Barracuda 945

Barracuda 945 is a naval thriller written in 2003 by Patrick Robinson. It is the sixth book to feature Arnold Morgan as a main character. The book follows Major Ray Kerman as he attempts to "acquire a nuclear submarine, train a crew, sail the Pacific and bring the United States to its knees."^[1][2]

Plot summary

• The story begins with the interrogation of SAS British Captain Ray Kerman who was Muslim born and Harrow educated.

1. Kerman's character is developed; he, now a Major i/c, is training and observing Israelis in an operation in Palestine. The operation goes wrong and Kerman meets the beautiful Shakira. He kills two British NCOs because they killed her children. He then disappears to join the Arabs.
2. The story reaches the ears of Admiral Morris, director NSA. Guided by Lt Jimmy Ramshawe, they suspect Kerman may be with Hamas, staging recent bold, successful, bank heists. Admirals Morgan (Nat Sec advisor) and Morris agree to keep watch on the situation.
3. Captain Kerman is now General Ravi Rashood of Hamas. He trains and leads a team of men into Israel and breaks into a gaol, freeing all the prisoners.
4. Rashood meets Iranian and Arab military leaders and proposes a plan to persuade the Americans to leave the Middle East. He suggests they buy two nuclear submarines (Barracuda 945s) from the Russians using the Chinese as their agents.
5. Rashood learns that Morgan is a threat to the terrorists' plans, that Morgan is coming to London and that his parents have a good horse entered at Ascot. He goes to Ascot, is spotted by an old school friend, sees his parents, returns to London, kills the friend and his porter. He decides it is too risky to assassinate Morgan.
6. Rashood learns about submarines from the Russians.
7. Rashood and Captain Badr take the first submarine from Araguba, near Murmansk to Petropavlosk, Kamchatka. The second submarine leaves Araguba and goes silently past Ireland, heading for Africa. Ramshawe watches both.
8. Rashood marries Shakira and makes her a Lt-Commander. She joins him on the first ship. They almost sink a fishing trawler by getting caught in its nets. They head for Alaska going north of the Aleutian islands.
9. They send cruise missiles at Valdez and destroy an oil port. They head south for Graham Island and frogmen to cause two major breaks in an oil pipe. They head south and destroy an oil refinery and fuel farm at Grays Harbor with more cruise missiles.
10. The Russians tell the Americans they sold the first submarine to the Chinese. They imply the second one was stripped for parts.
11. They fire more missiles at Lompoc Power Station. The second submarine arrives at Petropavlosk.
12. They enter the Panama Canal which is controlled by the Chinese who then close the canal. The personnel are spotted by three American tourists who are killed as they abandon the submarine.
13. Morgan sends SEALs to blow up a lock gate. The water released smashes the next gate. The lake drops and reveals the empty submarine.

• Epilogue. USA takes over the Panama canal. Rashood has escaped to fight another day.

Critical reception

Al Hutchison of The Tampa Tribune called the book a "gripping tale".^[3]

References

1. "Brief". Marion Star. December 28, 2003. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
2. Croft, Stuart (2006). Culture, crisis and America's War on Terror. Cambridge University Press. p. 243. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
3. Hutchison, Al (September 21, 2003). "Fictional Terrorist Tracks Too Close For Comfort". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved October 20, 2010.