by Dale Brown
Air Battle Force
( Patrick McLanahan - 11 )
Dale Brown
In military circles it's known as Air Battle Force — an air combat unit of the future, under the command of aerial warfare expert Major General Patrick McLanahan, capable of launching stealthy, precision-guided firepower to anywhere on the globe within hours. And now McLanahan and his warriors have their first target.
Driven from Afghanistan, the parasitic forces of the deposed Taliban regime have decided to feed on a new host — an isolated, oil-rich Central Asian neighbor that's ripe for the conquering. The battle for control of the world's largest oil deposits has begun, with unsteady alliances forming and opposing forces set to collide. And now a handful of American commandos half a world away, aided by McLanahan's unproven robotic warplanes, will have to triumph against overwhelming numbers in a war that nobody — including "friendly" forces at home — wants them to win.
Dale Brown
Air Battle Force
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dale Brown is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers including Flight of the Old Dog and Wings of Fire. He also created the Dreamland series, co-authored by Jim DeFelice. A former U.S. Air Force bombardier, Dale Brown is an instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found flying his own plane across the United States. He lives near Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
DEDICATION
This story is dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attacks on America on September 11,2001…
…and to the courageous men and women around the world who will relentlessly avenge their deaths
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Brigadier General Stanley Gorenc, commander of the Ninth Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, for a great tour of his Wing and for setting up the orientation of the future Global Hawk and Predator unmanned reconnaissance aircraft units soon to be located at Beale. Born in Yugoslavia, Stan Gorenc is, I believe, at the top of the new generation of air warriors with the vision, determination, energy, and style to lead the United States Air Force boldly into the twenty-first century.
Special thanks as well to Colonel David Fobian, commander of the 940th Air Refueling Squadron, Air Force Reserve, at Beale AFB. When I served in the Air Force many years ago, I pulled strategic alert at Mather AFB with the 940th, and to be perfectly honest, we active-duty guys resented the laid-back style of the Reservists. In stark contrast, on this recent research trip I found every member of the 940th at Beale to be sharp, professional, and dedicated.
I especially want to salute the crew of the 314th Air Refueling Squadron’s “Petro Pony,” the most beautiful forty-two-year-old KC-135 aerial-refueling tanker I have ever seen, which flew us to Air Force Plant 42, Nellis AFB, and Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field on this incredible research trip. It was a perfect example of the vital and professional way the Reserves fly and fight these days.
Thanks to Major Bob Couse-Baker, chief of the 940th Air Refueling Wing public affairs; and especially to Captain Mike Strickler, Second Lieutenant Tawny Halvorson, and Second Lieutenant Brady Smith of Ninth Reconnaissance Wing public affairs.
Thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Celeo Wright, commander, and Master Sergeant Jim Koharik, public affairs chief, Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, for leading the tour of the U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane and B-2A Spirit stealth bomber depot maintenance facilities and the Global Hawk assembly facility.
Thanks to fellow B-52 crewdog Colonel Bill Percival, commander of the Ninety-eighth Range Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada, for inviting us to view the incredible CAPSTONE airpower live-fire demonstration; and to Ms. Martine Ramos, public affairs officer for the Air Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, for her attention and support.
Thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Paul Geier, commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Hake, deputy commander for operations, Eleventh Reconnaissance Squadron, Indian Springs, Nevada, for the orientation and tour of the Predator unmanned reconnaissance aircraft formal training unit.
Thanks to Chief Master Sergeant Bill Wayment, 555th RED HORSE Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada, for his pride and professionalism. Definitely a topic for a future novel!
Thanks to Dean and Meredith Meiling for their friendship and generosity.
Author’s Note
Your comments are welcome! Send them to [email protected]. Individual replies may not always be possible, but I read every message. Thank you!
