Operation Red Dragon and the Unthinkable (World War III Series Book 2)

by James Rosone

  “That’s a long walk with no wheels, especially if we hit any resistance,” asserted Nelson.

  The Captain shot Nelson a disappointed look before replying, “Are you really expecting there to be much in the way of resistance after the complete Bar-B-Q the Air Force just laid on them? There will be a few infantry vehicles, and even a couple of Pershing’s on point--our company is to follow on foot and assist where needed, so get a few hours’ sleep and have your men ready to move. We push off at 0600 hours.”

  In an abrupt change of pace, a NUCFLASH message suddenly came across the battle net to all soldiers. They were being ordered to shelter in place and prepare for a potential nuclear strike. Within seconds, everyone was donning protective gear and standing by for further orders.

  Captain Chantilly looked at SFC Nelson before saying, “You heard the new orders. Get your platoon ready. I need to get back to the Company Command Post (CP).” He did not stick around to make sure his instructions were followed. Instead, he turned quickly and ran off in the direction of the CP.

  *******

  Time ticked on nervously, slowly and quickly at the same time. After nearly three hours of sheltering in place, no further update about the NUCFLASH message had been received. Then, finally, new orders came on the wire; preparations for a possible nuclear attack were cancelled, and they were to resume with their original mission.

  Then, a short message from General Gardner himself was broadcasted across the battle net to all US Forces. “It is with a deep heaviness that I am called upon to inform you that New York City and Baltimore have been hit with a nuclear device. We have confirmed that the nuclear weapon originated in the Islamic Republic, and was delivered via freighters entering the Hudson River and the Baltimore Harbor. We have received no further information indicating that the IR was preparing to launch any additional weapons in our AOR. Military operations are to continue as previously planned. No enemy prisoners are to be taken, unless they are of high intelligence value. May God have mercy on our country, and may we be a part of bringing justice to the world today.”

  *******

  0530 hours came quickly, and most of the platoon had gotten little if any sleep. They all knew someone who lived in one of the two cities that got nuked.

  “So what’s the plan, Sarge?” asked one of the soldiers as he approached SFC Nelson.

  “First of all, that’s Sergeant First Class (SFC) now, and second, we are moving out--so get your stuff together,” Nelson said as he replaced his old stripes with the new ones.

  “Now I need to get with the rest of the NCOs and make sure the platoon is ready. I don’t care what the Captain says; some of those Jihadis will have survived that Bar-B-Q the Air Force just gave them,” he thought to himself.

  The group rolled out promptly at 0630 with the armored vehicles. After two hours of patrolling, the platoon had only seen a trail of burnt and twisted bodies, smoldering ruins of armored vehicles and shattered homes and buildings littering the landscape. There had been some sniper fire further ahead, but nothing that slowed the advance of the Battalion on their way to Hebron.

  “--Sergeant Nelson,” called Captain Chantilly over the HUD that was built into each soldier’s helmet.

  “Yes sir.”

  “Battalion wants us to move off the road and spread ourselves out as we near Route 317. They want our Company to head towards Rafat and Samu’a with Bravo Company. Delta and Echo Company will be to our right as they head towards Susya if we need them, or vice versa. I’m sending the new directions through the battle net.”

  The new route was instantly highlighted on the HUD. In the map mode, the HUD could display not just the instructions and waypoints designated by the platoon or company commander, it could also display the individual identification frequency (IIF) of each soldier in the platoon. This information could also be relayed to one of the tablets each squad and platoon leader carried, allowing for better coordination.

  “I’ll pass it over to the rest of the platoon. We’ll start moving in that direction now,” Nelson said, signing off.

  The Army’s new battle helmets had come in to service with the Army and Marines at the end of 2039, so their use was still relatively new. The battle helmets (or BHs as they were being called by the grunts wearing them) had a number of new improvements and technology woven into them. They were incredibly light compared to the traditional ballistic helmets, and unlike their predecessors, the BHs could truly stop a bullet. They also sported a ballistic visor that protected the soldier’s eyes, only exposing the individual’s mouth and jawline. As the platoon marched out into the Jordan Valley, their visors were adjusting from night vision mode to clear as the sun rose; when the rays of sunlight became high enough to begin affecting eyesight, the visors automatically adjusted to darken into sunglasses. It created an incredible advantage for the U.S. and IDF Forces.

  The air in the Jordan Valley smelled of scorched flesh, burning rubber, and refuse as the battlefield continued to smolder. As the Company moved through Rafat and into Samu’a, they started to meet some resistance, but the fighting was coming from small uncoordinated pockets and the men had no trouble dispensing with the ruffians they encountered. The automated targeting system in the BHs could provide a 5x zoom on any mark, and would place a red dot in the visual field, indicating exactly where their weapon was aimed at any time. There was also a mini camera and mic built into the BH, allowing commanders to see what their soldiers were seeing. This tech made one U.S. soldier worth at least ten of the IR forces because of the capabilities it provided to the individual soldier and unit.

