155: Chapter 155 The Electronic Trap for Hunting "Ghosts"

"Order the troops to hold the third defensive line at all costs. I have already requested reinforcements from the Pentagon. B-2 stealth bombers have taken off, and an F-22 fighter squadron is currently being redeployed. By tomorrow, or the day after at the latest, we will regain air superiority. When that time comes, Zhang Cheng's drones and robots will be nothing more than target practice."

"General..."

"Execute the order, Brigadier General Carter. This is war, not a game. Sometimes, we must pay the price."

The phone hung up.

Carter put down the receiver and watched the sun gradually sinking in the west, an ominous premonition swelling in his heart.

The price? What price?

Was the lives of two thousand soldiers not enough, or did they have to wait until the entire army was wiped out before those generals sitting in their Washington offices realized—this war should never have been fought in the first place.

And at this moment, north of Meiktila, Zhang Cheng had already moved his command post forward to a recently captured textile factory.

"Sovereign, the battle results have been tallied." Zhao Yuxun handed over the report. "Our forces suffered thirty-seven dead and one hundred and twenty-eight wounded. Enemy casualties are estimated at over one thousand two hundred, with eight hundred and forty-four captured, including one hundred and twenty-three US Rangers."

"What's the movement on the Americans' third defensive line?"

"Reconnaissance shows no signs of retreat; instead, they are reinforcing their fortifications. An M1A2 tank battalion has moved forward to the edge of the hills and constructed anti-tank positions. Additionally, we've detected an increase in US communication frequencies, likely requesting reinforcements."

Zhang Cheng nodded. "Order the troops to consolidate the occupied areas, treat the wounded, and reorganize the prisoners. We won't continue the offensive today."

"Not attacking?" Lei Zhen was puzzled. "We should pursue the victory and crush them in one fell swoop!"

"No." Zhang Cheng shook his head. "The US military still has combat capability. Forcing an attack on an armored defensive line in hilly terrain would result in heavy casualties. Moreover... they are waiting for reinforcements."

He looked toward the western sky. "If I were Miller, what I'd want most right now is to regain air superiority. So he will definitely request the deployment of the most advanced stealth aircraft. And we... just happen to need some new trophies to bring this war to a conclusion."

"Does the Sovereign mean..."

"Set the 'Sky Dome' system to full power standby, but do not expose the newly deployed 'Sentinel-3' radars." A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhang Cheng's mouth. "When their B-2s and F-22s arrive, we'll give them a surprise."

He turned to look south, in the direction of Naypyidaw.

"As for the ground war... tomorrow, I will show the US military what the 'peak art of mechanized forces' looks like."

Night fell.

The ruins of Meiktila appeared exceptionally silent under the moonlight, but everyone knew this was merely the calm before the storm.

Tomorrow's battle would decide the fate of Myanmar.

The hilly region south of Meiktila, the command center for the US third defensive line.

At three in the morning, the command tent was brightly lit, the air thick with a mixture of coffee and sweat. Lieutenant General Miller stared at the slowly moving blue dots on the electronic map—representing Zhang Cheng's armored units approaching the hills. His eyes were bloodshot; he hadn't closed them for thirty-six consecutive hours.

"General, a reply from Washington." The communications officer handed over an encrypted telegram.

Miller quickly scanned the contents, the wrinkles on his face smoothing slightly. The telegram was from General Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff himself, with three core points: First, two B-2 'Spirit' stealth bombers had taken off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and were expected in the theater in six hours; second, a squadron of F-22 'Raptor' fighters (six aircraft) was being redeployed from Kadena Base in Japan to U-Tapao Air Force Base in Thailand, ready for combat by dawn; third, authorization was granted to use AGM-158B JASSM-ER stealth cruise missiles for deep strikes in 'extreme circumstances.'

"Finally..." Miller let out a long breath and handed the telegram to Carter beside him. "Our trumps have arrived."

Carter read the telegram but didn't show much joy. "General, we've seen Zhang Cheng's electronic warfare capabilities. The 'Vega' system can suppress all frequencies. Can the stealth advantages of the B-2 and F-22 still be maintained under that level of electronic interference?"

"This time is different." Miller pointed to a code name on the telegram. "The 'Starlink' electronic warfare support system has been deployed. This is the latest equipment from the Space Force, capable of over-the-horizon electronic suppression via low-earth orbit satellite constellations. No matter how powerful Zhang Cheng's 'Vega' system is, it's impossible to interfere with low-earth orbit."

He walked to the tactical screen and pulled up the attack plan. "The B-2s will carry eighty GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, releasing them from an altitude of five thousand meters and utilizing stealth for penetration. The F-22s will be responsible for escorting and clearing remaining air defense positions. Once Zhang Cheng's command center and main artillery positions are destroyed, his offensive momentum will collapse."

Carter looked at the complex arrows and markers, yet he still felt uneasy. The Rangers' crushing defeat last night was still fresh in his mind; the battlefield awareness and coordination displayed by Zhang Cheng's troops had completely exceeded the response range of the US military's existing tactical systems.

"General, I suggest..." He hesitated for a moment. "Immediately after the airstrike begins, our armored units should push forward and launch a counterattack on Zhang Cheng's flank. A two-pronged approach, giving him no room to breathe."

Miller thought for a moment and nodded. "Agreed. Order the 1st Armored Division to be ready for sortie at dawn. Once the airstrike's success is confirmed, immediately launch Operation 'Thunderous Counterstrike'."

The orders were quickly relayed.

At various positions across the hills, US soldiers began final pre-battle preparations. Engines of M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tanks were preheating; loaders tallied the number of armor-piercing and high-explosive rounds; artillerymen checked the hydraulic systems and fire control computers of the M109A7 self-propelled howitzers; and infantrymen checked their individual gear one last time, tucking photos of their families into the inner pockets of their body armor.

Everyone was waiting for dawn, waiting for those stealthy war hawks to arrive.

But what they didn't know was that in the textile factory command center north of Meiktila, the large screen in front of Zhang Cheng was displaying a completely different picture.

"Sovereign, the 'Vega' system has detected abnormal spatial signals." Old K's voice was calm with a hint of excitement. "In low-earth orbit, six 'Starlink' satellites are changing orbits, expected to enter the optimal support position over Myanmar in fifteen minutes. Simultaneously, we've detected the infrared signatures of two B-2 bombers, two thousand kilometers away, altitude twelve thousand, heading due east."

Zhang Cheng sat in his command chair, fiddling with a captured US soldier's dog tag. "They've finally brought out the hidden treasures. A 'Starlink' electronic warfare model... interesting."

He turned to the technical team. "Is the 'Vega' countermeasure module loaded?"

"95% complete," a technician wearing glasses replied. "We reverse-engineered the 'Starlink' communication signal characteristics captured previously and wrote a dedicated interference algorithm. Theoretically, we can use their own satellite signals to override the US military's command links."