Chapter 203
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Chapter 203: "Wild Wolf" Falls, Refueling Aircraft in Crisis!
Until now, neither squadron had discarded their external fuel tanks, as they still needed to rely on the remaining fuel to fly back to Pakistan.
Taking a wide turn, Lin Mo’s Airborne Light Mirror Technique array sprung into action again, quickly guiding both squadrons out of the Indian Peninsula and back over the sea. They even launched rockets and cannons at an Indian frigate that had strayed into their path.
The fighter jets attacking the frigate yielded expected results; the ship was left battered and reeling. If it hadn’t been for the lack of heavy anti-ship weapons, the frigate would have sunk on the spot. As it was, the fighters’ cannons mostly targeted the bridge.
May the Sea God bless the poor ship!
At this moment, time was of the essence. They had to reach the aerial refueling zone before the Indian fighter jets caught up, enabling them to refuel and return to Pakistan safely. They could then complete the mission under the cover of aircraft launching from the homeland.
“Starting supersonic flight!”
Seeing a dense cluster of aircraft lights behind him, Lin Mo shrank his neck.
In this situation, stuffing all fighter jets from both squadrons would still yield a Pyrrhic victory. This operation carried a large load of air-to-ground weapons, which similarly weakened their anti-air capabilities. The few SD-10 air-to-air missiles they had were just a drop in the bucket.
They needed speed, a faster escape.
The FC-20, A-5, and F-16 squadrons accelerated to full power, breaking through sonic booms as they prepared to return. Having almost empty loads after expending their munitions, the fighters were much faster than the pursuing enemies. Ignoring fuel concerns and the opponent’s lack of supersonic cruise ability, it was only a matter of time before they shook off those pesky pursuers.
“Azrael Squadron and Tiger Shark Squadron, Nurse 2 and 3 are two hundred kilometers ahead at an altitude of 2,000 meters. The Thief Squadron, Mihas Squadron, and Cobra Squadron have already taken to the skies and completed aerial refueling. They are coming to assist, expected to arrive in ten minutes. Confirming the coordinates for returning to Fisher Air Force Base: East longitude 67 degrees 6 minutes 37.15 seconds, North latitude 24 degrees 52 minutes 23.69 seconds.”
“Azrael Squadron confirms!”
“Tiger Shark Squadron confirms!”
Almost everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Even though the fuel on each fighter jet was critically low, there were already two squadrons fully loaded with air-to-air weapons coming to provide support, making the pursuing Indian jets less of a concern.
“Hey, brothers! I see you!”
A stranger’s voice came through the public channel, and the Airborne Light Mirror Technique array had already shown over a dozen aircraft zooming toward them, at a higher altitude around 12,000 meters, beginning a shallow dive toward the Indian jets behind Azrael and Tiger Shark squadrons.
These jets were likely from the "Thief" Squadron, the A-5 group, Mihas Squadron’s F-7 group (an export version of the MiG-21, also made in China), and the Cobra Squadron’s F-16 group, comprising around forty-nine aircraft all heavily armed with air-to-air weapons.
Having two Il-78s providing refueling for so many aircraft in the air was no easy task, and their range would likely be affected.
“’Horseshoe’, you’re our only hope from the back!”
Someone in the Tiger Shark Squadron recognized the voice and eagerly greeted.
“Haha, I was planning to give you a surprise. Don’t worry, we’re here to support you!”
“Okay, be careful; we’re on our way!”
One group of jets flew at an altitude of 200 meters while another flew at 12,000 meters, narrowly passing each other, with just thirty kilometers separating them from the charging forty Indian fighter jets.
“Brothers! Missiles locked on target, prepare… launch!”
Like fireworks in the sky, Lin Mo looked up and saw nearly fifty long trails streaking down from the sky, with some fighter jets launching missiles simultaneously.
Lin Mo turned to check the Indian jets at an altitude of 4,000 meters over the sea surface, whispering, “May the Dragon God bless you!” He continued piloting his fighter toward the two Il-78s, Nurse 2 and Nurse 3, with only enough fuel left for about 15 minutes, hardly enough for even a short dogfight.
Almost simultaneously, the Indian jets scrambled as they detected the incoming missiles, their formation breaking into chaos. The dense missile barrage made it nearly impossible to evade all; several fighter jets were sure to be shot down. They had no time to chase Lin Mo and his squadron and immediately turned to flee.
Boom!
