Sky Masters pm-2

by Dale Brown

  “I thank you for your assurances, Comrade Premier, ” Leing said. Leing risked a full glance at General Chin, to perhaps see if Chin, the real power where Chinese foreign intrigue was concerned, would give similar assurances; he did not. His return stare was powerful enough to make Leing silent: “Your assurances are important, since Chinese naval vessels patrol the entire Spratly archipelago, within striking distance of Vietnamese-settled islands. My government will be relieved to hear that these warships mean no harm.” It was General Chin’s turn to speak now, and he did so without waiting for permission. “I give you my assurance that no Chinese vessel will approach any Vietnamese-claimed islands or interfere with Vietnamese naval operations in any way, he said through the interpreter. Leing’s own interpreter gave a slightly different version of Chin’s statement-he said that no Chinese vessel will land on a Vietnamese-claimed island or interfere with legitimate Vietnamese naval operations in any way. Leing nodded. The exact wording was not important: these men were not to be trusted no matter what they said. Actions spoke louder than words, and so far their actions suggested the Chinese Navy was in the Spratly Islands to stay. “So I am to assume, Comrade General, that Chinese warships will continue to patrol north of the neutral zone, in violation of international treaty?”

  “We were invited by the government of the Philippines to assist in national self-defense matters, ” Chin said. “The request included patrolling their islands for signs of rebel activity. We are protecting their interests as well as yours, since as we have seen the rebel military’s actions are a threat to all nations.” Lies, Leing thought, struggling to keep his face as impassive as possible. The whole world knows it was a Chinese nuclear warhead that exploded in the Palawan Straits. Do they really expect me to believe this fairy tale? “My government appreciates the truth in your words, Comrade General, ” Leing said evenly, “but also prefers that international treaties be strictly followed.”

