“I have to give the American president credit,” Egorov said after his anger faded. “He followed through on his threat. Additionally, his agreement with OPEC insulates NATO countries from the impact their sanctions would have had. We must respond in a way that forces NATO to relax these sanctions. What options do we have?”
There was silence around the table until Defense Minister Andrei Grigorenko spoke.
“The agreement with OPEC presents an unexpected opportunity.”
“How so?” Egorov asked.
“OPEC agreeing to increase output is only one part of the equation. Transporting that oil and natural gas to Western Europe is the other critical part. Pipelines into NATO countries are limited and already at full capacity. The additional energy must travel by ship, and ninety percent of oil and natural gas leaving the Persian Gulf passes through the Strait of Hormuz. At its narrowest point, the merchant ship transit lanes constrict to a six-mile-wide swath for the deep-draft oil and natural gas tankers. With the necessary intervention, we can strangle NATO’s energy supply in repayment for their attempt to strangle our finances.”
“How would we accomplish this?”
“Our surface Navy was ravaged during the battle with the American carrier task force in the Arabian Sea, but our submarine force remains a potent asset. With appropriate orders, we can sink every oil and natural gas tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz until NATO acquiesces and terminates these economic sanctions.”
“We need to think this all the way through,” Foreign Minister Marat Trutnev remarked. “NATO will not sit idly by while we sink merchant ships in the Persian Gulf. The Americans will assign Navy assets to escort these tankers, which may neutralize our effort.”
“I like the plan,” Egorov interjected, “but I concede you have a point, Marat. The Americans will undoubtedly respond, but this presents us with an even better opportunity.” Turning to Grigorenko, he asked, “With advanced planning, can we be prepared to defeat any American military attempt to thwart our plan?”
“We have sufficient assets, plus we also have an ally in the region — Iran. During our battle with the Americans in the Arabian Sea, Iran agreed to host Russian aircraft and missile batteries in their country, providing us with a critical advantage. Iranian assistance may again prove valuable. With your permission, I’ll see what I can arrange.”
“The Iranian alliance also provides us with an interesting option,” President Egorov said. “To use an American idiom, blockading the Strait of Hormuz can be the stick, and our relationship with Iran can be the carrot.”
Egorov was greeted by confused looks, so he explained. “We have the opportunity to create a crisis for the West that we are uniquely able to resolve. Iran desperately wants advanced high-speed gas centrifuges to speed up uranium enrichment for nuclear weapons. If Iran were to obtain these centrifuges, Russia would be uniquely positioned to influence Iran’s use of these centrifuges, or perhaps activate a fatal flaw in their hardware or software. Of course, we would do so only in return for appropriate concessions by America and its allies.”
His idea was met by several grins around the table.
To Grigorenko, the Russian president said, “During your discussion with the Iranians, offer these centrifuges to them as a token of our appreciation for their past — and future — assistance.”
16
K-571 KRASNOYARSK
Vladivostok, with jagged snow-capped mountains rising in the background, is the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean. The eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the city is often envisioned by foreigners as an ice-covered Russian outpost in the Far East. However, the opposite is true, with titanic merchant vessels anchored in emerald-blue water and sleek white yachts rocking gently at their moorings. Vladivostok, which translates to “Ruler of the East,” is also home to the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
This morning, as a light mist crept down green knolls toward the submarine berths, Captain Second Rank Gavriil Novikov strode down the pier toward the pride of the Russian Fleet — K-571 Krasnoyarsk — the newest Yasen-class nuclear attack submarine. Commissioned only three months ago, it was manned by a handpicked veteran crew that had distinguished itself during sea trials in preparation for its maiden deployment. With ten bow-mounted torpedo tubes and ten vertical launch tubes, Krasnoyarsk was loaded with the newest and most advanced weaponry in the Russian Navy: forty Futlyar wire-guided torpedoes in the submarine’s torpedo room and a mix of forty anti-surface and anti-air missiles in its vertical launch tubes.
Much of Novikov’s crew was topside this morning preparing for the submarine’s deployment next week. Several work parties were assisting with the food and spare parts loadouts, transferring the pallets of material from the pier into the submarine. Krasnoyarsk’s First Officer, Captain Third Rank Anton Topolski, was topside, supervising the loadout.
Novikov crossed the brow onto his submarine, where he was saluted by the topside watch, who announced the Captain’s arrival over the shipwide intercom. Novikov was greeted by Topolski, the submarine’s second-in-command.
“Good morning, Captain. All preparations are proceeding smoothly, but we are expecting a courier from Pacific Fleet within the hour.”
“Do we know what information the courier will bring?”
“New orders, supposedly.”
Novikov nodded his understanding, wondering why there would be a late change to Krasnoyarsk’s mission profile. The current plan took Novikov’s crew east toward Hawaii, where Krasnoyarsk would undoubtedly encounter American warships striving to trail Russia’s newest and most advanced submarine. Novikov’s mission orders were clear and simple — detect and trail whichever American submarines crossed Krasnoyarsk’s path without being counter-detected, proving the superiority of Russian technology and submarine crew training.
After deciding to wait topside for the pending courier, Novikov monitored the stores loadout while Topolski dropped down into the submarine’s interior via a nearby hatch. Not long thereafter came the Topside Watch’s announcement:
“Commander, Pacific Fleet, arriving.”
The report caught Novikov by surprise. It seemed Krasnoyarsk’s new orders were being delivered not by a standard courier, but by Admiral Pavel Klokov himself.
Novikov saluted Klokov after he crossed the brow onto the submarine.
“Welcome aboard Krasnoyarsk, Admiral.”
Klokov returned the salute. “Your stateroom,” was all he said.
A few minutes later, the two men entered Novikov’s stateroom, a three-by-three-meter room containing only a narrow bed, a small desk, and a table seating two persons. Klokov closed the door, then settled into one of the chairs, motioning Novikov into the other with a wave of his hand. The admiral retrieved a manila envelope from his inside coat pocket, which he handed to Novikov.
Novikov unsealed the envelope and read his new orders. Krasnoyarsk was no longer traveling east; it was now headed west into the Persian Gulf.
The new destination was a surprise, but Krasnoyarsk’s revised mission profile was even more unexpected. Novikov looked up in shock.
“Do you have any questions?” Klokov asked. “I believe the orders are quite clear.”
Admiral Klokov was correct. The orders were succinct and easily understood. Additionally, their deployment date was being moved up.
“Underway in two days?” Novikov asked.
“At the latest. Tomorrow, if possible.”