Chimera

by Vivek Ahuja

  Saxena nodded at him so he continued further:

  “Now. This airfield,” Fernandez gestured his hands around, “is my logistics node. I need rockets and I need them yesterday. Ground convoys will make their way up with more supplies and feed my units once they are set up tomorrow. But in the meantime we are airlifting them in. Now that means we need this airport operational right away. That’s where you come in. In effect, I am putting my money on you and your boys to open this place for business once again. And I love to win, Saxena. I really do. So what do you have to say?”

  Fernandez stared at the young officer in front of him. Saxena managed to pull his thoughts together and focus quick enough to meet the Lieutenant-Colonel’s eyes. Fernandez saw that and realized Saxena had pulled himself out of the shock.

  Time to get to it then!

  “Okay, son. You know this airbase better than I do. What say we go and have a look-see in there?” Fernandez suggested.

  Saxena walked over to the crate he had been sitting on earlier and picked up a Tavor rifle that he had taken from one of the dead officers from his FAC team. Fernandez was already getting the army personnel organized:

  “Get those trucks moving with the casualties to the medical center at Haa-Dzong! Now! They still have helicopters operating out of there. They can get these guys out. Move! Move! And somebody find the Para detachment C-O. Either he’s dead or he’s somewhere in there. And get the comms up and running. Last thing we need is a Chinese spec-ops team rushing this location from the northern hills. Warlord has RPVs overhead, but I wouldn’t trust them completely to keep us safe. I want every paratrooper who can walk and fire his weapon to re-establish perimeter around this airport. Now, gentlemen! Go! Go! Go!”

  As everybody started to move with a purpose around the place, Fernandez grabbed the nearest radioman he could lay his hands on…

  “You! Is your radio working?” he thundered.

  “Sir! Yes, sir!”

  “Good. You are coming with me then!” Fernandez ordered just as the noise of truck engines filled the air. Fernandez looked at Saxena who was waiting with his rifle slung over his shoulders.

  “Let’s go, son. Lead the way.”

  The three men walked carefully through the debris of the terminal, bypassing the demolished equipment and the building structures. Fernandez looked up and saw the night sky where there should have been a roof. Slight snow was beginning to fall through. They made it through to the other side and reached within view of the tarmac…

  “Damn,” Fernandez observed.

  Yeah.

  Saxena agreed in thought as he walked around a burning wooden supply crate that had originally been carrying flares. The shattered wreck of the Mi-26 lay sunk inside a huge bomb crater on the tarmac, bellowing a pillar of black smoke. The only identifiable piece of the fuselage left in one piece was the tail boom. It lay on the grass a few hundred feet away.

  A series of craters had been dug out of the tarmac area. The latter had never been of very solid construction anyway. Saxena looked to his right and almost felt radiated heat from the still-smoldering control tower from where he and the rest of his FAC operators had been running operations.

  The runway, however, was remarkably intact. Several bomb craters were chipping away at the sides, but no central crater on the runway itself.

  “Damage looks pretty intense. Thoughts?” Fernandez said.

  “Bad, sir. Normally this level of damage is repairable at a military airbase with availability of repair equipment. Not over here. We don’t have anything we need to repair this base until we fly the equipment in using helicopters,” Saxena said as he walked towards the nearest bomb crater.

  “Which could take days. I need a better option,” Fernandez ordered.

  “I don’t know what to tell you sir,” Saxena replied as he peered over the edge of the crater in front of him. “This damage is total!”

  He looked over to the north and saw the small tar extension to the runway usable by light aircraft and helicopters…

  “Sir, you see that tar area over there? We could use that to restart some basic helicopter operations; Mi-17s, Dhruv helicopters and the like. It’s big enough and the undamaged runway looks long enough to bring in maybe one or two Dornier aircraft at a time. Perhaps even An-32s with some minor repair. It’s a trickle of what we were bringing in before, but it’s a start,” Saxena offered.

  Fernandez was not happy to hear that. But he realized it was not Saxena’s fault. His radioman’s CNR squawked. Both officers waited to see what the radioman was listening in to. The latter looked at Fernandez:

  “Sir! Warlord-central is informing us that warlord is inbound via helicopter! ETA two minutes!” Fernandez raised an eyebrow at that.

