Chapter 516

Chapter 516: Shooting Birds

“‘Bamiyan’ instructor, today I personally took down two armed helicopters. Wow, it was just incredible! The sea of flames was magnificent, and the people inside looked like they were being roasted. My blood was boiling!”

“Yeah, yeah, ‘Lightning,’ those robbers’ helicopters fell one after another like flies in front of our machine guns. Those damned guys deserve to go to hell! Look at the havoc they’ve wreaked. Our homes have been destroyed along with our brothers and sisters. These guys have no faith.”

Two A-29 "Super Dodo" fighter jets, painted in black, had just completed their combat mission and were on their way back home. The pilots in the back seats waved at the lead aircraft.

The "Super Dodo" ordered by the Dragoon Corporation certainly didn’t disappoint. It successfully suppressed the fierce attacks of the enemy. Just half an hour ago, they dropped high-energy cloud explosive bombs weighing 500 kilograms, creating a sea of fire and anoxic zones, virtually annihilating all enemies gathered in a valley, causing nearly 300 casualties.

“Good job, ‘Zorro,’ ‘Lightning,’ and ‘Nikola’!”

The lead pilot turned briefly and gave a thumbs-up in response.

“Thank you, ‘Bamiyan’ instructor!” The other pilot in the back seat spoke somewhat shyly, unlike the two active pilots on another “Super Dodo.”

At Gem Valley Airport Number Three, another instructor from the Brazilian Aerospace Security Company, who had miraculously escaped unharmed during the attack, brought several flight trainees, who took turns carrying munitions for a counterattack. They managed to regain air supremacy, forcing the armed militants to keep their makeshift helicopters grounded.

The pilots challenged by the Dragoon Corporation were all selected from a vast pool, oh no, they should be called one in a hundred thousand, brave, meticulous, and calm, almost all born to fly. They were also very combative, unafraid of danger, and learned quickly; they could independently take off and land in just three days.

Even though they were not jet fighters, the propeller-driven aircraft still outmatched those helicopters, which had undergone only basic modifications—merely adding some machine guns, rocket bombs, and light bombs—this was already their maximum upgrade. They could only dream of fitting air-to-air missiles, as they had no fire control systems or radar systems; those were merely for show.

Even shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles could not be casually mounted on their helicopters.

“Let’s climb a bit higher, up to 5,000 meters, to avoid the surface-to-air missiles,” the instructor, with the flight code “Bamiyan,” obviously spoke little; he was here for the paycheck and would only stay a month before heading back home with a $200,000 check.

The speed of the "Super Dodo" was slow but very suitable for visually searching for ground targets in Afghanistan’s complex terrain.

“Yes, instructor!”

The two A-29 "Super Dodo" aircraft began to lift their noses and climb.

Beep, beep, beep!

What’s happening? Just as they climbed to 4,000 meters, Bamiyan heard a piercing alarm in the cockpit.

Locked on? How is that possible? The Brazilian Aerospace Security Company flight instructor’s face showed an incredulous expression.

What was that? The Threat Warning System (TWS) was going off.

At 4,000 meters, even shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles would be powerless, let alone be able to lock onto the "Super Dodo."

The maximum altitude for a Stinger shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile was only 3,000 meters; at this altitude, it wouldn’t trigger the TWS system’s alarm for the "Super Dodo."

Two signals appeared on the radar screen. They heard a thunderous roar approaching rapidly. What was it?

Was it an air-to-air missile? The computer system quickly identified it as a PL-1 air-to-air missile.

“Quick, quick, evade! Air-to-air missile!” Bamiyan shouted urgently, as he saw two silver fighters suddenly diving from below, along with missiles rushing ahead.

What a fierce climb!

Bamiyan’s heart sank; those were not the advanced fighter jets currently equipped by various countries; they were the outdated MiG-19. In a hurry, he mistook the J-6 for the MiG-19, but there was no time to consider why MiG-19s (J-6s) appeared here and suddenly declared war on them.

The missile was coming.

Whether it was the original MiG-19 or the J-6, both were twin-engine jet fighters with exceptional climb rates, especially the J-6, which climbed faster than the MiG-21 and was extremely agile.

Boom!

The "Super Dodo" piloted by "Zorro" and "Lightning" could not evade in the S-shaped maneuver and exploded into a massive fireball in the sky. Perhaps wanting to save the expensive aircraft, they hesitated to eject, resulting in both the aircraft and pilots perishing.

