The Stingray Read online

THE STINGRAY

  by

  Joseph C. Mangilaya

  Copyright 2013 by Joseph C. Mangilaya

  All rights reserved.

  1. STEALTHILY

  It was a moonless night and dark clouds covered the sky. Captain Salac’s boat cruised at fifteen knots heading northeast. It was confirmed that the area was patrolled hours ago, but this time he had not seen any patrol boat yet. He consulted his map and found out that he needed few more miles to position his boat to an ideal vantage point. As the boat cruised, he went inside his cabin and opened the bag that was given to him by his superior. It contained a night vision telescope and a long range infrared camera recorder. Captain Salac was ordered to spy on the naval exercise that will be conducted by the South Sea Fleet of the PLA-Navy.

  He picked up the telescope and focused it outside, he made a little adjustment, and slowly the dark night became dull green. While scanning the area where the exercise will be held, something appeared on the horizon. He focused the telescope on it. It was a fast boat, a patrolling hydrofoil. It was heading toward a different direction. He was not bothered. He knew that the boat’s radar can’t find them. He knew that his boat a Balangay-type spy craft is a stealth boat and can’t be detected by radar especially at long range. He scanned the whole area and found out that there was no activity yet. He was briefed that the start of the exercise will be timed base on the passing of the American military satellite. He was told that the Chinese was hiding from anybody something of great import that should not be carelessly left to the probing eyes of the American spy satellite. He patiently waited for any sign of activity until he noticed a faint light appeared at the area. He was convinced that the Chinese were now starting the exercise. He bolted the thermal camera on a secured tripod few inches away from window. He saw that the camera has unobstructed view of the area. After he was through, he switched the camera and it produced a soft whirling sound

  He was briefed by his superior, days ago that the PLA-Navy was developing an advance attack flying boat. There was a speculation that the flying boat was already on its final phase of testing and evaluation. It was confirmed in the intelligence report that it was assembled in the South Sea Fleet base in Zhanjian. It was assumed that the flying boat will be tested as an integral part of their naval exercise. Captain Salac was also informed that the PLA-Navy had published a report for worldwide release that they are in the process of upgrading their antiquated flying boats. The report was credible and convincing until the U.S. military intelligence operatives discovered that one of the military factories of the PLA-Navy was churning a different kind of flying boat airframes and components. Added to this, was the discovery of a shipment of powerful jet engines not suited for fighter plane. The impression by the operatives regarding about the shipment was, it was a power plant of a new type of bomber but further evaluation indicated that China has no program to build any type of bomber. So the jet engines that were imported by the Chinese from Russia were intended to be use on their new type of flying boat. It was concluded by the operatives that Russians were cooperating with the Chinese in designing the flying boat, for they knew that Russia is the leading country in flying boat technology.

  Captain Salac scanned the surrounding waters and caught a moving light heading toward them. He focused his telescope on it. It was too far to be seen. He maximized the range of his telescope and saw a thermal image triangular in shape. But the light arched and veered away from their position, negating him to observe the image at close range. For many hours he had observed the appearance and the fading of lights on the horizon as well on the air, but all he could see were flicks of lights with out any definite shape. He just trusted his thermal camera can interpret what he witnessed on that night. After the exercise was terminated, Captain Salac ordered his men to return to Pag-asa Island. The small stealth boat dashed at high speed toward the Kalayaan Group of Island.

  General Bane sat beside the computer operator. They were looking at the video image generated by the thermal camera that was placed on Captain Salac’s boat the night the South Sea Fleet of China conducted their military exercise.

  “Look at that flickering dot, officer. Can you give its speed?” asked General Bane.

  The operator keyed a button and the program designed to interpret the input answered the inquiry.

  “It was traveling at subsonic speed, at 600 knots, Sir, “said the operator.

  “Low flying naval plane,” commented General Bane.

  “It was firing missiles now,” said the operator as he saw two fast moving lights separated from it.

  Then the camera captured a sudden flash of explosion.

  “It hit the target!” said General Bane.

  “General, the target is stationary. The missiles don’t have a hard time looking for it,” answered the operator.

  The camera completed its 180 degrees swipe on the area as it was programmed, it automatically returned to a backward sweeping movement in repetition. As the camera returned to the area where it captured the flickering dot representing a naval plane, the dot was gone.

  “We lost the plane,” commented by the operator.

  “It might be just somewhere,” said General Bane.

  Then the camera captured another flickering dot, moving on the horizon.

  “What is that light, officer?” asked General Bane.

  “It‘s an aircraft, General. It’s hugging on the surface.”

  “It seems to me that it was too fast for an aircraft. It might be missile.” The operator was astonished after the speed was imposed on the screen.

  “It’s moving at 400 knots, Sir! Just above the waves. It’s an aircraft, Sir!” announced the operator.

