Royal Navy: 2300AD - Subfighter Division

The Royal Navy: 2300AD

Subfighter Division

Introduction

The Royal Navy’s Subfighter Division is an elite even within the crack Submarine Service. Its crews are as carefully selected as any fighter pilot or starship crew and have a similar outlook on life and esprit de corps. Piloting subfighters in the depths of the oceans is a dangerous task in peacetime and can have a horrendous casualty rate in war. The Subfighter Division provides the RN with its cutting edge for sub-surface warfare and has proven its mettle both in Earth’s Southern Ocean and in the seas of Beta Canum and Joi against the alien Kafers.

Narrative

There is no feeling in the world like piloting a supercavitating subfighter, nothing comes close. We powered through the black waters of the Atlantic leaving shocked and dying sea life in our wake as we went. The Orca was blasting out blue-green laser light from the bow, scanning our path for obstructions. At these speeds there was little room for error; subfighters had been lost to a whole range of collisions in recent decades. The seabed, fishing nets and even unlucky whales had all sent subfighter crews to their doom.

Travelling at these speeds as we transited from the Revenge to the mission area we could be picked up on sonar by virtually any navy on the world’s oceans. Yet after the two hours transit we dropped out of supercavitation and became very, very quiet and the formation split. Two Orcas transiting to the east shaping to head into the Clyde then sprinting back out through the North Channel. Our pair slid down to the sea bed in sight of the coast of Ulster, streamed the periscope, and prepared to wait. These weren’t typical Orca tactics, favouring fast slashing attacks, which was why we were using them.

The task group came up gingerly through the channel. We identified the surface frigate first, operating 30 kays up-threat from the HVU, in the middle of a cloud of UAVs. Then came the HVU and its escort similarly operating UAVs. The real question was where was the sub-frigate, with the frigate or the HVU? The HVU track would take them within 25 kays of our position, middling range for the Pikes but it could give the ships enough warning to get enough countermeasures in the water to defeat our strike. We powered up the Orcas and crept out on a stealthy intercept course after sending a message through the float to the other Orcas.

Half an hour later the other pair of Orcas came down from the lochs of the Western Isles at supersonic speeds, snapping the attention of the frigate and the escort to themselves. The pair fought a game of cat and mouse, sprint and drift, trying to pick off the frigate’s UAVs whilst avoiding a massive ASW attack. We launched our Pikes in stealth mode swimming them silently another 10 kays towards the HVU.

Then we heard it through the passive sonar, the sub-frigate speeding up trying to catch the other Orcas between itself and the surface frigate. So the HVU had only the one escort, we passed the engagement profile down the fibre optics to the eight Pikes, cutting them loose to go supersonic and close the target. The tactical displays went haywire as the HVU and escort pumped out supercavitating interceptors almost blanking out the sonar with the extreme noise. We took the opportunity to close the distance so we could be in a better position to re-attack if the first wave of Pikes didn’t make it.

There was a prolonged rumbling of explosions followed by one major explosion, it looked as if a Pike had got through. As the sonar cleared we could hear the noise of a ship taking on water, but which one was it? We speeded up to finish the deal. Then another noise, fish in the water, a dim scattering of blue-green LIDAR light from close to the shore. Damn, we punched out Piranha interceptors, turned and ran for the safety of Rathlin Island, going supersonic. There were a pair of subfighters with the HVU after all, this was starting to get complicated and on this evolution was riding our graduation from 7 Flotilla’s Subfighter Tactics Officer Course.

Extract from ‘The Perishers: The RN under the Waves’

Alice Morton RN (Ares Press, 2298)

Index

Order of Battle

History

Organisation

Recruitment

Training

Major Facilities

Culture

Uniform

Ranks

Personalities

Character Generation

Narrative

Order of Battle

Home Fleet

1st Subfighter Flotilla (Narwhal SF.3)

3rd Subfighter Squadron

7th Subfighter Squadron

14th Subfighter Squadron

36th Subfighter Squadron

40th Subfighter Squadron

61st Subfighter Squadron

4th Subfighter Flotilla (Mako SF.2)

8th Subfighter Squadron

11th Subfighter Squadron

23rd Subfighter Squadron

24th Subfighter Squadron

30th Subfighter Squadron

38th Subfighter Squadron

6th Subfighter Flotilla (Orca SF.3)

12th Subfighter Squadron

41st Subfighter Squadron

46th Subfighter Squadron

53rd Subfighter Squadron

60th Subfighter Squadron

94th Subfighter Squadron

10th Subfighter Flotilla (Walrus SFA.7)

