Prelude to World War III: The Rise of the Islamic Republic and the Rebirth of America

by James Rosone

  The 3rd Infantry Division, commanded by MG Brian Kennedy, was at 97% strength and had deployed to marshalling points near Jerusalem with the IDF. The 1st Infantry Division, which was led by MG Paul Brown, had arrived two weeks ago and was at 89% strength. Their equipment had arrived ahead of the battalions as personnel were still in transit to Israel. Most of the division had been in Mexico when they had been directed to proceed with all speed to Israel and join Third Corps.

  Since a portion of the 1st ID was still in transit, the majority of the division was encamped in several locations near Tel Aviv, not far from the airport. It was expected that the remainder of the force would arrive over the next 12 hours. The military had commandeered over 400 commercial passenger aircraft from United Airlines, Delta, American Airways and Air Canada to move nearly 50,000 soldiers over a four-week period.

  100 FedEx, DHL and UPS cargo aircraft were also being used to transport enormous amounts of munitions, MREs and other equipment that would be needed to sustain 60 days of continuous combat operations. This would normally be accomplished by the Army Material Command; however, with the short notice of this operation, what would normally be moved over a three-month period needed to be moved in 30 days. To ensure US Forces were coordinating with the IDF, LTG Gardner had located his HQ element near the IDF HQ and ensured he had more than enough Liaison Officers (LNO) and linguists in both HQ elements.

  Major General Lance Peeler was the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) commander. His forces were moving with the USS Gerald Ford Supercarrier and the rest of the US 6th Fleet, which had left Naples five days earlier. Their mission was to be in striking distance of the Egyptian Coast and conduct an amphibious assault to secure the Suez Canal Zone (SCZ) and destroy the IR forces in the Sinai.

  By securing the Suez and the Sinai, the MEF would control the crossing and would reduce the number of borders from which the IR forces could attack Israel. It would also effectively destroy approximately 80,000 IR forces in the Sinai. MG Peeler’s 20,000 Marines had been part of the initial assault against Mexico and was ready to get back into the fight, especially because of all of the damage and carnage the IR terrorist groups had inflicted across the US. It was time for some payback. They also had the support of 3,500 Marines and a Marine Air Wing at the Eilat Naval Air Station and Naval Base.

  Vice Admiral Lisa Todd was the commander of the US 6th Fleet based in Naples, Italy. She was the first female commander of a US Fleet. The 6th Fleet consisted of the Supercarriers USS William Clinton and the USS Gerald Ford, which were to escort the 2nd MEF to the Suez Canal Zone and assist the Marines in capturing it and destroying the IR forces in the Sinai. The fleet was also tasked with destroying all IR airfields within a 300-mile radius of the battlegroup.

  The battlegroup had just received four additional anti-aircraft and missile defense ships prior to departing Naples. Three additional guided missile cruisers had also joined the battlegroup, bringing the total number of cruise missiles that could be launched from 820 to 1,400. Four munition replenishment ships had also joined the fleet, ensuring there would be more than enough munitions when the order was given to launch the attack.

  The 5th Fleet, which revolved around the Supercarrier USS George H. W. Bush, had been augmented with a second supercarrier. The USS Enterprise had left their home port of Eilat, Israel, to move into position near the Horn of Africa, where they could provide significant air support to operations in Jordan and Western Saudi Arabia. Unknown to Vice Admiral Jeremiah Lewis, their fleet was about to be attacked by over five hundred anti-ship missiles, to include 100 ballistic missiles, five of which were nuclear armed.

  Near Amman, Jordan, General Abdullah Muhammed was receiving the final report on his tablet that all units were in place and ready to commence their attack. The past five years had seen a massive rebuilding of the IR military force. True to their word, the Russians and Chinese had provided the IR with tens of thousands of advanced military vehicles, including: the newest Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery, multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) vehicles, anti-aircraft and anti-missile vehicles.

