by Andy Farman
For the Irkutsk their dash had been the last option open to them, they were down to 40% battery power. The Mk-50 dived below the layer where its passive sensors detected the vessel’s propeller noise and going active it accelerated to 46 knots, easily overhauling the Russian diesel boat.
High above HMS Prince of Wales, her dedicated AEW Sea King detected the Chinese A-50s radar pulse and knew that they had been found. The Searchwater radar did not have the power of the giants radome but that did not matter in this case.
Calling up HMS Cuchullainn and the frigate USS Dry Springs far below, she informed them of the contact.
Both had two helicopters apiece, one each on ‘loan’ from Prince of Wales, that hot refuelled from the ships when need be without touching down, the helicopters now took station at the bows and stern of the ships, increasing their radar profiles. Behind each ship were a series of radar reflectors, towed along behind.
Aboard the A-50 the operators saw large ships with two smaller targets behind, they took the bait, assuming that this was the Royal Navy carrier, the American AEGIS Ticonderoga class cruiser and two escorts. They called up the Mao and Kuznetsov, giving course and speed. The real group was 25 miles further distant and the command staff had to estimate how long it would take the enemy air raids to arrive at the decoys.
Timing was critical.
John F Kennedy’s air wing would provide a squadron of precious F-14s to the smaller combat groups defence; if they approached too soon they would lose the element of surprise and run low on gas.
No plan ever survives first contact and this was no exception, as an A-50 also detected John F Kennedy’s AEW Hawkeye’s radar energy. The Blackjacks, Backfires and Su-27 escorts were already in the air and awaiting a target location.
Aboard USS John F Kennedy, CV-63, the last aircraft of air wing five was being launched.
Lt Nikki Pelham and her squadron were about to head north to assist the Sea Harriers of Prince of Wales when the E-2 Hawkeye picked up the first flight of the Backfires Su-27 escorts, forging in at 380 miles out, Pelham’s Squadron was nearest to the intruders.
“Oh shit, there goes a perfectly good plan.” The TAO, tactical action officer, had his hands on his hips as the Hawkeye’s downlink conveyed the information to the John F Kennedy‘s CIC, where the combat systems suite’s SPS-48E three-dimensional fire control, TAS missile targeting and SPS-49 long-range air search radar systems gave him a real-time picture.
“Inform Prince of Wales we are under air attack…tell them they are on their own.” I hate being totally defensive, was the thought running through his mind.
“Start feeding tactical data to Bobby Quinn’s F-14s, they are weapons free to engage.” He tried to put himself in the attackers shoes, visualise what the game play would be, but it was too early, too many variables.
“They won’t be alone, whoever they are…tell the Vipers’ they are to head north as back-stop to deal with any leakers.” Placing one of their F/A-18D squadrons in a second line, between the threat and the carrier group. It left him two squadrons; one of F-14s overhead, as a reserve and the second squadron of F/A-18Ds ranging across their flanks.
The carrier group was arrayed with her frigates as outlying picket ships and the destroyers as a second line of defence. The core of the formation held the John F Kennedy, the cruisers USS Vincennes and USS Chancellorville in addition to the fleet support ships. At present, all radars were on standby as they received the E-2s information via high frequency data-link, seeing what it saw. The ships had been at action stations since before dawn when the diesel boat shadowing them had been detected. It was believed that the Prince of Wales, which was between themselves and the threat, would be discovered and attacked first, before both groups could unite, but that wasn’t how it happened.
Eager to avenge the Irkutsk, the captain of the missile submarine, Admiral Dumlev, was already at launch depth and aware of the John F Kennedys location from her own sonar department. She had not transmitted it due to the risk of detection and now she was preparing to fire. The plan called for her to launch on receipt of a code word from an A-50 that was providing airborne control for the mission, when the Backfires had launched. The Dumlev’s captain was not prepared to wait the extra minutes and gave the order to launch. He wanted first blood, in memory of the Irkutsk.
Charlie Whiskey 01 was in the process of hot footing back to the carrier group when the first Chelomey SS-N-19, Granit broke the surface a half mile ahead. Of the twenty-four anti-ship missiles aboard the Admiral Dumlev, the first twenty were armed with 750 kg, high explosive warheads; the last four had 500 kT nuclear warheads. The Sea Hawk helicopter had only one Mk 50 torpedo left. Calling on the other pair of Sea Hawks, Charlie Whiskey 01 dropped on the submerged SSGN.
