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Secession: A Nation Divided
Azioni libro
Inizia a leggereLunghezza: 524 pagine7 ore
- Editore:
- BookBaby
- Pubblicato:
- Jul 9, 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781925681734
- Formato:
- Libro
Descrizione
It's 2021, and an aggressive Muslim Caliphate threatens to tear Australia apart at the seams. As the Indonesian President gathers forces for incursions onto Australian shores, a power-hungry Australian Prime Minister is white-knuckling the reins of the nation. Meanwhile, the new West Australian Premier, David Reilly, has pulled off the impossible: the secession of WA from the Australian nation-state. But as political interests clash in the lead up to formal secession, violence arrives in the lucky country. Is Canberra behind a cynical power play? Can the states and territories find a diplomatic solution? Or will it be up to the West Australian Government to safeguard the nation?
Informazioni sul libro
Secession: A Nation Divided
Lunghezza: 524 pagine7 ore
Descrizione
It's 2021, and an aggressive Muslim Caliphate threatens to tear Australia apart at the seams. As the Indonesian President gathers forces for incursions onto Australian shores, a power-hungry Australian Prime Minister is white-knuckling the reins of the nation. Meanwhile, the new West Australian Premier, David Reilly, has pulled off the impossible: the secession of WA from the Australian nation-state. But as political interests clash in the lead up to formal secession, violence arrives in the lucky country. Is Canberra behind a cynical power play? Can the states and territories find a diplomatic solution? Or will it be up to the West Australian Government to safeguard the nation?
- Editore:
- BookBaby
- Pubblicato:
- Jul 9, 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781925681734
- Formato:
- Libro
Informazioni sull'autore
Correlati a Secession
Anteprima del libro
Secession - Robert Baynes
Part 1
The two pilots walked out of their temporary operations building at Kalgoorlie airport. The sky was darkening again with more thunderstorms approaching from the east. There was an uncertain atmosphere as they climbed aboard their aircraft. The F/A-18A Hornets had arrived twelve hours earlier following their long flight from Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, near Katherine in the Northern Territory. Their aircraft had been refuelled by the accompanying ground crew and the pilots had waited for the signal.
After a five minute systems check and allowing for a taxi time of ten minutes they could be airborne within twenty minutes of the call. This was a readiness status of Alert20. The mission from Tindal had been well planned and coordinated. Their Commanding Officer had been contacted by representatives of the Government of Western Australia and he had no hesitation in seeking appropriate pilots for the mission. All involved knew that any action could lead to the most significant event in Australia’s short history.
This time it was not the Indonesians who were the threat. Australia’s resolve had certainly be tested by Jakarta in recent months. Neither was it terrorists, who in the name of Allah, and with the dream of establishing a caliphate, had been responsible for significant destruction and carnage in the north.
It wasn’t Task Force 70 of the United States Seventh Fleet which included the Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan and various destroyers and support ships. The fleet had been surprisingly quiet during the last few days, and according to intelligence reports was in the Southern Ocean enroute to Sydney.
Four months earlier there had been the first confrontations in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Australia, and Western Australia had been subjected to some very intense military and political ramifications since then.
Intelligence reports indicated that two further F/A-18A Hornets belonging to Number 77 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force, had departed RAAF Base Edinburgh near Adelaide eighteen minutes ago heading west.
Who do you suppose they could be?
Flight Lieutenant Brian Sanders asked the more senior pilot, Squadron Leader Jake Weston.
This had been in their thoughts during their flight south early in the morning. If they were called upon to defend the skies of Western Australia: who would they be up against? Despite being senior airmen and dedicated to the cause, they still harboured thoughts about confronting their colleagues who were loyal to Canberra.
The old
Staffy would have chosen carefully. It could be Ken Bates, Leon MacAlister, George Michelson and others. There are a few possibilities,
replied Weston, as both pilots reached their aircraft which were parked adjacent to each other on the small airport apron area.
Staffy
was Group Captain Oscar Stafford, the Officer Commanding 81 Wing. The Wing had operational control over Australia’s three squadrons of F/A-18A Hornet aircraft. The inbound Hornets were from No 77 Squadron based at RAAF Williamtown near Newcastle. Sanders and Weston’s two F/A-18As belonged to 75 Squadron. They had been on a routine patrol around the Kimberley area, before their transit south.
