The year is 1980. "Soviet forces continue to struggle against the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, while London has just seen the end to the Iranian Embassy siege. An incident on a military range in Dorset leads Ministry of Defence troubleshooter, Alex Swan, on the trail of a stolen targeting system codenamed DEERSTALKER. He suspects a Palestinian terrorist-for-hire known as the Sand Rat. So his team joins forces with the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, and attempt to track the Sand Rat down."