Seven SS-N-19s had broken the surface and begun their 1.5 mach journeys when the Mk 50 torpedo slammed into the Oscar II.
John F Kennedy received the heads up and all the groups’ air defences went active. A minute later CIC had them.
“Vampires, vampires…range 279 miles, bearing 006’, speed Mach plus .5…scope shows seven inbounds on that bearing!”
The missiles had an initial range and bearing to fly before their own inertial guidance took over. Dumlev had planned on swamping the US air defences with the conventional weapons to give the nuclear tipped warheads a better chance of success. The groups second line of aircraft locked up the inbounds with AIM-120 AMRAAMs and launched. The missiles could intercept cruise missiles flying at Mach 4 and all seven relatively slow Granit missiles fell to the F/A-18Ds AMRAAMs.
Charlie Whiskey 01s Mk 50 torpedoes 100lb warhead lacked the punch of its grown-up relatives. The torpedo strike terminated the launch of the remaining seventeen weapons, despite the captain and his crew’s best efforts; the fire control system was down. They still had propulsion and whilst two compartments were flooded and the port ballast tank ruptured, the vessel could still manoeuvre although it could not go deep. Under the circumstances, the Oscar II could well have escaped and made port for repairs but for the return of the other two UH-60B Sea Hawks that had conducted the search for Irkutsk. A second Mk-50 found its engine compartment, flooded it and deprived the submarine of the power to run or surface. With the enemy air raid closing in the UH-60Bs beat feet, leaving the Admiral Dumlev to slowly sink toward the bottom. At 853 feet the weakened hull imploded, leaving only an oil slick and flotsam to mark her grave.
The F-14s of Nikki’s squadron bore in toward the Su-27s who were flying interference for the bombers. Under E-2 control they launched an AIM-54 Phoenix apiece at the fighters and their second at the Backfires that had appeared beyond them. With their own AWG-9 radars freed up, the Tomcats closed to knife fight range with the Sukhois, on the way they took advantage of their Phoenix missiles arrival which had broken up the PLAAF formation, each aircraft weaved to evade the AIM-54s. At 20 miles range the F-14s pickled off their AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. Seven AIM-54s had found a target as had fourteen of the twenty AMRAAMs launched.
The Backfires launched at 220 miles out, two regiments of bombers carrying two C.802 missiles apiece, releasing as the Tomcats ten Phoenix missiles arrived, and going active whilst the Backfires were at their most vulnerable. The twenty-one survivors turned for home, their wings swept back and afterburners alight.
The F/A-18Ds of the second line detected the Backfires a minute before release; they launched their AIM-54 Phoenix missiles and went to afterburner. At Mach 3.7 the long range Phoenix’s sprinted ahead while the F/A-18s tried to get to within twenty miles to launch their AMRAAMs at the Backfires but were confronted with sixty inbound anti-ship C.802 missiles, flying only at Mach .8 but at a mere eight feet above the waves. The F/A-18D Hornets had no option but to disregard the fleeing Backfires and hunt the sea skimmers. The Phoenix missiles were left to chase the PLAAF bombers, their inertial guidance taking over from the Hornets.
In the CIC the TAO was confused, a Hornet had a visual on a missile and confirmed its extreme lo
w altitude, he did not know of any sea skimming missile with 200+ mile range but he had to move his reserve Tomcat squadron north to deal with leaker’s from this attack. The ships air defence missiles had a maximum range of 90 kilometres; it was common sense to engage any incoming with aircraft at beyond that range.
Despite the GRI’s pessimism, the Tu-160s approach was so far undetected by the E-2 Hawkeye. They passed below a pair of F/A 18D Hornets, completely undetected. All their C.802 missiles were nuclear tipped, they were 110 miles out and would release at the missiles maximum range, 65 miles.
To the north the Americans were wasting effort and materiel on the Backfires C.802s that were never intended to reach the ships, they would fall into the sea a little over a quarter of the way from their release points.
