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Kevin,
I'm not absolutely sure. The 'Blackjack' is traveling at just under the speed of sound, so it probably travels beyond the lethal radius of the explosion in a few seconds. However those who survive ejection are likely to land amongst a civil population who are none too pleased.
Thanks again.

Desert Fox,
I thought that the Soviets were doing quite well. They now occupy a good part of Zealand, threatening a NATO capital, Jutland is almost cut off from forces in Germany. West Berlin will probably fall in the next couple of days and the Belgian corps has been dealt a pretty serious blow.

Roller,
I have read that FAE bombs are very difficult to control over the battlefield. Does the same hold true for thermobaric bombs? A 7000kg bomb is nothing to sneeze at, though it is not in the same league as the putative FOAB, or the MOAB.

Great piece Jan...can't wait for more...Next Monday ?

I won't make any promises, but I'll do my best.

James,
Pissed will be an understatement. If the crew of that 'Blackjack' survives ejection (the other crew did not) then they better hope that they are taken prisoner by the Security Forces PDQ, or they may find themselves hanging from the nearest lamppost.
Retaliation is not something I've though of quite yet, though SAC is planning to go after targets in the USSR soon, which may satisfy our desire for retaliation.

It will be interesting to see what the Soviets are up to in Japan.

It may well just be a raid in force, though if the two MRDs are landed then we'll know that it is indeed an attempt to capture territory. I'm not sure if the PDRK would accept outside help in its invasion of the South, apart from material help.

What kind of air cover is the NATO force in Yugoslavia getting? And just what is the JNA up to?

Aircraft from 5 ATAF in Italy is providing cover (Typhoons, Tornados, F-15s, F-16s etc), there is also cover from the US 'phibs and the Italian carrier off the coast (Harriers and AH-1Z). The JNA has fragmented along ethnic lines to a great degree, the Serbian parts of it have sided with the Soviet invaders, while the soldiers of other nationalities have headed home, in many cases taking their weapons with them.

Any chance we can get an update on Greece and Turkey in the next few chapters?

I'll see if I can fit it in. The Harrow bombing may dominate the next chapter.

Say, has the Soviet squadron in the Med been dealt with yet?

It's about to be. The USS Ronald Reagan CVBG is just about in a position to begin attacks on the units of it that are in Syrian ports.

Peter,
That's a good point. They've also occupied a good portion of Denmark, and northern Norway.
I'm glad you liked it.

Matt,
The muses were with me this time, and the chapter almost wrote itself. Cheers for the comments.
I have a feeling that the 24th MRD might just be his old division. I can't remember if he mentions it in 'Inside the Soviet Army'. I wouldn't like to say for sure but I think that the average Soviet conscript might be a bit better trained than the average Iraqi one. However who knows how an exhausted, frightened soldier will react when faced by a sudden armoured thrust coming straight at him.
The crew of the first Blackjack did not survive. The extreme G forces and high speed meant that the aircraft hit the ground before any of them could pull the ejection handles.
Btw it made a big enough bang that it was registered on the Bomb Power Indicator in a nearby ROC post and broke a good many windows.
From what I've read the JGSDF does not have the manpower to be inflexible. Mobile defence is probably the only option for them. The JMSDF is the only service in the JSDF that still upholds the traditions of its Imperial predecessor.

Though the USAF F-16 Wing (432nd TFW) at Misawa AB will be busy over Hokkaido instead of Korea.

Possibly one of the objectives of the attack is to draw off forces from the KTO.

Stuart,
Thanks for the corrections. I've made the changes you suggested.
To be honest I had not considered what the Territorial battalions groups might be equipped with; I reasoned that it was unlikely that they would have the NZLAV. Yes, the ATGW would be Javelin; the 81mm is the same mortar we use, it's a good weapon, used by us, the Canadians, Septics, Ozzies and AFAIK a few other nations.

Fred,
Ah, I see you have given me a good set of comments again, always appreciate them as they make me think. Hope you don't mind if I disagree with a few, though I always take your comments on-board.
You make a valid point that this would be in effect the largest Australian deployment since 1945, larger than both Korea and Vietnam. One thing to remember here is that this is WW3, not a Major Regional War. We're talking a full national commitment, no rotation of battalion groups after six months, the troops stay in the field until the job is done.
On top of the ME and Korea deployment Shane also suggested a deployment to Malaysia, possibly commanded by 7 Brigade. The North End of Australia will be covered by a deployment of reserve forces (3-4 battalions for asset protection) in addition to NORFORCE. The Kiwis have also sent an RNZAF det up to Curtain.

