Chapter 321

Chapter 321: Lightening the Load and Resupplying

For the trainees of Training Group 15, being able to team up with Instructor Lin for a patrol was undoubtedly a wonderful experience. Every time they went out, they gained incredibly valuable insights and learned many things not taught in other training groups, even encountering concepts they had never heard of before. Their careful consideration of these lessons proved to be very beneficial.

Many trainees sometimes struggled to connect Lin Mo’s combat skills to his age, leading them to mistakenly believe that this young ACE might have been practicing dogfighting techniques even in the womb.

On the entire Shilang aircraft carrier, Lin Mo’s flying skills were considered the best, and this consensus was not only held by the aviation crew but also echoed among the maintenance crew and other departments—there was no doubt about it.

"In one hour, we will arrive at the Kota Kinabalu port military base!"

As the pilot with the strongest aerial combat skills on the Shilang, Lin Mo was entrusted with the task of thorough surveillance. Of course, at the Hampton’s speed of 30 knots, that wasn’t particularly slow, but it paled in comparison to the speed of carrier-based fighter jets.

Thus, Lin Mo had to lead his wingman to conduct reconnaissance for 100 nautical miles before heading back while bringing the next trainee along for formation and offensive training.

The Hampton could be seen as the most pitiful target, serving as a live target for Lin Mo’s team during practical anti-submarine training.

Just a few days ago, the entire aviation crew had participated in anti-submarine search training, while today Lin Mo, along with Training Group 15, had transitioned into offensive anti-submarine training.

The poor Los Angeles-class attack submarine’s control room was often filled with shrill defensive radar alarm sounds. Eventually, the sailors could no longer stand it and replaced the alarm with light music, which essentially meant that each time the two Dark Sabres locked onto them, it became a song request for the American submarine sailors.

This altered alarm sound had entirely lost its original meaning, creating an odd atmosphere in the entire control room.

Only the engineering crew monitored the nuclear reactor and power systems 24/7, ensuring the Hampton could stay advanced on the surface without interruption. Compared to moving under the enormous water pressure below, the submarine seemed to travel more swiftly while semi-floated on the surface.

Using a real American nuclear submarine as a training target was truly beyond shocking; perhaps the U.S. Congress and the Pentagon would be fuming with rage, clearly lacking respect for their own assets.

“Hm! Dragon Knight, I’ve detected radar scanning coming from the direction of Kota Kinabalu port in Malaysia. It’s from the Americans,”

The newly assigned trainee Captain Liu Jihua, nicknamed "Shock," reported as the passive monitoring system in his carrier-based aircraft issued a warning, the signal light flashing.

Once in the air, all pilots were only allowed to use code names to avoid having their personal information intercepted by hostile forces. After all, a pilot is not alone; there are family members and loved ones to consider. To minimize risks, many elite attack forces restrict mutual use of real names during operations.

“Yes, I see it. It looks like the American naval base has also started to take action. Shock, we’re heading back. The training time is over.”

“Uh, can we take a look?”

It appeared that "Shock," following Lin Mo, was not one to be easily tamed. The thought of observing the U.S. military base was undoubtedly a bold one.

As someone who once casually watched the George Washington aircraft carrier task force, Lin Mo actually supported the idea, but he responded, “You have to consider the others. Training Group 15 doesn’t consist of just you.”

There were many others on the Shilang, and one must be mindful; one’s environment can greatly influence one’s character. Everyone following the Dragon Knight was no ordinary person.

Trainee Liu Jihua sighed, “That’s truly unfortunate.”

Instructor’s orders were indisputable, and what was worse was that the other trainees would mercilessly criticize him.

Sure enough, voices from the other trainees in Training Group 15 immediately chimed in; at least two more pilots were waiting to take off. Although they had the freedom to form their own groups for practice, nothing compared to one-on-one instruction from Instructor Lin.

Almost every time, these trainees would gain immensely, blending mature aerial combat skills from another world with dogfighting techniques from this world, often leading to unexpectedly brilliant results.

“Shock, if you dare to delay for even a single minute, I’ll be on your case when we get back! You’d better hurry! We agreed—one hour per person with the instructor, not a second more!”

“Exactly! Master instructor, can we do a three-plane formation? One-on-one is great, but I want to take a look this time too!”

Among the American pilots stationed at the military base in Asia, it was common for them to slide over to Chinese airspace for a quick peek before darting back, often taking the opportunity to observe without revealing their true intention, only to run off with “the truth.” Now, the pilots aboard the Shilang were catching onto this hobby as well, planning to observe the American military base.