  “The terms of the treaty between us have been altered by recent events, ” the Chinese Foreign Minister, Zhou Ti Yanbing, said. “Because of the nuclear explosion, we felt our forces were at substantial risk in the South China Sea and that an escalation of our naval presence was necessary. At the same time, we were invited by the government of the Philippines to assist them in putting down a suspected coup and a violent military attack by well-armed forces. Those are the facts, and we speak the truth.” Not the whole truth, Leing noted: it was the Chinese who set off the nuclear explosion, the Chinese who posed the greatest risk to neighboring nations. The Philippine coup was just a fortuitous opportunity for the Chinese to complete their long sought-after conquest. . “However, the situation has become even more unstable for us and for all nations involved in this incident, ” Zhou continued. “We realize that new priorities must be established and new ties formed between the affected nations-especially between China and Vietnam.” “What sort of ties are you referring to, Comrade Foreign Minister?” There was a pause, an uneasy silence notably between General Chin and Premier Cheung-although no words or glances were exchanged, the two men were on edge. Then Cheung spoke, and the interpreter said, “We wish to issue a ninetynine-year irrevocable lease to the Republic of Vietnam to occupy, develop, patrol, and regulate affairs in the entire Nansha Island archipelago.” Leing was stunned. “I… Please, Comrade Premier, if you would be so good to repeat your last statement. General Chin made a sudden outburst, and Cheung replied hotly without turning toward him. “The General said, ‘This is nonsense, ‘ and the Premier ordered him to keep quiet, ” Leing’s interpreter whispered into the ambassador’s ear. “I believe you heard correctly, Comrade Ambassador, ” Foreign Minister Zhou said through his interpreter. “We wish to turn over control of the Nansha Islands to Vietnam. We will surrender all interests we currently hold in the islands to you for a period of ninety-nine years, after which time we will agree to enter into negotiations for outright transfer of ownership or an extension of the lease to you.” Then Leing’s interpreter added, “It appears to me that General Chin is opposed to the plan.” Leing was shocked. China, which patrolled the Nansha Islands-the Chinese term for the Spratly Islands-as if they were a mainland province-had even defended their rights to the islands with atomic weapons. Now they were willing to just give the islands up? And give them up to Vietnam, which was once an ally but was now a clear adversary? As early as 1988, China had come a hairsbreadth away from invading Vietnam over the Spratly Islands. . . “This is most unexpected, Comrade Premier, ” Leing said, finally regaining control over his numbed senses. “It is a most attractive offer. Naturally, I assume there is a condition to this transfer?” Of course there was-and Leing finally realized what it might be…. “You are correct, Comrade Ambassador, ” the interpreter said for Foreign Minister Zhou. “Although we freely admit that an adjustment to the turbulent situation in the Nansha Island chain meant that this action was far overdue: “We realize that a vote will be forthcoming when the Association of South East Asian Nations meet in Singapore and the question of our occupation of the Philippines is brought forward. We have tried to assure all countries involved in this situation that our involvement was requested by the Philippine government and that we are acting in strict accordance with international law; however, we realize that outside, nonCommunist sympathizers will attempt to undermine our efforts to restore peace to the region. China has not been offered an opportunity to voice our side of the matter, which precludes any sort of fair and equitable resolution of this incident. “We are therefore asking that when the vote is called, the Vietnamese vote against any ASEAN resolutions to interfere in the Philippines, and that you urge other nations in ASEAN to vote against any resolution as well. Since a unanimous vote is necessary for ASEAN to take military action or impose severe economic embargos, your action would postpone any serious consequences. “In addition, if you agree to assist us militarily in defending our right to remain in the Philippines, the Republic of China will propose a similar lease agreement to the Republic of Vietnam for the western group of the islands known as the Crescent Group in the Xinsha Islands archipelago.” The offer was astounding. China was in effect offering the Vietnamese a controlling position to the entire South China Sea in exchange for cooperation in its operation in the Philippines. In terms of value and strategic importance, it was not an equitable trade-the Philippines was by far a much brighter gem than the Spratlys or the Paracels-but by establishing offshore bases, Vietnam would once again be able to build a blue-water navy and exert its will in Southeast Asia. It could finally be able to counter the growing democraticoligarchic influence of the Moslem nations of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei by being able to effectively operate naval and merchant fleets far from home ports. “I do not see how such an action can be construed as anything else than conspiracy and duplicity, ” Ambassador Leing said. Premier Cheung’s face was impassive, but Leing measured the government’s reaction in General Chin’s face-it was obvious the warlord didn’t enjoy taking any lip from a Vietnamese politician. “But the return of our territorial islands of Dao Quan Mueng Bang and Dao Phran-Binh would be of immense pleasure and gratification to my government. The ploy worked. Instead of calling the contested islands by their Chinese names, Leing used the ancestral Vietnamese names-Dao Quan Mueng Bang for the Spratlys, Dao PhranBinh for the Paracels-and those names infuriated General Chin, who launched into a furious tirade, first at Leing and then at Premier Cheung. “He says that this is a crazy idea, that it will never be, that Vietnam cannot be allowed to take.. .” his interpreter quickly responded. “He is now telling me to be silent or he will cut off my… my penis, and stuff it in my… General Chin is very angry, Comrade Ambassador. Perhaps we should leave. “No, ” Leing said in Vietnamese in a low voice. “There is obviously a power struggle going on here. We must be witness to it before we can take this proposal to Hanoi.”

