Operation Grand Master - 6 - Covert Beginings

This would be the last covert action before the Cochin invasion began in strength. In the early hours of the dawn a flight of Merats took off into the skies from FAB Barra and NAS Crozet. Flying with transponder signs of commercial freight airliners, these four Merats are however carrying cargoes of a different sort. Flying at a continuous altitude of 30,000 ft the courses of these aircrafts have been specially designed to take them over a few select regions in South America. The course would be selected that these skirt the actual target location by roughly 150 kms so that even if a random radar tracked them they would be none the wiser as to the objective of the flight. In all 11 target locations would be visited by 11 Tactical Teams of Royal Cochin Special Forces.

As the aircrafts reach the designated jump points the teams of four Commandos would jump from the aircraft from an altitude of 30000 ft wearing their Gryphon wingpacks. The Gryphon wingpacks with their special miniature jet engines would assist the commandos to cover the 150 kms of distance to their target with ease and at the correct altitude they would release their Gryphon and land assisted by their own heavy parachutes so that the Gryphon lands ahead of them. The commandos from the 25th Special Forces Regiment, the “Invisibles” based at Nilambur are specialized in jungle and mountain warfare and would be the advance scouts for the soon to be invasion.




Each of the location chosen to send the Commando teams is of strategic importance in the upcoming invasion, Suddie near Georgetown, Monte Alto near Caracas, Ubaque near Bogota, Tamanredjo near Paramaribo, Escol near Cayenne, Mazagao near Macapa, Rio Preto da Eva near Manaus, Camacari near Salvador, Botanical Gardens in Brasilia, Viamao near Porto Alegre and finally one team near the location of the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro. Arriving at their well recon’d target locations before the break of dawn, the 4 man tactical teams would blend into the surroundings camouflaged and set up observation posts. With sufficient resources carried for several weeks of independent operation they also have sufficient weapons to ensure that they can survive a combat action if things turn out bad. Their main objective however is to provide on the ground tactical intelligence which is invaluable before the upcoming invasion.




 As the aircrafts are now starting to get feet dry over South American landmass the commandos finish the suit up and are getting ready for their mission. As the first Cochin soldiers going into combat in the theater, their jobs are infinitely dangerous. No knowing if any SAM batteries would engage their aircrafts before the jump is accomplished, no knowing if the jump would be safe, no knowing whether their recon intelligence would stand the test of reality or whether they would be landing into the midst of a major militia encampment. However the first stone in Cochin expedition to South America starts now. 

Operation Grand Master - 5 - A glimpse into hell

Major General Sharanya Kreszenz is not having the best of days. For one thing as the Commander of Air Combat Group Atlantic, she has to oversee the still continuing forward deployments of her massive Air fleet. She has command over 57 combat squadrons of Royal Cochin Air Force, almost 700 planes apart from nearly 4 or 5 times as many Auxiliary Support planes. For the 96 or so hours except for a few intermittent hours of sleep snatched during transit, she has been reviewing one of the largest War time deployment of Royal Cochin Air Force since the Second Tahoe War in support of Greater Pacifica. She has had to juggle the basing requirement for the massive air fleet between a limited number of Forward Air Bases, ensure logistical connectivity to the massive Cochin Armada stretched across the South Atlantic Ocean and also check through the Air Neutralization and Air Superiority operations that are being planned out by her command staff.

Apart from all this what has really made her irked up today is the fact that her personal Jadayu Mark 4 had developed a landing gear trouble and has to be grounded for 12 hours. So she has to depend now on one of the larger bombers to do an Aerial Reconnaissance which she has been wanting do for some days. Far from being able to fly and relax herself, now she is destined to be a passenger for the next couple of hours. 

The only consolation is that she is travelling at Mach 2.

The Major General had appropriated for herself a jump seat on an ASPER stealth bomber that was scheduled for coastal ELINT mission. Taking off from FAB St Helena the RS0206 Asper configured for ELINT mission had a programmed track towards Rio de Janeiro 10 NM from which it would angle North East to follow the terrain contours of South America maintaining a distance of 10NM from the coast all the way till Natal from where it could angle South East to return towards St Helena. A routine mission which the Aspers have been doing for the past several days. The Holy American Empire may be a battered nation but there are bound to be some surprises waiting in reserve for the Cochin Expeditionary Force when it makes landfall in a few days and the aim of the Aspers is to reduce the element of surprise . Flying at an altitude of 60,000 ft the Asper expects to be out of the combat envelop of most Surface to Air Missile systems but even if a more capable system engaged it its top speed of Mach 2.5 and active defense measures would enable it to escape unscathed. Besides the Asper has yet to meet a radar system apart from Cochin Air Defense Network which beats its stealth.




As the technicians monitored the readings of the ELINT instruments Major General Sharanya Kreszenz, the daughter of a Tamil father and a Kazakh German Mother, and one of the finest tacticians in Royal Cochin Air Force surveyed over the skies that could spell triumph or death for her Air Warriors in the coming few weeks. 

