''Arc Light'' is the
debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
by
Eric L. Harry
Eric L. Harry (born December 2, 1958) is an American author and lawyer, best known for his novels '' Arc Light'' and ''Invasion''. He has also written ''Society of the Mind'', along with ''Protect and Defend''.
Early life and education
Harry wa ...
and is a
techno-thriller
A techno-thriller or technothriller is a hybrid genre drawing from science fiction, Thriller (genre), thrillers, spy fiction, action (fiction), action, and War novel, war novels. They include a disproportionate amount (relative to other genres) o ...
about a limited
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear w ...
published in September 1994 and written in 1991 and 1992.
As
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
clash in
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
, and war brews between the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
, a series of accidents and misunderstandings lead to a Russian nuclear strike against the United States.
The US retaliates against Russia, and
World War III
World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical World war, worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use ...
begins.
The novel becomes part military techno thriller, part
political drama
A political drama can describe a play, film or TV program that has a political component, whether reflecting the author's political opinion, or describing a politician or series of political events.
Dramatists who have written political dramas in ...
, as heated internal debates concerning the right course of action in the war unfold on both sides, and each government tries to deal with the colossal damage the nuclear strike has done to its country. Moderate voices try to prevent a second nuclear exchange by taming the hawks and working behind the scenes to arrange a
ceasefire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
. Meanwhile, the on-the-ground consequences for both civilians and the military are explored in depth.
The novel focuses on three key groups:
*
National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils.
National sec ...
Greg Lambert and his immediate political superiors: President Walter Livingston, his successor, as well as the
National Security Council
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
.
*Major David Chandler,
US Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.
Since July 2020, ...
, as he is activated and sent to
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, where his unit spearheads the allied advance towards
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
.
*Chandler's wife, Melissa, as she struggles with the birth of their first child in the midst of a nuclear war.
The title refers to the term ''arclight'', which was a code during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
for a strike by a
B-52
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
. This term is used in the opening pages of the book.
[, pg. 11.]
Plot summary
Prologue
Set in the late 1990s against the backdrop of a stalemated Russo-Chinese war for control of Eastern Siberia, North Korea invades the
Demilitarized Zone
A demilitarized zone (DMZ or DZ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between nations, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or bounda ...
weeks before the planned
reunification of Korea
Part I
In an effort to end the war quickly, the commander of the Russian
Siberian Military District
The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the ...
, General Yuri Razov, calls the US
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...
, General Andrew Thomas, to warn the United States of Russia's decision to use
tactical nuclear weapons
A tactical nuclear weapon (TNW) or non-strategic nuclear weapon (NSNW) is a nuclear weapon that is designed to be used on a battlefield in military situations, mostly with friendly forces in proximity and perhaps even on contested friendly territo ...
against China. Thomas tries but fails to talk Razov out of the decision. In Moscow, a radical anti-Western Russian general, Zorin, kills the civilian government and
STAVKA
The ''Stavka'' (Russian and Ukrainian: Ставка) is a name of the high command of the armed forces formerly in the Russian Empire, Soviet Union and currently in Ukraine.
In Imperial Russia ''Stavka'' referred to the administrative staff, a ...
with a bomb, seizing control of the Kremlin in a swift coup d'etat and taking command of the
nuclear communicators.
In
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
, US National Security Advisor Greg Lambert has dinner with Russian
military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...
Pavel Filipov, a close friend of his and his family's. As a reward for US logistical cooperation in the war against China, Filipov reveals that General Zorin was the one who convinced the North Koreans to invade the Demilitarized Zone to preserve Russia's supply lines across the Korean Peninsula.
As the Russian nuclear attack on China unfolds, the US preemptively goes to
DEFCON 3
The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is an alert state used by the United States Armed Forces. (DEFCON is not mentioned in the 2010 and newer document)
The DEFCON system was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and unified and spec ...
and recalls all its military forces. Lambert is ordered to board
Nightwatch with the rest of the Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs, while Filipov is recalled to Moscow. As the White House is evacuated, US President Walter Livingston instructs the Secretary of State to warn the Chinese of the impending strike, lest the US becomes complicit in Russia's heinous actions. Lambert is wary of the ramifications of Livingston's decision, but the chaos of the evacuation prevents the President from hearing his advisor's objections.
