The southern waters of country Z.
It consists of a Burke III guided-missile destroyer USS Lukes, a Virginia-class attack nuclear submarine USS Inois, a Wichita-class supply ship, and an oceanographic survey ship USS Hayes. A task force of Country M consisting of a deep-sea exploration ship and two heavy tugboats sailed into the southern waters of Country Z from the Bakbala Strait of the Suffulu Sea.
As the flagship of this task force, the "Lux" is a new Flight IIA destroyer that was put into service in the 2020s. It is equipped with the Aegis combat system and the MK vertical launch system.
The four-sided phased array radar equipped has multiple segments and multiple independent beams, which can realize multiple functions such as search, identification, tracking, guidance, passive detection, etc. It can monitor and track hundreds of targets at the same time. It is the most advanced destroyer in the world.
It was a calm night, and the starry sky was bright. In the dark sky, a brilliant star belt stretched across the silent sky.
The magnificent stars are dotted with stars, like gems spreading shining light, and like the intoxicating "Starry Sky" in Van Gogh's painting overlooking the blue planet.
Lieutenant Colonel George Mbaton, the captain of the "Lukes", was standing in the large glass porthole in the bridge at the moment, holding up his telescope with both hands and observing the roaring sea in the distance.
He couldn't remember how many times this was his first sailing mission, but as long as it was a mission assigned to him by Chief of Naval Operations William Snart, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it must be top secret.
Before leaving, Snate warned him that this mission is related to whether the M Army can continue to maintain its leadership in military technology in the next 50 years, and the mission must be completed at all costs.
What he has to do is to drag the big guy who is 300 meters deep under the sea back to the headquarters of the Third Fleet - the Lomas Naval Base in Diego without anyone noticing.
Therefore, radio silence has been maintained since the task force left port, and the fleet advanced towards the target at high speed through waves.
The big guy Snate was talking about, Lieutenant Colonel Mbaton, has obtained relevant information from the intelligence section of the task force. This is a photo taken by an infrared military reconnaissance satellite.
The photo is very blurry. It is just a general outline exposed based on the principle of thermal imaging. The outline is irregular, but very huge. Judging from the marked size, it is the size of 40 standard football fields. The object is on the back of the photo. The latitude and longitude of the location and the depth of the seabed.
3 days ago, this mysterious big guy suddenly appeared in this sea area. No one knows where it came from? No one knows how it came to earth?
Country M mobilized all satellites and ground telescopes in high-altitude orbits, but found no trace of it falling into the atmosphere. They only found a short-term distortion of time and space in the southern sea of Country Z.
It was like a ghost from hell, but it fascinated M Army.
"Captain, the task force is traveling at a speed of 40 knots and is 80 nautical miles away from the target sea area." Lieutenant Jenkins reported to Mbaton.
"Maintain speed and continue radio silence!" Mbaton's hands still did not leave his telescope.
"Captain, is this what we sailed more than 8,000 nautical miles for?" Jenkins pointed to the satellite photo on the command platform, "A private salvage ship can easily do this job."
"This is what the Naval Operations Department means. Even if it is a piece of scrap metal, we have to do it."
"The Naval Operations Department must have been instructed by the gentlemen in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The last time we were asked to perform a convoy mission, we didn't encounter a single pirate. This time we have to salvage this scrap metal thing. Navy ships They have all become transport ships.”
"This is called deterrence! Do you understand?" Mbaton slowly put down the telescope, "Child, soldiers in peacetime are lucky, and you are a lucky man."
After Mbaton finished speaking, he continued to raise his telescope and look at the silent and dark sea...
A sneer flashed across the corner of Jenkins' mouth. Obviously, he had reservations about his statement. He shook his head and looked up thoughtfully at the deep and boundless night sky.
"Course 275, distance 37 links, speed 25 knots, nuclear submarine found!" the radar soldier shouted.
