Chapter 63

"Captain Chekhov, I’m waiting for you to come back and give me an explanation!"

The one-eyed old lady, Manager Hana Gager, spoke in a cold tone, as if a sharp blade were pressed against her throat, making the hair on her neck stand up.

Deputy Captain "Devil Pepper" Ilyana Rousius’s words had no effect whatsoever.

Hana Gager came from the Internal Affairs Department, which usually had solid evidence when it took action. It was already a blessing not to provoke others, but now someone had deliberately walked into the line of fire. If they didn’t act, who would?

The "True Fragrance" squadron’s pilots had racked their brains to come up with multiple contingency plans, A, B, C, D, and N, to avoid giving the new executive manager any chance to catch them out.

But despite all their precautions, they couldn’t prevent their own squadron leader from offering himself up.

Now, with his mouth spouting nonsense, the carefully constructed defenses were instantly breached, and the new executive manager was thoroughly offended.

The combat communication channel had a built-in recording backup, so there was no way to deny it.

"‘Peanut Butter,’ you figure it out yourself!"

Deputy Captain Ilyana Rousius indicated that she had done her best and was at a loss.

Caught red-handed, what else could she do?

The big bear was completely at a loss. Was he really going to take his own life to prove his worth as a bear?

Woof

The communication channel fell into a dead silence, as if it had entered a radio silence state. The deep resentment of all the pilots could be clearly felt.

How much they wanted to have a bear meat feast, braised in red sauce!

It wasn’t until the "Big Mouth" aircraft formation, which had been flying at ultra-low altitude throughout, was 100 kilometers away from the 897 Air Base.

Squadron Leader "Peanut Butter" Chekhov was still in a state of social death and wouldn’t recover for a while. Deputy Squadron Leader "Devil Pepper" took up the responsibility.

"I am 212 ‘Devil Pepper,’ all units, attention. From now on, reduce altitude to 50 meters, maintain speed at 160 kilometers, and check ammunition again."

Jet aircraft have their strengths, and turboprop aircraft have their advantages.

The pilots of the "True Fragrance" combat flight squadron were all experienced. Flying at ultra-low altitude in the Hindukush Mountains was as easy as eating and drinking. The "Big Mouth" had a very low stall threshold, so there was no need to worry about flying too fast and accidentally hitting the mountains.

"213 received!"

"214 received!"

"215 received!"

"211 received!"

Chen Fei responded on behalf of the big bear Chekhov.

"211 received!"

Unexpectedly, Chekhov the big bear also grunted, asserting his presence.

"Prepare for combat!"

The clear, cold voice of the new executive manager, Hana Gager, who was supervising the operation for the first time, reached all the pilots.

Personal grievances were set aside for the moment; the combat mission had to be completed first.

No matter how unreliable, as the squadron leader of a combat flight squadron, Chekhov also knew the priorities.

At an altitude of 50 meters above the ground, it was almost like flying at ground level. Using the curvature of the Earth and the complex terrain as cover, they could avoid radar waves, which couldn’t turn corners. The five A-39B "Big Mouth" light turboprop attack aircraft could approach the 897 Air Base undetected, catching the enemy off guard.

Surprised?

Unexpected?

As a military contractor and a member of the defense network, the air base was not a frontline base of a sovereign nation and thus did not have a complete air defense system.

There were no reconnaissance or early warning aircraft that could stay airborne for long periods, and they couldn’t afford them either. At most, they could buy satellite remote sensing service packages to scan the defense area every 24 hours or at different intervals to prevent unexpected mutations and monster groups from taking advantage of any weaknesses. They never thought they would be attacked by a peer.

When the "Big Mouths" suddenly appeared within visual range, the 897 Air Base only then realized that a group of uninvited guests had already arrived.

"214, 215, eliminate radar and air defense. 212, 213, follow me. Rookie, prepare the rocket pods, destroy the runway."

"Chekhov" finally came to his senses, his eyes brightening, and he loudly issued orders, reclaiming command.

