Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 224 High-altitude reconnaissance is unreliable

University life passed quickly and was very fulfilling. Chen Jiang and his classmates attended classes and trained during the day, and gathered together in the evenings to discuss their research topics.

Because everyone came from different war zones and different branches of the military, their horizons were greatly broadened.

During this period, through exchanges in life and study, everyone has developed a deep bond. It is foreseeable that in the future, these people will become capable individuals in the military, so this is also a valuable network of connections for them.

The military academy offers a rich curriculum, but what everyone looks forward to most is the opportunity to go abroad and observe foreign military exercises before graduation.

Thanks to the deep cooperation between the two countries, they can send observation groups to each other's countries to observe and learn from each other's exercises.

Of course, this spot was very limited. China only had 10 spots. After going through multiple stages, including personal application, school performance, and organizational review, Chen Jiang and his six colleagues, along with other outstanding officers from the military regions, flew abroad to observe on-site.

This time, the Russian army conducted joint military exercises with a Central Asian country, deploying more than 10 troops, including a large number of armored units, which are characteristic of the Russian army.

Zhao Zhenguo watched with great excitement; he himself was the commander of the armored forces.
"You know what, the Russian armored forces are really interesting. They're all about boldly advancing and pushing deep into enemy territory!"

Lin Xiaoxiao and Qi Huan, who came to observe together, were the lucky ones this time. Qi Huan was not very fond of this kind of large-scale fighting style. Although it looked imposing, with rockets bombarding the air, rocket artillery firing in salvo, and heavy howitzers following up with desperate bombardment, the simulated enemy position was engulfed in flames.

"In modern warfare, are there still fools who just stand there and passively take hits?" Lin Xiaoxiao really didn't agree with this "foolish" exercise mode.

In the past, traditional offensive and defensive operations did involve the defending side digging trenches and holding their ground, but such scenarios are now rare in modern warfare, making this kind of exercise somewhat self-deceptive.

"Sigh, isn't this the same in our country?" Qi Huan had participated in many domestic exercises, and they basically followed the same model: first, planes would bombard the enemy, then heavy artillery and rocket artillery would come, and finally, tanks would cover the infantry as they rushed up to capture the enemy's main position.

It certainly looks exciting, but the fact that the Red Army always wins and the Blue Army loses makes this unchanging style of play seem like it might make the reports look better, but it's hard to say whether it actually improves combat effectiveness.

“This kind of fighting style is indeed not very interesting, but we’re not here just to watch the show. There’s always something we can learn from it.” Chen Jiang looked ahead through binoculars while occasionally glancing at the screen of their laptop, which displayed real-time data and the latest situation of the exercise.

"Chen Jiang is right. Foreign militaries certainly have some things we don't care to know, but they also definitely have good things for us to learn. We should take the essence and discard the dross. That's exactly what he means." Teacher Qin Dong also brought a team this time. He was watching very carefully. Due to the military constraints imposed on us by Western countries, such opportunities for on-site observation and learning are very precious.

After hearing what the teacher said, everyone consciously immersed themselves in it, and occasionally drew circles and dots in their notebooks.

It should be said that everyone is used to the conventional weapons of the Russian bear country. Many domestic weapons are also copied or modified based on theirs. However, their bomber and transport aircraft forces are what Chen Jiang and others truly envy.

The Russian Empire still possesses a rich history and profound resources. Although its military strength cannot compare to its peak, the accumulated strength it has inherited should not be underestimated.

A three-plane formation consisting of Backfire and Blackjack bombers roared in and carpet-bombed the target area in real time. The Su-34 fighter-bombers, with their large bomb load, then followed up with low-altitude finishing blows.

This powerful air strike capability is something that the domestic air force currently does not possess.

"Hey, Lin Xiaoxiao, how does our JH-7 compare to their SU-34?" Zhao Zhenguo frowned after reading the question and could only consult an air force expert.

Lin Xiaoxiao gave a wry smile. "To be honest, our JH-7 is an emergency product. Its payload is not as good as others, and its range is also inferior. After all, it is an aircraft that is somewhere between a second-generation and a third-generation fighter."

"But we have been upgrading and modifying the Flying Leopard in recent years. If it is only used domestically, it should be sufficient."