Cast of Characters
Major General Patrick McLanahan, commander, First Air Battle Force (1 ABF)
Brigadier General David Luger, deputy commander, First Air Battle Force
Brigadier General Rebecca Furness, commander, 111th Attack Wing; commander, 1 ABF/Air Operations
Colonel Hal Briggs, commander, 1 ABF/Ground Operations
Sergeant Major Chris Wohl, NCOIC, 1 ABF/GO
First Lieutenant Mark Bastian, Ground Ops squad leader
Gunnery Sergeant Matthew Wilde, ABF Ground Operations
Colonel John Long, 111 AW Operations Group commander
Colonel Daren Mace, commander, Fifty-first Bomb Squadron (QB-1A)
Captain William “Wonka” Weathers, munitions chief
Major Samuel “Flamer” Pogue, AC
First Lieutenant Dean “Zane” Grey, AC
Staff Sergeant Marty Banyan, munitions
Senior Airman Todd Meadows, munitions tech
Colonel Nancy Cheshire, commander, Fifty-second Bomb Squadron (EB-52 and AL-52)
Colonel Kelvin Carter, operations officer, Fifty-second Bomb Squadron, AL-52 AC
Major Frankie “Zipper” Tarantino, AL-52 MC
Thomas Nathaniel Thorn, president of the United States
Robert Goff, secretary of defense
Richard W. Venti, USAF general, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Douglas R. Morgan, director of Central Intelligence
Edward Kercheval, secretary of state
Darrow Horton, attorney general
Franklin Sellers, secretary of the treasury
Maureen Hershel, deputy secretary of state (Operations), acting secretary of state after Kercheval’s resignation
Isadora Meiling, assistant deputy secretary of state, Hershel’s assistant
AFGHANS
General (originally Captain) Wakil Mohammad Zarazi, member of the Hezbollah sect of the Taliban, warlord of eastern Turkmenistan
Colonel (originally Lieutenant) Jalaluddin Turabi, Zarazi’s second in command
Abdul Dendara, his aide
Captain (originally Lieutenant) Aman Orazov, Turkmen army and Zarazi’s henchman
TURKMEN
Kurban Gurizev, president of Turkmenistan, former chairman of Supreme Council (Majlis, or legislative branch)
Saparmurad Niyazov, former president of Turkmenistan
Lieutenant General Boris Kasimov, Russian liaison to the Turkmen government
RUSSIANS
Valentin Gennadievich Sen’kov, president of the Russian Federation
Ivan Ivanovich Filippov, minister of foreign affairs
Sergey Yejsk, national security adviser and secretary of the Security Council
Army General Nikolai Stepashin, commander, Ministry of State Security (chief of all intelligence bureaus)
Vladimir Rafikovich, minister of federation and internal affairs
Alexander Bukayev, minister of defense
General Anatoliy Gryzlov, chief of staff of the armed forces
Major Boris Bolkeim, Tu-22M-3 bombardier
Captain Mikhail Osipov, Tu-22 DSO
Colonel General Yuri Kudrin, commander, Second Heavy Bomber Division, Engels Air Base
Colonel General Boris Kasimov, the Russian liaison to the Turkmen general staff
WEA
PONS
AGM-211 “mini-Maverick,” small TV-guided attack missile, 28-pound thermium nitrate (TN) warhead, glide- and rocket-boosted, 6-mile range
AGM-165 Longhorn TV- and IIR-guided attack missile, 200-pound TN warhead, MMW radar guidance, 60-mile max range, 2,000 pounds each
AIM-120 Scorpion AMRAAM air-to-air missile, 50-pound warhead, 35-mile max range, triple-mode active radar, passive radar, or infrared, max speed Mach 3
AIM-154 Anaconda long-range radar-guided air-to-air missile, 50-pound TN warhead, 150-mile max range, ramjet engine, active-passive radar/IR guidance, max speed Mach 5
AGM-177 Wolverine cruise missile, turbojet-powered, 50-mile max range, 3 weapon bays, IIR or MMW radar terminal guidance
ABM-3 Lancelot air-launched anti-ballistic-missile weapon, 200-mile max range, plasma-yield or conventional warheads
Real-World News Excerpts
CAMPAIGN PROVES THE LENGTH OF U.S. MILITARY ARM
— INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 19, 2001
— The first phase of the Afghan War so far proves that American military might, including its devastating firepower, can be delivered against targets thousands of miles from the nearest friendly military base. This U.S. military capability is the main lesson being delivered by analysts after last week’s campaign destroyed the Taliban’s hold on power….
