Tiger's Claw: A Novel pm-18 Read online

  Tiger's Claw: A Novel

  ( Patrick McLanahan - 18 )

  Dale Brown

  Former Air Force captain and New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown is an acknowledged master when it comes to bringing military action to breathtaking life and he has received glowing accolades since his debut publication, Flight of the Old Dog. Tiger's Claw proves once again that every rave has been well deserved. Set in the near future, Tiger's Claw imagines a scenario in which tensions escalate between an economically powerful China and a United States weakened by a massive economic downfall, bringing the two superpowers to the brink of total destruction. Brown's popular protagonist, retired Air Force lieutenant-general Patrick McLanahan (of A Time for Patriots, Rogue Forces, and other Brown bestsellers), is back and preparing for the impending apocalyptic clash of men and military technology. The incomparable Dale Brown scores again with a frighteningly possible story of war and global politics that's ideal for fans of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor.

  The fight for the Pacific begins When China increases its naval presence in the Pacific and develops advanced weapon technology that targets American ships with lethal accuracy, it imperils American military superiority. Can the United States, in the wake of an economic recession and decreased military spending, compete with its cash-rich Chinese enemy? This question can be answered only when U.S.-China tensions blow up in an epic battle for supreme dominion of the Pacific. When China launches the first successful test of its Dong Feng-21D antiship ballistic missile, the future looks bleak for America. Fearing the U.S. will lose its naval supremacy in the Pacific if it does not counter this Chinese threat, President Kenneth Phoenix finds himself in a compromised position. New technology requires money, but the country is recovering from a massive recession, and the president has slashed the military budget to reduce the national debt. Without the funds to compete with China's advancing technology, are the country's days of naval preeminence in the Pacific running out? Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Patrick McLanahan refuses to accept this fate. The government may lack money, but McLanahan reasons that the United States can afford to refurbish old but potent long-range B-1B Lancer bombers to promote the AirSea Battle strategy that will push back against Chinese aggression. President Phoenix commissions McLanahan to lead this effort, and soon America stands ready to deploy an AirSea Battle task force in the South China Sea. The People's Liberation Army recognizes that this growing air threat will jeopardize its air and naval superiority in the South China Sea. They aggressively deploy advanced fighters, land-based antimissiles, three aircraft carriers, and exotic, top secret directed energy weapons against their neighbors, hoping to convince the U.S. Navy to stay away. But Patrick McLanahan is finally given the green light to lead his force westward to challenge the Chinese threat head-on. New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown is at the top of his game with Tiger's Claw. Once again he brings to life a thrilling and dramatic story that is right out of what could be the headlines of the not-so-distant future.

  TIGER’S CLAW

  DALE BROWN

  DEDICATION

  This novel is dedicated to my younger brother Ken, who passed away on July 31, 2011, after a long illness (you might remember the antagonist Kenneth Francis James in my third novel, Day of the Cheetah, who was named for Ken, my other brother, Jim, and my dad). Ken was my aircraft mechanic for seven years, a fellow soccer referee, a fellow volunteer for Angel Flight West, and my frequent copilot. He was a rather white-knuckle flier, especially in the bumps and clouds, but he never failed to do an Angel Flight West mission with me and was aboard every postmaintenance flight to make sure everything on the ship was okay after he was done working on it.

  His short life only highlights the importance of family—not just the families we’re born into but the families we accrue throughout our lives. We all make lousy decisions and catch some bad breaks. But if we celebrate with and support our families when times are good, and aren’t afraid or ashamed to ask for help from our families when situations turn bad, we will never be alone.

  Keep an eye on the family, bro, and fly safe on your new journeys.

  To remind everyone: Angel Fight West is a real organization based in Santa Monica, California, that pairs needy medical patients and volunteer pilots together to provide no-charge air transportation for treatment or other necessary activities. Missions are flown by volunteer pilots and crewmembers who donate their time and the cost of their aircraft and fuel. Learn more about this worthwhile organization at www.AngelFlightWest.org.

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  AMERICANS

  KENNETH PHOENIX, president of the United States

  ANN PAGE, vice president

  WILLIAM GLENBROOK, president’s national security adviser

  HERBERT KEVICH, secretary of state

  FREDRICK HAYES, secretary of defense

  THOMAS TORREY, CIA director

  GERALD MURTH, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions

  JOSEPH COLLINGSWORTH, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

  DIANE M. JAMIESON, majority leader of the U.S. Senate

  U.S. AIR FORCE GENERAL TIMOTHY SPELLINGS, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  ADMIRAL EDWARD FOWLER, chief of naval operations

  GENERAL JASON CONAWAY, chief of staff, U.S. Air Force

  DR. HELEN KADDIRI, president and chairman of the board, Sky Masters Inc.

