Ice Station Nautilus

To Lynne – our thirty-year journey together has been amazing. I couldn’t have chosen a better partner.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks are due to those who helped me write and publish this novel:

First and foremost, to my editor, Keith Kahla, for his exceptional insight and recommendations to make Ice Station Nautilus better. To others at St. Martin’s Press – Hannah Braaten, Justin Velella, and Paul Hochman, who I relied upon in many ways as Ice Station Nautilus progressed toward publication. And finally, thanks again to Sally Richardson and George Witte for making this book possible.

To those who helped me get the details in Ice Station Nautilus right: to Navy Captain Tom Monroe, former Commanding Officer of PMS 391, Escape and Rescue Program Office, along with his deputy, Dave Wunder, who walked me through the submarine search and rescue process. To Commander Andrew Kimsey and Lieutenant Commander Jonathon Gibbs, Commanding Officer and Engineer Officer of the Undersea Rescue Command, who showed me the submarine rescue equipment and explained its operation.

To U.S. Navy public affairs officers Lieutenant Matthew Stroup, Lieutenant Ryan de Vera, Colleen O’Rourke, Brie Lang, Olivia Logan, and Stan Weakley, who arranged the meetings with the above organizations and assisted getting those sections of Ice Station Nautilus reviewed by the appropriate subject matter experts.

To Director Larry Estrada and ice pilot Howard Reese at the Arctic Submarine Laboratory, for walking me through Arctic ice camp operations and the unique differences in submarine operations while in the Marginal Ice Zone and under the polar ice cap.

To Lieutenant Commander Stephen and Nicole Hunt, for helping translate legacy submarine operations into how Virginia class submarines operate, as well as explaining the hardware differences between Virginia class and older submarines.

And finally, to the men and women who have served in our armed services. My heart and thoughts will always be with you.

I hope you enjoy Ice Station Nautilus!

Main Characters

(complete cast of characters is provided in addendum)

United States Administration

CHRISTINE O’CONNOR, national security advisor

STEVE BRACKMAN (Captain), senior military aide

USS North Dakota (Virginia class fast attack submarine)

PAUL TOLBERT (Commander), Commanding Officer

USS Michigan (Ohio class guided missile submarine)

MURRAY WILSON (Captain), Commanding Officer

JOHN MCNEIL (Commander), SEAL team commander

JAKE HARRISON (Lieutenant), SEAL platoon officer-in-charge

Undersea Rescue Command

NED STEEL (Commander), Commanding Officer

PETER TARBOTTOM, lead contractor for Phoenix International

Arctic Submarine Laboratory

VANCE VERBECK, technical director

PAUL LEONE, ice pilot

Russian Federation Administration

YURI KALININ, president

BORIS CHERNOV, minister of defense

Russian Fleet Commanders

GEORGIY IVANOV (Fleet Admiral), Commander-in-Chief, Russian Navy

OLEG LIPOVSKY (Admiral), Commander, Northern Fleet

K-535 Yury Dolgoruky (Borei class ballistic missile submarine)

NICHOLAI STEPANOV (Captain First Rank), Commanding Officer

K-157 Vepr (Akula II class nuclear attack submarine)

MATVEY BACZEWSKI (Captain Second Rank), Commanding Officer

K-329 Severodvinsk (Yasen class nuclear attack submarine)

JOSEF BUFFANOV (Captain Second Rank), Commanding Officer

Ice Camp Barneo / Mikhail Rudnitsky

JULIUS RAILA, Chief of Search and Rescue Services

Polar Spetsnaz Unit

JOSEF KLOKOV (Captain First Rank), Commanding Officer

GLEB LEONOV (Captain Second Rank), Executive Officer

Prologue

USS Michigan – Barents Sea

Torpedo in the water, bearing two-five-zero!

Captain Murray Wilson acknowledged Sonar’s report, then examined the geographic display on the nearest combat control console. A red bearing line appeared, radiating from Sierra eight-five, forty degrees off the port bow. He needed to turn away.

Helm, ahead flank. Right full rudder, steady course three-four-zero. Launch countermeasure.

The Helm rang up ahead flank and twisted his yoke to right full, and the Officer of the Deck launched one of Michigan’s decoys. Wilson turned his attention to getting a torpedo into the water. His crew was still at Firing Point Procedures, but his Executive Officer hadn’t determined an adequate target solution. With Michigan increasing to ahead flank, they would likely lose Sierra eight-five due to the turbulent flow of water across Michigan’s sensors. They needed to launch a torpedo soon.