All pilots knew each other well. In many cases they had trained together as far back as initial pilot school, completed conversion to type training and competed against each other in training exercises. Sanders and Weston, together with other Air Force, Navy and Army secessionists, had been well briefed about the role they would play in any confrontation. The selection process had been extremely thorough and had whittled out many from within the ranks of those earlier identified as supporters of the Western Australian Government.
The two pilots shook hands before parting company and climbed into their aircraft; strapping themselves in, securing their oxygen hose, pressure suit and communication lines. They knew what had to be done on the mission. They also knew that there was the potential for conflict to escalate, high above the Great Victoria Desert and Nullarbor Plain.
As they powered up the aircraft avionics, checked flight systems and readied the aircraft for taxy, Weston checked in with Sanders.
Blackbird 2 this is Blackbird 1.
Blackbird 1, this is Blackbird 2 readability 5.
replied Sanders.
Sanders flicked the necessary switches and tuned the tactical computer, one of the many advances in avionics and only recently upgraded to suit the deployment of ground radar units. The information was being analysed and then digitally sent via a communications satellite high over the Indian Ocean, out of range of the East Coast, to ground and air units within Western Australia. His screen and that of his leader’s aircraft came to life giving a real time feed from the Radar Warning Units in position at Eucla, Mt Aloysius in the Blackstone Ranges and in the Tanami Desert in the State’s far north. Each unit’s radar had a range of seven hundred kilometres and was being supplemented by the Air Traffic Control radar from Perth, Newman and Esperance airports. With this vision east, the Western Australian military contingent would still have only minutes to detect a fighter travelling at over fifteen hundred kilometres per hour once it was observed on radar.
Nothing yet on the link,
relayed Weston as his eyes focused on the moving map display showing the data-link information.
Just then a voice came through on his ear piece on a discrete channel.
Blackbird 1 this is Recon 4, do you read?
Recon 4 this is Blackbird 1 go ahead
.
Recon 4 – we have confirmed intel that two aircraft are westbound, ETA ‘The Line’ at 0918.
Blackbird 1, Roger – thanks.
Weston did a quick mental calculation and relayed to Sanders.
Blackbird 2 we need to depart by time 58 to make the intercept, report when ready.
Blackbird 1, 2 is ready.
Blackbird 1, Roger; taxiing time 53.
Blackbird 2,
replied Sanders as the two fighters taxied out for a departure on Runway 29. This would take them on an initial heading over the caravan park and a wide left turn before setting course on a direct track towards the border town of Eucla – 746 kilometres to the East.
The F/A-18A Hornet is a McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing built multi-role fighter. It is powered by two turbofans each capable of over 7,000 kilograms of thrust with a published top speed of Mach 1.8, or over two thousand kilometres per hour. Weapons carried can include the AIM – 132 ASRAAM infra-red seeking missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, conventional and laser guided bombs, JDAM GPS guided bombs and a nose mounted M61 20mm cannon.
As their initial deployment from Tindal was a reconnaissance mission, these two Hornets did not carry missiles. The pods where the missiles are normally attached were fitted with cameras, a recent modification for the Classic Hornet. The Hornets’ only armament on this mission was the 20mm nose-mounted cannon. Both pilots assumed that the inbound aircraft would probably be more appropriately armed. It was going to be tough going for Sanders and Weston if this was true. Canberra would have ensured that the inbound Hornets had some firepower. After all they had to show superiority and Weston felt sure Prime Minister Allan Davidson would have been barking orders from the safety of the National Security Committee Room, or The Lodge in Canberra. Wherever the old bastard was, he was safe from the action, but no doubt being pressured from many fronts about this unfolding action. At least that thought brought a slight grin to Weston as he completed his final pre-flight checks and turned the aircraft on to the threshold of Runway 29 of Kalgoorlie Airport.
Blackbird 1 looked at Blackbird 2 to make sure his wingman was ready. Blackbird 2 signalled to his leader that he was good to go with a thumbs up. He completed the final checks, pushed the button on the console near his right leg and closed the open checklist.
Kalgoorlie Airport was a Temporary Military Control Zone, and although no Air Traffic Control unit was present and no other aircraft was in the air, Weston went through the motions of making a general traffic call.
Blackbird 1 and 2 departing Runway 29 for the east.