In
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
US Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.
Since July 2020, ...
Major David Chandler is ordered to report to
March Air Force Base
March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...
to take command of his unit, leaving behind his wife Melissa, who is nine months pregnant. As the mobilization continues, Melissa goes into labor and decides to leave the city.
In the Kremlin bunker, Zorin watches the US evacuation and bomber takeoffs on cable news. Outside, loyalist government forces cut off the coup plotters' communications and take the complex by force, leaving Zorin unable to contact most of Russia's armed forces, including Razov's nuclear attack in the Russian Far East.
After being warned by the US of Russia's impending nuclear attack, China retaliates by launching its own nuclear weapons against Russia. However, the warheads aimed at Moscow are intercepted by the nuclear-tipped
anti-ballistic missile system deployed around the capital. Zorin, sleep-deprived and under the influence of amphetamines, is convinced that the US has taken advantage of the confusion and launched a
first strike against Russia. Still in control of the nuclear communicators, Zorin orders the ICBM forces in western Russia to launch at their pre-programmed targets. Russia's ballistic missile submarines are not used in the attack, as their missiles are far less accurate than the ICBMs and thus only useful for hitting large targets with large margins of error, such as population centers. The submarines are ordered to maintain their positions in a "
bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
" around the Kara Sea, to be used if Russia orders a second strike.
Aboard Nightwatch, President Livingston and his staff are informed of the Chinese retaliation against Russia. At the same time, however, they receive a warning that Russian strategic nuclear weapons are attacking the United States. Based on its trajectory, the attack is classified as a "
counterforce strike
In nuclear strategy, a counterforce target is one that has a military value, such as a launch silo for intercontinental ballistic missiles, an airbase at which nuclear-armed bombers are stationed, a homeport for ballistic missile submarines, or ...
" aimed at American strategic military facilities (such as missile silos, major air and naval bases, and
NORAD
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...
) rather than civilian infrastructure. The president takes the advice of the Joint Chiefs and orders its own ICBMs to retaliate in kind against Russia's
Strategic Rocket Forces
The Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation (RVSN RF; russian: Ракетные войска стратегического назначения Российской Фед ...
before they are destroyed in the incoming attack.
At March AFB, Chandler takes command of his assigned battalion and boards a commercial airliner for an unknown destination. Minutes later, the base is obliterated by dozens of Russian nuclear warheads. Other targets such as
Cheyenne Mountain
Cheyenne Mountain is a triple-peaked mountain in El Paso County, Colorado, southwest of downtown Colorado Springs. The mountain serves as a host for military, communications, recreational, and residential functions. The underground operations cen ...
,
Raven Rock, along with US nuclear silos and major bomber and radar bases, suffer a similar fate. Immediate casualties in the continental United States are estimated to be between 4.5 and 7 million dead, with hundreds of thousands more severely injured or exposed to high doses of radiation.
While President Livingston retires to his private cabin aboard Nightwatch to collect his thoughts, JCS Chairman Thomas wonders to the rest of the staff how the Chinese were able to retaliate so quickly since their missile forces are not as advanced as those of Russia or the US and require a long preparation time. Lambert informs Thomas and the rest of the staff of Livingston's order to warn China of Russia's attack. The revelation shakes the staff's confidence in the President's ability to lead the country.
Returning to Moscow from the Far East, Razov arrests Zorin and the rest of the coup plotters. Over the
hotline
A hotline is a point-to-point communications link in which a call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by the user when the end instrument goes off-hook. An example would be a phone that automat ...
, Razov assures Livingston that the nuclear attack on the US was a mistake and promises that there will be no more attacks from Russia. Livingston disgustedly disconnects from Moscow and tells Razov that he had better keep his word about no more attacks, as the US continues its nuclear retaliation against Russia. A reformed STAVKA learns that the submarines in the Kara Sea bastion have received orders from Zorin to launch their nuclear missiles simultaneously
in case they are attacked, and to disregard any recall orders.
