99: The Z-10 makes its first air combat appearance!

The sub-munitions achieved legendary status in their first battle, but Peng Lin didn't show too much excitement.

This battle only damaged the prestige of the Polar Bear army; its overall combat power was not significantly affected.

After all, the Polar Bear's Central Assault Group alone possessed 150,000 troops and over 2,000 third-generation main battle tanks.

Even if the most elite T-80s were lost, it still had an incredibly vast number of T-72 tank clusters.

The Dragon Country army still had tougher battles to fight ahead!

Compared to gaining an advantage in the first small-scale engagement between the two sides, what truly excited Peng Lin was the tactical choices made by the Dragon Country army commanders!

From this battle, it was clear that the Dragon Country army commanders had fully grasped the operational characteristics of combined arms units like the heavy combined arms brigade, and were able to leverage the advantages of their combined arms system and advanced equipment!

This was a more important point than any other aspect.

While war is fought with weaponry, what ultimately determines its outcome is still people!

If Army Commander Sun Yi could continue to implement such asymmetric tactics, relying on systemic advantages for precision strikes and beyond-visual-range combat in the future!

Then the Dragon Country army truly might win this real-world confrontation exercise!

...Meanwhile, on the Siberian wilderness.

As the heavy combined arms brigade continued its advance, Army Commander Sun Yi remained in the command vehicle, observing the map.

Although the reconnaissance detachment of the Army Aviation Brigade, combined with the beyond-visual-range precision strikes of the Guardian rocket launchers, had wiped out the Polar Bear's vanguard forces.

However, against the "steel torrent" of the Central Assault Group, the Guardian rocket launchers were helpless.

To protect its "steel torrent," the Polar Bear had also constructed a formidable field air defense network.

For example, the SA-6 "Gainful" tracked self-propelled air defense missile system, the SA-8 "Gecko" wheeled self-propelled air defense missile system, the SA-13 "Gopher" tracked self-propelled air defense missile system, and so on.

These field air defense systems were deployed across various army groups, divisions, and regiments, forming a multi-layered coverage and highly mobile field air defense network.

Among them, the SA-6 and SA-4 were responsible for medium-range interception, the SA-8 and SA-13 covered short-range, and tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft guns provided terminal defense.

Additionally, there were even SA-7B and SA-14 to fill ultra-low altitude blind spots.

Therefore, with the Polar Bear army prepared, it was very difficult for any air power to penetrate the "steel torrent's" field air defense network!

Even if the Z-9A reconnaissance helicopter found the coordinates of the Central Assault Group, launching long-range rockets beyond visual range would likely be intercepted.

After all, Dragon Country only had one heavy combined arms brigade here, while the Polar Bear's Central Assault Group consisted of a massive 150,000 troops!

The extent of firepower coverage and air defense capabilities of the two sides were simply not on the same level!

Moreover, facing such a large-scale army, the limited Z-9B electronic warfare helicopters would also be ineffective!

"We must slow down the Polar Bear's 'steel torrent' advance!"

Army Commander Sun Yi frowned, contemplating countermeasures.

Although they had taken out the enemy's vanguard forces, on the highway, the enemy's main force was still maintaining an advance speed of at least 40 kilometers per hour.

If the various Polar Bear armies reached their tactical objective positions and formed a strategic encirclement, the Dragon Country army would find it very difficult to contend with them.

"Dispatch a Z-8 transport helicopter carrying an engineer company to advance 300 kilometers ahead to the M56 highway, find mountainous terrain, and create an artificial avalanche!"

"Force the Polar Bear's armored clusters to detour through the swamps, reducing their advance speed!"

Army Commander Sun Yi suddenly circled several areas on the map, then stood up and said with great excitement.

This would not only slow down the Polar Bear's Central Assault Group's advance, preventing them from completing their strategic rendezvous and encirclement with the Northern Army Group on schedule.

More importantly, once they left the highway, the logistical supply for the Polar Bear's Central Assault Group's 150,000 armored troops would become a huge problem!

Dragon Country, with only one heavy combined arms brigade, could rely on Z-8 heavy transport helicopters for various supplies after leaving the highway!

But the Polar Bear's 150,000-strong Central Assault Group could not!

Once they entered the swamps and surrounding complex terrain, the large-scale armored forces would inevitably have to disperse their march!

At that time, whether targeting the "Red Team's" logistics or its main forces, the "Blue Team" Dragon Country forces would have an opportunity to strike!

"Oh, and also send a WZ-10 detachment for protection!"

Army Commander Sun Yi pondered for a moment, then added to the order.

The Polar Bear army would also be extremely familiar with the various terrains along the M56 strategic highway.

If he could think of how to slow down the advance of large-scale armored forces, how could the Polar Bear army commanders not?

Therefore, there was a very high possibility that the Polar Bear army would implement key protection measures in that section of the road in advance!

After all, Polar Bear officers were experts in large-scale armored steel torrent advances; no other country in the world could likely compare to their understanding of such tactics!

...Late at night, eleven o'clock.

After a day of rapid advance, the Polar Bear's Central Assault Group had temporarily set up field encampments for rest.

At the same time, the rapidly advancing front-line forces also had to wait for the second echelon and logistics units to avoid becoming disconnected.

Their field encampment was set up on the M56 highway.

The M56 highway's official name is the Kolyma Highway, a legendary route.

This route connects Yakutsk in Siberia and Magadan in the Far East, spanning 2,032 kilometers, traversing the coldest regions on Earth, and is known as the Road of Bones!

The entire highway is built on permafrost, primarily a gravel road.

However, even so, it remains the only major transportation artery in this region.

And now, while the main force was resting in their field encampment, a formation of 20 Mi-24 "Hind" attack helicopters was flying low along the M56 highway, conducting an advance patrol of the route ahead.

The 20 Mi-24 "Hind" attack helicopters flew low in two-aircraft formations.

The snow mist stirred up by their rotors formed white vortices on both sides of the road's canyon.

These low-altitude dominators of the Polar Bear army, carrying 4 anti-tank missiles and twin 23mm cannons, were patrolling and searching for suspicious targets along the highway and canyon axis.

At the very front, the lead aircraft's flare dispenser was constantly on standby, and the pilot's mental state was extremely tense!

"The damned Dragon Country army suddenly attacked our vanguard forces; we must be careful of ambushes along both sides of the Kolyma Highway!"

"We must carefully search for suspicious targets to ensure the safe passage of the main force tomorrow!"

Through radio equipment, the lead aircraft continuously communicated with the entire helicopter formation.

But just as they were communicating, suddenly, 10 dark silhouettes flashed across the ridge line on the north side of the canyon!

The WZ-10s swooped down from the backlight direction using the "Falcon Strike" tactic!

Their rotors, designed with five composite blades, reduced noise by 40% compared to the Mi-24, and had remained undetected by the Polar Bear crews!

But at this moment, the 2 reconnaissance-variant WZ-10s that had advanced ahead had already locked onto their targets!

The "Tianyan" air-to-air missiles under the short wings of the 10 WZ-10s ignited simultaneously!

The WZ-10 was finally making its air combat debut!