  The IR had also received the newest fourth and fifth generation stealth and conventional fighters and ground attack aircraft, including medium range bombers. With nearly 120,000 Russian and Chinese military advisors, the IR was as trained and ready to take on the Israeli and American forces as they were going to get. Knowing that their attack against the Americans would be quickly followed up by the Chinese, and then later the Russians, gave the IR the assurance their war would be successful.

  “General Omar, order phase one of the attack to begin. Get our aircraft in the air. Once they are airborne, have the artillery and rocket forces begin their bombardment. Tell the forces in phase two to be prepared to start their attack shortly as well,” said General Abdullah Muhammed.

  At 2315 hours’ local time in Israel, 1,600 IR aircraft and 4,300 drones took to the skies and began to head towards the Holy Land. At the same time, thousands of artillery and MLRS vehicles began their barrage from the borders of former Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Sinai, raining tens of thousands of rockets and artillery rounds all across Israel. As the rounds began to hit their targets, the IR fighters began to engage the Israeli and American aircraft flying over the country. The American and Israeli F35’s and F22’s began to attack the IR fighters, scoring six kills for each fighter they lost. At the time of the barrage, there were only 68 allied aircraft in the sky.

  Once allied radar had detected the IR Air Armada leaving their airbases, word came down to scramble all available aircraft. Twenty additional aircraft took off just as the rockets began to hit the runways, preventing additional aircraft from getting airborne. Fortunately, the aircraft not immediately ready for takeoff were well-sheltered in their secured enclosures.

  The Israeli Iron Dome System (IDS) immediately began to engage the rockets and artillery rounds heading towards the IDF bases, scoring a 91% hit ratio of the targets engaged. Unfortunately, for every rocket or artillery round that was being targeted by the Iron Dome, two were still getting through to their targets without any resistance. Once it was determined that the volume of incoming fire was too numerous for the Iron Dome to protect everything, the Iron Dome switched from protecting civilian targets to shielding critical infrastructure and military bases. While the IDS was engaging these targets, the fixed and mobile laser and railgun defense systems started to attack the IR aircraft and drones that were beginning to swarm over the skies of Israel.

  Within the first twenty minutes, several of the fixed land-based laser systems went offline as power transmission nodes and energy generation plants were being destroyed. Power was starting to go out all across Israel. Despite backup generators coming online, their limited generation capability was reducing the number of shots the lasers could fire per minute.

  Captain Brian Jordan was serving his last tour in the Navy as the Captain of the USS George H. W. Bush supercarrier. After 30 years in the Navy, it was time to retire to that dream house his wife had insisted they build in Tennessee near where two of their four children lived. This was his final tour. As Captain Jordan sat in the Combat Information Center (or CIC as they call it), an alarm went off indicating the E5 advanced surveillance drone had detected a threat to the battlegroup.

  The E5 surveillance drone had been in service with the Navy since the late 2020s; the drone used stealth technology and could stay aloft for as long as thirty-six hours. It typically loitered at an altitude of 60,000 ft., providing hundreds of miles of surveillance coverage for the battlegroup. As data from the drone was being received, the threat board began to show hundreds of aircraft and drones heading towards the carrier group. Dozens of smaller missile boats were detected on a course that would bring them into striking distance of the battlegroup as well.

  “Sound general quarters, and someone get the Admiral in here quickly! Commander, activate the battlegroup’s automated defense system. CAG, get your a
ircraft in the air and engage those fighters and the bomber group.”

  In walked Vice Admiral Jeremiah Lewis, moving briskly. “Captain Jordan--what are we facing?”

  “Sir, we are tracking 62 missile boats, most likely equipped with four Exocet missiles each. There are also 60 medium bombers, 230 Su-43s and 600 drones heading towards the battlegroup,” said Captain Jordan.

  “How far until the first missiles come into range?”

  “Six minutes,” said one of the Petty Officers.

  “How long do we have until those fighters and bombers are in range to launch their missiles?”

  “Roughly 12 minutes if they launch from optimal range; if they launch from maximum range, then its closer to nine minutes,” said a Petty Officer at one of the radar stations.

  “Captain, the fighter CAP from the Enterprise and our ship are going supersonic to engage those fighters and bombers. All of our drones are also in the air--90 fighter drones to their 600,” said one of the officers manning the battlegroup communication stations.

