"Brown, Dale - Warrior Class" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brown Dale)

aircraft is yours, Captain." Surprised but excited, she put her hands on the controls, and Smoliy patted her on the shoulder to tell her she had the aircraft. "Make us proud."
She did. Annie Dewey made a perfect touchdown on Nellis's main runway and
taxied to their parking spot, the applause of the huge crowd audible even over the roar of the idling engines. When both aircraft swept their wings partially back and shut down their engines simultaneously, the applause replaced and then easily surpassed the noise of the engines. After the crew stepped out of their aircraft, General Smoliy drove the cheers and applause to even greater heights when he stepped out to the end of the red carpet laid out for him on the tarmac and kissed the ground. The greetings, hugs, handshakes, and shoulder-slapping went on for a long time. General Smoliy greeted the Air Warfare Center commander, Major-General Lance "Laser" Peterson, and most of the others in the reception party like long-lost brothers.
The Ukrainian bomber crew members also met other foreign aviators, including the commander of the Turkish Air Force, Major-General Erdal Sivarek, who had arrived with several of his aircraft and two jet transports carrying equipment and spare parts earlier in the day. The big Backfire bombers were parked directly across from the Turkish F-16s, and the size difference was astounding. The size difference carried over to the two commanders-the Ukrainian general was almost a foot and a half taller than the Turk. The meeting between the two commanders was cordial but icy; General Smoliy did not reserve the same jovial friendliness for the Turkish officer as he did his American hosts.
"General Sivarek, merhaba," a voice behind Sivarek said after the encounter ended. "Gunaydin. Nasilsinizz? " It was Rebecca Furness, recently promoted to full colonel, the commander of the One-Eleventh Bombardment Squadron of the Nevada Air National Guard, based at Tonopah Test Range northwest of Las Vegas. "Do you remember me, General?"
It took only a moment for the Turkish officer to recognize her, and his face, which had been dark with moodiness, brightened considerably. "Major ... no, Colonel Rebecca!" Sivarek exclaimed. "Siz nasilsiniz? I am glad you are well."







"It's been a long time," Rebecca said. "It's nice to see you, but it's a time I'd sooner forget."
Rebecca was the commander of the I I I th Bombardment Squadron of the Nevada Air National Guard, the only unit in the United States flying the EB - 1 C aerial battleship. Until their new base was built in Battle Mountain, Nevada, her little unit of six EB-IC bombers was temporarily located at Tonopah Test Range, or TTR, in western Nevada inside the Nellis range complex.
She had first met Sivarek just a few years earlier, during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, when a power-mad Russian president had tried to reunite parts of the old Soviet Union by force. The Russians had used the pretext of Russian citizens being abused by governments in former republics to send the Russian Army in to reoccupy the republic. When Ukraine had put up a fiercer than expected resistance, Russia had retaliated with tactical nuclear weapons. The United States, fearful of allowing the conflict to escalate to an all-out nuclear war, had sent in only a few tactical air units to Turkey, including an Air Force Reserve unit from Plattsburgh, New York-Rebecca Furness's old unit, flying the RF- I I I G Vampire bomber, the first iteration of Rebecca's EB- I C Megafortress flying battleship.
Although Rebecca's unit had acquitted itself well in several skirmishes against the Russians, the general feeling was that NATO and the United States had let their Turkish allies down. Several bases in Turkey and several warships had been destroyed by Russian attacks, yet the United States had refused to commit sizable forces against Russia. Only the heroism of Rebecca's tiny unit, and the desperate bravery of what was left of the Ukrainian Air Force, had prevented an all-out war-and saved Turkey.
"It is indeed a small world. I am glad you kept up with your Turkish. Agzina siglik! Health to your mouth."
"Tesekkur edetim, efendim, " Rebecca replied, giving him a slight bow. "Biraz konusuyorum. And that's about all I remember."
Sivarek clapped his hands in approval. "So, what unit are you with?"
"I'm with the Nevada Air National Guard," Rebecca
replied. Sivarek noted with considerable interest that Rebecca did not go into any details. "We're participating in some of the exercises with your squadron and the Ukrainians."
"Very good. I noticed your air force does not fly the RF- I I I s anymore.
I would have welcomed the chance to try our hands at them." He nodded toward the Tupolev-22M Backfire bomber. "Those whales will be no trouble for us."
:'They might have some surprises for you."
'We have encountered them before, over the Black Sea on training flights and patrols," Sivarek said. "The Ukrainians seem unsure about pushing them to their full capability. It is understandable, I suppose. But I hope NATO is not counting on them for much."
"Maybe we can help them improve their tactics."
Sivarek nodded, his face darkening again, his lips thinning in frustration. "Your new friends in eastern Europe, I suppose," he said. "Turkey has been coming here to Red Flag and other exercises for over twenty years, but it seems as if we get little respect from the United States regarding affairs in our region. But when Ukraine wants to play NATO warriors, the world comes running."
"I think that's not quite accurate," Rebecca said. But she knew he was at least partially correct. During the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Turkey had suffered tremendous loss of life and property, but afterward relations between Turkey and the West had mostly gone back to the way they were, as if the conflict had never happened at all. Instead of rushing in to help Turkey modernize its military, NATO's easternmost ally had been left to rebuild and rearm by itself, with no more than ordinary levels of support and cooperation from the United States or NATO.
"You are a loyal American officer," Sivarek said with a smile. "I would have liked very much for you to have stayed in my country with your incredible RF- I I I fighter-bombers after the conflict."
"I didn't know that."
"The RF-111, the Vampire I believe you called it, would have been ideal for Turkey's defense," Sivarek explained. "A single aircraft with reconnaissance, counterair, close air support, heavy bombing, antiship, and electronic-warfare capabil-