9th Subfighter Squadron

15th Subfighter Squadron

19th (OTDU) Subfighter Squadron

37th Subfighter Squadron

South Atlantic Fleet

2nd Subfighter Flotilla (Orca SF.1)

13th Subfighter Squadron

29th Subfighter Squadron

33rd Subfighter Squadron

52nd Subfighter Squadron

88th Subfighter Squadron

92nd Subfighter Squadron

5th Subfighter Flotilla (Mako SF.2)

1st Subfighter Squadron

6th Subfighter Squadron

21st Subfighter Squadron

22nd Subfighter Squadron

45th Subfighter Squadron

49th Subfighter Squadron

56th Subfighter Squadron

9th Subfighter Flotilla (Narwhal SF.3)

2nd Subfighter Squadron

17th Subfighter Squadron

26th Subfighter Squadron

76th Subfighter Squadron

Far East, Caribbean and Indian Ocean Stations

8th Subfighter Flotilla

10th Subfighter Squadron (Narwhal – FE)

20th Subfighter Squadron (Mako – C)

25th Subfighter Squadron (Mako – FE)

32nd Subfighter Squadron (Narwhal – IO)

35th Subfighter Squadron (Mako – FE)

50th Subfighter Squadron (Orca – IO)

70th Subfighter Squadron (Orca – IO)

Off-world

11th Subfighter Flotilla

5th Subfighter Squadron (Mako – QAS)

28th Subfighter Squadron (Narwhal – Tirane)

80th Subfighter Squadron (Narwhal – BCV)

Training

3rd Subfighter Flotilla (Mako SFT.3)

4th Subfighter Squadron

16th Subfighter Squadron

51st Subfighter Squadron

62nd Subfighter Squadron

7th Subfighter Flotilla

18th (OTDU) Subfighter Squadron (Orca)

44th (OTDU) Subfighter Squadron (Mako)

73rd (OTDU) Subfighter Squadron (Narwhal)

INDEX

History

The concept of the small combat submersible has been around since the American War of Independence and came of age with human torpedoes and ‘X-Craft’ in World War Two. The subfighter has a more recent heritage however, with the first effective craft being launched, by the Italians, in the middle years of the 22nd Century. Initially these nascent subfighters were regarded with some suspicion as being of limited usefulness outside of the littoral environment. Indeed most had short sensor ranges and small weapon loads, however when used in a team with a naval task group they could add a significant extra capability.

The Royal Navy was one of the more conservative in its approach to Subfighters until it came up against the Argentines in the Antarctic Crisis. Operating around the Falkland Islands Argentine subfighters were very difficult to detect and were capable of slipping special operations teams on to the islands. Following the crisis the RN procured a number of subfighters, primarily for training purposes which were operated under the auspices of the Submarine Service. These first subfighters proved their worth time and again on exercise but a RN concentrating on power projection into the South Atlantic with major platforms had little time for them.

For nearly five decades the RN’s small subfighter community struggled on, often embarrassing other parts of the fleet in ‘FOST’ training and exercises, and developing links with the special forces communities who sometimes used the subfighters for covert insertions. During this period subfighters became increasingly capable and effective as the designs matured. Advances in supercavitation resulted in the first manned submarine, a Japanese research model, going supersonic in water in the Summer of 2197. Although it was to be a few years before this capability arrived in military subfighters but in the meantime Japanese, later international, submersible racing developed many of the technologies which would dominate the sector.

Subfighters finally came of age during the 1st Rio Plato War which saw the Argentine subfighter fleet almost entirely close down Brazil’s maritime trade forcing the Brazilians to rely on LTA transport instead. The Argentines constantly led the way in terms of technology and employment and introduced a supercavitating subfighter in 2206 which outclassed anything the Brazilians had. Indeed following the occupation of Buenos Aires one of the terms of the Armistice was the disbandment of the Armada’s subfighter arm.

The 1st Rio Plato War was a slap in the face to the British, on several occasions supercavitating Argentine subfighters had penetrated the outer perimeters of British carrier groups standing off-shore. The Admirals now recognised that they had allowed themselves to fall far behind in an emerging area of naval warfare. The few RN subfighter enthusiasts who had laboured away in a backwater of the service for so many years were now called upon to close the capability gap opened up by several decades of neglect. Luckily they were backed by Admiral ‘Joe’ Johnson then Chief of the Naval Staff who gave them his total backing, even prematurely retiring older ships from the fleet to free up funding.