He opened the throttle selected after-burner and felt the huge turbofans leap into action pushing out nearly 15,000 kilograms of thrust. The aircraft went racing down the runway, with Sanders’ Blackbird 2 following.
Two minutes later Weston made the radio call that was received by the office of the Western Australian Premier in Perth.
Blackbirds departed Kal 59, ETA the Line 17.
It was going to be tight.
The departure call was also picked up by two Royal Australian Army Reservist soldiers from Number 5 Regiment Royal Australian Army Intelligence Unit, who were camped just to the south of the Chifley railway siding, about one hundred and twenty kilometres east of Kalgoorlie. As they were relaying the information direct by satellite phone to their Command Headquarters in Canberra, they first heard then saw the two F/A-18As of Sanders and Weston streaming overhead.
The two Hornets roared into the eastern sky, with both pilots scanning their radars and moving map displays.
* * *
High over the Eyre Peninsula the two Australian F/A-18As had just completed their air to air refuelling. They now had enough fuel to get to the border, engage if necessary and make it back to Edinburgh. If things went pear-shaped and they became involved in a lengthy battle, then the KC-30A tanker, a modified Airbus A330, would still be on-site. Further to the north of them was the Wedgetail AEW&C, the air force’s airborne early warning and control aircraft; another highly modified and sometimes maligned Boeing 737 operated by No 2 Squadron from Williamtown. As well as having a sophisticated array of communication capabilities, the AEW&C has a multi-role electronically scanned array (MESA) radar with a range in excess of 400 km. The crew of Outback 10 had also picked up the departure of the Blackbirds and relayed this to Air Commander Australia, Air Vice-Marshal Higgins at Air Force Command in Canberra. It would be Higgins who would issue the Rules of Engagement
(ROE) to the 77 Squadron Hornets. Outback 10 would guide the west bound fighters and provide combat assistance.
* * *
We should be getting a return shortly,
chipped in Weston as both aircraft levelled off at Flight Level 380.
At 0903, almost when predicted, a faint radar image appeared on the top of Weston’s screen……then another. Using the HOTAS functionality (Hands on Throttle and Stick), he gathered as much information from his radar as possible, such as range, altitude, track and speed.
They’re heading our way with an ETA the Line of 16,
called Weston.
Blackbird 2 – Look BRA 100/125 at 38,000,
Weston relayed the bearing, distance and altitude as displayed on his radar.
Blackbird 2 sorted southern,
Sanders said, indicating he would take the southern radar contact.
Roger, Blackbird 1 sorted Northern, let’s get above them to 390.
Both Blackbirds, now had one piece of sky and one target each to concentrate on.
Blackbird 2.
Blackbirds this is Shoguns, do you read?
The communications came through on the military guard frequency 243 MHz, overriding all other comms between the aircraft. Obviously their intel had been on the ball, knowing that Weston and Sanders aircraft would be there. This unnerved Weston a little.
Weston cursed under his breath. It was old George Michelson. So their reasoning had been correct. Squadron Leader George Michelson had been one of the longest serving F/A-18A pilots. Overlooked many times for promotion, yet he had still managed to become the RAAF’s most gifted Hornet driver. Rumour was that he had been chosen for the JSF Project when a junior Squadron Leader in the early years of the century, but had fallen foul of military chiefs through some indiscretion. George had been thirty-one at the time and had been quickly but quietly sent to fly a desk at Defence Canberra, only to be recalled to flying and instructional duties on the F/A-18As when they underwent their major avionics upgrade in late 2019.
Weston took a deep breath. He wanted to appear confident and relaxed. He couldn’t let his voice betray him, even though sweat had broken out and was trickling down the back of his flying suit. The aircraft air-conditioning unit was going to have to work overtime before long. He had known Michelson from when they had both arrived at No 2 Operational Conversion Unit, RAAF Williamtown, for fighter training in the late nineties. George had been promoted to Squadron Leader six months later and the two always sparred together in a friendly manner during exercises and late at night in officers’ mess bars around Australia while on deployment.
Shoguns, this is Blackbird 1.
Blackbird 1, Shoguns are inbound the line…and we are going to cross.
Don’t do it George. Western Australia is now an independent nation. You do not have permission to enter. I repeat – you do not have permission to enter Western Australia. The independence was proclaimed by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament ratified on 31 July.
