climb. Few minutes later it was completely airborne. In high altitude its silhouette is like a U.S. B-2 bomber, prowling the dark night seemed like looking for its prey. “Stingray, this is Dragon Eyes,” radioed the AWAC, a reconnaissance and communication plane that was based on Ilyushin aircraft, is one of the many high technology weapons acquired by China from Russia. With this kind of plane, China can now monitor the wide area of South China Sea for any possible intruders before it can reach the mainland territories.
“Yes, Dragon Eyes,” acknowledged the Stingray.
“Stingray, your target is nine-five-three miles bearing one-nine-five. Proceed to engage your target,” radioed the plane.
“Roger. Stingray is executing now,”
Then Stingray gathered speed like that of a plane and reached its maximum speed at higher altitude. It flew like a loaded bomber, lumbering at cruising speed. But the Stingray is not a bomber. It is an attack flying boat designed to attack high-value maritime targets. The Stingray carries assorted types of weapons. In its body in separate bays settled the two wire-guided torpedoes, with heavy warheads. Other lightweight torpedoes, enclosed in pairs were located on each wing. Incorporated to its wings shoulders are series of eight tubes containing different types of missiles. Four of them housed the medium range radar-homing missiles and the other four contained the dual-seeker missiles that use both the infrared and active radar signals to home on its targets. All the warheads of the missiles were lightweight. These warheads are capable of damaging the upper deck structure but could not inflict a major damage on the hull especially those ship with tough steel hull. The main objective of the lightweight missiles is not to sink the ship but to cripple it electronically by destroying its sensitive sensors which are located in the upper structure. After the ship lost its sensors, the flying boat will move in and attack the using the heavyweight torpedoes at close range.
The Stingray flew toward the Spratly at half of its maximum subsonic speed. There was a relax mood of the crew inside the craft’s cabin. There was a steady hum of electronics equipment but the radio was silent. They are under strict emission control so as not to reveal their position. The Stingray reached the Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly by non-sop high latitude flight. It’s fully loaded tank of fuel were almost consumed. But the crews were confident that the Stingray can refuel once they reached the area. There is refueling facilities on Fiery Cross Reef on the other nearby islands which belongs to China. The Stingray reduced its subsonic speed as it slowly dived to a lower altitude. It continued descending until it was just few meters above the water. Above the water, its enormous wings created a great lift that made it impossible to touch the water at its present speed of three hundred knots. At this speed its wing configuration was constructed so as not to produce a lift capable of making the craft to soar. It will only make the craft to level its flight at the current altitude. It will hug the water like the gliding flight of the stingray fish. Then the flying boat slowly reduced its current speed. It slowed down, the lift generated by its wings were reduced thereby bringing the craft to glide downward. The craft’s body only partially touched the water but still its acceleration was too fast. Then the craft switched off the main jet engine and it slowed down on the water creating a splash of displacements. After touchdown with few meters of acceleration the Stingray stopped and settled on the water like boat, gently rocked by the waves. Fiery Cross Reef is a Chinese occupied territory. It serves as a small naval facility of their forces operating in the Spratly area. The manmade island has fuel depot. It has also repair facilities for ships as well as for the flying boats and helicopters. It has also storage facilities for foods and fresh water. It also serves as communication center. The Fiery Cross Reef facilities was designed and built for the purpose of war. It was solidly built. Massive concrete buildings up to four-storey high dotted the reef formations. Some are clustered together, while others were scattered on the large expanse of the reef. The buildings have stored missiles and guns in it. Other buildings have landing platforms for helicopters, the Z-9 naval helicopter armed with torpedoes and missiles.
The Stingray landed few meters away from one of the structures. A flat-bottomed boat came to its position and settled on its side. From under the wing of the Stingray a tube emerged. It elongated sideway toward the direction of the boat. Halfway toward the position of the boat it stopped. Then from the end of the tube a valve opened. It was now ready to receive the fuel. From the boat a feeding tube craned toward the extended tube of the Stingray. After few adjustments the two tubes coupled and the feeding started. The boat fed it with fuel until its requirements were met. Then the two tubes detached from their coupling automatically. The Stingray’s receiving tube retracted and slid back to its concealed position, buried under one of its wings.
The Stingray’s mission is to attack and sink the Philippine corvette patrolling the shipping route that leads to Balabac Strait that was used by the international shipping as a passage before heading to their destinations. The heart of South China Sea was avoided by the commercial shipping for fear of being caught in the crossfire. They also fear the dangers of mines that were laid on strategic locations. The Philippine corvette with attending ASW helicopter in tandem with the hydrofoil torpedo boat are not a small fry targets, those are decent warships employing advance armaments end sensors. The Stingray was very eager to test its capability on these new warships. Inside, the crew of the Stingray were busy updating the various information about the corvette. They found out that it was still roaming around its patrol zone, one hundred sixty miles away from their position. The Stingray prepared for take-off. Its two jet engines growled to life. The Stingray slowly moved away. It gathered speed for few minutes. When its engines came into full throttle the craft’s sharp V- shaped hull sliced the water violently. Then few minutes later its humongous wings immediately acquired the necessary lift to propel the craft to take –off from the water. The Stingray took-off from the water but it did not soar. Instead, it leveled its flight after reaching fifty feet altitude, cruising at two hundred knots.
