Shadow Flight

Behind the raised jet blast deflectors, two additional Tomcats waited in line, followed by four F/A-18s, two A-6F Intruders, and two EA-6B advanced capability (ADVCAP) Prowler electronic countermeasure aircraft. The Prowlers sported a new receiver processor group for passive detection, along with the ALQ-149 communications intercept and jamming system.

The yellow-shirted catapult officer, standing between the howling F-14s, supervised the launch preparations. He listened to the air boss in PRI-FLY and waited for the green light to illuminate on the crowded island structure.

"Launch aircraft! Launch aircraft!" the cat officer heard through his "mickey mouse" headphones. He made a final check of the Tomcats and turned toward the pilot on the starboard catapult.

The F-14 aviator was looking at the officer, anticipating the full-power signal. The cat officer raised his arm, then formed a vee with his index and middle fingers and shook them vigorously back and forth.

The Tomcat's two engines increased to full power, splitting the air with a savage howl. The pilot checked his engine instruments, then saluted the catapult officer smartly and placed his helmet back against the head restraint. The cat officer brought his arm down quickly-the signal to launch the Tomcat.

The big fighter squatted down and rocketed off the end of the catapult track, sinking slightly as it left the deck. The pilot snapped the gear up and turned to the right, climbing to his assigned rendezvous altitude. Thirty-five seconds later the second Tomcat, on the port catapult, roared down the flight deck in a cloud of superheated steam.

Marine Maj. Vince Cangemi, cleared for flight duty by the squadron flight surgeon, sat in the lead F/A-18 waiting to taxi onto the port bow catapult. His Hornet, loaded with twelve Mark-82 fivehundred-pound bombs, two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, and 570 rounds of 20mm ammunition, had been configured for a ground attack mission. With a flick of a button on his control stick, Cangemi could switch instantaneously from air-to-ground mode to air-to-air capability.

The marine pilot looked to his right, checking his wingman's aircraft for any obvious problems. He watched his friend taxi the VMFA-115 Silver Eagles Hornet up to the blast deflector, stop while the jet exhaust shield was lowered, then taxi onto the starboard catapult.

Twenty seconds later, Cangemi taxied into place on the left catapult. He felt the catapult take tension, checked his controls, and went to full power, then afterburner. He checked the engine gauges, saluted the cat officer, and placed his new helmet against the headrest.

BOOM!

Cangemi, feeling the effects of grayout, blasted down the flight deck and off the bow. His vision returned as he snapped the landing gear up and accelerated straight ahead. He would rendezvous with the other Marine F/A-18s and join the Navy A-6F Intruders. Their mission was to bomb and strafe military targets, including radar sites and targets of opportunity, in the vicinity of Havana. The Hornets would strike first, then revert to a fighter mission.

Chapter Twenty-six

SHADOW 37

The blacked-out bomber, now 390 miles east of Tampico, Mexico, cruised at 36,000 feet in calm air. Shadow 37 remained in total darkness, racing the morning light westward.

Chuck Matthews punched in the latitude and longitude of their next waypoint. The B-2 would pass 28 miles south of Cabo San Lucas before turning northwest to Russia. Matthews checked the navigational display, noting the current fuel burn. In forty-five minutes, the Stealth bomber would be light enough to climb to 40,000 feet.

General Brotskhamov continued to study the sophisticated cockpit as he watched Matthews very closely. Larry Simmons remained quiet, fingering his revolver constantly. He appeared to be dispirited but remained keenly alert.

Unknown to Matthews, Shadow 37 had passed within twelve miles of two F-14s from USS Kitty Hawk. The radar screens in the combat air patrol fighters had remained blank as the bomber crossed the gulf in front of the Tomcats.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72)

The Nimitz-class carrier, launched in February 1989, turned to place the wind down the flight deck. The nuclear-powered ship, stretching 1,092 feet, cut through the pristine water at thirty-one knots.

Two miles in front of the carrier, the AEGIS cruiser Gettysburg (CG-64) led the task force past the coast of Andros Island.

A pair of F-14s raced down Lincoln's bow catapults, then climbed rapidly to their station seventy miles ahead of the carrier. Six additional Tomcats blasted off the flight deck to join the MiG combat air patrol.