“Sergei, what is the status of the new MiG?” asked the President, knowing that Putin would put the screws to him if he believed he was being misled.
“I had lunch with the CEO of Mikoyan, Artem Gurevich, and he assures me that the MiG 40 will be ready at the end of this week. They have completed the software patch and testing of the system as of today. With the modified timeline, there will be 120 aircraft available with thirty additional aircraft being completed each month,” responded Sergei Puchkov, the Minister of Defense.
“I do not mean to dismiss the MiG, but how will 120 aircraft be a deciding factor?” asked Putin, wanting to know why this new aircraft could possibly be so important.
“The MiG 40 is a unique aircraft; aside from its ability to fly at Mach 3 and a range of nearly 900 miles, it is the only aircraft that uses not just stealth technology but also incorporates a translucent fiber optic exterior camouflage that mimics its surroundings. This means that the aircraft is invisible to the naked eye. It has virtually no radar signature, and can only be tracked by the heat it emits, making it nearly impossible to detect until it is too late. It can carry a total of eight missile or six guided munitions,” said Sergei.
“It will be impressive if it finally works,” said Alexander Manturov, the Minister of Industry and Trade. He did not believe the aircraft warranted the immense amount of money and resources it was consuming.
“This aircraft has cost a fortune,” asserted Anton Shoygu, the Minister of Finance. “This is like the American JF-35 program — a trillion-dollar program for one aircraft line.”
“Gentlemen, this aircraft will be effective, even if a few more bugs have to be worked out, and when it is utilized, it will be the most advanced aircraft in the world. The Americans have nothing like it; this aircraft will dominate the skies long enough for us to win the war,” replied President Fradkov with confidence.
“I look forward to using it to secure the skies over Europe for my ground forces. It had better work,” General Putin said with a hint of skepticism in his voice.
Unholy War
With nearly 290,000 US Forces in Israel, President Stein reluctantly gave General Gardner his fourth star and overall command of US Forces in Israel. The President was still mad at General Gardner for the destruction of the Al Aqsa Mosque. However, despite his displeasure with his actions, Gardner was becoming a brilliant military tactician and had grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat.
General Wade, the CENTCOM Commander, and his planners were developing a plan to invade Turkey via Greece once the situation in Israel had been stabilized. In the meantime, they were still working on how to move 140,000 soldiers in Germany and 110,000 troops in Italy to Israel. There were still another 350,000 troops on the east coast waiting for transport to Europe, which had become more complicated with the loss of US satellite communications and GPS.
General Gardner walked into an underground command bunker to address his senior officers and NCOs; he had commandeered the site from the IDF. “Everyone listen up. We are going to have to deal with the fact that we do not have satellite communications or surveillance and, yes, there is a serious disruption to our supply lines. We train for this junk, so just get over the loss — we have a war to win,” barked General Gardner. “The Air Force is providing continuous drone surveillance and communication flights across the battlefield, the Navy is continuing to ferry reinforcements from Italy, and the 80th and 81st drone attack wings have been tearing into the IR supply lines and frontline troops. They have also lost nearly 460 ground attack drones, so we will not have as many available for close air support — keep that in mind as well.”
“For the last 18 days we’ve been getting our butts handed to us on a platter, and now it’s time for us to go on the offensive. We are going to encircle the IR forces in the Jordan Valley and cut them off from the rest of their army. Once we have them encircled, the 307th Bomber Wing is going to conduct a massive carpet bombing of the entire valley. Their attack will quickly be followed up with the 80th and 81st drone attack wings, and a massive napalm attack will finish them off.” Audible whistles could be heard throughout the room.
“Major General Kennedy, the 3rd ID has been doubled in strength, re-equipped and supplied. Tonight your forces are going on the offense. The Marines have been slugging it out with the IR forces in Be’er Sheva for over a week. The 80th Air Wing has been pounding the crap out of the IR forces in that sector for the last 18 hours to soften them up. I want the 3rd ID to pass through the Marine positions and hit the IR hard; then drive your division to Arad and onward to the Masada Forest Preserve near the Dead Sea. Be prepared to hold that territory.”
General Gardner turned to the next divisional commander. “Major General Peeler, the 4th Marines are going to move through your lines and support the 3rd ID by holding the line from Beit Kama, Lahav and Meitar, where they will form the left flank of General Kennedy’s defensive line. The 80th Air Wing will provide continuous air support to your division’s forces, so use them as needed. Moving to the north, Major General Petraeus, your 4th ID is fresh and about to get bloodied. The IR forces have been making a push again at Umm al-Fahm; your division will need to push the IR forces back and then secure Ein Harod-Ihud down to Beit She’an. It is imperative that your division hold this line. The IR is going to press your troops hard in an effort to cut our forces in half. You absolutely cannot let this happen, no matter the cost to your division. Your position is perhaps the most important in this whole attack scheme.” General Petraeus nodded in acknowledgement of the significance of his mission.
Major General David Petraeus Jr. was the son of the famous General David Petraeus, the man who had essentially won the peace and the war in Iraq in the late 2000s. Like his father, he had attended West Point and followed in his father’s same career track, leading him to his current position as a divisional commander. “Major General Twitty, I need the 1st Armored Division to bring the hammer down and close the back door. Your division is to push through the 4th ID at Beit She’an and drive hard to Zubaydat, As Salt, Jericho and Almog along the Dead Sea. This area is good tank country, but you will need to watch your six with Amman to your back. It’s imperative that the 1st Armored and 3rd ID hold your positions at the Dead Sea. This will leave the IR forces nowhere to go.”
“The IDF, along with the 101st Airborne, will hold the line in front of Lod, Rehovot and Kiryat Gat. Once the bombing runs are completed, all divisions will move forward and shrink the perimeter until we secure the entire valley,” General Gardner ordered.
General Kennedy raised his hand. “Once we’ve destroyed these pigs, are we going to get our payback for their crucifixions?” he asked.
The Marine commanders, who were beyond enraged, jumped in. “We found over 153 Marines crucified when we re-secured the Ben-Gurion University campus near Negev the other day,” blurted General Peeler, eyes burning with rage.
“I know everyone wants payback for the crucifixions, and I assure you we will have it. Once the battlefields have been secured and the grave registration units move in, they are going to bury the IR forces in mass graves. They will do their best to identify the IR soldiers so that they can be properly marked. Prior to the graves being filled in, they have been instructed to cover all the bodies in pig’s blood, which the Germans and Brits have supplied. We have documented over 5,000 crucifixions of US Forces, so we will bury their dead in pig’s blood in retaliation; they believe that this will prevent them from entering Paradise, so we will test that theory.”