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Chapter 2477 The Age of Drones (Third Update, Please Subscribe)

"We will make those Western powers understand—this is our land, and they will pay the price for their invasion!"

When the lion of Damascus roared and vowed to defend northern Lebanon, they did not stop their warnings with words, but instead sent reinforcements.

On November 12th.

The eastern Mediterranean was shrouded in darkness, but the island superstructure of the aircraft carrier INS Borneo was brightly lit. Inside the command bridge, the air was heavy; on the screens, dots of light moved along the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Those were Syrian Air Force reinforcements sent to northern Lebanon. They were spotted by an early warning aircraft over the sea as soon as they set out.

As the early warning aircraft detected the Syrian Air Force's movement, two drones took off from the port deck of the "Shenshan" command ship. Unlike ordinary warships, the Shenshan command ship has a flat deck with almost no superstructure. In order to enhance its comprehensive command capabilities, the superstructure was specially built on the port side, leaving part of the deck on the right side to be laid out as a flight deck for drones to take off and land.

After taking off, the two drones flew directly to the Lebanese-Syrian border to continue their aerial reconnaissance mission.

Several hours later, a drone detected the anomaly in the border area.

"Reporting to the Commander, the main force of the Syrian Second Armored Brigade has crossed the border, with a strength of approximately 8000 personnel and more than 1200 armored vehicles, tanks, and logistics trucks. They are currently advancing towards northern Lebanon."

The communications officer's voice broke the silence.

In the center of the bridge, Gu Changchuan, dressed in camouflage combat uniform, turned around. Over sixty years old, he had wrinkles around his eyes, but his gaze remained as sharp as ever.

After listening to the report, he slightly curled his lips into a cold smile, which did not reach his eyes but instead made the surrounding temperature drop several degrees.

"Reinforcements?"

He chuckled softly, his long, slender fingers tapping lightly on the tactical map, and said:

"Does that lion think it can make us retreat by increasing its troops like this? They've forgotten that we are not those countries."

In Syria, they call Assad "the Lion of Syria" because the name Assad means lion in Arabic. Therefore, he is indeed a lion.

For this reason, Syria has banned the screening of MGM films—because the films feature a lion logo at the beginning, leading the locals to jokingly refer to the Assad family as "the only lion."

That is why his speech in Damascus was called "the roar of the lion".

However, whether the lion's roar can have a deterrent effect depends entirely on whether the other party is frightened!
Despite their repeated strong-tongued speeches.

However, when he issued the warning, he clearly forgot one thing—all warnings are directly related to one's own strength. If one's strength is insufficient, then the warning... is just a warning, a serious warning, and a final warning, a series of final warnings.

That's all; nobody cares about bluffing.

Although Gu Changchuan didn't take this bluff seriously, it didn't mean that others were intimidated by his intentions.

Major General Woodwater, the chief of staff standing beside him, could not contain himself:

"Commander, the Syrian 2nd Armored Brigade is an elite force, equipped with the SAM-11 air defense system. Sending fighter jets to attack it would likely result in unnecessary losses."

Moreover, since they have chosen to send more troops to northern Lebanon, they must have made corresponding contingency plans. Our attack on them will only provoke Damascus's anger.

This is not in our direct interest. After all, Syria is a country, not a terrorist state, and we are facing the power of a nation.

Unlike the politicians on Downing Street, Major General Woodwater advocated for full-scale retaliation. Faced with Syria's actions of ignoring warnings and further escalating the situation by increasing its troop presence, he almost instinctively thought of airstrikes.

This also reflects the wartime mindset of Western military commanders—influenced by the United States, or rather, World War II, Western countries operate on a large-scale air force model, accustomed to using air power to strike enemy ground forces. Now, with the two countries' four aircraft carriers possessing absolute air superiority in this region, conducting air strikes is a perfectly normal choice.

However, Syria seems like a tough nut to crack.

The SA-11 air defense missile was the most advanced air defense missile in the Soviet Union. Not only did it have a long range, but its radar was also very advanced and could even intercept cruise missiles—which was its biggest selling point.

British intelligence had already warned them about this. And their warning was timely: the SAM-11 air defense missile system is a mobile air defense system that can accompany troops on their marches.

That's why he was very cautious, first emphasizing the strength of the Syrian army.

"Therefore we must be cautious, after all, their prevention and control system is still very strong."

As chief of staff, he had a duty to issue such a warning to the commander. Of course, if possible, he would prefer to avoid this military conflict, after all, Syria's military strength was still very formidable compared to terrorists.

The most important thing now is to eliminate those terrorists. As for Syria, it can be resolved through pressure and negotiation.

"Air defense system?"

Commander Gu Changchuan raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm, and said:

"I'd like to see what kind of stuff the Russians' SAM-11 really is!"

The commander's answer stunned the chief of staff. He hadn't expected such a response to his advice. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the commander glance at his watch and say:

"Order: 'Katsuragi' to immediately deploy drones to strike the Syrian 2nd Armored Brigade." He paused, his voice rising abruptly, carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Today, we will teach the Syrians a lesson and show them what true thunderous wrath is!"

"Yes!"

The communications officer immediately bent down to relay the order, his fingers dancing across the console keyboard. The order was issued quickly.

Of all the warships, the Katsuragi aircraft carrier is the least noticeable. After all, it is just an old aircraft carrier from World War II, and even with upgrades, it is still outdated.

However, it is very competent as a take-off and landing platform for drones. As soon as the order was given, the "Katsuragi" aircraft carrier immediately became busy.