As one of the four ancient civilizations, and the only one that still exists today, if China were to visit without reciprocity, it would indeed be impolite!

Being a pilot is a profession that demands high physical endurance; the various aerial maneuvers are definitely much more exhilarating than a roller coaster. It not only challenges physical fitness but also pushes the nerves of the pilots to their limits.

Every instructor permits a maximum of four hours of flight time each day. Lin Mo, being the only A+ physical specimen on the entire ship, received an allowance of an additional two hours.

Every day’s flight training entailed one-on-one dual-plane formation drills, with each round of teaching taking two days to complete.

“Alright, the next group: ‘Thief,’ ‘Money Printer,’ ‘Brick,’ ‘Kitchen Knife,’ and ‘Magnifying Glass,’ team up together! Notify the weapon crew to remove the anti-submarine missiles and aerial deep-water bombs, and prepare to load air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground missiles.”

“Okay, long live the instructor!”

“Let’s team up and tackle America’s challenges!”

“Let’s go together! Long live the Dragon Knight!”

In the army, there are always those who can’t get enough of playing DOTA.

“Oh no!” The pilots who had already rotated with Lin Mo in the morning and afternoon collectively wailed.

“Emergency notice to Training Group 15, Dragon Knight! We just received a weather report from the weather crew; the conditions above the flight deck may not allow for armed landings. You best lighten your load midway.”

Influenced by Lin Mo, the trainees in Training Group 15 had mastered astonishing techniques for landing with munitions.

Landing armed—especially with powerful aerial weapons—is always a risky endeavor.

A slight misstep during landing can result in weapons falling off or striking the detonator, causing unpredictable severe consequences.

Most of the time, fighter jets fly without weaponry, but in certain missions, they must be prepared to carry munitions. The military cannot ensure whether combat will ensue nor can they guarantee safety; thus, they often jettison ammunition on the return flight to reduce weight and ensure a safe landing.

Losing millions or even tens of millions of taxpayer money each time a fighter takes off is a heavy burden, yet the pilots and fighter jets seem to be of even greater value.

This is an unfortunate choice. The topic circles back; engines burn more than just fuel—they burn money.

Especially on an aircraft carrier, there are very few fighter jets landing with weapons, and when there are, it’s done with great caution.

However, every time they fly out and waste munitions, it impacts the aircraft carrier’s arsenal and puts enormous pressure on logistics support.

Lin Mo introduced advanced aerial knight techniques, unexpectedly reducing unnecessary consumption to some degree. His armed landing skills left everyone who saw them in awe.

Every munition saved meant significant savings for the country, and this special landing technique quickly gained popularity among the trainees, even many instructors participated in learning it, especially those in Training Group 15, who became exceptionally skilled.

This highly demanding armed landing technique is not infallible; it tests the quality of the arresting gear, leading to accelerated wear and tear compared to normal use.

“Alright, command center. We just spotted two rocks on the way here; we’ll use those to jettison the aerial deep-water bombs. Each aircraft should be able to lighten its load by about 500 kilograms. We won’t jettison the anti-submarine missiles; it wouldn’t be good if they hit something.”

The command center operator discussed with the technicians and replied, “Uh, alright! With a 500-kilogram reduction in payload and accounting for fuel consumption, we should be able to complete the light-load landing.”

Currently, it is not a state of war, and even if armed, the J-15 "Dark Sabre" is carrying less than one-third of its possible load. Lin Mo’s plan allows for the use of specialized armed landing techniques.

“Shock,” Liu Jihua reminded in a strained voice, “Those are rocks. We’re carrying deep-water bombs, not aerial bombs.”

“I know, but doesn’t a deep-water bomb explode if it hits a rock?”

“Well, that’s… alright!”

“There’s no ‘that’s;’ consider this practice for bombing! If you throw it off target, I’ll have your skin!”

“Ah…”

In the cockpit, Liu Zhen’s face turned pale instantly.

The margin for error cannot exceed one meter; that’s the level of an ace bomb dropper.

Not just deep-water bombs—even tossing a rock could lead to disastrous outcomes upon hitting a reef; every 250-kilogram high-explosive deep-water bomb is like an expensive firework.

The two Dark Sabre carrier-based aircraft started searching for the location of that reef. At the southern end of the South China Sea, there are many such small reefs in the shallow waters, often submerged by seawater, half-sunk and half-exposed—absolutely hazardous for ships, capable of easily tearing apart a vessel’s hull.

If they ran aground, it would lead to destruction and loss of life.