The Eagle in Autumn: a Chronicle of the South China Sea War of 2022

The year is 2022. The South China Sea is the busiest waterway in the world, and is on the verge of becoming a cauldron of violent naval destruction. With interviews, verified press reports, and the U. S. government's investigation transcripts, The Eagle in Autumn describes the criminal activity that transpires at the U. S. defense contractor Dayton-Anderson-activity that considerably affects the outcome of the conflict. Espionage runs rampant as agents working for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) try to gain access to security intelligence from the Americans, specifically on the RU-35, a field upgrade to a Howitzer-type rocket-propelled artillery shell and also the Conqueror missile guidance system. Recruited by the PLAN to steal American secrets, Ian Manning befriends Anne Seybold, a beautiful scientist who is managing the RU-35 and Conqueror projects. Using Seybold, he blackmails the CEO of Dayton-Anderson, a company contracted by the US Government to develop both of the top secret programs. In the years leading up to the South China Sea War, the battle for secrets exacts a heavy price. But it is those secrets, combined with a misguided U. S. foreign policy, a crumbling U. S. infrastructure, and corrupt corporate officers, that end up contributing to the most significant U. S. naval conflict of the twenty-first century.