Chapter 6

Two steel fighters flew in from a distance, accurately aligning with the runway and entering the landing approach.

"031, 032, pay attention to your posture, don't over-control, the landing gear is already down." The voice of the control tower's guide kept coming through the headphones.

Although it was the first time operating this high-altitude, high-speed MiG-25 fighter, the young man who had inherited all the skills, now named Andrei, calmly pushed the control stick, continuing to guide the fighter down.

To ensure good control at high altitudes, the MiG-25 was the first to use a fully movable horizontal stabilizer and tall twin vertical stabilizers, which made it prone to excessive control moments in the dense lower atmosphere, requiring the operator to be extra cautious. A vivid metaphor from the future described it as a flying brick at low altitudes!

When the wheels touched the ground, a slight vibration was transmitted through the metal-framed cockpit. Looking out to the sides, everything on the ground was rapidly receding.

The front landing gear also touched the ground. Since the deceleration parachute had been released, Andrei could only gently apply the brakes. A heavy interceptor like the MiG-25 required a runway of over two kilometers to land.

It was almost at the end of the runway that the MiG-25 finally came to a stop.

Andrei walked down from the MiG-25 using the ladder set up by the ground crew and stood beside it, examining it carefully.

This was a tall and majestic fighter! Andrei couldn't find a more fitting description. The rugged lines, the nearly box-like fuselage, the two large rectangular intakes, everything showcased Soviet characteristics: simple, reliable, brutal, and powerful.

Standing beside it, he felt his own insignificance. Even when he flew the J-11 in his previous life, Andrei never had this feeling.

At the same time, another ground crew member set up a ladder at the vertical stabilizer, which was as tall as a two-story building, and gave it a few glances.

At this moment, Andrei remembered that he had used the vertical stabilizer as a knife to cut open the American EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft. Was the vertical stabilizer damaged?

"How is it? Is it serious?" Andrei asked.

"No problem, just some skin damage. We'll tow it back to the hangar and weld it." The ground crew member replied, "The VHF antenna inside is not damaged."

Just a weld! The front part of the vertical stabilizer also heats up due to air friction, so it is made of stainless steel! No need for riveting, just a direct TIG weld!

Andrei couldn't help but think of the future, where to reduce aircraft weight, composite materials were widely used. If slightly damaged, the entire part would need to be replaced, whereas the MiG-25 only needed a weld!

While he was thinking, someone patted him on the back.

Turning around, he saw a young man in the same anti-G suit, holding a full-face helmet.

He was tall and strong, with a broad face and a hint of laziness in his eyes.

"Captain Belenko," Andrei couldn't help but call out.

The person in front of him was the lead aircraft that had just returned with him, Captain Belenko, who had come from the Salsk pilot training center a year ago and was now the acting deputy commander of the 3rd Aviation Regiment of the 513th Air Defense Division in Chuguyevka.

He had been paired with Andrei for only the past month.

"Let's go, we need to report to the commander," Belenko said. "Andrei, you were really bold up there. Weren't you afraid of crashing?"

"I had a slight tremor in my hand and misjudged the distance," Andrei said.

This kind of thing could be big or small. If he admitted it was intentional, there would be more trouble, so Andrei thought it was better to say it was an operational error.

Belenko didn't say anything, and Andrei remembered that the captain usually spoke very little, always silent.

Sitting in the KamAZ truck driven by the ground crew, they had only gone a short distance when Andrei's eyes lit up. In the distance, there was a large four-engine aircraft! The wing seemed to be missing a piece, and it looked so familiar?

Wasn't that the EP-3? What a small world, it actually landed here? Andrei was suddenly delighted.

The soldiers at the Sokolovka base of the regiment, wearing steel helmets and holding short-barreled AK-74 rifles, were guarding the aircraft. At this moment, the Americans inside were reluctantly coming out.

"Stop, let's go over and take a look!" Andrei shouted.

The ground crew truck stopped, and Andrei jumped out, walking towards the aircraft. Belenko, who was behind him, shook his head, wondering what was so interesting.

The dejected Americans, as soon as they got off the plane, were immediately escorted by armed soldiers towards the base buildings.

Indeed, they were being escorted. For the Soviet soldiers, these Americans had violated Soviet airspace and flown their plane to their base. If not for orders from above, they would have shot the plane down with missiles long ago.

The Americans were the most hated enemies! With this sentiment, they naturally had no good feelings towards the Americans.

"Move, move!" Seeing that they were walking slowly, a soldier raised his gun and struck the slowest American on the back with the butt of his rifle.

The American stumbled forward a few steps, right in front of Andrei. Looking at the Soviet pilot still in his anti-G suit, the American's eyes suddenly filled with anger.

"Russians, you rammed our plane in the air, violating basic international law!" It was Ashus, who saw that the Soviet pilot had just come from the plane and might have been the one who rammed him! He shouted loudly, "The U.S. government will never tolerate this!"

Looking at the American, Andrei's eyes instantly turned sharp. "You Americans are neither saviors nor world police. Coming to our Soviet waters to cause trouble, this is your fate! This time, we only cut your wing. If I encounter you again, I'll fly over and cut off what's in your pants!"

As he spoke, Andrei gestured towards Ashus's crotch, holding a sharp pilot's knife, sending a chill through Ashus's body.

The surrounding area burst into laughter, and the base soldiers were amused by Andrei. Even in the most tense moments of the Cold War, Andrei still harbored a deep hatred for the Americans.

The Americans walked away with their heads down, and Andrei watched their backs, but suddenly, the name of a hero came to his mind.

Wang Wei, the Chinese pilot who was hit by the American EP-3 and ultimately perished at sea, was a fellow pilot Andrei had admired before his time travel. Now, he had avenged him in this way.

The Americans are not the world's rulers! They can't strut around everywhere! The red Soviet Union is the only superpower that can stand up to America!