With a slight nod, the Special Forces officer acknowledged the Chairman's confirmation of his assumption as he prepared to launch into his briefing. "Gentlemen, despite great strides in the modernization and digitalization of our munitions and weapons," Fretello stated boldly, "there is nothing yet in our inventory that matches the precision or reliability that can be achieved by a well-trained and disciplined soldier. While it is true that a soldier is vulnerable to enemy action, terrain, and other environmental factors, he is not susceptible to electronic spoofing or countermeasures. A soldier on the ground not only provides us with immediate and accurate damage assessment, he affords us an opportunity for an immediate follow-up attack, if necessary."
These statements, all of them directed at the Chairman, caused some of the other officers, both at the table and scattered about the room, to squirm in their seats. Some, Fretello noted, were clearly angered by his words. But none dared jump on him, yet. Their opportunity to pile on would come when the Chairman opened the floor to a general discussion and questions.
"First slide," Fretello stated quietly after casting a quick glance over to the sailor controlling the audio-visuals. "Operation Balaklava involves the insertion of U. S. and NATO Special Operations Forces on or near the missile sites that are to be attacked."
Clearing his throat, the Chairman snickered. "I'm not too sure I approve of the name you selected for your operation, Major." Those present who had a grounding in military history chuckled.
Fretello smiled. "Sir, my choice was intentional and, I daresay, accurate, given what happened then and what I anticipate would happen during this operation." He paused, letting his smile fade.
"While we consider the comparison of a modern military operation with an event that most consider a blunder, let me remind you that the Light Brigade did succeed in seizing the Russian guns they were sent to capture despite the odds against them and the horrendous casualties they suffered. The only problem the British found after securing the guns was that they didn't have the means to destroy those guns. Our people will be far better prepared."
Fretello waited for all the chuckles and sneers to fade before he continued. "The concept of the operation is the same one used by the Germans on May tenth, nineteen-forty, to destroy the key Belgian fortress of Eban Emael. In that operation, a handful of German glider-borne combat engineers landed on top of that Belgium fort, placed shaped-charge explosives directly on top of the gun-and observation turrets of the fortress, and neutralized the entire installation without having to enter it or overpower its garrison. The speed, the precision, and the results achieved that day rival, and I daresay surpass, those that the Air Force could hope for with its most sophisticated munitions. Next."
Behind him, the image of a standard Army cratering charge flashed onto the screen. "Given the time constraints, we will need to use demolitions that are suited for the task, on hand, available in sufficient numbers to accomplish the mission, and are man-portable. In this case, the munitions of choice is the standard forty-pound cratering charge. Not only is it easy to set up and very reliable, it is also a shaped charge designed to direct the bulk of its destructive power downward. Based upon the data we have on the nature of the silo covers, a number of these devices, placed directly over the missile, will not only penetrate the cover, but will generate sufficient fragmentation and shrapnel to disable or destroy the unarmored warhead of the missile below. Even if there are no sympathetic detonations due to the rupturing of the missile's fuel tanks, damage to the warhead will be sufficient to keep the missile from functioning properly."
As before, several officers around the room shifted and squirmed about in their seats. Fretello, however, was undeterred by this display of nervousness and displeasure. "Next slide." On the screen, a schematic showing the composition of the assault teams came up. "Three six-man teams will be assigned to each target. All will be fully self-contained and able to execute their assigned task independently. Each of these teams will be inserted separately and approach their target from different directions. All teams will be briefed that if discovered by Russian security forces, they will do their best to draw those forces away from the target, thus increasing the chance that one of the remaining teams will be able to reach the target and execute the assigned task."
Not waiting for any questions or reactions, Fretello pressed on. "Next." The new chart displayed the major Special Operations Forces of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Under each was listed the contribution each nation would be required to make. Next to each team was a designated target. "Because of the number of targets we are required to hit, the necessary redundancy the Chairman's criteria of success mandates, and the limited time we have to muster and deploy into the theater of operations, we will need to draw upon those Special Operations commands, both U. S. and NATO, that have trained personnel on hand and at the ready. As you can see, we will pretty much exhaust our appropriate national resources."
After permitting the assembled officers to digest the information on the slide, Fretello called for the next slide. "Upon completion of their mission, the teams will assemble at designated rally points. From there, they will either be extracted by NATO or directed to link up with Russian forces still loyal to the government in Moscow. Should our actions, or the overall political situation in Russia, result in a hostile environment that would rule out those alternatives, then the teams will be directed to either escape and evade, or to hunker down someplace safe until an Allied operation to extract them could be mounted."
Finished, Fretello gave the NCO in charge of the audio-visual equipment a nod. On cue, the last of the major's slides, one depicting the emblem of the Army's Special Forces and motto, flashed across the screen. "Sir," Fretello snapped, "are there any questions?"
Leaning forward, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs removed his glasses and looked up at Fretello as he stood before the assembled senior officers at parade rest. "Is that all?" the Chairman asked.
"That, sir, is the concept of the operation," Fretello replied without hesitation. "The rest of my briefing covers the operational details concerning the actual loads each man would carry, locations for the marshaling of transports and teams, routes in and out for those transports, specific drop zones, and other sundry items, none of which 1 assume is critical at this juncture of the planning process."
After staring at the Army major for a moment, the Chairman looked over at General Smith. "A rather high-risk operation, Chuck."
The Chief of Staff of the Army understood what the Chairman was driving at. Turning to face him, Smith cleared his throat, throwing a quick glance in Fretello's direction. "Every member of the Army's Special Forces knows what's expected of him." Lifting his hand, he used his fingers to indicate each point of his case as he made it. "To start with, those people joined the Army of their own accord, many at a lime when the nation's economy was booming and unemployment was all but unheard of. Most of them selected a combat branch when they enlisted. All elected to go airborne. And each and every one of them placed himself through hell to earn the right to wear that beret. At each step of the process, they were not only trained, they were indoctrinated in what membership in that elite band of brothers means. Let there be no doubt, if you say 'Jump,' each and every one will respond with a rousing, it's about time!' "
Dropping his fingers, Smith pointed at Fretello with his thumb. "While the people here in Washington have grown used to beating down our foes by remote control and on the cheap, those of us charged with preparing to wage war on the ground have never forgotten that the microchip cannot solve every problem. Men like the major there know that the time will come when we will come face-to-face with a situation to which there are no good alternatives, a crisis that will demand we ante up and pay, in blood, in order to remain king of the hill. While not everyone is as cavalier as Major Fretello, I assure you, they'll do their duty."