18: Shocking, the rising mushroom cloud!

Half an hour later, Peng Lin finished explaining how to use the Sniper Grenade and Individual Thermobaric Weapon to General Xu Liyou's guard company.

"Reporting, Commander, the guard company has assembled!"

"Please give your orders!"

Company Commander Hou Weiguo ran forward, saluted, and reported.

All more than one hundred soldiers of the entire guard company looked towards General Xu Liyou.

The soldiers capable of serving as guards for a founding general were undoubtedly the elite among soldiers.

Normally, they were responsible for protecting the commander's safety.

However, once the war reached its most critical stage, their guard company also served as a combat support company.

They would inevitably rush to the most difficult combat areas!

"Board the aircraft!"

"Execute the surprise attack mission on Hill 662.4 according to the original plan!"

General Xu Liyou checked his watch and gave the order.

At the same time, three helicopters roared their engines, all entering a state of readiness.

The soldiers of the guard company divided into three platoons, running towards different z-8 heavy transport helicopters.

The soldiers' formations split into two streams in front of the cabin door, simultaneously stepping onto the steel plate stairs and leaping into the cabin.

In less than thirty seconds, all more than one hundred fully armed soldiers of the guard company had precisely taken their seats inside the three transport aircraft.

The rivets on the cabin wall gleamed in the swaying shadows, and the last soldier in the tail of each helicopter simultaneously knocked on the door three times.

Immediately after, the hydraulic rods hissed as they closed the cabin doors, and all the soldiers were swallowed into the belly of the aircraft.

The twin rotors roared, cutting through the airflow, and the hydraulic cabin doors locked.

The steel bodies, loaded with the guard company soldiers, trembled as they rose from the ground, their undersides scraping past the factory buildings, and flew towards the distant mountains.

According to the operational plan, the three helicopters would fly low to avoid enemy radar detection.

They would bypass Hill 662.4 and silently land behind it.

"This is an airborne mechanized force!"

Witnessing an reinforced company of fully armed soldiers being deployed into enemy territory, General Xu Liyou couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

War was evolving from traditional two-dimensional ground combat to a new type of three-dimensional air-ground combined spatial warfare.

"Let's go, we'll be the referees!"

"We'll also go and see the guard company's surprise attack performance with our own eyes!"

After General Xu Liyou finished speaking, he led Peng Lin onto a Z-5 helicopter.

The Z-5 was an old-fashioned piston helicopter, with a payload capacity of only about one ton.

So, besides the pilot, there were only General Xu Liyou, Peng Lin, and two operations staff officers on board.

General Xu Liyou handed Peng Lin a pair of binoculars.

Once the Z-5 flew to the top of the mountain, the group began to observe the entire live-fire surprise attack exercise... on the East Side mountain top of Changhe Factory.

Here, according to General Xu Liyou's orders, a defensive position similar to Hill 662.4 had been constructed.

Not only were various types of trenches and bunkers built here,

but also many dummies, wooden machine guns, and rocket launchers were placed to simulate a crossfire network.

Although these weapons were all carved from wood, their placement was very meticulous.

They were divided into direct fire, indirect fire, and infantry weapons, deployed in layers based on the high ground!

For example, at the direct fire points, 85mm cannons and 37mm anti-aircraft guns were hidden in mountain caves, with only their muzzles exposed for firing.

Indirect fire, on the other hand, involved deploying 105mm howitzers and 120mm mortars on the reverse slope of the mountain.

As long as the Dragon Country army dared to charge, the direct and indirect fire points would coordinate with the anti-aircraft machine guns set up by the infantry on the mountaintop, the light and heavy machine guns deployed on the mountainside, and the rocket launchers at the foot of the mountain to fire simultaneously!

Forming a three-tiered crossfire network to repel the enemy!

However, behind the crossfire network of the "662.4 position," three helicopters had already quietly landed.

As the hydraulic locks of the cabin doors clicked open, mountain wind, carrying leaves, rushed into the cabin.

Soldiers from the three guard platoons simultaneously ejected from different cabin doors, carrying various equipment.

Upon landing, they quickly spread out in a circular tactical formation.

"Landing successful!"