With ground communications lost, Chandler's plane is notified to land at
Gander Airport
Gander International Airport is located in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is operated by the Gander International Airport Authority. Canadian Forces Base Gander shares the airfield but is a separate entity from the airport. The ...
in
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Part II
Still aboard Nightwatch, President Livingston and his cabinet plan for the aftermath of the nuclear strike. Since the Russian attack did not directly target civilians, casualties are relatively low. To prevent the conflict from escalating further, Livingston orders the US military to stand down and only engage Russian forces if fired upon first, a decision that causes Lambert and the military staff to question the President's judgment. The stress takes its toll on the President, who must approve every emergency decision that reaches his desk, including farming in the midst of
radioactive fallout
Nuclear fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and the shock wave has passed. It commonly refers to the radioac ...
, calling the
draft lottery, housing, and disaster management.
Meanwhile, at the
Congressional Bunker in Greenbrier, West Virginia, the surviving members of the US Congress meet in an emergency session to pass a declaration of war, instructing the President to prosecute the war until all of Russia's nuclear forces are disarmed or destroyed. From
Mount Weather
The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is a government command facility in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia, used as the center of operations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Also known as the High Point Special Facili ...
, Vice President Paul Constanzo makes a televised address calling for a massive military response against Russia in retaliation for its attack on the US. Constanzo's words are diametrically opposed to Livingston's strategy, who believes that a land invasion of Russian territory and/or an attempt at forced nuclear disarmament will lead to a second nuclear exchange, this time directed at each other's cities: a
mutually assured destruction scenario leading to a
nuclear winter
Nuclear winter is a severe and prolonged global climatic cooling effect that is hypothesized to occur after widespread firestorms following a large-scale nuclear war. The hypothesis is based on the fact that such fires can inject soot into th ...
. President Livingston lands in Philadelphia to set up his cabinet on land and resolve the issues with the Vice President and Congress.
On the way back to Los Angeles, Melissa Chandler goes into labor. She gives birth to a baby boy in an overcrowded hospital in
Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...
. In the aftermath of the nuclear attack, drinking water and food have become scarce across the United States.
Congress orders an investigation into the causes of the war and calls a number of witnesses, including National Security Advisor Greg Lambert, to the Greenbrier facilities to testify before the
select committee Select committee may refer to:
*Select committee (parliamentary system), a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues
*Select or special committee (United States Congress)
*Select ...
. On his way out of the bunker, Lambert asks the military for help in locating his wife and in-laws, as he has not heard from them since boarding Nightwatch. On the irradiated outskirts of Washington DC, Lambert hitches a ride on an Army helicopter and spots his wife's abandoned car on a highway. A few miles down the road, he finds his in-laws' minivan: inside are the bodies of Lambert's wife, his relatives, and Filipov's wife, long dead from exposure to radioactive fallout.
In the Kremlin, General Razov is overruled by the STAVKA staff and agrees to take a more proactive role in defending Russia, ordering an invasion of Iceland, a strategic deployment to western Ukraine to counter US forces on the border with Slovakia, and aborting the Russian incursion into northeastern China, so that Russia's best forces and materiel can be redeployed to the European theater.
Part III
Lambert refuses to answer the congressional committee's questions, arguing that the information is classified for national security purposes.
Although Livingston desperately tries to prevent an all-out war between the US and Russia, skirmishes between the two countries continue in and around Russia. After the governments of Germany and France refuse to support the US as part of NATO, his cabinet begins negotiating a new "Treaty on Euro-American Military Security" (TEAMS) involving the US, the UK, Italy, Canada, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Iceland, Greece, and Turkey, with Finland as a secret partner. Despite the restraint toward Russia, Livingston orders the detonation of a high-altitude nuclear warhead over
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
as a warning shot to force North Korea out of its ongoing invasion. The ploy works, with North Korea notifying the United Nations of their immediate military withdrawal from the South.
The
US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...
, now based in Mount Weather, rules that Secretary Lambert must answer all questions put to him by the congressional committee. Again before Congress, he reveals Livingston's order to warn China of Russia's impending nuclear attack. This, along with the President's refusal to follow through on Congress' declaration of war, triggers calls for his immediate impeachment. In Russia, STAVKA decides to make any further attacks on US or allied targets contingent on Livingston's continuity as president.