  “The CAG is launching aircraft as fast as he can, about four aircraft a minute right now,” said one of the air boss commanders. The Admiral began to issue attack orders to the ships in the battlegroup and ordered the frigates to move further out towards the incoming missile boats to increase the battlegroup’s missile defense shield.

  The three cruisers in the fleet began to launch their anti-ship missiles and started to engage the smaller IR missile boats with their railgun turrets. Just as the Admiral was thinking this could not get any worse, their “eye in the sky” detected multiple ballistic missile launches tracking towards the battlegroup.

  Suddenly, one of the destroyers in the battlegroup detected multiple torpedoes in the water. Several torpedoes had locked onto the cruisers protecting the carriers, the ships began evasive maneuvers and increased speed while launching torpedo counter measures. Four of the eight torpedoes went for the decoys while the remaining torpedoes zeroed in on two of the cruisers. Both cruisers were hit and began to list heavily to one side. Both cruisers began to sink within minutes of the torpedo hits, depriving the carriers of much needed anti-aircraft and anti-missile defenses from their advanced railguns.

  The destroyer quickly moved to engage the submarines, and fired off two torpedoes of their own. Several of the anti-submarine helicopters began to report multiple submarine contacts; they too began dropping torpedoes in an attempt to chase them off while the destroyers attacked them. Within minutes, the sounds of several submarine hulls imploding could be heard as the torpedoes made impact.

  In the skies over the battlegroup, the Su-43’s began to launch anti-ship missiles, adding to the fray of missiles the smaller attack boats had launched. As the missiles fired, it looked like streaks of lightning stabbing in the direction of the American fleet as they began their journey to their targets. Between the IR missile boats and the Su-43’s, 480 Exocets were fired at the battlegroup in an attempt to overwhelm their defensive capabilities. Twenty-eight missiles made it through the laser and missile screen and began to score hits against the battlegroup. While the Exocets were closing in on the fleet, the bombers began to launch their two Russian-made P-270s Moskits (also known as SS-N-22D Sunburn anti-ship missiles). These missiles travel at three times the speed of sound, carrying 710 lbs. of high explosives.

  The ocean around the battlegroup was being lit up like the 4th of July as hundreds of missiles, lasers and railguns were being fired. Missiles were exploding in an almost constant rolling of thunder. Despite the enormous success of the battlegroups defensive screen, eight frigates, seven destroyers and all three of the remaining guided missile ships were hit by the remnants of the Exocets missile barrage. Bright flashes of light could be seen for miles as the missiles were hitting their targets and the subsequent flames raged out of control on the damaged ships. The sea was starting to look as if it itself was on fire as diesel from the ships began to leak and burn on the surface of the sea. One Exocet hit the Enterprise, causing the ship to shudder slightly despite inflicting minimal damage, while three missiles hit the Bush, causing damage to the flight deck. Several aircraft that were still trying to take off were obliterated, and one of the elevators that was descending in order to move another fighter to the flight deck imploded. Several fires could be seen in the night sky from the Bush, while her crew immediately went to work putting them out and trying to repair the flight deck so they could launch more aircraft.

  As the Exocets were hitting the fleet, 120 Sunburns began their final approach. Ninety-eight of the missiles were destroyed by the anti-missile laser defense system, while 22 missiles scored hits all across the fleet. The Enterprise took two more hits, one near the waterline causing significant damage to the crew quarters area and the second hitting just below the hanger deck that housed the aircraft munitions. As the missile exploded, it caused several secondary explosions, which tore through the hanger deck and two decks below, killing hundreds of crewmen in a fiery cauldron of death.

  Two of the cruisers blew up shortly after being hit with the second round of missiles. The Bush was hit by five Sunburn missiles, scoring several hits just above the waterline. One shell hit the hanger deck, killing many members of the aircraft maintenance crew. The remaining missile hit near the engine room, shutting down one of the engines. The George H. W. Bush was severely damaged and starting to burn; she was also starting to list to one side.

