Spark

In the command room of Cambridge on 055D, Luan Yijun, the formation commander of the Liaoning aircraft carrier, looked at the gradually receding USS Ronald Reagan, with a solemn expression on his face.

In the past few days, the two aircraft carrier battle groups have actually kept a close enough distance to directly see each other on the sea, and there have even been several bayonet-style interspersed maneuvers between ships.

However, as the date of the drill approached, both sides chose to retreat and disengage.

In the eyes of ordinary people, such actions may be the result of mutual compromise and concession.

But as long as anyone with a little military common sense will know that the real tension between the two sides at this time is at hand.

If it hadn't been for the tacit agreement between the two sides that they did not enter the state of radio silence, Luan Yijun might not just stand quietly at this time, but would start tense combat deployments.

At this time, standing beside Luan Yijun was no longer the captain of the Liaoning, Cao Gangchuan, but the special combat staff specially assigned for this test—or to put it bluntly, that is, the technicians in charge of the DF-21H project, Xu Qianchuan.

"How far are we from the scheduled exercise site?"

Xu Qianchuan asked.

"At present, there are still 240 nautical miles. We must avoid the opponent's shipboard radar identification area. This is the minimum warning distance for emergencies."

"If it is lower than this distance, many countermeasures cannot be implemented in time. Once friction breaks out in the future, our various combat units will lose reaction time."

"Understood. But if we look at the current distance between the two sides, if we want to implement Plan 2, the risk is a bit high."

Hearing Xu Qianchuan's words, Luan Yijun frowned slightly, and said in a displeased tone:

"Why didn't this situation be reported at the beginning? Combat is not a child's play, and every deviation may lead to extremely serious consequences."

"The arrow is on the line. You told me that the risk is too high. What do you mean? Does it mean that you want to give up plan 2?"

Luan Yijun's expression was extremely stern. He originally had a face that was not angry and arrogant, but with his tone, even Xu Qianchuan, who was experienced and had a long history of postgraduate entrance examinations, was a little apprehensive.

He was stunned for a moment, and after organizing his words, he opened his mouth and said:

"This is not a problem that can be reported at the beginning. Plan No. 2 is originally implemented dynamically. At the beginning, we regarded it as an alternative plan."

"To achieve the program goals, we have to consider the DF-21H's accuracy, range, electromagnetic environment, and most importantly, weather conditions."

"Only when all the conditions are fulfilled can this plan be implemented."

"And now, according to the current course and distance, we will miss the storm at sea-this makes us lose our greatest advantage."

"That's why I say it's heightened risk."

Luan Yijun nodded slowly, he understood Xu Qianchuan's concerns.

However, regarding the latter concern, he didn't think it was so important, and he even found it a little ridiculous.

So he opened his mouth and said:

"If it's just this problem. Then I can tell you that you are dealing with this plan completely on paper."

"The so-called weather factor is actually purely an excuse for self-deception under the pedantic mind. It is impossible for the other party to care about this."

"As long as Plan No. 2 is successfully implemented, no matter how powerful our reasons—or excuses—the other party will not accept."

"So, we've decided that this is the case, and we don't need to consider so many so-called 'long-term risks'. Whether there is any long-term risk is another matter."

Hearing this, Xu Qianchuan nodded solemnly.

Although pedantic thinking is not a good word, from Luan Yijun's explanation, he did feel his own shortcomings in actual combat.

Although in the past two years, reforms have been carried out within the technical department, trying to establish a so-called "battlefield-oriented R\u0026D system", it is clear that the researchers who have lived in the rear for a long time have extremely limited understanding of the battlefield.

No matter how many times the organization studies and communicates, there is no direct experience of going to the battlefield in person.

That's why he took the initiative to take the job regardless of the danger.

"Understood, then we have no worries, and everything will go according to plan."

"However, there is one more point I need to emphasize."

"The DF-21H has not actually undergone a launch test, so no one can guarantee its stability 100 percent. In the event of an accident, we must have a follow-up emergency response plan."

"You can rest assured about this."

