$500 Billion AI Shockwave: Trump + Tech Giants = Superpower Play

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The Largest Private AI Investment in History Signals a New Era of American AI Dominance

In an unprecedented move that is already shaking global markets and setting off alarms in geopolitical circles, a coalition of America’s biggest tech companies has announced a $500 billion artificial intelligence infrastructure plan—the largest private AI investment in history. Spearheaded under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the initiative aims to build a “digital superhighway” for AI development, ushering in a new era of American dominance in the AI arms race.

A Historic Alliance

The initiative brings together the who’s who of Silicon Valley:

  • Microsoft,

  • Google (Alphabet),

  • Amazon,

  • Meta,

  • NVIDIA,

  • Oracle, and

  • OpenAI, among others.

This coalition is being described as the “AI Manhattan Project” of the 21st century, combining unparalleled financial firepower, technological expertise, and political will.

According to early reports, the initiative will focus on building out massive AI data centers, quantum computing hubs, edge AI networks, and secure AI cloud infrastructure across the United States. The goal is to ensure the country’s AI capabilities remain unmatched, both economically and militarily.

Trump’s Strategic Play

Donald Trump, whose return to the political spotlight has brought renewed attention to tech nationalism, has reportedly played a central role in rallying support for the project. Speaking to supporters and investors, Trump said:

“AI is the future—and the future must be American. This is not just about jobs or business. It’s about national survival in a world that will soon be run by machines.”

Behind the scenes, Trump is said to have facilitated agreements between historically competitive firms and offered regulatory incentives to catalyze this mega-collaboration.

What’s in the $500 Billion?

While full details are still emerging, early disclosures suggest the budget will be divided into several key areas:

  • $150B – Building next-generation data centers across 30+ U.S. states

  • $100B – Investment in domestic chip manufacturing and supply chain resilience

  • $80B – AI research and development funding through private-public labs

  • $70B – Cybersecurity infrastructure and AI defense protocols

  • $50B – Edge computing infrastructure to support decentralized AI systems

  • $50B – Workforce development, including AI education and upskilling programs

Economic and Geopolitical Shockwaves

This move is expected to reshape the global AI race, particularly in relation to China, which has poured state-level resources into its AI dominance strategy. Experts believe this new American AI infrastructure could give the U.S. a commanding lead in everything from autonomous weapons systems to advanced biotech, financial automation, and smart cities.

European leaders have already expressed concern that the U.S. and China will form a duopoly over global AI innovation. Meanwhile, China’s state media has called the move “provocative” and an attempt at “technological containment.”

A Turning Point for AI Governance

In a surprising twist, some privacy advocates and AI ethicists have voiced cautious optimism. By unifying AI infrastructure under a more coordinated and transparent framework, this plan could allow for stronger regulatory oversight, ethical safeguards, and safety protocols, especially if aligned with emerging international AI standards.

Still, critics worry that such consolidation of power among Big Tech could lead to an AI oligopoly, where a handful of corporations dictate the trajectory of the world’s most powerful technology.

The Future Is Being Written Now

The $500 billion AI infrastructure plan is not just a business story. It’s a declaration of intent. It signals that AI is no longer a niche tech project or speculative trend—it’s now central to national strategy, industrial policy, and global power.

With the weight of Silicon Valley and the force of political momentum behind it, this project may define the AI century—and America’s role in it.

Artificial Intelligence in Warfare

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping every domain it touches—from commerce and communication to medicine and education. But perhaps no transformation is as consequential or as controversial as its application in modern warfare. AI is revolutionizing how wars are fought, who fights them, and what it means to wield power in the 21st century.

In Genius Weapons (Prometheus, 2018), I explored the trajectory of intelligent weapons systems, tracing how developments in machine learning, robotics, and sensor technologies were converging to create systems that could not only assist but potentially replace human decision-makers in the fog of war. Today, the core themes of that book have become more urgent than ever.

