Ghost Force

Patrick Robinson Ghost Force

AUTHOR'S NOTE

For this, my ninth techno-thriller, set in the future and, hopefully, sailing perilously close to the wind, I needed to be more careful than usual with my sources.

For reasons that I hope are obvious, I would not wish to implicate any senior officers, either naval or military, on either side of the Atlantic, within the many politically lethal issues contained in these pages.

I decided therefore to accept no direct advice or instruction from anyone; rather, I based the story on the strongly held views mentioned to me by so many commissioned officers over several years.

This book involves a new journey to the cold South Atlantic, and the ever-vexing questions surrounding the ownership of the remote Falkland Islands. And I have inevitably drawn on the mountain of knowledge I received from the Task Force Commander of the 1982 war, Admiral Sir Sandy Woodward, whose autobiography I helped to write fourteen years ago.

This time, however, I did not go to him with every twist and turn in the road, nor did I drive him mad for detailed explanations of the myriad of high-tech naval data at which he is a world-acknowledged master and commander, and I remain ever the layman.

I plowed a lonely furrow, distilling many, many highly controversial opinions into my own story. I hope its subliminal message will be enjoyed by serving, and indeed, retired, officers. With perhaps a chilling lesson for the kind of politician we all despise.

Any mistakes, and wayward opinions, either technical, tactical, or strategic, are mine alone. And nothing should be laid at the door of any present or past Commander, naval or military, whose acquaintance or friendship I have long valued.

This applies to perhaps a dozen people, but in particular it applies to Admiral Woodward, who, on this occasion at least, remains shining-white innocent of any involvement with my occasionally acid-dipped pen.

— PATRICK ROBINSON, 2005

CAST OF PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS

United States Senior Command

Paul Bedford (President of the United States)

Admiral Arnold Morgan (Private Adviser to the President)

Admiral George Morris (Director, National Security Agency)

Lt. Commander Jimmy Ramshawe (Personal Assistant, Director NSA)

Admiral John Bergstrom (SPECWARCOM)

Central Intelligence Agency

Agent Leonid Suchov (Deputy Chief, Russian Desk)

United States Navy SEALs

Commander Rick Hunter (Assault Team Leader)

Lt. Commander Dallas MacPherson (2 I/C, Explosives)

Chief Petty Officer Mike Hook (Explosives)

Petty Officer First Class Don Smith

Petty Officer First Class Brian Harrison

Seaman Ed Segal (helmsman)

Seaman Ron Wallace (helmsman)

Chief Petty Officer Bob Bland (Military Breaking and Entering)

Captain Hugh Fraser (CO, USS Toledo, SEAL team insert commander)

United Kingdom Political

The Prime Minister of Great Britain

Peter Caulfield (Secretary of Defense)

Roger Eltringham (Foreign Secretary)

Commander Alan Knell (Conservative Member of Parliament, Portsmouth)

Robert Macmillan (Conservative MP)

Derek Blenkinsop (Labour MP, East Lancashire)

Richard Cawley (Conservative MP, Barrow-in-Furness)

Sir Richard Jardine (Ambassador to the United States)

United Kingdom Armed Services

General Sir Robin Brenchley (Chief of Defense Staff)

Admiral Sir Rodney Jeffries (First Sea Lord)

Admiral Mark Palmer (C-in-C Fleet)

Admiral Alan Holbrook (Task Force Commander)

Captain David Reader (CO, HMS Ark Royal)

Major Bobby Court (Company Commander, Mount Pleasant)

Captain Peter Merrill (Commander Immediate Response Platoon, Falkland Islands)

Sgt. Biff Wakefield (RAF Rapier Missiles, Mount Pleasant)

Brigadier Viv Brogden RM (Commander Landing Forces, Falkland Islands)

Lt. Commander Malcolm Farley (CO, Royal Navy Garrison, Mare Harbor)

Captain Mike Fawkes (CO, HMS Kent)

Captain Colin Ashby (CO, HMS St. Albans)

Commander Keith Kemsley (CO, HMS Iron Duke)

Captain Rowdy Yates (CO, HMS Daring)

Commander Norman Hall (CO, HMS Dauntless)

Captain Colin Day (CO, HMS Gloucester)

Captain Simon Compton (CO, submarine Astute)

United Kingdom 22 SAS

Lt. Colonel Mike Weston (CO, Hereford HQ)

Captain Douglas Jarvis (Team Leader Fanning Head Assault)

Combat Troopers: Syd Ferry (Communications); Peter Wiggins (Sniper); Joe Pearson; Bob Goddard; Trevor Fermer; Jake Posgate; Dai Lewellwyn

Lt. Jim Perry (Team Leader SBS, Lafonia)

Russian Senior Command

The President of the Russian Federation

Valery Kravchenko (Prime Minister)

Oleg Nalyotov (Foreign Minister)

Gregor Komoyedov (Minister for Foreign Trade)

Boris Patrushov (Head of FSB, Secret Police)

Oleg Kuts (Energy Minister)