159: Chapter 159 The Crushing Power of the Times, Naypyidaw Advances on Three Fronts

Every US tank's sighting system screen suddenly showed strange snow and stripes. Laser rangefinder readings jumped, thermal imaging distorted, and even the most basic telescope views began to blur.

"Electronic interference! They've jammed our fire control systems!"

"Switch to backup optical channels!"

"The backup channels are jammed too! This is full-spectrum suppression!"

In Rhodes's command vehicle, the electronic warfare officer's face turned pale. "General, it's not ordinary interference... they're firing specific frequency microwaves at us, directly ablating our optical equipment sensors! If this continues, all our tanks will go blind!"

"Activate countermeasures! Deploy smoke, and use active defense systems to intercept any incoming missiles!"

The orders were given, and the US tanks began releasing thick smoke grenades. White, gray, and black smoke instantly enveloped the entire armored cluster, and visibility dropped to less than fifty meters.

But this played right into Zhang Cheng's hands.

"US forces are releasing smoke, switching to 'Blind Combat Mode'," person reported calmly.

"Activate the 'Penetrator' system," Zhang Cheng ordered from the rear.

Atop the turrets of the one hundred and twenty M1A2s, cylindrical devices rose simultaneously. These were not weapons, but a new type of composite sighting system combining "millimeter-wave radar + lidar + infrared imaging." This system did not rely on visible light; instead, it used multiple wavebands to penetrate the smoke and precisely lock onto targets.

On the fire control screens of Zhang Cheng's tanks, the smoke simply did not exist. Every single US tank was clearly visible; they could even distinguish the rotation angle of the turrets and the elevation of the gun barrels.

"Distance 2,300 meters, fire."

One hundred and twenty 120mm smoothbore guns roared almost simultaneously!

The shells pierced through the smoke and struck their targets with precision. The depleted uranium cores of the M829A4 armor-piercing shells bored through armor at a speed of 1,500 meters per second, triggering devastating explosions inside the vehicles.

In the first round of volleys, fourteen US M1A2s were destroyed or heavily damaged.

"Counterattack! Counterattack in the direction of the incoming shells!" the US tank commanders hissed, blindly firing as they estimated the enemy's position based on the shell trajectories.

However, Zhang Cheng's tanks maneuvered immediately after firing; by the time the US shells arrived, they had long since left their original positions. Furthermore, due to the smoke obstruction, the US forces had no way to confirm their results.

"Second round, fire."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Another eleven US tanks were hit.

The slaughter in the smoke lasted for a full eight minutes. The US tanks were like blindfolded giants, desperately swinging their fists but unable to hit their agile opponents. Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng's tanks were like experienced hunters, striking and then retreating, never lingering in a fight.

When the morning breeze finally blew the smoke away, the battlefield was a scene of total devastation.

The wrecks of fifty-five M1A2s were burning among the hills, black pillars of smoke rising straight into the sky. Another dozen or so, while not destroyed, had their sighting systems obliterated, gun barrels twisted, or tracks broken, losing all combat capability. The surviving tanks retreated in a panic, but Zhang Cheng's forces would not give them the chance.

"Mechanized infantry, move forward to harvest. Drone swarms, suppress the remaining enemies. Tank units, pursue."

The orders were issued, and Zhang Cheng's armored cluster began its first active offensive. Over a hundred M1A2s formed a standard wedge formation, but their speed and mobility far exceeded the same US models—their engines had been reinforced, suspension systems upgraded, and their power-to-weight ratio reached a staggering 25 hp/ton (compared to the standard M1A2's 18 hp/ton).

"Retreat! Full speed retreat!" Rhodes hissed over the radio.

But retreating was easier said than done. Zhang Cheng's tanks were faster, and with drones and reconnaissance robots providing real-time intelligence, they could always circle ahead of the US retreat routes to intercept them.

One US M1A2 tried to rush across a dry riverbed, only to be hit by three armor-piercing shells simultaneously on its side; the resulting ammunition cook-off blew the turret twenty meters into the air.