Luan Yijun nodded and replied:

"DF-21H has not been tested, but we have done the YJ-21 test more than once, and the various processes are complete, because the possibility of accidents caused by process and operation errors is infinitely close to zero."

"That's good."

Xu Qianchuan stopped talking, and Luan Yijun also devoted himself to his command work.

In the next ten hours, this aircraft carrier formation, which can be said to be "brand new" and has not undergone much postgraduate research, withdrew 260 nautical miles all the way, and finally parked at the edge of the USS Reagan fleet's shipboard radar scanning range. on the sea.

At this time, the time was exactly 9 o'clock in the morning. After confirming that the surrounding sea surface was cleared of civilian ships and the enemy's aerial reconnaissance was suppressed, each combat unit immediately entered a state of combat readiness.

Immediately afterwards, on the splint of the 055 large drive, the hatch of the vertical hair unit at the front of the ship was opened, and the DF-21H, which can be called the long-awaited DF-21H, showed its true appearance.

——

Perhaps it should be called YJ-21H more appropriate.

In the command room, Luan Yijun looked at this scene with a calm expression, but Xu Qianchuan who was beside him was unavoidably nervous, and even his voice trembled a little.

"The self-inspection and self-inspection have been completed, and the missile body is in good condition and can be launched at any time."

"Understood. Enter launch coordinates."

"Launch coordinates confirmed, ready to launch."

Commander Luan Yi took a breath and issued this important order.

"emission!"

The countdown followed, and in this short three seconds, many thoughts flashed through Luan Yijun's mind.

Yes, as a high-level commander, how could he fail to understand the recent series of actions by the US side? How could he not know that the other party is actually betting?

This is an extremely risky behavior. But in fact, the same is true for our own side.

Even, their own strategy is more radical than theirs.

This is no longer a collision of equipment, tactics, and fighting will. To some extent, this is even

The collision of national fortunes.

The result of the collision, perhaps in a few minutes, will be presented to everyone.

On the deck, soaring flames and smoke exploded majesticly, and two YJ-21Hs were launched into the sky one after another.

After a brief acceleration, they dragged a long trail and rushed towards the target that seemed "too close" to them at a high speed above Mach 3

At the same time, the Reagan aircraft carrier formation was over.

Jaylen drove his FA-18, cruising back and forth at an altitude of 6,000 meters. Patrick's chattering voice from E2-C came from his earphones, but he had no interest in chatting with him at all.

"...This exercise is really ridiculous, what kind of exercise is this?"

"The only ones sent by the island country are a few warships that should have been towed to the scrap yard long ago, plus a few small boats and a few F-16s bought from us. The Izumo I mentioned before didn't even see a shadow. arrive."

"Relying on these things, what do they expect to be able to train? How can the training drag China back into the era of cannons and giant ships in the age of missiles, and use their Yamato and our F-16 to launch an onboard charge?"

"Moreover, the subjects of the exercise were set up to be ridiculous. Escorts, escorts, and machine gun shooting... not even naval gun shooting."

"I really don't understand what the higher-ups are thinking. We have worked so hard to come here, is it just to have a friendship performance with people from the island country?"

"This makes me feel that our goal is not Huaxia at all, but deliberately making such a move to cheat Congress of funds"

Seeing that what Patrick said was getting more and more outrageous, Jay had no choice but to respond:

"Stop complaining, Patrick."

"You are an AWACS pilot. Logically speaking, you should see more and farther than a fighter pilot like me."

"Don't you see it yet? This exercise is just a performance."

"It's just that we are not performing for Congress, but for Huaxia."

"It doesn't matter what the exercise subjects are. Compared with our high-intensity training before, now we are like on vacation."

"And you don't know what a sudden vacation means, do you?"

Hearing Jaylen's words, Patrick fell silent for a moment.

The radio was silent for a full two minutes, until Jay flew to the edge of the scheduled navigation range and started to pull up and turn around, Patrick spoke again:

"Well, maybe you're right, but I still don't think there's any chance of a war."

