Chapter 272: Book 11 Chapter 2-8 A Time for Decisive Action 2: The Flame of the East

February 20, 2021, 22:25

The airspace 453km from the northern tip of Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

The air battle between the 24 CF/A-25P Black Scarlet Phoenixes, 19 F-22SR Super Raptors, and 4 B-1R Archers was getting more intense. The pilots of the U.S. naval aircraft and the F-22SR Super Raptors of the air force were receiving anti-air detection information from various means, including the E-55A stealth detection planes which would neutralize the superior stealth capabilities of the Red Phoenixes and Black Scarlet Phoenixes. But contrary to their expectations, the goddess of victory was getting further out of reach.

Those were the results of a fierce air battle for about 10 minutes: only three Red Phoenixes and two Black Scarlet Phoenixes were shot down in the Corean Air Force. Also, all pilots managed to escape. All 12 Super Hornets and 16 Lightning II aircraft, which were U.S. Navy aircraft, were all shot down and burned in the air. Only 10 pilots successfully escaped using the escape system. Lastly, only 10 of the 19 Super Raptors survived and fought hard with support from the Archers’ rear attack.

B-1R Archers fired all the AMG-120D AMRAAM and AMG-120F AMRAAM that they had, about 80 km away from other planes. Then, they circled and went back to the Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa.

The AMRAAM missiles fired by the B-1R Archers flew straight ahead. The AMG-120F AMRAAMs arrived in the battle area in about one minute with a fast speed of Mach 6. They aimed at the Red Phoenixes and Black Scarlet Phoenixes. In response, the Corean pilots sprinkled chaffs and flares, emitted powerful EMC, and entered an evasive maneuver. The pilots of the 10 F-22SR Super Raptors considered this would be their last chance. To take advantage of this chance, they narrowed the distance and began a vicious offensive flight mode.

However, fortune was not on their side. The Super Raptor pilots had thought that in close engagements, superior mobility could give them an edge. But in less than five minutes, they realized they had thought wrong.

As they entered the dogfight, they were burnt in the air or crashed into the sea. It was because the Red Phoenixes and Black Scarlet Phoenixes performed highly skilled movements and evasive maneuvers that the American pilots had never seen or heard of, and had not even imagined before.

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February 20, 2021, 22:30

The sea 372km off the north of Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan (the location of the 11th Carrier Strike Group of the 3rd Fleet)

Four C-SE Epirus missiles (Super-EMP Weapon) falling toward the 11th Carrier Strike Group had entered the outer atmosphere. Now there was only one-minute left until the landing. Accordingly, the Zumwalt-class destroyers Pat Tillman (DDG-1004) and Chris Kyle (DDG-1005) did not want to miss the one chance to intercept them. They fired 40 SM-3 (Block IIA) missiles worth 18 million dollars per unit. They launched 720 million dollars into the sky to intercept three Epirus missiles (Super-EMP Weapon).

In some ways, it could be considered a huge waste, but it was still better to spend 720 million than let the 11th Carrier Strike Group suffer from damage. The Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) alone was 5 billion dollars and each Zumwalt-class destroyer cost 4 billion dollars. Also, it would cost more than 10 billion dollars if the destroyer and various equipment were combined.

They would waste a lot of money if they tried to save 720 million dollars. So, Admiral Roger Haney gave an order to Captain Matthew Gatney to intercept the ballistic missiles at all costs.

Admiral Roger Haney had been grieving since receiving the report that Vice-Admiral Mark Haney, who was the 3rd Fleet commander and his father, was missing. He had even turned over command to Captain John Edens. But now, he came to and began to give orders intensely, watching the tactical screen carefully.

At an altitude of 800km, two flashes occurred, and two Epirus missiles exploded. However, the remaining two Epirus survived. Dozens of SM-3 (Block IB) missiles with a practical ceiling height of 500km were fired from 12 U.S. naval ships nonstop when the two Epirus missiles tried to break through the atmosphere. However, they succeeded in intercepting only one Epirus. The remaining Epirus exploded 1km above the 11th Carrier Strike Group, which sailed in the open formation.

A bright flash occurred, turning the dark sky instantly bright like broad daylight, and disappeared. Then, an intense shock wave spreading in a circular shape from the bomb pit swept through the 11th Carrier Strike Group.

As a powerful EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) swept, the air raid alarm that was ringing on the entire aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) stopped all of a sudden. It was because two Bechtel A1B reactors, the heart of aircraft carriers that produced 700 MWt of heat and 150 MWe of electricity, had stopped. As a result, the power to all electronic systems operated by the aircraft carrier was cut off. An instantaneous overload caused a spark in an electronic circuit, and the fire began to spread.

Nine ships, including aircraft carriers, became like scrap metal, being pushed by the currents in an instant. Fortunately, the Arleigh Burke-class (Flight IIA) Aegis destroyers of the 7th Carrier Strike Group, the McCampbell (DDG-85), and Mustin (DDG-89) were located 50km away from where the explosion had happened. So, they were only partially damaged.

The surface combatants belonging to the 11th Carrier Strike Group were lighting up the dark seas with only emergency star shells and flashlights since their operating system and power went out. At that time, 32 Hae Seong A, anti-ship missiles that had been launched by the Corean combined fleet, flew toward them. Accordingly, the McCampbell (DDG-85) and Mustin (DDG-89), which were able to operate the system partially, immediately began the intercept procedure.

