Legendary Captain

Chapter 352 Nine-Five: Flying Dragon in the Sky, It is a Good Opportunity to Meet the Great Man!

Guangdong Air Force Sixth Division Air Group

"What's this kid trying to do? He's just charging straight at us like that, what does that mean?" Firefox One stared at the fighter jet hurtling towards him on the radar screen, and for a moment, he even wondered if there was a trap involved.

Since the fighter jet was spotted, it has been heading straight towards this direction without any deviation, like a reckless fool. If it wasn't intentional, then it looks suspicious no matter how you look at it.

Just now, this fighter jet, relying on its stealth capabilities, maneuvered and weaved near the 6th Air Division's formation, appearing and disappearing intermittently, making them itching to get rid of it. Its slippery maneuvering was like that of a seasoned veteran.

How long has it been? He completely changed his behavior, becoming like a brainless brute, charging around recklessly. It's really hard to understand.

However, not long ago they eliminated the only remaining air defense missile brigade of the Third Division headquarters. Even if this fighter jet has some other tricks up its sleeve, it's just a one-man show and shouldn't cause any real trouble.

Thinking about this, Firefox One realized that he had probably been overthinking things.

"Firefox One, enemy aircraft have entered missile attack range, should we launch?" This was the question from Tittrium IV to Firefox One.

Firefox One is the lead aircraft in the entire fleet, and the allocation of attack missions is usually initiated by the lead aircraft.

"Wait a moment, let's get closer and fire. We don't have many air-to-air missiles left," FireFox One commanded.

The presence of anti-radiation missiles and FC81 free-fall bombs already occupied a large number of weapon hardpoints. Left with no other option, they had to rely on superior radar performance to redistribute weapon hardpoints that should have been allocated to short-range air-to-air missiles for medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles, thus ensuring they had a relatively sufficient supply of such missiles.

However, in the previous engagement against the 3rd Division's Mole and Warthog squadrons, long-range saturation attacks were conducted. This method ensured their safety, but reduced the hit rate, with each fighter jet consuming more than two missiles on average.

After that last round of fighting, they only had four medium-to-long-range air-to-air missiles left, making it unsuitable to recklessly compensate for low accuracy with sheer numbers. After all, they still needed to return to base, and if they encountered reinforcements from the 3rd Division, they couldn't just passively take hits. They needed to have some countermeasures in place.

The idea behind Firefox One was to take down the fighter jet with just one missile, leaving three medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles, plus the short-range air-to-air missiles carried by Tittus 2, which would give them some ability to protect themselves.

Of course, for a fleet of eleven fighter jets, the weapon stockpile of three medium-to-long-range air-to-air missiles and four short-range air-to-air missiles is rather inadequate. But even if we don't talk about self-defense capabilities, it still has some intimidating means.

"Okay! Titman Four received." Titman Four replied, though he was slightly nervous. According to the radar, the enemy fighter should also be able to see them.

When they reach the appropriate missile attack range, it also means the enemy has reached their appropriate attack range, which means they are likely to be pursued by missiles. However, the Hawk-Sparrow missiles they carry are the longest-range Hawk-Sparrow M type. It seems the 3rd Division is not yet equipped with this type of Hawk-Sparrow missile, which makes it slightly possible that when they reach the appropriate attack range, the enemy has not yet arrived. However, this is based on the assumption that the intelligence is correct. If the 3rd Division is also equipped with Hawk-Sparrow M missiles, then this possibility will not exist.

In any case, it's no longer the comfortable environment they used to be in, where they could shoot others without being hit. This put some pressure on the young pilot.

After waiting a short while, FireFox One felt that the distance was about right, and ordered Tittusll Four: "Lock on, launch."

"Tiger Four received." Tiger Four, having waited for a long time, immediately locked onto the fighter jet that had been displayed on the radar screen for some time, then selected the Eagle Sparrow missile, and simultaneously shouted in the platoon channel, "Tiger Four, FOX ONE!"

This is a way of reminding teammates that he is about to launch a semi-radar-guided missile, so as to prevent friendly aircraft from moving around and colliding with the missile he has launched.