  “We will take nothing if we are dead!” “Keep your comments to yourself and tell me what they are saying, ” Leing hissed. “The Pre
mier is telling Chin to be silent… Chin is saying to the Foreign Minister that he will not agree to release the Spratlys to Vietnam . . . the Premier repeats his order for silence.” The last order seemed to stick; General Chin stopped his bellowing and was content for the moment to shift his weight impatiently from foot to foot and glare at Leing. The Premier spoke up. “Please deliver this request to your government with all speed and confidentiality. We await your reply.” ANDERSEN AFB, GUAM THURSDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 1994, 1334 HOURS LOCAL (28 SEPTEMBER, 0034 HOURS WASHINGTON TIME) cc an-living in Arkansas, I thought I knew what humidMity~e~t~i~e, “~on~asters~a~sai~. “GuamhasBlytheville beat six ways to none.” Those were Masters’ first words when he stepped off his converted DC-I 0 airliner onto the tarmac at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Everything he touched felt clammy-the railing on the portable stairs, the concrete parking apron, everything. Breathing became a conscious activity, and things like long pants and underwear became serious personal liabilities. General Brad Elliott had to agree. Although he had spent some months in Guam during the Vietnam War, flying B-52D and -G bombers from Guam over twenty-five hundred miles one-way on bombing missions, he never got accustomed to the oppressive humidity on the tiny tropical island, which felt like 100 percent every hour of every day. The daily three P.M. thunderstorms did nothing to improve conditions-in fact, it felt even worse, as if one were drowning in oceans one could not see, only feel. Guam had been the linchpin of American military presence in the Pacific since the Spanish-American War of 1898. The Japanese invaded Guam on December 7, 1941, at the same time that Pearl Harbor was being bombed, but they were ousted in 1944 after days of heavy American bombing, and the militarization of Guam began. Of the three B-29, B-36, and B-47 bomber bases built on Guam from 1944 to 1950, the largest, Andersen Air Force Base-first known simply as North Field-remained. Andersen Air Force Base was a vast, stark facility on Guam’s northern shore that, although reduced to a small fraction of its recent size and relatively quiet, still echoed with the ghosts of missions past. Dominating the base were Andersen’s twin twomile-long runways. Surrounding the runways, including the “infield” between the parallel runways, were concrete parking stubs big enough for B-52s. During the height of the Vietnam War, during Operation Bullet Shot in 1972, over one hundred and fifty bombers were parked here. The B-52s participated in the massive Arc Light, Young Tiger, and Linebacker bombing missions between 1965 and 1973. By 1990 the Air Force had removed all the permanently assigned B-52 bombers and KC-135 tankers from Andersen, and the base transitioned to caretaker status of the 633rd Air Base Wing of the Pacific Air Forces. But Elliott and Masters knew it would become an important base of operations again. Masters had already launched two ALARM boosters while still over the United States. The young scientist and engineer couldn’t believe his N1RTSats were being used in an actual operation that was part of America’s response to a nuclear explosion. What better endorsement could Sky Masters, Inc., ask for than from the U.S. government in a crisis situation? Unfortunately, his other Sky Masters colleagues had been less than enthusiastic. After General Curtis of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had given the go-ahead, the government presented Masters with a request for six satellites and two boosters ASAP-a contract worth $300 million. It was all on a handshake and letter of intent, and Helen Kaddiri, as a board member, was especially vocal about taking satellites contracted for by other buyers and selling them to the government. Masters check to see if all pages have been scanned. They had had to do some hard lobbying, but the board-even Kaddiri-finally agreed. Still, it put the ALARM booster program to its most grueling test, but it was the process that Jon Masters had originally devised the system to accomplish: twelve hours from the goahead, two space boosters were launched that inserted two completely different satellite constellations into low Earth orbit-not just single satellites, but multiple, interconnected strings of small, highly sophisticated satellites. Thankfully, both launches went off perfectly, all the satellites’ buses were inserted into the proper orbit, and one by one the skies were “seeded” with tiny Sky Masters, Inc., spacecraft. By the time Masters had landed his DC-10 back at his base in Arkansas, loaded the plane with the equipment he needed for the SAC STRATFOR team, and then flown on to Guam, all of his NIRTSats were in their proper orbits and reporting fully functional. The recon satellites were in nearly circular 415nautical-mile equatorial orbits; the communications satellites were in lower 200-mile