There was no problem with detecting the Hae Seong A anti-ship missile by the Aegis radars. However, an error occurred in the fire control system. So, they had to set the target one by one and this delayed the interception response. Regardless, 24 SM-2 (Block IIIA) missiles were fired from two Aegis destroyers in the first intercept procedure. Then, they began to set the target manually again.

In modern warfare, one second could make a big difference. While they were setting the targets manually, 32 Hae Seong A missiles had reached almost 50km from the 11th Carrier Strike Group.

The Hae Seong A anti-ship missiles were flying in sea-skimming mode, brushing the sea surface. Thirteen of them were intercepted by SM-2 (Block IIIA) missiles that flew at 60 degrees and caused a fragmented storm. But that was it. The remaining 19 Hae Seong A flew smoothly toward their targets.

The McCampbell (DDG-85) and Mustin (DDG-89) ignored the missiles that were targeting them. They only focused on intercepting the missiles that were flying towards the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). They chose to save the aircraft carrier rather than themselves.

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Only three of the five Hae Seong A anti-ship missiles that were flying towards the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) exploded. The other two Hae Seong A missiles soared with pop-up maneuvers. When they reached a certain altitude, they quickly began to drop. Then they fell to the flight deck of the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). Two Hae Seong A missiles that fell onto the middle of the flight deck penetrated the thick flight deck and exploded.

With two wild explosions, a huge pillar of fire erupted on the open flight deck. The armor bulkheads inside the aircraft carrier tore apart like sheets of paper. It could not prevent a huge flame storm. However, the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) was a ship with 100,000 tons of load-displacement. So, it did not sink. However, all the systems were broken, so it was not an exaggeration to say it sank.

The stealth destroyers, Pat Tillman (DDG-1004) and Chris Kyle (DDG-1005) were also hit by three anti-ship missiles. They were engulfed in fiery flames, spewing smoke, and slowly sinking into the sea.

Also, the McCampbell (DDG-85), which pushed the order of priority to defend itself to protect the aircraft, succeeded to intercept one of the two incoming anti-ship missiles with the 20mm Phalanx. But the other Hae Seong A hit the ship and the bridge of the ship exploded.

The Mustin (DDG-89) was also hit by two Hae Seong A anti-ship missiles on the ship and the central hull. The ship rapidly tilted to the aft starboard and slowly sank.

All 12 ships of the 11th Carrier Strike Group except the submarines were attacked by anti-ship missiles of the Corean combined fleet. The Aegis cruisers, Chosin (CG-65) and Cowpens (CG-63), the Aegis destroyers, John Paul Jones (DDG-53), Pinckney (DDG-91), Sampson (DDG-102), William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) and Spruance (DDG-111), and the Perry-class escort fleets, Curts (FFG-38) and the Vandegrift (FFG-48) were either destroyed or sank into the deep sea.

Ten minutes later, where the entire 11th Strike Group had been, only the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and two destroyers were left, fluttering smoke with dark red flames. There were many lifeboats around them, along with numerous sailors who had jumped into the water wearing only life jackets in a hurry. The sea was swarming with people.

When all operating systems had been shut down by the shockwave of the Epirus missiles, Admiral Roger Haney, the CCDG of the 11th Carrier Strike Group, had ordered all ships to retreat by hand signal. Accordingly, most of the crew members were urgently retired before the additional anti-ship missiles arrived to minimize human damage. However, the damage to the crew members of the McCampbell (DDG-85) and Mustin (DDG-89), who did their best for the intercepting mission until the end, was serious.

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February 20, 2021, 23:55 (EST 10:55)

Arlington, Pentagon, Virginia, USA (Joint Chief of Staff Operations Briefing Room)

Chief of Naval Operations John Richard was furious at the news that the entire 11th Carrier Strike Group had been destroyed. He pounded the table with his fists and yelled.

Boom!

“We must launch all strategic nuclear missiles and take immediate retaliation right now.”

As the loss of naval power increased beyond imagination in subsequent engagements, Chief of Naval Operations John Richard lost his reason.

In the operational briefing room, no one could easily voice out or offer opinions except for the Naval Chief of Staff who was expressing extreme anger. As such, all the military commanders who attended the meeting were also in shock.

John Richard shouted, “Minister! Please say something! Please get the President’s approval to launch a nuclear missile right away!”

In response to the reckless request of the Chief of Naval Operations John Richard, Chairman of the Joint Staff DeMarcus Dunford answered instead of the Minister of National Defense.

“Hey, calm down. For now, the priority is to rescue the crew of the 11th Carrier Strike Group! Thousands of people are drowning in the sea and waiting for rescue. If we launch a nuclear missile in the current situation, everyone will die!”

Chief of Naval Operations John Richard who had lost his reason due to anger sat back in his chair and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think that far.”

“We lost this battle, not the war. There are plenty of opportunities to retaliate in the future. Chief Richard! Go and give instructions to the unit so that we can rescue the crew right now and keep checking.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Okay. The next meeting will be held at 4 p.m. today. By then, make sure each military has a plan for retaliation and countermeasure against this engagement. This is the end of the meeting.” Chairman of the Joint Staff DeMarcus Dunford thought that continuing the meeting would be demoralizing, so he let the commanders rest.

After all of the commanders went out, there were only three men left in the room. They were Chairman of the Joint Staff DeMarcus Dunford, the Minister of National Defense John Wayne, and the man nicknamed Loki, a member of the USSC organization, who had suggested the use of a proton torpedo the day before.

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