A chart of the area was put up immediately on one of the large computer monitors when a foreign city or nation was mentioned, so Curtis and his staff could get a look at the area in question. Curtis found his mouth going dry, his pulse quickening. Forty-seven dead…
“Aegis cruiser Bunker Hill damaged during action,” Rodgers continued, “but sustained no casualties and only minor injuries. It is fully combat-capable and is assisting Ranger.”
“Action approved,” Curtis said. Dammit, the Bunker Hill too. Two major warships damaged, with more casualties in one day than practically the entire 1991 Persian Gulf crisis. “Wait one. Wasn’t there another ship with Ranger? Another cruiser?”
“Yes, sir. USS Sterett is en route to the Celebes Sea to attempt to recover two F-14 fighters downed in action with Chinese fighter-bombers. The Tomcat crews are listed as missing in action.”
Two fighters? Jesus, four aviators. How many more were going to be lost? “Goddammit, Captain, give us the casualties all at once. Are there any more?”
“No, sir. American casualties only on Ranger and two Tomcats.”
“Thank you,” Curtis said, taking a deep breath. “Hold on that last action by Sterett. Can Ranger provide any air support for Sterett?”
“Not at this time, sir,” Rodgers replied. “Ranger unable to launch or recover aircraft. Admiral Walheim advised that he does not suggest sending any heavy Air Force aircraft within six hundred miles of Zamboanga on Mindanao due to heavy Chinese fighter and antiair naval activity. He is trying to organize a fighter patrol using carrier-based tankers that were stranded from Ranger…”
“How can he rearm his fighters if they can’t use Ranger?”
“His fighters received permission to land in Indonesia along with the medical helicopters,” Rodgers replied. “Admiral Walheim has organized land-based rearming for the fighters by transferring stores from Ranger by helicopter to Ratulangi Airport near Manado, Indonesia, but he has not yet received permission from the Indonesian government to allow those helicopters to land or to conduct offensive operations from Indonesia. In addition, the Indonesian government has requested that the armed aircraft not depart Ratulangi until their status has been confirmed.”
Pretty fast thinking, Curtis thought — Walheim, another youngster commanding his first carrier battle group, was already devising ways to continue the fight even without a carrier deck. An X marked the spot on the chart where the fighters went down — about three to four hundred miles from Manado.
Admiral Cunningham asked, “How many fighters are stranded off Ranger, Captain?”
“Six F-14 Tomcats, two KA-6 tankers, one E-2C Hawkeye,” Rodgers replied. “Weapons include total of four Phoenix missiles, fifteen Sparrow missiles, ten Sidewinder missiles, and full ammunition loads.”
Cunningham nodded thoughtfully and said to Curtis, “Depending on fuel availability, Walheim can mount a credible air-defense operation from Ratulangi for a rescue operation if they could get full cooperation from the Indonesian government.”
“It’s unlikely, considering all the shit that’s going on,” Curtis said, “but we’ve got to find out.” To Rodgers, Curtis said, “I want to talk with the State Department ASAP. Danahall himself if he’s available, otherwise his Pacific deputy.”
“Admiral Walheim suggested going ahead with search and rescue efforts anyway; a lone vessel broadcasting that it is part of a rescue effort might be allowed to proceed.”
“The STRATFOR can organize a cover counter-air operation from Andersen,” General Falmouth, the Air Force Chief of Staff, suggested. “PACAF has a number of fighters on Guam we can use…”
“Action denied,” Curtis replied. “I want Sterett to stay out of the Celebes and outside six hundred miles from Zamboanga until I talk directly with State and Admiral Walheim. No vessels enter the Celebes without support.” He thought of the four Tomcat naval aviators that were down, but he also knew the result of a damaged plane slamming into the sea from thousands of feet in the sky — unless someone saw parachutes, there were probably no survivors, and certainly there was no reason to risk hundreds of lives on Sterett to save four men. As much as Curtis hated to admit it, a rescue operation now was out of the question. “Continue. Status of the Air Force aircraft?”
“Minor injuries sustained during escape maneuvers when the crew thought they were under attack,” Rodgers said. “The RC-135 refueled inflight and safely recovered at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. The E-3C AWACS plane and the KC-10 are still on station in the southern Philippine
Sea north of Manado between the Philippines and Indonesia; the AWACS plane is keeping an eye on Chinese fighter activity and attempting to locate the two downed aircraft. They have four of the six Tomcat fighters with them for air cover; the other two Tomcats landed in Indonesia with the medevac helicopters. They estimate they can stay on station until daybreak, then they must withdraw for aircraft servicing.”
Curtis checked the row of world clocks below the NMCC’s ‘‘big board” — it was almost two-thirty in the morning Guam time. “I want the AWACS plane back on Guam by sunrise,” Curtis said. ‘‘Have them stay long enough to cover any naval flight operations in progress, but I don’t want any heavy American military aircraft airborne during daylight hours, with or without escorts.” He then thought of Dr. Jon Masters’ satellite system — what the hell did he call them, NIRTSats? — and said, “I want to talk with General Stone on Guam immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Curtis turned to Cunningham. “We got a satellite system up there that can find a Chevy in a parking lot full of Fords, on a cloudy night, from four hundred miles in space — now’s the time to use it.”
“Amen to that,” Cunningham said. “Sir, the Independence carrier group should be notified of the incident and briefed on their actions. I’d like to set up the two-hundred-mile exclusion zone and put fire-first provisions in the ROEs.”
“Two-hundred-mile exclusion zone approved,” Curtis said. “Fire-first provisions only for aircraft on antiship cruise-missile profiles. Any other actions have to come through the NCA.
“Get a full report from Admiral Walheim on Ranger, then brief me ASAP on what we need to send to Manado to assist our troops in Indonesia; I need a laundry list for the State Department. Find out what ships are available to replace Ranger — including submarines. I want to be able to take control of those waters as quickly as I can.” Cunningham turned to his communications console to begin issuing his orders.
The orange fight on his console illuminated, and Curtis donned a headset and plugged it into the phone jack. “Curtis here.”
“Hold for the President, please.” A moment later: “Yes, Wilbur, what’s going on?”
“Mr. President, we have an incident pear the Philippines. The aircraft carrier Ranger was hit by a Chinese air-launched cruise missile and damaged with loss of life. Two Navy fighter planes were shot down as well.”
“Oh, no…” the President murmured, obviously not wishing his feelings to be heard by others with him. He was speaking on a scrambled cellular phone, but from the background noise Curtis heard, it sounded as if he were at a luncheon and were still right at the table. “I’ll be out of here in ten minutes. Ask ‘laddie’ to come up and see me when he can.” The line went dead.