WARRIOR CLASS
DALE BROWN
THE BEST MILITARY ADVENTURE WRITER IN THE COUNTRY TODAY."
—Clive Cussler
Dale Brown is a superb storyteller."
—W.E.B. Griffin
A master of mixing technology and ction. He puts readers right in the riddle of the inferno."
—Larry Bond
His air-combat scenes have a slam-bang accuracy.
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Praise for Dale Brown
and His Electrifying Bestsellers
“Dale Brown has an uncanny talent for putting his millions of fans into the middle of his action stories. He keeps you glued to the page with thundering battle scenes and his intimate knowledge of air warfare and international politics.”
—Tulsa World
“Brown describes the virtually nonstop dogfights and overflights in loving, vivid detail.” —New York Daily News
WARRIOR CLASS
“High altitude action and adventure .. . Fasten your seal belts as the story takes off in great style."
—Regional Press
DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND
His acclaimed new series...
“Few novelists can craft an aerial battle scene more strategically than former U.S. Air Force Captain Brown, and he and [coauthor Jim] DeFelice are in fine form here. Set deep in the Nevada desert. Dreamland is the place where top minds converge to develop cutting-edge artillery and aircraft ... Military-thriller readers will marvel at the fast pace.” —Publishers Weekly
SHADOWS OF STEEL
A surgical stealth campaign attempts to silence the enemy
guns once and for all.. .
“A pulse-pounding novel of the near future that never ignores the human agony of combat.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
FATAL TERRAIN
When China attacks Taiwan, the U.S. comes to the tiny nation s
aid—only to he caught in an all-out fight for sunival...
“Nobody, in detailing the lethal excitement of high-tech aerial combat in plausible geopolitical contexts, does it better than Brown.” —Kirkus Reviews
STORMING HEAVEN
The New York Times bestseller—Coast Guard Admiral lan
Hardcastle returns in a tale of covert warfare that will leave
readers hanging on the edge of their seats...
“Brown raises some provocative issues .. . His aeronautical knowledge is broad and accurate, and his flight scenes are first-rate.” —Publishers Weekly
“Fascinating . .. Storming Heaven will be an explosive success with fans of military techno-thrillers.” —Booklist
CHAINS OF COMMAND
The riveting story of Air Force involvement in a
Russia-Ukraine border skirmish . . . that may result in all-out
nuclear holocaust,..
“Dale Brown lakes a hard look at the future of America’s armed forces ... A great story of war in a modem, unstable world. It’s an exciting ride.” —Larry Bond
NIGHT OF THE HAWK
The exciting final flight of the “Old Dog a shattering
mission into Lithuania. where the Soviets*past could launch
a terrifying future...
“Dale Brown brings us the gripping conclusion of the saga that began so memorably with Flight of the Old Dog. A masterful mix of high technology and human courage.”
—W.E.B. Griffin
SKYMASTERS
The incredible story of America s newest 8-2 bomber,
engaged in a blistering battle of oil, honor,
and global power. ..
“Sky Masters is a knockout.” —Clive Cussler
DAY OF THE CHEETAH
The shattering story of a Soviet hijacking of America s
most advanced fighter plane—and the greatest high-tech
chase of all time...
“Quite a ride .,. Terrific. Authentic and gripping/'
—The New York Times
“Breathtaking dogfights . . . exhilarating high-tech adventure.” —Library Journal
SILVER TOWER
A Soviet invasion of the Middle East sparks a grueling
counterattack from America's newest
laser defense system . ..
“Intriguing political projections ... Tense, high-tech dogfights.” —Publishers Weekly
FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG
Dale Brown s riveting debut novel. A battle-scarred
bomber is renovated with modern hardware to fight
the Soviets ’ devastating new technology...
“A superbly crafted adventure . . . Exciting.”
—WE B Griffin
“Brown kept me glued to the chair ... A shattering climax ... A terrific flying yarn.” —Stephen Coonts
Titles by Dale Brown
WARRIOR CLASS
DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND
(with Jim De Felice)
FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG
SILVER TOWER
DAY OF THE CHEETAH
HAMMERHEADS
SKY MASTERS
NIGHT OF THE HAWK
CHAINS OF COMMAND
STORMING HEAVEN
SHADOWS OF STEEL
FATAL TERRAIN
THE TIN MAN
BATTLE BORN
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either
are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously,
and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental,
WARRIOR CI.AS.S
A Berkley Book / published by arrangement w ith
the author
PRINTING HISTORY
G. P. Putnam's Sons hardcover edition / May 2001
Berkley mass-market edition / May 2002
Copyright © 2001 by Target Direct Productions, Inc.
