Chapter 353

Chapter 353: Group Fight

The Chinese must have deployed electronic warfare aircraft; this is infuriating! The Vietnamese Air Force can barely produce a decent electronic warfare system. The differences between a small country and a large country are suddenly exposed. Simply relying on money to buy equipment is useless without a solid technological and industrial foundation. Even if they occasionally gain small advantages, everything is still ephemeral.

Caught directly in the enemy’s grasp, under full-band interference, nearly all fighter jets became mute. Full-band interference primarily blocks the main communication frequency range, but that is enough to silence most communication devices.

Unless there are special ultra-high frequency digital encryption channels or counter-interference equipment, communication is impossible. Unfortunately, Vietnam lacks such equipment.

Inside a MiG-29 cockpit, a Vietnamese pilot’s sharp gaze spotted several small black dots on the horizon, and as he squinted closely, his eyes widened in horror, and he screamed, “Chinese! It’s the Chinese! The Chinese are coming!”

The cockpit filled with gasps, but radio communication fell silent under the Chinese electronic warfare aircraft’s spell; the cries could only float around the cramped space.

“It’s the Chinese!”

Off in the distance, the J-15 "Dark Sabre" carrier-based aircraft appeared, diminishing in size. The Vietnamese fighter jets simultaneously spotted the enemy.

Yet the dark radar screen failed to reveal any shapes of the Chinese carrier-based aircraft.

Stealth carrier-based aircraft!

The aerodynamic layout and material improvements of the J-15 greatly enhanced its stealth capabilities and maneuverability, built on the original Su-33 design. Thus, while Vietnam acquired advanced fighter jets, they didn’t invest significantly in on-board radar, leaving them at a disadvantage in reconnaissance.

If it weren’t for the Chinese side showing no interest in provoking a major conflict between the two nations, the Vietnamese pilots might not have even seen the Chinese planes, getting ambushed like blind, mute, and deaf targets.

“Contact with the enemy! Hey! Damn it, battle independently! Battle independently!”

Regardless of whether anyone could hear him, the leader of the Vietnamese MiG squadron slammed down a few hatches in frustration, cursing loudly as he pushed the control stick to climb higher and seize the high ground.

In a usual combat tactic, climbing for speed advantage is crucial when maneuverability is not on their side; they could only rely on speed. This is also why many countries emphasize speed when developing fighter jets, even making supersonic cruising a standard for fourth-generation fighters.

Spotting a group of aggressive Chinese carrier-based aircraft rushing toward them, the Vietnamese pilots instantly abandoned their formation and scattered.

Under the interference, not only did the dispersion of their formation appear chaotic, but they also couldn’t stop the alarms sounding in the cockpit from the fire control radar locking onto them from the Chinese carrier-based aircraft.

Almost simultaneously, Vietnamese fighter jets coming from two directions encountered two squadrons of J-15 "Dark Sabre" carrier-based aircraft.

“Right! Use a three-jet formation for an interception. The lead aircraft attacks, Wingman One provides cover, and Wingman Two acts as bait. Great job, Kitties! And also the Sea Snail and Blue Crab teams, you’re all doing well.”

Lin Mo chimed in on the communication channel while watching the radar feedback. He pointed out in the public channel that the Vietnamese Air Force was entangled with the Chinese, as both sides engaged in a soft confrontation using fire control radar illumination. Even though the intelligence department had restricted their short-term flight privileges, it didn’t stop him from imagining the situation.

Watching the tablet and listening to the coordinated voices of the pilots gave him a sense of being in the action, though he lamented not being able to participate personally. If he could just take down a few Vietnamese planes, that would be satisfying.

Little did Lin Mo know that his thoughts might turn this soft confrontation into a real one. The two Su-27s he previously forced into a spin had already set the Vietnamese on edge. If it really escalated into a full-blown aerial battle, the only ones in trouble would be the Vietnamese.

Lin Mo often felt he lacked flight hours and had not been able to realize many of his wonderful ideas. What he didn’t realize was that his flight and combat time had already surpassed the standard flight hours of most pilots in the world.

With a 12-inch high-resolution screen boasting 266 dpi, resembling laser printer precision, colored markers indicated the numbers on both sides. Each marker displayed speed, altitude, and battlefield coordinates, while the top left corner frequently updated the latest news, making this battlefield data link display system feel exceptionally user-friendly, allowing anyone to effortlessly grasp the dynamics of the battlefield.

