Blackmail

77 ARABIAN SEA

Major Vadim Aleyev kept his Sukhoi Su-35S close to the water, just above the ocean waves. Accompanying him in the darkness were seventeen other tactical fighters of various designs, each outfitted with air-to-air missiles. The eighteen aircraft were all that remained of the three hundred fighters at Iranian air bases, making it aloft as the runways and hangars were destroyed. Although originally assigned to relieve aircraft in Russia’s combat air patrol, they had a new mission. As the Russian fighters streaked toward their targets, Aleyev looked forward to revenge.

They could have gone after the American aircraft carriers. But the Americans had a solid screen of destroyers and cruisers designed to shoot down incoming aircraft, plus the task force had retained thirty F/A-18s for combat air patrol above their carriers. Few, if any, of Aleyev’s fighters would make it close enough to attack the carriers. Besides, Aleyev and the other Russian fighters were armed with air-to-air missiles, with no opportunity to change them out for air-to-surface ones. However, for their assigned targets, air-to-air missiles would suffice.

Aleyev looked down as the targets appeared on his radar display. The Americans realized the real threat to their task force lurked beneath the ocean surface, and had established a three-layer Anti-Submarine Warfare defense: submarines, ASW helicopters, and surface combatants. To inflict major damage, Russian guided missile submarines had to penetrate only the first two layers. Aleyev and his fellow fighters couldn’t do much regarding the American submarines, but they could address the next tier.

As Aleyev’s Su-35S closed on the targets, his early warning receiver alarmed. He’d been spotted by American radars. Aleyev was beyond the range of the American surface ship air defense missiles, but a quick check of his display told him the combat air patrol above the carrier task force was racing toward him and the other inbound Russian aircraft. It wouldn’t be long before the American fighters were within range, launching their missiles. However, the missiles would arrive too late.

Aleyev targeted the first twelve MH-60Rs, assigning one missile to each helicopter. Although the MH-60Rs had advanced self-defense systems, they were sitting ducks compared to tactical fixed-wing aircraft. They wouldn’t fool many of Aleyev’s missiles. Aleyev fired a volley, releasing all twelve missiles, then banked to the right and headed toward shore, staying close to the ocean in an attempt to evade the incoming American fighters. If he made it back to the coast, he wouldn’t be able to refuel and rearm, but at least he could land and fight another day.

As his fighter streaked toward the Iranian shoreline, Aleyev watched the MH-60Rs disappear from his radar.