Continuing an exploration of the last years of 'Gold Eagle', Harlequin books imprint for male readers...
Nick Polotta, Don Pendleton's Mack Bolan, Stony Man: Deep Rampage, 2002
United States
USS Lincolnshire (CG-??)
Ticonderoga Class Cruiser
Details as per the real ships.
Note: Name does not fit class.
USS Culpepper
'Warship' class not specified
Note: In the chapter prior to the one in which this name is mentioned reference is made to the sinking of both a Los Angeles and Seawolf Class submarine, so it must be one of these, but the author never specifies.
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)
Kitty Hawk Class Aircraft Carrier
Real ship, details as in service (1961 - 2009)
Various Unnamed warships.
Algeria
Unnamed (aka Yankee Clipper)
Armed Merchant Ship
Trawler
Armament: 3 x Shkval (Mod.) torpedos. Small Arms.
Disguised as a US owned trawler.
No other details provided.
Iran
Glory of Paradise
'Submarine', class not specified
Ex-Soviet submarine.
Armament includes Shkval (Mod.) torpedos
No other details provided.
Iraq
Sword of the Lion
'Submarine', class not specified
Ex-Soviet submarine.
Armament includes Shkval (Mod.) torpedos
No other details provided.
Non-State
Red Dagger (Former Spetznaz team)
Varyag
'Submarine', class not specified
Ex-Soviet submarine.
Armament Shkval (Mod.) torpedos
No other details provided.
Fictional Weapon
Russia
Shkval (Mod.)
Details as per the real weapon.
Speed: 300knots
Can be fitted with a nuclear or conventional warhead.
US
'Vandal'
Anti-torpedo missile
Project cancelled due to cost.
No other details provided.
Plot summary: As Russia falls into chaos, some renegade Spetznaz steal both copies of the latest iteration of the Shkval torpedo and the plans needed to build more. As the deadly weapons turn up in the hands of whoever is willing to pay for them the race is on to stop the carnage.
Note: The author makes some rather interesting mistakes in this one. He claims that the Channel Tunnel is an automotive tunnel and that the Los Angeles Class SSNs are in fact SSBNs. Compared with some of the previous books from this franchise I've read this is a lesser effort, the author piles on the carnage without fully exploring the long term implications of some of the things he describes.
