Blackmail

79 PELICAN ZERO-EIGHT

The P-8A Poseidon aircraft, call sign Pelican zero-eight, cruised at twenty thousand feet, high above and well behind the American task force. Normally, anti-submarine warfare platforms wouldn’t be so far from the action, but the VP-45 Pelican submarine-hunter aircraft was a modified Boeing 737-800ERX, the replacement for the venerable P-3C Orion. Cruising at a high altitude and distance from the enemy helped keep the new P-8As out of harm’s way. Plus, with the new weapons they carried, they didn’t need to descend to less than a thousand feet and be right on top of the target to drop their torpedo.

Seated in Pelican zero-eight’s cabin with four other operators at their consoles, Lieutenant Commander John Martin, the crew’s Tactical Coordinator, or TACCO, monitored the status of the five weapons in the aircraft’s bomb bay. In each bomb stow was a HAAWC — High Altitude ASW Weapon Capability — a MK 54 torpedo with a wing kit. Once the torpedo was ejected, the HAAWC’s wings would pop out and guide the torpedo, changing its descent angle and course as required, aiming for a GPS coordinate in the ocean.

Although the P-8A didn’t have cabin windows, Martin knew that in the distance there were seven squadrons of the Navy’s new Poseidon aircraft, each aircraft loaded with five HAAWCs. As Martin wondered whether their weapons would be called into service, launch orders were received by Martin’s Communicator, seated beside him.

The aim point coordinates were transferred to Martin’s console, and he spoke into his headset, informing the pilots and other operators of the pending launch.

“All stations, TACCO. Set Battle Condition One. Coordinates have been received for all five torpedoes.”

Each member of the crew, from the pilots to the Sensor Operators, pulled out their weapon release checklists, methodically accomplishing each step. As a P-3C TACCO, Martin would have calculated the Release Points — the locations where the aircraft would drop its free-falling torpedo ordnance. However, that was no longer necessary, since HAAWCs could fly to their destination, as long as they had enough glide path.

After verifying that was the case for all five weapons, Martin reported, “All weapons are in the launch basket. We are Weapons Red and Free.”

As Martin reviewed the weapon impact coordinates, he was surprised they were releasing all five HAAWCs at once with their aim points almost on top of each other. There couldn’t possibly be that many submarines so close together, nor would you want to waste five torpedoes on a single target. Martin looked over at his Communicator’s screen, spotting orders going to twenty of the P-8As aloft. Each had been ordered to drop their entire contingent of weapons. One hundred HAAWCs, all at once. Martin finally realized what they’d been ordered to do.

It was a torpedo version of carpet-bombing, saturating the operating areas with MK 54s.

“Flight, TACCO. Give me bomb bay open, Master Arm On.”

The aircraft shuddered as the bomb bay doors swung open. Martin selected Bay One first, holding his hand over the Storage Release button.

An amber light illuminated on Martin’s console.

“Flight, TACCO. I have a Kill Ready light. Standing by for weapon release.”

“TACCO, Flight. You are authorized to release.”

Martin pressed the Storage Release button for Bays One through Five.

Bombs away.