On the Z-5, Peng Lin observed the scene through his binoculars and murmured.

Hearing his words, a smile also appeared on General Xu Liyou's face.

"The firepower deployment of the 662.4 position is very fierce, making it very difficult to capture."

"But with the existence of the z-8 heavy transport helicopter, we can easily land from the rear."

"Moreover, if this were real combat, I would order a feint attack from the front."

"This would expose the hidden fire points on the enemy's position, while also covering the surprise attack from the rear!"

General Xu Liyou explained.

But while Peng Lin and he were chatting on the Z-5, the guard company on the ground had already begun its surprise attack.

"Although it's a live-fire simulation exercise, treat it as real combat!"

"We know nothing about the situation and firepower deployment of the 662.4 position."

"So, once we open fire and expose our position, if we are within the enemy's crossfire range, we might be judged as dead!"

Company Commander Hou Weiguo crawled forward, giving instructions.

Soon, they stealthily infiltrated to a position about 800 meters from the mountaintop position.

"If we go any further, we will enter the range of the enemy's infantry firepower!"

Hou Weiguo extended his hand, ordering everyone to take cover.

He was not worried about the enemy's howitzers and mortars.

Because the muzzles of those heavy weapons were certainly positioned at the front of the position, making it impossible for them to attack them.

However, once their position was exposed, they were very likely to suffer from the enemy infantry's heavy machine gun fire and suppression.

"Company Commander, the effective range of the Sniper Grenade and this new type of rocket launcher are both over 800 meters."

"How about we scout the enemy's fire points and position, and immediately begin a saturation bombardment!"

A platoon leader suggested.

The range of ordinary firearms was only a few hundred meters.

Even the RPG rocket launchers provided by the Soviet Union to Yue Hou Country had an effective range of only about 500 meters.

But their new weapons all had a range of over 800 meters.

So, launching an attack from this position, they were absolutely safe.

"Good, scout the enemy's firepower, and each platoon will report and allocate targets for striking the enemy's fire points!"

"Give me a new type of rocket launcher developed by Changhe Factory!"

"After I fire, the entire company will immediately cover the enemy's position, cannon muzzles, and trench locations with firepower!"

Hou Weiguo gave the order.

After his command was issued, each platoon of the guard company quickly dispatched scouts to investigate and report on the enemy's fire points.

About ten minutes later, the task of striking the enemy's fire points on the 662.4 position was completely allocated among the platoons and squads of the entire guard company.

And the target that Company Commander Hou Weiguo was to strike with the rocket launcher was the 37mm anti-aircraft gun hidden in the mountaintop cave.

"Fire!"

Hou Weiguo, following the usage method taught by Peng Lin, aimed at the mountaintop and immediately pressed the firing button of the Individual Thermobaric Weapon.

At the same time, the thermobaric warhead in the rocket launcher whizzed out, its fiery tail cutting through the smoke.

The warhead accurately drilled into the cave entrance on the mountaintop, following Hou Weiguo's aim.

At the same instant, the fuse triggered the first explosion, and high-energy fuel diffused like a mist, filling the entire space.

Approximately 0.1 seconds later, the warhead ignited a second time, and a 2500-degree high-temperature fireball expanded explosively at the mountaintop cave entrance.

In that instant, a huge explosion roar and shockwave spread across the mountaintop!

Reinforced concrete twisted and disintegrated in the high temperature, and the airwave tore the bunkers into pieces!

A huge mushroom cloud, tens of cubic meters in size, rose into the sky from the mountaintop, spreading out and dispersing the surrounding clouds!

"What's going on?"

When this rocket was fired, Company Commander Hou Weiguo of the guard company immediately covered his head, completely stunned!

He had only fired one rocket, so why did the mountaintop's bunkers collapse, and why did a mushroom cloud even rise?

Someone who didn't know would have thought he had fired a small nuclear bomb!

"What kind of weapon is this, exactly?"

He looked at the smoking muzzle in his hand with some disbelief!

And at the same time, the Z-5 helicopter, feeling the mushroom cloud rising from the mountain below, immediately maneuvered to dodge.

Whether it was the pilot, General Xu Liyou, or the two operations staff officers, they were all simultaneously startled by the immense power of this explosion!