"Obviously, the other party has begun to show weakness, and the previous confrontation was nothing more than a performance they deliberately made to calm domestic public opinion."

"Otherwise, they should at least try to interfere with us electromagnetically and disrupt the progress of our exercise as before, right?"

"But it's obvious they don't have signs"

"But we have already entered the second-level alert state, and the aircraft carrier has also entered the FQ state. Isn't this a clearer signal?"

In fact, as Jaylen said, the entire USS Reagan aircraft carrier battle group has entered the second-level alert state, and all ships capable of taking off and landing aircraft have entered the FQ aviation operation state.

Generally speaking, Level 2 + FQ means that the current Level 2 alert may be upgraded to the highest level of Level 1 alert at any time.

This is basically the state that the aircraft carrier formation will have when it is on the edge of the battle zone, so Jalen said that this is a clear signal, and there is really no problem at all.

But Patrick was still unwilling to believe it.

"They are acting, and we are also acting. Isn't it normal? Chinese people are weak. They haven't experienced a real war for nearly twenty years."

"Their leaders have changed batch after batch, and the current decision makers are no longer the lunatics of the past."

"Don't worry, they won't do anything, they're just barking gophers, as soon as someone comes over, they will immediately retract—SHIT!"

In the middle of Patrick's words, he suddenly exclaimed, and then, on Jaylen's radar, two bright spots that were moving at high speed suddenly appeared.

That was not the target scanned by his airborne radar, but the information transmitted to him through the data link system after the early warning aircraft discovered it.

Jaylen's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he felt his body hair under the anti-G suit stand up one by one, and his scalp under the flying helmet also had an illusion of tension.

"What's this!?"

Jaylen yelled.

And at the same time, the aircraft carrier fleet just below him had also received the information from the data link system, and the entire fleet immediately entered a first-level alert state. Start tracking, anti-aircraft missiles and close-in defense systems are ready to go, the hatch of the anti-ship missile vertical launch system is opened, and the coordinates of the preset position are input. Only the last order is left, and a full-scale counterattack will begin.

Patrick in the AWACS obviously couldn't care less about answering Jaylen's question. He just received an order to ask the AWACS to go forward to find the specific location of the opponent's ship and track and lock the flying unit.

——

But this is definitely not a task that can be completed at the same time.

Those two flying units are missiles.

And it is an anti-ship missile in hypersonic flight.

"Target! Where is the target?!"

Patrick yelled hysterically in the cockpit, and just a few seconds later, the radar operator gave feedback:

"It's not for us!"

Patrick's movements paused, and at this moment, he felt a sense of relief.

But soon, the radar operator's second sentence made him nervous again.

"Judging from the flight path, one of the missiles flew to the northeast. There is nothing there, and it is their scheduled test area."

"But the other one... flew to the southwest, in the direction of Chiwei Island."

"Chiwei Island?"

Patrick's forehead jumped suddenly, and he suddenly woke up, trying to understand the opponent's combat intention.

Less than 30 nautical miles away from Chiwei Island, there are two island country ships that participated in the joint exercise moored.

——

But that seems a bit counterintuitive.

The first wave of offense is often the one that determines the outcome.

How could they let go of the Reagan and choose an insignificant target instead?

The two light spots on the radar were still moving rapidly, and the tension in the entire fleet was almost stretched to the limit.

After 10 seconds, the commander-in-chief of the fleet made a final decision on whether to intercept and launch a counterattack.

And the result of the decision is.

"negative".

reject.

In the cockpit of FA-18, Jaylen, whose back was drenched in cold sweat, let out a long sigh of relief.

Then, according to the order, he accelerated his ascent and flew in the direction of Chiwei Island.

But he was just too slow.

One hundred and twenty nautical miles away from Chiwei Island, the light spots on the radar had disappeared.

And when it was confirmed that the threat was eliminated and he began to descend to a height for visual inspection, a scene that stunned him suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.

The small island disappeared.

The gunpowder smoke is still drifting away, and the waves are still churning, but the solid island that has stood on the sea for hundreds of years has been completely destroyed by that light spot.

Just one shot.