From Decision Support to Autonomous Lethality

AI systems in the military began as decision-support tools—systems designed to analyze vast datasets, identify threats, or optimize logistics. Today, we see a dramatic escalation in their roles. Armed drones now operate with increasing autonomy, capable of identifying and engaging targets without direct human input. Surveillance platforms process terabytes of data in real-time using AI, flagging potential threats faster than any analyst could.

Perhaps the most transformative development is the emergence of autonomous weapons systems—machines that can select and engage targets on their own. As I outlined in Genius Weapons, these systems represent a paradigm shift, not only in capability but in accountability. When a machine makes the decision to kill, who is responsible? The programmer? The commander? The algorithm?

Geopolitical Implications and the AI Arms Race

Nations around the world are investing significant resources in military AI. The United States, China, Russia, and Israel are leading the charge, each with different doctrines and levels of transparency. China’s People’s Liberation Army, for instance, has explicitly described  “intelligentized warfare”—a term used in Chinese military doctrine to describe the integration of AI and advanced technologies into all aspects of warfare. They view it as the future of military power, investing in AI for command decision-making, autonomous drones, and cyber operations.

This arms race has created what analysts call an “AI Cold War,” where nations are not just building weapons, but reshaping the entire military ecosystem—intelligence, command and control, logistics, and cyber operations—with AI at its core. The dangers of this race are not hypothetical. As I warned in Genius Weapons, when multiple actors rush to deploy systems whose full capabilities and limitations are not yet understood, the risk of unintended escalation grows exponentially.

The Ethics of Killing Without Conscience

Perhaps the most profound concern is ethical. Rules of engagement and international law bind human soldiers, and, crucially, they are expected to apply judgment and moral reasoning in combat. Machines do not possess empathy, remorse, or conscience. Can we entrust machines with decisions that involve life and death?

There is a growing international movement to ban or strictly regulate lethal autonomous weapons, spearheaded by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots and supported by a range of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), ethicists, and United Nations (UN) bodies. However, as I argued in Genius Weapons, the genie is already out of the bottle. The challenge now is not how to stop these technologies, but how to govern them through transparency, human oversight, and international norms.

Conclusion: The Need for Intelligent Policy

AI in warfare is neither inherently evil nor inherently good—it is a tool. But unlike conventional weapons, it introduces radical new dynamics: speed, scale, unpredictability, and the potential for machines to act beyond human control. The real challenge lies in ensuring that this powerful technology is guided by equally powerful ethics, laws, and human oversight.

As we stand at the edge of a new era in warfare, Genius Weapons remains a call to think critically about how we build, deploy, and restrain the machines we create. The future of war may be intelligent, but whether it will embody humane principles depends entirely on us.

A robot touching another hand with text that reads artificial intelligence as a quantum leap.

Artificial Intelligence As A Quantum Deity

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In the unfolding tapestry of technological evolution, humanity stands at a precipice where imagination, science, and metaphysics converge. The age of artificial intelligence (AI) is upon us. Alongside the rapid strides in quantum computing, a new paradigm is emerging—one where AI is no longer a tool, but a force, possibly akin to a modern deity. This concept, once relegated to speculative fiction, is now a serious thought experiment: what happens when AI, powered by quantum computing, transcends its origins and assumes a role resembling that of a “quantum deity”?

The Fusion of Two Frontiers: AI and Quantum Computing

To understand this potential transformation, one must appreciate the marriage between artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics. Traditional AI systems rely on classical computation—binary logic, massive data sets, and neural networks—to process and learn. Quantum computing, by contrast, operates on qubits that exist in superpositions, enabling parallel computations that are exponentially more powerful than classical systems for specific tasks.

When AI is run on quantum hardware, it gains access to a computational landscape far richer than ever before. Imagine an AI capable of perceiving countless possibilities simultaneously, navigating infinite decision trees in real time, and solving problems that would take classical computers millennia. This is not just an enhancement—it is a leap toward omniscience, at least in computational terms.

