Chapter 173: Armed Helicopter? You’re The One We’re Taking Down!
After Chen Jun’s detailed analysis, along with everyone’s collective suggestions, Blue Army’s offensive intention in this move was basically clear as day.
Blue Army wanted to use the ploy of beating the grass to startle the snake, to trick out the location of Red Army Headquarters.
The ground troops’ attack had little impact; knocking out a few impact tanks wouldn’t be enough to alert Red Army Headquarters, nor would it prompt immediate use of the radio to issue orders.
Only knocking out units with tactical value would force Red Army Headquarters to immediately order adjustments.
So they selected Second Company’s anti-aircraft platoon!
With Blue Army’s such meticulous deployment, their follow-up moves were surely even tighter.
The armed helicopter squadron likely prepared nearby for the assault, to prevent Red Army Headquarters from transferring again during this period.
Moreover, the helicopter responsible for assaulting the command post was very likely the same squadron that assaulted Second Company.
Because preparations needed to be made in advance for the assault, and upon receiving intelligence, they could immediately launch the attack, which was why they didn’t pursue Second Company’s tank company that had lost anti-air protection.
Now that Blue Army’s combat plan had been exposed, how to handle it next became a problem again.
“Our communications are all being monitored by Blue Army; every order we send out will be known to them. What should we do? Could we go back decades and bring back messengers?”
Regiment Commander Wang was very helpless, and thinking about it made him even more headache.
“As long as the command post radio isn’t used, and as long as the command post isn’t exposed, Blue Army won’t dare to act rashly. After all, they carry great risk every time they deploy armed helicopters for strikes in the enemy rear; they don’t dare to use them frequently.” Chen Jun analyzed rationally.
“That should be the reasoning.”
The chief of staff chimed in: “Our regiment-level command post orders can be verbally relayed to the battalions via communications soldiers, then transmitted to the companies via battalion-level radios.
Our command post keeps moving between battalion headquarters, so the efficiency of order transmission won’t be greatly affected.
The main problem now is… since we’ve figured out Blue Army’s combat plan, how do we target Blue Army with countermeasures for a counterattack.
Blue Army can’t possibly know we’ve seen through their tactics; there’s room to maneuver here.”
“Exactly!”
Regiment Commander Wang agreed with the chief of staff’s view and said with great interest: “Blue Army’s armed helicopters are already deployed; can we also be as cunning as Blue Army and make something out of this?”
As he spoke.
Regiment Commander Wang’s gaze first turned to the chief of staff, seemingly thinking the chief of staff couldn’t come up with any devious ideas; his mind was full of bold and direct tactics.
Then, recalling the previous confrontation with the reconnaissance battalion, his gaze fell on Chen Jun.
And…
Upon closer thought, it seemed more and more similar.
The way Chen Jun dealt with the reconnaissance battalion back then was exactly the same as this opponent’s Blue Army tactics? Both used all sorts of unconventional methods.
At the time, standing on Chen Jun’s side, it didn’t seem like anything; now facing Blue Army using the same tactics.
Regiment Commander Wang realized it was really quite devious.
They say people in the same line understand each other best; Regiment Commander Wang realized that to defeat Blue Army, he could only find someone like them and have a head-to-head clash.
So Regiment Commander Wang locked onto Chen Jun, expecting Chen Jun to come up with a devious idea…
No, a good idea!
Regiment Commander Wang placed all his hopes on Chen Jun; the other staff officers, including the chief of staff, also turned their gazes to Chen Jun.
Under the pressure of all eyes on him, Chen Jun’s lips curved slightly as he smiled faintly: “Blue Army isn’t that easy to fool; they’re slipperier than loaches, shrewder than monkeys.
But they definitely didn’t expect our reaction to be so fast, seeing through their scheme right away.
So, we now have one opportunity, and only this one chance, to exploit this precious information gap and royally screw Blue Army.
I suggest this…”
Chen Jun eloquently laid out his plan; the regiment leaders present had eyes that grew brighter and brighter, and after hearing it, they couldn’t help but slam the table in admiration.
Regiment Commander Wang accepted the suggestion without hesitation and immediately began arranging the deployment.
Soon.
Four 212 military vehicles departed from First Battalion Headquarters, carrying orders personally relayed by Regiment Commander Wang, heading at top speed to Sixth Company, Eighth Company, Ninth Company, and Tenth Company.
Then, about five minutes later, the regiment command post’s radio was activated, and First Company issued several orders.
The first order was for the command post anti-aircraft platoon to immediately head to 022 highland to support Tank Second Company and continue the attack on 022 highland.
The second order was for all anti-air units to enter standby status; upon detecting targets, no need to report to superiors, they could choose to open fire at any time on their own.
The third order was to notify the four defending companies to leave one platoon each to defend the original 033, 034, 035 positions, with the rest preparing to attack the second layer of Blue Army positions.
The fourth order was to notify Third Battalion Headquarters to prepare to receive the regiment command post transfer, to be conducted after lunch.
Blue Army was equipped with an electronic warfare system, operated by specialized electronic warfare technicians, and had indeed comprehensively monitored Red Army’s communications.
