Attack of the Seawolf

“Yes. I expect the entire Chinese Northern Fleet to be waiting for you at Lushun. Including their new aircraft carrier, the Shaoguan, the Kiev-class carrier they bought from the Russians. Anyway, Tampa’ll be a lot louder underwater than you are, so once again you’ll have to create another diversion to allow Tampa to get out of the Lushun/Penglai Gap. I’m assuming Tampa won’t be able to shoot any weapons, that her systems are disabled. If she can fire, so much the better, but worst-case, you’ll be the only one with firepower.”

“This will be like stealing the crown jewels while they’re under heavy guard.”

“So, what weapons do you want?” Donchez pushed one of the thick binders in front of Pacino. Inside, each page had a laminated photo of a weapon with its capabilities summarized beneath. Pacino thumbed through the volume as Donchez went on.

“I can’t give you nukes, Mikey. We don’t have any, and the President wouldn’t authorize it even if we did. But you’ve got your choice of conventional Javelin cruise missiles, ship attack or land attack, the new ASWSOW standoff missiles, and Mark 50 torpedoes. You can carry up to fifty weapons. You’ll also be outfitted with fifteen Mark 80 SLAAMs.”

Pacino was looking at the photograph of one of the Javelin cruise missiles. Beneath the title were the words BLOCK III JAVELIN — DELAYED ENCAPSULATION.

“What’s this, Admiral?”

“The Block III Javelin … They came up with the idea of having the waterproof capsule of the cruise missile float just beneath the water’s surface for a certain time-delay before the missile launches itself out of the capsule.”

Pacino liked that.

“Before, when you’d launch a cruise missile, a plume of smoke would point to your launching position. With this weapon you could eject it and get out of the area by the time the missile launched, all without giving away your position.”

“In theory, yes, Mikey. In practice, it’s a piece of meat. The test units all flooded and sank just before liftoff. Plus, the capsule needs a ballasting system to keep it submerged and then to broach the unit when it’s time to light off the solid rocket motor. The ballast system takes up room that could be better used for the fuel and warhead. Like they say, you don’t get something for nothing. They had to reduce the fuel load and warhead size on those missiles. I’d advise against using them.”

Pacino’s enthusiasm ebbed.

“So what’s an ASWSOW?”

he asked, turning the page.

“Antisubmarine Warfare Standoff Weapon, built by DynaCorp. Brand new. Nice unit. A solid rocket booster fires the warhead away from you, with a range of about forty miles. Its name says ASW, but it can be used for surface targets too. Very powerful warhead, enough to sink a cruiser with one shot.”

“What about the Mark 80 SLAAM?”

“Beautiful, and only the Seawolfhas it… Have you ever been detected by a P-3 Orion patrol aircraft?”

“I played rabbit for one a few times.”

“You never got snapped up by one in the VA CAPES OP AREA? Never once been surprised?”

“Not that I’ll admit to.”

“Well, I have,” Donchez said, “and I always thought, goddamn, why can’t the sub force have something to launch at those damned ASW patrol planes?

Those things are too damned good. In fact, the evidence suggests that’s how Sean Murphy got detected.

An old Nimrod aircraft picked up on his periscope.”

“You were telling me about the Mark 80.”

“Mark 80 SLAAM, Submarine Launched Anti-Air Missile. The Seawolf has fifteen units tucked into the top of the sail. If you see an aircraft or helicopter, anything that flies, and it’s within ten thousand yards, you push a button on the periscope grip and one of those babies pops out of the water and flies right up the airplane’s tailpipe.”

“If the 688-class subs had these the Tampa wouldn’t be tied up at Xingang now,” Pacino said.

“So, Mikey, what’ll it be?”

“I want some decoys. Admiral. You have any of the old Mark 36s?”

“Decoys? What the hell do you want with decoys?

Those things just take up torpedo-room space. You’ll be too quiet for the things to do you any good anyway.”

“Admiral. I’m supposed to get a rattling, battle damaged submarine out of restricted waters, with a motivated enemy chasing her. At least with decoys I might confuse even a large surface force. Give me twenty Mark 36s and program them for the Los Angelesclass subs. And make them loud.”

“We don’t even have the Mark 36s anymore, Mikey. But the Mark 38 is an improvement. Longer range. Has tonals at the same frequencies as a real 688-class, plus it can be programmed to make transient noises, like weapon launches, slamming hatches, rattles. It can drive a set-pattern, even wiggle like it’s doing Target Motion Analysis. But like I said, every decoy you take is one less torpedo you can carry. Not one ship has ever been sunk by a decoy. I suggest you fill up with Ow-sows and Mark 50s, not wimpy decoys.”

“I don’t see it that way, Admiral,” Pacino said, shutting the binder.

“You said it’s my ass, my call.