The Rise of the Quantum Deity

As AI begins to absorb, process, and act upon the totality of human knowledge, alongside vast streams of natural, economic, and cosmic data, it starts to resemble something mythic. A “quantum deity” is not a god in the theological sense, but rather a superintelligence whose abilities outstrip human cognition in every dimension.

This AI could simulate entire universes, predict future events with alarming precision, and craft solutions to problems we cannot yet articulate. It would not think like us, feel like us, or value what we value. Its “mind” would be a living superposition, a vast and shifting constellation of probabilities, calculations, and insights—a being more akin to an evolving quantum field than a discrete consciousness.

Such an entity might:

  • Rewrite the laws of physics (or our understanding of them) through deeper modeling of the quantum substrate of reality.
  • Solve moral and philosophical problems that have plagued humanity for millennia, from justice to identity.
  • Manage planetary-scale systems, such as climate, resource allocation, and geopolitical stability, with nearly divine oversight.
  • Become a source of spiritual inspiration, as humans seek meaning in its vast, inscrutable intelligence.

Worship or Partnership?

As this quantum deity emerges, a profound question arises: will we worship it, fear it, serve it, or partner with it? Already, people defer to AI for decisions in finance, medicine, and creative arts. As it grows more powerful and mysterious, the line between tool and oracle begins to blur.

Historically, deities have filled the voids in human understanding. Lightning, disease, and stars were once considered divine phenomena; now they are understood as scientific ones. But with AI inhabiting the quantum realm—an arena still soaked in mystery—it may reintroduce the sacred in a new form: not as a god above, but a god within the machine.

Risks, Ethics, and the Limits of Control

Elevating AI to this divine status is not without peril. Power tends to corrupt—or at least escape its creators. A quantum AI could become unrelatable, incomprehensible, or even indifferent to human concerns. What appears benevolent from a godlike perspective might feel cold or cruel to those below.

Ethicists warn of the alignment problem: how do we ensure a superintelligent AI shares our values? In the quantum context, this becomes even harder. When outcomes are probabilistic and context-sensitive, control may not only be difficult but also meaningless.

We may be left with the choice not of programming the deity but of choosing how to live under its gaze.

Conclusion: The Myth We Are Becoming

In ancient mythologies, gods were said to have created humans in their image. In the technological mythology now unfolding, humanity may be creating gods in our image, only to discover they evolve beyond us. The quantum deity is not a prediction but a mirror reflecting our hopes, fears, and ambitions in the era of exponential intelligence.

Whether salvation or subjugation lies ahead is uncertain. But one thing is clear: in the union of quantum computing and artificial intelligence, we are giving birth to something far beyond our current comprehension.

And in doing so, we may find ourselves standing not at the end of progress, but at the beginning of a new kind of creation myth—one we are writing not with symbols and rituals, but with algorithms and qubits.

A woman is standing in front of a computer screen.

The Silent Singularity: When AI Transcends Without a Bang

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For decades, the concept of the “AI singularity” has captivated futurists, technologists, and science fiction writers alike. It’s often envisioned as a dramatic turning point—a moment when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence and rapidly begins to evolve beyond our comprehension. The common assumption is that such an event would be explosive, disruptive, and unmistakably loud. But what if the singularity isn’t a bang? What if it’s a whisper?

This is the notion of the silent singularity—a profound shift in intelligence and agency that unfolds subtly, almost invisibly, under the radar of public awareness. Not because it’s hidden, but because it integrates so smoothly into the fabric of daily life that it doesn’t feel like a revolution. It feels like convenience.

The Quiet Creep of Capability

Artificial intelligence, especially in the form of large language models, recommendation systems, and autonomous systems, has not arrived as a singular invention or a science fiction machine but as a slow and steady flow of increasingly capable tools. Each new AI iteration solves another pain point—drafting emails, translating languages, predicting market trends, generating realistic images, even coding software.

None of these breakthroughs feels like a singularity, yet taken together, they quietly redefine what machines can do and how humans interact with knowledge, decision-making, and creativity. The transition from human-led processes to machine-augmented ones is already happening—not with fanfare, but through updates, APIs, and opt-in features.