Zhao Zhenguo felt deflated after hearing this. "Then compared to their strategic bombers, they're even less comparable?"

He knew very well that the domestic market was still largely dominated by the "Sixth Master" (a type of heavy-duty bomber), and this kind of tactical bomber was an outdated product, so it was definitely inferior.

Just as Lin Xiaoxiao was wondering how to answer, Chen Jiang spoke up, "There's no point in comparing them. Nowadays, very few countries use this kind of 'carpet bombing' on the battlefield. Even a wealthy country like the United States wouldn't do something so wasteful. They mainly use precision-guided weapons, aiming for a single, deadly strike."

Just kidding. Although Chen Jiang has never been in contact with the air force, he has seen many combat examples. Even the old bomber of the United States, the B-52, no longer engages in strato-bombing. How much less would the air forces of other countries be involved?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhenguo immediately perked up. "Looking at it this way, our 'Sixth Master' isn't bad either?"

Chen Jiang smiled and said, "Upgrading the bombers is definitely urgent, but I estimate that it will focus on stealth rather than simply pursuing speed."

"No matter how fast a bomber is, it's unrealistic to expect it to be faster than an anti-aircraft missile."

"That's not necessarily true. Our Backfire bombers have swept wings, and at full speed, they can reach Mach 2.3, which would be difficult for most anti-aircraft missiles to catch up with." Hearing Chen Jiang say that his country's weapons and equipment were only so-so, a Russian colonel standing next to him was unhappy and emphasized in broken Chinese.

"Who are you...?" Chen Jiang glanced at the other person and found that he was quite tall, with typical features of a Russian.

“Peter, Peter Ivanovich.” The other person extended his right hand.

Out of politeness, Chen Jiang quickly extended his hand and shook it, saying, "Chen Jiang."

Regardless, we're on their turf now, so we need to be careful about how we speak. Therefore, Chen Jiang expressed his opinion in a very tactful way.

"Mr. Peter, if I may be so bold, your country's air force is indeed very powerful, but it still needs further improvement in terms of system-of-systems warfare. This can be seen from the military operations of the United States." As a rising star officer in the Russian Bear, Peter was quite familiar with the world's mainstream military powers, among which the military power of the United States was definitely the one they feared the most.

The opponent's systematic combat capabilities are indeed unparalleled in the world; at least Russia does not have the capability to achieve this.

"It's easy for you to say, but systematic warfare is extremely difficult. Only one country in the world has achieved it, and with just these three tricks, no other country in the world can withstand them."

Peter was very confident in the strength of his country. Back then, they relied on this set of strategies and tactics to sweep across Eurasia. Even after World War II, their steel torrents were still a formidable weapon that drew the world's attention.

Seeing the man's inexplicable confidence, Chen Jiang naturally couldn't say anything more and could only smile and leave, with the others following him into the hall.

This is an information-based demonstration diagram of the overall situation of the exercise.

Seeing the Russian army's ironclad attacks advancing triumphantly, their senior generals couldn't help but applaud. To show their respect, Qin Dong and his men could only follow suit.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the Blue Army, representing the enemy, launched a desperate resistance in a city, contrary to their usual practice.

The Red Army forces of the Russian Bear were caught in the most unfavorable situation for an attack: street fighting. Due to the interlocking positions of both sides, conventional firepower was rendered ineffective, and they could only rely on ground troops to advance with difficulty, which greatly reduced the speed of the attack.

Seeing the spectators whispering amongst themselves, the senior general of the Russian Bear Kingdom became somewhat annoyed and loudly ordered an increase in the intensity of the attack, while simultaneously deploying reserves to the front line, striving to break through the enemy's defenses in one fell swoop.

This time, Chen Jiang and his friends learned their lesson and hid to the side to discuss things quietly.

"See that? The Russians only have these two tricks up their sleeves. Isn't this just a repeat of the Stalingrad defensive battle? For the attacking side, urban warfare has always been a nightmare." Zhao Zhenguo's tank units are most afraid of urban warfare. If it is a flat plain, it is undoubtedly the most suitable for mechanized units to advance quickly, but urban warfare is the nightmare of all armored units.

“Indeed, they lost their composure so quickly and pushed forward with the reserves. If I were in command, I would never have moved the reserves so easily. Who knows what other tricks the Blue Army might have up their sleeve?” Qi Huan agreed wholeheartedly.