orbits inclined 40 degrees to the equator so they could download their data directly to continental U.S. ground stations as well as to facilities on Guam. Masters was betting everything on this mission-and he was also betting that while he was away Helen Kaddiri would probably try to position herself for a corporate coup d’etat. He’d been expecting it for some time. He shrugged, realizing he’d have to deal with that later. Masters’ DC-I 0, with its distinctive red, white, and blue SKY MASTERS emblem on the sides, was parked just outside the hangar next to the north apron, which was perched atop the five-hundred-foot cliff on Guam’s north shore. Masters and General Brad Elliott, who’d flown in with Masters on the DC-10, met newly appointed SAC STRATFOR commander Major General Rat Stone, his aide, Colonel Michael Krieg, and Colonel Anthony Fusco, who was the commander of the 633rd Air Base Wing. Elliott was there to observe Masters’ gear in action, in person. If they were going to be using it at HAWC, he wanted to see it up close. Introductions were made all around, and after everyone mentioned the humidity, they were taken by military van-in a sudden downpour no less-to the MAC terminal, where a Guamanian customs officer, assisted by a MAC security guard in full combat rig and carrying an M-16 rifle, checked their customs declaration forms and inspected their hand-carried items. After that, General Stone turned to Masters. “What I’d like is to get your gear in place as soon as possible, ” Stone said. “I’ve got an EC- 135 communications plane and the recon planes available, so 1 can use DSCS to collect reconnaissance data, but I don’t like sending those planes so far over water unless we get a better idea on what the situation is over there. The sooner we can get your system working, the better.” The Defense Satellite Communications System, or DSCS, was the current global voice and data communications system in operation; the system’s drawback was that it could relay signals only from ground station to ground station and could not link aircraft. An EC-135 communications plane could act as a pseudoground station and could relay signals from another aircraft via DSCS to a ground station, but that meant orbiting the EC- 135 near the first aircraft-which meant sending another important aircraft thousands of miles offshore and exposing it to possible enemy action, which in turn meant assigning additional fighters and tankers to support it. “That’s what I’m here for, General, ” Jon Masters said. “With the NIRTSats in place, we can talk with your AWACS and reconnaissance planes directly. When my computer complex is set up, we can get their radar pictures and they’ll be able to receive our PACER SKY pictures.” Jon grinned. “It’s gonna be awesome. Once we get the rest of the birds tied in, you’ll have dozens of planes tied together and linked to Andersen. You’ll hear a guy on some B-52 sneeze three thousand miles away just as clearly as if he were sitting right beside you, and you can say ‘gesundheit’ a second later-and while he’s wiping his nose, you can lay his crosshairs on a target for him. Too much!” Stone turned and smiled at Elliott, who returned his amused grin. The officers and the young scientist piled into the heavy air-conditioned blue Air Force van, and they headed back out on Perimeter Road. Jon asked, “I understand your first reconnaissance sortie will take off in a few hours?” Stone nodded. “It’s about four hours’ flying time from here to the Philippines for the RC-135 and AWACS planes; about three hours for the EC- 135. They arrive on station in the Celebes Sea about midnight. They stay on station for four hours, then head on back. They RTB about eight A.M.”

  “So my crew can have the plane about nine A.M.?”

  “That’s right. You said installing your PACER SKY gear will take less than five hours, which is good because maintenance needs
to get the aircraft ready to go at four P.M. That gives you a little leeway, but not much.”

  “It’ll be plenty, ” Masters assured him. “Great.” Stone turned to Fusco and said, “Take a swing past the south apron and let’s see what’s going on, Tony.” They drove south along the flight line road, past an E-3C AWACS radar plane with its distinctive thirty-foot-rotodome atop its fuselage; another camouflaged Boeing 707 aircraft with no distinctive marking except for two canoe-shaped fairings on the underside of the fuselage behind the nose gear and rows of antennae atop the fuselage; and another Boeing 707 aircraft painted white over gray, with a refueling boom on the tail and a large, complex antenna array on the top of the fuselage. There were also two McDonnell-Douglas DC-10 aircraft modified as aerial refueling tankers in dark green and white camouflage nearby, and another two Boeing 707s also modified as tankers in standard light gray livery. Crates and crew members from Sky Masters, Inc., were already congregating around the planes, talking with Air Force maintenance crews. “Quite a collection of planes out here, ” Masters exclaimed. “I recognize the AWACS plane and the KC-10 and KC-135 tankers, but what are the other 707s?”