  “So the old chap is coming in himself, eh?”

  He nodded to Saxena.

  “Can they land over here?”

  “Yes sir. That tar area over there I was showing you.” Saxena replied.

  “Good. Mark it with green smoke,” Fernandez ordered. Saxena removed a Green-Very from his backpack and snapped it to life. Fernandez turned to the NCO:

  “Tell warlord-central that L-Z is open and marked with green smoke.”

  Two minutes later green smoke was rising from the tarmac as the sound of a Dhruv Helicopter filled the air. Saxena and Fernandez waited near the LZ as the Dhruv circled around the airport and then flared for landing near the cloud of green smoke. It touched down and the downwash spread the green smoke in all directions. As the engines wound down, Saxena and Fernandez walked over as four paratroopers armed with INSAS-UBGL rifles jumped out of the side doors and took up positions near the LZ. Potgam stepped out behind them.

  The gruff looking commander looked around and saw the devastation wrought by the Chinese at his main logistical node in Bhutan. He had a frown on his face that would wilt a junior officer in seconds. He was also in his combat fatigues with a belt-mounted sidearm. The freezing winds in the valley caused him to remove his cap and cover his balding head. Once the cap fit him snugly, he returned their salutes. Neither Fernandez nor Saxena said anything until Potgam did:

  “Those bastards will pay for this, gentlemen. Mark my words. They will pay,” Potgam said and then faced Saxena who nearly froze under the stare of the three-star general in his face.

  “Son, are you the FAC team-leader?”

  “Yes sir!” Saxena replied back.

  “Damn fine work under the circumstances boy. Tough situation overall. But handled well. I heard your boys suffered substantial casualties,” Potgam said in as polite a voice as he could manage, which wasn’t much. Saxena managed to choke out a response:

  “Yes sir. Team FAC-Alpha is combat-ineffective right now. I am the only survivor. We need a replacement team to take charge of operations down here.”

  Potgam grunted at that.

  “And have a new wet-nosed kid take command of this shitty mess? No. You stay right here. I have arranged FAC-Bravo to replace your losses, but you stay in command. You aren’t getting off that easily. This war is rapidly stretching our limits and resources. We need all the experienced guys we can get. Unless of course you have lost the nerve to stay here and fight! Have you?” Potgam thundered.

  “No sir! Give me the tools and we will kill them all!”

  “Good. Gentlemen, let’s get on with it. We don’t have any time. Latest R-P-V Intel suggests that the Highland Brigade north of Thimpu has finished digging and is now preparing to advance. They will make contact with our special-forces guys up at the sharp end, north of the capital. Once that happens we will need all the support your battery can provide, Fernandez,” Potgam said as he led the way back to the terminal. Potgam continued talking:

  “Fernandez, get things organized a bit over here and then leave someone else to manage things until one of the Brigadiers from my staff comes down here to take over. I need you back at your battery when the shit hits the fan. Saxena over here can get this mess sorted out. Additional Paras are slat
ed for arrival and will beef up security. Colonel Misra and his 11TH Para-SF Battalion will be the first unit arriving here. He will be field commander for the Thimpu front when he arrives. The reason I am telling you this is because it all depends on this airbase becoming operational and staying that way. Without it, Thimpu will fall, gentlemen.”

  day 7

  SASER

  LADAKH

  DAY 7 + 0010 HRS

  “Gentlemen, welcome to hell!” Adesara smiled wearily

  He and Sudarshan walked over to the approaching group of young tank commanders wearing the shoulder patches of the 43RD Armored Regiment on their clean uniforms.

  They were understandably nervous, Adesara thought. The ground under their feet rumbled and the explosive thunderclaps to the north really brought home the reality of a pitched, modern war. Major Kulkarni attempted to hide his fear and nervousness. His boundless enthusiasm for combat had died along the grief stricken road to DBO. Now his heart was pounding loud in his chest as he walked over to the two senior officers in front of him covered in soot and grime from the last week of operations.