"The key is that their air force is useless. In this situation, carpet bombing is useless unless you bomb both friend and foe indiscriminately." Lin Xiaoxiao really found it funny now.

“In a real war, they might explode together, but with so many observers here, how could they possibly do it?” Chen Jiang shook his head. “Besides, it’s still unclear whether the Blue Army has any backup plans.”

The Blue Army is mainly composed of several small countries in West Asia. Although its military strength is not as great as that of Russia, it has still purchased a batch of advanced weapons from Western countries.

During the exchange just now, the opponent didn't use any of these items, which means they likely have something up their sleeve.

"Impossible!" Just then, Peter, who was still eavesdropping on their conversation, exclaimed, "What country's military strength could withstand a thunderous blow from our country? Besides, they are all small countries, they don't know what they're made of."

"Mr. Peter, we're just having a casual chat here, we don't mean anything by targeting your country," Chen Jiang quickly explained. They were guests, and it was indeed impolite for guests to criticize their hosts, but the other party had also gone too far—why had they come over to eavesdrop?

“Hmph~” Peter pressed on, “Anyway, I think this battle is almost over. Once our reserves arrive on the battlefield, the enemy’s defenses will quickly crumble, and then their rear will be left undefended.”

Seeing Peter's confident demeanor, Chen Jiang and the others could only smile awkwardly. Sometimes, saying more is pointless; it's better to just wait and see.

“Alright then, Chen Jiang, if our army fails to take the enemy's position in half a day, I'm willing to treat you to drinks. But if we do take it, I hope you'll apologize to our great army!” Peter’s voice was loud, attracting the attention of many people around him.

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Qi Huan tried to intervene, but Zhao Zhenguo was a stubborn man, and he would definitely side with Chen Jiang in this situation. "Alright, it's a deal! Let's see how it goes!"

Chen Jiang was dumbfounded. "I haven't even said anything yet, why are you agreeing for me?"

But Zhao Zhenguo had already said what he wanted to say, and continuing to argue would only make him a laughingstock. He could only calmly watch the big screen.

As the Red Army's reserves arrived, the offensive intensified significantly. However, the Blue Army surprisingly adopted a flexible defense strategy, holding their ground while simultaneously organizing counterattacks. The battle was exceptionally fierce, and the number of casualties on both sides surged.

However, the Red Army was unable to break through the enemy lines for a long time. At this point, anyone could see that the situation was not good. There are too many examples in history of this: elite troops were trapped under strong cities, exhausted their strength, and were eventually surrounded and defeated.

The Soviet Union used this tactic to achieve the greatest turning point in World War II. Now, only a few decades later, have they forgotten the lessons learned?
"Gather all the forces that can be mobilized in the rear! I refuse to believe that the Blue Army's position is impregnable!" the Red Army commander shouted, ordering his men to prepare for the continued offensive.

Unexpectedly, the commanders and soldiers around him looked miserable and said that they were conducting an exercise, so where would the next wave of forces come from?
Suddenly, the Blue Army launched a counterattack. Two blue arrows appeared on the screen behind and to the side of the Red Army's main attacking force, indicating that they were trying to cut off the Red Army's main force in half and complete the encirclement.

Chen Jiang saw large beads of sweat on Peter's forehead. Anyone who wasn't a fool could see that the Red Army would either have to run away or be surrounded.

"What's going on? How come the Blue Army still has two units on our flank and rear? How did they manage to scout this out?" The Red Army commander was furious.

"The Red Army relies too much on aerial reconnaissance, and the Russian high-altitude camera technology is quite poor, so it's normal that they can't detect us." Qi Huan is skilled at leading special forces in stealth and infiltration, so he is naturally very clear about the ins and outs of this.

“Yes, back then, the United States had such advanced high-altitude reconnaissance technology, yet our volunteer army still managed to get away with it using the most primitive camouflage. If we had hidden in these two forests and maintained radio silence, the enemy really wouldn’t have been able to detect us for a while.” Lin Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement.

At this point, Chen Jiang also spoke up, "Regardless of the outcome of this exercise, it has taught us a profound lesson: relying solely on aerial reconnaissance is unreliable; in critical moments, we still need to rely on our reconnaissance soldiers."

(End of this chapter)