Weston had said it almost in anger whilst being threatened by an old friend nearly forty thousand feet above continental Australia.
Blackbird 1 in accordance with the Australian Constitution, the secession of Western Australia was not a lawful act.
Michelson had also been practicing a speech for such an occasion.
The founding fathers of Australia’s Federation had considered the fragile nature of that agreement which had brought all the then colonies together in 1901. They had laid out within the Constitution strict guidelines should states at some time in the future wish to withdraw from the Commonwealth.
Latest ETA 17, one minute till they cross.
Shoguns, we have orders to patrol and protect the border. Do not cross the Line or there will be consequences
.
"Western Australia belongs to all Australians, not just a bunch of renegades who want to flaunt the Australian Constitution. I do not need permission to fly within Australian airspace." Michelson said.
Sanders had been listening. Their ROE was simple. They had been carefully briefed by Wing Commander Corbet. They were not to enter South Australia, but they were to prevent any other military aircraft from entering Western Australia. They were to use a deterrent force if necessary. With only the nose-mounted cannon, that’s about all it would be against a missile carrying Hornet: a slight deterrent.
Blackbirds float.
This was Weston, now back on their discrete operating frequency. The plan for the Blackbirds was a well-practiced Advanced Combat Manoeuvre form of engagement, with both Hornets taking up positions on the outside of the inbound aircraft. Of course, the inbounds were probably going to do the same resulting in a wide merge or possibly two separate one-on-one fights.
Sanders didn’t reply, however Weston observed his wingman peel off to the left, as he in turn went to the right.
* * *
Outback 10 now had a front row seat of the impending action thanks to its advanced radar and avionics capabilities. The operator relayed the Blackbird’s movements to the Shoguns which were backed up by the transmission between the pilots that had also been intercepted. It wasn’t really necessary as by this time Shoguns had Blackbirds painting on their tactical radars and each pair knew what the other was up to. The AEW&C had also established an open line of communications to Air Vice-Marshal Higgins in Canberra. Even though Shogun 1 would be expected to get off a radio transmission to the Air Commander Australia seeking their ROE, the Wedgetail was there for assistance. Australia was not running to a tight budget on this.
* * *
Their radars showed that the Blackbirds were within five miles of the Line. The Loyalists’ formation was six miles to the east of the Line and on present heading would cross over into Western Australia in about thirty-five seconds.
They were not slowing. If they crossed then Weston and Sanders would act. Their ROE was to deter, but defend themselves if necessary.
The pilots Head up Display (HUD) showed Shoguns stream across the Line, abruptly climb to confront Weston and Sanders. Blackbirds were quicker to react and out-bracketed Shoguns at the merge and performed a cross turn resulting in an angular advantage and were now cross-targeted on the opposing Hornets. Using the HUD display, Blackbird 1 flew to position Shogun 1 in the box
. Blackbird 2 turned inwards to Shogun 2.
It was Weston who fired first, aiming just to the right of the manoeuvring Michelson; close enough to show the necessary deterrent. Sanders also commenced firing at Shogun 2.
Blackbirds have cross-targeted with bullets down range,
was Weston’s call, as a burst of fire went streaming past Michelson’s right wingtip.
Sanders was also in the action. The bastards are firing,
screamed Ken Bates as he battled to avoid a target lock from Sanders.
Michelson was already on the radio having also seen the 20mm rounds pass under him. "Shoguns engaged with two Hornets, they have shot at us," was Shogun 1’s transmission to Air Commander Australia. The Wedgetail was already on the task and had the Air Vice-Marshal on the line.
"Shoguns, hostiles clear to engage," came the AEW&C operator. Almost simultaneously the identifying voice of Air Vice-Marshal Higgins was received by the Shoguns. The Air Vice-Marshal preferred the protocols of personal comms, but he too had appreciated the urgency of the need for a swift decision so he was pleased that the Wedgetail was on the scene.
"Shogun 2, Shogun 1, we are clear to engage." Michelson battled with his aircraft. Just then a burst of cannon ripped through the left tailplane and horizontal stabilizer of his aircraft. The Hornet shuddered violently. Another burst tore at the fuselage just rear of the canopy. Ken Bates in Shogun 2 saw his leader’s aircraft pitch abruptly. Michelson was fighting hard to maintain control.
Michelson was still in this. His instruments indicated he still had the necessary hydraulics, his tactical computers were all presenting normally and he had regained control; well, semi-control considering the circumstances.
Tactically, the Blackbirds were on the money so far. As it so often happens, a split second can exist between having supremacy and losing it. Both Blackbirds pulled out of their offensive cannon fire to come in from a different angle and in so doing the Shoguns realized they had a window slightly ajar.
The pilots wore a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System – JHMCS – which enables an off-bore sight shoot. Whilst Michelson was being engaged by Weston he noticed Blackbird 2 off to his left and high. Using the JHMCS he could lock onto Blackbird 2 and let ASRAAM do its work.
Shogun 1, Fox 2 Southern,
Michelson indicated after he had fired the heat seeking missile. Simultaneously another burst of bullets rained in on his aircraft, further damaging the rear fuselage.
Bates sensed his opportunity as he locked onto Blackbird 1. "Shogun 2, Fox 2 Northern," as his missile fired from the Hornet’s wing tip and used its heat-seeking capabilities to home in on the exhaust of Weston’s aircraft.
Sanders heard the screech from his Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) that he had been locked onto. A frantic look over his shoulder and he saw the trail of the missile’s trajectory. He pulled up sharply, flipped the jet over and dived, but the heat seeker was closing, matching his moves. He was through 25,000 feet. A left turn and momentary climb, then a quick right rudder and roll as he pulled hard back on the stick. Still closing. Too close. Time to go. He reached for the ejection handle. Too late.
Weston had troubles of his own. Bates was also now hard to shake. The RWR was showing a lock on from Shogun 2. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw the explosion as Blackbird 2 was downed. ……..where’s the chute? Come on…come on,
he thought. "Blackbird1 – Blackbird 2’s destroyed, no sign of chute."
The momentary distraction was necessary but dangerous. He flipped the Hornet into a steep right dive just as the missile slammed into the outer right wing sending the aircraft into a spin. Weston wrestled with the controls in an attempt to level off to give him the best opportunity to eject safely. "Blackbird 1 damaged, ejecting position 3140 12851.
"Shogun 2, splash southern, pilot ejected, Bates announced his strike.
Shogun 1 has damaged control surfaces will escort return to base. Shoguns BUG 09."
Part 2
It’s about time someone in Canberra had the guts to truly defend Australia,
said Lieutenant Commander Dave Harrison as he scrambled up the narrow ladder way to the bridge of HMAS Larrakia. The Armidale Class patrol boat had been in these waters for an extended tour, away from its home port of Darwin now almost three months, occasionally venturing into a North-West coastal port for refuelling and supplies. He was referring to the Australian Government’s recent decision to allow its patrol boats to fire warning shots upon Indonesian fishing boats that had strayed into Australia’s Economic Exclusion Zone.
The action was intended to be a warning to the fishermen who for some time had been illegally fishing. When they weren’t fishing the boats were people smugglers in disguise. Previous governments had pandered to the Indonesians, arresting the fishermen, burning boats and repatriating them back to Java where they had come from. People smugglers had a different fate, ending up in one of the offshore detention centres. In the public’s perception the pandering had begun much earlier and probably came to public interest more when Indonesian troops invaded East Timor in 1975. Further evidence, if there needed to be any other, was the Government’s treatment of forty-two West Papuan refugees who fled to Australia in early 2006. For some reason successive Australian Governments had either turned a blind eye to Jakarta or were willing to allow the military to do what it pleased. Then for what seem liked decades, Australia had seemed willing to let fishing poachers and people smuggling boats pretending to be legal fishing boats, continue to operate in Australian waters.
Earlier this year the first confrontation had occurred. The fire
order had gone out and fifty rounds of high calibre machine gun had rattled over the bows of two fishing boats near the Buccaneer Archipelago. Jakarta was furious and immediately suspended diplomatic relationships, sent the Australian ambassador packing and recalled its own ambassador from Canberra. The relationship between the two countries went downhill from there.
Since then more confrontations had occurred and Jakarta had threatened Australia diplomatically. On one occasion an Indonesian Navy vessel was seem shadowing a fleet of fishing boats well inside Australian waters. Canberra let off a barrage of diplomatic speak. Jakarta responded in the now familiar manner, and said nothing.
Harrison entered the bridge to be met by his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Jane Cartwright.
What’s happening Jane?
