Vengeance

56 USS MICHIGAN K-328 LEOPARD

“Conn, Sonar. Master one is classified Akula.”

Wilson acknowledged Sonar’s report, then surveyed the watchstanders in the Control Room. Michigan was at Battle Stations Torpedo, every station manned with his crew communicating via headsets, augmented by occasional reports from Sonar coming across the Conn speaker. The submarine’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Tom Montgomery, hovered behind the three combat control consoles, examining their displays.

The console operators — two fire control technicians and one junior officer — adjusted Master one’s estimated solution: its course, speed, and range, analyzing how the combat control system reacted. It was a complicated process combining complex algorithms and the operator’s ability to fuse the myriad data available — frequency shifts and bearing changes over time, geographic constraints, and target characteristics — using the data to guide the algorithms more quickly to an accurate target solution.

Montgomery stood erect, alerted by a report coming across his headset. After acknowledging, he announced, “Possible contact zig, Master one, due to upshift in frequency.”

Wilson glanced at the nearest time-frequency plot. The target’s tonals were increasing. He checked the contact’s bearing drift; the bearings were drifting to the left of those projected by combat control, indicating a maneuver to port.

Montgomery’s eyes shifted between the combat control displays, coming to the same conclusion. “Confirm target zig. Contact has turned to port. Set anchor range at ten thousand yards. Master one has turned to a southern course and has increased speed.”

Wilson folded his arms across his chest. Michigan had been counter-detected, making the tactical situation significantly more challenging. Instead of sneaking up on unsuspecting prey, their enemy had been alerted. It was now a race to determine which crew would be the first to determine a firing solution.

“Command Post, Hydroacoustic. Towed array is stable. Sending bearings to fire control.”

Leopard had completed its turn to the south, headed toward the American submarine as Sidorov’s crew refined the target’s course, speed, and range. Their initial estimate of the American submarine’s solution had been fairly accurate, and two minutes after the towed array stabilized, the michmen manning the fire control consoles settled on nearly identical parameters.

Captain Third Rank Lev Ivanov, Sidorov’s First Officer, hovering behind the fire controlmen, announced, “I have a firing solution.”

Sidorov quickly ordered, “Prepare to Fire, Hydroacoustic two-five, single weapon from tube Two, tube Four as backup.”

Ivanov tapped a fire controlman on the shoulder. “Send solution to Weapon Control.”

Leopard’s Watch Officer followed, reporting they were ready for counterfire from the American submarine. “Torpedo countermeasures are armed.”

The Weapons Officer reported, “Ready to Fire, tubes Two and Four.”

Sidorov stopped beside his First Officer, evaluating the solution to Hydroacoustic two-five. The American submarine remained steady on course and speed.

He retreated to the aft section of the Command Post, where he had a clear view of all stations, and examined the displays one final time.

Satisfied that all parameters were optimal, he ordered, “Fire tube Two.”

In Michigan’s Control Room, a report blared from the Conn speaker. “Torpedo in the water, bearing three-five-seven!”

A red bearing line appeared on the combat control displays, signaling the detection of an incoming torpedo.

Wilson responded immediately. “Helm, ahead flank! Left full rudder, steady course two-four-zero! Launch countermeasures!”

An acoustic decoy was ejected to maintain the incoming torpedo focused on where Michigan had been, instead of where it was going, as the eighteen-thousand-pound submarine’s screw churned the water, accelerating the submarine to maximum speed.

“Quick Reaction Firing,” Wilson ordered, “Master one, tube One! Flood down and open all torpedo tube outer doors, tube One first!”

Wilson had skipped the normal torpedo firing process, implementing the more urgent version, which forced his Executive Officer to send his best solution to the torpedo immediately. The Russian captain wouldn’t know how well-aimed the torpedo was, and it was better to give him something to worry about, distracting his crew while they attempted to monitor Michigan’s evasion maneuver and send updates to their torpedo over its guidance wire.

Montgomery shifted his gaze between the three consoles, then tapped one of the fire control technicians on the shoulder. “Promote to master.”

After the solution was updated, Montgomery reported, “Solution ready!”

The submarine’s Weapons Officer followed. “Weapon ready!”

“Ship ready!” Lieutenant Resor announced, reporting the submarine was ready to launch more decoys and jammers.

Wilson ordered, “Match Sonar bearing and shoot!”

He heard the whir of the torpedo ejection pump, verifying that the starboard torpedo bank had operated as expected, then listened to the sonar technicians as they monitored their torpedo.

“Own ship’s unit is in the water, running normally.”

“Fuel crossover achieved.”