The Subfighter Division was established within the Submarine Service and a rapid expansion plan put in place. New, supercavitation capable, subfighters were procured under licence from Japan and rushed into service. There were teething problems, some unsuitable personnel slipped in through the screening and two of the new subfighters were lost in training. However before the end of the Rio Plato War the RN had an effective subfighter squadron deployed with the South Atlantic Fleet.

The SFD has evolved and grown since the early 2200s and has become a key element of the RN’s approach to operations. Screening and strike operations of subfighters are an integral part of RN doctrine. The Subfighter Wing now operates just over 400 subfighters of different models and is one of the most prestigious arms of the Royal Navy. Increasing numbers of subfighter crew have gone on to hold senior posts in the RN.

The SFD has seen action during the long running ‘Cold War’ with Argentina over Britain’s possession of the Falklands and its Antarctic territories. Although this confrontation has so far avoided becoming a general conflict tensions have at times been very high and sporadic confrontations have taken place between the rival subfighter forces, most notably in the winter of 2296 when in one action three Argentine and two British subfighters were lost.

RN subfighters have also seen action on Beta Canum and Joi with SFD Narwhals and Walrus being involved in combat against the Kafers. On both worlds the subfighters have been largely involved with littoral operations in support of ground troops. No human forces have yet encountered Kafer naval craft.

INDEX

Organisation

The SFD currently operates some 402 subfighters in four classes; Orca, Mako, Narwhal and Walrus. Of these 306 are in operational squadrons and the remainder in training or development roles. To man and support these craft there are a total of 4000 sailors assigned to the SFD.

The SFD organisationally comes under the aegis of the Submarine Service, however on operations it deploys as an integrated part of the fleet. The SFD has a small HQ element responsible for overall administration as well as procurement and operational development of the subfighter fleet. The SFD is based at Faslane north of Glasgow.

The SFD is divided into 11 Flotillas and 56 Squadrons. The Flotilla is an administrative and not a tactical HQ and is responsible for the deployment, training, maintenance and routine administration of its subordinate units. The Flotilla normally has six squadrons under command, although this can vary. Flotillas assigned to the Home and South Atlantic Fleets are usually of a single subfighter type, whilst others are of mixed types. Flotillas are commanded by Captains.

The Home Fleet has the 1st, 4th, 6th and 10th Flotillas under command. The 1st, 4th and 6th Flotillas are single type flotillas operating Narwhals, Makos and Orcas respectively. The last two flotillas are usually embarked on ships or submarines of the fleet whilst the 1st Flotilla is dispersed around the British Isles at fixed bases. The 10th Flotilla operates the specialist Walrus and is only nominally under Home Fleet command, indeed it has detachments around the world and even off-world. The South Atlantic Fleet has the 2nd, 5th and 9th Flotillas operating Orcas, Makos and Narwhals. Once again the Narwhals of the 9th Flotilla usually operate from shore bases including HMS Canopus in San Carlos Sound.

8th Flotilla is a mixed type flotilla and is responsible for supporting the subfighter squadrons deployed to the Far East, Indian Ocean and Caribbean Stations. The 11th Flotilla fulfils the same role for the three off-world subfighter squadrons. Lastly the 3rd Flotilla is responsible for delivering basic subfighter training using Mako trainers. 7th Flotilla is responsible for type conversion and tactical training as well as running advanced tactical training courses.

The basic combat unit of the SFD is the squadron. The squadron consists of six subfighters of a single model and some 60 crew and support staff, although there are some Walrus and training squadrons twice this size. It is led by a Commander with a Lieutenant Commander as 2 i/c, when embarked on a SSCV or CVT it is usual for many of the support staff to remain ashore as a rear party.

The squadron is capable of sustaining operations on what is known as the ‘1/3rd’ principle. That is it can provide 1/3rd of its strength (i.e. 2 subfighters) all of the time, or all of its strength for 1/3rd of the time. The squadron will normally operate tactically in pairs in a manner similar to fighter planes or hovertanks. Squadrons are normally either deployed on ships, either sub-carriers or surface tenders, or from fixed bases. Squadrons have their own identities and traditions and will normally operate one design for as long as it is service. Squadrons can and do move between Flotillas on a fairly frequent basis.

INDEX

Recruitment

The SFD recruits both directly from the public and internally within the RN. The SFD demands higher than average standards for all of its potential recruits, even those not going for crew positions, and there are relatively few slots available for direct entry. Serving members of the RN can apply to transfer to the SFD but are required to have a recommendation from their current commanders, a good service record and pass any required aptitude testing.

