3. Islamist Front (Domestic)
Time: 11:00 AM EST, June 8, 2025 – 04:00 AM EST, June 9, 2025
Threat Details: Dawn of Jihad cells detonate car bombs in Dallas, deploy suicide drones in Chicago, and hack power grids in Atlanta. Cartel-supplied drones (carrying explosives) target Gulf Coast refineries, aiming to cripple U.S. fuel supplies. The jihadist leader’s X broadcasts incite militias to attack federal bases.
Destroyer Role:
Positioning: Valiant handles Gulf Coast defense, focusing on refinery protection. Resolute splits attention between Cuban threats and domestic drone interdiction after neutralizing the flotilla.
Weapons Used:
Aegis-X Lasers: Primary anti-drone weapon, engaging low-flying suicide UAVs (range 5 miles). Lasers are ideal for cost-effective, rapid response against cheap drones.
Phalanx CIWS: Backup for drones penetrating laser range, firing 4,500 rounds per minute.
EW Suites: Jam drone control signals, linked to cartel networks. Tactical Oracle analyzes X posts to geolocate jihadist cells, feeding data to homeland security.
Tomahawks: Limited use against confirmed jihadist-cartel joint bases near the border (e.g., in Matamoros), avoiding civilian areas.
Tactics: Valiant patrols near Galveston, using lasers and CIWS to create a “no-fly zone” over refineries. EW suites disrupt drone swarms, while Tomahawks target a cartel-jihadist staging area identified via SIGINT. Resolute supports by relaying intel to FBI strike teams, despite cyber interference.
Why Four Destroyers Are Critical
Multi-Front Coordination: Four destroyers allow task division: Vanguard and Defiant race to the Pacific to counter China, Resolute tackles Cuba, and Valiant defends against domestic threats. Fewer ships would collapse the defense; more would dilute the Gulf’s focus, given L.A.’s unrest and cartel threats.
Firepower and Resilience: Each destroyer’s 96 VLS cells and layered defenses (SM-6, SM-3, lasers, CIWS) handle simultaneous air, sea, and cyber threats. Four ships ensure enough missiles (e.g., ~80 SM-3s total for hypersonics) and redundancy if one is damaged.
Cinematic Tension: The limited number creates vulnerability—Vanguard’s near-miss by a YJ-21, Resolute’s mine scare, Valiant’s cyber glitch—driving cliffhangers every hour. Tactical Oracle’s AI predictions falter under Chinese hacking, forcing human ingenuity to prevail.

Conclusion
The four destroyers are pivotal in this 48-hour thriller, countering China’s hypersonic and cyber threats with SM-3s, lasers, and Tomahawks; Cuba’s flotilla and submarine with SM-6s, ASROCs, and NSMs; and the Islamist front’s drones with lasers, CIWS, and EW. Their limited number creates nail-biting tension, as each ship faces overwhelming odds, compounded by cyberattacks and internal U.S. chaos. The minute-by-minute pacing, with hourly cliffhangers, drives the script toward a Day 2 climax where the destroyers uncover a global conspiracy, setting up a desperate stand to save the nation.