Cover art by PictureQuest.
Cover design by Steve Ferlauto.
Interior text design by Julie Rogers.
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form
without permission
For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
Visit our website at
www.pengumputnam.com
ISBN: 0-425-18446-3
BERKLEY*
Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014,
BERKLEY and the ‘ B** design
are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 987654321
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Colonel Richard Y. Newton, Fifth Bomb Wing commander, and Major Randy “Max” Allen, B-1B Lancer instructor pilot, for their technical expertise and insights. Thanks also to Lieutenant General Donald O. Aldridge, USAF (ret.), for his assistance, encouragement, and friendship.
Thanks to Sara Toutin for all her hard work.
Thanks to my friends Les Busick, Duane and Debbie Deverill, and Bob and Donna Goff for their extraordinary generosity.
To Hunter and Diane, my joy and inspiration.
Thanks for flying along with me.
author’s note
This is a work of fiction. All persons, places, things, and events in this story are a product of the author’s imagination, and any similarity to real-world people, places, events, and organ
izations is coincidental. Although some real-world events and organizations are mentioned in this story to enhance authenticity, they are not intended to describe or portray any real-world persons, tactics, beliefs, or policies.
This story makes reference to a joint American- Ukrainian military campaign against Russia, which is described in my novel Chains of Command; to aircraft, Lithuanian research centers, characters, and situations described in Night of the Hawk; and to the Tin Man technology 1 first described in The Tin Man.
Visit my website at www.rnegafortress.com, where you may leave your comments.
REAL-WORLD NEWS EXCERPTS
Russians Operate Alone Now — European Stars & Stripes,
July 26,1999 — Russian troops in Chechnya are free to operate in the U.S. sector of Chechnya without an American presence. But NATO may never find a way to change the Russians’ attitude about being Serb allies.
Report Says Russia Supplied Serbs with Missiles, Breaking Embargo — London, Aug. 3,1999 — (Reuters) — Jane's Defence Weekly said in a report to be published on Tuesday that Russia was believed to have supplied Serbia with air defense missiles before NATO started its bombing campaign against Kosovo in March.
... The report quoted a high-ranking Serbian officer as saying the first shipment of between six and 10 incomplete Russian S-300PM missile systems entered Serbia by land, hidden in railway wagons carrying scrap iron, in early 1999. It quoted sources as saying an unspecified quantity of the missile systems was smuggled into the country in a Russian humanitarian convoy, hidden in what appeared to be fuel tankers.
Kosovo Albanians Protest Russians — Philadelphia
Inquirer — About 1,000 ethnic Albanian protesters marched toward a Russian base to show their opposition to Russian peacekeepers in the southeastern Kosovo town of Kosovska Kamenica while two U.S. Apache helicopters whirred overhead and American troops stood by. The march ended without incident.
Russia’s Stealth Fighter Makes Rare Appearance at Air Show — Los Angeles Times. August 18, 1999 — Russia’s S-37 Berkut, or Golden Eagle, was the main performer at an international air show held near Moscow. The stealth jet, with its forward-swept wings, made only a brief appearance,
Russia Fumes at U.S. Over Disarmament and KFOR
— Moscow, August 21, 1999 —■ (Agence France Presse) — Storm clouds gathered over U.S.-Russian relations Friday after
sharp differences emerged on nuclear disarmament and the Kosovo peacekeeping effort, two pillars of cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
“After the whole episode with Kosovo, the Russians feel that militarily they were disregarded and badly treated by NATO. The only way of making the NATO nations realize this is to remind them that Russia is a nuclear power,” Viktor Kremenyuk, deputy director of the U.S.-Canada Institute, a Moscow think tank, said.
U.S. Downplays Incident with Jets, Russian Bombers — Washington Times, September 19,1999 — The National Security Council said an encounter Thursday between U.S. jets and two Russian bombers flying near Alaska was “militarily insignificant.” The Russian planes were in international airspace, taking part in a training exercise, and moved closer to the Alaskan coast than has happened during the past six years. Officials said the American jets scrambled routinely, as they always do when an unknown aircraft approaches U.S. territory.
