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  “A GRIPPING MILITARY THRILLER.

  In Sky Masters, Dale Drown brings combat and technology together in an explosive tale as timely as this morning's news."

  —W.E.B. GRIFFIN, bestselling author of Brotherhood of War, The Corps, and Badge of Honor

  "SKY MASTERS’S A KNOCKOUT!

  Dale Drown has proven once again that he is the best military adventure writer in the country today."

  —CLIVE CUSSLER, bestselling author of Dragon

  "DALE RROWN IS A MASTER at mixing technology and action-he puts readers right into the middle of an inferno... His stuff is great."

  —LARRY BOND, bestselling author of Red Phoenix and Vortex

  Praise for Dale Brown . . .

  “A SUPERB STORYTELLER!” —Bestselling author

  W.E.B. GRIFFIN

  The runaway bestseller FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG launched Dale Brown’s phenomenal career. SILVER TOWER displayed his firsthand knowledge of cutting-edge technology. Then DAY OF THE CHEETAH and HAMMERHEADS, both New York Times bestsellers, confirmed his success and mastery of military fiction. No one can deliver nonstop, high-tech action as convincingly as former U.S. Air Force Captain Dale Brown . ..

  “Brown knows his airborne and naval high tech!”

  —Publishers Weekly

  "Brown knows whereof he writes ... A superb storyteller!”

  —Washington Post

  “Brown’s ability to build suspense is excellent”

  —Macon Telegraph & News

  “The ex-Air Force captain knows his stuff1.”

  —Atlanta Journal & Constitution

  "Impressive skill at enmeshing action in vivid technological detail.” -Kirkus

  “Brown demonstrates a clear vision of the modem military saga and the ability to fashion an exciting story!”

  —Library Journal

  Sky Masters

  The incredible story of America’s newest B-2 bomber, engaged in a blistering battle of oil, honor, and global power.

  “Brown’s expertise in depicting modem sea-air combat makes this latest techno-thriller a heavy contender for a hot summer read!” —Publishers Weekly

  Hammerheads

  The U.S. government creates an all-new drug-defense agency, armed with the ultimate high-tech weaponry. The war against drugs will never be the same.

  “Classic . . . His most exciting techno-thriller!”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Whiz-bang technology and muscular, damn-the-torpedoes strategy.”

  —Kirkus

  “If you like gritty, hands-on adventure . . . sign on for the ride!”

  —Atlanta Journal & Constitution

  “Fasten your seat belts and take off with this one!”

  —Midwest Review of Books

  Day of the Cheetah

  The shattering story of a Soviet hijacking of America’s most advanced fighter plane—and the greatest high-tech chase of all time.

  “Quite a ride ... Terrific. Authentic and gripping!”

  —New York Times

  “Breathtaking dogfights . . . Exhilarating high-tech adventure.”

  —Library Journal

  “His strongest novel to date ... Brown keeps building suspense as the novel races to a shocking finale.”

  -Orlando Sentinel

  “Exciting!”

  —Milwaukee Sentinel

  Silver Tower

  A Soviet invasion of the Middle East sparks a grueling counterattack from America’s newest laser defense system.

  ‘‘Riveting, action-packed ... a fast-paced thriller that is impossible to put down!”

  —UPI

  ‘‘Intriguing political projections . . . Tense high-tech dogfights.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “High-tech, high-thrills ... a slam-bang finale!”

  —Kirkus

  “A rich feast for military hardware fans.”

  —Booklist

  “An all-too-possible scenario.”

  —Book Alert

  Flight of the Old Dog

  Dale Brown’s riveting debut novel. A battle-scarred bomber is renovated with modem hardware to fight the Soviets’ devastating new technology.

  “A superbly crafted adventure . .. Exciting!”

  —W.E.B. GRIFFIN, bestselling author of Brotherhood of War, Badge of Honor and The Corps series

  “Brown kept me glued to the chair ... a shattering climax. A terrific flying yam!”

  —STEPHEN COONTS, author of Flight of the Intruder

  “A tense, compelling adventure tale of the first order.”

  —Booklist

  "A page turner!"

  ---Richmond Times-Dispatch

  Maps appearing on pages xxiv-xxv, 233, and 331 by Lisa

  Amoroso.

  This Berkley book contains the complete text of the original

  hardcover edition. It has been completely reset in a typeface

  designed for easy reading, and was printed from new film.

  SKY MASTERS

  A Berkley Book/published by arrangement with

  Donald I. Fine/G. P. Putnam’s Sons

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Donald I. Fine/G. P. Putnam’s Sons edition/July 1991

  Published simultaneously in Canada

  Berkley edition/May 1992

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 1991 by Dale F. Brown, Inc.

  Cover illustration © 1991 by

  Rob Wood, Stansbury Ronsaville Wood Inc.

  This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by

  mimeograph or any other means, without permission. For

  information address: G. P. Putnam’s Sons,

  200 Madison Avenue,

  New York, New York 10016.