All 9 Sea Harriers were aloft when the AEW Sea King detected the incoming waves of Russian and PRC aircraft. They released their AIM-58s under the AEW Sea Kings control. Thirty-eight Phoenix missiles would have made a hole in the enemy’s numbers, but they no longer had the Tomcats to support them and their eighteen AIM-54s would represent a chip in comparison. HMS Cuchullainn and USS Dry Springs began launching on the incoming aircraft, the Royal Navy PAAMS, principle anti-air missile system’s Aster 30 missile and United States Navy’s SM-2 MR missiles had comparable ranges, reaching out to 90 km. When the threat closed the RN Destroyer would employ Sea Dart and then finally Sea Wolf missiles. The USN Destroyer had ship-launched Sea Sparrow for intermediate range air defence and SM-1 MR missiles for closer to home.
At sixty feet altitude all six Tu-160 bombers released their nuclear tipped C.802 missiles and banked hard as the twelve missiles dropped to 8 ft above the waves and accelerated north.
The Hawkeye detected the twelve inbounds from the south and the AEGIS cruisers and destroyers began launching SM-2 missiles. The two southern most frigates launched SM1 missiles and their Phalanx close-in weapon systems began to look for targets using FLIR, forward looking infrared sensors to pick out the heat given off by the inbounds along with radar.
Nine of the twelve C.802s fell to the SM-2 and 1 air defence missiles.
USS Norwich Falls Phalanx system shredded one of the pair of missiles heading its way, at half a mile out. Its neighbour, USS Timmings was expending 20mm depleted uranium tipped cannon shells at 3000 rounds per minute, the shells tore into the waves, just shy of its target. In the frigates CIC, the personnel watched with growing feelings of horror as the sea skimmer got ever closer. A crewman began to utter a prayer under his breath and reached for his rosary. The Phalanx magazine aboard the newer Norwich Falls held 1550 rounds when full, the Timmings held 989. At 800 yards from the Timmings her Phalanx finally destroyed the missile, her magazine had just 2 rounds remaining. A cheer broke the tension in the Timmings CIC and the TAO had turned to make some relieved comment to a crewman at his elbow. The monitor screens for the exterior cameras went blank. The photonic flash of a nuclear detonation burnt out the Timmings exterior cameras and the eyes of four crewmen looking astern at that moment.
USS Norwich Falls had emptied her 20mm magazine when her target was 500 yards away. Her aluminium hull was breached by the missile that penetrated to just short of the vessels centreline before its 2-kiloton warhead detonated.
Lt Fu Shen was muttering beneath his breath as he waited impatiently for Major Lee to fire or clear. They were engaged in a dogfight with nine Royal Navy Sea Harriers, they outnumbered the enemy by three to one and that was causing the PLAN pilots difficulties. There were too many of the big Sukhois chasing too few targets. The Sea Harriers low speed and greater manoeuvrability had already caused one mid-air collision between PRC aircraft. The young pilot knew that the only way to end this quickly was for them to put distance between the British fighters and then use missiles and the Su-27s superior speed to chop the Sea Harriers from the air, but who was he, just a lowly lieutenant. The British had intercepted them on the way to their air strike on the mixture of USN and RN ships.
Their top CAP of Mig-32s had dropped the ball, being out of position and now were taking their sweet time getting down.
Major Lee was cursing as he struggled to stay above a stall, his HUDs gun-sight flicked to red and he loosed a stream of 23mm cannon at his target, only it was no longer there, the Sea Harrier had broken high right and Major Lee swore aloud, banking to follow. He forgot his air speed until the stall warning sounded in his ears. He was so close! Just a little more…he switched from guns to AA-8 Aphids and listened for the tone, ignoring the stall warning, finger poised…another second and he would have tone. His stomach rose to meet his throat as the aircraft dropped beneath him as he departed controlled flight. Lt Fu Chen looked in frustration at his leaders’ antics and dismissed the temptation to take the shot himself, his duty as a wingman was to cover his leader and he dutifully followed him down.
Lt Nikki Pelham also had her hands full at that moment. The Su-27s that had preceded the way for the Backfires had not disengaged when the bombers had, choosing instead to mix it with the USN aviators. The fight here was more evenly matched, parachutes drifted down to the ocean thirteen thousand feet below. The dogfight had started at thirty-six thousand but had gradually lost altitude as dogfights often do. She had lost her wingman, there had been nothing on the radio, he was just gone and not answering her calls for assistance.
