Chapter 613

Chapter 613: "Monstrous" vs. "Mighty Dragon"

One after another, thick white trails surged from the weapon bay of the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” on both sides.

The J-20’s lower central built-in weapon bay also released an air-to-air missile through its internal rotary hanger.

Three missiles were launched at once.

Unlike the J-8, which is a close-combat fighter, more advanced fighter jets emphasize winning tactics through long-range firepower.

Colonel Jiang had no intention of conserving ammunition; he unleashed the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles with full force.

As three missiles shot out, the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” swiftly drifted to the lower right, trading altitude for speed while maximizing engine output. The tail nozzles distorted the light behind them for quite a distance.

The powerful airflow seemed to warp space itself.

With advanced infrared suppression technology, it was impossible to see the traditional bright red or blue tail flames of standard jet fighters. As the aircraft executed a hook-like sharp turn, it dispersed several bright infrared flares.

Although Colonel Jiang was well aware that this action wouldn’t significantly impact the domestic PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles, as part of the combat protocol, he couldn’t afford to miss even the slightest opportunity.

Using a cheap decoy to counter an expensive air-to-air missile was a worthwhile trade.

Just after releasing a series of infrared flares, red lights suddenly flooded the cockpit, and the radar display lit up with snowflake interference, filled with numerous unidentified signals.

This was certainly not a malfunction of the simulator but indicated a strong electromagnetic interference effect encountered in simulated combat, powerful enough to affect the fighter jet’s operations.

Colonel Jiang recognized ECM electronic warfare, a task that his familiar expert, Eight Uncle, could not handle unless he attached an electronic warfare pod.

Since the advent of the third-generation fighter jets, countries have begun integrating electronic warfare systems into their main fighter jets. Although these systems may not be as powerful and comprehensive as specialized warning aircraft and electronic warfare jets, they are indeed stronger than the electronic pods used in second-generation jets.

If the interference power is sufficiently strong, it can even disrupt the target fighter jet’s operations and missile guidance, leading to failures in communication, fire control, and radar systems.

Since the introduction of the J-10, Chinese-manufactured fighter jets have increasingly adopted fiber optics for their avionics systems. Against the strong electronic warfare attacks from the X-8 “monstrous,” the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” didn’t suffer significant effects.

However, a close-range electromagnetic pulse bomb could have caused Colonel Jiang’s J-20 “Mighty Dragon” to lose control, similar to Lin Mo’s experience during a mission at the Lapis Lazuli ancient castle in Afghanistan.

Unless the fighter jet completely utilized integrated optical paths and photonic computing control systems, any area using microelectronic devices would inevitably face destructive attacks.

The fighter jet defense system automatically activated ECCM electronic countermeasure technology. According to its default program, the “Mighty Dragon” and Lin Mo’s “monstrous” engaged in a silent battle of electromagnetic waves. If it were a two-seater, the backseat pilot could add a few more attack patterns.

If Colonel Jiang faced off against a domestically enhanced KJ-2000 large warning aircraft or a specialized electronic warfare attack aircraft as opponents, he could face serious trouble if he let his guard down.

Do not assume that non-combat electronic warfare training aircraft can be casually bullied. An F-22 “Raptor” from America once learned this the hard way, getting shot down by the EA-18G “Growler” electronic warfare aircraft due to carelessness.

The shadow of his fighter jet cast beneath the opponent’s cockpit stood as a mark of success, akin to a fully armed American soldier being kicked into a ditch by an elderly woman.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three massive fireballs erupted in the sky.

Colonel Jiang’s pupils narrowed slightly as he saw that the mysterious figure accompanying the missile failed to be accurately locked on by the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air missiles. Instead, it continuously released multiple red cannonball trajectories that enveloped the three PL-12 missiles.

The three fireballs confirmed that the opponent’s cannon fire successfully hit the slender missiles without exception.

All three PL-12 missiles he fired were detonated mid-air by the enemy’s cannon fire; his luck was…

The three sets of equipment provided by Lockheed were directly applied by Lin Mo to the “monstrous.” The Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EODAS) combined with the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) formed a capability approaching the Light Mirror Technique, significantly enhancing the fire control functions of the “monstrous” fighter jet.

Moreover, Lin Mo had rich experience using cannon fire against missiles; even without the aid of the Light Mirror Technique, he could achieve a reasonable hit rate through dense barrages, managing to shoot down missiles even with a success rate of just three out of ten.

The American pilots lacked the experience and courage to take down missiles with cannon fire, and it felt as if they had met their nemesis; when a fighter jet encountered a missile, there was no time to dodge, let alone charge in to fight.

For the Americans, using beyond-visual-range tactics to eliminate an opponent made the effort to use cannon fire seem unnecessary.