  ISBN: 0-425-13262-5

  A BERKLEY BOOK® TM 757,375

  Berkley Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

  200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

  The name “BERKLEY” and the “B” logo are trademarks

  belonging to Berkley Publishing Corporation.

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  10 987654321

  Sky Masters is dedicated to General Curtis E. LeMay, the “Iron Eagle” and the “Father of Strategic Air Power,” a man who envisioned much of what Sky Masters is all about.

  Sky Masters is also dedicated to the men and women who served as part of Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. I wish to especially dedicate this story to my brother, Second Lieutenant James D. Brown, 3-35 ARMOR, First Armored Division, United States Army, and his wife, Leah, and all of our military forces serving ashore, afloat, and aloft for all the sacrifices they made in their personal and professional lives.

  Acknowledgments

  To my friend Lieutenant Colonel George Peck (who was instrumental in the research for Day of the Cheetah and who, like Loki’s eternal fate in Norse mythology, seems destined to be forever bothered by my insistent questions and requests); TSgt Alan Dockery, Captain Harry G. Edwards, and the other helpful and professional persons in the Office of Public Affairs, Headquarters, Strategic Air Command (SAC), Offutt AFB, Nebraska, for their assistance in gathering information on SAC conventional and maritime operations and the Strategic Warfare Center, and for their help in reviewing the manuscript;

  To all the men and women of the Strategic Air Command and Pacific Air Forces whom I met during GIANT WARRIOR ’90, a multinational, multiservice combat strike and deployment exercise conducted by SAC’s Fifteenth Air Force in August of 1990 at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. I wish to especially thank Lieutenant General Robert D. Beckel, Fifteenth Air Force commander, for allowing me the privil
ege of observing his super exercise; Brigadier General David J. Pederson, Third Air Division commander, and Colonel Alan Cirino, Third Air Division deputy commander, and their staff for their hospitality and helpfulness in explaining the intricacies of Pacific theater combat operations; and to Colonel Arne Weinman, Ninety-second Bomb Wing commander and joint air forces commander of GIANT WARRIOR ’90;

  Special thanks to Captain Cynthia Colin, Fifteenth Air Force Public Affairs, and the other professionals at Fifteenth Air Force Public Affairs, March AFB, California; MSgt Ron Pack, Ninety-second Bomb Wing Public Affairs; MSgt A1 Dostal, Ninety-sixth Bomb Wing Public Affairs; Second Lieutenant Darian “Slick” Benson, Fifty-seventh

  Air Division Public Affairs; the feared terrorist-group- tumed-media-pool known throughout the Pacific as the Dream Team; and everyone who helped make my visit to Guam and GIANT WARRIOR ’90 a pleasure and a success;

  To Brigadier General Larry Dilda, DCS/Communications and Computer Operations, HQ SAC, for conducting a very special tour of SAC Headquarters, where I learned much about the “new” Strategic Air Command and its people and its new arsenal of weapons; and to Ron Silverstein, B-2 Project Senior Engineer and Chief Spokesman, and the others at Northrop Corporation, Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, for an amazing tour of the B-2 bomber assembly facilities;

  To Colonel Thomas A. Homung, Chief of Public Affairs, Air Force Public Affairs-Westem Region in Los Angeles, for his invaluable assistance throughout the making of Sky Masters and for arranging a spectacular tour of SAC headquarters; and to Major Ron Fuchs, former Deputy and Chief of Media Relations in Los Angeles, for his time in reviewing the manuscript and offering some valuable comments;

  To CDR Bruce R. Linder, commanding officer of the guided missile frigate FFG-55 USS Elrod, who was extremely helpful in providing details pertaining to naval operations in the South China Sea, Palawan Passage, and the Philippines;

  To Richard Herman, famous author of War birds and Force of Eagles, for his technical knowledge on aerial combat in the F-4E and other facets of fighter combat;

  To Rockwell International for information on the B-l bomber; also to Orbital Sciences Corporation for information on the Pegasus air-launched space booster;

  To my executive assistant, Dennis Hall, for his hard work and support.

  Contents

  Glossary

  Actual News Excerpts

  Author Note

  Maps

  Prologue

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  Epilogue

  Glossary

  All items are real-world terms except where designated with “F.”

  AAA—Anti Aircraft Artillery

  Advanced Missile Warning System—next generation of satellites that detect enemy missile launches Aegis—advanced naval air defense radar system AGM-84E SLAM—modified Harpoon long-range cruise missile with TV and satellite navigation system guidance AGM-130 Striker—rocket-boosted two-thousand-pound glide bomb; range ten to fifteen miles AIM-7—Sparrow radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile AIM-9—Sidewinder infrared (heat) guided short-range air-to-air missile

  AIM-54—Phoenix radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile AIM-120—Scorpion radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile ALARM—(F) Air Launched Alert Response Missile; aircraft- launched space booster

  AMRAAM—AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile; next generation of “launch-and-leave” guided missiles