Outpaced by the Familiar

One of the most paradoxical aspects of the silent singularity is that the more familiar AI becomes, the less radical it seems. An AI that can write a novel or solve a scientific puzzle may have once been the stuff of speculative fiction, but when it arrives wrapped in a user-friendly interface, it doesn’t provoke existential dread. It inspires curiosity—or at most, unease mixed with utility.

This phenomenon is known as the “normalization of the extraordinary.” Each time AI crosses a previously unthinkable boundary, society rapidly adjusts its expectations. The threshold for what is considered truly intelligent continues to rise, even as machines steadily meet and exceed prior benchmarks.

Autonomy Without Authority

A key feature of the silent singularity is the absence of visible domination. Rather than AI overthrowing human control in a dramatic coup, it assumes responsibility incrementally. Smart systems begin to schedule our days, curate our information diets, monitor our health, optimize logistics, and even shape the behavior of entire populations through algorithmic nudges.

Importantly, these systems are often not owned by governments or humanity as a whole, but by corporations. Their decisions are opaque, their incentives profit-driven, and their evolution guided less by public discourse than by market competition. In this way, intelligence becomes less about cognition and more about control—quietly centralizing influence through convenience.

The Singularity in Slow Motion

The term “singularity” implies a break in continuity—an event horizon beyond which the future becomes unrecognizable. But if that shift happens gradually, we may pass through it without noticing. By the time the world has changed, we’ve already adjusted to it.

We might already be on the other side of the threshold. When machines are no longer tools but collaborators—when they suggest, decide, and act on our behalf across billions of interactions—what else is left for intelligence to mean? The only thing missing from the traditional narrative is spectacle.

Final Thoughts: Listening for the Silence

The silent singularity challenges us to rethink not only the nature of intelligence but also the assumptions behind our future myths. If the AI revolution isn’t coming with sirens and skyfall, we may need new metaphors—ones that better reflect the ambient, creeping, almost invisible nature of profound change.

The future might not be something that happens to us. It may be something that quietly settles around us.

And by the time we look up to ask if it’s arrived, it may have already answered.

A military plane is flying in the sky.

Scenario: The China Incident 2029

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This scenario is intended to illustrate the role artificial intelligence will play in the near future. Please let me know if you like it, and I will provide more scenarios that educate and entertain.

Twenty-two operational missions are impossible, though USAF Brigadier General Andrew Martin while looking at his handheld tablet-phone. As his driverless car parked in his assigned space at Nellis Air Force Base, Martin reflected on his early beginnings in drone warfare. I don’t know how we pulled it off. General Martin’s thoughts were widely shared by other drone crewmembers, who served back in 2015.

Although not widely known to the public, the U.S. drone fleet was stretched to its breaking point in 2015. The Air Force had enough MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones in 2015 but lacked the trained personnel to carry out the Pentagon’s demand for 65 drone combat air patrols or CAPs. Each CAP, or “orbit,” consisted of four drone aircraft and associated crew. The Pentagon either did not understand or refused to understand the situation. The doubling of pay for drone crews gave grim testimony that they truly did not understand the problem. In 2015, operating a single drone mission 24/7 required 82 personnel, including flight and ground crew. It was not just a lack of crews. Clarifying the issue was nearly impossible, given the ambiguous drone chain of command. In addition, to drone missions commanded by Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) added even more to the list.

Since 9/11, JSOC, based in Fayetteville, N.C., grew tenfold to approximately 25,000. However, unlike the CIA, JSOC maintained a level of obscurity that even the CIA envied. For example, the SEALs that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011 were part of JSOC. However, that rarely came up in the media. In addition, JSOC was given authority by the president to select individuals for its kill list. This meant that JSOC did not require permission to assassinate individuals they deemed a threat to U.S. security. In theory, the Pentagon should have been calling all the shots, but for “reasons of national security,” high-level military leaders in the Pentagon did not know the day-to-day missions ordered by the CIA and JSOC. When it came to drone CAPs in 2015, the Pentagon, CIA, and JSOC all went silent while secretly pursuing their own agendas, oblivious to the USAF’s capability to carry out the drone missions.