Wilson stepped from the Conn and stopped beside his Executive Officer, examining all three consoles. With the frequent maneuvering by both submarines, the target solutions were all over the place, failing to converge on a similar course, speed, and range. As Wilson evaluated his options, he was interrupted by another announcement by the Sonar Supervisor.

Torpedo in the water, bearing two-four-five!

A purple bearing line appeared on the geographic display. Their adversary had launched a second torpedo. Wilson responded immediately.

Check fire. Quick Reaction Firing, Sierra eight-five, tube One.

Wilson canceled their normal torpedo firing process, implementing a more urgent version that forced his Executive Officer to send his best solution to the torpedo immediately.

Lieutenant Commander Sparks shifted his gaze between the three consoles, then tapped one of the fire control technicians on the shoulder. Promote to Master.

Sparks announced, Solution ready.

The Weapons Officer followed up, Weapon ready.

Ship ready, the Officer of the Deck reported.

Shoot on generated bearings, Wilson ordered.

Wilson listened to the whirr of the submarine’s ejection pump impulsing the torpedo from the tube. Inside the sonar shack, the sonar techs monitored the status of their outgoing weapon.

Own ship’s unit is in the water, running normally.

Fuel crossover achieved.

Turning to preset gyro course.

Michigan’s torpedo was headed toward its target.

Wilson examined the red and purple lines on the geographic display, with new lines appearing every ten seconds. The red torpedo bearings were marching slowly forward, which eased Wilson’s concern until he evaluated the purple lines. The bearing to the second torpedo remained constant. The Russian captain had fired a torpedo salvo, with a lead torpedo fired slightly ahead of Michigan and a lag torpedo fired behind. When Wilson turned away, he had unwittingly put Michigan on an intercept course with the second torpedo.

Helm, right standard rudder, steady course zero-seven-zero. Launch countermeasure.

Michigan turned toward the east as the Officer of the Deck launched another torpedo decoy. Wilson watched intently as the second torpedo closed on Michigan.

Twelve Days Earlier

1

Norfolk, Virginia

Andy Wheeler, seated at his desk inside the Atlantic Submarine Fleet’s headquarters, worked his way down the inbox on his computer display. He took a sip of his morning coffee as he clicked through the emails, stopping to review the daily Naval intelligence report. In addition to the standard information, it contained something unexpected. Russia’s new Borei class ballistic missile submarine was preparing for its first patrol.

He placed the coffee mug on his desk and opened the attachment of time-lapsed satellite photographs. A moment later, he called Commander Joe Ruscigno, seated at his desk at the back of the room.

Look at these photos, Wheeler said as Ruscigno stopped behind him.

He cycled through the satellite images. Russia’s first Borei class ballistic missile submarine, Yury Dolgoruky, had conducted a torpedo and supply loadout, then entered the missile handling facility.

It’s about time, Ruscigno said. She’s been delayed for years.

"We’ll need to assign someone to shadow Dolgoruky during her patrol, Wheeler said. Is Annapolis still on the northern run?"

"No, she just got relieved by North Dakota."

Perfect. I’ll draft a message while you brief the Admiral.

Wheeler pulled up the message template and entered the pertinent data. Yury Dolgoruky was about to embark on her maiden patrol.

North Dakota would be there to greet her.

2

Gadzhiyevo, Russia

Along the snow-covered shore of Yagelnaya Bay, a cold Arctic wind blew in from the Barents Sea as Captain First Rank Nicholai Stepanov emerged from the back of his black sedan. The icy wind bit into his exposed face, and he pressed the flaps of his ushanka fox-fur hat tighter against his ears. The month-and-a-half-long polar night had finally ended, and Stepanov welcomed the faint warmth of the early-morning sun, hovering in a clear-blue sky just above the snow-covered hills to the east.

Stepanov stood beside his car, taking in the scene. Tied up along the center pier of Gadzhiyevo Naval Base, its curving shoreline forming a semicircular bay, was the pride of the Russian fleet – K-535 Yury Dolgoruky, the Navy’s first new ballistic missile submarine in seventeen years. The sun glinted off the sides of the 170-meter-long submarine, the ship’s black hull trapped in a thin layer of coastal ice. Nearby, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Taymyr waited patiently for orders to clear a path to sea.