If the Indonesians are daft enough to go after East Timor seriously then they are going to run into two Indian brigades. Now the Indians have nowhere to retreat to, so if the Indonesians insist on destroying them then Jakarta will be waking up to a bucket of instant sunshine. New Delhi has made it very clear that any move against East Timor would be seen as an act of war against India.

We also have to remember just how much goodwill Australia is earning right now by sending two brigade groups to assist its allies. If Canberra says to Washington that it needs extra SAM assets, or Force Protection troops for the North End, then the Americans will send help. PNG will get a small deployment; in Yorden's spin-off RNZAF P-3K Orions are deployed to Port Moresby, so there would bound to be an FP deployment to go along with any RAAF/RNZAF deployment.

Okay, fair point made of sending the reservists as FP assets, though as light infantry that would likely be their role in the brigade. I had also figured that after mobilisation a reserve battalion would probably be treated the same as a regular battalion; we'd probably treat a TA battalion the same as a regular battalion in the same circumstances; but that's an easy alteration.

Shane came up with a very provisional OOB for 1st Division (I've altered it a little), which I've included below. Shane has also made a very interesting point about Canberra not being keen to deploy the regular army in toto abroad, which is why although 1 Brigade is all regular (it is the initial deployment), while 3 Brigade is mixed regular and RR.

1st Division.

1 Brigade
1st Armoured Regiment (M1)
2x RAR (LAV-IV)
1st Cavalry Regiment (AUSLAV)

3 Brigade
2nd Armoured Regiment RR (M1)
2x RAR (LI/Bushmaster)
1x RAR (LAV-IV)
1x RR Inf

7 Brigade
1x RAR (Light Infantry - 4RAR?)
1x RR Inf (1st Commando Regiment?)
1x RR APC (4/19th or 2nd/14th)

A full ORBAT for the Australian Army (for example 2nd Division) is not yet been tackled.

Yes, I agree that the Kiwis would actually deploy a full brigade sized formation, at least not for a long time. Note the comment 'whenever that would be'. The best that Brigadier Bailey can expect is a reinforced battalion group any time in the near future.

Anyway, Fred, I hope I have explained my reasoning a bit better, and please don't be offended by the fact that I've disagreed with a lot of your comments. I always appreciate them.

Jonathan,
Has Mark not already been in both the RAN and RAAF? If so then this makes the trio, all he has to do now is serve in the coast guard.
Probably the best the Kiwis are going to manage is two reinforced battalion groups, one of which will help roundout 1 Brigade in Kuwait. I'm sure, however that the NZ government will be telling everyone 'yes we are sending a brigade sized unit', while the service chiefs helpfully point out 'we don't have that capability anymore, Prime Minister'.

PMN1,
Probably fairly quickly, however the Internet has been at least partly crippled by the Telephone Preference System. Most users will not be able to even get a broadband connection. Still even without electronic means rumors can spread very fast. All it takes is one person saying 'mushroom cloud' for rumors of a nuclear attack to start.
Do you think that General Yazov will also be regretting giving up drinking, sniffing glue and snorting coke?

marshalx,
The Soviets are experiencing the realities of modern high technology warfare. In some ways it is similar to the fighting in 1917-1918, many Allied and German attacks started well, but petered out as the defence strengthened and the attackers got further away from their source of supply. The Soviets have so far managed to push NATO back quite far, though as yet they have not created a significant breakthrough, though there is now a large gap in the Belgian sector.
Now that the CVNs of the Strike Fleet are in the Norwegian Bastion then they are going to be very difficult targets to attack. There are other CVs and CVNs out there, though, and as Kevin mentions a French CVN has already been sunk.

bbgator,
Thank you very much. I always aim to please, and this chapter was a great deal of fun to write.

Jeff,
I think I might be able to fit Missawa AB into the narrative. Any local knowledge you can let me in on?
Thanks.

Thanks again, lads. I appreciate everybody's comments and suggestions.