Payback
Chapter One
Bright Hill
Oured, Osean Federation
June 8th
6:00 PM
President Ellis walked into the situation room where two of his top military officers were already up on the screen. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Tucker and Osean Air Defense Force Chief of Staff, General Goldstein.
On May 30th, the aircraft carrier OFS Kestel Two launched an air raid on the Erusea's capital of Farbanti. The Eruseans responded with a massive barrage of anti-ship missiles that sunk the carrier and eight of its escorts. The carrier was lost with all hands and worse, the remaining fifty jets of its airwing were shot down and the two destroyers that survived the attack, the OFS Hawk and the OFS Crow had to abandon their fellow sailors from the sunken escort ships due to fears of another missile barrage and the Eruseans didn't even bother to round them up as prisoners of war.
A sea storm kicked up later on that night and those who didn't drown earlier were taken by rough seas.
But tonight, Osea was going to send a powerful message to Erusea.
If you think we can't touch your mainland because you sunk our carrier and half of its escorts, think again. Ellis put his thoughts aside and addressed the waiting officers.
"Any last-minute updates, gentlemen?"
"The OFS Bana reports they are still in position and have not encountered any enemy submarine activity," Admiral Tucker said.
"How are things on your end, Air Force?"
"We added some last-minute additions to our target list but the plan still remains the same and General Tomlin at Global Strike Command reports his birds are loaded and ready."
"Tell him he has a go. I expect our blizzard of wrath to rain down on Erusea at nineteen hundred hours."
"Yes, Mr. President," Tucker and Goldstein replied in unison.
Tillman Air Force Base
Central Osea
6:08 PM
Ever since the devastating loss of the Kestrel Two CSG, Major Rex O'Grady and the other members of 514th and 520th Bomb Squadrons that made up the 133rd Bomb Wing of the OADFs Global Strike Command were conducting nonstop training flights in anticipation of an upcoming mission. The routine since May 30th had been pretty much this.
The Bomb Wing's planning cell would draw up a mission that the B-2 pilots would then practice on the simulators then hop into their planes and fly all the way from their base to the middle of the Pacific Ocean to replay the same scenario in the air
But this evening, O'Grady noticed something different about this briefing. Unlike the previous days where all of the B-2 pilots and mission commanders were present, he only counted twelve people including himself. Which meant this exercise assuming that what it was would only involve six planes, six out of Osea's total inventory of forty B-2s, and judging by the shoulder patches they were all members of the same bomb squadron the 52Oth.
"Room attention," the sergeant standing near the podium shouted then O'Grady and the others rose to their feet.
To O'Grady's quiet surprise and probably to the surprise of everyone else, the person delivering tonight's briefing was the head of the GSC, General Lennox. The previous briefings were delivered by the Wing Commander but if this briefing was important enough for a four-star to come down from his high tower to deliver it, well…all notions that this was just going to be another training exercise just flew out the window.
"Be seated," Lennox ordered then everyone sat down as he pressed the clicker on the podium which replaced the image of the GSCs emblem with that of the world map.
"Pre-season is over gentlemen. Tonight, the GSC will exact Osea's revenge over the loss of the Kestrel Two CSG and you guys along with our B-1 friends forward-deployed at Allenfort Air Force Base are going to be the tip of the OADF's spear.
"It's about time we make our entry into this war, sir," O'Grady said.
"I couldn't agree more, Major," Lennox replied then went on to explain their part of the operation. "You will be divided into two groups called cells. Major O'Grady, Executors Two through Four will fall under you in Cell One, and Executor's Five and Six will be in Cell Two. Cell One, your targets are the two airbases where the aircraft involved in the attack on the Kestrel Two CSG originated, Charles Martel Air Base and Francine Air Base. Since both bases are located deep within Erusea and covered by an extensive air defense network, your planes will be loaded with Sixteen JASSM-XRs and your launch point will be ninety miles off the coast of Erusea."
"What are the primary targets on the bases sir?" O'Grady asked.
"The hangars, any planes parked on the tarmac, fuel and ammo bunkers, control towers, and operation centers. Your JASSMs will be joined by a few additional ones from the Lancers that aren't tasked with hitting Farbanti. Rest assured both bases will be getting quite the blizzard tonight. Hence the name of this operation."
"Operation Blizzard, I like it, sir," Captain Gustavo Cortez said. Lennox smiled at the remark then went on to explain Cell Two's part of the mission.
"Cell Two your targets are the two undergrounded garages housing the Exocet and P-800 launch trucks that were also involved in the attack. Our intelligence has confirmed they are located a hundred feet underground and protected by a roof made of steel-reinforced concrete over fifty feet thick. So MOPs will be your weapons of the night. Executors Five and Six, you will be packing two MOP's each so we expect you to crack those garages open and blow them to kingdom come.
"We will, sir," the crews of Cell Two replied in unison.
"Now you guys won't be out there alone tonight. Escort service will be provided by the twenty F-22 Raptors. Ten will accompany the B-1s from Allenfort and the rest will join you from Beverly Air Force Base right here in Osea. Any questions?"
"I have three, sir."
"Go ahead, Major O'Grady."
"What are the primary targets for the B-1s?"
"The headquarters for the Erusean Coastal Defense Command and several government buildings in Farbanti. The goal of this mission is to show the Eruseans that even without the Kestrel Two CSG, we can still reach out and hit them whenever we want, however we want, and whenever we want. I almost forgot to mention that one of our guided-missile subs, the OFS Bana is currently sitting off the coast of Erusea with a hundred and fifty-four TLAMs ready to rain down hell on the Eruseans in addition to your JASSM's. Next question?
"Are the Raptors coming from two different squadrons or just one?
"The 227th Fighter Squadron, the Blue Spartans. Air Combat Command rates them as one of the best Raptor squadrons so I'm confident you guys and the B-1 jocks will be in excellent hands."
"I think so too, sir. But why are only six of us flying tonight instead of the whole wing like we did during the exercises?"
"Until now, we weren't sure what the targets were and how many aircraft and weapons would be needed to hit them. Now that we have a clearer picture, my battle staff thinks six B-2s and ten B-1s are more than enough to get the job done and I happen to agree. Otherwise, there would be a lot more of you in this room. This is the first GSC operation of the Lighthouse War, gentlemen. May you make it a phenomenal success. For the people of the Kestrel Two and its sunken escorts, man your planes and go blow some Erusean asses sky high."
"You all heard the general, let's do this," Major O'Grady said.
When night finally came, the six B-2 Spirits rolled out of their hangars and taxied onto the runway.
"Control tower to Executor Squadron, you are cleared for takeoff. Go make those Eruseans burn."
"Executor One, Roger," Major O'Grady replied then turned to his mission commander, Lieutenant Colonel Underwood.
"It's showtime sir."
"Indeed," Underwood replied then he and O'Grady eased the throttles forward.
A few seconds later, the Spirits were airborne.
Half a world away, the B-1s and their Raptor escorts were already aloft.
Chapter Two coming soon.
JASSM-XR stands for Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile Extreme Range.
MOP stands for Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
TLAM stands for Tomahawk Land Attack Missile.