  Adesara and Sudarshan had come over to Saser to see the nature of the reinforcements that Major-General Mohanty and Lieutenant-General Gupta were inducting in to his command…

  “Sir, 43RD Armored reporting.”

  Kulkarni followed up with a salute which Adesara returned. Sudarshan was about to speak when the sounds of incoming aircraft interrupted them. Kulkarni and his junior officers jerked as two Jaguars streaked overhead, disappearing south beyond the mountains. One of the two aircraft was trailing smoke from its port wing as it flew over. Kulkarni shared a look with his officers.

  “You will get used to it, son! Those were our boys returning from delivering another pounding to the Chinese in the 4TH Mechanized sector. We are taking a beating out there and the 10TH Mechanized has been decimated and now folded into the 4TH. Your boys are going to reinforce 4TH Mechanized and attempt a breakthrough. Come on,” he nodded towards the command post for the Smerch battery nearby. The inside of the command post was cramped with so many people, but it had a digital map screen on one of the computers and that was what Sudarshan needed.

  “The Chinese have been attempting to take DBO for a week now. We are holding them in place and they are not letting us break through either. The terrain east of the airstrip is a bloody mess filled with dead B-M-Ps, T-72s, T-99s and Z-B-Ds. The air-force boys are proving to be the key for us right now. What they can’t do at the moment is fly too far behind the Chinese fronts east of Daulat-beg-oldi because of that S-300 battery near Qara-Tagh-La. They have plans to eliminate it, but we have been hearing that for three days now. Their attack helicopters are proving deadly. 199 Helicopter Unit is deployed here and is nailing Chinese heavy armor in the 4TH Mechanized area, but there’s only two of them deployed here and certainly not enough for going on the offensive. But until the air-force starts hitting the Chinese lines deep behind the front, it will not stop the Chines from feeding a continuous line of reinforcements into this sector.

  “I had sent what remained of the 10TH and the 4TH Mechanized into an enveloping operation to cut the Chinese units from their M-S-R after we had blunted their initial assaults. That failed on account of our light armor units attempting to force their way through their T-99s.” Adesara said and then sighed. Kulkarni and the others looked at each other before the Brigadier spoke again:

  “Frankly, gentlemen, I have had it with the enemy armor advantage in this sector. I want the 43RD Armored to reach the 4TH Mechanized A-O and push through here,” he jabbed his finger on the digital screen, “to what we are calling as point-victory. That is where you will be in a position to interdict the Chinese M-S-R. Get there and hold position while what remains of the 4TH Mechanized and 5TH Infantry Brigade eliminates the remaining Chinese forces caught between your units and mine and joins up with you.

  “Gentlemen, let’s be clear about this: our mechanized battalions are fast moving units. I want to release them to do what they do best. I want 43RD Armored to slug it out and destroy the Chinese T-99 force. Find and kill all enemy tanks you see out there. The Aksai Chin is sitting here asking for freedom, gentlemen. I have additional units coming to this sector, including the 3RD Mechanized, and I want the way clear for them. Your tanks are night-combat capable, aren’t they? Make use of that!” Adesara said with force.

  Kulkarni looked up from the maps:

  “Yes sir!”

  He began to stuff his page of notes into his uniform pocket and then snapped off a salute which was returned crisply by the two senior commanders. The men began piling outside the trailer and started walking towards the line of parked Arjun tanks. An LCH returned from the north along the valley and flared for landing near the 199HU landing pads. Kulkarni looked at the parked helicopters showing black stains near their engine exhausts and near the gun turrets from endless missions. His gunner was standing outside on the chassis near the driver’s hatch.

  “Pretty scary, sir. These men here have been fighting for years by the looks on their faces!” he said to Kulkarni.

  “Their equipment is pretty worn out too,” Kulkarni added as he climbed up the chassis and stepped on the turret. His gunner slid into his hatch. Kulkarni switched on his comms:

  “Rhino-One to all Rhino elements. We are now at the FEBA. All units on red-con status!” He lowered his mouthpiece and turned to face his loader:

  “Load sabot!”

