Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

220 JEFF EDWARDS
USS Towers:
“USWE—Sonar, we have weapon startup. It’s Antietam’s ASROC, sir,
and it looks like they got it right in the pocket.”
A friendly-weapon symbol appeared in blue on the CDRT. Ensign
Cooper kissed the tip of his finger and touched it to the glass screen
directly over the symbol. “Come on, baby, acquire … acquire …”
A half-minute later, the Sonar Supervisor’s voice came over the net.
“USWE—Sonar, Antietam’s weapon has acquired the target. Looks like
it’s starting its attack run now.”
Ensign Cooper clapped his hands. “All right!”
Chief McPherson stared at the CDRT without saying anything.
Captain Bowie watched her for a few seconds. “What is it, Chief?”
The chief shook her head. “Something’s not right here, Captain.”
Ensign Cooper looked at her. “What?”
“The sub isn’t doing anything,” Chief McPherson said. “He’s got a
torpedo screaming up his ass, and he’s not doing anything about it. No
evasion, no flank speed, no nothing …”
“It’s a decoy!” Ensign Cooper shouted. He nearly broke a finger
jabbing the button for Navy Red. “SAU Commander—Towers, it’s a
decoy! I say again, your target is a mobile decoy! Recommend you take
immediate evasive action!”
From across CIC, a Radar Operator yelled, “TAO, I’ve got two, no …
make that three missile pop-ups! Bearing two-two-zero!”
The TAO yelled, “Use the goddamned net!” Into his own comm-set
mike he half-shouted, “All Stations—TAO, we have in-bound Vipers! I
say again, we have missiles in-bound! This is not a drill! Weapons
Control, shift to Aegis ready-auto. Set CIWS to auto-engage. Break. EW,
I need your best course for minimized radar cross-section, and stand by to
launch chaff!”
The Electronics Warfare Technician’s response came a half-second
later. “TAO—EW, standing by on chaff. I have active H-band seekers on
all three missiles. Looks like Exocet SM-39s, ‘November Variants.’ EW
recommends we avoid jamming, sir. I say again, recommend we do not
jam. The November birds have home-on-jam capability.”
The captain sprinted for his chair at the center of CIC, between the
giant Aegis display screens. Three missile symbols were rapidly closing
on the ships. It was still too early to determine which ships had been
targeted. He pulled a comm-set over his head and keyed up. “Give me a
plot on the pop-up point for those missiles.”