Chapter 679

Chapter 679: The Spear and the Shield

The “Raccoon” pilot’s vehicle and the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter Jet launched missiles at over twice the speed of sound using technology revived from the CF-105 Arrow, which was used in 1958: at 1.5 Mach, the internal missile bay opened within 0.3 seconds and launched the missile in just 2 seconds.

“Raccoon, let me see if you have made any progress?!”

The MiG 1.44 showcased its super maneuverability, pulling into a high-angle climb while evading the opponent’s attacks. A trail of white smoke shot out from its wings.

With 12 external hardpoints loaded, Balor felt empowered to face any challenge.

While completing the launch of a close-range combat missile, the MiG 1.44 did not adhere to conventional tactical maneuvers. Instead, it exhibited a bizarre flight posture, demonstrating the MiG’s super maneuverability without reserve, constantly rolling, scissor twisting, and making sharp turns while launching attacks at Raccoon.

Using maneuverability to harass the opponent and rapid attacks to defeat them.

Next, another close-range air-to-air combat missile was launched as if it were free. Balor didn’t care whether he earned or lost points after the battle; if he wanted, he could unleash all his missiles at once, without holding back.

Not just the missiles, the MiG 1.44’s cannon roared with deadly force during the gaps in missile launches.

The powerful vector thrust engine ensured that the onboard 30mm caliber cannon had fantastic nose control during movement, spewing fire and aiming at Raccoon’s fighter jet, intending to turn it into a stunning fireball and snuff out Canadian military aviation once again.

This aggressive, no-nonsense close-quarters firepower tactic was not uncommon among the rough and tough Old Russian pilots.

Raccoon’s eyes turned red instantly; his fighter jet had not exited the supersonic mode, with both wings releasing infrared decoys continuously.

This disposable item is often heavily consumed in battles, sometimes exceeding the amount of cannon ammunition.

The fiery glow nearly illuminated half the sky.

As the aircraft underwent intense overload maneuvers, a combat missile detonated extremely close, sending shockwaves directly crashing into Little Cutie’s body and causing a dangerous vibration.

In the cockpit, Raccoon had no time to marvel at how he nearly stepped into hell; his focus remained locked on that damned MiG 1.44. His hands moved as if they had eyes, skillfully operating the dashboard without glancing away, constantly adjusting different functional modules to counter this wave of impact.

This damned Russian polar bear must be taken down.

Little Cutie’s aerodynamic shape resembled the F-117 Nighthawk, not only improving air superiority aerodynamic design but also providing pilots with a broad view from the cockpit. The Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System paired with high-definition displays simulated techniques similar to the Light Mirror Technique, further expanding the pilot’s field of vision.

The four fighter jets used all their skills, engaging fiercely in a life-and-death duel.

Canadian pilot Raccoon successfully split the enemy formation, luring the MiG 1.44 away and transforming a two-on-two battle into single combat.

Integrating offense and defense was a tactical ability every fighter ace must master; it’s not as simple as just pressuring the opponent to fire, as victory or defeat can hinge on a single thought.

The mental resilience of seasoned ace pilots is comparable to that of astronauts. Even the slightest hesitation or fear can prevent survival in such intense aerial warfare.

Although various types of air-to-air missiles dominate modern aerial combat, cannonfire will always hold an irreplaceable position.

Fierce and sustained firepower possesses deadly lethality against any fighter jet’s weak defenses.

Cannon calibers progressively increased, from the original 7.62mm to 12.7mm, then up to 20mm, 23mm, 30mm, 37mm, and even 57mm and 75mm. The balance of caliber and aircraft performance, fire rate, and projectile types continuously evolved, maintaining the cannon’s special status in aerial combat—a favorite among many aerial knights.

Modern air combat skills have always been closely tied to cannon usage, but not every pilot can master this tactical ability completely.

Pilots adept at close-range cannon combat are often the most challenging opponents in aerial warfare.

Aiming at the opponent in battle is no easy task. Despite vector thrust technology enhancing nose direction stability, enemies do not just sit still and wait for bullets and missiles.

Both sides engaged in an intense confrontation filled with high overload and extensive calculations of attack lead times. Hitting the opponent is no simple feat, even for the cannon’s dense firepower.