Explosions echoed in the sky as missiles struck Indian fighter jets. The dim night was periodically illuminated by the horrific red flashes of the explosions, particularly reflecting beautiful dots of light over the sea surface.
Pakistan’s three supporting squadrons and the Indian jets collided head-on, firing missiles and cannons at each other, throwing the entire formation into disarray, as the battlefield airspace rapidly expanded.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was leveled, and despite other companies struggling to maintain production, the immediate impact on India’s aerial forces was significant. From the relentless pursuit of the Indian jets, it was clear that high-ranking officials in the Indian military had issued a deadly order.
From a height of 15,000 meters down to the sea surface, fighter jets were chasing each other everywhere, with cannons firing continuously. Occasionally, planes were hit or exploded mid-air, sending various fragments crashing into the sea, creating splashes that rose and fell like a boiling pot.
“Wild Wolf Squadron refuels first, followed by Tiger Shark Squadron, then Team Knights and Ghoul Squadron last.”
Taking advantage of the chaos between the reinforcements and the Indian jets, Azrael Squadron and Tiger Shark Squadron rapidly approached two Il-78 refueling aircraft. This was the weakest moment for them; even a missile launch might not require a hit—some aircraft would surely fall into the ocean due to running out of fuel.
Three A-5 strike aircraft, with little remaining air-to-air missiles, rushed toward one of the Il-78 refueling aircraft, slowly maneuvering toward the three tailpipes’ funnel-shaped openings.
“Wild Wolf Squadron, watch out! Two missiles are heading your way!”
Just as Wild Wolf Squadron got close to the Il-78’s oil transfer pipe, Lin Mo spotted two unusually flying air-to-air missiles from the Airborne Light Mirror Technique array.
Damn it, the three A-5 strike aircraft were stuck right behind the Il-78, completely unable to move. These two missiles, whether they hit the A-5 or the Il-78, would definitely be a severe blow to Azrael Squadron.
“We can’t avoid it! Night Hawk, Caviar, we’re breaking away!”
“What are you doing?”
Lin Mo didn’t believe the A-5 strike aircraft could intercept air-to-air missiles. That was a joke; with such outdated models, they were fine for ground attacks and low-altitude interceptions, but against missiles, they were sitting ducks.
As such, A-5 strike groups in Pakistan faced an upgrade situation; Chinese pilots were very familiar with these models and could easily master them, which was why they were still in Azrael Squadron.
The two A-5 strike aircraft that had barely refueled broke away from the Il-78. They only had time to turn around and saw the two small lights speeding toward them.
“Ura…”
Two fireballs erupted almost simultaneously!
“Ugh! Bastards!” Meat Sauce nearly jumped from anger as Night Hawk and Caviar actually intercepted the two air-to-air missiles with their own aircraft.
They had no choice; if the missiles hit the Il-78 refueling aircraft, the planes from Azrael Squadron might crash into the ocean due to insufficient fuel.
The other Il-78 couldn’t handle refueling so many fighter jets, and time wouldn’t allow it. This long-range secret bombing mission had involved precise calculations, and every step needed to be flawless. Pakistan had never undertaken such a risky operation before, but the current results were astonishing.
“Two fools!” Lin Mo knocked on the cockpit wall, knowing the two A-5 strike aircraft were totaled.
He was too late; otherwise, he could have tried to intercept with his cannon.
Two FC-20 jets from Team Knights whizzed around the fireballs and smoke clouds from the explosions, spotting two parachutes gently descending.
“Hey! Enjoy your swim, but be careful of the sharks!” Lin Mo smiled, pleased that those two were smart enough to eject early.
“Dragon Knight, Meat Sauce, we’re okay!”
“Don’t touch my Caviar cans before I get back, especially you, Dragon Knight! I warn you!”
The aviation helmet had close-range radio equipment, covering about a kilometer. If not for such comprehensive features, the cost of an aviation tactical helmet wouldn’t be less than fifty thousand RMB.
With sharp eyes, Lin Mo, aided by the Light Mirror Technique, saw the two men under the parachute waving their hands. It seemed their safety was temporarily secure, and he hoped the rescue team could arrive soon.
Lin Mo’s FC-20 flew around the parachute, releasing several infrared flares as illumination for the ocean surface under the parachute.
The Il-78 "Nurse 2," which was fueling Wild Wolf Squadron, seemed to be in trouble; the fuel transfer hose had caught a spark from the explosion fireball, and the highly volatile fighter jet fuel quickly ignited the transfer hose.
