Ford looked white as a ghost. “Come on. Cyber-hijacking? We can do that?”
Mark laughed, adjusting his man bun. “Kid, you didn’t learn from Devil Dragon how we can pull something like this off? Come on, man. This is the DIA. We can do anything.”
“Huh,” Robert had said out loud. “Cyber-hijacking? That sounds pretty intense.”
Cyber-hijacking was not something of the future or fictional, but very real. This topic was made popular after the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, with 239 people aboard. Theories developed after potential vulnerabilities were found in the aircraft software, hardware, and satellite communications, in that a computer or a person shut off the aircraft transponder and rerouted the aircraft. Investigators determined this could have easily been completed remotely from a smartphone, USB stick, or a computer.
What also made it easier for hackers was that in-flight Wi-Fi use for passengers was on the rise. Despite requirements for service providers to acquire certifications by safety regulators, the airlines were installing technology packages by the thousands. The heavy demand by the airlines forced the FAA to approve supplemental type certificates that were needed to install level 2Ku hardware on thousands of airframes. This new 2Ku technology was using high-capacity satellite communications with all sorts of commercial services available. Passengers were happy with the larger bandwidth to stream a movie during a flight, and willing to pay for it, but the excessive risk for hacking was tremendous.
Jeanie explained a bit more. “We have quietly experimented with commercial airliners, with the most recent test on a Boeing 777–200. We were able to penetrate the flight systems using a smartphone and their in-flight entertainment system. Easily using our satellites, too. No question we can do it on your Scorpion aircraft because we already have. Fly-by-wire aircraft already are controlled by electronic signals. We can change communications and navigation, turn systems on and off… fly the entire aircraft.”
No one said anything as they all absorbed the information.
Jeanie continued. “We just launched another Delta IV rocket at the cape. It was another of the planned network of Wideband Global SATCOM birds. Once this WGS-9 satellite vehicle climbs up to her twenty-two-thousand-mile position, she’ll join the rest of the constellation above the equator. Plenty of high-capacity communications and signal strength.”
The government team was able to extract, decode, and analyze data from nearly any phones, and these two pilot phones were easy targets because the smartphone settings were most likely simple settings. If they weren’t, Jeanie would have to remotely load custom firmware upon reboot, or use brute force, which was a methodical guess for their passcodes. The passcodes to unlock the phones remotely and enter into their operating systems meant they were bypassing their security mechanisms. Her work would be done completely by surprise to the owners of the phones and the Chinese military, and no one would know she was even there. This was how she and Mark could generate the plan over the past few days, as her background in information technology and cyber was perfectly suited in this arena.
Jeanie continued the “how” portion with full professional confidence, not normally seen from a younger employee, attempting to dampen any doubters in the room.
“I am able to insert some commands and computer code — you know, lines — and can send a set of processes from our satellites to the aircraft and on-board smartphones. The pilots’ phones are in the cockpit, so we’d have double connections. Airplane connection and phone connection. I’ll send the signal to upload some bad stuff — you know, malicious software and malware — that I’ll install quietly and remotely. At the right time and cuing from you, we can easily send some specific navigation and other instructions.”
Emily thought the idea was pretty damn powerful, and part of her was proud that, although young and pretty, a strong woman was telling the men how to do business. Emily liked that she was empowered now, and changed her mind about Jeanie.
“Jeanie, your idea sounds pretty good. I have to say that I am impressed with this cyber-hijacking idea because I wasn’t a few minutes ago. Good so far. But the operational side of me has questions. Items like the enormous flight distances… breaks in communications and satellites, aircraft petrol… right, Ford, petrol? And, of all obstacles, the two, sitting-duck aircrew. The two pilots are still in there, in the cockpit, flying the thing.”
“Yes, the pilots. Well. At a location of your choosing, we can… simply eject them.”
“Eject them? Oh boy. Jeanie, how are you going to eject them? You have to physically pull the ejection handle from inside the cockpit,” Ford said.
“Again, Ford, remotely. I can do it in the cyber world by electronically telling the aircraft to do it. The ejection handle is nothing more than an electrical switch that you’re triggering with physical force. It’s connected to the essential avionics electrical bus, and connected with simple copper wires. We’d do it over a geographic location of your choosing. Mountains, desert, country, airfield, over the water… whatever you select. We just have to come up with a geo location.”
Ejection seats in aircraft have been around since 1910, when compressed air was first used to get the pilot out of the cockpit. The system is designed to get aircrew out in an onboard emergency in a military aircraft. The design is that the aircrew seat gets thrust out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rocket motor, taking the aircrew member out with the seat. Once a safe distance from the aircraft, the aircrew member separates from the seat and parachutes safely to earth.
Robert loved the idea, too, and was reviewing the discussion. He clucked his tongue a few times and rubbed his hands together. “What’s that second aircraft up on the board, Jeanie? The higher one, above Black Scorpion.”
Jeanie looked at the whiteboard. “I understand, everyone. Plenty of questions. I’m comfortable with the remote cyber aspect for a certain period of time, but realistically we are not able fly it remotely from China for any lengthy period of time, all the way to the United States. With 100 percent confidence and reliability, that is.”
Emily shook her head in agreement, then looked at Mark.
Jeanie took the marker and pointed at the top aircraft. “Yes, Robert, this second aircraft… and this where you come into play, Ford,” pointing at Ford with the marker. “You’re going to be the pilot flying chase, or a second jet in a formation. Think about it like a chase car, but a chase airplane. You’ll be a passenger in the cockpit of a B-2 Spirit, flying above the Black Scorpion. You’ll fly in the B-2 jump seat with a specially configured laptop that will enable you to fly the Black Scorpion a short distance once the pilots get ejected out. You’ll fly the empty stealth jet without aircrew, just like a flight simulator or one of our Reapers.”
“OKaayyyy. Then what happens?” Ford asked, grinning. Yes, I’m back in the game.
“You’ll land her on a runway in, say South Korea… or Burma, Japan, or, maybe even India. Once on the ground and refueled, crew rested, you get in the jet, along with a copilot, and fly her to the US,” replied Jeanie. “No need for the chase plane after that.”
“Brilliant. That’s one hell of a plan,” Emily said, raising her eyebrows.
Ford nodded, but started thinking of the cold temperatures he experienced in the back of the G650ER when exposed to high altitudes and open air. It reminded him of what it would be like in the cockpit without a roof. “Hold up. Hold up.”
“Hold what up?” Robert asked.
“You guys are going to literally blow the roof off the jet. Two pilots are going to come shooting out. You know how freaking cold it will be for me once I get in to fly her to the US? You know, at altitude, with me flying to the US for hours on end?” Ford commented, thinking of how much he hated the cold.