Brown, Dale - Independent 04 Read online

  THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER BY THE AUTHOR OF CHAINS OF COMMAND

  The best military adventure writer in the country todav

  -CLIVE CUSSLER

  BERKLEY BESTSELLERS BY DALE BROWN...

  STORMING HEAVEN

  “RIVETING!” —Kirkus Reviezus

  $6.99 U.S. $8.99 CAN

  CHAINS OF COMMAND

  “A SWEEPING EPIC”

  —Clive Cussler

  NIGHT OF THE HAWK

  “GRIPPING.. .MASTERFUL .” -WE.B. Griffin

  SKY MASTERS

  “AN EXCITING WAR STORY!” —Publishers Weekly

  HAMMERHEADS

  “FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS!” —Midzvest Reviezv of Books

  DAY OF THE CHEETAH

  “TERRIFIC.

  AUTHENTIC AND GRIPPING!” —Nezjo York Times

  SILVER TOWER

  “RIVETING,

  ACTION-PACKED!” -UPI

  FLIGHT OF

  THE OLD DOG

  “SHATTERING... A TERRIFIC

  FLYING YARN.”

  —Stephen Coonts

  Praise for Dale Brown

  and His Electrifying Bestsellers

  STORMING HEAVEN

  His newest, most shattering bestseller—the story of a terrorist assault on the United States ... ending with an airborne attack on Washington, D.C.

  “Brown raises some provocative issues . .. His aeronautical knowledge is broad and accurate, and his flight scenes are first rate.” —Publishers Weekly

  “Fascinating .. . Storming Heaven will be an explosive success with fans of military-techno-thrillers.” —Booklist

  “Dale Brown has firmly established his high-tech, gung-ho credentials in seven bestselling aviation thrillers, and his new, edge-of-the-cockpit Storming Heaven should rocket him out to the Van Allen belt.” —New York Daily News

  CHAINS OF COMMAND

  The riveting story of Air Force involvement in a Russia-Ukraine border skirmish . . . that may result in all-out nuclear holocaust.

  “Dale Brown takes a hard look at the future of America’s Armed Forces ... A great story of war in a modern unstable world. It’s an exciting ride.” —Larry Bond

  “Chains of Command is as convincing as nonfiction. Dale Brown is the best military writer in the country today and is a master at creating a sweeping epic and making it seem real.”

  —Clive Cussler continued...

  NIGHT OF THE HAWK

  The exciting final flight of the “Old Dog”—a shattering mission into Lithuania, where the Soviets’ past could launch a terrifying future______________

  “Dale Brown brings us the gripping conclusion of the saga that began so memorably with Flight of the Old Dog. A masterful mix of high technology and human courage.”

  —W.E.B. Griffin

  SKY MASTERS

  The incredible story of America’s newest B-2 bomber, engaged in a blistering battle of oil, honor, and global power...

  “Sky Masters is a knockout!” —Clive Cussler

  “A gripping military thriller ... Brown brings combat and technology together in an explosive tale as timely as this morning’s news.” —W.E.B. Griffin

  HAMMERHEADS

  The U.S. government creates an all-new drug- defense agency, armed with the ultimate high-tech weaponry. The war against drugs will never be the same.

  “Classic ... His most exciting techno-thriller!”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Whiz-bang technology and muscular, damn-the-torpedoes strategy.” —Kirkus Reviews

  DAY OF THE CHEETAH

  The shattering story of a Soviet hijacking of America’s most advanced fighter plane—and the greatest high-tech chase of all time.

  “Quite a ride ... Terrific. Authentic and gripping!”

  —New York Times

  “Breathtaking dogfights ... Exhilarating high-tech adventure.” —Library Journal

  SILVER TOWER

  A Soviet invasion of the Middle East sparks a grueling counterattack from America’s newest laser defense system.

  “Riveting, action-packed ... a fast-paced thriller that is impossible to put down!” —UPI

  “Intriguing political projections ... Tense high-tech dogfights.” —Publishers Weekly

  “High-tech, high-thrills ... a slam-bang finale!”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG

  Dale Brown’s riveting debut novel. A battle- scarred bomber is renovated with modern hardware to fight the Soviets’ devastating new technology.

  “A superbly crafted adventure . .. Exciting!”

  —W.E.B. Griffin

  “Brown kept me glued to the chair ... a shattering climax. A terrific flying yam!” —Stephen Coonts

  FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG

  SILVER TOWER

  DAY OF THE CHEETAH

  HAMMERHEADS

  SKY MASTERS

  NIGHT OF THE HAWK

  CHAINS OF COMMAND

  STORMING HEAVEN

  STORMING HEAVEN

  DALE BROWN

  BERKLEY BOOKS, NEW YORK

  STORMING HEAVEN

  A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with

  Dale F. Brown, Inc.

  PRINTING HISTORY

  G. P. Putnam’s Sons edition / July 1994

  Berkley edition / May 1995

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 1994 by Dale F. Brown.

