153: Chapter 153 Technological Overwhelming Power: The Reshaped Rules of Urban Warfare

The upcoming battle would be entirely a contest between ground forces.

Meiktila urban area, the second line of defense.

Brigadier General Carter stood on the roof of a five-story building, watching the black smoke in the northern sky through binoculars—it was the burning wreckage of a downed A-10.

"The air force... has failed," he murmured.

The nearby Ranger battalion commander (the commander of Company B, who had narrowly escaped the previous night's infiltration operation) grit his teeth and said: "General, let us go in. Special operations are our forte; a frontal armored battle was never a job for the Rangers."

Carter glanced at him: "How do you plan to fight?"

"Urban warfare." The battalion commander pointed at the city below. "The Meiktila urban area has eighty thousand residents, dense buildings, and narrow streets. Zhang Cheng's armored units won't be able to maneuver here, and drones will lose their effectiveness due to building obstructions. This is our home turf."

"Then what do you need?"

"Full command authority, at least one Ranger battalion, plus Myanmar Army guides who are familiar with the terrain." A ruthless glint flashed in the battalion commander's eyes. "We will turn every building into a fortress and every street into a slaughterhouse. Zhang Cheng wants to take Meiktila? Then let him pave the way with corpses."

Carter thought for a moment and nodded: "Approved. I'll give you the 2nd Ranger Battalion, the remnants of the 3rd, and a regiment from the Myanmar Army, totaling two thousand men. Your mission: delay for time, wear down the enemy, and create conditions for a tank counterattack from the third line of defense."

"Understood!" The battalion commander stood at attention and saluted. "We will show Zhang Cheng the meaning of an urban warfare nightmare."

Carter watched the battalion commander's departing figure, but he felt no relief in his heart.

He thought of Captain Davis, who was captured last night, of those elusive drones and mechanical dogs, and of the beyond-the-era combat capabilities demonstrated by Zhang Cheng's forces.

Urban warfare... can it really stop them?

He didn't know the answer.

Meiktila urban area, 10:15 AM.

Looking down from high above, the city looked like a chessboard violently torn apart. The north-south main road was pockmarked with over a dozen massive craters, and the buildings on either side were either completely collapsed or left as swaying skeletons. Thick smoke rose from everywhere, twisting into eerie shapes in the breeze.

But amidst these ruins, the battle had only just begun.

In the Northern Textile Factory District, Major Marcus Reed, commander of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, was crouching on the second floor of a three-story factory building, observing the street through a shattered window. His troops had been deployed here for over twelve hours—IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) were planted at every intersection, sniper teams were stationed at every high point, the underground pipe network had been converted into secret passages, and aerial walkways made of ropes and planks were built between buildings.

This was standard US military urban warfare tactical manual content: creating kill zones, controlling high points, establishing mobile corridors, and layering firepower. Reed had used this set of tactics in Fallujah, Iraq, and Kandahar, Afghanistan, with significant results.

"Commander, the enemy vanguard has entered Sector 3," came the report from the observation post over the headset. "Four strykers, followed by infantry, about a company-sized force. They're being very cautious; their infantry-armor coordination is excellent."

Reed sneered: "No matter how good it is, it's useless. Order Company A to let them into the ambush circle. Wait for the strykers to roll over the mines and for the infantry to enter the crossfire zone before opening fire."

"Understood."

On the street, the reconnaissance company of Zhang Cheng's forces was advancing slowly. Company Commander Zhou Kai (Intermediate Death Soldier) sat in the command seat of the second stryker, staring at the real-time feed on the vehicle's screen. The images sent back by the drones showed that the street was too quiet—abnormally quiet.

"Stop," Zhou Kai ordered. "Deploy reconnaissance units."

Two strykers stopped, the rear hatches opened, and four "iron centipede" basic units drove out. These small robots were only half a meter tall, but were equipped with sonic detectors, infrared cameras, and chemical sensors. They crawled along the ground like real centipedes, slipping into ruins and climbing up ruined walls.

Three minutes later, the data was sent back.

"Twelve IEDs discovered, locations marked. Three sniper ambush points found, with clear heat signatures. Signs of personnel activity inside buildings, estimated thirty to forty people."

Zhou Kai looked at the dense red markings on the screen and smiled: "As expected, there's an ambush. Order: Artillery company, conduct precision strikes on the marked areas. Drone swarms, prepare to follow up and clear them out."

"Yes!"

Two kilometers away, in a concealed artillery position, six 120mm self-propelled mortars raised their barrels. These mortars were equipped with laser-guided shells with an error of no more than three meters.

"Target data reception complete, setting coordinates, loading smart ammunition."

"Ready, fire!"

"Bang, bang, bang—!"

The shells traced short arcs through the air, accurately slamming into the designated targets. They weren't traditional high-explosive shells, but a new type of 'thermobaric-fragmentation' dual-mode warhead—the first stage released a combustible cloud, and the second stage ignited it to produce high temperatures and overpressure, while the shell body shattered into thousands of pre-formed fragments.

The effect was devastating.

Opposite the factory where Reed was located, a four-story building occupied by Myanmar Army snipers took a direct hit. The shell entered through a third-floor window and exploded inside. Flames erupted from every window of the building simultaneously, followed by a dull roar. When the smoke cleared, the building was leaning precariously, and those inside... there could be no survivors.

The same scene played out simultaneously in three sectors.

Twelve IEDs were detonated or disabled, three sniper points were destroyed, and two ambush positions were subjected to blanket fire.

"How do they know our positions?!" Reed roared into the radio. "Who exposed us?!"

"Commander, it's drones! Those small drones got into the buildings and filmed all our arrangements!" a platoon leader reported with a sob in his voice. "My platoon has lost half its men, and the rest are pinned down in the ruins and can't get out!"

Reed grit his teeth: "Order all units to abandon their preset positions and switch to mobile defense. According to Plan C, disperse into small squads and use the complexity of the buildings to harass them!"

This was an advanced form of urban warfare—abandoning fixed lines, breaking into smaller units, and letting the enemy sink into endless harassment and ambushes.

But Zhang Cheng's troops had prepared an even more advanced solution.

"All units attention, 'Modular Urban Warfare System' activated," Zhou Kai ordered over the comms channel. "Group A control the high points, Group B clear the ground, Group C provide drone support, Group D 'iron centipede' assault."

The order was given, and the reconnaissance company's combat mode instantly changed.

Infantry no longer advanced along the streets, but instead split into four-man teams, each equipped with a set of 'Ghost' individual exoskeletons.

This light exoskeleton could provide an additional thirty kilograms of carrying capacity, enhancing a soldier's ability to run, jump, and climb.

More importantly, the helmets integrated an augmented reality system capable of displaying real-time 3D models of the battlefield sent back by drones, the positions of friendly forces, and... enemy heat signatures.