But just as Tit IV finished speaking, his radar warning device suddenly started to sound an alarm, which made the already tense Tit IV pilot's heart tighten even more.

"I'm locked on!" Tittrium IV quickly realized the seriousness of the problem and shouted frantically in the queue channel.

"Damn it, stop yelling! Fire! Fire the missile!" Firefox One shouted urgently. However, he couldn't understand why, based on the information provided earlier, the 3rd Division shouldn't have the long-range Eagle F or M missiles. Of course, the radar lock-on distance needs to be greater than the appropriate missile launch range. But locking on and the missile hitting the target are two completely different concepts.

It's quite obvious that the enemy aircraft haven't reached his appropriate attack range yet. What does locking onto them now mean? Is he planning to launch missiles? But launching missiles so early at such a distance would be extremely risky in terms of accuracy.

Previously, they compensated for their inferiority with sheer numbers. However, with only one fighter jet remaining, why are they so careless with their missiles? Launching missiles from this point, it's highly likely that three missiles would be needed to shoot down just one aircraft. If the aircraft in front of them is a mainstream C-15, even fully loaded with medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles, it could only shoot down three or four fighter jets at most. With their numerical advantage, they can still wipe out the 3rd Division headquarters.

Unless the enemy can precisely eliminate all three squadrons' lead aircraft. Only Fox-1, Falcon-1, and Tit-1 are equipped with free-fall bombs. The rest of the aircraft now only have air-to-air missiles.

Of course, this doesn't mean air-to-air missiles can't be used against ground targets, but air-to-air missiles generally have small warheads, and their destructive power is not as straightforward as that of ground-to-ground bombs. There are situations where their insufficient power might prevent them from completely destroying a division headquarters.

However, Firefox One didn't believe it. They had eleven fighter jets, while the other side only had one. Unless the enemy missiles all had eyes and brains, how could they possibly have the misfortune of taking down the number one aircraft of all three of their squadrons?

As expected, young people are too impatient; they start to panic as soon as they are targeted.

Being locked on doesn't mean you've been shot down. Just fire the missiles that need to be fired. What are you waiting for?

After being yelled at by Firefox One, Tit No. 4, who had been somewhat dazed, finally snapped out of it and, without caring about anything else, immediately pressed the missile launch button.

At that very moment, eight fighter jets in the formation simultaneously triggered radar lock-on warnings.

"Firefox One, I'm being locked on."

"Firefox One, Falcon Four locked on."

In an instant, reports blared through the convoy channel, a mix of panic and tension. No pilot remains calm when locked on by radar.

Right now it's just radar lock-on; if things continue as they are, the next step will be launching a missile.

"Locking on eight at once, that confirms it's not a C20!" Firefox One grinned, a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. Even though he had previously guessed that the remaining fighter was just a third-generation aircraft modified for stealth, he hadn't had concrete evidence. But now, the fact that the enemy had locked onto eight targets was the best proof.

The C-20's radar and fire control systems are extremely advanced, capable of locking onto their entire fleet in an instant. The enemy locked onto eight of them, not because they wanted to, but because their radar only allowed them to lock onto eight.

"Eight of them. So they're C-15s!" Firefox One snorted.

This limit on the number of radar targets locked is somewhat similar to that of the C-15. In early versions of the C-15, its onboard radar could only lock onto six targets simultaneously. After improvements and upgrades, later versions could lock onto eight to twelve targets at the same time, which is quite similar to the lock-on capability exhibited by opposing fighter jets.

However, judging an aircraft type solely based on radar lock-on capability is biased. But Firefox One doesn't care at all; as long as it's confirmed it's not a C-20, there's no problem.

"Spread out, prepare for evasive maneuvers!" Fox One commanded. "At this distance, he can't possibly launch missiles."

The air-to-air missiles equipped by the Third Division were far inferior in performance to those of the Sixth Division of the Guangdong Air Force, with significantly shorter ranges. This explains why Tigress IV had just determined that they were within a suitable missile launch range, while Fox I still felt that their formation was not yet within the enemy's suitable attack range.