Operation Grand Master - 4 - Preparing for Hell

The first of several Aerial Reconnaissance Missions has been launched over the territory of the Holy American Empire. Volumes of data are already being assimilated via satellite and SKINT intelligences however the importance of true real time reconnaissance is not be downgraded which is why 3 RAVEN Stealth UAVs each took off from MOB1, MOB2, MOB3 and FAB St Helena. Flying at close to 70,000 ft of altitude these stealthy UAVs are designed for 36 hours of flight endurance. They would also be finalizing final target lists for the Air Support Missions that are soon to be launched. 

The feeling of most of the RAVEN Controllers aboard the various warships of the Cochin Expeditionary Force is shock, absolute shock. They had file satellite imagery of the Holy American Empire before its civil war and comparing the landscape of that magnificent country to the apocalyptic landscapes they are watching now makes all of them have a slight shudder.

The General Officers Commanding the various Regiments and Divisions readied either in forward deployment or in theater reserve are also steeling themselves for the hell they are about to venture into. Holy American Empire was at a time one of the most powerful nations in the world, a veritable super power with Global reach, a technological giant and a military hegemon. The battles waged here were undoubtedly of a Darwinian process of the most brutal kind, the kind of perdition from which only the toughest and the most brutal survive. The Kingdom had taken upon itself the mandate of providing a measure of stability and peace in this conflict torn region, but the Royal Cochin Army would be going up against some of the toughest and war hardened militias in history. The wars that happened here were not the cosmetic rollings of sheer numbers that defines most of the wars in this planet's recent history. These were not the puny wars in which defenders rolled over dead at the first sight of trouble. No, these were real wars, those embers are the remains of real warriors pitting equal technology, equal numbers against one another when wit, courage and sheer Darwinian luck is the only thing that decided whether one would survive to see another daylight or what passed for daylight in a landscape torn asunder with a thousand fires.

The real time imagery seen by the RAVENs are being distributed to all the warships. Two days after the last soldier is permitted to talk to his family back in the Kingdom these imagery would be streamed in all the communal TVs in all the dormitories, the bunks and messes in all the warships, transport ships and bases of the Kingdom in Atlantic Ocean. The sheer brutality of the war zone they would be entering would be shown to all the soldiers so that they can get acclimatized to it, so that the first soldiers landing on shores of South America would not be benumbed by the inhospitable region. The CEF command would let two days of these videos to sink in thoroughly before the Officers start briefing the soldiers about Operation Grand Master. 

Operation Grand Master - 3 - Sailing to War

Private Bayanchur Bagha puked for what he hoped to be the last time at the communal toilet in their dormitory. Hailing from the steppes of Xinjiang, the young soldier is more used to galloping on top of ponies than the rolling motion of a warship at sea. While the initial days were horrible, he and the rest of his fellow soldiers had gotten pretty much accustomed to the seas by now. As they should, after all they are the soldiers of the Royal Maratha Marines, aka 7th Marine Division.

It has been an interesting couple of months for Pvt Bagha starting with his signing up for Royal Cochin Army at the recruitment post near Shihezi. The rural pastoral life of the great Xinjiang plains had naturally toughened the lad and the physical tests were only trivialities. As he boarded the train to Qiemo, the first of many train rides in his life Bayanchur was reveling in the excitement of embarking on a career of adventure and excitement.

However the Basic Training Course at the Regional Training Center, Qiemo dispelled any notions that life in Royal Cochin Army would be casual. Six months of tough training saw many weaker recruits dropping out and of the 48 men who started the train journey with Bayanchur from Shihezi only 13 passed the Basic Training Course and were formally given the rank of Private.

It was indeed a proud day for Private Bayanchur Bagha as he marched past the dignitaries and his father in the visitors’ stands on the day when he was recruited into the service. However the journey in his Army career had only started. Assigned for service with the newly raised Royal Maratha Marines, Pvt Bagha spent several months at NTC Bhuj as the various Brigades and Battalions of his regiment were being organized. It was indeed a unique experience starting out in a Regiment whose very history was yet to be written. A Regiment whose future legends would most likely involve the actions of him and his fellow soldiers as the first soldiers of the formation. It was a very heading feeling for all of them as their entire Regiment, as one, deployed to the NTC Jaisalmer.

It was from then on that Pvt Bagha realized what the career in army is all about. Days passed by and in no time he was marching past the King himself during the commissioning ceremony for his Regiment at the Capital city, Cochin City. Then it was while waiting for the final regimental headquarters that the clarion call for on sea deployment.

Seeing the vast Arabian Sea for the first time at the ports of Kandla was an awe inspiring moment, but then the sea sickness started. He lost count of the numerous times he puked by the time his ship passed Crozet Islands. However the lad from Shihezi got himself accustomed to the seas and in fact even started to revel in it as a proper Marine should, assisted by wise advices from his Sergeants, all veteran Marines from the older Marine Divisions.

It was as they reached the island fortress of St Helena that the full extent of their deployment was made aware to them. Brigadier General Prakash Bhosle, the General Officer Commanding himself had addressed the troops in every warship and auxiliary transport. The Regiment, and the Kingdom itself is embarking on a mission of monumental nature about which Bayanchur felt both excited and scared at the same time. He was finally sailing towards a war, a real war. Though he was quite hardened by numerous combat exercises this would be a whole new ballgame altogether. However the sheer passion of his fellow soldiers and the proud expectations with which his officers exhorted them hid the veneer of fear for the time being.