  As the loader got to action handling the huge tank round in his hands, Kulkarni checked his commander sights and verified the night-vision systems as all of his tanks reported their status. He keyed the comms again:

  “Rhino-One to all elements: expect enemy heavy armor! Watch for friendlies as we approach the FEBA. Engage and destroy all enemy tanks you see. Keep an eye out for the T-99s. It’s dangerous and do not underestimate its night-fighting capability. We are better trained and equipped. This may not be Rajasthan, but this is still our Arjun tank and this is still the 43RD Armored Regiment! Move out!”

  The line of tanks rumbled forwarded with a jerk, rolling over the loose gravel as they headed into the open terrain beyond Saser…

  Brigadier Adesara was standing with Sudarshan as two AXE utility vehicles rolled up to take them back to their respective posts. Sudarshan looked at Adesara:

  “About damn time!”

  “Indeed! Break through to that commie M-S-R, Sudarshan. It’s time we retook the initiative out here,” Adesara ordered and walked away.

  NORTH OF PARU

  BHUTAN

  DAY 7 + 0150 HRS

  Fernandez chewed out his last cigar about the same time as the officers inside his command trailer finished punching in the coordinates for the three launchers. The latter were already deployed outside on their hydraulic stabilizers into the wet, snow-covered mud of the valley with their launchers pointed north at a high elevation. The DIGICORA metrological radar vehicle crew had already evaluated weather information and adjusted the launchers. The 214mm rockets were loaded with fragmentation-warheads and loaded in the tubes.

  The launch control officer looked over his shoulder at Fernandez once he was ready to launch. Fernandez smiled around the cigar in his mouth:

  “Hit it, boy!”

  Three seconds later the hills around Paru town reverberated with a low swishing noise and the Bhutanese citizens of the town looked to the north to see successive streaks of yellow light rising from the ground and disappearing into the night sky…

  THE WANG-CHU BRIDGE

  NORTH OF THIMPU

  BHUTAN

  DAY 7 + 0155 HRS

  The thunder from the explosions reverberated through the valley and the ridges northwest of the bridge disappeared under a carpet of dust, smoke and brief flashes of light. The mountain of smoke descended into the valley and covered the village…

  “Oh shit! That was fucking lovely!” Vikram exclaimed.

  Pathanya peered through the IMFS optics and spoke into his
radio:

  “Good effect on target, Hotel-Six! Preliminary assessment suggests massive enemy K-I-A on ridge west of winchester-charlie! Hold second salvo. Will advise. Over.”

  “Roger. Standing by,” the link chimed out.

  “All right boys,” Pathanya said as he lowered his IMFS and glanced at the settling cloud of dust in the valley, “no time to relax. That strike was good, but now the enemy will spread out and maneuver. He knows that he has run into some Indian defenses. Expect flanking moves and keep…”

  “Incoming fire!” Ravi shouted as a field artillery round slammed into the hillside just below their positions, followed by the screeching howl of more rounds.

  “Shit! Get to cover and spread out!” Pathanya shouted as he quickly grabbed his comms set and SATCOM equipment and prepared to get into a rocky defilade position he had identified for just this kind of situation.

  The Chinese artillery rounds were slamming into the hillside east of the bridge, and the Chinese company commander was walking his fire up the slope, expecting his opponents to be occupying the hill. His artillery barrage was composed of high-explosive rounds and spread over the area of the hillside. It was obvious that they knew where Spear-One was.

  They have eyes above us. Probably unmanned drones!

  Pathanya thought as the gravel from explosions fell over him.

  “Spear, this is warlord-central! What’s the hell is going on?!” the radio squawked amidst the roar of explosions and shrapnel flying overhead.

  Pathanya grabbed the set lying in the dirt nearby and covered the speaker with his hands to be able to get his words across:

  “This is Spear-One! We are taking suppression barrage east of winchester-charlie from enemy field arty! Enemy has eyes above us and attempting flanking maneuver under cover of barrage! Requesting priority counter-battery fire from Hotel-Six!”

  “Say again, Spear-One! I don’t read! Comms is One-By-Five! Over!”

  “Damn it!” Pathanya shouted over the explosions before he calmed down. But before he could speak again, General Potgam chimed in: