Enemy Below - 158

[The season Finale - the resolution to a sub-plot covering several episodes; and, a cliff hanger involving Bud] JAG was "on point" in a nuclear crisis with Chegwidden, Singer and Turner taking the lead, per the SECNAVs instructions. Vice Adm Holt was in charge of the operation. Mustafa Atef's (a terrorist who was tried, found guilty and committed suicide) brother Kabir was found recruiting Capt Mikael Yerastov (Russian submariner) for an Iranian mission. Webb bugged Ahmad Hakim's Pakistani Embassy office with a cigar box then Baited him with information that the US knew he was a double agent with the Iranians, and that they also knew of their $250 million payment for the submarine Najvayi. He also said that they knew it had been retrofitted for ss-25 cruise missiles. In a play on "Hunt for red October" Yerastov was the only commander to have ever eluded the US boats who were trailing her; AND, fortunately Turner was the only sonar operator who had never lost Yerastov! So Turner was sent to the Seahawk battle group's submarine, the Watertown, to assist captain Flagler and act as the "wildcard" that Yerastov didn't expect. Yerastov, T said, had made a study of Flagler, knew what he would do and would capitalize on that knowledge. When Flagler tried to argue with him over a next step, T told him "I am Alec Baldwin."

Harm and Mac were still investigating the nuclear weapons disappearance in Afghanistan and found a truck driver with radiation poisoning which lead to his town where many Chechen's were also dying. They deduced that a previous episodes' Cmdr Aiken had been killed by a Chechen, who's confession then led to the recapture of 30 kilos weapons grade uranium bound from Russia. But they realize that they may not have recaptured it all.

Bud was assigned by Capt Johnson to redo the rules of engagement for submarines. Bud presented his plan for a "rolling sovereignty" (Cordone Sanitare) around the battle group with authorization to shoot if any ship entered into it. It was accepted through JAG, 5th fleet, CENTCOM, SECDEF and the Joint Chief's! (all in one episode!) The Seahawk set the perimeter initially at 10 miles but when JAG people started piecing all the puzzle together and they realized it was armed with a missile, the captain extended it. T deduced that the Najvayi was heading for the Arabian gulf and began trailing it. Flagler initially didn't follow Ts advice and nearly got them killed.

Harm was then announced as the all time "missile X" champ (shooting down missiles using a jet) so he went up as "wing" with Lt Cdr Chaidez. The Watertown did finally torpedo the Najvayi; but, it was just after it shot its cruise with the "dirty nuke." The Russian men on the Najvayi were dying of radiation sickness because the missile wasn't shielded. Chaidez didn't get the target until it was too close to the Watertown to take the shot, so Harm let the missile target onto his own jet and chase him past the ship until it flamed out!

To make it a cliff hanger Bud and Coates investigated the collateral damage to a school of a military operation and got the navy to rebuild it. When they went together to the ribbon cutting ceremony B saw a boy playing in the mine field and tried to save him. He was shown getting blown up and severing his right leg as the episode closed.