Harrison reached into one RHIB and Stone into the other, retrieving two shoulder-fired missile launchers, lifting them into position as four helicopters appeared over the bluff. Harrison and Stone fired, sending two missiles streaking upward. The helicopters weren’t far away and the missiles closed within seconds, insufficient time for the helicopter pilots to employ decoys or evasive maneuvers.
The missiles hit two helicopters, engulfing them in flames as they careened downward, one crashing onto the beach and the second into the water. As Harrison and Stone reloaded, the other helicopters turned toward them and fired. Two six-round rocket volleys streaked toward the beach. Mendelson pulled Kalinin to the ground, pushing him against the side of one RHIB, just before their surroundings erupted in flame. The heat and pressure transient was intense. As the fireballs rose skyward, dirt, vegetation, and parts of the other RHIB rained down on them.
Harrison and Stone rose to a firing position and sent two more missiles skyward as the remaining helicopters flew overhead. Each missile plowed into the underbelly of a chopper, and two more burning hulks fell from the sky.
After reloading their missile launchers, the SEALs turned their attention to the bluff. More Russian soldiers were descending. Shifting back to their M4 carbines, the SEALs eliminated the threat. However, the bluff ridge was filled with additional soldiers firing down at them, and Kalinin realized they were in a stalemate. The Russians couldn’t descend the bluff, and the SEALs couldn’t haul their RHIB across the beach into the water.
Harrison and Stone conferred, and they considered employing their shoulder-fired missiles against the Russians atop the bluff. However, they didn’t have many rounds left and decided to preserve them in case additional helicopters or other aircraft arrived. Instead, Harrison pulled a target laser from his backpack and pinpointed two dozen spots along the ridge, then uploaded the coordinates.
59
USS MICHIGAN
“Man Battle Stations Missile.”
The loud gong, gong, gong of the General Emergency alarm reverberated throughout the submarine. As the alarm faded, the Chief of the Watch repeated the order over Michigan’s shipwide communication circuit.
Crew members streamed into Control, energizing dormant consoles as they donned their sound-powered phone headsets. Wilson stepped from Radio, a freshly printed message in his hand, then entered the Battle Management Center behind Control, where Missile Technicians were bringing the dual-display consoles to life.
Information scrolled down their displays, matching the data in the message Wilson held. Fire support had been requested from an American military unit ashore, with the request relayed from Pacific Command to the Cruise Missile Support Activity in Camp Smith, Hawaii, to the nearest unit — USS Michigan. The entire relay had taken less than two minutes. As Wilson examined the nearest display, containing a map with the target coordinates, he realized the request had come from Lieutenant Harrison’s SEAL team.
That revelation wasn’t lost on the personnel in the Battle Management Center, and it seemed to add urgency to the target processing. The submarine’s Weapons Officer, Lieutenant Trevor Powers, hovered behind the operators as they completed the mission planning for each target coordinate, assigning it to a Tomahawk in Michigan’s missile tubes. As they approached the twenty-fourth coordinate, Powers held up a finger, indicating they’d be done in one minute.
Wilson descended the ladder to the second level and entered the Missile Control Center. Like the Navigation Center above, MCC had been transformed during the submarine’s conversion to a guided missile submarine. The refrigerator-sized computers had been replaced with servers one-tenth their size, and the ballistic missile Launch Console had been replaced with four workstations: two Mission Planning Consoles, a Launch Control Console, and a fourth workstation displaying a map of the Black Sea, containing a green hatched area.
Stopping behind the Launch Control Console, Wilson looked over the shoulder of a petty officer second class. He glanced at the fourth console, verifying Michigan was within the green hatched area — the submarine’s launch basket — where Michigan’s Tomahawk missiles were within target range.
The Launch Operator announced, “All targets assigned. In the window, salvo One.”
Wilson replied, “Very well. Continue.”
The Launch Operator clicked the green button, and Michigan’s automatic Tomahawk Attack Weapon System took control.
“Opening tube Twelve,” the Launch Supervisor reported as the green indicating light for tube Twelve turned yellow. Shortly thereafter, the indicating light turned red. “Hatch, tube Twelve, open and locked.”
A few seconds later, the Launch Operator reported, “Missile One, tube Twelve, away.”
The first of Michigan’s Tomahawks was ejected from the submarine. In rapid succession, another missile followed every five seconds, with the Tomahawk Attack Weapon System automatically opening and closing the missile tube hatches as required.
Michigan’s Tomahawks streaked east.
60
KRASNODAR KRAI
The SEALs traded fire with the Russians atop the bluff, pulling replacement ammunition magazines from their backpacks. It became clear that Mendelson was a sniper, as he carried a different weapon than the other two SEALs, and his firing was slower and more deliberate. Even at this distance, he scored an impressive success rate, with a soldier falling down the bluff every few shots.
Kalinin still had a pistol in his hand, but he was too far away for effective fire. In close quarters, however, he could lend assistance. To the left, there was a break in the bluff, through which a river emptied into the Black Sea. Russian soldiers were no doubt working their way along the bluff and would soon descend along the riverbank, approaching from their left flank.
As he wondered how long they could hold out and what the next step in Harrison’s plan was, a missile streaked overhead, detonating atop the bluff ridge. Five seconds later, another missile and explosion followed, and another in five seconds more. Kalinin noted the distinctive pattern of cluster munition warheads, spraying the area with deadly mini-bomblets, most likely delivered via American Tomahawk missiles.
With a missile detonating atop the bluff every five seconds, the remaining Russians dropped back, scrambling for cover, and the bullets raining down from the bluff ridge ceased. Harrison took advantage of the reprieve. As additional missiles streaked overhead, the three SEALs pulled the RHIB across the beach, Kalinin following beside them.
Once the boat was in the water, the SEALs jumped in and Harrison started the engine while Mendelson dragged Kalinin aboard. Harrison engaged the motor and pushed the throttle all the way forward, and the boat’s stern squatted down as the RHIB accelerated away from shore.
Water began pooling at Kalinin’s feet; the RHIB’s hull had been punctured by bullets. Mendelson removed his helmet and started bailing the water out while Senior Chief Stone opened the emergency patch kit, then searched for the holes, sealing each one.