Not being able to personally engage in this large-scale confrontation with deterrent qualities left Lin Mo restless. Colonel Wu, accompanying him, wasn’t just there for company; he was also there to supervise, preventing Lin Mo, clad in top-notch tactical armor, from secretly slipping onto a fighter jet to join the fray.

If that guy joined, the Vietnamese fighter jets would drop like dumplings. Who could withstand such a maneuvering technique that produces spins?

Even Colonel Wu himself had no confidence in mastering Lin Mo’s spin attack. In his eyes, it was purely a suicide attack technique—an inimitable signature move. Mess it up, and the aircraft could disassemble mid-air, or he could end up spinning into oblivion.

Using a stainless steel spoon to scoop out coconut meat, Lin Mo intently focused on his tablet, listening to the flight trainees constantly reminding each other to coordinate maneuvers. These trainees were almost all qualified and had become excellent carrier-based aircraft students.

In a flurry of fire control radar illuminations, the sky became a pursuit game reminiscent of Hawk vs. Little Chicken, especially for the Su-30s loaded with BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles. They were like flustered girls being teased, as the heavy anti-ship missiles weighed down their maneuverability.

Like dogs chasing ducks, the frantic eight Su-30 fighter jets had to turn back, or they risked being directly threatened by the Chinese carrier-based aircraft. The J-15 "Dark Sabre," with its superior agility, left the Su-30s unable to shake them off.

In the airspace over the South China Sea, the unprecedented large-scale aerial confrontation between China and Vietnam was reaching a boiling point, rivaling real combat.

Both sides’ pilots showed remarkable restraint. As usual, they only used radar to continuously illuminate as a deterrent, without actually firing. The only one daring to break the rules was that "Dragon Knight," who could actually bring down opponents under such game-like conditions.

The Vietnamese military dispatched numerous fighter jets toward the Shilang’s location for show, but also to reclaim their face. They came to provoke, trying to caution the Chinese: If you want to pick a fight with me, consider your own strength.

The Vietnamese naval vessels maintained low-speed cruising, observing the dogfighting aircraft overhead, completely lacking the Air Force’s intensity. They had long received warnings that entering the carrier’s defense zone would invite ruthless punishment—this was not the same as fire control radar illumination; it meant real anti-ship missile attacks. They didn’t even have the right to peek.

The Vietnamese plan failed to unfold as anticipated; they now found themselves being chased around like chickens with their heads cut off by the Chinese carrier-based aircraft. The top talent from across the country had significantly improved their flight and air combat skills during their training aboard the Shilang in the South China Sea.

With sufficient flight training time, the Vietnamese pilots were pushing their air combat skills, but their determination couldn’t change the downward spiral.

“Cheers! Haha!”

Hearing the voices of the flight trainees through the wireless headset, Lin Mo and Colonel Wu exchanged glances, laughed heartily, and clinked their newly opened coconut shells, drinking down the coconut water. The Vietnamese? They hardly concerned themselves with that.

“Hey! After all this time, the Vietnamese Air Force and naval ships are out; where are their submarines? Isn’t it too quiet?” Colonel Wu glanced at his tablet, which already marked the positions of Vietnamese naval vessels.

“They probably didn’t get detected. I heard Vietnam has several Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines; why haven’t we seen them? They shouldn’t be missing at this time.”

“You’re right. I have no idea where the Vietnamese submarines are hiding; perhaps they are secretly observing us nearby. That’s still a threat. Let me think of something… Hmm, got it!” Colonel Wu seemed to have an idea and pressed his headset, saying, “Calling the operations command center!”

“This is the operations command center. What’s the matter, ‘Landmine’?”

“At longitude XX, latitude XX and longitude XX, latitude XX, drop a deep-water bomb at a depth of 400 meters. If there is no response, continue to drop at longitude XX, latitude XX and longitude XX, latitude XX, preferably using specially made 500-kilogram high-explosive deep-water bombs.”

Colonel Wu nodded at his tablet, outlining several coordinate parameters around the Shilang, resting his chin on his hand as if confirming something in his mind.

“Colonel Wu, do you think the Vietnamese submarines are in these locations?”

Lin Mo expressed his curiosity as Colonel Wu reported longitude and latitude coordinates, looking quite confident.

“No, no, no, I’m just guessing! See?!” Colonel Wu held his tablet up to Lin Mo’s view and pointed at the coordinates he had mentioned, explaining, “I’m just dropping deep-water bombs around the carrier to use the explosion’s echo to force the Vietnamese submarines out. Sometimes maintaining radio silence is useless; the shockwave from an explosion is more powerful than the strongest sonar and can expose submarines hiding in this area.”