Ever since his Battalion had started deployment from NTC Bhuj all communications were ceased for operational security reasons, however just an hour ago the Platoon Captain had informed him that tomorrow they would all be given chance to call home. Any information about their current position would be given only after the call periods are over. Elation at being able to call family and also apprehension at the full Mission Briefing they are about to receive jostled with one another in the minds of all the soldiers not less for Pvt Bayanchur Bagha.

However he is a soldier of the realm and his King had called him for war, calling him to fulfill an oath he swore that day at Cochin City, so no matter what his trepidations he would brave up and face his challenges whatever they may be. 

Operation Grand Master - 2 - Deployments

Task Force Rajput led by Aircraft Carrier CNS Sakthan comprising of warships DS01 CNS Amindvi, DS02 CNS Trinity, FR01 CNS NIlambur, FR04 CNS Patton, CR01 CNS Kavaratti, CR03 CNS Horemheb, BS01 CNS Kannur, BS02 CNS Cariappa, CV02 CNS Cutlass, CV03 CNS Kirpan and attack submarines SY01 through SY05 is escorting a force comprising of 3rd Marine Division and 4th Marine Division travelling aboard Helicopter Carriers H02 CNS Rokossovsky and H03 CNS Kirov and associated transport vessels. The Task Force Rajput is in station 200 Nautical Miles East of Port of Spain.

Task Force Jhansi led by Aircraft Carrier A02 CNS Cochin comprising of warships DS03 CNS Hannibal, DS04 CNS Nelson, FR05 CNS Billiere, CR04 CNS Excalibur, BS03 CNS Rommel, BS04 CNS Asoka, CV04 CNS Katara, CV05 CNS Khadga and Attack Submarines SY06 through SY10 are escorting a force comprising of the 5th and 7th Marine Divisions aboard H04 CNS Vatutin and H05 CNS Emden. The Task Force Jhansi is stationed 200 Nautical Miles South East of Salvador.

Task Force Khampa led by Aircraft Carrier A06 CNS Venad comprising of warships DS06 CNS Hunter, FR06 CNS Sekhon, CR06 CNS Talwar, BS05 CNS Genghis and CV06 CNS Urumi with attack submarines SY11 and SY12 is escorting a force comprising of 8th and 9th Marine Divisions aboard H06 CNS Rapier and H07 CNS Swift. Task Force Khampa is stationed 200 NM south of Rio de Janeiro.

The rest of Cochin Expeditionary Force are aboard transport ships scattered in Atlantic Ocean with some formations stationed near St Helena. The entire maritime force is being supported by an Air Combat Group comprising of RF01, RF02, RF03, RF05, RF06, RF07, RF09, RF11, RF12, RF14, RF16 and RF17 regiments of Jadayu Mark 4 ( total of 48 squadrons) and RD01, RS02, RS03, RH01, RH02, RM03, RM05, RA01, RA03 Special Warfare and Bomber Squadrons. The Air Combat Group is scattered across St Helena, NAS Crozet, MOB1, MOB2 and MOB3.


As the deployments get ready General Mahesh Varma, Commander of Royal Cochin Defense Forces send the following message to the Ceylon and Legion allies.

Quote

xxxx CLASSIFIED / SECURE xxxx

ALL UNITS IN POSITION. READY FOR CHECKMATE.

SD,

CINC,
RCDF


xxx END xxx

Operation Grand Master - Part 1

The dawn of a new era started in the most casual of ways. From SLC Thumba a Yama 2 Heavy Lift Launch Rocket took to the skies. The massive rocket is carrying in its payload three satellites which are being positioned in Low Earth Orbit above South America. The combination COMSAT/RECONSATs of Strategic Reconnaissance Agency are the last piece in a massive jigsaw orchestrated over several weeks.

Meanwhile at St Helena a massive fleet of warships and transport ships are being bunkered. Squadrons of fighter planes are also arriving in waves at the Forward Air Base St Helena and moving on to the MOB2 and MOB3 further north.

Monitoring the movements via a LED console is His Highness Kerala Varma aboard the Pushpak Space Shuttle PS5. In a few hours, the Space Shuttle would start the re-entry procedures when he would be incommunicado but for the time being the King of Cochin surveyed the deployments and gave the ready order which is relayed to the RCDF GSHQ outside Cochin City. This would be the start of a new era in the history of the Kingdom of Cochin, a saga which has been in the best times been turbulent. There was no saying how this would turn out. Like all acts of ambition this too is an act of gamble. Would future generations, would his descendants, would his people condemn him for putting the Kingdom in peril or would they laud him for taking the Kingdom into heights of greatness never before dreamed of? All these imponderables are enough to sag the shoulders of the strongest of men, but he could not falter.

"Yadhaa Raaja, Thadhaa Praja" (As is the King, so would be the people)

And here he would personify the ambition, greatness and strength of the people of Cochin.

Within minutes of his Ready order the fleet of warships started sailing out as the opening moves of the Operation Grand Master played out.