  General Bane was astonished. He can’t believe what was stated to him. He knew that Chinese flying boat do not fly at that speed and on a leveled flight. He knew that their flying boat hugged only the water for a limited time and that happened when it took-off or landed. When the camera captured the craft moving on the water, the general asked again the speed of the craft.

  “Sir it’s traveling at ninety knots on the surface.” said the operator.

  “What a craft!” commented General Bane, “It was so fast above the water and it can also fly. It hugged the waves for a steady flight for a longer time. Where on hell the Chinese got this kind of technology?”

  Base on the data gathered by the camera, the existence of a new type of flying boat was confirmed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The data gathered will be shipped to the U.S. for thorough evaluation and analysis.

  2. REVELATION

  The Popular Technology Magazine came out with an issue of a military related story bannered on its cover a title of STEALTH FLYING BOAT OF CHINA with an accompanying painting of a flying boat. The painting was done in the perspective of an observer floating on the water. The pose of the flying boat was taking-off, exposing its thin V-shaped hull. It has wings similar to that of a devilfish and under it wings laid four torpedoes, two in every wing at equal spacing. There was also an outline of round opening on both sides of its hull. The craft’s body contour was smooth its overall appearance. The control cockpit was a half ellipse bulging from the flat body fusing seamlessly with the wings making its shape to appear to be an all wings configuration Atop the wings, located the two air intakes, rectangular in shape and rising just slightly above it before it tapers off as it runs parallel to the length of its body. There’s an article written about it in the inside page.

  The article reads as follow.

  Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, two hundred miles southeast of Taiwan an American aircraft carrier and its supporting ship were cruising speedily under strict emission-controlled environment. Their destination was the Taiwan Strait which was put under
control by the Peoples Republic of China naval forces. They had set up naval blockades with mines on certain areas. The Taiwanese democratic government asked the United States of America government to intervene against the Peoples Republic of China hostile action in the Taiwan Strait as well as in South China Sea. The U.S. government without any hesitation sent its Seventh fleet to the area. The scenario reminded them of the early 50’s when the Nationalist was threatened by an all out invasion of the mainland Communist government. The U.S. sent its mighty Seventh Fleet crossing the strait that silenced the threat of invasion. At this time there was no threat of invasion, but only naval blockades against Taiwan, but still the U.S. government sent its military forces to the area. This was done to protect its interest and of its allies in the region. The U.S. government decided to project its military power in the region by sending its Seventh Fleet, not only to defend Taiwan against the mainland but also to allay fears of its allies, which are now nervous about China’s aggressive action. Its secondary purpose is to contain the crisis not to spill to other part of Asia. Despite of Chinese warning, that U.S should not intervene on domestic problems, still the U.S. disregard the message.

  As the days passed by, the tension escalates because the U.S. military forces exerted so much pressure on China. The United States of America does not recognized the claim of China that Taiwan was a renegade province and it was proper for the mainland government to impose its authority on them. Added to this, the U.S. also restricted the movement of Chinese forces in the area by imposing a no-fly zone of one hundred miles away from their forces in the area. China was angered by the arrogance shown by the intruding forces and issued its ultimatum to the U.S. government. The U.S. forces must leave the area without any condition.

  The tension grew and all the patience and restraint they were holding suddenly snapped when a Chinese bomber provoked the U.S warship by ignoring the exclusion zone. Instead the bomber came nearer into it and challenged the warship’s warning. The ship perceived it as an attacking plane and in self defense, it shoot down the provoking bomber.

  After the incident, China condemned the action of the Americans and issued a stern warning- China will retaliate in defense of their sovereignty which was trampled by the U.S In the scenario of posturing China cordoned the U.S. Naval forces in the area. Most of the warship of the Americans was just around the vicinity of Taiwan. In this kind of situation the China got the edge. It has a secret weapon unknown to his enemy- the stealth flying boat. The craft was so advance that it was presumed that it can penetrate the carrier formation without being detected. The flying boat was advance in its design and its stealth technology could be compared to the technology of the U.S B-2 bomber. The craft was low- observable at close range and it could not be detected at long range because it has a small cross-section aided by its radar absorbing skin and paint. It has low infrared signature too because its main engine was enclosed in layered metal jacket with fluid running on it that absorbed the generated heat.

  The electronics carried by the craft was superb. It has low- wattage radar that emits signals weak enough to be picked-up by enemy’s electronics support measures. It can also run passively without emission yet it can still monitor its surroundings by using long-range infrared detection system. And when it comes to explosive power, it has an awesome wallop that can knock out anything that crosses its path. Its main weapon- nuclear armed torpedoes. It was wire-guided with a range of twenty-four miles.

  The night was dark, an ideal setting for the flying