Razio Yamata is one of Japan's most influential industrialists. He has devised a plan to cripple American superiority and elevate Japan to a position of dominance on the world stage. His motivation is to pay off a debt of honour to his parents and bring low the country he feels was responsible for their deaths - America. All he needs is a catalyst to set his plan in motion.

When the faulty gas tank on one Tennessee family's car leads to their fiery death, an opportunistic US congressman uses the occasion to rush a new trade law through the system. The law is designed to squeeze Japan economically. Instead, it provides Yamata with the leverage he needs.

As Yamata's plan begins to unfold, it becomes clear to the world that someone is launching a fully integrated operation against the United States. There's only one man to find out who the culprit is - Jack Ryan, the new President's National Security Advisor.