164: Chapter 164 The "East Wind" Deep in the Desert

January 12, late night, Saudi Nefud Desert.

A sandstorm was raging, with visibility less than ten meters. In this kind of weather, even the most advanced reconnaissance satellites could not capture clear images.

Six specially modified desert camouflage transport trucks were moving slowly through the dunes. The vehicle bodies had been specially modified; the suspension system could adapt to soft sandy ground, and the tires were ultra-wide low-pressure tires to prevent getting stuck.

What the vehicles were carrying were the modular components of the Dongfeng-16 missile system, which had been delivered from the "Yuanwang-7".

Prince Fahd sat in the command vehicle, staring at the real-time positioning on his tablet. Beside him was the Chinese commander for this operation—Senior Colonel Yang Zhenhua, a brigade commander of the Rocket Force.

"Brigade Commander Yang, how much longer?" Fahd asked in fluent Chinese.

"Twenty minutes." Yang Zhenhua looked at the satellite navigation. "The sandstorm will reach its peak at 3 AM and last for four hours. We must complete the unloading and concealment of all equipment before then."

"Will America find out?"

"With such a large sandstorm, their reconnaissance planes won't dare to take off, and the satellites won't be able to see clearly." Yang Zhenhua paused. "But after the sandstorm passes, the position won't be able to be hidden. So we must be fast—72 hours to build a missile position that can operate."

The convoy arrived at the designated location. It looked like an ordinary depression in the desert, but the foundation pits had already been excavated underground.

Yang Zhenhua jumped out of the vehicle, the sand stinging his face. He pressed his communicator: "Attention all detachments, the operation begins. The first group is responsible for constructing the launch silos, the second group for installing the command center, and the third group for setting up the living quarters. Time: 72-hour countdown, start now!"

Three hundred Chinese engineering troops and two hundred Saudi Royal Guard engineering troops moved simultaneously.

The scene was shocking: modular launch silo components were unloaded from the transport trucks, hoisted and spliced together like giant Lego blocks. These components were pre-manufactured in the factory, and only needed bolt-fixing on-site, with precision reaching the millimeter level.

The command center consisted of six container-sized modules, with all consoles, servers, and communication equipment pre-installed inside. They were buried in semi-underground bunkers, with sand and camouflage nets covering the top.

The living quarters were simpler—inflatable field tents with air conditioning, water purification systems, and restrooms inside, capable of providing basic living support in the desert.

Fahd was inspecting the site, his white robe flapping in the sandstorm. A young Saudi engineer ran over and handed him a tablet: "Your Highness, Launch Silo No. 3 is 50% complete."

The screen displayed a 3D construction progress chart, with every component numbered and every process recorded with time.

"This is..." Fahd was surprised.

"This is the 'Battlefield Engineering Management System' we developed." Yang Zhenhua walked over. "Every soldier's smart helmet has sensors, uploading work progress in real-time. The command center can see the tightening status of every bolt."

"Has the Chinese military digitized to this extent?"

"Not digitized, but intelligentized." Yang Zhenhua corrected. "This system can predict the construction period and automatically allocate resources. If a certain process lags, it will automatically remind to add manpower. A project that traditionally takes half a month, we complete in three days."

Fahd fell silent. He thought of the Patriot positions that America had built in Saudi Arabia—the construction period was six months, the cost was three times that of China's, and they had left a bunch of 'technical backdoors'.

On the third evening, the sandstorm gradually subsided.

Under the sunset, six semi-underground launch silos had been built, covered with camouflage nets that were completely identical to the surrounding desert. The command center's radar antenna rose slowly and then quickly lowered—it was just a test.

Fahd touched one of the launch tubes. On the tube body was a bilingual inscription in Arabic and Chinese:

Dongfeng-16 Conventional Missile

Range: 800 kilometers

Circular Error Probable: ≤ 30 meters

Manufacturer: China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation

User: Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force

"800 kilometers..." Fahd muttered. "Launching from here, it can cover all American warships in the Persian Gulf, cover the entire territory of Iran, and cover most of the Jewish State."

Yang Zhenhua stood beside him: "Your Highness, this system now belongs to Saudi Arabia. But according to the agreement, the operators must undergo joint training, and the launch command requires mutual confirmation from both sides."

"I understand." Fahd nodded. "This is not a shackle, but a responsibility. Possessing this kind of power means bearing the corresponding responsibility."