My range is longer than yours, which gives me an advantage.

The enemy locked onto all eight of their fighter jets in one go. Firefox One had no idea what the enemy was thinking. Were they trying to scare them? So what if they locked onto them? At this distance, what difference would it make if they launched missiles or wasted their last remaining missile reserves?

Meanwhile, in the cockpit of the Type 051 fighter jet opposite him, after locking onto a full eight enemy aircraft, the pilot did indeed want to wait a little longer, until the two sides were closer, before launching the missile.

The enemy aircraft are indeed within maximum attack range, but launching them now cannot guarantee a hit rate, so waiting is indeed necessary.

From this perspective, Firefox One's calculations should be quite accurate.

However, the pilot of the Type 051 fighter jet soon noticed that the alarm on his radar warning device suddenly became more rapid, which meant that the other side had launched a missile.

"Is it really true that our missiles are no match for the Sixth Division?" the pilot sighed.

With the battle at this stage, he was almost certain that the enemy's missile reserves were also running low, and they certainly wouldn't be launching missiles indiscriminately. They would only launch missiles when they reached a suitable attack range—this was the normal way to launch missiles. The Sixth Division's previous method of compensating for accuracy with sheer numbers was a risky tactic.

But now that the other side has launched a missile, his missile has not yet reached the appropriate launch position, which can only mean that his missile performance is inferior to that of the other side.

The overall strength of the Xi'an Air Force is inferior to that of the Guangdong Air Force in all aspects, not only in terms of personnel quality, but also in the hard specifications of its weaponry and equipment. This is particularly evident in the performance of individual air-to-air missiles in the current standoff.

The pilot, who had initially wanted to wait a little longer, now had no choice. He had likely entered the enemy's missile launch range; if they could launch one, they could launch a second, and his fate was sealed.

With this in mind, he no longer hesitated, quickly numbered the targets in the target management system, and then launched all eight air-to-air missiles, thus expending all of his medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles.

Firefox One's thinking was slightly flawed; the limit for his fighter's radar to lock onto simultaneously wasn't eight, but twelve. The only reason for locking onto eight wasn't radar limitations, but missile limitations. He only had eight medium-to-long-range Eagle Sparrow air-to-air missiles; the rest were all Viper missiles for short-range dogfights.

This missile configuration is fairly standard.

The pilot of the Type 051 fighter jet, having launched all its medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles, rubbed the control stick with his right hand as he watched the missile signals getting closer and closer on the radar screen, and then suddenly pulled up.

After the aircraft of the Sixth Division of the Guangdong Air Force dispersed, the message that the enemy could not possibly launch a missile echoed in the platoon channel.

Firefox One, as the lead pilot of this group, spoke with absolute certainty, leaving no room for argument. This reassured some of the team members who were initially somewhat nervous.

The pilot of the fourth aircraft in the Firefox Squadron was a rookie. He was a little flustered when the radar locked on him, but he immediately breathed a sigh of relief after hearing what Firefox One said.

The titmouse had already launched its missile, and it might have been shot down before the enemy could launch their missile, thus eliminating the risk of them being threatened by missiles.

But the moment this thought crossed his mind, the alarm sound from the radar warning device suddenly changed, turning into a more urgent sound, like a death knell.

"The other side launched a missile?" In an instant, the hairs on his body stood on end.

Before he could react, another teammate's voice came through the queue channel: "The enemy has launched a missile!"

The radar warning devices of the eight fighter jets that had just been locked on all switched to missile launch warnings. This situation was like a slap in the face to Firefox One.

Eight missiles fired simultaneously!

"Everyone spread out and take cover. He must have launched the missile at its maximum range. It's nothing to worry about," Firefox One shouted in the queue channel.

In an instant, the entire formation of eleven aircraft scattered like birds and beasts. Even though Firefox One did not receive any radar warnings, it still tried to stay as far away from the other team members' aircraft as possible.

There's no other way; for the next period of time, those eight locked-on aircraft will definitely have to perform extremely high-intensity maneuvers to avoid collisions. If they get too close, who knows if a collision might occur in the chaos? It's really hard to say.

