With the afternoon sun streaming through tall Palladian windows behind him, president Yuri Kalinin addressed the man seated on the other side of his desk: Defense Minister Anton Nechayev, who had arrived a moment earlier per Kalinin’s order.
“I just received a call from the American president,” Kalinin said. “It appears that one of their submarines may have sunk near the GIUK Gap.”
“We are aware,” Nechayev replied. “The Americans issued a SUBMISS message, initiating submarine rescue operations. We have offered assistance and are standing by.”
Kalinin replied, “The Americans believe their submarine was attacked by one of ours. There was supposedly an explosion in their submarine’s operating area, with the acoustic characteristics of a Russian torpedo detonation.” Kalinin paused, offering a disapproving scowl. “I expect to be kept abreast of critical issues. I should not have to learn from the American president that one of our submarines may have been involved in an altercation.”
“That is just like the Americans,” Nechayev replied with disdain, “blaming everything on Russia. We have only one submarine in the area, Kazan, on her way to a Mediterranean deployment. Her crew would not have engaged an American submarine without orders.”
Nechayev paused to evaluate the way forward, quickly putting together a plan. “We will review the acoustic recordings near the GIUK Gap to confirm or deny the American allegation of a Russian torpedo explosion, and we will contact Kazan. But I can assure you, the American submarine was not attacked by Kazan or any other Russian submarine.”
Upon departing President Kalinin’s office, Nechayev descended to the Kremlin basement and entered the intelligence center.
The senior officer on watch, Captain Second Rank Eduard Simonov, looked up from his console. “Good morning, Defense Minister. How can I help you?”
“Can you show me Kazan’s track?”
“Certainly,” Simonov replied.
After entering several commands into his computer, the large display at the front of the intelligence center shifted to a map of the northern Atlantic Ocean, showing the location of all Russian naval forces. Just west of the GIUK Gap, a blinking blue circle displayed the projected position of the missing American submarine, reported by ISMERLO.
Simonov entered a few more commands, and two red features appeared: Kazan’s operating area in the Barents Sea, and a red track departing the operating area, which ran north of Iceland through the GIUK Gap, directly through the blinking blue circle, then south toward the Strait of Gibraltar before entering the Mediterranean Sea.
Nechayev turned to Simonov. “Order Kazan to report the status of their transit and any unusual incidents thus far.”