“Hey, he contacted me, he knew we were an American bomber, he knew exactly where we were, and he’s locked on to our comm algorithm,” Elliott said. “I figured either the squids gave all this information to him, or someone leaked it to the ROC. In any case, he says the Liberation Army Navy battle group is carrying nuclear weapons that they’re going to use on Quemoy, and he’s going out to stop them right now. We need permission to set up a protective electronic screen around his ships and engage as necessary. Over.”
“Headbanger, this is Buster. Keep your nose cold until I get the straight word from Atlas,” Samson replied, telling Elliott to hold his fire until he notified Admiral Allen directly. “Stand by.”
“Confirmed,” McLanahan said, checking his weapons status. “I’ve still got a CHECK FIRE data message from PACCOM. My nose is cold. Someone better get on the horn to Taiwan Navy headquarters. One of their naval units is about to start a war with China! ”
“Sir, port lookout reports that the S-70 helicopter on the Nationalist ship’s platform is turning rotors!” the officer of the deck shouted. Admiral Yi swung around and scanned the ship with his binoculars. Although the Taiwanese ship was still facing its bow directly toward the Chinese ships, it was possible to see the S-70’s turning main rotor behind the large aircraft hangar. The 40-millimeter gun’s barrel was now lowered and aimed directly at the Mao. “Radar reports a second vessel coming over the horizon heading right for us, possibly another Nationalist warship.”
Dammit, Yi shouted at himself, this is accelerating too fast! He was only minutes away from starting a shooting war with the Nationalists! He yanked the phone off its cradle, keyed the mike, and said in Mandarin, “Frigate Kin Men, frigate Kin Men, this is the carrier Mao Zedong. I warn you, if you attempt to launch your helicopter now, I will open fire on it. We do not wish a war with you, but you must not provoke us further! ”
“Carrier Mao, you will reverse course immediately, or you will be fired upon without further warning! ” the skipper of the Taiwanese frigate responded. “You and your entire fleet are in danger of anti-ship cruise missile attack at this very moment. I warn you, shut down your radars or they will be destroyed by anti-radar weapons that have been launched against you.”
“Prepare to lock radars on enemy aircraft, traverse the Crotale launcher and prepare to open fire,” Yi shouted to the officer of the deck. “Clear to load the AK-130s.” The two 130-millimeter gun mounts began to turn toward the Taiwanese frigate; at the same time, the large octuple French-made Crotale Modulaire launcher swiveled port and down, aiming its eight Crotale antiaircraft missiles directly at the frigate.
“Crotale launcher elevated, hot birds on the rail, sir! ” the officer of the deck reported. “Hong-Yang-2 anti-ship missiles on Kang and Changsha aligned and ready for targets. P-500s spinning up and ready in two minutes.”
“Where are my fighters?” Yi shouted.
“Interceptor One flight of two is on deck; first aircraft should be ready to launch in five minutes. Interceptor Two flight of two will be on deck in three minutes.”
“Acknowledged,” Yi replied. “Lock fire control and targeting radars on the Taiwanese frigate. Notify me immediately if the helicopter lifts off.” Then, aloud, to the rebel commander, he muttered, “Very well, Captain, you wanted to play tough guy. What will you do now?”
“Target-tracking radars locked onto the Taiwanese frigate,” Vikram shouted excitedly on interphone. “They got him nailed. Crotale targettracking radar is up. They’re tracking the helicopter even while it’s still on deck. Square Tie anti-ship missile-targeting radar locked on, bearing to the Kin Men and a second bearing on the newcomer to the southeast. They can attack at any time.”
Elliott swore aloud and keyed the mike again: “Buster, this is Headbanger, the Pigs are getting ready to start breakfast. What do you want us to do?”
“Stand by, Headbanger,” Samson replied a few long, agonizing moments later. “We’re waiting for word from Wrangler.” That was Admiral Balboa, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — this decision was going right to Washington.
“Screw Balboa, Earthmover,” Elliott shouted on the radio, forgetting all communications security procedures. “That Taiwanese frigate is going to be blown out of the water in about sixty seconds if we don’t do anything.”
“Check your fire — and your mouth, Headbanger!” Samson responded angrily. “If no one has opened fire yet, you don’t open fire. And maintain proper COMSEC procedures!”
Suddenly, McLanahan’s God’s-eye view on his large supercockpit display picked up a new flying target. “I got missile launch detection — and it’s from the Taiwanese frigate! ” he shouted. “Subsonic, low-flying, probably a Harpoon anti-ship missile… Taiwanese helicopter lifting off…now picking up several more missile launches from the Kin Men… I’ve got missile launch detection from the newcomer as well, subsonic missile launch, probably Harpoons.”
“Dammit, the Taiwanese frigate attacked,” Elliott said. “Why in the hell didn’t he wait?”
McLanahan heard that comment, but he was too busy to ask about it: “I’ve got six missiles in the air, all aiming for the Chinese carrier and destroyer,” he reported. “Lead PLAN destroyer now opening fire with missiles now, subsonic, probably HY-2 anti-ship missiles.”
“Commit all countermeasures!” Elliott shouted. “Clear for wing pylon weapon release! ”
“We don’t have authorization yet, Brad,” McLanahan shouted.
“Patrick, that Taiwanese frigate is going to be Swiss cheese unless we do something,” Elliott retorted. “Get on it right now! DSO, stand by on the Wolverines.”
“Brad, wait…”
“We’re only launching decoys, Patrick,” Elliott said. “What in hell are you waiting for? You’re clear for wing pylon release.”
Vikram looked over at McLanahan, his finger poised over the launch commit button. McLanahan hesitated for a moment; Vikram considered that approval and pressed the buttons on his keyboard. “Roger. Stand by for pylon launch, crew,” Vikram announced. He launched two defensive Wolverine missiles, one from each wing pylon pod. McLanahan knew he should halt the launch, but decided not to interfere.
The turbojet-powered Wolverine cruise missiles set up a protective orbit around the Taiwanese frigate and activated its powerful electronic jammers, creating an intense blanket of jamming and decoy signals. When the Chinese Hong Yang-2 Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles activated their terminal homing radars in the preprogrammed target “basket” area, they suddenly found not one, but hundreds of radar targets. The seeker heads merely picked out the electronically largest radar target and aimed right for it, descending from two hundred feet above the water to twenty feet to make it harder for anti-missile weapons to stop it.
But every Chinese Sea Eagle missile had locked onto a false target created by the Wolverine missile’s jammers. When it lost radar contact, it immediately turned and locked onto the next largest radar target. Every time the Sea Eagle missile turned, it slowed down, making it easier for the Kin Men’s guns and Standard missiles to hunt them down; the ones that were not destroyed by the Taiwanese frigate were detoured farther and farther away until they simply ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea.