Blackmail

52 USS MICHIGAN

With his submarine at periscope depth, Wilson sat in the Captain’s chair in the darkness listening intently to the Conn speaker, which was broadcasting intercepts from the submarine’s Electronic Support Measures sensor. This evening’s trip to periscope depth had been uneventful, with the only required tasks being a radio broadcast download and a position fix for the inertial navigators. After the tense forays to the surface during the past week, in proximity to Russian combatants, tonight’s trip to periscope depth had been leisurely and stress free.

The bleeps and buzzes emanating from the ESM speaker were a foreign language to the untrained, but Wilson’s experienced ear told him there were no surface combatants nearby. Confirming his assessment, the ESM Watch called out, “Conn, ESM. Hold no threat radars.”

The Officer of the Deck acknowledged the report, and as Lieutenant Jayne Stucker rotated slowly on the periscope beside him, Wilson reflected on how the U.S. Submarine Force had changed in his almost forty years of service.

Wilson was a mustang—a prior-enlisted officer, having joined the Navy fresh out of high school. After ten years as a nuclear electronics technician, he received his commission as an officer and worked his way up the ranks, eventually becoming Captain of the nuclear-powered fast attack submarine USS Buffalo. Following command, he was assigned as the senior instructor for newly assigned submarine commanding officers, overseeing their training during tense at-sea tactical engagements as they completed final preparations for command.

When his instructor tour ended, Wilson accepted command of Michigan instead of a submarine squadron, choosing to end his career at sea instead of behind a desk. With commands of fast attack and guided missile submarines under his belt, along with several years training future commanding officers, Murray Wilson was the most experienced submarine commanding officer in the Fleet.

Michigan tilted downward as Lieutenant Stucker ordered the submarine back to the safety of deep water, and the low-level lights flicked on. Wilson read Michigan’s latest OPORD, containing the details concerning his next mission. With transit through the Suez Canal on the surface deemed too risky under current conditions and Michigan’s Tomahawk missiles no longer needed in Ukraine at the moment, Navy leadership had identified an alternate use for the guided missile submarine. Michigan’s tactical systems were being called into service.

Although Michigan was built as a ballistic missile submarine, it was a far different ship today from when it was launched three decades ago. With the implementation of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, the Navy reconfigured the four oldest Ohio class submarines as special warfare platforms. In addition to carrying Dry Deck Shelters with SEAL mini-subs inside, Michigan had been reconfigured with seven-pack Tomahawk launchers in twenty-two of the submarine’s twenty-four missile tubes.

During the conversion from SSBN to SSGN, Michigan and her three sister ships received a slew of tactical system upgrades. The combat control consoles were now the most modern in the submarine fleet, as were Michigan’s new sonar, electronic surveillance, and radio suites. The torpedoes aboard Wilson’s submarine were also the newest in the U.S. Navy’s arsenal; Michigan was fully loaded with MK 48 Mod 7 torpedoes, the most advanced heavyweight torpedo in the world.

Wilson approached the Quartermaster, seated at the navigation table. “Hand me the waterspace advisories.”

Petty Officer Pat Leenstra handed the folder to Wilson, who perused the messages, which detailed the routes of all fast attack submarines transiting across the Atlantic Ocean, so the ballistic missile subs on patrol could stay out of the transit lanes. There were two fast attack submarines, one from Groton and one from Norfolk, fresh out of maintenance periods, late to the party and hightailing it across the Atlantic toward the Mediterranean.

Wilson estimated they’d be a few hours behind, and Michigan would lead the way.