  The truth is there wasn’t much left after the bombing campaign in the Jordan Valley. The IR had massed together a large group of about 400,000 infantry and armored vehicles across the area, gathering their forces for a final push to divide the country and destroy the IDF and Americans…but they were all so clustered together that it had made one giant easy target. The goal of the bombing mission was to destroy everything within a 675 square mile kill box, and between the 7,650 individual bombs hitting synchronized targets per bombing wave, the strategy had been highly effective. The Navy had also added their weight into the fight, firing 1,200 cruise missiles into the kill box. It should be no surprise that the forces on the ground were largely obliterated.

  With the bulk of the IR army destroyed, it was now time to push them out of Israel and get ready to take the fight to their homeland.

  Europe Changes Tactics

  Day Twenty-Two

  20 December 2040

  London, England

  Number 10 Downing Street

  Despite the final fiscal and political unification of the European Union (EU) in 2026, Great Britain continued to maintain its autonomy. While the Scandinavian and Eastern European countries had folded into the EU during the Great Depression of the 2020s and early 2030s, the UK was determined to remain their own country. The free trade agreement with the US had guaranteed access to affordable food and had helped to fuel the revival of the British economy in the late 2030s. Prime Minister Stannis Blair, unlike Chancellor Lowden (the leader of the EU), had no problem convincing the members of Parliament of the dangers posed by the Islamic Republic, Russia and China.

  At the private urgings of President Stein, Prime Minister Blair had persuaded Parliament to increase defense spending and the size of the British military several years ago. The United States also made available extremely low interest rate loans to aid Britain in their military buildup. When war broke out with the IR, the British were not only ready; they had a military force that was up to the task.

  General Sir Michael Richards of the British Defense Staff walked briskly into the room. He was ready to provide his boss with the latest updates. “Prime Minister, the Americans confirmed several hours ago the nuclear devices that destroyed New York and Baltimore did in fact originate from the IR. Caliph Abbas himself confirmed this to President Stein during a brief phone call they had. As of right now, the Americans have not respon
ded with nuclear weapons, but we believe they are going to hit the IR hard in the very near future.”

  The Prime Minister was exhausted from the late night meetings and the early morning phone call he had with President Stein. He still could not believe the casualty estimates had reached over four million civilians dead. He understood the need for America to respond with their own nuclear weapons but had cautioned Stein on not going overboard. He did not want the Americans to escalate the war into a nuclear shooting exchange with China and Russia should they come to the defense of their ally. PM Blair signaled for Sir Richards to continue.

  Nodding towards the PM, he expounded, “The last intelligence brief we received from the Americans says the Russians are going to invade the EU within 72 hours. Military intelligence and MI6 also concurs with this assessment.” He nodded towards Admiral Sir Mark West, the First Sea Lord, to provide the PM with the military recommendations.

  “Mr. Prime Minister, with consultation from our intelligence services and the American Navy, I recommend we put our entire naval force to sea immediately. We need to ensure our naval forces are not destroyed in port or caught off guard as the American Pacific Fleet was when the Chinese launched their surprise attack,” Admiral West announced with confidence. “The Russians will try to move their fleet and subs into the North Atlantic, which will cause all sorts of logistical problems for us if they are left unchecked.”

  “I agree, Admiral. Please have our naval forces put to sea as soon as possible. Let’s also start coordinating with the EU Navy and get ready to interdict the Russian Navy in the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland/Iceland gap,” the PM ordered.

  The Prime Minister looked each of his senior military leaders in the eyes and said, “Gentlemen, the Americans have been warning us for years of the Russian military buildup. There was not a lot we could do to influence our EU partners to prepare; it is now time to put our own preparation to the test. General Sir Wall, I want the entire Reserve and Territorial Army activated immediately. Recall all military members from leave and cancel all future holidays. You are to have the military ready to disperse from their garrisons within 48 hours.”

  The British army had quietly increased their military reserve from 25,000 personnel in 2037 to 275,000 by the end of 2040. The increase was mostly infantry, military police and armor--areas that could quickly bolster the strength and capability of the active duty force, should hostilities occur. The active duty force had likewise been increased from 89,000 to 300,000. Similarly, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy had increased in size with the Navy, adding five additional submarines to their fleet and additional anti-submarine capabilities.

  The RAF had followed the American Air Force in developing Fighter Drone Wings to augment their piloted aircraft. The advent of fighter drones offered the RAF a unique ability to increase their air power at a fraction of the cost of traditional manned fighters. The drones could outmaneuver their manned counterparts, and for all intents and purposes, were disposable. If they were shot down, the pilot was not placed at risk and could activate another drone. Drone aircraft did not have to take into account the survivability of a pilot; they were smaller, nimbler, carried a good weapon load, and cost a fraction of what a manned aircraft did.

  The Americans had perfected the manufacturing of fighter drones and were able to produce nearly 85% of the aircraft using 3D printers. A drone could be built within two months and ready for action. The construction was still incredibly complex, and required thousands of 3D printers of various sizes and capabilities, which is why it took so long from start to finish. It was only a matter of time until the American manufacturers were able to produce these drones in days instead of months.