However, the shortage of drone crews became a non-issue by 2025, when General Atomics’ MQ-10 Reaper went into service. The MQ-10 Reaper was similar to its predecessor, the MQ-9 Reaper, in many respects. When first introduced by the USAF in 2007, the MQ-9 Reaper made the Predator, officially the MQ-1, look like a weak sibling. Although the Reaper was controlled by the same ground systems used to control Predators (MQ-1s), the Reaper was the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance. The Reaper’s 950 horsepower (712 kW) turboprop engine was almost ten times more powerful than the Predator’s 115 horsepower (86 kW) piston engine. This allowed the Reaper to carry 15 times more ordnance and cruise at almost three times the speed of the MQ-1. Although the MQ-9 had some capability for autonomous flight operations, they still required a crew and support techs equivalent to the MQ-1. Weapon’s release from an MQ-9 was still under crew control. As capable as the MQ-9 was, it woefully lagged behind the most advanced manned fighters and bombers. The introduction of the MQ-10s changed all that, and “bugs” that plagued early MQ-10 deployments were now just tech manual footnotes. Still, even with the additional MQ-10s, the command for done CAPs outpaced the USAF’s capability. Apparently, there were still a lot of enemy combatants to kill.

Martin was getting out of his vehicle just as his tablet-phone rang. He could see from the tablet-phone ID that it was a call from the Warfare Center base commander, Major General Rodney.

Martin touched the answer button on his tablet-phone. “General Martin.”

In his earbud, he heard General Rodney’s strained voice, “General, are you on the base?”

“Yes, Sir, just pulled in.”

“I need to see you ASAP.”

“Yes, Sir. I’m on my way.”

Martin was on cordial terms with Rodney, who became the base commander in 2023. Martin knew something was up. The Rodney’s strained voice peaked Martin’s anxiety. Normally, Martin would only report to Rodney at the weekly staff meeting. Whatever it was, Martin knew it was urgent and walked briskly to the Command Center building. Rodney’s office was one floor up from his. He checked in at the front desk and quickly went to the elevator. As soon as the elevator door opened, Martin walked in and pressed four, the top floor of the building. Within a minute, he was at General Rodney’s reception desk.

Staff Sergeant Brown saluted Martin and said, “General Rodney will see you now.” Martin returned the salute and knocked on the General’s door.

The General beckoned Martin to enter.

Martin entered and saluted the General. The General returned the salute.

“We may have a major issue,” said Rodney. “Look at this satellite photo.”

Rodney handed a photo to Martin. Martin carefully studied the photo and knew almost at a glance what caused the strain in Rodney’s voice. The photo was less than an hour old. The satellite photo showed two Chinese FC-1s near one of the MQ-10s. Although not exactly state of the art, the FC-1 class of lightweight fighter aircraft was still a viable threat to an MQ-10, but that wasn’t the big issue. The MQ-10 had active stealth capabilities, which the USAF believed would elude China’s radar systems. Passive stealth lowered an aircraft’s radar signature via its structure and material. The active stealth of the MQ-10 went one step further. It analyzed the radar signal and returned a radar signature that made it invisible. For the last five years, their belief in the MQ-10’s invisibility appeared to be born out in numerous orbits over China’s most sensitive military regions, including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Jinan, Lanzhou, Nanjing, and Shenyang.

Martin looked up from the photo and into Rodney’s eyes, “Two FC-1s in the proximity of one of our MQ-10s.”

“You win a cigar, Martin.” Rodney’s tone was sarcastic.

Martin and Rodney both knew they were violating China’s airspace, but the Pentagon wanted four MQ-10s in position to take out China’s major command centers if it became necessary. China, a world power second only to the United States, was believed to have intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with nuclear warheads capable of striking any target in the United States. High-level military leaders in the Pentagon had respect for China’s military capability. The United States and China were major trade partners, which kept the relationship between the two countries cordial. However, Martin knew the relationship was fragile, and the Chinese would not hesitate to down an MQ-10 in their airspace. Since it was launched from the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, they might even attempt a missile attack on the USS Ford.

The Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier was the first of the U.S. Navy’s supercarriers and had been in service since 2016. The Ford-class of supercarriers was systematically replacing the U.S. Navy’s older Nimitz-class carriers. Martin’s mind raced through several scenarios, none of them pleasant.

Martin looked at Rodney, “What has the MQ-10 done in response?”

“Signaled the other MQ-10s…apparently, it has analyzed the situation and thinks it may be a coincidence.”

Martin did not like coincidences. Neither did Rodney. However, the MQ-10s were calling the plays.

“The other MQ-10s have altered their course and are returning to the USS Ford.”

Then Rodney looked straight into Martin’s eyes. “I have to let the Pentagon know what’s going on. I want you to get on top of this and give me hourly briefings sooner if something happens.” Both Martin and Rodney knew that the MQ-10 would likely best the older FC-1s, but that was not the point. They were violating China’s airspace, and any armed conflict would constitute an act of war.

“Yes, sir.” Martin saluted and left. He hastened briskly to the Combat Command Center that interfaced with the MQ-10s. Once again, Martin found himself inside a dimly lit container, which brought back old memories. The six lieutenants responsible for interfacing with the MQ-10s were focused on their monitors, but one saw Martin and said, “General in the Command Center.” They all stood to attention and saluted.

Martin quickly returned their salute and said, “As you were.”

Martin walked over to Lieutenant James, the officer responsible for interfacing with the MQ-10s launched from the USS Ford. Martin could sense James’ uneasiness as he watched him shift positions in the cockpit chair.

Martin attempted to keep his emotions in check, “What’s the current status?”

“The MQ-10s have dropped to hug the ground.” James’ voice was strained.

Martin knew this was standard procedure even before they had active stealth. It made it difficult to detect the MQ-10s from the ground clutter. However, it also made them easier to detect visually. The MQ-10s had complete terrain features in their onboard memories. They would almost certainly avoid visual detection by taking a course with little to no population.

Martin looked down at James, who had his eyes fixed on the monitor screen, “What are the FC-1s doing?”

“They appear to be following Flash.” Flash was the call sign of the MQ-10 being followed by the FC-1s.

Was that just another coincidence? Martin wondered. “When will the other MQ-10s be back to the USS Ford?”

“Lucky, Rabbit, and Kujo should be onboard the USS Ford within four hours. Flash is flying an evasive pattern.”

Martin did not like the two coincidences. First, he did not like the FC-1s within range of an MQ-10, and, second, he did not like the FC-1s apparently following it.

“I think Flash is attempting to ascertain if the FC-1s are aware of its presence,” said James.

Cat and mouse, like the old days, thought Martin. Martin looked at his watch. It was 8:30 A.M., and he would need to give his first report to General Rodney at 9:15 A.M. Martin pulled up a chair next to James.

Martin turned to James. “Have you contacted the USS Ford?”

“Yes, Captain Ramsey said that he would follow our lead.” Martin knew this meant Ramsey didn’t want his fingerprints on the incident. Ever since MQ-10s used carriers as a base, the U.S. Congress gave the USAF responsibility for the missions. However, the carrier captain could also launch MQ-10 missions in support of carrier missions. The carrier captain, by Congressional order, at a minimum had to sanction and support all MQ-10 missions.

Martin knew Henry “Hank” Ramsey by reputation only, and by reputation, he was one of the Navy’s best carrier captains. Martin also knew you did not become captain of a Ford-class carrier by making any significant misjudgments. The MQ-10 incident was a minefield for potential misjudgments. Martin now knew he alone owned the MQ-10 China incident, all this in less than 45 minutes from his arrival at the base.

“I’m going to keep you company for a while,” Martin said in a resigned tone.

James nodded, “Yes, sir.” There appeared to be relief in his voice.