“Turning to preset gyro course.”

“Shifting to medium speed.”

Michigan’s torpedo was headed toward its target.

“Torpedo in the water, bearing one-seven-two!”

Sidorov turned toward the nearest fire control console. A red bearing line appeared on the display, accompanied by a bright white trace on the sonar monitor.

“Steersman, ahead flank!”

The Steersman rang up maximum propulsion as Sidorov determined the best evasion course. He decided to place the torpedo twenty degrees aft of the beam, so Leopard could open range while evading. The more optimal course was to port, but the minefield was on that side. He’d have to turn in the more dangerous direction.

“Steersman, right full rudder, steady course three-one-zero.”

To his Watch Officer, Sidorov ordered, “Launch torpedo decoy!”

Leopard swung around as it increased speed, and a decoy was launched in its wake, which would hopefully distract the torpedo long enough for Leopard to slip away.

Once they had put enough distance between the submarine and the decoy, Sidorov ordered, “Launch jammer!”

A broadband sonar jammer was ejected from the submarine, which would hopefully mask Leopard as it sped away, leaving the decoy as a tantalizing target for the torpedo.

“Possible contact zig, Master one,” Montgomery announced. “Downshift in frequency. Contact is turning away.”

Wilson glanced at the nearest time-frequency plot. The Russian submarine crew had detected Michigan’s incoming torpedo and was attempting to evade.

A moment later, Montgomery announced, “Confirm target zig. Contact has turned to the northwest.”

Michigan’s crew was now faced with two tasks: evade the incoming torpedo, and guide their torpedo onto a new intercept course with the Russian submarine.

Wilson examined the incoming torpedo bearings, which were drifting steadily aft, indicating the torpedo had remained on its original firing course. Michigan was safe, unless a new steer command was sent to the torpedo or another torpedo was launched. Wilson needed to keep the Russian crew focused on its survival and not on sinking Michigan.

“I want to send a steer command now,” Wilson announced. “Give me the best solution update you’ve got.”

Montgomery quickly surveyed the solutions on the three combat control displays, picking the one that was tracking most closely to the bearings coming in from Sonar. He tapped one of the fire control technicians on the shoulder.

“Send to Weapon Control.”

The fire control technician pressed the appropriate icon on his console, then Montgomery announced, “Updated solution sent to Weapon Control.”

Lieutenant Ryan Jescovitch studied the display on the Weapon Control Console as the fire control technician manning it determined the steer command that would turn Michigan’s torpedo onto a course that would intercept the evading Russian submarine.

“Recommend left forty degrees,” he announced.

“Insert steer, tube One, left forty!” Wilson ordered.

The command was sent to Michigan’s torpedo over the thin guidance wire spooling from dual dispensers, one inside the torpedo and another mounted at the back of the torpedo tube.

“Command accepted!” the Weapons Officer reported.

Wilson watched as Michigan’s torpedo veered onto its new course, then turned his attention to the incoming Russian torpedo. Its bearings were still drawing aft, indicating it hadn’t received a new steer command. Either the Russian crew was focused primarily on evading Michigan’s torpedo or it wasn’t as efficient as Wilson’s crew while executing the dual actions of torpedo evasion and submarine prosecution.

Michigan’s torpedo steadily closed on the Russian submarine, and when it was within a few thousand yards, the Weapons Officer announced, “Detect!”

A moment later, he reported, “Homing!”

The Russian submarine maneuvered shortly thereafter, but Michigan’s torpedo also changed course. The torpedo had locked onto its target and would now independently maneuver until it closed the distance. No further assistance from Michigan’s crew was required. The next announcement indicated the torpedo had intercepted its target.

“Loss of guidance wire!”

The sound of an explosion rumbled through Michigan’s hull. Wilson put broadband sonar on the Conn speaker, and not long thereafter, a deep rumbling sound indicated the Russian submarine had plowed into the ocean floor.

A final glance at the bearings to the Russian torpedo revealed that it had passed by too far away to detect Michigan. Without receiving a new steer command, it would continue on the same course until it ran out of fuel. Michigan was safe, at least for the moment.

Wilson stopped by the navigation table, wondering if there might be another Russian submarine lurking nearby.

“Sonar, Conn. Report all contacts.”

“Conn, Sonar. Hold no contacts.”

With the minefield straddling the Strait of Hormuz, traffic through the narrow waterway was at a standstill.

“Helm, ahead two-thirds,” Wilson ordered. “Left ten degrees rudder, steady course zero-nine-zero.”

Michigan turned east as it slowed, headed toward the minefield.