Charged with rebuilding America's long–range attack force devastated in Edge of Battle, Special Adviser to the President Lt. Gen. Patrick McLanahan shocks everyone by proposing to build a force of spaceplanes, able to attack any target on the globe within minutes. The project is led by test pilot Captain Hunter Noble.
Just then, Iran's theocratic regime falls victim to a swift military coup that reveals its immense military power to the world. The new self–appointed Iranian president, General Buzhazi wants to normalize relations between Israel and the United States. Buzhazi appeals to the world for help in hunting down terrorists, he argues that only he has the resources to stop radical fundamentalist Islam, and the world responds favourably.
Hunter Noble secretly launches several reconnaissance satellites over Iran to monitor Buzhazi's powerful forces. Soon the satellites reveal Buzhazi's real plan, planting thousands of Iranian Pasdaran special–ops troops throughout the oil–rich Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The U.S. tries to re–establish a strong military presence in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula, but Iran has the upper hand now, and the U.S. government realizes it is in danger of losing control of the entire Middle East. But Hunter Noble is already working up a plan to strike back, showing the real power of the spaceplane force.