  As the ballistic missiles began their descent on the remains of the fleet, the last anti-missile frigate began to engage the missiles with its SM3s and the one pulse laser that was still operational. The Captain of the ship was not optimistic of their chances to destroy all of the incoming barrage; they had already expended 70% of their own missiles, and the batteries for the pulse laser were low from engaging the last two waves of rockets.

  The battle lasted less than twenty-five minutes. Admiral Jeremiah Lewis knew he had lost his fleet as the third wave of missiles, this time the ballistic ones, began to rain down on the remains of the 5th Fleet. Three of the five nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles detonated at various positions over the fleet. The carrier George H. W. Bush took a direct hit and was completely destroyed, disappearing below the waves before the blast evaporated. The Enterprise was on the edge of two different blast zones; the carrier was battered on both sides from the blast and began to burn badly. Once the fires reached the ship’s jet fuel, the carrier sank, taking all hands with her.

  Two of the ships in the fleet were outside of the blast zones and survived to report on the engagement. The mood of those who had lived through the attack was grim.

  *******

  Still unaware of the events that had taken place, 6th Fleet was moving into position. Vice Admiral Lisa Todd was being groomed to become a four-star admiral and had just taken command of the fleet in June. As the battlegroup neared Israel, Admiral Todd began to spend most of her time in the CIC with the ship’s Captain. She had a gut feeling the IR was going to launch a pre-emptive attack, and was determined not to be caught off guard.

  “Captain Carr, we are now less than one hundred miles from our patrol position. Are we detecting any additional increase in activity at the IR airbases or ports?” she asked.

  The captain looked to his intelligence officer to provide the answer.

  “The E5 has spotted a number of aircraft taking off from various airbases in Egypt; the activity just started less than five minutes ago. The analysts are still trying to determine what they are up to. There are already a number of IR ships on patrols, though we are seeing additional activity in the ports.”

  “Captain, let’s go ahead and move the fleet to general quarters. I have a feeling something is up with the IR and I do not want to be caught flatfooted. Launch the Air Wing, but keep them in orbit over the fleet and be ready for whatever may happen over the next couple of hours,” said Admiral Todd as her intuition and training told her an attack was imminent.

  “I understand your concern, Admiral. Perhap
s we should increase the fleet’s speed and get closer to our shore-based air cover,” said Captain Carr.

  “I agree, let’s make haste. Have the MEF ships tighten up their position and order them to prepare to conduct their amphibious assault of the IR attacks. I want the MEF to head straight for the beaches and secure their targets if the IR decides to start the party early.”

  The quick thinking and gut instincts of Admiral Todd were probably the only thing that saved the 6th Fleet from the fate of the 5th. When the IR missile boats and aircraft began to head towards the fleet to fire their Exocets and Sunburn missiles, the fleet was in position to attack them at maximum range and keep them from getting within reach of their missiles.

  With the entire carrier Air Wing already in the sky, they were in quick position to attack the IR fighters and bombers before they were able to get into range. Essentially, the entire IR attacking force had been stopped, with the majority of the assailants destroyed. Only five Exocets and two Sunburns hit the fleet, sinking one destroyer who took two hits and a frigate who took a hit to their missile magazine. The other impacts were absorbed by the rest of the fleet, with no catastrophic damage done.

  With the attack blunted, the 6th Fleet began to launch hundreds of cruise missiles at their assigned targets all across Egypt and the Sinai. The MEF began to move into position to assault the Suez Canal Zone (SCZ), while the Marine Air Wing began softening up the IR ground forces in the Sinai.

  The E5 sentry drone began to detect the sheer volume of missile and artillery fire being directed all across Israel. Admiral Todd directed 50 of the cruise missiles to go after the artillery and MLRS vehicles in the Sinai. Her hope was to reduce the volume of fire being poured across the border and to minimize the possibility of it being redirected at the MEF. She directed half of the Air Wing to engage the IR fighters that had survived attacks by the Air Force and the IDF, and ordered another 400 cruise missiles to hit IR troop, missile and artillery positions all across the Jordan Valley, Lebanon and Syrian border.