A second sedan pulled up and two Russian Admirals emerged. Stepanov saluted his superiors – Rear Admiral Shimko, commander of the 12th Submarine Squadron, and Admiral Lipovsky, commander of the Northern Fleet. The two Admirals returned Stepanov’s salute, but no words were exchanged. Stepanov already knew Admiral Lipovsky desired to speak with him, in private, following this morning’s ceremony.

Stepanov turned and strode onto the pier toward his submarine. The two Admirals joined him, their feet crunching through a fresh layer of snow deposited by the weekend storm. As the three men headed down the long pier, Stepanov’s eyes went to a podium on the pier across from his submarine. The sides of the temporary ceremonial stand were draped in red, white, and blue striped bunting that matched the colors of the Russian Federation flag.

Yury Dolgoruky’s crew was already assembled on the submarine’s missile deck; 107 men – 55 officers and 52 enlisted – were standing in formation with the seven battle department commanders in front of their respective men. Stepanov’s First Officer, Captain Second Rank Dmitri Pavlov, stood at the head of the formation. On the pier, in front of the podium and facing Yury Dolgoruky, were assembled the three submarine staffs under the purview of Rear Admiral Shimko – his own 12th Squadron staff, plus those of the 24th and 31st Submarine Divisions.

Stepanov and the two Admirals climbed the wooden stairs onto the platform, and Rear Admiral Shimko approached a lectern while Stepanov and Lipovsky settled into chairs behind him. Shimko greeted his staff and Stepanov’s crew, and, after a short introduction, relinquished the lectern to Lipovsky. The Commander of the Northern Fleet stepped forward, studying Dolgoruky’s crew before beginning his speech. As Lipovsky spoke, Stepanov’s mind drifted. He had heard it all before. Yury Dolgoruky was a symbol of the Russian Navy’s bright future, not unlike the sun climbing into the sky after the long polar night.

Like Gadzhiyevo, the Russian Navy had emerged from dark times. In the years that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, the once proud Soviet Submarine Fleet had decayed, submarines rusting alongside their piers due to inadequate funding for even the most basic repairs. But the economy finally gained traction and the government had begun the task of rebuilding the Navy, committing to two new nuclear attack submarines per year, plus eight Borei class submarines to replace the aging Akyna, Kal’mar, and Delfin class submarines – called Typhoon, Delta III, and Delta IV by the West.

The rusting hulks had been towed to nearby Guba Sayda, a holding pen for submarines awaiting dismantling, or had already been scrapped at nearby shipyards. The submarines that remained at Gadzhiyevo Naval Base in addition to Yury Dolgoruky – six ballistic missile and a half-dozen nuclear attack submarines – were fully operational.

Yury Dolgoruky was also operational. Finally. It had slipped from its floating dock at the Sevmash shipyard into the White Sea six years ago, and the submarine and its new nuclear warhead-tipped ballistic missile, the Bulava, had been plagued with countless design and material issues. After a seemingly endless series of sea trials, shipyard repairs, and test missile firings, Yury Dolgoruky was finally ready to commence her first patrol.

After almost forty minutes, Admiral Lipovsky finished his speech and retreated from the lectern. It was Captain Stepanov’s turn to inspire his crew. He approached the lectern, resting his hands along the edges as he surveyed his men. They had been standing in formation in the bitter cold for almost an hour, assembling topside twenty minutes before the two Admirals and their Captain arrived. Stepanov decided to keep his speech short.

Station the underway watch.

He could see the faint smile on his First Officer’s face as his second-in-command saluted crisply. Stepanov returned the salute, and Captain Second Rank Pavlov turned to address the battle department commanders. A moment later, the formation dissolved into a mass of men moving toward the submarine’s three hatches. One by one, the men disappeared down the holes.

Rear Admiral Shimko wished Stepanov good luck, then headed down the pier with the three squadron staffs, leaving Admiral Lipovsky and Stepanov behind.

Your stateroom, the Admiral said.

A few minutes later, the two men entered Stepanov’s stateroom, a three-by-three-meter room containing only a narrow bed and a table seating two persons. Lipovsky closed the door, then settled into one of the chairs, motioning Stepanov into the other with a wave of his hand. The Admiral kept his coat and gloves on; their discussion would not take long.