"Radar contact, bearing 065 at 45 sir; well inside. Looks like three small craft and a larger one. Intel puts the targets to be three local craft with a Bung Tomo Class Corvette in tail."
What does FleetNet say about our Ops Status?
"Current orders are to Locate and Deter sir. Both officers knew that their vessel had the authority to only fire in an aggressive manner if fired upon first. There was no threat from the fishing boats. There hadn’t been any evidence that these were becoming armed themselves, although Canberra had suspected for some time that Indonesian military personal had
joined the crew of some fishing boats for
self-protection."
Harrison looked at the ship’s clock above the companionway through which he had just entered. It was coming up to 2030 UTC or 4.30am Western Standard Time. It would take just under an hour to reach the target. The sun would then be up and they would get a better feel for the situation. The current status of the ship was Level 2.
"Let’s go to Level 4. Boarding party to stand-by, forward gun crews to prepare their stations and remaining ship’s company to Alert Status. I want Matthews in charge of the boarding party to go to target one with two, Chief Dixon to target two with two and Young with two to target three. I want you to do the briefing Jane at 2100 hours."
Aye sir.
TelsOp, get me a link to Fleet West. I don’t just want the duty officer; better wake up the Commodore,
Harrison said, almost as an afterthought.
"Sir, the shadow is the KRI Usman Harun." This was Lieutenant Sarah Jenkins, the ship’s other officer who was nominally the Navigation Officer but doubled as the Communications and Intelligence officer.
Thanks Sarah.
The captain hoped it wouldn’t come down to a full blown confrontation. The Larrakia would be no match for a Bung Tomo Class Corvette.
Sir, I have Captain Whittlesby on the line,
a junior sailor announced from the back of the bridge.
Thank you….good morning sir. Sorry to disturb you but we have a situation developing, I need your advice.
Captain Ian Whittlesby was not the Fleet West Commander, but he was the Commanding Officer of the Royal Australian Navy Submarine Force Element Group (SFEG). Whittlesby recently sent one of his submarines on a mission following two Indonesian naval ships through the waters off Wyndham. The Indonesians were up to something and it certainly spooked the local fishermen. Canberra had protested to Jakarta in the strongest possible diplomatic ways. The warships had retreated to a position twenty-five nautical miles off the coast; still within the Economic Exclusion Zone and HMAS Farncomb had followed. The Indonesians never knew the submarine was there. Whittlesby had wanted his Captain to confront the Indonesian vessel, but had been overruled by Fleet West and Canberra. Just another diplomatic failure.
What is it Commander…not being spooked by Javanese fishermen are you?
Captain Whittlesby said, almost sarcastically.
The Lieutenant Commander let that go over his head. It wasn’t worth the reply in the current situation. Obviously the Captain had many things to deal with.
"Sir, we have three fishers and the KRI Usman Harun about two nautical miles adrift of them; well within our area. I have three boarding parties ready to move. Can I have orders to engage the Corvette if provoked?"
You know that you have it Commander. What are you really asking me?
Before Harrison had time to reply Whittelsby went on. Just make sure that your navigation is spot on, your position is clear and that appropriate protocols have been followed… then do your job.
That wasn’t really what Harrison wanted to hear. Although he had expected as much from the straight-down-the-line and well-respected officer. Appropriate Protocols meant verbal warnings in both Indonesian and English concerning the fishermen’s location, pending action if they did not permit a boarding party and aggressive action if they showed any signs of force or running.
Aye aye sir.
And Harrison...be careful and stay in touch.
Thank you sir.
Harrison re-joined his EXO near the helm.
0515 am WST (2115 UTC)
The briefing had been completed; the boarding parties were lowering into the inflatables and the gun crews were in place. The Larrakia slowed and with the use of binoculars Harrison could make out the three fishing boats. Crew were on deck going about their business of baiting the lines and pots. Nothing looked out of place. He could clearly spot four crew on deck and one at the helm under a canvas awning in the mid-ships. Although the sun had not yet risen, the pre-dawn light had started to blossom across the azure seas of this beautiful part of the Indian Ocean. There was a light northerly wind of about five knots, a slight swell of about half a metre and outside air temperature of twenty-seven degrees. It was a beautiful day to go fishing.
"Signal just received from the Larrakia near Rowley Shoals…she has contact with three Indon fishing boats and a suspected shadow in the KRI Usman Harun".