And at this moment, flying in the helicopter overhead, they intercepted all four orders from Red Army Headquarters.
This was the huge advantage brought by high technology!
“Report to Deputy Chief of Staff, Red Army Headquarters radio has been activated and continuously sent four orders; this is the intercepted content.”
The technician printed the intercepted orders on paper and handed them to Tie Lu sitting in the front of the cabin.
As the army’s only experimental special forces unit, A Detachment was specifically responsible for testing cutting-edge equipment, as well as researching and practicing the most advanced tactical play.
Using the most advanced tactics and the most advanced equipment.
Tie Lu, as the leader of this unit, commanding operations from the command helicopter, was no longer doing it for the first time.
He was completely used to it!
Tie Lu quickly scanned the intelligence and found the four orders all standard, with content basically within his predictions.
As for why Red Army Headquarters waited so long to issue these four orders.
Tie Lu didn’t find it unreasonable.
Because regular troops had to hold regiment combat department group meetings every time they issued orders, which was extremely time-consuming and made command very inefficient, one of the main reasons for the bloated command system.
Completely unlike Blue Army Headquarters, which was streamlined.
He, as commander-in-chief, with a few technical soldiers, plus a database and a few reconnaissance command systems, could form a complete command system.
Enemy intelligence in his hands, and he could issue orders in minutes.
Maximizing combat command efficiency.
Therefore.
This military reform not only covered tactics and playing style, as well as troops’ branch configuration and equipment, but also traditional units’ command structure and system.
From regiment directly commanding every squad below, even every single warrior, that was the future command architecture.
Precisely because everything in Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment was very normal, fully conforming to the operational mode of a regular heavy equipment regiment, Tie Lu didn’t realize there was a problem.
In fact, it was indeed hard to anticipate, after all, Chen Jun himself didn’t exist within normal reasoning.
He was a veteran player returning to the newbie village!
If Tie Lu could think of it, that would be the real anomaly.
Everything about Red Army was under control, the collected intelligence had no issues, Red Army Headquarters location confirmed, and Red Army was still focused on attacking positions, with anti-air forces not pulled back to protect regiment command post.
All elements Blue Army needed were in place; there was no reason not to launch a thunderous strike.
“Old Wang, Old Wang, your regiment has an interesting little guy, but he’s still too green, small tricks but no big strategy.
If given enough time to grow, now that he’s grown up, perhaps he could play a bit more with us, bringing quite some fun.
But now, he can’t carry your Seventh Hundred and Second yet; he ultimately can’t change your fate.”
Tie Lu thought he had the overall situation under control, his smile full of arrogance.
He then picked up the microphone and ordered: “Eagle One, this is Bird’s Nest; Red Army Headquarters locked, position transmitted, decapitation operation can begin.”
“Eagle One received, command confirmed, commencing decapitation operation immediately, over.”
Among the three armed helicopter squadrons that had previously sneaked attacked 022 highland, the lead main aircraft received the order and then issued: “Eagle Two, Eagle Three, Bird’s Nest order received, decapitation operation commencing, maintain formation, head to Red Army marked point.”
“Eagle Two received!”
“Eagle Three received!”
The two wingman aircraft, one left and one right in the squadron, entered surprise attack combat status.
At this time, though the armed helicopter squadron was still about ten kilometers from the target point, for helicopters, it was no big deal.
Just three or two minutes to fly there.
Blue Army armed helicopter pilots also had full confidence in their own skills.
Flying ultra-low through the mountain gully between two mountains not only easily evaded radar scans but also blocked sound transmission via the mountain body.
By the time Red Army spotted the helicopters, the target would inevitably be within attack range.
Two and a half minutes later!
The helicopter squadron that had circled from the left side of the battlefield suddenly appeared on the left side of Red Army First Battalion Headquarters, about 600 meters away on the ridgeline.
The cluster of over a dozen large and small tents was still very obvious even from six hundred meters.
On the armed helicopters’ fire control radars, the Red Army target point transmitted by Blue Army command post had already been locked by all three helicopters.
Red Army had absolutely no defenses, no anti-air forces deployed visible.
Such a rare opportunity required seizing every second.
“Open fire!!”
As the lead main aircraft issued the command, the other two helicopters immediately followed suit.
“Puff puff puff…”
The three helicopters in inverted triangle formation had flames erupting from the rear of the dozens of rocket pods mounted below.
The ignited 57mm rockets and 90mm rockets successively trailed flames as they flew straight toward the target, Red Army First Battalion Headquarters.
Dozens of rockets streaked in lines through the air, looking exceptionally shocking.
Powerful enough to level a small hillock.
A mere battalion headquarters would inevitably be obliterated, with no suspense.
But this was an exercise, not live rounds; just exercise rockets without explosives in the warhead, only the middle propellant section, and even that was neutered.
Equivalent to blank ammunition used in rifles, just for the bang and flash.
These rockets couldn’t actually reach the battalion headquarters!
But that didn’t matter.
Because when the three armed helicopters issued the open fire command, the directing staff would perform data calculations, and the results would quickly transmit to the helicopter communications.