FIGHTING BACK WITH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
— EVAN THOMAS, WASHINGTON POST, NOVEMBER 21, 2001
— America faces a new kind of arms race. We must marshal all our scientific and technological expertise to combat those forces that seek America’s destruction….
TURKMENISTAN
—DEFENSE & FOREIGN AFFAIRS HANDBOOK (ISSA, ALEXANDRIA, VA., 2001)
— … The U.S. Trade and Development Agency on April 23, 1998, agreed to finance a feasibility study of a natural gas pipeline that would run beneath the Caspian Sea, giving Turkmenistan access to the Turkish natural gas market without transiting either Russia or Iran. President Niyazov was guest of honor at the White House in Washington during the signing….
… Defense Minister Khikmatulla Tursunov on September 22, 1998, echoed statements by President Karimov warning of a threat from Afghanistan caused by increased terrorism, religious extremism and worldwide drug trafficking which could spill over into neighboring states….
HIGH-TECH WEAPONS CHANGE THE DYNAMICS AND THE SCOPE OF BATTLE
— INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 28, 2001
— The main battlefield lesson learned from the Afghan War is that small U.S. combat teams on the ground and high-performance aircraft with precision-guided weapons can be coordinated under almost any circumstance. The devastating aerial attacks on Taliban and al Qaeda targets give testimony to the effectiveness of high-tech warfare practiced by U.S. forces….
THE POSITION OF TURKMENISTAN IN THE LIGHT OF AN INTERNATIONAL COALITION AGAINST TERRORISM
— MAYSA MAMEDOVA — WWW.GUNDOGAR.COM, 1/26/2002
— … The U.S. Department of State admitted that a high level U.S. delegation led by the Under Secretary of State John Bolton traveled to Central Asia, while the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell met Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister and communicated via telephone with the Presidents of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These efforts resulted in the following agreement: all of the concerned states, except Turkmenistan, would provide assistance to the U.S., from the use of their ground bases for humanitarian operations only to the use of their airspace and additional facilities on the ground….
JAMES ROCHE, SECRETARY OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE
— BUSINESSWEEK, FEBRUARY 11, 2002
— USAF Secretary James Roche has shown flashes of inspiration during the war on terrorism. He electronically linked AC-130 gunships with unmanned Predator drones and created an even more devastating weapon. His ultimate goals include creating an Air Force capable of locating and tracking a single moving target, such as a tank, and instantly destroying it with precision bombing. That would help keep down the number of civilian casualties that occur during war….
U.S. UNDERTAKING GENERATIONAL WEAPONS SHIFT
— STRATFOR, WWW.STRATFOR.COM, 3 MAY 2002
— A recent Defense Department decision to kill a costly artillery system program represents the start of a generational shift in weapons systems….
… The key representatives of this new breed of system are cruise missiles and other reusable unmanned aircraft. As the range and speed of these systems increase, it will be possible to carry out the mission of delivering munitions without a massive forward deployment of men and matériel….
REPORTED CRASH OF SPY PLANE BODES BADLY FOR U.S.
—STRATFOR, WWW.STRATFOR.COM, 12 JUNE 2002
— A U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed near Qorveh in the Iranian northwestern province of Kordestan in late May, according to Iranian media sources June 12….
… If the United States is supplementing its satellite surveillance on these facilities by committing unmanned vehicles to conduct real-time, low-level reconnaissance, this may be a sign that the administration is preparing to evoke its emerging “preemption” and “defensive intervention” strategic doctrine and may be preparing to strike Iranian WMD facilities….