A Genocide, a Political Coup. Some Democracy ■— by
Zbigniew Brzezinski — Wall Street Journal, January 4, 2000 —• Vladimir Putin’s accession to the Russian presidency was the work of oligarchs and army-security chiefs who wanted to preempt any semblance of a democratic vote scheduled for June. The attitude of Putin, as shown in Russia’s brutal treatment of Chechnya, should be taken as a warning of future problems.
NATO Exercise Ends in More Clashes — European Stars & Stripes, April 13, 2000 •— Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit left Greece the same way they arrived for NATO’s Dynamic Response 2000 exercise in nearby Kosovo: dodging rocks, red paint bombs and insults from anti-NATO demonstrators along the route. The 80-vehicle convoy made it to the embarkation point at Port Litohoro without injuries, but four vehicles had their windshields smashed.
Washington in Brief — Washington Post, April 14, 2000 — For The Record — NATO is asking member countries to provide 3,500 troops for the Kosovo peacekeeping operation to replace
battalions that are leaving, but no additional U.S. forces are likely to go. Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said.
Putin Eyes Defense of Russian Interests in Caspian
— Moscow, Apr 21, 2000 — (Reuters) President-elect Vladimir Putin expressed concern on Friday that foreign competitors were eyeing the oil-rich Caspian region, where Moscow has traditionally dominated, and called on Russian firms to get more involved.
“We must clearly understand that the interest of our partners, Turkey, the United States and Britain, in this region is not accidental,*' Russian agencies quoted him as telling a meeting of his advisory Security Council.
. . Russia wielded economic mastery over the Caspian basin throughout the Soviet era when the oil-rich republics were part of a single state. But the newly independent states, with diplomatic support from the United States and Turkey, want to build export routes bypassing Russia, which would sharply reduce its influence in the region ...
Russians Wounded in Kosovo — International Herald Tribune. May 25, 2000 — Two Russian soldiers were wounded when two antitank rockets smashed into their base in western Kosovo. Russian soldiers also came under gunfire overnight on five occasions. The attacks followed a Tuesday afternoon altercation between Russian troops and a former commander of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army.
Putin, Schroeder Hail “New Start” in Key Alliance —
by Martin Nesirky — Berlin (Reuters) —June 10, 2000 — Russia and Germany declared a new and fruitful start to a vital European alliance Thursday when President Vladimir Putin, once a Communist spy in Dresden, met German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
“... Germany is interested in a strategic partnership with Russia,” Schroeder said. “Not just Germany but all Europe has an interest in maintaining close and friendly relations with Russia.”
Putin said: “Germany is Russia’s most important economic partner in Europe. We consider Germany to be at the core of European integration. As such, our conversation with the chancellor has a double significance for Russia.”
Ukraine Hosts Big NATO Exercise, Russia Missing
— KIEV (Reuters) — 6/19/00 — Ukraine begins unprecedented 10-day naval exercises with NATO and several former communist nations on Monday, but Russia, still deeply suspicious of the Western defense alliance, plans to stay away.
.., Russia, Ukraine’s former imperial master, resents Kiev’s warm ties with NATO and regular military exercises in the Black Sea region, where Moscow’s might and influence have waned dramatically since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. •
/ his is no time to hear that we have violated human rights. This is not true. It is not good for my hearing. It is not good for my hair. I know the real situation and think that Russia needs to be more cruel... We will resist and use weapons, and not only nuclear ones. We will throw you into the English Channel We will drive all the human rights advocates to the tunnel between London and Paris and brick them up in there.
— Vladimir Zhirinovsky,
RUSSIAN ULTRA NATIONALIST
LEADER
(REUTERS, APRIL 7 , 2000)
Contents
PROLOGUE:
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
EPILOGUE
PROLOGUE:
Blair House, Washington, D.C. 20 January 2001
“Well, what the hell are they doing in there?” the chief clerk of the United States Supreme Court whispered excitedly. He knocked again on the d
oor of the Truman Quarters, the master guest suite of Blair House. Behind him waited the chief justice of the Supreme Court, along with several aides. Secret Service agents, and Blair House staff. Who the hell would keep the chief justice and most of the rest of the world waiting like this?
Brown, Dale - Patrick McLanahan 09 Page 1