Posted: 1/3/2009 7:57:33 PM EDT
Agree with most that this is without a doubt Clancy’s finest work, and SOME of the following remains true. Thanks to those who have helped set the record straight on the inaccuracies. I guess this helps illustrate why authors have fact checkers and proof readers; and why late night publishing under the influence, is a bad idea.
So Russia’s RECENT attempt to return to a blue water navy prompted me begin re-reading Red Storm Rising. What I find interesting is how much has changed in a short 23 years, since the book was first published in 1984 1986; most notably in my mind was a divided Germany, now unified, and the demise of the Soviet empire. Almost all Many of the main weapon systems used in the plot are obsolete and / or out of service. My initial observations: F-14, gone for almost two years now, and the US Navy still does not have an air dominance fighter with the standoff capability of the Phoenix missile. F-117, (in the book, called the F-19) not acknowledged by the Pentagon in 1984. Clancy made many assumptions, some under estimated; other over estimated. In the book it was supposed to be a mach 1.3 fighter. The F-117 was subsonic. Also in the book the Soviet airborne radar was able to detect the fighter once inside 5 miles. The F-117 was all but invisible, even at the closest of range; having the cross section of a 5/8ths ball bearing against the best US radars. 688 class boats, drastically reduced in numbers. F-111’s, all out of service. F-4 wild weasels, all out of service. Space Shuttle Atlantis, in the book pulled of the pad to be reloaded with a new Top Secret DoD Spy Satellite. What is interesting about this is that Atlantis did not make its maiden voyage until 1985, nearly a year after the book was published. I just double checked, and sure enough, the book was published in 86; not 84. I guess that kind of blows my theory on Clancy’s clairvoyance with regards to the shuttle Atlantis… Weapons used in the book still in use today: M1 Abrams, still the US main line of defense on the ground. A-10 Thunderbolt, “The Devils Cross” Nimitz Class Carriers The Buff B-52 The E-2 E-3 Sentry, (Typo…but certainly does make a huge difference!) OHP class frigates, all out of service still in service. I was under the impression that the navy had moved to a mostly Ticonderoga and Burke class boats; and has sold some to foreign navy’s. Additionally, I see a half dozen or so mothballed here in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Feel free to add your own memories from the good old days of the Cold War Era… Regards, Matthew (m4_a3) |
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F-14, gone for almost two years now, and the US Navy still does not have an air dominance fighter with the standoff capability of the Phoenix missile. The AIM-54 was a Backfire bomber killer. There is no Backfire threat, and the F/A-18E/F is superior to the F-14 in many respects. Although, the fanboys will no doubt cry foul. OHP class frigates, all out of service. My old FFG, FFG-42, won't be decommissioned until 2013. I won't even start listing the others still in commission. In fact, the oldest still in commission is FFG-8. There are a total of 30 in commission. There were 41 in commission by the end of 1984. 688 class boats, drastically reduced in numbers There were 47 688s commissioned by the end of 1986. I count 46 still in commission, about half of which are 688Is. The E-2 Sentry
Actually, it's the E-3 Sentry and the E-2 Hawkeye. Both are in service. Although, you can't compare the E-2s of today to the E-2s of 1984. The ones of today are far superior. |
| I think the missile that shot down the satellite was a modified AIM-7, not sure though. I remember talking about fighing Russians before I joined in 89'. We were told that the base we were at, Lowery, was marked to be nuked, probably just normal Airman BS, but it seemed cool at the time. |
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I think the missile that shot down the satellite was a modified AIM-7, not sure though. I remember talking about fighing Russians before I joined in 89'. We were told that the base we were at, Lowery, was marked to be nuked, probably just normal Airman BS, but it seemed cool at the time. Not a modified AIM-7. ASM-135 ASAT 
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I was an F-15 Avionics troop stationed in Germany when I first read RSR, about 1986-87. There were definitely F-15s in the book, and everything written about them was spot on, at least the parts I knew anything about.
