Brown, Dale - Patrick McLanahan 10 Read Free Page B

supercockpit display and spoke, “Attack target.”
                 “Stinger airmines out of range,” the
computer responded. The AL-52 Dragon kept the built-in defensive weapons of the
EB-52 Megafortress, including the Stinger airmines—small guided missiles fired
from a cannon in the tail that created clouds of shrapnel in the path of enemy
fighters tail-chasing the bomber. But the airmines could only attack targets
within two miles of the bomber in the rear quadrant.
                 “Designate
airborne target as TBM target,” Patrick commanded. “Commit Dragon.”
                 “Stand by,” the computer responded. It
was something never attempted—shooting down an aircraft with the airborne
laser. Patrick didn’t even know if the programming existed for the attack
computer to take a non-TBM, or tactical ballistic missile, target and process a
laser attack against it. But he received his answer moments later: The
supercockpit display was suddenly filled with the image of the southernmost
MiG-29. The laser radar had locked onto the rear one-third of the aircraft, the
same spot that it would normally lock onto a missile. “Caution, target velocity data not within limits ”
                 Patrick
remembered that the laser attack computer was programmed to lock onto only
fast-moving targets, like ballistic missiles—the MiG was flying much more
slowly than a rocket. “Override velocity data.”
                 There
was another long, nervous pause; then: “Caution,
target velocity parameters overridden. Laser ready” Patrick zoomed the image
in until he was looking directly into the cockpit of the Libyan MiG; then he
used his trackball and moved the crosshairs to the left side of the fighter,
right on the nose of the largest missile he came across—he remembered that
MiG-29s usually fired missiles off the right side first. He could see it
clearly: a huge R-27 radar-guided on the number-three hardpoint. “Lock onto
target and attack laser,” he commanded.
                 “Warning, laser attack, stop attack,” the computer said. The Megafortress’s antiaircraft attack logic had taken over
for the Dragon’s anti-ballistic missile attack logic and successfully started
treating the chlorine-oxygen-iodine laser as another air-launched weapon.
Seconds later, the computer reported, “Laserfiring”
                 The
results were spectacular. Less than three seconds after the “laser firing”
warning, the R-27 missile on the MiG- 29’s hardpoint exploded in a blinding
flash of light. The entire left wing of the lead MiG sheared off in the
explosion. Patrick expanded the optronic view on the supercockpit display just
in time to watch the Libyan pilot eject from his stricken fighter. The laser
radar display showed the second MiG peel off sharply to the north.
                 “We
got it!” Patrick crowed. He quickly locked up the second MiG-29. The supercockpit
display now showed the diode laser locked onto the center top fuselage section
of the second MiG. “Attack target laser,” he commanded.
                “Attack
target laser, stop attack” the computer warned. The second shot took
several seconds longer, but soon Patrick could see a stream of smoke trailing
from the MiG’s fuselage—and then suddenly the fuselage seemed to disintegrate
from the inside, with ribbons of flames trailing from several cracks and tears
in the upper-fuselage fuel tanks right above the number-one engine. The MiG-29
was into its second flat spin, its left engine burning hotly, before the pilot
ejected.
                 “Wow,
that was very cool,” Franken exclaimed. “A laser powerful enough to shoot down
a MiG-29 fighter. Very cool.”
                 “Let’s
try the last part of the test,” Patrick said. He quickly entered commands into
the attack computer. It had stored information on the launch point of the