Just as Firefox One turned to create distance, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of the radar reflection signal of an unidentified object that flashed briefly on the radar screen.

"Huh?" Firefox One thought it was seeing things for a moment: "Falcon One, are there any other signals on your radar?"

The Falcon 1 also had its radar on. He replied, "No, is it a simulated missile signal?"

When Falcon One answered, his voice was slightly tense. He couldn't help it; he was also being targeted, and a missile would be launched soon. How could he not be nervous?

"A missile simulation signal? It doesn't seem like it!" Firefox One wondered to itself. However, the radar signal only lasted for a very short time, so short that Firefox One wondered if it was under too much pressure and its eyes were playing tricks on it.

However, his attention was quickly drawn to the fighter jet on the radar screen that was heading straight for them. He called out in the platoon chat, "Tiger IV, how long until the missile hits the enemy aircraft?"

The estimated time of impact can be seen from the missile launcher.

"Three seconds, three seconds left!" Tittush No. 4's voice sounded off, and even Firefox No. 1 could faintly hear the continuous alarms coming from the background of Tittush No. 4's radio. Clearly, Tittush No. 4 had also been locked on.

"Three seconds!" Firefox One secretly counted, but after three seconds, he was certain that the radar signal of the fighter jet was still present.

"Damn it!" Firefox One's eyelids twitched; it was very likely that the enemy fighter had evaded the missile.

Although they had reached a relatively suitable attack range, they were not yet close enough to be inescapable, and the opposing fighter jets still had a certain probability of evading them.

Before Firefox One could recover from its frustration at missing the enemy aircraft, eight missiles suddenly appeared on its radar screen, each searching for its own target.

"Maneuver, maneuver!" The distance is now close enough to initiate missile evasion maneuvers. Against medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles, attempting evasion maneuvers too early is generally not very effective, except as a waste of energy.

Truly experienced pilots dodge missiles when they are close enough to be more efficient. Many of the pilots in the squadron are new; unlike Xu Xian, they don't possess exceptional talent and their timing for missile evasion is not precise enough, requiring FireFox One to provide guidance.

A chaotic swarm of aircraft demonstrated that, as Firefox One had predicted, missiles launched at their maximum range were already at their limit. Despite the eight fighter jets' skillful maneuvering, a large number of missiles still maintained a respectable hit rate. However, even though most of the fighter jets managed to shake off the decelerating missiles after some maneuvering, one aircraft still failed to evade them.

Falcon 4 failed to evade the missile and was ultimately determined to have been hit. On the level indicators of all other fighter jets, the position of Falcon 4 disappeared immediately.

However, Firefox One completely ignored the downed Falcon 4 and shouted in the queue channel: "Tiger 4, launch the missile again and shoot that kid down! Tiger 2, maintain formation and be ready to intercept at any time."

Of the entire formation, only the Tittus 2 carried short-range air-to-air missiles. If enemy aircraft approached, only the Tittus 2 could intercept them. Of course, if the Tittus 2 were shot down, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, Firefox One wasn't too panicked. During this time, the enemy aircraft should have entered the no-avoidance zone; now he'd see how they escaped!

Compared to the visible fighter jet on the other side, the fleeting unidentified radar signal he had just encountered was actually more concerning to him.

On the large screen in the Luoyang Air Force's command center, after obtaining Huang Jue's permission, some data from the exercise was transmitted to the Luoyang Air Force base. Immediately, several bright spots appeared on the screen, each pair representing an aircraft.

"Where's Xu Xian's plane?" Ying Ruoqing was searching for Xu Xian's location the moment the image appeared. But on Zhen Gege's screen, there was only one area with many bright spots clustered together, and another area with only one isolated bright spot.

"This part is theirs, this part is ours. Where's Xu Xian?" Wang Chenchen suddenly realized while introducing the area to Ying Ruoqing that Xu Xian couldn't be found on the image. There were only the aircraft of the 6th Air Division of Guangdong and the only remaining fighter jet of the 3rd Division, but where was Xu Xian?

