The helicopters were needed because the vital final parts of the American technology were going to arrive late, brought in from labs in the United States. By the time that happened, they expected the Jiaolong and its fleet to be within range of Johnston Atoll. It would be a race for the Americans to reach Johnston Atoll and install the equipment before the Chinese could get there. The special forces troops would ensure that even if they met resistance, they could still succeed. Well, within reason.
When they finished describing the plan, Victoria looked around the room. Stunned silence. She understood why. The plan was audacious at best, a suicide mission at worst.
“Questions?”
One of the aviators said, “Why helicopters? Why not use a C-130 transport or something?”
General Schwartz looked at Victoria, then back at the pilot who had asked the question. “By the time the Jiaolong is in range, anything that’s airborne may be shot down. We have a jamming technology, if you could call it that, that will allow your four aircraft to remain off their radar. But you’ll be very low over the ocean. We went over aircraft capabilities, and this was our best option.”
The pilot frowned and started to ask a follow-up question, but Victoria interjected. “That’s all we will discuss on that topic.” He caught her eye. While he didn’t understand, he knew enough to shut up.
Plug spoke from the back of the classroom. “Sir, okay… let me get this straight. I think what you guys are saying is that this Jiaolong-class ship is like the Death Star. And you guys think you have a way to find the air vent with your special equipment, which may or may not work. And the air vent isn’t really like the Death Star, it’s more like an inverse radar cone or something. So we fly like… forever… over water with these ultra-tough special forces guys.” He looked at the operator sitting next to him. “’Sup.” Then he turned back to the general. “And they’re going to install our new American secret weapon, which will neutralize the Chinese super-weapon. Am I mostly getting it right?”
General Schwartz blinked. “So, anyone else have any questions or comments?”
Plug’s hand shot up again. Victoria shook her head.
“One more thing, sir. You did say that you had the tab when we go to the tiki bar tonight, correct?”
The mission planning and aircrew brief took the entirety of the morning. Lunch was brought to them in the classrooms, and the first training flight was scheduled for that afternoon.
Like a coach training his team for the Super Bowl, General Schwartz oversaw each evolution.
That afternoon, the pilots, aircrew, and special forces soldiers stood in a gaggle on the flight line. General Schwartz and one of civilians he had with him were speaking to someone on the radio and checking their watches.
Victoria saw the maintenance chief waiting over by a push cart. Two computers waiting atop the cart. He gestured for her and Plug to come over while they were waiting.
The chief said, “Alright, ma’am, sir, it took us all night, but we installed the new equipment in place of the APS-153.”
Plug said, “Wait, what?”
Victoria said, “It’s part of the special equipment package. Our radar has been replaced by the electronic attack package General Schwartz mentioned. It’ll use the same power source and console as the radar. That’s pretty much why the Romeo helicopters are involved.”
Plug said, “So they just take off the APS-153 and throw on some new gadget down there? Doesn’t it need to go through like five years of testing first? Is it even safe for flight? Wait. So now I won’t have radar?”
Victoria shot him a look. “Correct. If they remove the radar, we no longer have radar.”
“Safe for flight in the literal sense, yes. By regulation, no. But this is a special circumstance. Relax, Plug, we can’t use our radar anyway. We can’t emit anything that might be detected.”
The chief said, “Sir, the internal switches are all the same. The contractor guy said you’re supposed to have it on the whole time you’re over water. There he is.”
The equipment expert who had installed the electronic jamming equipment came over and explained to the four Romeo pilots how it worked.
When he was finished, Plug shrugged. “Okay.” He looked at the chief. “Replace anything else?”
“No, sir.”
The chief smiled. “Now if you could just sign the book here.” Plug rolled his eyes and then signed the maintenance forms.
A few minutes later, General Schwartz squeezed off an air horn. “Clock’s running. That’s our simulated alert. Let’s go!”
The aircrews and special forces men ran into the helicopters. Victoria and Plug flew together. Their hands raced through the start-up procedure, verbalizing it as they went. All four helicopters’ engines began whining, rotors turning over the pavement. Within minutes, the four helicopters had taken off and flew low over the water in a tight formation.
Twenty miles out to sea, a US Navy supply ship was in position. The four helicopters arrived overhead, and the DEVGRU team began fast-roping from the cabins of the MH-60S Seahawks. Then the aircraft flew racetrack patterns while the SEALs conducted a practice assault of the ship. An hour later, they were back on the beach.
General Schwartz was waiting for them there. The helicopters conducted a hot refuel, their rotors still turning. Everyone took turns using the head during those few minutes. Victoria met with General Schwartz. He yelled into her ear over the sound of the rotors.
“It didn’t go well. Our test radars could still see you. You’ll need to fly lower. And they’re making tweaks on the jamming device now. The engineers want you to make another run.”
Victoria nodded and gave a thumbs-up, then got back in the aircraft. They flew the training mission three more times, switching to night vision goggles after sunset.
It was two a.m. by the time they finished the day’s training. Victoria’s flight suit was drenched, her muscles cramping from more than ten hours in the air, much of it spent traveling at twenty-five feet above the surface of the water at the aircraft’s maximum speed. Her eyes stung from sweat and oil.
The next day’s training didn’t begin until sunset. The practice boat had been moved farther out to sea, to simulate the longer ride. On the way, Plug asked, “Why are we practicing on a boat anyway?”
Victoria said, “Because we can’t let anyone see what we’re doing on land. The operator’s job is pretty simple. Secure an area and get the tech expert to the right spot to install the final piece of equipment.”
Plug looked at her like the explanation didn’t make any sense, but he let it go. Victoria was grateful for that.
Each training mission became a little more challenging. They added more weight and equipment. Auxiliary fuel tanks full of fuel to give them better range. Hellfire missiles on all aircraft, and even rocket pods on the Sierras. On day three, they began training with each weapon fired from the helicopters. Hellfire missile shoots. Sniper training from the cabin of her aircraft. Every possible contingency was planned for. But as Victoria flew back during one of the flights, she looked over her notes.
Plug saw her with her lip light on, scribbling something on her kneeboard in the dark. “What’s a matter?”
“We wouldn’t have enough fuel.”
“We’ll have a couple of LCSs to get gas on, right?”