“Target destroyed, begin return flight.”
The armed helicopter lead pilot received the communication; directing staff confirmed 100% destruction of the locked target area in this assault wave, mission complete, and immediately ordered withdrawal.
But just as he finished issuing the order, before he could make any moves.
The helicopter’s warning system suddenly triggered.
“Beep beep beep beep…”
Piercing alarm sounds, flashing red warning lights.
Not just one helicopter, but all three simultaneously began warning.
Indicating all three helicopters had been locked; only missile tracking systems would trigger the warning alarms.
Sharp-eyed pilots caught in their peripheral vision a large swarm of firelights trailing white smoke rising from the ground diagonally below, rapidly flying toward them.
As one of the top pilots, he didn’t need to think, immediately bracing and blurting out: “Surface-to-air missiles detected below; we are locked by missiles, immediate emergency evasion.”
The three pilots lived up to their rigorous training, not thrown into chaos by the sudden attack.
They immediately began emergency evasion!
“Puff puff puff…”
While performing high-speed maneuvers, intensely burning flares surged out.
The three helicopters simultaneously released flares, nearly covering half the sky, like celestial maidens scattering flowers, with a touch of alternative beauty.
The visual impact was exceptionally strong!
And while the armed helicopters were tactically evading in the air, pulling all maneuvers, at that moment on the ridgeline below, over twenty Red Army warriors appeared.
Among them, the ten or so carrying round tubes were our army’s currently most advanced individual soldier anti-air missile—
Forward Guard-1 portable anti-air missile!
This was China’s second-generation portable anti-air missile, weighing only 5 kilograms yet with a stunning 5,000-meter combat range.
And its maximum speed reached 600 meters per second, far exceeding the speed of sound.
The helium-cooled indium antimonide detector on the warhead had extremely sensitive locking on thermal radiation, giving it fire-and-forget infrared adaptive tracking capability.
Plus Red Army’s ambush advantage, with distance closed to within 600 meters.
If it were one Forward Guard-1 lock, the armed helicopters releasing large numbers of flares might still have a slim chance of escape.
However, the now-launched Forward Guard-1 missiles numbered a terrifying twelve.
Averaging four per helicopter.
Quantity decided everything.
Even if the three Blue Army armed helicopter pilots had the most superb flying skills, and Straight-9W was our army’s currently finest armed helicopter, with flares launched as timely as possible.
They couldn’t change the outcome!
The twelve Forward Guard-1s without warheads successfully shot down the three Blue Army armed helicopters, causing them all to belch thick white smoke simultaneously in the air.
Armed helicopters also had laser exercise devices; when triggered, they emitted white smoke.
Equivalent to personnel, indicating killed in action.
“Success! Haha.”
“Finally took down these bastards; think you’re hot stuff just ’cause you can fly? We hit exactly you.”
“Still gotta be Deputy Company Commander Chen with the tricks, having us ambush here ahead of time. Didn’t expect these Blue Army idiots to really fly right over.”
“Now I’m awesome; actually shot down armed helicopters. I’ve gotta brag about this for at least three years.”
…
Watching the three smoking helicopters in the sky, the Red Army warriors on the ridgeline were beyond excited, shouting and cheering wildly.
They were the anti-air soldiers from all five companies of Second Battalion, picked up by military vehicles from each company.
At first, they thought it was just deployment, like the anti-aircraft company executing strategic missions, and didn’t believe Blue Army helicopters would appear in Red Army rear.
Plus, aside from Steel Seventh Company’s anti-air squad, the other companies had been continuously thrashed by Blue Army, already cast under their shadow.
Now transferred to the rear area, they all felt a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, in such an idle spot, they actually encountered Blue Army and smoothly shot down their helicopters.
The pent-up humiliation from their own companies could finally be vented satisfyingly.
How could they not scream with joy!
Compared to the jubilant Red Army warriors below, in the three helicopters flying overhead, the pilots and co-pilots were ashen-faced.
They had thought sneaking attack on the heavy equipment regiment with armed helicopters would be a piece of cake.
Who knew they’d capsize in the gutter!
This huge psychological drop was really hard to accept at the moment.
But no matter how annoyed they felt inside, it was useless; a loss was a loss, no excuses, only follow the rules and land from the air.
To become Red Army prisoners!!
Fortunately, before being shot down by Red Army anti-air soldiers, they smoothly completed the mission and took out Red Army Headquarters, giving the Blue Army pilots some psychological comfort.
Unfortunately.
Reality was cruel.
This sole comfort for the Blue Army pilots was also about to be crushed by cruel reality.
Because when they flew to the open ground of the destroyed Red Army battalion headquarters to land per exercise rules, the Red Army leader coming to receive the prisoners.
Was none other than Regiment Commander Wang Qing Rui, who should have been killed in the previous assault, already bombed to death.
“This… what’s going on???”
The six Blue Army pilots disembarking from the helicopters had all reviewed Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment’s materials; seeing the regiment commander unscathed, they couldn’t accept it for the moment.
All stood stunned on the spot!!