Those wishing to apply for crew positions are required to undertake a battery of tests and a stringent medical. This testing takes place at the SFD Training Centre at Rosyth near Edinburgh over several days. The tests are similar to those undertaken by potential aircrew but with some key differences. Whilst fast reflexes and hand eye coordination are required the testing looks more for spatial awareness, tactical aptitude, patience and a certain coolness of nerve.

Those successful at this stage will be called back on a further two occasions in order to confirm the results of testing with some practical simulator work. Once this has been completed the candidate will be allowed to enlist and begin training. Those wishing to serve as an officer will also have to undergo the process leading to the Admiralty Interview Board.

INDEX

Training

All recruits into the SFD undergo the same basic training as any RN recruit. An initial ten week period of Phase 1 Training at HMS Raliegh is followed by a further four week course at the RN Submarine School learning the basics of submarine and subfighter operations. At this point the recruit will then go on to specialist training. Those becoming officers will attend Britannia Naval College for a year long course.

The SFD Training Centre is located at HMS Caledonia at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth and it is here that the bulk of SFD training is conducted. 3rd Flotilla has its headquarters here and runs the initial subfighter operations courses for all crew positions using the Mako SFT.3 trainer. There are also excellent simulation facilities at Rosyth which are also heavily used on the course, although all in-service subfighters also have in built simulation capability. The first six months are spent learning the basics of operating a subfighter safely and the second six months covers basic tactical operations and includes real time exercises in the Irish Sea with 51 SFS based on the Isle of Man. At the end of this the newly trained crew are presented with their ‘Dolphins’ and posted on to 7th Flotilla.

7th Flotilla is responsible for type conversion and tactical training on the frontline subfighter types and is based in the Orkney Isles at Scapa Flow. The tempo is stepped up in this phase and the austere environment adds to the pressure placed on the students. Training can last between four and six months depending on type of subfighter but each course ends with a testing fortnight’s exercise off the west of Scotland. This exercise is the final test before being posted to an operational squadron and is the SFD’s final ‘quality check’. The only type not trained on at 7th Flotilla is the Walrus whose training is run in-house at 10th Flotilla, although new pilots are rarely posted to the Walrus straight away. Non-crew SFD training for support staff is also undertaken primarily at Rosyth.

INDEX

Major Facilities

HMS Caledonia, Rosyth, Scotland

Located on the north bank of the Firth of Forth not far from Edinburgh Caledonia is home to the SFD Training Centre and the heart of the service. Every single member of the SFD has come through Caledonia and many will return to instruct there. It is also the headquarters of the 3rd Flotilla and there are no fewer than 36 Mako trainers based here. The base has a lively social life aided in no small part to the proximity of Scotland’s capital city.

HM Naval Base Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands

Located in the remote Orkney Islands HMNB Scapa Flow is the operational home of the Home Fleet, an anchorage surrounded by heavy defences. SFD has a presence here including the 7th Flotilla, and elements of the 1st, 4th and 6th Flotillas. Scapa Flow is not a popular posting, those serving there often come to regard themselves as ‘warrior monks’ with little except training to look forward to.

HMS Canopus, Falkland Islands

Canopus is the heavily defended anchorage in Falkland Sound which is the main in-theatre base for the South Atlantic Fleet. It is home to all three subfighter Flotillas attached to the fleet, although not all of the squadrons are based there permanently, and is consequently has the largest single concentration of subfighters in the RN. Although a relatively bleak location Canopus is a modern base and regarded as a much better posting than Scapa Flow. Almost constantly on operations the SFD units based at Canopus have a reputation for working hard and playing hard, as well as being at the cutting edge of tactical development.

HM Naval Base Dunoon, Scotland

HMNB Dunoon at Holy Loch on the west coast of Scotland is the main SFW base for the Home Fleet’s 4th, 6th and 10th Flotillas, although most of the squadrons are deployed away at various locations or on ships. The vast floating anchorage in the centre of the loch is home to advanced maintenance and arming facilities as well as training facilities, simulators and command centres.

HM Naval Base Lyonesse, Lyonesse

Although not a major base Lyonesse is one of the more unusual bases located as it is in the UK’s major sub-surface habitat to the west of the Scilly Isles. It is home to six Narwhals of 7 SFS, operations from Lyonesse attract an extra harsh conditions allowance which makes it popular with some members of the SFD.