She was up against two of the enemy and although she had scored on one with her guns, nothing vital had apparently been hit but she was two up in total, one to an AMRAAM and one to a sidewinder at the start of the fight. She had no idea whether her two AIM-54s had scored and at the moment she had far more important things on her mind. With all the sophisticated equipment at her fingertips, the most important items right now were her RIOs eyes, he was twisting around, calling out the enemy’s whereabouts over the intercom as she tried to shake them off and get into a firing position behind them. She became aware that there were no other aircraft in view and it seemed that only moments ago the air had been filled with machines.
HMS Cuchullainn and the frigate USS Dry Springs were a quarter of a mile apart and racing to rejoin the group at twenty-nine knots apiece. Cuchullainn could manage thirty-six knots but stayed abreast of her partner.
The tows had been cut adrift once the PRC and Russians had committed themselves to the attack. Su-32FN fighter bombers had launched their first salvo of AS-18 anti-ship missiles at 100km out, but both ships had kept the reflectors between themselves and the attackers, relying on their medium and short range missile armament to pick off those missiles not obviously targeted on the decoys. The towed radar reflectors were gone now, torn asunder by anti-ship missiles in the first wave leaving the ships naked but for the helicopters that acted as detached decoys. Aster 30 and SM-2 missiles from the two ships were assisted by those from the Prince of Wales intercepting the second wave but the two ships magazines had fired their last long and medium range missiles. Cuchullainn’s Sea Wolf, short-range missiles were now the only missile cover available to the two ships as the Su-32s closed in. They had released only half of the anti-ship ordnance that they carried.
Alarms sounded aboard John F Kennedy as sensors detected the nuclear detonation eight miles away. On all ships of the group, men prayed as they went about their tasks and braced themselves for the shockwave and against the tilt of the deck as ships heeled hard over, seeking to put their bows toward the storm and presenting the smallest surface area. The danger of collision was high; John F Kennedy could not turn like a frigate.
In CIC the TAO was thrown off his feet as a giant hand slapped the ships huge exposed surface area. The carrier was virtually broadside on to the blast wave and the TAO hit the deck and continued sliding toward a bulkhead as the deck tilted further and further over.
HMS Hood was barely making headway as she closed on the fleeting contact ahead of her. The Russian submarine was deep, well below the Hood’s own crush depth, which meant it could only be an Alpha class attack boat. The Hood’s captain could only specula
te as to how the Russian could launch from its present depth. Had his own vessel been able to go so deep, it would take virtually all their reserve air just to get the weapon clear of the tube.
When they had first detected the Alpha, the Hood had slowly risen, using the thermal layer to mask the sound of their outer doors opening before descending again. The Russian was moving with great caution, which meant they knew Hood was in the vicinity. The fleeting contact made for haphazard ranging so Hood again rose above the thermal layer. The Hoods plan was to launch four torpedoes, run them out at slow speed before turning them in toward the target. The Alpha would undoubtedly launch back along the approaching torpedoes heading. If it launched more than one in reply, from that depth, then they obviously had solved the problem of expending too much air reserve whilst firing at extreme depth, a problem not yet cracked by the west. Each torpedo was set to steer toward a different point along the bearing that the Alpha was believed to be on. If it worked, then at least one would detect the target on its passive sensors, indicating as such down the long filament that connected it to the Hood.
“Fire two,” the captain almost whispered.
“Two fired sir.”
“Fire four.”
“Four fired sir.”
“Fire one.”
“One fired sir.”
“Fire three.”
“Three fired sir…all weapons running normally skipper.”
They could not reload the tubes without cutting the wires with which they steered the torpedoes that were running east and slowly diving to 1000 ft.
The forward torpedo room stood by to reload the tubes as the Hood sank below the layer once more, where she could again hear the Russian as he searched for them.
Cuchullainn fired her last Sea Wolf, targeting on the closest of the eighteen missiles rapidly closing on the two ships, they now only had the distant ships missiles for protection along with their own Phalanx ‘last ditch’ systems and chaff dischargers.