Barrett Tillman
Warriors
ADVANCE RAVES FOR WARRIORS:
'Spiritual heirs of the medieval knights, today's fighter pilots are the last true warriors extant in our uncertain age. Tillman captures their honor, skill, and courage perfectly in this excellent book.'
— Stephen Coonts
'This is an excellent book. Barrett Tillman puts you inside the fighter pilot's head and makes you understand what a warrior feels.'
— Larry Bond, author of
Acknowledgment
Many thoughtful people-aviators and otherwise-have eased my transition process from history to fiction. Among the first was David Ballantine, who thought enough of the original draft of
Additionally, grateful recognition is extended to those who contributed special knowledge or support, starting with the Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona. CFM is the finest institution of its type, and by happy accident it became the scene of meetings with pilots from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel. Lieutenant Colonel Jim Anderson of nearby Williams Air Force Base, who has since traded in his F-5 for a Boeing 737, was especially helpful with introductions and critiques.
Dick Jonas of Phoenix, a former fighter pilot himself and full-time balladeer, kindly allowed me to rewrite one of his songs. Also an Arizona asset is Jeff Cooper, the gunfighter's guru, who is the basis for small-arms doctrine.
Lieutenant Colonel Tom 'Skip' Ostermann, an Eagle driver from Luke and Nellis, made valuable comments on current fighter aircraft, weapons, and procedures.
But the Navy also came through in fine style. Bob and Sally Lawson of
Rear Admiral Paul 'Punchy' Gillcrist, USN (Ret.), provided aeronautical charts and useful data on the Northrop F-20 as did Captain Phil Wood, USN (Ret.). Though the Tigershark never entered production, its private-enterprise origin remains deserving of thanks from every American taxpayer.
I could hope for no finer critics than Bob and Curt Dose, Navy fighter pilots who have left indelible impressions on two generations of enemy airmen. Another tailhook aviator, Steve Coonts, was similarly encouraging.
Navy Fighter Squadron 143 responded quickly to a request for T-shirts of ''The World-Famous Pukin' Dogs,' who truly are
John Tillman provided a lucid explanation of nuclear physics while yet another jet pilot, Debra McCormick, lent a copy of the Koran and a knowledge of the Middle East.
As depicted herein, the geography and military capabilities of the region's nations are accurate to the extent known. The most significant departures from fact are the mythical Hovda and Balhama air bases in Israel.
Finally, those in the business know that there exist actual fighter pilots with callsigns mentioned in these pages. Neither too much nor too little should be made of that fact. But to the real Pirate and Devil-and to their fellow warriors with
EPIGRAPH
To set the cause above renown,
To love the game beyond the prize,
To honor, while you strike him down,
The foe that comes with fearless eyes;
To count the life of battle good
And clear the land that gave you birth,
And dearer yet the brotherhood
That binds the brave of all the earth.
PROLOGUE
WAR IN THE AFTERNOON
But we touched the heavens and found them filled with a mighty guard and shooting-stars; and we did sit in certain seats thereof to listen; but whoso of us listens now finds a shooting-star for him on guard.
Chapter 1
Most wars begin before dawn. This one was different.
When the Klaxon sounded, a few of the pilots on alert at the Skyhawk base hesitated a single heartbeat before conditioned response hurled them into motion. The scramble was not wholly unexpected; for a recall still was in progress-ever since Israeli intelligence had determined that hostilities were imminent. After all, it was the tenth day of Tishri and most units were on partial stand-down for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
That combination of facts told thirty-seven-year-old Major Ariel Kadar that this was no drill.
Sprinting through the door of the ready room and into the hall leading to the hangar, Kadar overtook his young wingman. The squadron commander thumped the new lieutenant on the shoulder. 'Come on, David. Don't let an old man beat you!'
The two pilots turned hard right into the covered alert pad housing their Skyhawk attack planes. Each was fully armed with 500-pound bombs and 20mm ammunition. With practiced ease Kadar was up the boarding ladder