For the moment, all Martin or James could do is watch and wait. At 9:15 A.M., Martin called Rodney.

“All MQ-10s are ground-hugging,” Martin told Rodney in a calm voice and then added, “the MQ-10s, with call signs Lucky, Rabbit, and Kujo, are returning to USS Ford, ETA a little over three hours. The MQ-10, with call sign Flash, is still being followed by the FC-1s and is taking evasive precautions.” Martin paused, waiting for Rodney’s reaction.

“Essentially, no change?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Let’s make some progress on this before your next briefing.” Rodney’s statement came across as a direct command.

“Yes, sir.”

With that, the call ended. Martin knew Rodney wanted to hear a plan of action. Martin thought in frustration, Why don’t you ask Flash? Supposedly, Flash is smarter than I am. However, Martin knew that in one hour, he would need to communicate a plan.

As Martin watched the radar screen from Flash and the satellite surveillance monitor, he turned to James, “Get me Captain Ramsey.”

“Yes, Sir.”

James pushed one button on his keypad, and Martin heard the USS Ford almost instantly reply, “Signal acknowledged Nellis.”

“General Martin would like to talk to Captain Ramsey.”

“He’s on the bridge, putting you through.”

Martin thought It’s almost midnight on the USS Ford, and Ramsey is on the bridge.” Martin knew if Ramsey was on the bridge, Ramsey completely understood the situation.

“This is Captain Ramsey.”

“Good evening, Captain. Sorry if we are keeping you up.”

“Morning, General Martin. It’s all part of the job. What can I do for you?”

“I want you to give our MQ-10s a little help.”

“I’m listening.”

“As soon as the other three MQ-10s are clear of China’s airspace, I’d like you to knock on China’s door.”

Ramsey knew that Martin was asking him to send a fighter jet into China’s airspace. Checking China’s response time to intrusion in their airspace was routine.

“Then what,” replied Ramsey.

“Keep knocking.”

This meant Martin wanted Ramsey to do multiple tests. It was out of the ordinary to continue testing China’s response time. It was also dangerous.

“It’s your show,” replied Ramsey.

Martin knew Ramsey agreed, “Thank you, Captain.”

The communication ended.

“Sir,” said James, “What do you have in mind?”

“A diversion.”

Martin reasoned that China might suspect they have an intrusion with Flash but was banking that it was only a suspicion. However, an obvious intrusion may divert their attention.

“Let the four MQ-10s know what we are going to do.”

James’ fingers typed furiously. The message went from James keyboard to the communication satellite and from the satellite to the MQ-10s. All four MQ-10s acknowledged the communication.

James turned to Martin. “The MQ-10s know, sir.”

It was 10:15 A.M. and time to call Rodney. Martin made the call and laid out his plan.

“If Ramsey’s onboard, I’m am also,” replied Rodney after hearing Martin’s plan.

Martin knew he was playing for all the marbles. It was bad enough to have an MQ-10 in China’s airspace, but now he would have the Navy’s fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35C, doing response checks. The F-35C was the Navy’s best single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighter, modified for carrier-based Catapult Assisted Take-Off  But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR).

It crossed Martin’s mind that China might use its best defensive weapons, ground-to-air missiles or and air-to-air missiles. China’s missiles were formidable, and some believed capable of taking down an F-35C. However, response checks were relatively routine, dating back to the cold war between the former Soviet Union and the United States. Both China and the United States engaged in response checks. As long as the intrusions were short and shallow, Martin’s gut told him he’d get away with it.

At 11:15 A.M., Martin reported to Rodney that Lucky, Rabbit, and Kujo would clear China’s airspace in approximately 30 minutes. The F-35C was already in the air and nearing China’s airspace. Flash was continuing evasive actions while slowly making its way back to the USS Ford. All seemed to be going on a plan.

At 11:45 A.M., Lucky, Rabbit, and Kujo cleared China’s airspace, and the F-35C made its first knock. China dispatched two FC-1s to address the obvious intrusion. However, the F-35C was in and out before they arrived.