You are a man of few words, the Admiral said as Stepanov took his seat. I should learn from you. I sometimes like to hear myself speak.

The men appreciate your visit, Stepanov replied.

And I appreciate your dedication, Lipovsky said. The Admiral fell silent, his eyes probing Stepanov until he finally spoke again.

"How many men know what Yury Dolgoruky carries?"

It was Stepanov’s turn for silence, reviewing in his mind the images of the loadout three days ago in the missile handling facility.

The entire crew knows, Stepanov replied. Missile Division assisted with the loadout, and you cannot keep something like this a secret.

Lipovsky leaned forward. "You must keep it a secret. No one besides your crew and the personnel in the missile handling facility can know."

Stepanov nodded. I have already spoken to my men. They know not to speak about this to others. Not even family members.

Good, Lipovsky replied. "We cannot underestimate our peril if others learn of our deception. The Rodina itself would be at risk. Lipovsky paused before continuing, expressing his fear more distinctly. The Americans cannot discover what you carry."

3

USS North Dakota

Just off the coast of Russia’s Kola Peninsula, USS North Dakota cruised at periscope depth, the top of its photonics mast sticking above the ocean’s surface. Seated at the command workstation near the front of the Control Room, the submarine’s Officer of the Deck, Lieutenant Scott Molitor, studied the left display on the dual-screen console, examining the image from the photonics mast as he rotated it clockwise with a tilt of the joystick. Molitor paused on each revolution to study Kola Bay to the south, the exit point for warships stationed in the Northern Fleet ports along the shores of the Murmansk Fjord, searching for their target of interest.

Yury Dolgoruky.

The latest INTEL message reported the Russian ballistic missile submarine was preparing for her first patrol. If things went as planned, North Dakota would accompany her.

Molitor had only one hour left on watch, but so far had nothing to show for his effort. After five hours of scrutinizing the shore and surrounding ocean, he had detected only a few merchant ships far out to sea. He commenced another sweep with the photonics mast, shifting to the low-power Wide-Field view with a push of a button on the joystick. He was thankful North Dakota had photonics masts instead of periscopes. He couldn’t imagine going round and round on his feet for six hours straight, dancing with the Gray Lady – the senior officers’ phrase for countless hours spent circling with one of the mechanical periscopes on older submarines.

As Molitor continued his clockwise rotation, the Sonar Supervisor, standing only a few feet away, spoke into his headset, his report coming across the speakers in Control.

Conn, Sonar. Hold a new surface contact on the towed array, ambiguous bearings designated Sierra three-two and three-three, bearing one-nine-zero and one-one-zero. Analyzing.

North Dakota’s towed array was a valuable asset, detecting contacts at longer ranges than the submarine’s other acoustic sensors. However, the array was an assembly of hydrophones connected in a straight line, which meant it could not determine which side the sound arrived from, resulting in two potential bearings to the contact – one on each side of the array.

Molitor acknowledged and rotated the photonics mast to a bearing of one-one-zero, shifting to Narrow-Field view. There were no contacts. He swung to the south. As he examined Kola Bay, he spotted a small speck on the horizon. He called to the Electronic Surveillance Measures watch. ESM, Conn. Report all radar contacts to the south.

Conn, ESM. I hold no contacts to the south.

Molitor reached for the ICSAP handset and pressed the button on the touch-screen display for the Captain’s stateroom. A few seconds later, Commander Paul Tolbert answered.

Captain.

Captain, Officer of the Deck. Hold a new surface contact, designated Sierra three-two, bearing one-nine-zero, exiting Kola Bay. Hold no navigation radar.

Very well, the Captain replied. I’ll be right there.

Commander Tolbert entered the Control Room a moment later, his arrival announced by the Quartermaster. Captain in Control.

Commander Paul Tolbert stopped behind the command workstation, examining both displays over the shoulder of his junior officer. Molitor had resumed his visual search routine, and the photonics mast was rotating slowly clockwise.

Show me what you’ve got, Tolbert directed.

Molitor swung the photonics mast to a bearing of one-nine-zero, then shifted to Narrow-Field view. The speck on the horizon was larger now, but was still difficult to classify. It was hull-down – only the top of the distant ship was visible due to the curvature of the earth. All Tolbert could see was the contact’s boxy superstructure. Since it was transiting through coastal ice, it had to be an icebreaker. Breaking the ice for what?