The BRP Iloilo corvette patrolled its assigned zone, the area between Rizal Reef and Balabac Island. Together with BRP Basilan, a torpedo-armed hydrofoil, they patrolled the area in radial pattern while the Lynx helicopter of the corvette patrolled the inner zone of the radius. The patrol was implemented so as to insure a safe passage of international shipping from any naval attack, either it be carried by submarines or surface crafts of the enemy. The purpose of the patrol is to safeguard the Balabac Strait that serves as entrance to the inland sea of the Philippines. The patrol denies enemy’s submarine access to the inland sea where inter-island shipping routes lies. The other entry points of the inland sea, located north of Palawan were all patrolled and guarded by the newly squired submarines called the SWATS. SWATS is an acronym for shallow water attack submarine because the inland sea was secured, it mode the inter-island shipping impervious to attack. Unhampered domestic shipping facilitated the movements of basic goods and also goods with strategic military value. In war this movements are critical to the defense of the country. Inside the BRP Iloilo corvette, Martin has just completed his duty. While lying on his bed he fell into reverie. He reminisced the past and the progression of his life. He traced it with emotional terrain seemed like a slow ride on a boat, battling the summer waves way back to his childhood days. Then his memories dwelled on it, as time froze on his thought. Having grown up in a typical fishing village, Martin had witnessed tragic death brought upon by the sea. Drowning of fishermen due to bad weather almost occurred yearly in the village. The incident seemed like a natural occurrence and the frequency it happened had desensitized his sympathy. He does not want to be an ordinary fisherman mired in poverty. Hopelessness made him to leave the place in search of better life other than fishing, the only thing that the village could offer to him. Now, he belongs to the navy. For his love of the sea and adventure, the navy satisfied his ambition.
Tonight he felt diffe
rently. His body rhythm betrayed him of inconvenience. He can’t sleep and his thought was slipping toward his past. Memories of drowning incidents he witnessed kept flashing on his thought He assumed that it was just a spark of wild thought. He did not want to entertain that the flashback was a morbid warning. Later he felt asleep.
The Stingray acquired the corvette on its radar as well as the hydrofoil traveling at leisurely pace. They have no knowledge that they were being observed by the enemy.
“Corvette is 17 miles bearing 046,” announced by the electronics officer.
“Bring the Stingray closer to it. We will attack using the torpedoes,” ordered by Captain Sun.
The corvette sonar operator was alarmed. There’s a faint echo return registered on their short range sonar while going active for short duration of intermittent sweeping. On passive mode, there was nothing in the area He thought that there might be an elusive submarine lurking beneath the waves and waiting for the right moment to attack. He informed his officer about it and was acted immediately by sending the Lynx helicopter to confirm the contact.
The incoming helicopter was picked up by the Stingray.
“Aircraft incoming,” alarmed by the radar operator.
“Enemy!” rattled the Captain Sun. “This craft can find us if we stayed long enough. Prepare to launch the torpedoes,” ordered Captain Sun.
“Torpedoes are ready, Captain,” said the weapon officer.
“Fire one.”
“Torpedo one, fired.”
“Fire two.”
“Torpedo two, fired.”
“Prepare to take off after termination of guidance.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Martin woke up abruptly. The ship’s alarm was in full blast. They were under attack. He ran to his assigned station, the 76mm naval gun. All the personnel manning the gun rushed in and readied it.
The two incoming torpedoes were picked up by the corvette’s sonar like a ghost materialized out of nowhere. They reacted by firing the gun on its direction but it could not pin down the fast moving torpedoes. The corvette was a doomed target. The first torpedo struck in the bow and the one tht followed struck amidships. Instantly it crippled the corvette and all of its power sources were destroyed. The waters flooded the ship easily. The compactness of the corvette is its drawbacks. For it easily succumbed to torpedo attack even of those lightweight warheads
Few minutes later, most of the crew were on the deck as the ship continues to take water. When they found out that it could not be save anymore, they were ordered to abandon the ship. Many rafts were released on the water as the crew donned their life jackets. Martin could not believe what had happened. Few minutes ago, he was sleeping soundly, now he is facing the open sea. He was starring blankly upon the water while his buddies were yelling at him to jump. Martin jumped on the water and struggled to get out of the sucking motion generated by the sinking ship. But it was too late. Even how hard he swam his effort was futile. He could not get away from the full of the sinking vessel. He trashed his feet vigorously hoping to propel him past from the force but he felt that his energy was instantly drained. He is in top shape he could not understand why. His comrades had swum away easily but he could not as if a mysterious force was dragging him downward. The ship went down after few minutes, together with Martin.
The crew of the helicopter that had taken off long before the corvette sank were stunned to hear