On the deck, dozens of Reaper drones were already fully prepared for takeoff. With the roar of their engines, one drone after another soared into the sky, their wings slicing through the night air.
Like a swarm of gray bees.

Over the past few years, the Defense Equipment Development Agency and other departments have been researching multi-unit control systems for drone swarms. Now, they are able to control dozens of drones to carry out combat missions in the same airspace.

Meanwhile, at the land base, more Avenger drones—an improved version of the Searcher drone—were deployed.

Its maximum takeoff weight is only 700 kilograms, and its fuselage is made of carbon fiber, Kevlar, and hybrid composite materials. Thanks to this, the effective area of ​​this drone is only 0.3 square meters, which is only equivalent to that of a bird.

Because the Avenger drones are cheaper and have better stealth capabilities, they will be the ones to carry out the first round of strikes.

Forty Avenger drones took off from the land base one after another, flying towards the valley deep in the Beka Valley under the control of their pilots.

In a valley a hundred kilometers away, a convoy of Syria's 2nd Armored Brigade was slowly advancing. Thousands of tanks, armored vehicles, and trucks stretched for dozens of kilometers, like a giant steel dragon coiled in the valley.

The tank tracks rolled over gravel with a dull thud, while the machine gunner on top of the armored vehicle vigilantly scanned the surroundings. In the open area of ​​the valley, the antenna of the SAM-11 air defense system's search radar rotated continuously, searching for any potential threats.

As the Soviet Union's most advanced anti-aircraft missile, it could even detect and shoot down Tomahawk missiles with a radar cross-section of only 0.1 square meters.

It is precisely because of this that many people have escaped the predicament of the "bunker boy." Although they may not necessarily be beheaded, there must be something to counter Tomahawk cruise missiles.

"Attention all units, maintain formation, keep air defense systems on full alert, and be vigilant against enemy air attacks."

"I give instructions over the radio," Colonel Mohammed, the brigade commander, said, his brow furrowed as he sat in the advance command vehicle. The coalition's counterattack following the rocket attack on the airport had already inflicted heavy losses on the Syrian army. This reinforcement of troops in Lebanon was a desperate gamble, an attempt to force the coalition, which was not yet prepared for war, to concede.

However, he had a persistent sense of unease that the allied counterattack would not be limited to this. Even if they were not prepared, they would not make concessions just because of the reinforcements.

They might even launch a further counterattack!
However, the radar screen remained calm, with no abnormalities except for signals from friendly air force escort aircraft. The mobile air defense battalion quickly reconfirmed that everything was safe.

"Airspace is safe; no enemy aircraft signals detected."

Colonel Mohammed breathed a slight sigh of relief. Perhaps he had been too nervous. Although the coalition's warplanes were advanced, as long as the air defense system remained vigilant, they could always provide early warning. He raised his hand to signal the convoy to speed up and get through the valley as quickly as possible.

Just then, a cluster of tiny black dots appeared in the sky, rapidly approaching like dark clouds looming overhead. But the Syrian soldiers paid no attention; in fact, they couldn't even see them.

They could neither see the Avenger drone at an altitude of 5000 meters nor hear the faint sound of its engine.

Even their air defense missile systems failed to react for a long time. Those drones used the most advanced stealth technology, with a radar cross-section comparable to that of a bird, less than 0.3 square meters, making them easily mistaken for birds in the air.

As the operators of the SAM-11 air defense missile system stared at the radar, they were unaware that a swarm of drones was approaching them.

Although it was dusk, everything on the ground was clearly visible to the drone using thermal imaging reconnaissance equipment.

The drone pilots at the Beirut base could see a convoy of vehicles snaking through the valley on their screens, but that wasn't their target. Their target was the air defense systems emitting strong electromagnetic signals.

Although it is drone warfare, the operational principles are not much different from those of manned aircraft; the first wave of attacks will definitely target their air defense systems.

When the SAM system radar vehicle appeared on the screen, the drone pilot said:
"Target confirmed, snowdrift radar system detected."

“雪堆”雷达安装在与导弹车同样的底盘上。雷达最大探测距离85千米，能够探测35千米处100米高度的飞机，10-20千米处更低高度的目标，10千米处30米高悬停的直升机。

What is its detection range for Tomahawk missiles?
No one knew that when the drone swarm reached the range of the Sea Serpent rocket, the snowdrift search radar still failed to detect the swarm, while the drone pilots had already spotted them.

In the open area by the roadside, two SAM-11 missile launchers, with eight missiles pointing straight to the sky, carried a steel torrent on the highway southward under their cover. A group of MiG-23 fighter jets roared overhead, providing air cover for this force.

Such a vast and imposing torrent of steel was quite spectacular and intimidating. However, they failed to realize that times had changed.

Suddenly, the operator in the "Snowdrift" radar vehicle noticed an unusual spot of light on the screen; it had spotted a target!

"Multiple small targets are attacking from multiple directions!"

Before the radar operator could finish speaking and before the Soviet-trained officers could react, a flash of light appeared from the seven-launcher rocket launcher under the wing of the Avenger drone in the air, and a 70mm Sea Serpent rocket flew toward the target.

The contrail of the Sea Serpent rocket is not obvious; it is just a bright spot in the night sky. By the time it reaches the target, the rocket engine has stopped working, and it flies by inertia. As a result, it flies towards the target almost silently.

Although it made some noise while flying, the whistling sound in the air was barely noticeable amidst the roar of the engine and the noise of the tracks crushing the road.

The next instant, the "Snowdrift" radar vehicle exploded violently!
(End of this chapter)