INDEX

Notable Squadrons

1st Subfighter Squadron

1 SFS was the first RN subfighter squadron formed back in the mid-2150s following the Antarctic Confrontation and was later to be the first equipped with supercavitating subfighters. Today it is equipped with the Mako SF.2 subfighter and is based at HMS Canopus in the Falklands. The squadron is usually assigned to the 10th Escort Carrier Squadron built around the Endurance. This squadron specialises in operations close to the ice of Antarctica and 1 SFS is trained in under the iceshelf operations. These are extremely dangerous for the lightweight subfighters and crew assigned to 1 SFS are usually on their second tours on Makos and have been graded Above Average in most of their annual reports.

10th Subfighter Squadron

10 SFS is based at HMS Tamar in Hong Kong and is assigned to the RN’s Far East Station. Hong Kong is a glamorous assignment, but not one without its dangers. The continuing instability in the region, caused predominantly by Indonesia means the squadron is often deployed on a wide variety of missions. In the last decade these have included piracy suppression, support to special forces and standoffs resulting from freedom of navigation and flag showing missions. 10 SFS operates with the Narwhal.

28th Subfighter Squadron

28 SFS is the RN’s last remaining subfighter squadron based on Tirane as part of the RN Tirane Squadron. The squadron is headquartered on Halfway Island although it is a frequent visitor to Wellon. 28 SFS specialises in long range operations and has an enviable training budget showing the RN flag not only with the Wellonese, but with on-world Japanese, French, Brazilian and Australian forces. 28 SFS is equipped with Narwhal.

88th Subfighter Squadron

88 SFS is a recently formed squadron, raised to bring the Orca into operational service and it has never operated with any other type. It is now assigned to the South Atlantic Fleet, most frequently operating with HMS Colossus. 88 SFS is well regarded as a centre of excellence for Orca operations and many of the now standard tactics were developed by the squadron. The squadron also has a reputation for wild behaviour when off duty.

INDEX

Culture

The SFD regards itself as an elite within an elite, the cutting edge of the Royal Navy. In this way they have a similar elitism as the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Marines, although with somewhat different characteristics. The SFD’s crews are trained to operate without the sort of command and control assets that the FAA has come to expect. Consequently the SFD is known for the individuality of self-reliance of its crews, together with a mixture of risk-taking and cool tactical appreciation.

While the SFD has an excellent esprit de corps based around its role and common training at Rosyth, however the usual rivalries are encouraged both between crews of different types of subfighters, flotillas and squadrons. SFD squadrons are small organisations which tend to take on the characteristics of its leading personalities.

INDEX

Ranks

The SFD uses the usual array of RN ranks within its support crews. It does have a system of accelerated promotion for its non-commissioned fighter crews. On passing out from 7th Flotilla these individuals are promoted to Petty Officer, and two years later will be promoted to Chief Petty Officer.

Commissioned crew will start off as Sub-Lieutenants before being promoted to Lieutenant. Each squadron has a Commander and Lieutenant Commander as its command echelon together with a Warrant Officer as SNCO. Competition for these places is fierce and many ambitious officers have to transfer out of the SFD to ensure promotion.

In general each squadron has eight crews for its six subfighters and some have even less a situation the SFD is trying to rectify. On average 40% of the crew positions will be filled by commissioned officers and the remainder with NCOs.

INDEX

Equipment

British Aquaspace Orca SF.1

The Orca is the most modern subfighter in service with the SFD, having been introduced in 2294. The Orca is designed for operations from SSVCs operating at great depths in the open ocean. It is an immensely powerful craft equipped with the latest Rolls-Royce vortex combuster and capable of sustaining supersonic speeds for an impressive duration. It is also a very robust design albeit one that lacks the agility of smaller subfighters. The Orca has an excellent payload of medium and lightweight weapons in addition to one of the most powerful blue-green lasers yet mounted on a subfighter. SFD Orcas have a distinctive white and black colour scheme based on that of their cetacean namesake and a two man crew.

British Aquaspace Mako SF.2

The Mako is the most numerous subfighter in the SFD. It is a nimble and lightweight design optimised for littoral operations but useful in a range of other environments. Indeed the SFD use the Mako in the close defence role protecting Escort Carrier Squadrons and with Hunter Squadrons for ASW operations. The Mako is a rare single seat design and has a notably small and stealthy profile. It has a relatively small weapons payload but an excellent suite of avionics.

British Aquaspace Mako SFT.3

The SFT.3 is the trainer version of the Mako SF.2 and is very similar to the fighter version. The main difference is that the SFT.3 has a two man crew and less capable avionics.