"Under no circumstances is Harrison to engage the Usman Harun, we have an imbed on her and we need to protect our asset," was the reply from the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Frank Svenson, to the Officer in Charge of Planning Northern Region, Commodore Norm Tomlinson.
"Sir, the Larrakia has sent boarding parties to the fishing boats and the Usman Harun will almost certainly prevent them boarding or returning to the Larrakia," replied Tomlinson, knowing that his protest would amount to little. The Chief of Navy was not a man to question, even by an officer of Tomlinson’s rank and position. Even if done in the most patronizing fashion, as the Commodore had tried to do.
If protocols are followed there should not be an issue. Harrison has his orders,
Svenson retorted, as only the CN could. Turning to a junior officer supervising the communications suite he added, Get me the Minister!
Aye sir,
came the reply from the young Sub Lieutenant.
Whether it was a fact of being prepared to lose a minor confrontation for the sake of the major battle that had been looming for some time, or just outright pig-headedness by an officer whom Tomlinson believed was well past his use by date, the Commodore could not be certain.
Gregory Martin leaned up against a railing on the northern side of Lake Burley Griffin, next to the National Capital Development Building. It was a crisp Canberra morning and he was half through his morning torture. As usual he would walk down to the lake from his apartment near Manuka, a southern Canberra suburb near Parliament House, and begin his run around the lake from behind the Questacon Science Centre. An ex-Prime Minister had started the craziness of ministers being seen to be health conscious, often at the expense of their health. How ironic that a Minister of Health some years later collapsed and died whilst power-walking near Parliament House. As was the norm in this crazy time, Martin had a personal trainer and a two man security detail with him along with his ever-suffering personal assistant, Jenny McFarland. It was McFarland who handed the mobile to the Minister for Defence.
It’s the CN.
What’s he up to now…
Martin trailed off when he realized that Admiral Svenson had probably heard him.
Yes Admiral?
"Sir, we have a situation developing off the WA coast. HMAS Larrakia has sent boarding parties towards three fishing vessels with a KRI Corvette in shadow. We have an imbedded on the frigate and we believe that it is there as a provocation towards our ship. The captain of Larrakia has his orders only to open fire if provoked, however if the Indonesians overact we could have serious consequences. Do you want me to withdraw the boarding parties, or permit them to do their job?" Both Svenson and the Minister fully knew what he meant by emphasizing those three little words.
Admiral, I do not need to remind you of our meeting with the Prime Minister and the other chiefs of staff. This government has worked tirelessly to maintain a positive relationship with Indonesia who in turn have helped us with the Islamic Terrorist network that has been operating in the north. We must allow to happen whatever will happen and if your captain is stupid enough to board a fishing boat when a TNI vessel is in the background, then it is he who will have to bear the full consequences of any sudden rush of blood he might have. What I want to make perfectly clear to you Admiral is that this government will be unable to defend any renegade action against an ally, even if that is Indonesia. Do I make myself clear Admiral?
Yes sir,
he said, although it was far from clear for the CN. This just seemed to be more polly speak
from this bureaucrat. It seemed to Svenson that no matter which way he turned there would be consequences for his ship, his career and possibly the imbedded on the Usman Harun. Although, he wasn’t too concerned about the latter.
Let me know as soon as there are developments Admiral.
Yes sir.
Oh….and Admiral. Has the CDF been notified?
No sir. He is due in here at 0900 hours.
All right. Phone him and let him know what’s going on. He has probably left home anyway. I wouldn’t want to let him think we were keeping him out of the loop.
Yes sir.
