Shadow Flight

Steve Wickham, breathing deeply, sagged to the ground and crawled next to the small opening in the foundation. He ventured a quick look outside, then retreated to a corner of the building. The soldiers had moved on to another structure and the Soviet officer was driving away.

Wickham considered his options as his pulse returned to normal. Five minutes later, after analyzing his limited choices, the agent resigned himself to the only viable possibility. He would have to wait until nightfall to attempt an escape.

USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63)

The 80,000-ton warship, carrying less than half of her air group, was increasing speed eight miles southeast of Pensacola beach. On board Kitty Hawk, the sailors and officers of Carrier Air Wing 3 prepared for the arrival of the rest of CVW-3's warplanes. The crew emergency recall had produced a 92 percent manning level when the giant ship put to sea.

The refurbished carrier sported new flush deck catapult launch equipment, MK-7 blast deflectors, arresting gear, and state-of-the-art AN/SPS-49(V) radar. The veteran ship had also been equipped with an advanced combat direction system (ACDS), formerly referred to as the combat information center (CIC), to improve the tactical decision process.

Kitty Hawk would join her escort ships thirty-four miles south of Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The support ships, consisting of four missile destroyers, two cruisers, and two frigates, were home-ported at Mobile, Alabama, and Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The carrier air wing commander embarked on Kitty Hawk had received his operations orders directing the wing to initially provide attack and fighter combat air patrols (CAP). When the carrier and escort ships arrived on station 150 miles northwest of San Julian, their mission would intensify. The air wing would be tasked with normal CAP duties, along with surface combat patrol (SUCAP) and war-at-sea contingencies.

Sixty miles north of Kitty Hawk, Comdr. Doug "Frogman" Karns, commanding officer of fighter squadron VF-102, led the first six F-14D Tomcats toward the carrier. His executive officer, ten miles in trail, led four more VF-102 Diamondback fighters.

Karns, a TOPGUN graduate, had been in command of the Diamondbacks less than two months. His reputation had preceded him and he was well respected by every member of his squadron.

The CO had been tagged with his peculiar nickname when he was a lieutenant (junior grade) nugget pilot — a new aviator, to the uninitiated. Karns had erred on a difficult terrain reconnaissance mission off the carrier Coral Sea, missed the rendezvous point with the "boat," ran out of fuel, and ditched five miles astern of the carrier. His fellow squadron pilots immediately began calling Karns "Frogman."

The VF-102, along with a second F-14D squadron — VF-41 Black Aces — would provide combat air patrol. Two F/A-18 Hornet squadrons would fly aboard later to provide additional fighter strength.

The Warhawks from VA-97 and the Marauders from VA-82 would fly SUCAP in their A-6E Intruder medium bombers. The surface patrol would be augmented by the Zappers of VAQ-130 in their EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare Intruders.

The Cyclops of VAW-123, flying the E-2C Hawkeye Hummer airborne early warning turboprop, would provide the eyes for the fleet. The Sea Wolves of VS-27 would support the antisubmarine warfare effort in their twin-jet S-3B Vikings.

Karns started a slow descent, keyed his radio mike, and waited for the scrambler to sync. "Wolfpack, Diamond One Oh Three inbound with a flight of six."

"Roger, Diamond flight," the controller said, watching his radarscope in the bowels of Kitty Hawk. "Squawk four-one-three-three."

"Forty-one-thirty-three," Karns acknowledged, reprogramming his transponder.

The controller watched the new code appear on his scope, then keyed his mike. "I have you at five-two DME, descending through three-three thousand." The Tomcats, passing through 33,000 feet, were fifty-two nautical miles from the carrier.

"That's affirm," Karns replied. "Diamond One Oh Four had a hydraulic pump go south on him. Request priority deck — he'll be a straight-in."

"Copy, Diamond One Zero Three." A short pause followed. "Diamond One Zero Four," the controller radioed, "is number one for the deck."

"Roger," Karns responded, steepening the descent. The sky under the high overcast was beginning to show signs of dawn. The fighter pilots would not have to make a night landing.

"Diamond One Oh Four," the F-14 jock replied, "number one on arrival."

"Diamond One Zero Three," the controller radioed with professional aplomb, "Wolfpack directs two Diamond aircraft to hit the tanker and BARCAP at seventy DME. The Hummer reports MiG activity at one-six-five degrees for two-four-zero, angels three-one-zero."

Chapter Eighteen

THE WHITE HOUSE PRESSROOM