Chapter 692

Chapter 692: The Special Tier Demon King

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, with its Chinese roots, the Canadian knockoff F-22, and the Iranian modified F-14 "Tomcat" converged, suddenly spreading out from the three-aircraft team and encircling the "holy knight" from three directions in a scissor attack formation.

In the sight of the three pilots was an aircraft with a sleek, flat design, no tail fins, shaped like an arrowhead, with no visible cockpit canopy that is characteristic of manned fighter jets.

The silver-gray surface of the aircraft was covered with evenly spaced black dots, particularly dense around what should have been the cockpit’s central raised area, which Lin Mo could only see clearly after using the Light Mirror Technique, revealing that these were likely camera lenses.

It was unclear which aerospace giant created this design that eliminated the transparent cockpit, fully replacing it with electro-optical distributed aperture technology to recreate the visual environment for the pilot, perhaps providing a 360-degree surround view inside.

In addition to offering more comprehensive protection for the cockpit, its practical military significance was almost identical to Lin Mo’s Light Mirror Technique; when paired with reconnaissance aircraft and satellites, it would be virtually indistinguishable.

Under optical technology-based reconnaissance methods, electromagnetic invisibility becomes completely untraceable. If mass production were achieved, air defense forces worldwide would have to upgrade significantly; otherwise, the skies would once again turn into a giant sieve.

The "monstrous" Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet, which Lin Mo personally built, also utilized similar technology, but in the form of an external cockpit cover, unlike the "holy knight’s" aircraft, which integrated everything elegantly into one unit.

Three intermediate tier pilots facing one special tier pilot seemed like three sheep rushing at a tiger to many observers.

The difference in tiers often represents life and death. If special tier pilots were that easy to deal with, the strong ones in World War II wouldn’t have accumulated shootdown records in the hundreds.

In World War II, the renowned special tier pilots included Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Bak, Günther Rall, Otto Kittel, Walter Novotny, Wilhelm Batz, Erich Rudorffer, Heinz Bal, Hermann Graf, Heinrich Ehrler, and Theodor Weissenberger, among others.

All these special tier pilots had shootdown records above a hundred, with the undisputed king, Erich Hartmann, achieving 352 confirmed kills.

Even against opponents with a combat power of only 5, even a young pig would be at risk of being overwhelmed; common people simply cannot take down opponents like a steady stream of pancakes. The frightened Soviets and Americans, with swollen heads from being beaten, genuinely feared this, attempting to capture him and imprison him for twenty-five years, hoping this young special tier ace would be wasted in hard labor in mines.

If placed in modern times, accumulating at least a hundred confirmed kills would cause even the wealthiest Americans to feel heartache and despair.

For a small nation, just one special tier pilot could eliminate an entire air force.

While modern aerial combat does not have the same exaggerated kill counts as during World War II, a special tier pilot with over twenty-five confirmed kills appearing in a real war is extremely terrifying.

Whether in combat effectiveness or psychological impact, it creates immense pressure on those being attacked.

The U.S. Air Force has a total of 5,584 fighter jets; excluding those in storage, only 2,026 fighter jets and attack aircraft are currently in service.

Among them, there are 250 F-15C/D fighter jets, 1,020 F-16 fighter jets, 221 F-15E fighter jets, 345 A-10 attack aircraft, 179 F-22 fighter jets, and only 11 F-35A fighter jets.

If one special tier ace were to take out one-twentieth of the active fleet, the Americans’ air supremacy tactics would be severely tested, and introducing twenty special tier pilots, with sufficient ammunition and few sorties, could lead to an immediate collapse of the U.S. Air Force.

The "holy knight’s" aircraft was incredibly agile. Although the no-tail design reduced stability, it made rolling movements exceptionally unpredictable. Before Lin Mo and his companions could bring him into their attack envelope, the enemy suddenly dropped altitude with an incredibly nimble maneuver.

At the same time, the threat alert system alarm sounded in Lin Mo, Yuri, and Raccoon’s cockpits.

Goodness!

The speed of the offensive transformation was shocking and fast.

One second they were surrounding the opponent; the next, they had been locked onto. In a real battle, the three of them would certainly have missiles trailing behind them.

Although modern fighter jets can simultaneously lock onto multiple targets, the probability of executing a simultaneous volley to take down several opponents is extremely low. Manned fighter jets aren’t helpless targets, maintaining normal flight paths and waiting to be hit.