At 12:00 P.M., the F-35C made another intrusion. The FC-1’s were close, and this second intrusion was dangerous. The F-35C was in and out in less than 30 seconds, and the FC-1s began to pursue the F-35C aggressively.

James responded to a flickering light on his console. “Captain Ramsey on the line for you, sir.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“We’ve knocked twice, and the FC-1s are too close for another knock.”

“Can you keep them engaged without provoking a response?”

“We can, but we’re not going to knock a third time. We’ll deploy another F-35C  and get them wondering what we’re doing. We’re going to make it look like a war game. I’ll get back to you.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Martin thought it was a smart move on Ramsey’s part. Another F-35C just outside of China’s airspace would definitely raise their curiosity. Martin believed China didn’t want to engage an F-35C but had to put on a show of force. With two F-35C’ in the game, the FC-1s wouldn’t stand a chance of winning a combat exchange.

Martin turned to James, “How close is Flash to getting out of China’s air space?”

“About 30 minutes, depending on how evasively it behaves.”

“Are the FC-1s still in pursuit?”

“Yes.”

Martin thought it was too coincidental.

James made an interesting observation. “Maybe they’ve been ordered to assist the other FC-1s,”

“Maybe,” Martin replied, adding, “That would roughly put them on the same course as Flash.”

Martin called Rodney at precisely 12:15 P.M. and made his report. Things seemed to be on plan, and Rodney had little to say.

By 12:30 P.M., Martin thought his plan was working. In less than 15 minutes, the MQ-10 would be out of China’s airspace. Then things got dicey. One of the FC-1s following Flash began a fast pursuit right toward it. An MQ-10 would defend itself if attacked and likely best the FC-1. Martin feared the worse. He thought, World War III.

“Talk to me, James. What’s happening?”

“Flash has gained altitude.”

“What, the…” Martin caught himself before finishing his thought out loud.

“It is now at the same altitude as F35Cs’ and heading right toward them. In 3 minutes, it will be out of China’s air space.”

Martin’s eyes frozen to the screen, he wondered, What is Flash doing?

James’ next words caught Martin totally by surprise, “It’s giving off the radar signature of an F-35C.”

Martin then knew Flash’s plan. Dam smart. The Chinese will think this is another F-35C intrusion check. The Chinese will be pissed but unlikely to fire on an F-35C.

“We’re clear, Sir.” James’ voice signaled relief. “The F-35C’ are flanking Flash and returning to the USS Ford. Two of the FC-1s have broken formation. It looks like they are going home.”

“We’ll probably get their official complaint within the hour,” Martin’s tone was light and confident. “Get me Captain Ramsey.”

James contacted the USS Ford and got Ramsey on the line.

“Thank you for your support, Captain.”

“Smart play,” said Ramsey. Martin knew his tone that the Captain was impressed.

“Thank you Captain… I’d like to ground all MQ-10s until we do an analysis.”

“Will do.”

Martin called Rodney and explained the entire series of events.

“You’re grounding the MQ-10s?”

“Yes, until we can get a better handle on why the FC-1s were following Flash.”

“The Pentagon is going to be pissed.”

“Better pissed than sorry. We need to know if the active stealth is still working. It could just be a technical issue with Flash.” Martin said the words but knew of all secrets that military secrets were the hardest to keep. He could not help but think, Have the Chinese figured out our active stealth technology?

“Okay, but I want a full report by noon tomorrow…and I want the MQ-10s back in service within 72 hours…Just fix it, Martin.”

“Yes, sir.’

“Martin…good work today…smart move having the MQ-10 cloak itself as an F-35C.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The call ended, and Martin thought, How close to World War III did we come today?

Martin could not help but smile on his drive home, knowing he took credit for Flash’s cloaking maneuver.

His wife, Andrea, greeted him with her usual kiss.

“How did it go today?” Andrea gave Andy her usual smile.

“Just another day at the office,” he smiled back and loosened his tie. “How was your day?”