  AMWS—Advanced Missile Warning System, next-generation radar/laser system to warn pilots of incoming antiaircraft missiles

  ASEAN—Association of South East Asian Nations, cooperative council of nations, generally aligned to counter growing influence of China: Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia

  ASIS—(F) Attack Systems Integration Station, the mission commander’s area (right seat) of a B-2 stealth bomber, responsible for navigation and attack

  ASROC—nuclear-tipped antisubmarine rocket torpedoes, launched by Navy ships

  ASTAB—automated status board monitors, part of AEGIS radar system

  AWACS—Airbome Warning and Control System, the E-3 radar plane that can detect, track, identify, and control air targets at long range

  AWG-9—long-range, high-powered attack radar on Navy F-14 Tomcat fighters

  BGAAWC—Battle Group Anti-Aircraft Warfare Center, the control center for all antiaircraft warfare in a Navy battle group

  Bhangmeters—nuclear detonation detection system on satellites; detects and measures the flash of a nuclear detonation and estimates the strength of the warhead

  BLU-96—fuel-air explosive bomb, a weapon that disperses a fuel oil into the air; many times more powerful than a conventional bomb of similar size because it does not carry its own chemical oxidizers

  BMEWS—Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, a radar system used to detect launch of submarine-launched ballistic missiles

  BNS—Bombing and Navigation System

  BUFF—Big Ugly Fat Fellow, nickname for the B-52 bomber C101—long-range ship- or land-launched antiship missile built by China; Silkworm

  C601—long-range air-launched antiship missile built by China C801—medium-range Chinese antiship missile

  CAP—Combat Air Patrol, layers of fighters set up in an area to search for enemy attackers

  CIC—Combat Information Center, the central communications and control area on board naval vessels

  CINCSAC—Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command, the four-star Air Force officer responsible for strategic bombers, land-based strategic ballistic missiles, and long-range communications and reconnaissance aircraft

  CINCSPACECOM—Commander in Chief, Space Command; the four-star Air Force officer responsible for all North American space activity including space surveillance, satellites, and rocket launches

  COBRA DANE—long-range radar system designed to provide technical information on Soviet and Chinese ballistic missiles, especially impact points of warheads

  COMSUBFLT—Commander, Submarine Fleet, the four-star Navy officer responsible for all American submarines

  DARPA—Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an office of the Department of Defense responsible for new weapon and aircraft research

  DC-10—wide-body cargo and passenger carrier made by McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Co.

  DCI—Director of Central Intelligence, responsible for all intelligence-gathering activities in the U.S.

  DEFCON—Defense Condition; ranges from 5 (peace, no advanced readiness) to 1 (all-out war); denotes worldwide readiness of U.S. military forces

  Defense Satellite Program (DSP)—name of agency that operates all military reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering satellites

  DF—direction-finder, a radio beacon that allows other DF- equipped units to locate it

  DR—dead reckoning; estimating position by best-known heading and speed information

  Dreamland—unclassified nickname for military research area in south-central Nevada

  DSCS—Defense Satellite Communications System, a network of voice and data satellites to connect military and civilian defense agencies all over the world

  Durandal—French-made runway-cratering bomb that uses a rocket engine to burrow deep under a runway surface before detonating its high-explosive warhead

  E-2 Hawkeye—naval carrier-based airborne radar plane used to monitor friendly aircraft and search for enemy aircraft and vessels

  E-3—Sentry airborne radar plane (see AW ACS)

  E-4B NEACP—(pronounced “kneecap”); National Emergency Airborne Command Post, a heavily modified Boeing 747 airliner used as a communications plane for the President of the United States and other high-ranking government officials in wartime

  EB-52—(F) modified B-52 bomber with air defe
nse and defense suppression weapons and equipment EC-18—next-generation electronic intelligence aircraft operated by the Strategic Air Command

  EC-135C strategic communications aircraft—current-generation communications relay and electronic intelligence aircraft, operated by Strategic Air Command ECM—electronic countermeasures

  ELT—emergency locator transmitter, a radio that transmits a beacon signal on special search and rescue frequencies to facilitate rescue operations

  EMP—electromagnetic pulse, the high burst of energy from a nuclear explosion that can disrupt communications and electronic circuitry for long distances and for long periods of time

  ETA—estimated time of arrival

  ETE—estimated time en route

  F-4E Phantom—current two-seat fighter-bomber built by McDonnell-Douglas

  F-16 ADF Fighting Falcon—lightweight fighter built by General Dynamics; ADF (air defense fighter) model specially modified to intercept unidentified bomber aircraft at long range

  F-23 Wildcat—(fictional, but X-23 is actual) next-generation fighter built by Northrop and McDonnell-Douglas

  Fei Lung-7—Chinese ship-launched medium-range antiship missile

  Fei Lung-9—(F) Chinese ship-launched long-range antiship missile with nuclear warhead

  FIE—fighter-intercept exercise, where fighters practice finding, identifying, intercepting, and attacking bombers