With his options running out, President Livingston is notified of a secret
straw vote
A straw poll, straw vote, or straw ballot is an ad hoc or unofficial vote. It is used to show the popular opinion on a certain matter, and can be used to help politicians know the majority opinion and help them decide what to say in order to gain ...
to be held by Congress before the actual impeachment vote. If the resolution against him passes, he will order the US armed forces to a full war footing against Russia. The straw vote is a landslide for impeachment. As promised, Livingston's final act in office is to declare free-fire rules against all Russian military targets, with the notable exception of the submarines in the Kara Sea bastion. In his final moments as president, Livingston begs Lambert to stay in the cabinet to moderate Constanzo's aggression toward Russia, urging him to avoid a second nuclear exchange at all costs.
Part IV
After Constanzo is sworn in as President, the US and its allies move to invade Russia. At the same time, General Razov orders an amphibious assault on Iceland to keep a number of elite US and Canadian units from joining the main invasion force. With most of the Russian army still on the Siberian front, the western border is left lightly defended. STAVKA orders the use of
nerve gas
Nerve agents, sometimes also called nerve gases, are a class of organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that ...
and the
conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
of provisional troops to assist in the defense of the Russian homeland. Constanzo abrogates
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty
The North Atlantic Treaty, also referred to as the Washington Treaty, is the treaty that forms the legal basis of, and is implemented by, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949 ...
and admonishes former NATO members France, Germany, and Norway to respect American supply lines and military facilities. As Russia's satellites are shot down by
ASAT-armed
F-15s, its main submarine bases in the North Sea are destroyed in a conventional bombing campaign. Russia retaliates by using
Tu-22M
The Tupolev Tu-22M (russian: Туполев Ту-22М; NATO reporting name: Backfire) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. According to some s ...
and
Tu-160
The Tupolev Tu-160 (russian: Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь, translit=Belyj Lebeď, translation= White Swan; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Des ...
bombers to knock out power plants in the western United States, plunging cities like Los Angeles into darkness.
Major Chandler's plane lands at an air base in
Prešov
Prešov (, hu, Eperjes, Rusyn language, Rusyn and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Пряшів) is a city in Eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of administrative Prešov Region ( sk, Prešovský kraj) and Šariš, as well as the historic Sáros Cou ...
, Slovakia, near the border with Ukraine. On his first day in a war zone, Chandler manages to kill two of his men in an unmarked minefield. After surviving a Russian chemical bombardment, he is ordered by Colonel Harkness, the regional commander of US forces, to take command of an armored battalion, despite Chandler's protests to be transferred to an intelligence unit.
With Washington, DC, contaminated by nuclear fallout, the US government organizes a
provisional capital A temporary capital or a provisional capital is a city or town chosen by a government as an interim base of operations due to some difficulty in retaining or establishing control of a different metropolitan area. The most common circumstances leadin ...
in Philadelphia, formally transferring most functions and personnel from the bunkers and Nightwatch. National Security Advisor Gregory Lambert becomes famous among a wary civilian population for his congressional testimony against Livingston and the loss of his family in the nuclear attack.
In the Kremlin, Filipov is ordered by Razov to travel to the United States and meet with his friend Lambert (under the pretext of looking for his wife) to warn him of the orders received by the ballistic missile submarines in the Kara Sea bastion. After a debriefing at a CIA safe house in Philadelphia, Lambert tells Filipov that his wife died in the attack. In a meeting with the
Principals Committee, President Constanzo reviews Filipov's taped statement. The Joint Chiefs, along with the Directors of the CIA and NSA, believe that the so-called "Kara Sea Submarine Bastion Threat" is a bluff, arguing that a
dead-hand order order is inconsistent with both Russia's top-down military doctrine and game theory scenarios.
The US and its allies rapidly advance in two prongs from their staging areas in Central Europe into the heart of European Russia. Despite the surrender of forces in Ukraine and Belarus, and the Polish-led northern prong advancing as planned, the southern prong stalls near Prešov due to heavy resistance from the Russian
8th Guards Army
The 8th Guards Order of Lenin Combined Arms Army (abbreviated 8th CAA) is an army of the Russian Ground Forces, headquartered in Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast, within Russia′s Southern Military District, that was reinstated in 2017 as a success ...
