Chapter 654

Chapter 654: The Path of the Air Knight

The standard air combat skill of the U.S. Air Force includes a second strike.

They first release a wave of beyond-visual-range missiles from outside visual range, then immediately follow up with an assault, creating a dual-attack tactic.

An inexperienced pilot would surely be caught off guard by the sudden missile signals that appeared on the radar screen.

It’s no surprise that the British, who habitually lean on America, can employ such tactics.

Typically, this sort of tactic is carried out by formations of two or more aircraft, which enhances efficacy, but the individual combat system in the novice tier diminishes its strength.

However, Lin Mo found himself puzzled. How did the enemy guide the missiles?

His X-1 forward-swept wing fighter jet was a high-performance stealth fighter that had corrected its stealth flaws; not even Doppler radar or phased array radar could easily detect the X-1.

But with the help of the Light Mirror Technique, the truth soon became clear.

This guy was also cheating.

Lin Mo spotted a strange pod device beneath the enemy’s belly, shaped like a mushroom with a larger front and a smaller rear; it was as if the enemy’s fighter had grown a tail, quite an eye-catching sight.

Was that a laser radar?!

Or an infrared electro-optical radar?!

Regardless of which type of radar it was, both were nemeses of electromagnetic wave stealth technology, with a recent detection range exceeding 50 kilometers, and mature versions could surpass 300 kilometers.

This meant that in the narrow air combat range over Syria, the stealth technology of the X-1 was completely ineffective.

No wonder the enemy quickly targeted Lin Mo’s fighter with beyond-visual-range missile tactics.

When Lin Mo first entered "Abyss Nirvana," he encountered anti-stealth technology more than once. His neighbor, Yuri, had similar equipment, but it wasn’t sufficiently advanced; while it could detect the X-1, its obvious drawback was a massive computational load and low efficiency, meaning unless luck was on its side to detect Lin Mo quickly, it was like a headless fly.

“Kid, don’t hide like a woman. Why don’t you come out and fight like a man?”

Tom provocatively taunted on the public channel. His fighter, representing the second wave of assault, coordinated with the launched medium-range air-to-air missiles.

Yes, the enemy was using a stealth fighter, but he was piloting an enhanced Typhoon fighter.

The EF2000 Super Sonic Fighter, developed collaboratively by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company through the cooperation of England, Germany, Italy, and Spain, boasted advanced aviation technology superior to that of China.

While both the J-10 and the EF2000 were considered third-generation jets, the combined strength of the four countries creating the EF2000 Typhoon gave it much better performance than the J-10 Mighty Dragon.

Moreover, the Typhoon he was piloting was a specially modified version for real-world testing data for future upgrades, making it even more powerful; just the dual-engine power exceeded the original EJ200 advanced technology turbofan engine, achieving a thrust of 72,000 newtons per engine.

Having shut down the communication channel, Lin Mo didn’t hear the taunts and, even if he did, treated it as mere nonsense.

While most fighter pilots are known for their composure, there are always a few who prefer a more aggressive style; Tom’s brash declaration earned him quite a few bets.

Of course, unique pilots are welcomed by the organizers of "Abyss Nirvana," as long as they don’t perish too early.

The medium-range air-to-air missiles provided by the organizers could reach ranges of 10-100 kilometers. Based on the flight patterns tracked by the Light Mirror Technique and confirmed by radar, it should be employing active radar terminal intelligent guidance combined with multiple methods—the most expensive version, requiring at least 40 points for a trade.

This guy had likely wagered all his possessions, truly placing himself in a dead-end situation, just like Lin Mo, who knowingly climbed while the missile approached.

If this single missile could take down Lin Mo, he would earn only 20 points for downing him at level eight, and with Lin Mo currently having 30 remaining points, it would total 50 points. After deducting the cost of the medium-range air-to-air missile, he would net only 18 points, and after subtracting fuel costs, he would hardly earn anything.

Should this medium-range missile fail to hit, it would be quite a spectacle.

If he also used up the initial close-range air-to-air combat missile and the base Ammunition Chain provided by the organizers, even if he eventually shot down Lin Mo, he wouldn’t earn a single point, instead losing money and likely facing elimination from the competition due to lack of supplies for the next battle.

This one-time deal seems utterly bewildering—whether it’s sheer stupidity or overconfidence is truly a puzzling question.