The unsettling maneuver is highly effective in real combat and is a practical technique honed through life-and-death experiences.

“Raccoon, we’re going in!”

Yuri discarded all thoughts of luck in his heart, gesturing toward the F-14 in the cockpit, as the Iranian pilot Raccoon seemed to catch his move.

The two adjusted their tactics in the sky, forming a dual aircraft team that was even more flexible than the three-aircraft team, accelerating in a snake maneuver to evade and outflank the "holy knight."

Gaining an advantage over a special tier pilot without taking any damage was nearly impossible; Yuri and his companions had already accepted this reality.

The X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet abandoned formation and skyrocketed to 4 Mach, breaking through obstacles with sheer force. Even missiles would struggle to pose a threat to an X-1 traveling at 4 Mach.

Without sticking to the original tactics, the fighter jets adapted spontaneously; this combat awareness was only visible in ace pilots of the intermediate tier.

The aerodynamic properties of the Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet seemed to be on par with the "holy knight’s" aircraft.

“Are you planning to divide and conquer, or are you just making a feint?”

The "holy knight" watched as the three pilots split into two groups to encircle him, speaking to himself. He had no intention of shutting off the ECM electronic pulse interference; he could not give his opponents a chance to act in unison. If he did, he might become the victim of a chaotic ambush from which even a master could struggle to escape.

“Open fire!”

Yuri continuously fired the cannon, and the onboard computer quickly calculated the odds of success. Unfortunately, he did not even graze the opponent.

However, Yuri did not feel discouraged because he was providing cover for “Raccoon.” The F-14 "Tomcat" fighter jet transformed its wings, its aerodynamic properties visibly changing. The swept-back wings reached a specific angle suitable for dogfighting, which was a closely guarded secret known only to the U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman.

In the exquisitely designed F-14 "Tomcat," even the smallest change in appearance and aerodynamics could produce different effects.

Another missile launched, and “Raccoon” did not rely on the onboard radar anymore; the opponent’s stealth capabilities were simply too formidable. At such close range, the modified radar still showed no response, forcing the pilots to rely solely on their vision to identify targets.

As a carrier-based aircraft, the F-14 "Tomcat" had unique design features; it qualified as a multi-role fighter and performed exceptionally well in dogfights. The Iranian pilot “Raccoon,” employed by Grumman, pulled out all the stops to keep the nose of the aircraft aimed at the "holy knight."

“Raccoon” launched his third missile without hesitation. Using three missiles against a single opponent was generally considered very unwise during a chaotic skirmish. In aerial combat, a fighter jet without ammunition was almost like a weak girl in a pile of hungry, powerful men—extremely vulnerable.

Everyone’s communication was nearly interrupted, and many training fighter jets around them experienced disturbances; however, no one complained.

In real combat, anything could happen, and electronic pulse interference was not surprising.

The "holy knight" hesitated little, advancing rather than retreating. Suddenly, he executed a Mongoose maneuver, completing a rapid 360-degree turn and shaking his wings as if to lure in any nearby missiles. He then flew past Yuri and “Raccoon’s” dual aircraft team.

The tailless, flat, arrow-shaped fighter jet, after just barely passing by the dual team, executed a falling leaf maneuver, seemingly descending while rotating. As the "holy knight" turned again, he decisively increased the engine’s output, quickly placing himself at the six o’clock position of the dual aircraft team, tightly locking onto them at the first opportunity.

“Youngsters lack experience! Never give your opponents any opportunities.”

The "holy knight" turned off his electronic pulse interference. As a trainer, he felt compelled to guide them in some way.

This opportunity was not given by Yuri and “Raccoon,” but created by the special tier pilot, the "holy knight," himself.

“Damn it!”

Yuri slammed his fist against the canopy in frustration.

“No, it’s not over yet!”

“Raccoon” turned his head to look behind him, and if Yuri had been beside him, he would have seen Raccoon’s eyes wide and mouth agape, staring blankly at something above the "holy knight."

“Hmm! Did another one escape? No, how could it appear here?”

The "holy knight" frowned as a massive shadow loomed over him and his aircraft.

Lin Mo had guessed correctly; the "holy knight’s" fighter jet did indeed use electro-optical distributed aperture technology, covered all over with various high-precision, retina-level surveillance cameras, forming a surround screen in the cockpit to provide the pilot with the perfect field of view.