The wingman pilot "Devil Pepper" Ilyana Rousius, who had been temporarily commanding the flight formation, had no objections. The corners of her mouth curled up, and she was glad to see Chekhov quickly recover.

"214, target confirmed, anti-radiation missiles launched."

"215, target confirmed, air-to-ground missiles launched!"

The two A-39B "Big Mouth" light turboprop attack aircraft accelerated and charged forward, launching missiles from their wing pylons, which streaked through the sky, following the pre-planned attack plan. The battle officially began.

The HUD crosshairs on the aircraft heads avoided the targets already locked by the missiles, and the wing-mounted cannons roared.

Red-hot trajectories streaked across the sky, rushing forward, almost simultaneously engulfing some ground facilities in flames and rising dust columns.

The shrill air defense alarm had just sounded when the active land-based radar, with its large antenna grid, was instantly destroyed by the incoming missiles.

The air base had more than one radar, but the incoming anti-radiation missiles were not just one. They tracked the electromagnetic signals, and even the communication antennas were not spared.

The 897 Air Base was "blinded" before it could react.

The multi-barrel Phalanx anti-aircraft guns, which had lost radar guidance, slowed in their rotation and were quickly engulfed by the intense flames. A single air-to-ground missile took out three to four Phalanx gun systems.

The 897 Air Base was engulfed in a sea of fire in multiple places.

"Target air defense has been eliminated!"

The 214 and 215 aircraft, flying in a two-plane formation, made a low-level, high-speed pass over the air base without encountering any significant resistance.

As for the few automatic rifles firing at the aircraft, the small-caliber kinetic rounds were not even a threat to the turboprop aircraft.

People on the ground were fleeing in disarray, and the air defense alarms became even more shrill.

"According to the original plan, the first round of rockets will cover the main runway, so they can’t take off."

Leading 212 and 213 to climb, Chekhov pushed the stick, and 211 began to dive.

The three-plane formation released dozens of fire snakes, which enveloped the runway on the ground. The 57mm air-launched rockets, with their 1.5 kg warheads, created a carpet bombing effect, even affecting nearby combat aircraft, which exploded in bright, eye-catching sparks.

The "Big Mouth" had a considerable payload, enough to support several rounds of ground attacks.

The main combat forces of the 897 Air Base were configured similarly to the 911 Air Base, with cheap mass-produced "Big Mouths" disintegrating like paper in the explosions.

We are of the same root, why are we so eager to destroy each other?

Some people at the 897 Air Base ran around like headless chickens, while others raged impotently at the sky.

The runway was destroyed, the fighters were blown up, and the air defense forces were "violently eliminated" in the first moments. The entire base was like a defenseless girl, left to the mercy of the "True Fragrance" combat flight squadron’s five "Big Mouths."

"Now, start clearing the ground structures. Glory to ‘True Fragrance’!"

After emptying the rocket pods, Chekhov pulled the control stick, and the turboprop aircraft climbed again.

For combat aircraft, altitude is everything, a measure of combat power, survival probability, and attack tactics. As long as there is altitude, there is a chance.

The purpose of the combat mission was not to kill personnel but to dismantle the enemy’s base.

"Do we need to use the ‘Dragon Killer’ missiles?"

Chen Fei looked back at the 897 Air Base, which was engulfed in flames. The five "Big Mouths" were divided into two attack formations, systematically dismantling the base.

If a KDK-1 air-breathing hypersonic smart missile could lock onto the target from a distance, one missile could level the entire base, clean and efficient, leaving no survivors. But why go through the trouble of repeated bombings?

Chekhov retorted irritably, "Do you think the ‘Dragon Killer’ missiles are free? They are more expensive than the fighter you are riding in."

The KDK-1 air-breathing hypersonic smart missile was the 911 Air Base’s ultimate treasure, and there were only a few of them, each extremely expensive. No air base could afford such extravagant waste.

The 911 Air Base had used up all its "Dragon Killer" reserves to fight the insane golden dragon and had yet to replenish them.

On one hand, the cost was too high, and on the other, production capacity was limited, so it was impossible to get them in stock anytime soon.