Four hundred miles east of Taiwan, USS Nimitz loitered in placid waters under a clear blue sky, a light breeze the only reminder of the passing storm. With the sun a few degrees above the horizon, the orange sunlight reflected off glassy waters as Captain Alex Harrow stood on the Flight Deck, a foot from the edge of the crater created by the DF-21 missile. The fires belowdecks had been extinguished and two-thirds of the forty-foot-wide hole had already been covered, thick metal plates welded into place and supported with I beams. Red sparks and molten slag spit into the air as the ship’s welders continued repairs.
Harrow hadn’t asked the Chief Engineer which bulkheads had been cut down to obtain the material; sealing the hole was the only thing that mattered. Now that the storm front had passed, Harrow could no longer use the strong winds to his advantage. Nimitz would launch its air wing soon, and when it returned, the aircraft would need the entire Flight Deck to land.
They didn’t have much time to complete the repairs. The rest of the Pacific Fleet had arrived and the other three carriers were preparing to launch their air wings. To the south, Harrow could see USS Lincoln, a tiny speck on the horizon. Farther south were Stennis and Vinson, and arrayed in front of the four carriers were the strike groups’ fifty-six cruisers, destroyers, and frigates.
Lagging behind, well out of range of Chinese ballistic missiles, were the Pacific Fleet’s two Marine Expeditionary Forces, embarked aboard amphibious assault ships, transport docks, and landing ships—two divisions of Marines plus two Marine air wings, waiting for the Fleet to clear a safe path to Taiwan.
The DF-21 missiles still posed the most significant threat. Until the launchers were taken out, the Fleet would have to rely on SM-3 missiles for defense. Fortunately, the DF-21 missile appeared to have one weakness. Although the missile had a theoretical range of seventeen hundred miles, Navy intelligence had determined the missile could be effectively targeted out to only seven hundred miles, which corresponded to the range at which Nimitz had been attacked two days earlier. The four carriers would soon close to within range of the DF-21, and Harrow hoped this time the outcome would be much more favorable.
In a few minutes, Harrow would turn Nimitz west again and order ahead flank speed, generating headwind to assist his aircraft during launch. Thankfully, both reactors could be brought up to full power. Radiation levels and chemistry analysis of primary coolant had determined that neither reactor had sustained damage during the few hours operating above one hundred percent power.
As the first Hornet rose toward the Flight Deck from the Hangar Deck below, Harrow felt a deepening uneasiness. China had prepared well for America’s initial response, and would undoubtedly be prepared for the onslaught of the entire Pacific Fleet. The United States Navy would not make the same mistakes this time, underestimating not only the capability of Chinese missiles, but the accompanying cyber warfare that made the missiles much more lethal. Their Aegis escorts had new software, their fighters were loaded with additional chaff, and each wave of aircraft would be supported by the Wing’s entire complement of EA-18G Growlers, the aircraft refueled in-flight so they could support all three cycles. As Harrow turned and headed toward the carrier’s Island, he wondered if those adjustments would be enough.