Vosper-Wolf Narwhal SF.3

The Narwhal is the only current VW design in SFD service, when VW once dominated the British subfighter market. The Narwhal was developed from VWs Manta heavy subfighter and is a long range subfighter with a heavy payload of weapons and a 3 man crew. The SFD mainly uses its Narwhals as patrol craft from fixed bases, although it can be deployed from SSVCs. Sometimes seen as something of a Cinderella design when compared to the more glamorous Makos and Orcas the Narwhal is a solid subfighter well respected in the SFD for its staying power and heavy firepower.

British Aquaspace Walrus SFA.7

The Walrus is the largest subfighter in service with the RN, bigger even than the Narwhal. Originally designed as a littoral attack subfighter it was superseded by the more agile Mako, however its capability to carry up to eight passengers has given it an extra lease of life in a specialised role. Currently the Walrus serves as a SAR platform and also offers support to UK Special Forces operating from the sea. Although verging on obsolescence the Walrus packs a respectable punch and fulfils its role excellently.

Personal Equipment

On shore the SFD uses the same equipment as the mainstream of the RN. For the subfighter crews there are special suits that resemble flight suits combining immersion suit, shrapnel and fire protection and gel filled full-body G-suit. There are also helmets with Jones Industry VHUDs. These equipments give the crews some protection in combat should crew compartments be breached as well as a chance of reaching the surface should they have to abandon the crew compartment and the subfighter is at a reasonable depth. Some squadrons operating in very deep diving operations have a hard-suit variant of these suits.

INDEX

Personalities

Rear Admiral Alan King, RN

Rear Admiral King is the current commander of the SFD. He is a lively, outgoing advocate of the subfighter and has done much to push the division forward in his tenure. King was born on Wellon where his father was an officer in the RN Tirane Fleet, and he spent most of his childhood and was educated on Halfway Island. He joined the RN following his graduation from Point Sterling Technical University, and was accepted into the SFD following training at Britannia.

King spent most of his SFD career on the powerful Thresher subfighter, rising to command 50 SFS in the Indian Ocean and South Atlantic. He subsequently transferred to the main fleet and commanded an ASW frigate, before returning to command the 1st Subfighter Flotilla. He has since seen service at the MoD in charge of the introduction of the Thresher’s replacement Orca, as well as commander of a Hunter Squadron with the Home Fleet prior to being appointed commander of the SFD. Married with 3 children King is to retire soon and British Aquaspace are known to be interested in obtaining his services.

Commander William O’Connor, RN

Billy O’Connor is the commander of 88 SFS and something of a legend in his own lifetime. O’Connor is a flamboyant Catholic Ulsterman who was commissioned into the RN after studying engineering at Imperial College, London. O’Connor served first in Threshers before being posted as the Subfighter Tactics Officer (STO) to the newly formed 88 SFS with its brand new BAq Orcas. He is recognised as developing many of the tactical doctrines used by the Orcas community, and later was senior instructor on the STO Course before returning to command 88 SFS.

O’Connor is a superlative subfighter pilot and tactician, as well as a charismatic and effective leader. He has also raced professionally in the International Formula 1 Subracer championships achieving some respectable results in one of the uncompetitive minor teams. O’Connor has never married and is something of a hell-raiser whose approach to life has rubbed off on his squadron.

Petty Officer Sarah-Jane Gray

Sarah-Jane Gray, known as SJG to almost everyone, is a newly qualified WSO assigned to 80 SFS on Beta Canum. SJG comes from a family with no real military connections, but was a high achiever at school. At university in Bristol she joined the RN Reserve and developed an interest in a career with the Senior Service. Encouraged by a former-SFD member of staff she applied for SFD testing and to her surprise passed the aptitude with ease. She has performed well during training and was surprising assigned to 80 SFS in early 2301.

SFG and the other crews of 80 SFS have been heavily involved in operations against the Kafers, although in an unaccustomed ground attack role, however the Narwhal’s large weapon payload makes it a good weapon platform. Often working in conjunction with HMS Unseen and the four Walrus of 15 SFS’s BC detachment 80 SFS have taken a sometimes unnoticed part in the campaign. However in one noticeable engagement SJG was responsible for the destruction of four Kafer CAC-1 Deathsleds transiting between mainland New Africa and an off-lying island using Piranha interceptor torpedoes.

INDEX

Character Generation

TBC

Narrative

There's a tremendous peacefulness in the dark of the Southern Ocean's abyssal depths, just hanging there, drifting in the silence of the deep with no lighting but the faintest flickers from the instrument console. The viewscreen was on, but there was no light for the external cameras to see by. If I flicked on the external lights then there would be a few krill even at these depths, maybe one of the stranger denizens of the oceanic bottoms, but external lights don't go with Cat-1 EMCON.