ities? We would have liked very much to have two squadrons. Unfortunately, you sold them all to Australia. That was a dark day for Turkey."
"Some would have said it was a bright day for the Kurds and the Greeks."
"We are not at war with Greece, nor will we ever be," Sivarek said. "All parties realize we must find a peaceful settlement to the Cyprus question. But the Kurds-they are a different song. They are butchers, terrorists, anarchists, and spawns of Satan."
"The sight of F- I I I s bombing Kurdish villages would have sickened most Americans," Rebecca pointed out. "I understand the media paints a different picture than you'd like-they are portrayed as oppressed persons, persecuted by fundamentalist Muslim governments, denied a homeland by both Iraq and Turkey. The government will always be seen as the oppressor, and the Kurds as heroic refugees, like the Jews. Their hardships will be seen as the faithful struggling against tyranny."
"Aci patlicani kiragi calmaz-the worthless don't suffer hardships," Sivarek said. "So Turkey, a NATO ally, is scorned by the West. Ukraine once aimed nuclear weapons at your country., Iran once tried to sink an American aircraft carrier and has engineered countless terrorist attacks against American interests, but you court their favor now so you can import their oil and counterbalance a resurging Russian hegemony. Turkey has cooperated with America for thirty years, standing on the front line of defense against Russia, yet we are virtually ignored. What is Turkey supposed to say about this American foreign policy?"
"The old saying goes, if you don't like American foreign policy, wait a few days-it'll change," Rebecca said.
"Ah yes-your new American president, the Jeffersonian hippie president," Sivarek said, with an amused, slightly mocking smile. "I think he will break up NATO. This will leave Turkey all alone to face the Russians. Very unfortunate. What will you do then? Will you come back then and help defend my country, Colonel Rebecca? Or will you come to the aid of your new Ukrainian friends instead?"
"I don't think the President will ever actually leave or break
up NATO," Rebecca said. "It would not be in our best interests. But I would very much like to speak with you about your country and your defense needs."
"Oh?" Sivarek smiled that swarthy, cocky smile. "You never did mention what unit you are with, Colonel Rebecca." "No, I didn't," Furness said with a
sly smile. She extended her hand, and he shook it warmly. "Gidelim, General."