The PL-1 short-range air-to-air missile used radar wave guidance, which could effectively target propeller-driven fighter jets that did not have particularly obvious infrared signatures. The proximity fuse utilized was quite lethal; for the thin-bodied "Super Dodo," its defense capabilities were still lacking.

“Damn it! Why didn’t he eject?”

Bamiyan could no longer worry about why the Dragoon Corporation pilots clung to the last sliver of hope. He disregarded the lifespan of the fighter jet and executed several evasive maneuvers, narrowly dodging the incoming missiles.

The PL-1 short-range air-to-air missiles had a maximum range of only 6 kilometers; after flying past, they descended helplessly to the ground, not even reaching 4 kilometers.

How on earth could they still make such outdated missiles work? Bamiyan couldn’t figure it out.

Could it be the Chinese? No, that’s impossible. Even aside from the fact that their military base was right next to Aircraft Number Three, there would be no need to go far for an attack. Besides, if they wanted to strike, they wouldn’t use fighter jets that had been retired over twenty years ago. At least it would have to be a J-7.

As a professional in the field, Bamiyan’s thoughts raced. In the back seat, Nikola, the Dragoon Corporation pilot, screamed loudly. The recent evasive maneuvers had left him completely shaken. The difference between experienced pilots and novices often surfaced in emergencies.

“‘Nikola,’ get a hold of yourself! We’re going to counterattack. Pay close attention to my orders. If it gets too tough, then eject! Do not hesitate—your life is more important than the fighter jet!”

“Yes! Instructor!” Nikola responded hoarsely, a hint of tears in his voice. His two companions were gone in an instant. He strained to look around but saw no parachute blossoming. A deep sorrow surged within him.

“Come on, come on! Ha, I just took down a little lady! Zork, let’s shoot again and make her wish she was dead!”

Excitedly, Bell, who had just blown up a “Super Dodo,” shook his wings like he was dancing.

“Nice job! Let’s really hit her hard together! I feel amazing!” Zork felt annoyed for missing a missile but quickly got excited again, spouting vulgarities alongside his comrade.

The fight was only just beginning.

Taking advantage of their speed, two J-6s circled around the “Super Dodo,” like wolves preying on a cow, waiting to launch another attack.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

Two streams of fire shot out at high speed. The “Super Dodo” wing erupted in flames, but Zork and Bell, both experienced pilots, swiftly split to either side and evaded the trajectory.

The “Super Dodo” was ultimately only an attack aircraft meant to suppress ground targets, not a dogfighter. Its air combat capability was even weaker than that of the P-51 Mustang from World War II. The two fixed 12.7 millimeter caliber machine guns on the wings were insufficient for air combat.

“Hey, an old bird! Not bad! Where did they find such a pilot? Today is your unlucky day, Zork. This one’s yours; I’ll provide cover! We agreed to split the bonuses.”

“Thank you, Bell! Tonight I’ll get you the prettiest lady, my treat.”

“Great! It’s a deal! You go left, and I’ll go right. Let’s flank this weak lady.”

“Okay, let’s go!”

Like fierce wolves, the two J-6s flew away from the “Super Dodo” as their meeting point and launched into a scissor tactical maneuver, the most ruthless double scissor kill. Although the three 30mm cannons had a slower rate of fire and fewer rounds, any hit on the fragile body of the “Super Dodo” would mean certain destruction, leaving no chance to escape.

The J-6 was originally a fighter well-suited for close dogfights, thriving in such an environment. With the assistance of its 55-degree swept wings, it was incredibly agile.

Even an F-35 Lightning II would struggle to withstand a burst from the J-6’s outdated 30-1 cannon bullets—no exceptions at all.

“Report, report! Headquarters, we are under attack! It’s a MiG-19! Maybe it’s a J-6! No markings!”

“Nikola,” in the back of the “Super Dodo,” shouted hoarsely amid the intense shaking of the aircraft, while simultaneously activating the on-board camera to transmit the footage of the enemy aircraft back to headquarters.

“Headquarters received! Use super-low altitude evasions and return quickly! We can provide medium-range air defense missile support.”

Dragoon Headquarters in Gem Valley fell into shock and panic as jets unexpectedly appeared, catching everyone off guard.

The war was about to escalate!

Almost everyone thought so.

“Understood! Damn it, the MiG-19 is also skilled in super-low altitude dogfighting!”

The front-seat flight instructor, Bamiyan, had already beads of sweat on his forehead. Faced with a supersonic aircraft that completely countered his own, he felt cornered.