FOXBAT

Back in 1976, a Russian front-line pilot defected to Japan in a MiG-25Foxbat interceptor, flying virtually at sea level to avoid pursuingfighters and surface-to-air missiles. With about thirty seconds of fuelremaining, he landed at Hakodate Airport, bursting a tyre and skidding offthe runway. Before the aircraft was handed back to the Russians, Americanintelligence agencies reduced it to a pile of components and then rebuiltit. Despite the wealth of intelligence gleaned, they completely failed torealize the purpose for which the Foxbat was created.Moving to thepresent, American satellites have detected unusual activity at severalAlgerian air bases, and at Ain Oussera one large hangar has been cordonedoff and armed guards posted outside. Western intelligence agencies suspectthat Algeria might be working-up its forces prior to launching an attack onLibya or Morocco, with potentially destabilizing effects in the region.They're also concerned that they might have obtained new aircraft orweapon systems, perhaps secreted in the guarded hangar at Ain Oussera. Theonly way to find out is to get someone to look inside the building, and itwill have to be a covert insertion. This is where Paul Richter is calledin, as 'a deniable asset', in an exciting non-stop thriller that movesrapidly through Bulgaria, Russia, and ultimately North Korea.