  LIEUTENANT GENERAL PATRICK MCLANAHAN, USAF (ret.), vice president and COO, Sky Masters Inc.

  DR. LINUS OGLETHORPE, chief engineer and scientist, Sky Masters Inc.

  ED GLEASON, XB-1 chief instructor pilot, Sky Masters Inc.

  SAM JACOBS, XB-1 aircraft commander, Sky Masters Inc.

  LISA MANN, XB-1 Excalibur copilot, Sky Masters Inc.

  KAREN WELLS, XB-1F Excalibur ground defensive systems officer, Sky Masters Inc.

  GEORGE WICKHAM, XB-1 ground offensive systems officer, Sky Masters Inc.

  U.S. NAVY CAPTAIN EDWARD TAVERNA, commander, guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin

  U.S. NAVY CAPTAIN RICHARD AVERY, commanding officer, Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon

  U.S. NAVY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CHRIS “NOOSE” KAHN, commander, VF-13 Fighting Saints, NAS Fallon

  COMMANDER DOUGLAS SHERIDAN, commanding officer, Coast Guard cutter Mohawk

  LIEUTENANT COMMANDER EDWARD FELLS, tactical officer, Coast Guard cutter Mohawk

  LIEUTENANT ED COFFEY, HH-60 Jayhawk pilot, Coast Guard cutter Mohawk

  LIEUTENANT LUCY CROSS, HH-60 Jayhawk copilot, Coast Guard cutter Mohawk

  U.S. NAVY ADMIRAL ROBERT LUCE, commander, U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM)

  U.S. AIR FORCE GENERAL GEORGE HOOD, commander, U.S. Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)

  U.S. AIR FORCE COLONEL WARNER “CUTLASS” CUTHBERT, commander, First Expeditionary Bomb Wing (First EBW), Andersen Air Force Base, Guam

  U.S. AIR FORCE LIEUTENANT COLONEL NASH HARTZELL, deputy wing commander, First EBW

  LIEUTENANT COLONEL BRIDGET “XENA” DUTCHMAN, commander, Twentieth Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (B-52H Stratofortress)

  LIEUTENANT COLONEL FRANKLIN “WISHBONE” MCBRIDE, commander, 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (B-2A Spirit)

  LIEUTENANT COLONEL JUAN “PICANTE” OROZ, commander, Ninth Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (B-1B Lancer)

  LIEUTENANT COLONEL JIMMY “JUJU” MAILI, commander, 199th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (F-22A Raptor)

  MAJOR ROBERT “BREWSKI” CARLING, F-22A Raptor pilot

  U.S. AIR FORCE CAPTAIN ALICIA SPENCER, intelligence officer, First EBW

  U.S. ARMY CAPTAIN Jason HARRIS, Patriot antiaircraft missile battery commander, Guam

/>   THOMAS HOFFMAN, president, Warbirds Forever Inc.

  SONDRA EDDINGTON, chief pilot, Warbirds Forever Inc.

  BRADLEY J. MCLANAHAN, instructor pilot, Warbirds Forever Inc.

  PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

  ZHOU QIANG, president of the People’s Republic of China

  GAO XUDONG, vice president of China

  TANG JI, foreign minister

  CAO JU, defense minister

  LI PEIYAN, Chinese ambassador to the United States

  JIN YONGKANG, finance minister

  SHÀNG JIÀNG (COLONEL GENERAL) ZU KAI, chief of the general staff, People’s Liberation Army

  SHAO JIÀNG (MAJOR GENERAL) HUA ZHILUN, commander, Eleventh Tactical Rocket Division, People’s Liberation Army

  SHAO JIÀNG (MAJOR GENERAL) SUN JI, deputy chief of the general staff, People’s Liberation Army

  HAI JUN ZHONG JIÀNG (VICE ADMIRAL) ZHEN PENG, commander, South Sea Fleet, People’s Liberation Army Navy, Zhanjiang

  HAI JUN SHAO JIÀNG (REAR ADMIRAL) HU TAN-SUN, commander, Second Carrier Battle Group (aircraft carrier Zheng He), People’s Liberation Army Navy, Juidongshan

