Episode 104

USS Ohio (SSGN-726)

Taiwan Straight

“It’s time, Skipper.”

“COB, take the boat to launch depth.  Set condition 1SQ throughout the ship.”

The 1MC immediately blared out the announcement.  “Man Battlestations Missile, for Tactical Launch.  Set Condition 1SQ. Man Battlestations Missile, for Tactical Launch.  Set Condition 1SQ throughout the ship.”

Markleee glanced at Travers whom he had allowed to come up to the control room for the launch. She showed no emotion at all.

“Travers, if this goes south your station is at the main escape trunk aft.”

She looked calmly back. “If this goes south, my assumption is that we are all fucked. Don’t forget, I know what it looks like topside when sub eats a torp.”

Marklee shook his head. “Just humor me, please.”

“Aye, sir.”

In a surprisingly short amount of time, the Ohio was ready to shoot. Marklee looked over at his second in command who nodded minutely.

 “Weapons free, land attack.  Fire at will Commander.”

“Weapons free, land attack, aye aye, sir.”

Once again, the mighty Ohio FLEXED as compressed air forced the cruise missiles from their tubes. One after another, on and on for a seeming eternity.

The massive barrage finally cracked Travers’ facade. “That is a crap ton of ordinance.”

“You got that right captain. One hundred and fifty four Tomahawks is a door knocker you don’t ignore.” He turned to the XO again. “Secure 1SQ. Take us down. Turn to heading one seven zero. Rig for quiet.”

As a low murmur of orders broke out in the control room, he turned back to Travers. “Don’t forget our sister the Michigan is out there someplace. God only knows what the air force is doing right now.”

93rd Bomb Squadron, US Air Force Reserve (USAF-R)

East China Sea, Angels 2

After the hectic missions supporting ground troops in North Korea, a long range missile strike seemed like simplicity itself. Just fly to x coordinate at y altitude and drop the missiles. Amazing what combat could make feel routine.

Tinney shifted in his seat. The flight from Japan hadn’t been long, but they’d dog-legged around Korea to get into a firing position without being sighted by ground based radar. At their current altitude of only two thousand feet, they were completely invisible to Chinese ground based radar two hundred miles away. The stealthy AGM-158B (also known as the JASSM-Extended Range) had proven it’s ability to fly in highly contested airspace many times over already.

Tinney got on the intercom to his weapons officer. “You ready back there John?”

“Locked and loaded. Downloaded the latest targeting updates from Long Snap five minutes ago.”

“Outlaw lead to all outlaws. Drop on my mark. Drop, drop drop.”

With that command an additional one hundred cruise missiles were sent to attack the home bases of the tactical aircraft currently engaged in North Korea. Each based was now targeted by over one hundred cruise missiles of various types. Timed to arrive at the same time as the returning fighters, the strike was designed to remove both the surviving aircraft and more importantly, their support crews, in one massive strike.

While Tinney was unconcerned about his ability to perform the mission, he was very concerned about the reaction it would engender. The USA was now fully engaged with at least one and perhaps two nuclear armed countries. While the Chinese seemed sane enough not to end the world in nuclear fire, nobody knew what the North Koreans were capable of. While intel said that they DIDN’T have the ability to put nukes on their long range missiles, that was a thin reed to carry the hope of the world on. All it would take is a single nuclear strike from the DPRK to cause an unstoppable escalation. As he turned his aircraft back towards Japan he mouthed a silent prayer that sanity would break out soon.