305: Chapter 305 Stealth Fighter, First Battle: Slaughtering the Eagle

"Three: The 'Natural Disaster' Air Assault Brigade's helicopter groups are to take off immediately. Use ultra-low-altitude penetration to bypass the enemy's primary early-warning radar zones and advance to the flanks and rear of the enemy's offensive forces. Mission: Hunt down isolated enemy armored vehicles and transport convoys, destroy bridges and traffic nodes, implement battlefield interdiction, and create chaos."

"Four: Existing Eastern Military Region forces will continue to perform luring and delaying missions to wear down the enemy's morale and create the best opportunity for a counterattack by the main force."

"Five: The 'Sky Dome' system is to be fully activated. I want the skies over the border to become a hell for the Royal Thai Air Force."

"Six: All Federal Air Force fighters on standby are to enter the highest state of combat readiness. The 'soaring dragon' stealth fighter squadron will be responsible for the first round of 'kicking down the door,' taking out enemy AWACS and critical nodes."

The orders were clear and cold, like precision gears beginning to mesh.

Over the Myanmar-Thailand border, at dusk.

Four Royal Thai Air Force F-16 OCU fighters cruised at an altitude of about 6,000 meters in a two-ship formation. They were part of the 'Eagle Swarm' responsible for seizing local air superiority and providing air cover for ground forces on the first day of the Thai offensive. On the radar screens in the pilots' cockpits, identification signals of ground forces below and several blurred spots suspected to be Myanmar Army air defense positions were displayed; overall, the screen looked 'clean'.

The lead pilot, callsign 'Hawkeye,' glanced at the dust kicked up by his own tank columns visible below and said casually over the encrypted channel, "'Bison' (ground force callsign) is advancing smoothly. The Myanmar Air Force seems to be scared witless; we haven't even seen a shadow. Stay alert, scan low altitudes, and watch out for their MANPADS."

The wingman replied, "Copy that. The AWACS (referring to the US E-2C) hasn't detected any abnormal aerial targets either. This sky belongs to us."

What they didn't know was that about 30 kilometers to their front-right, at an altitude of 8,000 meters above the cloud layer, two sleek, dark-gray ghostly 'soaring dragon' stealth fighters (J-20 exchange version) were circling silently.

Inside the 'soaring dragon' cockpits, the wide-angle holographic displays in front of the pilots clearly showed the real-time positions, headings, and speeds of those four F-16s. Through an advanced multi-spectral detection system, they could even roughly identify the models and payloads (two medium-range, two short-range, and drop tanks). The data was a fusion from high-altitude long-endurance stealth reconnaissance UAVs, space-based reconnaissance systems, and the ground-based 'Sky Dome' system.

"'Sky Dome' Command Center, this is 'Dragon Fang 1.' Targets locked. Requesting attack authorization," the lead pilot reported calmly.

"Dragon Fang 1, this is 'Sky Dome.' Attack authorized. Priority use of PL-15 (exchange version long-range air-to-air missiles). One shot per target, keep it clean."

"Dragon Fang 1 copies. 'Dragon Fang 2,' you take the two on the left, I'll take the right. Maintain altitude and stealth after launch to assess the results."

"Dragon Fang 2 copies."

With almost no warning, the side and main weapon bays of the two 'soaring dragons' slid open. Four slender PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles dropped, ignited, and streaked toward their targets tens of kilometers away at speeds exceeding Mach 4, leaving faint trails of exhaust.

The Radar Warning Receivers (RWR) of the Thai F-16s showed almost no reaction before the missiles entered their terminal active radar homing phase. It wasn't until the PL-15s' active radars turned on that the shrill lock-on alarms suddenly exploded in 'Hawkeye's' cockpit!

"Missile! Radar lock! From high altitude! Evade!!" Hawkeye's scream shattered the calm of the communication channel.

It was too late.

The PL-15 had an ultra-long range and a massive 'no-escape zone.' The four F-16s desperately released flares and performed high-G maneuvers, but only a few seconds later—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Four dazzling fireballs bloomed almost simultaneously in the twilight sky, like candles being snuffed out in an instant. The shattered airframes trailed thick smoke as they plummeted toward the mountains and forests below.

From lock-on to shoot-down, the entire process took less than a minute. The Thai pilots hadn't even seen a shadow of their attackers.

...

At almost the same time, aboard a US E-2C Hawkeye AWACS deployed behind Thai lines to provide aerial command and early warning for the offensive.

The radar operator's eyes suddenly widened. "Report! Signal lost for 'Eagle Swarm' B-flight (four F-16s)! There was brief, intense electronic interference and missile warning signals before they disappeared! No launch source detected!"

The captain's heart tightened. "Perform an omnidirectional scan immediately! High alert! Contact other patrol flights and ask for status!"

However, reports of chaos and terror began to flood the communication channel one after another:

"'Vulture' Flight (two Gripens) is under attack! Missiles... I can't see where the missiles are coming from! Ah—!"

"This is 'Viper' Lead, we are locked! There's nothing on the radar! Dammit! Where is it?!"

"Ground radar stations report detecting high-speed, low-altitude targets! Large numbers! They look like drone Swarms!"

On the edges of the E-2C's radar screen, a large number of low-altitude, low-speed blips with extremely small radar cross-sections began to appear. Like a Swarm, they poured out from Myanmar territory, lunging toward the Thai ground forces' offensive routes. Meanwhile, in the higher airspace, except for the rapidly disappearing signals of their own fighters, it remained 'clean'.

"We've lost air superiority over the border!" the captain shouted urgently into the encrypted channel to the rear command and the Royal Thai Air Force. "Repeat, we have lost air superiority! The enemy has stealth fighters and a large number of low-observability drones! Request immediate withdrawal and reinforced air defenses!"

Before his words could land, the piercing alarm inside the cabin rang out frantically!

"Locked! Locked by fire-control radar! From the ground! It's an anti-air missile!" the radar operator's voice shifted in pitch.

On the ground, the Federal 'Sky Dome' air defense and anti-missile system, which had been deployed forward long ago, had its long-range phased-array radar firmly locked onto this 'Eye in the Sky' hovering on the Thai side of the border.

"Fire!"

A slender HQ-9B (exchange version) long-range air defense missile soared into the sky, piercing the heavens.

The E-2C desperately released jamming and attempted to maneuver, but it was too late. This lumbering AWACS simply could not escape an advanced air defense missile specifically designed to hit high-value aerial targets.

Boom—!!

A massive fireball exploded in the sky on the Thai side of the border, with burning debris falling like rain.

On the first day of US involvement (though nominally 'training'), a precious AWACS was lost. The news triggered an uproar and extreme shock when it reached the backlines.

...

Inside the 'Sky Dome' system command center.

On the massive air situation screen, the red icons representing enemy fighters were rapidly decreasing and disappearing. Meanwhile, the blue and green icons representing drone Swarms and friendly stealth fighters moved freely across the board.