NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This is the introductory thread for my new nuclear bomber deterrent force, organized in the Omega Corps. Why Omega Corps? Because if they are ever launched on a non-training mission, then the end has come for some unfortunate country. This thread will start with the performance evaluations of the YB-76 Valkyrie II and move into the development of the PG-18 Dynasoar suborbital bomber. If anyone wishes to participate, send me a TG detailing how you wish to do so. Keep in mind, however, that New Edwards is my equivalent to Area 51, except publically acknowledged with policy statements along the lines of "If you trespass here, you will be killed." Security is to a rather high degree there.

The desert that the New Edwards Test Flight Center called home was a quiet place. Far from urban centers and located in desolate and deadly land, only the hum of wheeled armored personnel carriers patrolling the perimeter betrayed that there was anyone alive at the base.

Until the air raid siren went off.

Organized Militia Major Jakob Zumwald leapt out of the officers’ club as the siren warbled and the PA system began to blare. “Scramble, scramble, scramble! All fighters immediately scramble, this is a nuclear attack alert!”

The base had been on heightened alert the past five days, for what reason Major Zumwald did not know, and he and his squadron were currently on five-minute alert. As he dashed out to his new BF14J Bearcat fighter-interceptor, he glanced at the missiles on his aircraft. Blue-stripes? Why practice nukes on a nuclear alert? Is this some sort of evaluation exercise? Vaulting into his fighter just ahead of his RIO, Captain Michael Nauman, he quickly glanced at the instrument panels.

“All green here, what about you Nauman?” he called behind him.

“We’re good to go, all missiles show green,” came the response.

Slowly applying the throttle, Zumwald eased the fighter out of the underground bunker at the beginning of the runway. A short ten seconds later, the fighter accelerated under full afterburner and leapt into the sky, desperately climbing for altitude and speed against the incoming threat. Alongside it, 11 other fighters followed.

“Cardinal Lead, this is Ground Control, over.”
“Ground Control, this is Lead, go ahead, over.”
“Twenty four bandits at angels two hundred and approximately three five zero zero at one thousand. Change heading to 093 to intercept, over.” 24 enemy bombers at two hundred thousand feet, 3,500 knots, and a thousand miles away.
“Uh, could you repeat bandit information Ground, over?”
“No joke Lead. Twenty four bandits at angels two hundred and approximately three five zero zero at one thousand, over.”
“Roger that Ground, out.”

Zumwald paled while he relayed that information to the rest of his squadron. How were they supposed to intercept something like that?! It would have to be a pop up attack;, that’s our only chance of getting the missiles up to altitude. We’ll intercept them about 500 miles out from the base at this rate. So, at 390 miles we’ll dive to 30,000 feet, then do a power-climb at Mach 3.3 to 70,000 feet. The base is screwed regardless though, we’ll only have the chance to do one plane each, they’re too far apart.

Brigadier General Karl Bach was quite happy with the performance of his new bombers, the Valkyrie II. While they were exceedingly expensive, they seemed to be well worth the cost.

“Incoming fighters sir, a dozen Bearcats about five minutes away,” called out the navigator/bombardier.

“They’re going to try a pop-up attack, that’s their only hope of getting a hit. Alert Omegas 2 through 6. When the fighters begin to dive, launch defensive missiles at them. That’ll keep them occupied.”

===========

“Alright Cardinal Squadron, begin the dive now,” ordered Major Zumwald, pushing the Bear

“Shit! Incoming missiles, they’re coming from the bombers!” cried Nauman, causing Zumwald to begin twisting the plane in wild evasive maneuvers as he deployed a towed decoy. If they had waited a bit longer we could have launched and taken the hit, but now we’re screwed.

In one respect, his evasive maneuvers and decoy worked. The Mach 7.4 missile, had it not been a practice shot, would have hit the decoy rather than his own aircraft. However, like his missiles, these air-to-air missiles were practice nukes.

==========

‘”Only two survivors sir, and they’re out of position for launch. Bomb release in 30 seconds” came the report from the navigator/bombardier.

“Good. I hope we didn’t bruise the egos of those fighter jocks too badly,” laughed Bach.

“Bombs away.”

And with that simple statement, two-dozen bombs, existing only in the electronic files of the exercises computers, erased New Edwards from the map.