"Launch active search sonar to find out the submarine's nationality and model!" Mbaton ordered.
"The submarine is the Yasen-class Vinsk attack nuclear submarine of country E! The water depth is 323 meters."
"Remove radio silence and order the attack nuclear submarine Inois to maneuver to 270 degrees on the port side of our ship!"
"Course 113, distance 43 links, speed 40 knots, country Z special mixed formation discovered!"
"The nature of a ship!"
"3 Umikaze-class guided missile destroyers, 4 Galaxy-class frigates, and 2 Tsunami-class nuclear attack submarines!"
Mbaton moved the telescope to position 113. The Z country task force had appeared in the field of vision. The outlines of seven light spots were like a steel behemoth heading towards the task force where the "Lux" was located at high speed. Come.
"Report on the status of the E-country Vinsk attack nuclear submarine and the Inois!"
"The Vinsk is 17 links away, the speed is 28 knots, and it's still picking up speed! It's still picking up speed! The Inois has maneuvered to the predetermined position!"
"Level 1 combat alert! All crew members enter combat mode!" Mbaton ordered.
Soon, the officers and soldiers of the entire ship entered various work stations, and the entire ship became extremely busy...
"The course of the Vinsk is 193, the distance is 18 chains, and the speed is 13 knots."
"They were turning and seemed to be getting out of here," Jenkins said.
"Beep beep beep..."
Suddenly, sirens blare all over the ship, and mottled red lights illuminate the island.
"Incoming fish and mines! Distance 1,200 meters!"
"Course and speed?"
"Course 260, speed 27 knots!"
"Course 260?" Jenkins looked at the captain in confusion, "Is the Vinsk at 193?"
"The distance between fish and mine is 1000 meters!"
Mbaton also found it a bit unbelievable. However, he was known for being cautious, and he still wanted to find out what was in place 260?
"Order the Inois to scan an area of 10 square nautical miles on course 260!"
"The distance between fish and mine is 800 meters!"
"Launch the anti-torpedo interference device!" Mbaton ordered.
"In case there is a new nuclear-powered stealth submarine from country E at 260, we must fight back!" Jenkins strongly suggested, "Captain, order the Inois to destroy the Vinsk attack nuclear submarine." "
"Waiting for the final scan results of the Inois!"
"If we don't attack, we will be sunk! Captain!?"
Mbaton ignored him, his eyes fixed on the rapidly moving light spot on the radar screen - the incoming torpedo.
"600 meters away!"
"The anti-torpedo and mine jamming device has failed! The anti-torpedo and mine jamming device has failed!"
"Left full rudder, right forward three!" Mbaton shouted loudly!
"Full rudder left, right car forward three!" the helmsman shouted back.
The "Lukes" began to avoid torpedoes with all its strength. The entire ship was like a top spinning in place on the water, and the waves it stirred up formed a white wave wall up to 5 meters high.
"Lux, this is the Inois. Our boat did not find any targets at 260."
Mbaton's face became extremely serious. This incoming fish thunder was obviously launched at 260. How could it not have any target?
"Inois, are you sure there are no targets at 260?"
"We deployed towed sonar in 10 square nautical miles of this area, including data from active sonar and passive sonar, but we did not find any signals that were characteristic of submarines."
“400 meters!
Mbaton fell into deep thought. This was the first time in his 20 years in the military and five years as a destroyer captain that he had encountered such a strange thing. The fish and thunder clearly came from the 260 position, but there was nothing there?
So where did this fish mine come from?
The crew members held the handrails beside them tightly, their faces looked very calm, as if they were waiting for the final judgment of the God of Fate.
"200 meters!"
"Lukes, Lukes, I am the Inois. I have been locked by the Vinsk nuclear-powered submarine. I am requesting an attack command. Repeat, requesting an attack command!"
"100 metres!"
"Captain, destroy the Vinsk!" Jenkins urged anxiously, "If we don't attack, we will lose the opportunity."