Another hid in a small grove, thinking it could escape, only to be approached from behind by an "iron centipede" robot discovered by a drone, which destroyed it with a top-attack anti-tank missile.

The crews of several other tanks simply abandoned their vehicles and fled—it wasn't that they were cowards, but they were truly in despair. When you realize that all your technical advantages have been crushed, all your tactics predicted, and all your resistance neutralized, your will to fight collapses.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the armored duel ended.

Out of the 1st Armored Division's one hundred and eighty M1A2s, fifty-seven were destroyed and nineteen were heavily damaged, with only a hundred escaping while battered. Over half of the accompanying eighty Bradley fighting vehicles were lost, and the Self-propelled howitzer battalion was nearly wiped out.

Zhang Cheng's unit losses: nine M1A2 tanks (three of which were repairable), seven Bradley fighting vehicles, and zero casualties (all wounded were promptly rescued by drones).

More importantly, they captured thirty-one essentially intact M1A2 SEPv3s and over two hundred US armored crewmen as prisoners.

When the battle report reached the rear command center, Vice Admiral Miller slumped into his chair, speechless for a long time.

He knew the armored battle would be difficult, but he hadn't expected this kind of outcome—numerical superiority, world-class training, and the most advanced equipment, all vanished into thin air within forty-five minutes.

"General..." Carter's voice was hoarse, "We... lost."

Miller did not answer. He looked out the window at Zhang Cheng's troops to the north who were cleaning up the battlefield, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart.

This was not a failure of tactics, nor of training, nor even of courage.

This was the crushing weight of an era.

When one army is still stuck in the primary stage of informationized warfare while another has already crossed the threshold of intelligentized warfare, this generational gap is not something that can be compensated for by courage or numbers.

"Order all remaining forces..." Miller finally spoke, each word sounding as if it were squeezed from between his teeth, "to withdraw from Meiktila and retreat to defend Naypyidaw. At the same time... send a dispatch to Washington requesting support."

The orders were transmitted, and the US forces began a frantic retreat to the south.

To the north of Meiktila, Zhang Cheng stood atop a captured M1A2 tank, watching the dust kicked up on the southern horizon, knowing that this battle was over.

But a greater storm was brewing.

Before the smoke of Meiktila had even dissipated, Zhang Cheng's armored spearheads were already like three sharp blades thrusting straight toward Naypyidaw.

One hundred and twenty kilometers from Meiktila, at the temporary assembly point for Zhang Cheng's central main force, one hundred and thirty captured and owned M1A2 tanks were lined up in a neat square formation. Their desert digital camouflage reflected the cold sunlight of the afternoon. The low roar of the engines merged into a single sound, making the ground tremble slightly.

Inside the command vehicle, Zhang Cheng stared at the holographic combat map, where three large blue arrows were extending southward from Meiktila.

"The East Route Army, the 'Lightning' Brigade, with the 1st Armored Battalion attached, will move south along the western foothills of the Bago Mountains." Zhao Yuxun drew an arc on the map with a laser pointer. "This route has complex terrain, but it can bypass the Myanmar Army's main defensive lines and strike directly at Naypyidaw's eastern flank."

"The West Route Army, the 'Hurricane' Brigade, with the 2nd Armored Battalion attached, will advance along the east bank of the Irrawaddy River," Lei Zhen added. "The terrain here is flat and suitable for the rapid maneuver of armored units, but they may encounter resistance from the Myanmar Army's main force."

"The Middle Route Army, the main force of the 'Titan' Division, with most of the 'Thor' Brigade attached, will take the Yangon-Naypyidaw Expressway." Lin Xiao pointed at the thickest arrow. "This is the main direction of attack, and Min Aung Hlaing will certainly have heavy defenses in place. However, we have the strongest armored power and artillery support."

Zhang Cheng nodded. "Three routes advancing together, supporting each other. Whichever route breaks through first, the other two will converge there to form a focused breakthrough."