Meng Ziyang sneered, "Could it have been shot down just now? He talks big, but his abilities don't match his boasts!"

Xu Xian's remarks were utterly outrageous to a professional soldier like Meng Ziyang, so he had a very negative opinion of Xu Xian.

Just then, the previously isolated 051 fighter jet disappeared, replaced by a formation of only ten aircraft from the 6th Division of the Guangdong Air Force on the entire image.

"Shot down?" Meng Ziyang narrowed his eyes, unable to hide his smile. "Clearance complete, it's over!"

Wang Chenchen and Ye Qing remained silent, their hearts sinking to the bottom. The entire command center was deathly still.

At that very moment, another bright spot suddenly appeared in the area of ​​the 6th Air Division of Guangdong Air Force, seemingly out of nowhere, something no one could have predicted.

At this moment, not only were the people at Luoyang Air Force paying close attention to the progress of this exercise, but the Third Division headquarters were as well. The instant the Type 051 fighter jet was shot down, Wang Zhaoxin and Li Cheng's breathing nearly stopped with tension. Their only hope now lay with Xu Xian, who was traversing the valley. However, their assessment of the valley indicated that it was unflyable. Could Xu Xian turn the impossible into possible?

Meanwhile, the Western Air Force Commander, who was originally preparing to leave, was also staring intently at the big screen, hoping for a miracle.

Watching the enemy fighter finally disappear from the air, Firefox One breathed a sigh of relief. Just moments before, Tittusll II had almost intercepted it. If it had come to that, it would have been quite dangerous, but thankfully, that danger was averted.

"Commander, it's finally over!" At this moment, the excited team members shouted. These three squadrons belonged to the same flight regiment of the Sixth Division of the Guangdong Air Force, and Firefox One was their regimental commander.

At this moment, Firefox One was also all smiles. This time, at the cost of losing two fighter jets, they managed to take down the headquarters of the Third Division. They would definitely get a good evaluation in this exercise, and the regiment should also be commended.

The only lingering unease in Firefox One's mind was that unidentified radar signal from before. However, he didn't dwell on it too much; perhaps he had genuinely misread it.

"We'll celebrate when we get back. Let's finish the bombing mission first." Luckily, it wasn't Falcon One or Tittus One that were shot down. Those two fighters were carrying free-fall bombs and needed to cooperate to complete the bombing mission: "Falcon One, Tittus One, bomb as planned, okay?"

Before Firefox One could finish speaking, another signal point appeared on the radar screen, and this time it was right nearby. At that moment, Firefox One saw it clearly; it was absolutely certain it hadn't misjudged.

"Enemy attack!" Firefox One shouted in the queue channel.

He didn't understand why enemy planes would appear so close to them, but now it was no longer time to dwell on the reasons; the enemy planes were already close enough to directly threaten them.

"Where is it? I can't see it!" Some other aircraft also saw this point on their radar. The radar showed that the enemy aircraft was very close to them, but when they looked around, they couldn't find it at all.

"I can't find it!" a team member exclaimed anxiously.

No one would be calm. The other party was already right in front of them, yet they still couldn't notice. How could that not be a terrible thing?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Firefox One's mind. He jerked the stick down, the nose of the plane dropped, and his field of vision shifted downwards.

Below their formation, a thick layer of clouds stretched out, but Firefox One seemed to be waiting for something.

In front of the screen, Liao Yuan, the commander of the Western Air Force, suddenly smiled. On the screen, in the very center of the 6th Division of the Guangdong Air Force, a bright spot appeared out of nowhere, as if a divine soldier had descended from the sky.

A bright light flashed in Liao's eyes, then his eyelids drooped suddenly, and he sighed deeply: "We won!"

At that moment, the tranquil clouds suddenly churned and scattered, and a fighter jet, like a sword piercing the sky, sped toward the formation of the Sixth Division of the Guangdong Air Force.

A dragon emerges from the abyss, its momentum unstoppable!

Nine in the fifth place: The flying dragon is in the sky; it is advantageous to see a great man!

This is an auspicious omen!

(End of this chapter)