The Seventh Battle, 1992

A what if within a what if, The Seventh Battle details a fight between multiple NATO and Soviet carrier groups off the coast of South Africa. In The Sixth Battle by Barret Tillman, South Africa is attacked in 1992 by a strengthened Soviet alliance (renamed the UER). The US comes to the rescue with the fictional Forrestal class carrier, the USS Langley, and an amphibious group based around the fictional USS Hornet. In a week of tough fighting (SPOILERS), the USS Langley air group is able to destroy the UER's Varyag aircraft carrier, Novorossiysk aircraft carrier, and multiple other ships. In the process, the USS Langley and its escorts are destroyed by the combined might of the UER's Backfire and submarine force. At the end of the book, a shakey cease fire is established due to the presence of other countries joining the fight aganist the UER, such as British subs and the French Indian Ocean Squadron, as well as the arrival of the USS Eisenhower CVBG. The sixth battle between carrier groups had ended, with the UER winning the battle but not the war. Now, we go beyond the ending of the book. The cease fire has collapsed, and the seventh battle between carrier groups is about to commence!