. The potential for a protracted land war prompt the
Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States of America. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a ...
and
Treasury
A treasury is either
*A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry.
*A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or in p ...
to warn President Constanzo that there is a very high probability that large portions of the civilian population abandoning the major cities in fear of a second nuclear exchange will cause an
economic depression
An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economical downturn that is result of lowered economic activity in one major or more national economies. Economic depression maybe related to one specific country were there is some economic ...
of unprecedented proportions in the coming months unless civilian economic activity is normalized. As such, Constanzo signs an executive order to force all civilian employees back to their jobs. Lambert also proposes a previously rejected plan to open a third front in northwestern Russia, with amphibious landings in
Karelia
Karelia ( Karelian and fi, Karjala, ; rus, Каре́лия, links=y, r=Karélija, p=kɐˈrʲelʲɪjə, historically ''Korjela''; sv, Karelen), the land of the Karelian people, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for ...
that could reach Moscow before the end of the year. Supported by Finnish forces, the amphibious assault is successful, as Russian forces in the area are unable to respond in time to prevent a possible Allied encirclement of
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
.
In the Russian Far East, US Marines stage a landing on
Primorye
Primorsky Krai (russian: Приморский край, r=Primorsky kray, p=prʲɪˈmorskʲɪj kraj), informally known as Primorye (, ), is a federal subject (a krai) of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of the ...
, forcing the Russian troops still in transit (deployed around China to meet this new invasion) to transfer to European Russia instead. Despite heavy losses, the US takes Vladivostok and destroy several sections of the
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR; , , ) connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway line in the world. It runs from the city of Moscow in the west to the city of Vladivostok in the ea ...
. After the Japanese Self-Defense Forces occupy the
Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (; rus, Кури́льские острова́, r=Kuril'skiye ostrova, p=kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva; Japanese: or ) are a volcanic archipelago currently administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the ...
, Sakhalin and other Siberian regions declare their secession from Moscow's control.
General Razov calls the US television networks to address the United States directly, warning its citizens that if allied forces break through Moscow's
ring motorway, Russia's ballistic missile submarines will be ordered to attack all major US population centers. The announcement sparks panic across the United States, with cities deserted at a critical economic moment. In Los Angeles, Melissa Chandler decides to evacuate the city, fearing for her life and that of her newborn son. In addition to the televised speech and Filipov's debriefing in Philadelphia, the CIA received the same information from a well-placed
HUMINT
Human intelligence (abbreviated HUMINT and pronounced as ''hyoo-mint'') is Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the List of intelligence gathering disciplines, more technical ...
source with ties to the Russian leadership, codenamed "Damocles," whom Lambert suspects is Filipov. The CIA and NSA analysts maintain their argument to President Constanzo that everything they have received from Russia about "Bastion" is a planned ''
maskirovka
Russian military deception, sometimes known as ''maskirovka'' (russian: маскировка, lit=disguise), is a military doctrine developed from the start of the 20th century. The doctrine covers a broad range of measures for military deceptio ...
'' operation by STAVKA to maintain its nuclear counterforce capability. However, the military officers are becoming more aware of the potential risk that the conflict escalates further.
As US and allied forces approach Moscow, the "Damocles" source continues to feed information to the US, including reports that Russian forces are preparing for a long and protracted nuclear
war of attrition
The War of Attrition ( ar, حرب الاستنزاف, Ḥarb al-Istinzāf; he, מלחמת ההתשה, Milhemet haHatashah) involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from ...
against the occupying forces. President Constanzo, searching for a way to end the war, orders Lambert to meet personally with Razov in Moscow to offer him a peace treaty. Russia would surrender its nuclear arsenal in exchange for a five-year period (renewable based on political conditions) under the American "
nuclear umbrella
The "nuclear umbrella" is a guarantee by a nuclear weapons state to defend a non-nuclear allied state. The context is usually the security alliances of the United States with Japan, South Korea, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (much o ...