  HAI JUN DA XIAO (LOWER ADMIRAL) CHEN BOLIN, captain of the Chinese aircraft carrier Zhenyuan

  HAI JUN DA XIAO (LOWER ADMIRAL) WENG LI-YEH, captain, Chinese aircraft carrier Zheng He

  HAI JUN SHANG XIAO (CAPTAIN) ZHANG PEIYAN, commander of flight operations, carrier Zhenyuan

  HAI JUN ZHONG XIAO (COMMANDER) HUA JI, JN-20 squadron commander, carrier Zheng He

  HAI JUN SHAO XIAO (LIEUTENANT COMMANDER) WU DEK SU, JN-15 fighter pilot

  KONG JUN SHANG JIANG (AIR FORCE COLONEL GENERAL) ZENG SU, chief of staff, People’s Liberation Army Air Forces

  KONG JUN ZHONG JIANG (AIR FORCE LIEUTENANT GENERAL) CHEN LI, commander, First Strategic Strike Division (Xian H-6)

  SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

  TRAN PHUONG, prime minister

  Thuong tá (CAPTAIN) DANG VAN CHIEN, captain of the Gepard-class frigate Cá map (Shark)

  REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN)

  WU ANASTASIA, president

  Zhong jiàng (VICE ADMIRAL) WU JIN-PING, commander, First Naval District South, Kaohsiung

  Shàngxiào (CAPTAIN) YAO MEI-YUEH, captain of the Type 800 attack submarine Fùchóu zhe (Avenger)

  Zun Khong (COMMANDER) CHEIN SI-YAO, executive officer, attack submarine Avenger

  COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

  MARK RUDDOCK, prime minister

  REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

  JUSUF SALEH, president

  REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

  PATRICIA CRUZ, president

  AUTHOR’S NOTES AND CHINESE WORDS

  South Sea = South China Sea

  Nansha Dao = Spratly Islands

  Xisha Dao = Paracel Islands

  Wúsheng Léitíng— = Silent Thunder

  Hu Zhao— = Tiger’s Claw

  Chinese aviation assault carrier Tongyi = Reunification

  CJ-20 Changjian cruise missile = Long Sword

  Shenyang J-20 Tiaozhàn zhe— = Challenger

  JH-37 Fei Bào = Flying Leopard

  JH-37 call sign Qianfeng = striker

  JN-15 call sign Ying = hawk

  J-20 call sign Laoying = eagle

  Xiansheng = sir

  Yèying = nightingale

  Baohuzhe— = Protector

  Qíyú = sailfish

  Fùchóu zhe = Avenger

  Jia = home

  Yuying = osprey

  BLU-89E— Kepà debo = Terrible Wave

  Lóng Dehuxi = Dragon’s Breath

  ji huó = activate

  Nèizài de dírén— = Enemy Within

  WEAPONS AND ACRONYMS

  A&P—Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic

  ABM—Anti Ballistic Missile

  AC—Aircraft Commander

  Aegis—advanced shipborne radar system

  AGM-86D—Maverick TV-guided missile

  AGM-88 HARM—High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, anti-radar weapon

  ALQ-293 Self-Protection Electronically Agile Reaction (SPEAR)—advanced jamming and netrusion system

  AMRAAM—Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, radar guided

  APR-3E—Chinese air-dropped rocket-powered torpedo

  ARCP—Air Refueling Control Point, the rendezvous point for receivers and tankers

  AST—Aviation Survival Technician, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer

  ASW—Anti Submarine Warfare

  ATP—Airline Transport Rating

  AWACS—Airborne Warning and Control System

  Beak—nickname for the B-2A Spirit stealth bomber

  bold-print items—items in a checklist that must be committed to memory

  Bone—nickname for the B-1B Lancer bomber (B-One)

  BUFF—nickname for the B-52 bomber (Big Ugly Fat F**ker)

  C-182—Cessna 182 light single-engine airplane

  CAP—Civil Air Patrol

  CFI—Certified Flight Instructor

  CFI-I—Certified Flight Instructor-Instruments

  CJ-20—long-range air-launched cruise missile

  CJCS—chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  CNO—Chief of Naval Operations