Tolbert ordered, Take an observation using the laser range-finder.

Lieutenant Molitor repeated back the order, then pressed a soft key on his command workstation, activating the laser range-finder on North Dakota’s photonics mast.

Molitor called out, Prepare for observation, Victor one, Number One mast.

One of the two fire control technicians manning the starboard consoles reported, Ready.

Molitor aligned the photonics mast to the contact, then announced, Bearing, mark, and squeezed the trigger on the joystick.

The fire control technician called out, Bearing one-nine-zero, range ten thousand yards. Lieutenant Molitor added, Angle on the bow, zero.

If the icebreaker was clearing a path for a warship, Tolbert now knew its range. It would trail close behind the icebreaker, traversing the clear water before ice chunks floated back into the open channel. However, the icebreaker’s large superstructure blocked North Dakota’s view, making the detection of a ship behind it impossible. They needed to move off the icebreaker’s track so they could see behind it. Tolbert decided to turn perpendicular to the icebreaker’s course.

Come to course zero-nine-zero.

The Pilot tapped in the ordered course, and as North Dakota turned to port, Tolbert suppressed an involuntary shudder. It had taken a while to get used to the Virginia class design. Although he was now comfortable with a Control Room containing sonarmen but no periscopes, and calling the Helm a Pilot, he still got the willies from normal course and depth changes.

On older submarines, the Officer of the Deck would give a rudder order when changing course more than ten degrees, and when changing depth, the Diving Officer would order a specific up or down angle for the boat. On Virginia class submarines, however, the ship made those decisions. The Officer of the Deck would order a new course or depth and the Pilot would enter it into the Ship Control Station, and the ship’s computer would automatically adjust the submarine’s rudder, bow, and stern planes to the optimal angles. If desired, manual control could be taken by ordering a specific rudder or ship angle. But it was normally a hands-off operation.

North Dakota steadied on the ordered course and the ship’s computer returned the rudder amidships. They were at periscope depth traveling at only five knots, and Tolbert’s submarine moved slowly off the icebreaker’s track. Tolbert and Molitor studied the photonics display, searching behind the icebreaker. Slowly, a black rectangle appeared – a submarine sail.

Sonar, Conn, Molitor called out. Hold an outbound submarine behind Sierra three-two. Report additional contacts in vicinity of Sierra three-two.

Conn, Sonar, the Sonar Supervisor replied. The only thing we hold is Sierra three-two. It’s masking anything behind it.

Tolbert studied the submarine’s sail. Based on its size and shape, he discarded one submarine class and then another, leaving only one. Yury Dolgoruky was headed to sea.

Plumes of water spray jetted into the air from the submarine’s bow and stern. It was diving, venting the air in its main ballast tanks.

Tolbert turned to his Officer of the Deck. Come down to one-five-zero feet and increase speed to ahead two-thirds. Station the Fire Control Tracking Party.

Three minutes later, North Dakota was at 150 feet and ten knots, the photonics mast lowered. Every console in the Control Room was manned, with supervisors standing behind the men at their workstations. The submarine’s Navigator had relieved Lieutenant Molitor as Officer of the Deck, and Molitor now occupied a console on the starboard side, one of three workstations configured to determine the contact’s solution – its course, speed, and range.

Tolbert assumed the Conn, leaving the Navigator with responsibility for the Deck – handling routine evolutions and monitoring the navigation picture, ensuring North Dakota stayed clear of dangerous shoal water. Tolbert stopped behind Molitor and examined the geographic plot on the upper display of his dual-screen workstation. It contained a map of the southern Barents Sea, with North Dakota in the center and the Kola Peninsula and Kildin Island to the south. Sonar hadn’t detected Yury Dolgoruky yet; it was still being masked by the icebreaker.

Finally, the Sonar Supervisor’s report came across the speakers. Conn, Sonar. Gained a fifty-Hertz tonal on the towed array, designated Sierra three-four and three-five, bearing zero-eight-zero and one-seven-zero. Analyzing.

A discrete frequency with no broadband meant whatever was generating the noise was designed to be quiet.

Dolgoruky.

The Russian Captain had turned to the east, hugging the shore of Kildin Island in an attempt to slip by anyone awaiting them.

