　tankers　in　support。　We'll　meet　them　with　everything　we　have　about　two　hundred　miles　out　and　kick　their　ass。〃
〃Very　well。　ments？〃
Svenson　looked　pensively　at　the　master　plot。　Circles　were　already　being　drawn　for　the　farthest　possible　advance　of　the　Soviet　bombers。
〃The　Brits　get　the　same　warning？〃
〃Yes；　sir；〃　Toland　answered。　〃Norwegians；　too。　With　luck；　one　or　the　other　might　make　contact　with　the　raid　and　nibble　at　it　some；　maybe　put　a　trailer　with　them。〃
〃Nice　idea；　but　don't　count　on　it。　If　I　was　running　the　attack；　I'd　e　way　west　and　turn　south　right　over　Iceland。〃　Svenson　looked　back　at　the　plot。　〃You　think　Realtime　would　have　broadcast　a　warning　for　BearDs？〃
〃My　information；　sir；　is　that　they　are　allowed　to　broadcast　only　for　three　regiments　or　more。　Ten　or　twenty　Bears　wouldn't　be　enough。　They　might　not　even　notice。〃
〃So　right　now　we　probably　have　a　herd　of　Bears　out　there；　not　emitting　anything；　just　flying　around　listening　for　our　radar　signals。〃
Toland　nodded　agreement。　The　battle　group　was　a　circle　of　ships　with　a　radius　of　thirty　miles；　the　carriers　and　troop　ships　in　the　center　surrounded　by　nine　missile…armed　escorts　and　six　more　specialized　antisubmarine　ships。　None　of　the　ships　had　a　radar　transmitter　working。　Instead　they　got　all　their　electronic　information　from　the　two　circling　E…2C　air　surveillance　aircraft；　known　colloquially　as　Hummers；　whose　radars　swept　a　circle　over　four　hundred　miles　across。
The　drama　being　played　out　was　more　plex　than　the　most　intricate　game。　More　than　a　dozen　variable　factors　could　interact；　with　their　permutations　running　into　the　thousands。　Radar　detection　range　depended　on　altitude　and　consequent　distance　to　the　horizon　that　neither　eyes　nor　radar　can　see　past。　An　aircraft　could　avoid；　or　at　least　delay；　detection　by　skimming　the　waves。　But　this　carried　severe　penalties　in　fuel　consumption　and　range。
They　bad　to　locate　the　battle　group　without　being　detected　by　it　first。　The　Russians　knew　where　the　carrier　group　was；　but　it　would　move　in　the　four　hours　required　for　the　bombers　to　get　there。　Their　missiles　needed　precise　information　if　they　were　to　home　in　on　the　raid's　primary　target；　the　two　American　and　one　French　carrier；　or　the　mission　was　a　wasted　effort。
Putting　the　group's　fighters　on　station　to　intercept　the　ining　raid　depended　on　expert　prognostication　of　its　direction　and　speed。　Their　job：　to　locate　and　engage　the　bombers　before　they　could　find　the　carriers。
For　both　sides；　the　fundamental　choice　was　whether　or　not　to　radiate；　to　use　their　radar　transmitters。　Either　choice　carried　benefits　and　dangers；　and　there　was　no　〃best〃　solution　to　the　problem。　Nearly　every　American　ship　carried　powerful　air…search　radars　that　could　locate　the　raid　two　hundred　or　more　miles　away。　But　those　radar　signals　could　be　detected　at　an　even　greater　range；　generating　a　return　signal；　that　would　potentially　allow　the　Soviets　to　circle　the　formation；　pinpoint　it；　then　converge　in　from　all　points　of　the　pass。
The　game　was　hide　and　seek；　played　over　a　million　square　miles　of　ocean。　The　losers　died。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　Soviet　Bear…D　reconnaissance　bombers　were　passing　south　of　Iceland。　There　were　ten　of　them；　covering　a　front　of　a　thousand　miles。　The　monstrous　propeller…driven　aircraft　were　packed　full　of　electronics　gear　and　crewed　by　men　with　years　of　training　and　experience　in　locating　the　American　carrier　groups。　At　the　nose；　tail；　and　wingtips；　sensitive　antennae　were　already　reaching　out；　searching　for　the　signals　from　American　radar　transmitters。　They　would　close　on　those　signals；　chart　them　with　great　care；　but　remain　forever　outside　the　estimated　detection　radius。　Their　greatest　fear　was　that　the　Americans　would　use　no　radar　at　all；　or　that　they　would　switch　their　sets　on　and　off　at　random　intervals　and　locations；　which　posed　the　danger　of　the　Bears'　blundering　directly　into　armed　ships　and　aircraft。　The　Bear　had　twenty　hours　of　endurance；　but　the　penalty　for　it　was　virtually　no　bat　capability。　It　was　too　slow　to　run　from　an　interceptor；　and　had　no　ability　to　fight　one。　〃We　have　located　the　enemy　battle　force；〃　the　crews'　bitter　joke　ran：　〃Dosvidania；　Rodinia！〃　But　they　were　a　proud　group　of　professionals。　The　attack　bombers　depended　on　them…as　did　their　country。
