Flight of the Intruder

Jake Grafton and Morg fly an A-6 Intruder over North Vietnam and strike what they believe is a truck park. They quickly realize the target is just trees. Morg is shot in the neck by a ground-based weapon as they return to the USS Independence, leaving Jake to land the damaged plane with Morg dead.

Back on deck, Commander Camparelli and Commander Parker debrief Jake and urge him to put Morg's death behind him. They order him to write a letter to Morg's wife. The mood is heavy as the Navy prepares Jake for the next steps.

Camparelli tells Jake's roommate Sammy Lundeen to fly Jake into Subic Bay with Bob Walkawitz and Mad Jack to help him unwind. The mission is framed as a temporary, unofficial break from combat. Jake struggles with the idea but agrees to the diversion.

Jake attempts to see Sharon, but she has already departed. He then faces a tense encounter with Callie Troy, who is packing Sharon's belongings. The human cost of war begins to gnaw at him.

An altercation with civilian sailors at the Tailhook Bar leads to further strain with the crew. Jake runs into Callie again, and she reveals that her husband, a Navy pilot, was killed on a solo mission over Vietnam. The admission deepens Jake's guilt.

Camparelli confronts Jake about the bar incident. Cole supports Jake, signaling a frayed but functional bond within the squadron. The rift tests their ability to operate under stringent ROE.

The crew conducts a daylight Iron Hand mission to suppress enemy surface-to-air missiles. They manage to evade a North Vietnamese MiG-17 and complete the objective, helping other aircraft operate with less risk. The operation demonstrates the growing intensity of the air war.

Jake privately suggests bombing Hanoi, risking a severe breach of ROE. Cole rejects the idea, warning it could end their careers and trigger harsher retaliation. The debate reveals a clash of judgment under mounting pressure.

On the next mission Boxman is shot down by a SAM, and North Vietnamese television gloats about the loss. In response, Cole agrees to attack SAM City, a depot believed to threaten future operations.

The Squadron Intelligence Officer is coerced to back the plan and warns Jake and Cole that success is unlikely. The ominous briefing foreshadows the challenges of attacking a well-defended missile complex.

During the mission near Hanoi, they initially drop only two bombs, then reallocate munitions to hit the missile depot. They struggle with a malfunctioning armament computer on the first pass and are nearly downed by heavy fire. On the second pass they destroy the SAM City depot.

Camparelli chastises Jake and Cole for the unauthorized mission, and they are court-martialed at Subic Bay. The hearings are harsh and their careers appear over, as the operation is treated as a failure under ROE.

Operation Linebacker II is ordered by President Nixon, and charges against Jake and Cole are dropped as the raid is retrospectively sanctioned. The mission is framed as part of a larger strategic operation.

Razor disobeys Camparelli's order to disengage and Jake and Cole launch one final attack to destroy a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Their Intruder sustains heavy damage and they eject, with Jake landing near Camparelli's wrecked plane and Cole mortally wounded in hand-to-hand combat. Skyraiders appear overhead to provide cover.

The survivors are retrieved by a rescue helicopter as Skyraiders napalm the area for cover. Recovered and patched up, Jake reconciles with Camparelli as the carrier returns to port, closing this chapter of the conflict for them.