  3D printing had been around for decades, though it was not until a relatively small unknown manufacturer, the Atlas Group, built the first combat fighter drone in 2025 that the military saw a real combat use for them beyond surveillance and pinpoint strikes. After 10 years of testing and evaluation of various models, the US Air Force finally approved the first prototype two years before President Stein came into office. Once in office, the Stein administration exponentially increased the fighter drone programs as a means to cut costs while improving capability.

  “Air Marshal Sir Trenchard, what is the status of our air defense capability?” asked the PM as he took another sip of his tea.

  “Our laser missile defense and surface to air missile systems now encompass all of our airfields and major defense facilities and cities. If they use ballistic missiles, we are ready to knock them down. We will move the eight mobile laser systems with the army as they disperse. We also have eighty-seven of the American mobile anti-air/missile railgun systems; they will also disperse with the army. I will issue orders after this meeting to begin flying air combat missions over the country and our critical facilities round the clock. The Russians may suspect we know about their pending invasion with our sudden increase in force posture, but I assure you, they will not sucker punch us,” said Air Marshal Sir Andrew Trenchard with an air of confidence.

  “Excellent, Sir Trenchard. We should be ready to provide fighter support over the EU when hostilities do begin. I have a meeting in two hours with Chancellor Lowden and his defense staff. I would like everyone to return back to the conference room in an hour and half and be ready to participate in this meeting. We need to convince the Chancellor and his staff that they need to mobilize. With that said, everyone is dismissed to issue what orders you need to and prepare our country for war,” said the Prime Minister in a stoic manner.

  The European Union had also taken President Stein’s advice and expanded their military capabilities during the past several years, though not as aggressively as the British had. Where they differed from Great Britain was their expansion into drone technology; they had not placed significant resources into modernizing their military. They increased personnel, but continued to use equipment that was not on par with the technological advancements in military equipment the Russians, Chinese and Americans were now using. Full modernization of their forces to include mobile laser defense systems, railgun air defense systems and newer infantry rifles and tanks would be costly, and was simply not something they were willing to do yet.

  The EU had increased their active duty army to 350,000 personnel with an additional 1.4 million in the reserves. Since the start of hostilities in the Middle East and the civil unrest taking place in cities all across the EU, Chancellor Lowden had most of the military deployed in the various cities attempting to put down the violence. They had yet to activate their reserves, or deploy their active duty forces with their full combat equipment. They were being bogged down, trying to assist local law enforcement with restoring order.

  As Chancellor Lowden walked into the conference room, the arguing between the Defense Minister, André Gouin, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paolo Prodi, was in full swing. The two ministers had been quarreling for weeks over the war in the Middle East and the intelligence being shared by the Americans and British about the Russian troop deployments. They disagreed strongly about what it all meant.

  Minister Prodi shouted at his compatriot, “The Russians are not going to invade the EU! They might get involved in assisting the Islamic Republic in their fight against the Israelis and the Americans, but they are not going to intervene in Europe. Besides, there are 350,000 U.S. troops positioned in England, Germany, and Italy. Even if they decide to invade, the Americans will keep them busy long enough to allow the EU to fully mobilize.”

  Minister Gouin had been arguing for the activation of the reserves and making preparations in case the Russians really did invade the EU. He was unscathed by the impolite speech from his co-worker. “I do not want to place all of our hopes on the American forces. You do realize that there is significant risk that the U.S. might soon be engaged in a nuclear fight with the Russians or the Chinese, right? The Americans will certainly respond to the horrific nuclear attack on their country. When they do, this might escalate ot
her parties to participate in kind. The Chinese have already used several nuclear tipped torpedoes, and the U.S. has responded by destroying several Chinese harbors. That may be the extent of the nuclear exchange now, but who knows what tomorrow holds?”

  “Gentlemen, please stop bickering. The British are about to come online and we need to decide what actions we are going to take.” Chancellor Lowden was clearly annoyed at his senior staff.

  A technician interrupted the conversation, “—Chancellor, the British are ready to begin.”

  Lowden shifted his eyes to the holographic screen. As it came to life, he could see the British senior military leaders were all present. He nodded in acknowledgement before greeting them. “Mr. Prime Minister, it is good to see you. I am sorry it could not be under better circumstances.”

  PM Blair was if nothing else, a blunt and direct politician. He did not have anything personal against the EU Chancellor, but like most Europeans, he was slow to react and quick to give in to the fringes of the EU’s political parties and activist groups. “Mr. Chancellor, I will cut to the chase and keep this discussion short. We have a tremendous amount of work to do. By now, we all know the IR used two nuclear weapons against New York and Baltimore. Clearly the war is going to escalate, whether we like it or not. Are you going to mobilize your reserves and prepare to meet the Russians? Time is running out”.

  “We have not mobilized our reserves just yet; our focus has been on putting down the uprisings in our cities. Not everyone in our government is convinced that the American intelligence about a Russian invasion is correct. I would also like to add that in light of the nuclear detonations last night, the Americans are likely to use nuclear weapons of their own, and we do not want to appear to be a threat to Russia and potentially encourage them to use nuclear weapons in a pre-emptive strike against the EU,” Lowden said, not entirely convinced of his own intelligence services’ assessment of the situation.