Flight of the Old Dog
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Flight Of The Old Dog is a 1987 thriller novel written by Dale Brown.
[edit] Plot introduction
Like many books of the late 80's, the plot revolves around a Soviet space-based laser weapon. Flight of the old Dog (FOTOD) tells the story of a secret American military attack on mainland Russia, and is set in the “current day” (The late 1980s) which was the final few years of the Soviet Union. The Russians have developed a top-secret, high-powered laser, which is actually used repeatedly against the United States. Satellites, spy planes, space installations and missile test firings are all destroyed by the rogue laser, with the Soviet government denying all knowledge. Military leadership even dispatches sophisticated B-1 bombers and a new, armed space satellite to destroy the laser located on the Kamchatka peninsula, but both are thwarted. In desperation, the American President turns to Brad Elliott, commander of the ultra-secret High Technology Weapons Centre (HAWC) – also known as “Dreamland” – to devise a way to end the threat of the laser. When diplomatic efforts fail, and a military air strike is thwarted by apparent espionage, the last resort comes into play – a highly modified B-52 Stratofortress now called EB-52 Megafortress. The bomber is hastily crewed with a mixed team of SAC personnel and civilian engineers, and flown to Alaska where it begins its flight into the USSR. However, the plan starts falling apart and the plane comes under attack by PVO fighter aircraft. The EB-52 is able to bomb the installation and make an escape surviveing wave after wave of Soviet surface-to-air missles and MIG fighters. Leaking fuel from missile hits from Soviet planes the crew set down at Anadyr, a little-used Russian airfield and steal Russian fuel in order to fly back to the United States. They are surprised in the act of refueling, and one of the crew sacrifices himself to allow the plane to take off, which it does. The hero of the hour gets the girl and the world is safe from the 'Evil' Soviet menace.
75,000 copies of the first printing were sold.
