按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
'Ah； but you proved to be a fine actor also。'
Bassam Baradj chuckled； 〃You were very convincing yourself。'
A smile crossed Adwan's face。 'Oh。 ya。 Ya。 Right；' he said。
10
Monarchs of the Sea
James Bond felt the slight tremor under his feet； and with it the old frisson returned。 There was nothing in the world like being at sea in a capital ship： the ordered routine； the feeling of men working as a quiet； well…trained team； the regularity of events； even in a crisis。 To Bond； all this returned in a warm shower of nostalgia。 No； it was better； because of the very special feeling of serving in this ship。
HMS Invincible was a relatively recent addition to the Royal Navy's history。 In some ways she had already bee a legend： certainly the first kind of ship of her type … 19；500 tons of platform from which to launch practically any type of operation； including the nuclear option with the Green Parrot variable…yield weapons； capable of being carried by the Sea Harriers； to the Ikt versions； which could be dropped by Sea Kings as anti…submarine bombs。 Invincible could also carry a mando for armed assault； and； at this moment。 42 mando； Royal Marines； was on board。
The ship's air group consisted of ten Sea Harriers； eleven anti…submarine warfare （ASW） Sea Kings； two anti…clcctronic…warfare （AEW） Sea Kings and one Lynx helicopter； configured for Exocet…type decoy duties。 Invincible was a very full ship； though officially； and technically； it was not even classed as an aircraft…carrier。 Invincible was a Through Deck Cruiser （TDC）。
Back in 1966。 the then British government had cancelled a new building programme which would give the Royal Navy a number of conventional carriers for fixed…wing aircraft。 In the following year a new programme went into action。 What they required were light mand cruisers with facilities for a number of helicopters。 The whole political subject； mainly involving costing and pulling back on defence expenditure； was sensitive； but the success of the V。〃STOL Harrier aircraft changed things in a dramatic manner。
Plans were again changed； though the politicians still clung to the name TDC as opposed to aircraft…carrier。 Three such ships were missioned； and Ihe success and lessons learned during the Falklands War had made for even further alterations。 The exercise。 Operation Landsea '89； was to be the first chance for Invincible to show her paces following ＇he extensive refit； which included new armament； electronics； munications and the 12° Harrier ski…jump which had replaced the original 7〃 ramp。
The Through Deck' principle remained； for practically ail the ship's equipment was carried below decks； apart from the plexities in the long； almost conventional island which ran along the centre of the starboard side using over half of the main deck's 677 feet； bristling with tall antennae； radar dishes； and other domed detection devices。 Most of the information required in the island was accessed from electronics buried deep below the flight…deck。
Invincible and her sister ships Illustrious and Ark Royal； were powered by four mighty Rolls…Royce TM3B twin…shaft gas turbines； designed on a modular principle； making maintenance and repair an easier job。 Invincible。 Illustrious and Ark Royal were quite simply the largest gas…turhine…powered ships in the world。
Once more he fell the slight tremor and rise under his feel。 Bond sat down on his bunk； took out the Browning and began to clean it。 Apart from the Royal Marine detachment on board； he was the only officer who carried a personal hand…gun： though he was most conscious that two armed marines stood only a few feet for'ard of his cabin； stationed there； on the port side； as a guard on the series of cabins that would be used by the visiting VIP brass； and already partially inhabited by the Wren detachment。
As he sat down； so there was the tell…tale click all sea…going members of the Royal Navy recognise as the Tannoy system about to broadcast either one of the many routine orders； or bugle calls； which tell off the time in a similar manner to the religious 〃hours' in a monastery。
But this was not a normal message。 'D'ye hear there！ D'ye hear there！ This is the Captain。' Throughout the ship。 Bond knew that all ranks would stop everything but the most necessary duties to listen。
'As you all know。〃 the Captain … Rear…Admiral Sir John Walmsley … continued； 'the land； sea and air exercise called Operation Landsea '89； will mence at 23。59 hours。 You will have already been briefed about this exercise by your Divisional manders； so you know it's not in the normal run of similar training such as Ocean Safari。 I want to remind you that； as from 23。59。 we will be operating under actual rules of war and rules of engagement； apart from using the big bangs； of course。 This message is to be relayed to all other ships in what is to be known as Taskforce Kiev； and we will darken ship at exactly 23。59。 You are also aware that this evening we will be receiving aboard three very senior officers and their staffs。 There will be women among ihe staffs； and there is a detachment of Wrens aboard at this moment。 I have no reason to repeat what your divisional officers will have already told you。 though I will： fraternisation with the female officers and ratings aboard； apart from normal and obvious duties； is strictly forbidden。 Anyone either attempting to； or actually fraternising can expect the harshest possible penalty。 Apart from that 。 。 。'there was a long pause： the Rear…Admiral had a quirky sense of humour； 'good luck to you all。'
Bond smiled to himself。 The entire message had been blandly understated； for this certainly was a different type of exercise； if only for the strange mixture of who were Red Side； and who were Blue。 To inject an even deeper than usual ？fog of war' some units of the NATO powers remained in their real…life situations； while others were split in half … some Red and some Blue。 For instance this very Taskforce consisted of ships of the Royal Navy； but were Red。 other ships； particularly submarines of the Royal Navy； were Blue。
Bond had read his own sealed orders； after ing aboard； and had sat in on Walmsley's briefing to the Executive Staff。
The Exercise briefing was in three parts。 Political situation； current strategic situation at the mencement of Landsea '89； objective of all parties involved； with an accent on their own powerful Taskforce Kiev。
The fictional scenario was shrewd and plex： shortly before Christmas there had been a major military attempt to take over Chairman Gorbachev's ruling power in the USSR。 This action； spearheaded by high…ranking officers of the Russian Army； Navy and Air Force； coupled with some ambitious members of Ihe Polithuro … all disenchanted with Gorbachev's glasnost … had gone off ；it halt…cock； bul was far from being a failure。
The bulk of the military power remained anti…Gorbachev and now threatened to take their own idealism out of Russia； and draw world attention to the changing events in the Soviet Union； by engaging the NATO powers in a series of tactical operations designed So show they could rattle sabres as loudly as anybody。
The USSR was； as Gorbachev had known from the f