Actually, keeping the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Colin Trinstat, out of the loop was just what the Minister of Defence and the PM had been trying to do for some time. He was a royal pain in the backside, with his silly belief that the military was there to keep the politicians in check, when everyone knew that without the bureaucrats, some stupid military officer would undo years of behind the scene lobbying and cause an international conflict. This had happened when those silly West Papuans succeeded in their attempts to cross over into Australia in March 2006. It took all the Government’s persuasive powers to avert a conflict with Indonesia. It cost votes at home but in the long run it was worth it, even if it did cost the lives of the Papuans when there were sent back across the Timor Sea to a certain death from the Indonesian Soldiers waiting at the airport. Unfortunately it had cost the lives of two officers and four corpsmen who had stupidly sensed something was not right and ventured onto the tarmac behind the repatriated West Papuans. The Hercules crew had tried to retrieve their bodies but they too came under fire from the TNI troops. The Hercules was badly damaged, the loadmaster was killed and the co-pilot was severely wounded. The aftermath took many months of intense negotiation. The Australian public was outraged and demanded retribution. The government managed to conceal all the facts and reported the Indonesian line that the Australian troops had opened fire first. Indonesia paraded two dead civilians to the world media, supposedly killed by the Australian troops, and managed to produce twenty-five West Papuans who claimed to the press that they were the ones who had ventured to Australia. Every sensible viewer and reader of the many print and television media who covered the story, knew full well what had happened. One intrepid reporter from a popular current affairs show had even claimed to have found a mass grave about forty kilometres from the airfield. Still the Australian Government kept the line and again pandered to Jakarta. Some high ranking officers with the Defence Department were fuming. Good men had been lost because of a politician’s whim. What could possibly be gained by this loose alignment with Indonesia? Trinstat had been the Chief of the Air Force (CAF) at that time and was a vocal critic of the government. Just as the government intended, cries of he’s been bought
followed his appointment as CDF and promotion to ACM earlier this year. However, Air Chief Marshal Trinstat clearly was not in this mould. He rigorously defended the men and women under him in every manner possible. He was a popular leader from within the air force in particular, and also had widespread support from the other services. He did not however enjoy this level of support from the politicians; especially the Prime Minister who was always on the back foot defending his own actions or trying to reign in his reluctant and often non-cooperating Chief.
"Send a signal to the Larrakia. Orders remain as stated,
snapped Svenson after he disconnected the mobile phone. The strange thing about his order was that after his conversation with the Defence Minister, he didn’t really know what that meant. Perhaps Harrison would. Whatever happened in the next half an hour, Svenson felt that the genie had been let out of the bottle. The cork had been thrown away, the bottle smashed and there was no one left to bring sense to all of this.
As the Admiral was giving his orders and pondering the fate of the Larrakia crew, Defence Minister Martin was briefing his Prime Minister, Allan Davidson. As he did so, he was approaching the Carillion Bells and was no less than 500 metres from where the action was unfolding at Defence Central in Russell Offices.
The Prime Minister was clearly not in a good mood this morning. If necessary this government, of which need I remind you, you are party to, is prepared to suffer a little at home for the sake of our relationship with Jakarta. In turn our oil reserves will be safe and Jakarta will continue to provide logistic support in our fight against the terrorists in the north.
A truer politician Australia had not seen since the post World War 2 days when the British were permitted to test Atomic weapons on the Abrolhos Islands and from Woomera in South Australia. The latter rockets had killed and injured countless Aboriginals and the former explosions had come at the cost of servicemen who had been human guinea pigs for the British experiments. Servicemen died as a result of the testing; that was acceptable. In the view of some, the loss of Aboriginal lives was an acceptable price to pay. Davidson, was a man on a mission. A mission to eventually stop Indonesia in her tracks, rein in the Government of Western Australia from this secession nonsense, and secure that ego driven third term in office.
Martin knew that it was folly to keep the conversation going. He had his position in cabinet because he was a yes
man. He was not there to think. He was there at the whim of the PM. In fact most of the inner cabinet were there for the same reason. Prime Minister Davidson was a strong man, a strong politician and it was evident that no matter what Martin said, if it was not the Prime Minister’s thought, then it would not happen.
Come to my office when you arrive. I presume you are trying to kill yourself!
I will be there in forty-five minutes.
Martin’s reply was not heard; the PM had already disconnected the call. That was typical.
As the three Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) sped across the Indian Ocean towards the KRI Usman Harun, Lieutenant Steve Matthews had an uneasy feeling. He glanced over at Chief Petty Officer Dixon in the inflatable to his right and towards Petty Officer Young to the left in the third craft. Of course the crew had completed many of these boardings since they commenced the latest deployment. This time, though, it was different. There was an Indonesian naval vessel shadowing the three fishing boats. All the crew carried side arms and a light machine gun, was mounted at the front of each craft.
The three fishing boats were drifting about 300 metres apart and each of the naval craft peeled off and approached their target.
Lieutenant Matthews checked his personal GPS. Yes, the vessels were still within the Australian waters and by
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