  This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part,

  by mimeograph or any other means, without permission.

  For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

  200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

  ISBN 0-425-14723-1

  BERKLEY•

  Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

  200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

  BERKLEY and the “B” design

  are trademarks belonging to Berkley Publishing Corporation.

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  10 987654321

  Acknowledgments

  As a full-time Guard unit, and with one of the largest flying squadrons in the U.S. military, the men and women of the 114th Fighter Squadron (Oregon Air National Guard), Kingsley Field, Klamath Falls, Oregon, are in a class by themselves, and I relied on them for much of the information on air defense fighter procedures and for a vital orientation in the F-16A Fighting Falcon ADF (Air Defense Fighter), which was a real thrill for this ex-bomber crew dog. Thanks to Colonel Donald “Scott” Powell, commander; Captain Sandra Kaufman, Chief of Public Affairs; Captain Ken Muller; and to all the other instructors and pilots I met with, for your generous support and assistance.

  Interestingly, my old friends of the 119th Fighter Group, 178th Fighter Squadron “Happy Hooligans,” North Dakota Air National Guard (whom I wrote about in many other stories as the fighter unit that gets jumped by one of my high- tech bomber “battleships”), pull alert at Kingsley Field, and I had many opportunities to speak with them and learn firsthand about fighter intercept procedures. Thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Tom Tolman, commander of Det One, and his pilots and crews for a tour of their facility and their help in understanding the air interceptor game.

  Thanks to the pilots of the 194th Fighter Squadron, California Air National Guard, at March AFB, Riverside, California, for their help in learning firsthand about life as an air defense pilot. Also at March Air Force Base is the Southwest Air Defense Sector Operations Command Center (SOCC), commanded by Colonel Russ Everts and Colonel Pat Madden, SOCC Director, and I thank them and their staff for the time they invested in me to tell me about air defense sector operations.

 
For information on ground-based air defense operations, I relied on the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School, Fort Bliss, Texas, commanded by Brigadier General J. M. Garner. Thanks to First Lieutenant David Reardon and Sergeant First Class Rich Glynn, of base Public Affairs, for putting together a terrific research itinerary for my visit. Thanks also to the men and women of the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigades, especially LTC Larry Johnson, commander of 3-6th ADA (Patriot), U.S. Marine Corps Captain Brian Yeager, Hawk systems instructor; Mr. James Pool, Patriot systems instructor; First Sergeant Lanham and Sergeant Hayes, Stinger and Avenger instructors, and Sergeant First Class Kilgore and Sergeant Brown, Stinger simulator instructors. Thanks also to 11 th ADA Brigade at Fort Bliss, especially LTC Ben Hobson, commander of 343rd ADA (Patriot), and Captain Valerie J. Meadows, commander, 2LT Staggs, Sergeant Ken Macchus, Sergeant Ray Gorman, Sergeant Talbot, and Sergeant Rory Reed of F Battery, 3-43rd ADA.

  For information on airborne surveillance operations in the E-3 Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) radar plane, thanks to the men and women of the 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, OK, especially the commander, Brigadier General David J. Oakes; Captain Mike Halbig, First Lieutenant Tim White, and Staff Sergeant Chris Haug, Public Affairs; Captain Jerry Krueger, 964th AWACS; and Major Steve Lisi, First Lieutenant Mike Ruszkowski, and Staff Sergeant Mike Savage, 963rd AWACS, who showed me a bit of what integrated air defense is like during Tinker’s CORONET SENTRY 94-1 air supremacy exercise.

  For information on the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control center procedures, thanks to Tony Longo, Assistant Manager for Training, Federal Aviation Administration, and Glenn W. Coon, Jr., Training Instructor, for a great tour of Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center and for explaining the intricacies of domestic air traffic control, emergency procedures, and terrorism issues. Thanks also to Barry Maxwell, Debbie Yarborough, and David Jolly for a great tour of the air traffic control tower and FAA facilities at Memphis International Airport.

  Thanks to Lieutenant Diane Ramsey, Sacramento Police Department, and Dr. Jim Poland, Ph.D., criminal justice professor and terrorism expert, California State Univer- sity-Sacramento, for their help in understanding the organization of the U.S. government’s antiterrorist forces.

  Special thanks to flight instructor, aircraft broker, and good friend Bob Watts, Jr., president of Capitol Sky Park, Sacramento, California, for helpful information on civil aircraft purchasing, licensing, and transport operations, and for all his long hours accompanying me to all the military bases we visited as he checked me out in the Piper Aerostar 602P. It was a first-class way to travel thanks to this first- class gentleman. Thanks also to Chip Manor, Media Relations Director, Martin Marietta Corporation; and my good friend and fellow AirLifeLine pilot Jim Rahe, and his wife, Lin, Houston, Texas, for their suggestions and assistance with this story.

