D+18 1621-1640 Zulu 27 July, 1987

Aboard NEACP-Primary, 1620 Zulu (1220 Local Time)

The Soviet SS-19 intercontinental ballistic missiles were detected less than twenty seconds after launch by a Defense Support Program satellite. Its onboard computers analyzed the launch data and transmitted a detection alert to the earth below. Alarms went off at ground stations on three separate continents. Five seconds after this, the data was relayed to military command centers in the continental United States. A second round of klaxons pierced the strained quiet in places like SAC Headquarters in Omaha, the National Military Command Center and the NORAD complex situated deep inside of Cheyenne Mountain.

NEACP was airborne and passing eighteen thousand feet, set on an initial course that take it out over the Atlantic. F-15s from Langley AFB and KC-10 tankers from McGuire AFB were taking off from their respective bases and heading out to sea. The Eagles would provide escort duties for the E-4B while the tankers established a refueling anchor. Reagan and his advisers situated themselves in the conference room as the NEACP battle staff went about establishing communications links with headquarters on the ground, other cabinet members and allied leaders overseas.

The missile threat conference reconvened as the launch detection FLASH arrived. CINC-SAC and CINC-NORAD reported the attack appeared to be just as the Soviets said. Probable impact points were western Greenland and central Spain. Admiral Crowe assured the president that the information would firm up shortly. He did not believe Greenland, or specifically any US installations there were a target.

“Unless there’s a malfunction,” Secretary Weinberger admitted reluctantly. “Which is always a possibility with Russian weapons and hardware.”

Reagan’s first call to a foreign leader went to Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He briefed his Canadian counterpart on the present situation and confirmed the Soviets had targeted the Canadian SIGINT station Alert in northern Nunavut. The president then attempted to get in touch with Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez but efforts to raise him were as yet unsuccessful. Next on the list were the leaders of Britain, France and Germany, but before Reagan initiated that conference call, he went back to the missile threat conference for an update.

SAC was scrambling the alert force bombers and tankers and NORAD was launching air defense fighters across the United States and Canada. There were no further launch detections from Soviet ICBM fields. Madrid was to be the first target reached with impact estimated at 1636 Zulu. The SS-19 bound for Alert was expected to impact just over two minutes later. The remaining line of succession members were at various points of the evacuation process and communications were not one-hundred percent reliable. When the politicians, cabinet members and other general officers eventually reached their designated evacuation points or command planes they would become essential game pieces on the board. For now though, the primary mission for these men was evacuation.

Reagan watched the clock closely as the British prime minister was reached. Thatcher was presently enroute to her own emergency bunker. The discussion was brief but helpful. The president summarized the situation, emphasizing the short amount of time remaining until the Soviet missiles reached their targets.

“Have you spoken to the French and West German leaders yet?” Thatcher asked loudly.

“No. I don’t plan on doing that until after the attack blows over,” Reagan explained.

“Think twice on that, Ron,” Thatcher cautioned. “The French have their own nuclear weapons. You do not want them to launch independently.”

“No. That will just complicate things. Our response needs to be unified, but I don’t think we can begin to think about that just yet.”

“Agreed. I would suggest that your military people start considering retaliation options for now, however.”

“They already are,” Reagan confirmed. “As are yours, I’d imagine.”

“Yes. What do you need from me, Ron?”

Reagan thought about that for moment. “If you could call Francois and Helmut it will take a big load off of my shoulders right now.” He was referring to the leaders of France and West Germany. “Inform them what is happening and that I’ll initiate a conference call soon after detonation. It won’t be long now.”

“Very well. I’ll be in touch once I finish with them.” The call ended.

Reagan looked around the conference table, taking in the faces of his present advisers and trying to read their minds.

“How much time left?” He asked.

“TTG is seven minutes, sir.” CINC-NORAD answered through the speakerphone.

“The Spanish have been notified,” Weinberger noted. “The prime minister was in Barcelona visiting wounded sailors at a military hospital. He’s moving to a secure location right now and will call soon.”

“If he’s able to,” General Chain put in from Omaha. “EMP from the Madrid detonation is going to play hell with communications across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of western France.”

The next six minutes swept by rapidly. As the clock ticked, Reagan, the Secretary of Defense, Admiral Crowe and the National Security Adviser moved into the battlestaff area. Here the atmosphere was comparable to an OR waiting room with the family of a critically ill patient gathered. The next piece of news to arrive would be bad. Everyone understood this. But how bad would it be?

The answer to that question started to take shape at 1636:43 when the first Soviet warhead detonated 6,000 feet above the Casa de Campo in Madrid, Spain.

Advertisement