Though Lin Mo’s cannon attack skills far exceeded the average person, even being able to take out missiles, dealing with a slippery UFO was not an easy task. Compared to clumsy missiles, the UFO was much more agile.

The opponent clearly recognized Lin Mo’s exceptional cannon accuracy; the onboard computer systems in the UFO could always lock onto the forward-swept fighter jet using optical detection equipment. During the skirmish, it carefully avoided positions within a 90-degree attack angle in front of the forward-swept fighter.

Amid the entanglement with the UFO, Lin Mo finally seized an instant opportunity, firing cannon shots that struck the UFO with pinpoint accuracy.

However, the 23mm caliber cannon rounds did not tear open large patches of the UFO’s surface as expected. Instead, they exhibited a baffling ricochet effect on the UFO’s surface, bouncing off its sloped surface and onto the backside.

Steel core armor-piercing projectiles and tracer rounds rebounded as if skipping stones, while incendiary rounds and high-explosive projectiles only produced bursts of sparks on the surface, causing minor wounds and scorch marks, failing to penetrate the aircraft’s interior and causing the desired damage.

This peculiar hit effect stunned Lin Mo. By his estimate, the UFO should have been violently shredded into pieces by the cannon fire, trailing black smoke as it plummeted. How could it remain unscathed with only minor superficial damage?

Did the UFO employ heavy armor technology?

The UFO’s surface design seemed at most to suggest sloped defense technology—how thick could it be?

No matter how much defense was reinforced, it couldn’t reach the level of a tank. Even if it did, fighter jet cannon fire could tear through tank armor, so such resilience should not exist.

Fighter jets, known for speed, maneuverability, and offensive capability, focus primarily on attack. What use is defense? Continuous offense is the best protection.

Most fighters are only designed for pilot protection through overload resistance systems and ejection mechanisms, with their thin walls barely capable of resisting light weapon attacks, while armor-piercing bullets and shells over 12.7mm can easily ignore this flimsy titanium alloy armor.

As a highly precise, complex fighting machine, even a minor damage could lead to catastrophic consequences, making complete perfection in defense impossible and unnecessary.

“Ha ha, Number 13, your fighter jet’s cannon cannot penetrate my armor! It’s made from the world’s most advanced composite materials, treated with a surface hardening oily coating, plus a natural sloped angle defense. You should just give up points to me.”

Belong, piloting the UFO, appeared incredibly arrogant. The recent round of cannon fire on the UFO’s surface merely produced a dull thud and vibration in his cockpit.

Regarding Lin Mo’s fruitless cannon attack, Belong laughed mockingly in the cockpit while operating with speed.

The UFO continuously adjusted its angle, locking onto the forward-swept fighter with its concealed internal 30mm machine guns and firing in a relentless stream, transforming the K-592 “Shadow” UFO into a hedgehog covered in spikes.

No matter how the UFO maneuvered, as long as any edge faced Lin Mo’s X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter, that position’s machine guns would unleash a torrent of fire.

Bright trails of bullets mercilessly lashed out at Lin Mo’s X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter without pause.

Inside the Shadow UFO’s edges was a circular ammunition belt, utilizing a unique flow feeding mechanism to synchronize ammo supply across all machine guns.

With the UFO’s omnidirectional firepower activated, the barrage tightly constricted around Lin Mo’s fighter jet like a persistent curse.

The overwhelming firepower fully suppressed the Dragon Knight, even incapacitating all the weapons on the X-1 Forward-Swept Wing Fighter. Unless he wanted to go down in flames with the enemy, Lin Mo found himself unable to fire back. He could only pull away, flying in wide arcs around the UFO at high speed, constantly using barrel rolls and other small maneuvers to evade the incoming bullets.

In such an intense and sustained barrage, it was nearly impossible to remain unscathed; even the most skillful Dragon Knight could not guarantee survival.

If not for the golden giant dragon that had previously hidden within the X-1’s fighter, a few lucky hits from the cannon could have spelled doom for Lin Mo.

In the unavoidable high-altitude environment, no amount of Battle Energy could resist the onslaught of cannon fire.

Having paid a high price, the Flowing Wave Heavenly Transformation Magic Circle, laser-etched and embedded with titanium wire across the aircraft’s surface, provided critically valuable additional defense at this moment.