  Finally, very special thanks to my hardworking and very patient executive assistant, researcher, and friend Dennis T. Hall, for helping me develop this story, for ideas and research on stock-option investment strategies used in this story, and for all-around maintaining a pretty good sense of humor while dealing with all my typical harried author’s nonsense. Few authors work in a vacuum, and I’m lucky to have Dennis’s help and advice.

  This book is dedicated to the hundreds of volunteers who coordinate missions and fly every day for AirLifeLine, a national charity medical air transportation service based in Sacramento, California. They fly needy medical patients free of charge to receive treatment, and I dedicate this especially to its founder and president, my friend Tom Goodwin. Thanks to this great organization, I’ve been able to give back so much to the people of this great country who have given so much to me.

  Author’s Note

  This story is a work of fiction. The persons and events used herein are a product of my imagination. To understand the difficult and dangerous world of air defense, I enlisted a lot of assistance from the real-world persons and organizations I describe. I thank all those who took the time to help me, and I hope I’ve done you proud. But the final result, however true-to-life and technically accurate, is fantasy.

  I hope it all remains a fantasy.

  Folsom, CA April 1994

  Real-World News Excerpts

  SUMMARY REPORT, Executive Committee on Terrorism, National Security Council (June 1979): ... The resolution of a serious domestic incident might conceivably be beyond the capabilities of available civil police forces. The use of specially trained and equipped military forces might be necessary in order to restore order and preserve human life.

  ... The FBI and other civil authorities have a substantial capacity to deal with terrorism situations, and the use of military forces would be necessary only in extreme cases of highly sophisticated, paramilitary terrorism operations in the United States.

  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, Federal Aviation Administration Order 7210.3K, 16 September 1993, para. 6-lb(4) and para. 6-5a — The air traffic manager shall take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the Presidential flight, airplanes, helicopters, and entourage are given priority. . . . Honor any request of the pilot concerning movement of the Presidential aircraft if it can be fulfilled in accordance with existing control procedures ...

  WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2 December 1993: ... In a bizarre case of mayhem and apparent market manipulation, Mr. Ramiro Helmeyer [of Caracas, Venezuela] is charged with heading a group that carried out a flurry of terrorist bombings in order to profit from the resulting decline in the price of Venezuelan stocks and publicly traded government debt...

  ... Some speculate that Mr. Helmeyer and his alleged confederates might have been political terrorists, who engaged in market speculation in order to finance their activities ...

  WASHINGTON TELECOM NEWS via Phillips Publishing, December 3, 1993: Acquisition officials from the Department of Justice’s Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and NASA are briefing potential private-sector telecommunications and information services partners in separate meetings . . . The partners are being asked to provide ultrasophisticated telecommunications and information services networks for politically sensitive missions mandated by the Clinton administration.

  INS was told by the White House that it would support a “sweeping” antiterrorist strategy throughout the federal government. . . that could help identify “potentially dangerous” foreign immigrants . ..

  CBS NEWS’ “60 MINUTES,” 26 December 1993 (reprinted with permission from Burrelle’s Information Services): ... It’s called GPS—global positioning system: 24 orbiting satellites launched by the Pentagon that transmit mapping and targeting information with an accuracy never before known. It’s free for anyone to use, and the scariest use would be in what the military calls the “poor man’s cruise missile,” which could enable any Third World nation, any madman, any terrorist, to send a missile right down the smokestack of the Pentagon . . .

  Nothing is too high for the daring of mortals:

  we storm heaven itself in our folly.

  —Horace

  Contents

  Prologue

  PART 1

  PART 2

  PART 3

  PART 4

  PART 5

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  “What you are about to see,” the talk-show host began, “is a videotape of what is a historic but tragic occurrence—the last time since World War Two that territory of the United States of America has been attacked by a foreign power. Our guest today says this can and will happen again, and he should know. You will see a videotape log of the control room of an American drug-interdiction station, located just off the east coast of Florida. Roll the tape.”

  The studio audience was deathly silent as the monitors came to life.

  “Attention, all platform personnel, this is the command center. We have received notification that the aerostat radar unit on Grand Bahama Island has just come under attack and ha
s been destroyed by hostile aircraft. I am placing this platform on yellow alert. Clear the flight deck and prepare for aircraft launch and recovery. Off-duty crew report to emergency stations. ”

  There were about ten people in a large room of computer consoles and radar screens, a room resembling a smaller version of Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Men and women were on their feet, expressions of confusion and fear visible on their faces. “Take your seats and watch your sectors, ” an officer was shouting, his voice visibly shaking. He was obviously the senior officer, returning to a console slightly raised above the others. “Get your life jackets on but continue monitoring your sectors. Do it!”

  Technicians quickly moved back to their consoles, working with quiet efficiency, but the tension in the command center was obvious.

  “Sundstrand-351, acknowledge, ” came the voice of one of the female controllers. “You are exiting the entry corridor and approaching restricted airspace. Turn left to heading three-five-zero immediately. ”