Every fighter pilot from any country holds at least a bachelor’s degree. Even the poorest nations will send their pilots abroad to receive proper training instead of relying on the crude methods used during World War II. There is almost no chance of encountering such a foolishly unqualified pilot.

Lin Mo sensed an unusual air of conspiracy about the immense effort and cost directed towards him.

Facing the fierce double strike, Lin Mo had no intention of showing weakness.

Attack! Attack! Attack again!

This is the way of the Air Knight; Air Knights do not need to defend—only attacking is the best defense.

"The great roc soars with the wind, rising swiftly to ninety thousand miles." — Li Bai, "To Li Yong"

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet climbed rapidly, augmented by the Void Magnetism and remained completely unscathed. However, the theoretical speed of 4 Mach for the medium-range air-to-air missile only applied during level flight; climbing affects speed as well.

Despite the X-1’s climbing speed being only 3.5 Mach, this speed was a solid, genuine 3.5 Mach. In contrast, the medium-range air-to-air missile had already lost much energy during its ascent and could not reach its theoretical 4 Mach speed.

In fact, when comparing speeds, the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet was even slightly faster than the medium-range air-to-air missile.

That slight advantage was more than enough; missing the target is still missing, no matter how powerful, far-reaching, or fast it is.

The technicians from the organizers stared dumbfounded at the data, unable to comprehend how a fighter jet could maintain such astonishing speed during a climb.

Even though the effective combat range of that medium-range air-to-air missile was only about forty to fifty kilometers, very few fighter jets could escape at that range while being chased by a medium-range air-to-air missile.

Height: 16,000 meters!

Tom, with his teeth clenched in frustration, was green with envy as he pursued the forward-swept wing fighter. The feeling of enduring high overload while accelerating was far from pleasant.

At 18,000 meters, many fighter jets reach their altitude limit, including the EF2000 Typhoon. Even though the specific model Tom piloted was customized, it could only guarantee an altitude limit of 18,500 meters, or else it would stall and lose lift.

Stalling is not terrifying for such an experienced pilot, as he could simply level off. But in a dogfight, the enemy would never miss that opportunity.

Moreover, he clearly observed that at two o’clock, the forward-swept wing fighter was still climbing, seemingly having reserves of energy. Based on the distance between them, the enemy had likely reached at least 18,000 meters—this was terrifying.

The medium-range air-to-air missile trailed behind like a lifeless dog; it was evident that it was no longer effective.

Tom was not unfamiliar with the super-maneuverability of forward-swept wing aircraft, and every pilot knew their characteristics: if two fighter jets stall simultaneously, the forward-swept wing fighter will be the first to recover. This is determined by its inherent aerodynamic layout advantage.

"Bastard! What is this?

I can no longer climb, yet the enemy is still within visual range. But this distance is insufficient to defeat him!"

Desperately trying to climb higher had completely undermined his secondary attack tactics; there was no finesse in this approach—any aircraft could climb.

Could this be the legendary strength overcoming skill? It was insane! Tom felt indignant and maintained careful control of his Typhoon, striving to close the distance with the enemy while preparing for a surprise near-range air-to-air missile attack.

Just as the Typhoon continued its upward climb, the forward-swept wing fighter suddenly executed a turn with an incredibly tight radius, pivoting at a specific angle.

Had it finally stalled?

This could mean an incredible opportunity had arrived!

Before Tom could feel relieved, he suddenly noticed that the angle after the fighter turned its nose was peculiar; it executed a complete 180-degree turn.

The wings of the forward-swept wing fighter released streaks of deep red projectiles, aimed directly at the medium-range air-to-air missile trailing behind, as well as at Tom’s customized EF2000 Typhoon.

His pupils dilated, breath stopped momentarily, and he felt as if covered by the ominous clouds of death.

The Typhoon, missile, and forward-swept wing fighter formed a perfect line in an instant.

"No, this is not scientific!"

The trajectory of the missed missile headed straight for his aircraft. Tom let out a desperate scream, wrenching the control stick to urgently veer off course.

Rounds of deadly projectiles zipped dangerously close to the surface of the EF2000 Typhoon.

With a deafening explosion, a massive hole the size of a bowl pierced through his wing, and he still couldn’t completely evade the attack.