Eight　hundred　miles　north　of　Iceland；　the　Badgers　altered　their　course　to　one…eight…zero；　due　south　at　five　hundred　knots。　They　had　avoided　the　still…dangerous　Norwegians；　and　it　was　not　thought　that　the　British　would　reach　this　far　out。　These　air　crews　kept　a　nervous　watch　out　their　windows　nevertheless；　their　own　electronic　sensors　fully　operative　and　under　constant　scrutiny。　An　attack　by　tactical　fighters　against　Iceland　was　expected　at　any　time；　and　the　bomber　crews　knew　that　any　NATO　fighter　pilot　worthy　of　his　name　would　instantly　jettison　his　bombload　for　a　chance　at　air…to…air　bat　with　so　helpless　a　target　as　a　twenty…year…old　Badger。　They　had　reached　the　end　of　their　useful　lives。　Cracks　were　developing　in　the　wings。　The　turbine　blades　in　their　jet　engines　were　worn；　reducing　performance　and　fuel　efficiency。
Two　hundred　miles　behind　them；　the　Backfire　bombers　were　finishing　their　refueling　operations。　The　Tu…22Ms　had　been　acpanied　by　tankers；　and；　after　topping　off　their　tanks；　they　headed　south；　slightly　west　of　the　Badgers'　course　track。　With　an　AS…6　Kingfish　missile　hanging　under　each　wing；　the　Backfires；　too；　were　potentially　vulnerable；　but　the　Backfire　had　the　ability　to　run　at　high　Mach　numbers　and　stood　a　fair　chance　at　survival；　even　in　the　face　of　determined　fighter　opposition。　Their　crews　were　the　elite　of　Soviet　Naval　Aviation；　well…paid　and　pampered　by　Soviet　society；　their　manders　had　reminded　them　at　the　regimental　briefings。　Now　it　was　time　to　deliver。
All　three　groups　of　aircraft　came　south　at　optimum　cruise　speed；　their　flight　crews　monitoring　fuel　consumption；　engine　heat；　and　many　other　gauges　for　the　long　over…water　flight。

USS　NIMITZ
Toland　stepped　outside　for　a　breath　of　air。　It　was　a　fine　morning；　the　cottonball　clouds　overhead　turning　briefly　pink　from　the　sunrise。　Saratoga　and　Foch　were　visible　on　the　horizon；　perhaps　eight　miles　away；　their　size　impressive　even　at　this　distance。　Closer　in；　Ticonderoga　was　cutting　through　the　five…foot　seas；　white…painted　missiles　visible　on　her　twin　launchers。　A　few　blinker　lights　traded　signals。　Otherwise　the　ships　in　view　were　gray　shapes　without　noise；　waiting。　Nimitz's　deck　was　covered　with　aircraft。　F…14　Tomcat　interceptors　sat　everywhere。　Two　were　hooked　up　on　the　midships　catapults；　only　a　hundred　feet　from　him；　their　two…man　flight　crews　dozing。　The　fighters　carried　Phoenix　long…range　missiles。　The　attack　bombers　carried　buddy…store　tanks　instead　of　weapons。　They'd　be　used　to　refuel　the　fighters　in　flight；　enabling　them　to　remain　aloft　an　extra　two　hours。　Deck　crewmen　in　multicolored　shirts　scurried　about；　checking　and　rechecking　the　aircraft。　The　carrier　began　turning　to　port；　ing　around　into　the　westerly　wind　in　preparation　for　launching　aircraft。　He　checked　his　watch。　0558。　Time　to　get　back　to　CIC。　The　carrier　would　go　to　general　quarters　in　two　minutes。　The　intelligence　watch　officer　took　one　more　breath　of　fresh　sea　air　and　wondered　if　it　would　be　his　last。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
〃Contact！〃　the　technician　said　over　the　Bear's　interphone。　〃Signals　indicate　an　American　airborne　radar　transmitter；　carrier　type。〃
〃Give　me　a　bearing！〃　the　pilot　manded。
〃Patience；　rad