Vengeance

51 WASHINGTON, D.C.

In the Situation Room in the West Wing, the president took his seat at the table, joining Chief of Staff Kevin Hardison, Secretary of State Marcy Perini, acting Secretary of Defense Peter Seuffert, Secretary of the Navy Sheila McNeil, and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Joe Sites. The information coming in from the Persian Gulf was grim, with the near-term outlook alarming. The president turned to his secretary of the Navy, Sheila McNeil, for the latest update.

“We’re certain it’s Russia?”

“Yes, Mr. President,” Sheila replied. “The sonar frequency of the fired torpedoes correlates to the Russian Futlyar heavyweight torpedo, plus the signature of the radar guiding the missiles that shot down our helicopters matches the maritime version of the Russian Pantsir missile system. There is no doubt, Mr. President. We’ve been attacked by Russian submarines.”

“How many?”

“Four that we know of. Asheville’s crew launched its emergency SEPIRB buoy after their submarine was sunk, which included a message informing us that they were engaged by three Russian submarines in addition to the one chasing the strike group.”

“Is it possible that there are even more submarines?”

“Four is our best guess at the moment. Based on the submarines that sortied from Vladivostok, five is the max, but the fifth submarine departed later than the other four, and we don’t know its destination.”

“How bad is the situation?”

“We’ve lost three warships: the destroyer Paul Hamilton, the cruiser Chosin, and Asheville. The Russians have also shot down seven MH-60Rs: three during the initial attack, plus another four in a subsequent engagement. The strike group initially evaded to the east, but eventually had to turn around — much of the gulf is only about one hundred and thirty miles wide. The strike group had to circle back to the west, away from Iran’s shoreline, which allowed the Russian submarine to catch up. We lost those four additional helicopters, but they slowed down the Russian submarine sufficiently to allow P-8A assets to arrive on station. The MH-60Rs have been withdrawn, and the strike group is now protected by a screen of sonobuoy fields laid by and monitored by the P-8As.”

“Will the P-8As be safe from the Russian submarine anti-air missiles?”

“We think so. The P-8As are militarized versions of Boeing 737 jets, which can monitor their sonobuoys at a high altitude and distance. They’ll launch torpedoes using the HAAWC wing kit,” Sheila explained, referring to the High Altitude ASW Weapon Capability provided by a wing kit, which flew the torpedo to its desired water entry point, “which should keep them beyond the range of the Pantsir missiles.”

“Where is the strike group now?”

“It’s temporarily safe, just off the Kuwaiti shore on the western side of the gulf.”

Shifting topics somewhat, the president inquired on the new complication. “What’s the status of the Strait of Hormuz?”

“The strait has been heavily mined across its entire width. Two merchant ships have hit mines so far, one sinking and the other running aground. Initial analysis indicates there are several layers of mines, each with mines at various depths, not just near the surface.”

“So, the Russians are attempting to prevent us from sending additional forces into the Gulf or extracting the carrier and its escorts?”

“It appears so. With four submarines in the gulf, they have the advantage and want to keep it that way.”

“How do you recommend we respond?” the president asked.

Sheila looked to Admiral Sites, who took over the brief.

“Our first priority is to rescue the crews of the sunk surface ships and Asheville. Civilian and Fifth Fleet ships are pulling our surface ship crew members from the water. Not everyone is accounted for yet, and the rescue effort continues. Regarding Asheville, most of the crew is likely alive. The Persian Gulf is very shallow, typically two to three hundred feet, well above Asheville’s crush depth. Those who made it into an intact compartment would be safe for now, and they should have enough air to last for at least a week; longer if they can access the reserve oxygen banks and have enough emergency carbon dioxide absorbers. Within the hour, submarine rescue assets should depart San Diego for the Persian Gulf, and we should be able to rescue all surviving members of Asheville’s crew.”

“That’s good news,” the president remarked.

“The next, and equally important, priority is to sink these Russian submarines before they inflict more damage. The basic strategy is to protect our surface ships until we can flow more submarines into the gulf. The P-8A sonobuoy fields should provide sufficient warning if any Russian submarine tries to approach close enough to launch torpedoes. If one does try to stick its nose where it doesn’t belong, the P-8As have an ample supply of our latest and most effective lightweight torpedo — the MK 54 MOD 1 — outfitted with HAAWC wing kits.

“As far as long-range missile strikes from the Yasen-class submarine, it has a maximum loadout of forty missiles, which is likely split between anti-surface and anti-air. The carrier and its remaining escorts are well equipped to defend against anti-surface missiles. So, the plan is to keep the Russian submarines beyond torpedo launch range until our submarines arrive.”

“When do you expect that?”

“This is where the plan gets sticky. Submarines from Guam will arrive before the mines are cleared, and it’s entirely possible the squadron from Hawaii will also arrive before a path through the minefield has been created. We have assets that can identify and target mines near the surface, but we can’t clear the deeper mines to allow passage of deep-draft surface warships or submarines traveling on the surface. Also, the mines are laid at multiple depths to prevent submerged submarines from entering the Gulf. The necessary deep-water mine-clearing assets are on their way, but it will take a while for them to arrive. This is where Michigan factors in.”

“Michigan, a guided missile submarine?”

“Correct. In an ASW role, Michigan would be outmatched by four Russian attack submarines. She’s available to engage if necessary, but we think she’ll have a more significant impact clearing mines.”

The president raised an eyebrow. “How is she going to clear mines?”

“We’ve speculated, but haven’t figured that out yet. We’re leaving it up to Michigan’s crew and its SEAL detachment. They’ve got two minisubs in their Dry Deck Shelters, plus sixty tons of SEAL-related ordnance aboard. We’re reasonably confident they’ll figure something out. It’s worth a shot, at least.” Admiral Sites paused momentarily. “Subject to your questions, this concludes my brief.”

The president nodded his understanding. “I concur with your recommendations. Keep me informed of any significant changes in status.”