  COO—Chief Operating Officer

  DEFCON—Defense Readiness Condition

  DFAC—Dining Facility

  DoD—Department of Defense

  Dolphin-class—Israeli submarine

  E-3C Sentry—airborne radar plane

  Eagle Eye—unmanned remotely piloted reconnaissance plane

  EEZ—Economic Exclusion Zone

  EGT—Exhaust Gas Temperature

  F-15C Eagle—American-made air superiority fighter

  F-22 Raptor—fifth-generation American air superiority fighter

  FPCON—Force Protection Condition

  GDP—Gross Domestic Product

  HARM—High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile

  IDAS—Interactive Defense and Attack System, sub-launched attack missile

  JASSM—Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, medium-range cruise missile

  JH-37 Fei bào—Chinese carrier-based fighter-bomber

  Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS)—advanced military data-sharing system

  KC-10 Extender—third-generation U.S. Air Force air refueling tanker and cargo plane

  KC-135 Stratotanker—second-generation Air Force air refueling tanker

  KC-46A Provider—fourth-generation Air Force air refueling tanker

  long legs—able to fly long distances

  LORAN—Long Range Navigation, ground-based long-range radio navigation system

  MAD—magnetic anomaly detector, a system to locate submarines by aircraft

  Mjollnr—space-based land or sea attack system

  Nansha Dao—Chinese name for the Spratly Islands

  netrusion—injecting false code or viruses electronically into an enemy radar

  NVG—night-vision goggles

  OTH-B—over-the-horizon backscatter ultra-long-range radar

  PACAF—Pacific Air Forces

  PL-9C—Chinese short-range heat-seeking air-to-air missile

  Preppie—cadet entering the Air Force Academy who needs academic assistance

  RQ-4 Global Hawk—long-range high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft

  RTB—return to base

  SAM—surface-to-air missile

  SAT—Scholastic Aptitude Test

  SBIRS—Space-Based Infrared Surveillance, new missile launch detection and tracking system

  Shaanxi Y-8—Chinese medium turboprop transport plane modified for ASW patrol

  shapes—inert practice bomb with the same size, weight, and shape of a real bomb

  Shenyang J-20 Tiaozhàn—fifth-generation Chinese jet fighter

  sonobuoy—floating air-dropped sensor to detect submarines

  StealthHawk—stealthy long-range attack cruise missile

  Tank—nickname of the Joint Chiefs of Staff conference room
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br />   Thor’s Hammer—space-based land and sea attack weapon

  Tomahawk—long-range ship- or sub-launched attack cruise missile

  UNCLOS—United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

  UNR—University of Nevada–Reno

  Wilco—will comply

  XB-1F Excalibur—refurbished B-1B Lancer bomber

  XF-111 SuperVark—refurbished F-111 Aardvark bomber

  Xisha Dao—Chinese name for the Paracel Islands

  Zhongnanhai—Chinese government building complex in Beijing

  REAL-WORLD NEWS EXCERPTS

  PACIFIC POWER MAY SHIFT WITH NEW CHINESE WEAPON—(The Washington Times, August 6, 2010): Nothing projects U.S. global air and sea power more vividly than supercarriers. Bristling with fighter jets that can reach deep into even landlocked trouble zones, America’s virtually invincible carrier fleet has long enforced its dominance of the high seas.

  China may soon put an end to that.

  U.S. naval planners are scrambling to deal with what analysts say is a game-changing weapon being developed by China—an unprecedented carrier-killing missile called the Dong Feng 21D that could be launched from land with enough accuracy to penetrate the defenses of even the most advanced moving aircraft carrier at a distance of more than 900 miles.

  . . . The weapon, a version of which was displayed last year in a Chinese military parade, could revolutionize China’s role in the Pacific balance of power, seriously weakening Washington’s ability to intervene in any potential conflict over Taiwan or North Korea. It also could deny U.S. ships safe access to international waters near China’s 11,200-mile-long coastline . . .

  THE SIMMERING STRATEGIC CLASH IN U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS—(Stratfor.com, January 20, 2011): . . . Beijing is compelled by its economic development to seek military tools to secure its vital supply lines and defend its coasts, the historic weak point where foreign states have invaded. With each Chinese move to push out from its narrow geographical confines, the United States perceives a military force gaining in ability to block or interfere with U.S. commercial and military passage and access in the region. This violates a core American strategic need—command of the seas and global reach.

  But China cannot simply reverse course—it cannot and will not simply halt its economic ascent, or leave its economic and social stability vulnerable to external events that it cannot control. Hence we have an unresolvable strategic clash; tempers are simmering, giving rise to occasional bursts of admonition and threat. Yet unresolvable does not mean immediate, and both sides continue to find ways to delay the inevitable and inevitably unpleasant, whether economic or military in nature, confrontation.