The peacefulness disappeared with the voice in my earpiece.
"Moray Lead, I have a track."
Moray Three had sensor watch while the rest of us tried to sleep. I flicked a switch, dropping their sensor data onto my viewscreen.

"Argie SDV going for a cable tap?" I wondered aloud. Hooking into the Falklands-British Antarctic Territories fibreoptic link was something they tried with monotonous regularity.

"Looks like," Moray Three agreed, but I hadn't been asking his opinion and I hit the alarm to jolt all four of my crews awake.

"Target heading for the cable," I said, "Let's go shake him up and escort him back across the border. Weapons tight, ROE Alpha 2. Tactical spread, 5 klick spacing, follow my lead. Confirm."

I got the confirmations as I pulled my HMD down and checked we had greens right across the board. Lucy was hunched over her tactical display just to my left, locking up all the data that four Narwhal sub-fighters could generate. She gave me a thumbs-up to say that she had the track herself.

"Jettison datalinks," I ordered, "Three, two, one, now."

There was a slight click as the fibre-optic cables linking the four-ship formation into a single forty klick long interferometer dropped free. I'd been after the engineers back on Conqueror to sort that, avoidable mechanical noise was a problem, but it was too late to cry over spilt milk as we accelerated away.

"Lucy, tell me we didn't lose him when we dropped datalink?"

"Still got him," she confirmed, "Thirty klicks and closing. Keep it below fifty KPH and you can get within 15 klicks before he can hear us if he's got the standard sensor kit."

"How do the engines look, Mickey" I asked over the intercom.

"Sweet, Skip," Mickey answered from his lonely seat in the engineering bubble, "I can give you 100 KPH indefinitely if you want it. Gas generator is fully primed, we can supercav on your command."

"Not just yet," I told him, "We might try that when we get a little closer, scare the bejeesus out of our poacher before we escort him back to their side of the border."

"Skipper, I like the way you think."

Some people claim that flying sub-fighters is just like flying one of the skimmers' Sea Furies, but there's a difference in scale and time, our combats are simultaneously more intimate and more prolonged. I sat patiently, watching the range tick slowly down, ready to startle our quarry with evidence of our cleverness.

"Oh, Christ!" Lucy said suddenly as the range fell past sixteen klicks.

Her data dropped onto my HMD even as she spoke. Six more targets, three low, three high, all suddenly heading our way. They had sprung a surprise of their own, but the thing that startled me most was Lucy's reaction. I think it was the first time I'd ever heard her swear.

"Argie Gattos," she snarled as the data firmed up, "We've been suckered."

"Hook, line and sinker," I echoed, "Active datalink, bring up the net."

Even the active datalink's low energy blue-green lasers will scatter enough to give you away, but when the other guy knows where you are the subtleties of stealth are pretty pointless and the datanet would let us share data again.

"Vampire! Vampire! Vampire!" Lucy yelled, "Torpedoes in the water. They just went supersonic and the Gattos are accelerating, gas generators coming on line."

We were at peace, supposedly, but I don't think there's ever been a year the services haven't buried someone in some foreign field. Maybe today it would be my turn to pay the price of peace, but not if I had any choice in the matter.

"Weapons free, switch to active sensors," I ordered as I shoved the throttles to max. Sonar can't track a supersonic torpedo, active LIDAR can, if you don't mind shining a searchlight for anyone to see.

"Decoys away, countermeasures active," Lucy told me, pre-empting my next order.

"Lock them up and get me a shot," I told her. "All Morays, close and engage. Mickey, ULF message to Conqueror, 'under attack'".

That was all I could say, 'need help' was superfluous when help was hours away.

"I've got a shot at the SDV," Lucy said.

"Take it," I ordered, knowing as I said it that it was probably no more than an unmanned drone sent to lure us into the trap. There was a hiss as one of our torpedoes was punched out of the VLS, a momentary fizz as its gas generator sheathed it in the bubbles that let it travel through the water at supersonic speeds, then it was gone.

"Here they come," Lucy muttered as the LIDAR locked up the incoming torps. There were a dozen of them, which meant three at each of us if the Argies had sequenced it right, and the Armada boys were no fools.

"Four of them coming at us," she said. So maybe the Argies were having a bad day, but it didn't make me feel better. "Targets locked."

"Engaging," I said, taking the shot myself, the hull echoing as four interceptors went into the water one after the other. I squeezed again, four more shots to back up the first four.

"Point Defence active" Lucy said, "The Gattos are supercavitating, but subsonic, I have a good paint on the high trio."