The scenarios in the book were pretty much what we feared if "the balloon went up" with the Russians. The book had a big impact on me, I feel it's Clancy's best work. I encouraged a lot of folks to read it, and bought several copies at used book stores to give away. I might get some of this wrong, but my favorite part was when a flight of (B-52s ?) was headed to Iceland and the Russians sent up interceptors. The bombers suddenly turned away and a flight of ANG F-4s shot the hell out of the Russian fighters. Might be time to read it again. |
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I was an F-15 Avionics troop stationed in Germany when I first read RSR, about 1986-87. There were definitely F-15s in the book, and everything written about them was spot on, at least the parts I knew anything about. The scenarios in the book were pretty much what we feared if "the balloon went up" with the Russians. The book had a big impact on me, I feel it's Clancy's best work. I encouraged a lot of folks to read it, and bought several copies at used book stores to give away. I might get some of this wrong, but my favorite part was when a flight of (B-52s ?) was headed to Iceland and the Russians sent up interceptors. The bombers suddenly turned away and a flight of ANG F-4s shot the hell out of the Russian fighters. Might be time to read it again. They were Navy F-14s from the carrier that was hit. I just read that part yesterday. |
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I was an F-15 Avionics troop stationed in Germany when I first read RSR, about 1986-87. There were definitely F-15s in the book, and everything written about them was spot on, at least the parts I knew anything about. The scenarios in the book were pretty much what we feared if "the balloon went up" with the Russians. The book had a big impact on me, I feel it's Clancy's best work. I encouraged a lot of folks to read it, and bought several copies at used book stores to give away. I might get some of this wrong, but my favorite part was when a flight of (B-52s ?) was headed to Iceland and the Russians sent up interceptors. The bombers suddenly turned away and a flight of ANG F-4s shot the hell out of the Russian fighters. Might be time to read it again. They were Navy F-14s from the carrier that was hit. I just read that part yesterday. Are you sure? I thought it was the HARM shooters(F-4's) that went in for SEAD with the -52's that were dropping chaff all over the place. |
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I was an F-15 Avionics troop stationed in Germany when I first read RSR, about 1986-87. There were definitely F-15s in the book, and everything written about them was spot on, at least the parts I knew anything about. The scenarios in the book were pretty much what we feared if "the balloon went up" with the Russians. The book had a big impact on me, I feel it's Clancy's best work. I encouraged a lot of folks to read it, and bought several copies at used book stores to give away. I might get some of this wrong, but my favorite part was when a flight of (B-52s ?) was headed to Iceland and the Russians sent up interceptors. The bombers suddenly turned away and a flight of ANG F-4s shot the hell out of the Russian fighters. Might be time to read it again. They were Navy F-14s from the carrier that was hit. I just read that part yesterday. Are you sure? I thought it was the HARM shooters(F-4's) that went in for SEAD with the -52's that were dropping chaff all over the place. Yeah, they weren't F4s, I knew that didn't sound right. I re-read the book about a year ago, pretty sure they were F14s. |
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Want some more good reading along the line of Red Storm?
True story of the British Military Liaison Mission to the USSR in East Germany during the 1980's and 90's. Incredible stories and photos as they watched the Warsaw Pact. VERY worth the money and one of my favorite books. 
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Mission-Behind-Iron-Curtain/dp/0750914084/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231084016&sr=1-1 Another good one is this 
http://www.amazon.com/General-Sir-John-Hackett-Untold/dp/B000LY0ZQ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231084535&sr=8-2 This one has some sections written from the Soviet side. Very good reading. |
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I was an F-15 Avionics troop stationed in Germany when I first read RSR, about 1986-87. There were definitely F-15s in the book, and everything written about them was spot on, at least the parts I knew anything about. The scenarios in the book were pretty much what we feared if "the balloon went up" with the Russians. The book had a big impact on me, I feel it's Clancy's best work. I encouraged a lot of folks to read it, and bought several copies at used book stores to give away. I might get some of this wrong, but my favorite part was when a flight of (B-52s ?) was headed to Iceland and the Russians sent up interceptors. The bombers suddenly turned away and a flight of ANG F-4s shot the hell out of the Russian fighters. Might be time to read it again. They were Navy F-14s from the carrier that was hit. I just read that part yesterday. Are you sure? I thought it was the HARM shooters(F-4's) that went in for SEAD with the -52's that were dropping chaff all over the place. There were at least three air battles over Iceland in the book. The one where the B-52s were sent to draw out the Mig-29s, resulted in the Mig-29s being ambushed by two squadrons of F-14s and one squadron of EA-6Bs. There was another air battle, the initial one, where the American aircraft, I forget which types, were jumped by the Mig-29s with disastrous results for the Americans. |
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I was an F-15 Avionics troop stationed in Germany when I first read RSR, about 1986-87. There were definitely F-15s in the book, and everything written about them was spot on, at least the parts I knew anything about. The scenarios in the book were pretty much what we feared if "the balloon went up" with the Russians. The book had a big impact on me, I feel it's Clancy's best work. I encouraged a lot of folks to read it, and bought several copies at used book stores to give away. I might get some of this wrong, but my favorite part was when a flight of (B-52s ?) was headed to Iceland and the Russians sent up interceptors. The bombers suddenly turned away and a flight of ANG F-4s shot the hell out of the Russian fighters. Might be time to read it again. They were Navy F-14s from the carrier that was hit. I just read that part yesterday. Are you sure? I thought it was the HARM shooters(F-4's) that went in for SEAD with the -52's that were dropping chaff all over the place. There were at least three air battles over Iceland in the book. The one where the B-52s were sent to draw out the Mig-29s, resulted in the Mig-29s being ambushed by two squadrons of F-14s and one squadron of EA-6Bs. There was another air battle, the initial one, where the American aircraft, I forget which types, were jumped by the Mig-29s with disastrous results for the Americans. The first NATO raid was by B52s that got massacred. ETA: They were supported by some Wild Weasel F-4s. The next was by F-111s that was more successful. They were pursued by the MiG-29s over the ocean where the F-4s were waiting in ambush. Then there was the aforementioned raid by the Nimitz Air Group that was supported by the chaff carrying B-52s. Even though it's a bit dated now, it still remains one of my favorite books. |