U.S. USING TURKMEN OPPOSITION TO PRESSURE PRESIDENT
— STRATFOR, WWW.STRATFOR.COM, 25 JUNE 2002
— U.S. officials appear to be giving cautioned support to opposition leaders seeking Turkmen President Saparmurad Niyazov’s ousting. Washington is likely trying to send a message to Turkmenistan’s authoritarian ruler to let U.S. military forces and businesses into the country. Niyazov is likely to follow his survival instincts and accede to some U.S. demands to preserve his regime.
… But the U.S. interest in the opposition reflects a deeper American interest in Turkmenistan’s gas and oil. This interest is unlikely to die, meaning some changes in the regime are likely. Niyazov knows what to do to ensure his survival, and when American pressure intensifies he will likely make a deal with Washington. Introducing democracy would not be in the cards, but some U.S. military presence and concessions to Western investors would.
“HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER,”
BY JOHN A. TIRPAK, AIR FORCE MAGAZINE, JULY 2002
— … Air Force Secretary James G. Roche has suggested that a very large UCAV [Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle] — bomber-size — might be a good idea, since bombers typically go after fixed targets, which can easily be programmed into a UCAV’s flight plan. Moreover, bombers in Afghanistan orbited the battlefield waiting to be called on to precisely deliver ordnance. Such a mission might be well-suited to an air refuelable, large-scale unmanned vehicle, Roche suggested….
RUMSFELD WEIGHS NEW COVERT ACTS BY MILITARY UNITS
— THOMAS SHANKER AND JAMES RISEN, NEW YORK TIMES, 12 AUGUST 2002
— Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is considering ways to expand broadly the role of American Special Operations forces in the global campaign against terrorism….
… Proposals now being discussed by Mr. Rumsfeld and senior military officers could ultimately lead Special Operations units to get more deeply involved in long-term covert operations in countries where the United States is not at open war and, in some cases, where the local government is not informed of their presence….
PROLOGUE
GHOWRMACH BORDER CROSSING, NEAR ANDKHVOY, FARYAB PROVINCE, NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN
January 2003
Captain Wakil Mohammad Zarazi deployed two of his youngest, most inexperienced — and therefore most expendable — troops right beside the road for the ambush, promising them promotions and high honors if they survived — and a place at the right hand of God if they were killed. Yes, they still believed they would get both.
The boys hid behind piles of snow and rocks until the lead armored personnel carrier, an old Russian-made BMP, cruised by, and then they threw RKG-3 antitank hand grenades under the chassis. When the grenades were rolled under the BMPs, they righted themselves, th
en fired copper-sheathed, high-explosive, hollow-charge warheads up into the crew compartment. The molten copper blew through the ten-millimeter armor underneath and spattered molten copper throughout the crew compartment, instantly killing any soldiers inside. The BMP died quickly and messily — and, Zarazi hoped, all on board did, too.
His men, emboldened by the success of this first attack, streamed out of their hiding places and went on the attack, hitting the other vehicles in the convoy with small-arms fire. To Zarazi, the company commander of the guerrilla forces that surprised this small United Nations detachment, the apparent success of the hastily planned ambush was unexpected. His men had been on the move for months in some of northern Afghanistan’s worst weather; they were cold, tired, starving, and low on ammunition, morale, and courage, continually hounded by American and United Nations air forces.
Maybe they had such clear success because starving men made fiercer fighters — if they didn’t succeed, they were dead.
Their intelligence said this detachment, moving west from Andkhvoy since just yesterday to set up a communications relay site somewhere along the border, would have better security. Zarazi’s unit was well below full company strength, but they hurried to be in position to make this ambush anyway because of the chance to capture some superior weapons and vehicles to use in their guerrilla war against the Northern Alliance. Zarazi was disappointed at the small size of the detachment — he was hoping for more weapons and more captives. He might get only fifty captives and a few weeks’ worth of food and supplies out of this convoy. Still, it was better than nothing.