"Take them," I said, the hull echoing as heavyweight torpedoes punched out one after the other. Lucy glanced at me and sent a second trio away at my nod. Now wasn't one of those time when it made sense to be frugal with ammo. The other Morays were firing, the Argies started punching out interceptors of their own and suddenly my tactical screen was a mess of incoming and outgoing trails.

"Go super!" I ordered Mickey, hauling the Moray nose high as the gas generator went active and we were suddenly sheathed in bubbles, our drag instantly cut to a fraction of its normal value. Our speed built, dragging us out of the mess of incoming and outgoing fire, but the rattle as our point defence started spewing 20mm super-cavitating shells into the water said that not all of our interceptors had claimed their targets.

"Target crossing high port," Lucy yelled and I snap-turned, gee dragging us down into our seats as our speed crossed 200KPH. A Gatto flashed by close enough to see and I hit the trigger instinctively. Somewhere behind me a cartridge spewed gas explosively into an MHD and a gigajoule of power was dumped into the laser system. The beam linked us and the Gatto for a fraction of a second, water flaring as it flash-boiled, then the Gatto blew, crumpling from one moment to the next as the laser sliced open her pressure vessels.

"That's a kill!" Lucy said, her face washed of colour by the suddenness of violent death.

I was too busy to think about the lives I had just taken, trying to make sense of the fight on my tactical display. Moray 3 and 4 had gone low, taking the second trio, and I could only see one Gatto down there now, but there were two on my tail and I couldn't see Moray 2 at all.

"Mickey, arm the booster!" I ordered, yanking tight the straps on my harness. Lucy gave me a shocked glance, but we were down to last resorts, and the thirty seconds of thrust from the giant firework strapped to our tail would take us supersonic, maybe give us a moment or two outside their sensor lock in which to turn the fight around.

"Read..."

Mickey's voice was cut off by a stunning impact. The kind of force it took to throw a three hundred tonne sub-fighter tumbling through the depths was incomprehensible and for precious seconds I couldn't string two thoughts together. I gathered my scattered wits as the tumble abated, but it left us hanging inverted, the boards flaring the red of critical failures all around me, before failing entirely, leaving us in darkness.

"Luce?" I asked.

There was no answer and I reached into the blackness. I found her helmet by feel, wincing as shards of her visor sliced open my questing fingertips. Sense struck and I reached up to pull the lightstick from its clip under my seat, shook it to set its chemicals to work. The cold blue light never flattered anyone, but it made Lucy look like one of the living dead, eyes rolled back in her skull, blood painted down her face. Her tactical screen was smashed, presumably by the impact of her helmet. Only the barely visible movement of her chest and a low moaning convinced me that she was alive.

"Mickey?" I asked, but there was no reply, not even when I found the sound-powered phone in its clip under the mess that had spilled down onto the overhead console and used that instead.

I was on my own, and the part of me that could think and plan wanted to hide in some dark corner until someone could come and save me, which makes it just as well the Navy drills you until you can react without thinking. My hands reacted even if my mind was shot, throwing breakers, testing circuits, until finally we had some semblance of emergency power from the batteries. The boards flared red again, but now I had time to deal with them, assuming no one sent a torpedo down to finish us off.

Poking a handful of switches soon convinced me that we weren't going home under our own power. The control system was fried, and probably everything else as well. The Argie torpedo had killed my ship, the only question left was whether it had killed me as well.

"Mickey?" I asked into the sound-powered phone. One final try to salve my conscience, but there was nothing, nothing but an ominous groan that I hoped was the ship and not the command bubble. I pulled open the guarded flap on the arm of my seat, fingered the two buttons there for a moment as I said goodbye to the ship, then hit them one after the other. The ejection circuits were self-powered, if the engineering bubble had survived then maybe the ejection charge would still function, if it hadn't I had done what I could. The command bubble's own ejection charge was startlingly loud, and I'd never envisaged ejecting while hanging upside down. The sensations were far worse than I had imagined and for a moment I thought the bubble had failed, but at our depth bubble failure would have killed us instantaneously. We drifted for a moment, wobbling, then there was a series of softer bangs and the bubble slowly righted itself as the propane balloons inflated around us. I reached across and snagged Lucy's hand in mine. She was probably too far gone to know, but it might penetrate at some level and it made me feel better.

"Hold on," I told her, as we drifted in the silence of the deep.

Cold War: Southern Ocean
Lt Cmdr Robert Miller, RN
Proceedings of the USNI
May, 2297

12 August 2004