He turned around, watching the sunset gradually sinking into the horizon:

"Brigade Commander Yang, do you think America knows now?"

"They should know." Yang Zhenhua checked his watch. "The sandstorm has stopped, their satellites should have captured it. But I guess they would rather pretend they didn't see it."

January 15, Saudi Jizan Air Base.

At 6 AM, two national flags were raised on the base command tower: the green flag of Saudi Arabia and the Five-Star Red Flag of China. This was the first time the flags of the two countries had been raised simultaneously within Saudi Arabia.

On the runway, six large Y-20 transport aircraft of the Chinese Air Force had just landed. They not only brought the second batch of Red Flag-9BE air defense system radar vehicles and missile vehicles, but also a complete air force technical support team—150 engineers, technicians, and instructors.

More importantly, there were 12 fighter jets accompanying them: 6 J-10CE multi-role fighter jets and 6 J-16 heavy fighter jets. There was also 1 KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft; they would make their debut in the "Desert Shield-2018" joint exercise.

The base commander, Royal Saudi Air Force Major General Khalid, and the head of the Chinese Air Force delegation, Air Force Major General General Zhao, stood side by side on the tower.

"General Zhao, these aircraft..." Khalid looked at the J-16s having their covers removed. "How do they compare to our existing F-15s?"

General Zhao did not answer directly: "General, you can see for yourself in the afternoon exercise."

At 10 AM, the US Central Command released a brief statement: "To optimize force deployment, the two F-15 squadrons stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia will be transferred to Al Udeid Base in Qatar within this month."

The statement only had two sentences, but the information revealed was very clear: America had withdrawn; this was a sign of abandoning the protection agreement for Saudi Arabia.

At 2 PM, the "Desert Shield-2018" joint exercise began.

First subject: Air defense and anti-missile.

The Red Flag-9BE radar turned on, instantly locking onto six high-altitude targets—these were simulated incoming ballistic missiles. The launch vehicles raised, and six missiles rose into the sky almost simultaneously, drawing white trajectories in the air.

Thirty seconds later, all six targets were destroyed.

On the reviewing stand, the military attachés from various countries had solemn expressions. They knew that this system not only meant that Saudi Arabia possessed regional air defense capabilities, but also that China's air defense system had taken root in the Middle East.

Second subject: Aerial combat.

The Saudi Air Force's F-15 SA versus the Chinese Air Force's J-10CE.

The result surprised everyone: in four simulated air battles, the J-10CE had three wins and one draw. In the most critical battle, the J-10CE used its excellent maneuverability and PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles to "shoot down" the F-15 beyond visual range.

After the exercise, Major General Khalid shook General Zhao's hand, his voice excited: "General Zhao, we need these aircraft. Not a few, but dozens."

"We can talk." General Zhao smiled. "But pilot training, logistics support, system integration... these all take time."

"What we lack most is not time, but technology." Khalid said. "America sold us planes but taught us to hold back. The Chinese... are different."

In the evening, the sun set.

The base's veteran pilot, 58-year-old Colonel Salman, led a group of young pilots to the J-16. He touched the gray skin of the fighter jet, his eyes complex.

"Children, remember today." Salman's voice trembled slightly in the evening wind. "I have flown for thirty-five years, flown F-5s, flown F-15s, flown 'Typhoons'. But today, it is the first time I have seen the sky of the Middle East have a second color."

He pointed to the red star on the fuselage of the J-16: "This is not the color of aggression, but the color of cooperation. America gave us weapons to make us dependent on them. The Chinese gave us weapons to let us protect ourselves."

The young pilots listened quietly. In the distance, Chinese and Saudi maintenance personnel were jointly inspecting the aircraft, the two sides communicating with gestures and simple English, the atmosphere harmonious.

A young Saudi pilot suddenly asked: "Colonel, can we fly these planes?"

"Yes." Salman said firmly. "The Chinese instructors have already arrived. They will teach us, starting from the most basic system principles, without withholding any technology. Because..." He paused. "They said, only those who can truly fly can be considered to own the sky."

As night fell, Jizan Base was brightly lit.

On the big screen in the command center, the air situation across the entire Middle East was displayed. The Red Flag-9 radar network, China's early warning aircraft data link, Saudi reconnaissance aircraft information... were fused together for the first time.

Every light spot on this screen represented the changes happening on this ancient land.