," respect for Russia's pre-war borders, the rearmament of its conventional forces, and the scheduled withdrawal of American and allied troops from European Russia. Lambert would have two hours to come to an agreement. If, after the deadline, he goes incommunicado or is deemed to be under duress, US forces will receive orders to attack both Moscow and the Kara Sea submarine bastion, followed by the destruction of all major metropolitan areas in Russia with
nuclear demolition munitions.
Part V
While Lambert crosses the Moscow front line under a
white flag
White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale.
Contemporary use
The white flag is an internationally recognized protective sign of truce or ceasefire, and for negotiation. It is also used to symbolize ...
to meet with Filipov, the other members of STAVKA depose General Razov. After Lambert and Filipov are informed of the impromptu coup, the latter sets out to rescue Razov. Filipov's vehicles intercept the convoy carrying Razov and his entourage outside
Lefortovo Prison. Lambert offers Razov the US terms for a cease-fire, and Razov personally agrees. As Lambert's deadline passes, President Constanzo orders the attack on Moscow and the Kara Sea Bastion to begin immediately.
A newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Chandler orders his armored task force to breach the Moscow perimeter. His tank is disabled by a Russian missile and he is forced to continue on foot. When he reaches an enemy
foxhole
Foxhole may refer to:
* Foxhole, a type of defensive fighting position constructed in a military context
* Foxholes, Hertford, an eastern suburb of Hertford
* Foxholes, North Yorkshire, a village and civil parish in Northern England
* Foxhole, C ...
, he finds the bodies of hundreds of conscripted Russian soldiers killed by American-fired chemical weapons.
Bombs and artillery cover Moscow, and Razov, Filipov, and Lambert race back to the Kremlin. As they fight their way into the bunker, Razov takes control of the nuclear communicators and enters a code. Lambert calls President Constanzo to tell him that General Razov has agreed to the terms of the truce. Razov explains to Constanzo that the code he entered into the communicator disabled the detonators on the nuclear warheads on the Bastion's submarines, a fail-safe measure put in place by
Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Comm ...
after the
attempted coup in 1991 in order to prevent a nuclear civil war.
Constanzo sends orders to abort the naval attack on the Kara Sea. Most of the abort orders are acknowledged, but the cruiser
USS ''Anzio'' is engaged in battle with one of the submarines and its communications are knocked out. The destroyer
USS ''John S. McCain'' is ordered to sink the ''Anzio''; the order arrives too late, however, and the ''Anzio'' fires its
ASROC
The RUR-5 ASROC (for "Anti-Submarine Rocket") is an all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system. Developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s, it was deployed in the 1960s, updated in the 1990s, and eventually installed ...
batteries at the Russian submarine, triggering the override orders for all of the Bastion's forces to launch their missiles. Razov assures Constanzo that the warheads will not detonate, but Constanzo does not believe him, despite Lambert's pleas. In response to the launches, Constanzo orders the US Navy's SSBNs to launch their missiles against Russia on their own orders: the detection of an
electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also a transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED), is a brief burst of electromagnetic energy. Depending upon the source, the origin of an EMP can be natural or artificial, and can occur as an electromagnetic fie ...
consistent with a nuclear attack against US soil.
The Russian missiles hit their targets all over the United States; true to Razov's word, no nuclear warheads are detonated. As American and Russian forces agree to a cease-fire and pull back from the fighting, Lambert, Filipov, and Razov climb out of the Kremlin bunker and onto a badly damaged
Red Square
Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...
. Still angry, Filipov bids farewell to his former friend Lambert, and Razov hints that he was the "Damocles" source all along.
Epilogue
Three months after the formal cessation of hostilities, the security situation in Russia worsens for the American occupation forces as anarchist protests erupt in major cities, sparked by winter food shortages.
In Los Angeles, Chandler says goodbye to his wife and child as his two-week leave of absence comes to an end and returns to Europe to take command of his armored task force.
References
External links
Tally of nuclear detonations, yields, and locationsMap of nuclear detonation general locations* {{official website, https://web.archive.org/web/20080705212505/http://www.eharry.com/arc.htm
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