Tolbert announced, Sierra three-five is our contact of interest. Designate Sierra three-five as Master One. Track Master One.

The Fire Control Tracking Party began determining Master One’s course, speed, and range. Tolbert’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander George Sites, studied the geographic plot on Molitor’s console. After examining the distance to the shoals surrounding Kildin Island, Sites announced into his headset, Maximum range to Master One is six thousand yards.

It didn’t take long for the two fire control technicians and Lieutenant Molitor to converge on similar solutions. The Executive Officer examined the three consoles, then tapped one of the fire control technicians on the shoulder. Promote to Master.

Tolbert examined the solution on the display. Master One was on North Dakota’s starboard beam, on course one-zero-zero, ten knots, range four thousand yards. He would normally fall in behind the Russian submarine. However, if he turned south, toward shallow water, his towed array would drag on the bottom, damaging it. Tolbert couldn’t retrieve the array either, since it was the only sensor they held Dolgoruky on. That meant North Dakota would remain in deeper water to the north, setting up a dicey situation.

Attention in Control, Tolbert announced. The twenty watchstanders in the Control Room ceased their conversations, turning toward Tolbert as he continued. I expect Master One will eventually turn north. We’re in a bad position, on Master One’s port beam. We’re going to slow and open range, pulling as far back as possible. Carry on.

Tolbert followed up, Pilot, ahead one-third.

The Pilot tapped the appropriate symbol on the Ship Control Station screen, and North Dakota slowed. Tolbert monitored the narrowband display on one of the sonar consoles, watching the tonal’s signal strength fade. When North Dakota opened range to five thousand yards, the Narrowband operator spoke into his headset.

Sonar Sup, Narrowband. I’ve lost the automated tracker on Master One. Buzzing bearings manually to fire control.

Tolbert overheard the report. North Dakota had dropped back as far as possible, and they now needed to match Master One’s pace. Pilot, ahead two-thirds.

The Pilot entered the command as Tolbert examined the geographic display on Molitor’s console again. North Dakota was trailing forty-five degrees behind Dolgoruky, in her aft port quarter. They would watch Master One closely now, waiting for her turn to the north.

4

Barents Sea

Yury Dolgoruky

Captain First Rank Nicholai Stepanov leaned over the navigation table in the Central Command Post, examining his submarine’s position on the electronic chart. Seated beside him was the Electric Navigation Party Technician, wearing the enlisted rank of Michman on his uniform collar. Erik Glinka was busy verifying the operation of the submarine’s two inertial navigators. It would be a long patrol with infrequent trips to periscope depth to obtain satellite position fixes. Satisfactory operation of their inertial navigators was critical.

Glinka looked up. Both navigators are stable and tracking together, Captain.

Stepanov acknowledged Glinka’s report, then turned his attention to the center of the Command Post, where the submarine’s most experienced Watch Officer, Captain Lieutenant Mikhail Evanoff, supervised his watch section, his eyes scanning each display and the men at their consoles.

Yury Dolgoruky’s First Officer, Captain Second Rank Dmitri Pavlov, entered the Command Post, joining Stepanov at the navigation table. Everything is satisfactory, Captain. All equipment is functioning normally.

Very well, Stepanov replied as his eyes settled on his second-in-command.

Dmitri Pavlov was a rising star in the Russian Navy – smart and capable, lacking only in experience. Pavlov had joined the Navy after the fall of the Soviet Union, and like many of his contemporaries, had spent little time at sea. Pavlov had been assigned to Dolgoruky to glean as much knowledge as possible from Stepanov, who was Russia’s most experienced commanding officer. He had just completed a three-year tour in command of Gepard, the most advanced Project 971 nuclear attack submarine, and had taken command of Yury Dolgoruky upon her commissioning. As Dolgoruky headed to its patrol area, Stepanov focused on the training of his First Officer.

First Officer Pavlov, Stepanov began. "If you were captain of Yury Dolgoruky, what would you do next?"

Pavlov glanced at the electronic chart. Kildin Island was sliding by to the south, and thus far, they had detected no submerged contacts; only several merchants to the north. But they had not yet deployed their towed array, their most capable hydroacoustic sensor.

Dolgoruky’s First Officer answered, We have completed our two-hour transit to the east, and should turn north toward our patrol area, deploying our towed array once we reach water deep enough.

Correct,