Mbaton looked at the dark sea. After a dull moment, he picked up the communication device: "Inois, destroy Vinsk!"
Soon, a huge wave rose from the sea, and the huge wave carried a blazing tail flame and illuminated the sea area where the "Inois" was located.
"50 meters!"
"Report Captain, our ship was double locked by two anti-ship missiles from the Z country's Haifeng-class guided missile destroyer and Xinghe-class guided missile frigate!" the radar soldier reported eagerly.
"25 meters!"
"Hang the international signal flag---letter flag K, number flag 3!" (K means that our ship is willing to communicate with your ship, 3 means through Morse code)
Soon, a yellow and blue flag and a red, white and blue trapezoidal flag were raised on the mast of the Lukes.
"10 m!"
"Lukes, Lukes, I am the Inois. The anti-submarine missiles launched by the Vinsk are approaching our boat. The distance is..."
Signal interruption.
"5 meters!"
"Inois, Inois..." the radar soldier shouted loudly.
There was still no response from the "Inois".
3
2
1
0
The officers and soldiers of the "Lukes" closed their eyes almost at the same moment, and they prayed silently in their hearts...
After a while, they did not feel the violent vibrations of the ship, and heard the dull sound that they did not want to hear at all.
"Reporting to Captain, our ship has successfully evaded the torpedo, and the torpedo has lost its target." Major Frank Johnson, the first mate, reported.
Everyone on the island was relieved, and the moment of relaxation reminded Mbaton of the "Inois" that had lost contact.
"What happened to the Inois? Contact the Inois urgently!"
"Captain, the Inois disappeared from the radar! Also missing was the Vinsk!" Radar Report reported.
"What? Disappeared?" Mbaton looked surprised and murmured, "Perish together?"
After speaking, he raised his telescope in the direction where the "Inois" last appeared. There were no towering water columns on the sea, and there were no wreckage of any submarines. The same was true for the direction where the "Vinsk" was located.
The two undersea giants acted as if they had never been here before, all they had was the roar of the sea.
"Where are the anti-submarine missiles launched by the Inois?" Mbaton put down his telescope, his eyes a little surprised.
"Two seconds after the anti-submarine missile entered the water..." the radar soldier shrugged, "it disappeared."
"Disappeared too!?
Mbaton almost froze in place, like a surprised sculpture.
"The 20,000-ton nuclear submarine just disappeared? And the anti-ship missiles were launched? Without leaving a trace?" Jenkins had an expression of disbelief on his face.
"Track the torpedoes attacking our ship!"
"The signal disappeared at the last moment when the torpedo attacked our ship!" The radar soldier glanced at Mbaton, and then said timidly, "To be precise, we did not avoid the torpedo. It was very close to our ship. 0.85 meters disappeared.
Mbaton's face became extremely solemn. In decades of military service, this was the first time he heard such a ridiculous explanation, or even such a friendly enemy torpedo.
"Isn't it because the self-destruction program has been activated?" Jenkins shrugged.
The radar soldier shook his head firmly: "If...if we were tracking a non-existent torpedo, would you believe it?"
Jenkins was a little puzzled, but Mbaton took a breath: If he was tracking a non-existent torpedo, how did the torpedo attack signal form? If it was really attacked by a torpedo, how could we explain the sudden disappearance 0.85 meters away from our own ship?
None of this seems to make sense...
He glanced at the photo taken by the infrared military reconnaissance satellite, and then looked at the churning sea in the distance...
"Captain! The two anti-ship missile firing elements of country Z's Haifeng-class guided missile destroyer and Xinghe-class guided missile frigate have been activated, and the coordinates of our ship have been locked!" The radar soldier's voice was urgent and hoarse.
"Missile type?"
"A heavy anti-ship missile, a supersonic anti-ship missile!" And... there is also a heavy torpedo!
"This is going to sink us completely!" Jenkins' face became extremely ugly.