Due to the lack of emphasis on cannons, the newly equipped F-35 “Lightning II” fighter jets do not all come with cannons; instead, they are equipped with single-row cannon pods. The U.S. Air Force has less experience using cannons compared to Chinese pilots.

After the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” released its infrared flares, it performed a wide-radius barrel roll to maneuver.

Two high-speed PL-12 missiles rapidly approached; only a fool would fly in a straight line.

The deadly scissor maneuver is not only an offensive move but also an excellent defensive maneuver, especially in a formation; the dual scissor tactical move often becomes a powerful secret weapon.

Colonel Jiang pushed the defensive counterattack tactics to the limit, carefully avoiding close encounters with the uniquely shaped forward-swept wing fighter jets.

In close combat, the aerodynamic design of the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is significantly inferior to its opponents.

However, Colonel Jiang had his own tactics; the canard aerodynamic layout of the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” is very suitable for energy warfare techniques.

As the commander of Team 7759 and a former subordinate, both Colonel Jiang and Lin Mo excelled in energy warfare techniques.

Gaining altitude to store energy, then diving to release it, the “Mighty Dragon” even exceeded a theoretical speed of Mach 2.5 at one point, showcasing the advantages brought by energy warfare techniques.

One PL-12 missile was induced to explode at less than 50 meters, followed closely by the second PL-12, which was also induced in the same manner.

In supersonic mode, one second equals hundreds of meters; it took mere moments to exit the lethal radius.

At such a close range, an explosion would severely damage the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” if it occurred in front of the nose. However, if induced to explode behind the cockpit, the shockwave and shrapnel would be unlikely to harm the fighter jet.

While a fighter jet can utilize energy warfare techniques with human control, missiles exceeding a G-force of 30 cannot, and it is unnecessary for missiles to employ air combat skills.

Having just exited a 9G overload, Colonel Jiang felt a sudden jolt as a barrage swept past the tail. He looked back to see a large piece of the tail rudder being sheared off; in just a few seconds, the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” was almost like a tailless chicken.

Escape!

There was no hesitation.

Colonel Jiang decisively pushed the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” into a supersonic state to avoid close combat with the “monstrous.”

The “Mighty Dragon,” with its large wing area, could flexibly apply energy warfare techniques but was not suited to face a fighter with better super-maneuverability in tighter turns.

As a seasoned ace pilot, Colonel Jiang understood the bodily harm of high overloads. Although ace pilots have physical fitness and endurance far superior to the average person, he always exercised caution, avoiding prolonged use of 9G high-overload energy air combat techniques to prevent excessive physical exhaustion.

Like professional athletes, all outstanding pilots master special breathing and relaxation techniques, aiming to utilize brief moments of relaxation during combat rounds to quickly recover their stamina and reasonably distribute their energy and strength during fights.

During the Gulf War, U.S. Navy pilots typically flew two missions daily, each lasting 2-3 hours; some even flew four missions in a day.

However, the actual attack time often lasted only a few minutes, representing the knightly combat style that pursued maximum offensive output at the cost of not being able to maintain sustained firepower very long for either personnel or equipment.

After resolving structural divergence issues, the “monstrous” utilizing forward-swept wings unleashed superb super-maneuverability that pressed down on Colonel Jiang’s J-20 “Mighty Dragon.”

Colonel Jiang couldn’t help but regard it with newfound respect.

Initially half-convinced, he began to waver; could this fighter jet actually exist in reality?

A dark shadow zipped past the J-20 “Mighty Dragon” at high speed. Colonel Jiang’s heart raced—the speed was even comparable to that of the “Mighty Dragon” at full throttle.

Losing part of the tail rudder would affect barrel roll stability, but with vector thrust and canard control, Colonel Jiang didn’t show much anxiety.

What he needed to focus on now was Lin Mo’s pursuit.

The twin-engine of the “Mighty Dragon” unleashed full power, rapidly consuming fuel and expelling superheated airflow through the tail nozzle. If the rear end was fully opened, it would soon become a fragrant grilled meat in a matter of seconds; it wouldn’t be the first time ground crew used the hot exhaust of a returning fighter for boxed meals.

The “Mighty Dragon” reached a full-speed state of Mach 2.5; sometimes, speed acted as a form of defense.

The X-8 “monstrous” exceeded the F-22 “Raptor” speed of Mach 2.14, reaching Mach 2.8 and continuously rising.

Firing missiles and cannons at supersonic speeds is not an easy task.

Due to the Bernoulli effect, if not operated correctly, missiles may fail to detach from the aircraft, posing a danger to the fighter jet, especially since firing the cannon could potentially disrupt dynamic balance, causing the fighter jet to disintegrate.