Back in 1978, I was admitted to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Chapter 203 Make them feel bad!

rear.

"General, it's over!"

James Walter's expression changed instantly: "What? It's over?"

“Our Eagle Claw Operation is over! Just now, the Langtuo Air Force bombed Desert One, and so far, none of our radio calls have been answered…”

James Walter plopped down in his chair: "Impossible, impossible. Our operation was so secretive, it's impossible for Lang Tuo to have known about our battle plan in advance."

The situation is now quite clear; someone has leaked information!
Even if Lang Tuo predicted that the United States was going to take action, he certainly wouldn't know the time or place. At most, he would know that the United States was going there. Now, it's obvious that someone tipped them off!

Who did it? Who did it? Who did it?
His gaze swept coldly over everyone present, yet he also felt that these people were all trustworthy!
"General, the most important thing now is to clean up the mess. They absolutely cannot kill all of us by air bombardment alone. There will definitely be some elite troops who will fight and retreat. It will take time for Langtuo's ground troops to be mobilized. We must take advantage of this time difference to bring the rest of our men back."

Needless to say, the key now is to bring back the troops that went out to attack! If those people also get trapped inside, then we'll be in big trouble!

"Yes, we need to get them out, but... how?"

The only way to pick people up is by helicopter! However, helicopters have limited range. Even the massive Sea Stallion only flew to Desert One before running out of fuel. What other helicopter can handle this?
"Currently, the only option is to send our aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf, to their outer waters. This will quickly reduce the distance, and helicopters will be sufficient for round trips. We will also need to launch our carrier-based fighter jets. If the situation there becomes unfavorable, our fighter jets can also fly over to seize air superiority and cover the retreat of rescue forces."

Hmph, in this operation, the navy only provided a few aircraft carriers and didn't contribute much. As a result... the other forces weren't up to par. In critical moments, you still have to rely on aircraft carriers! Don't they realize that if the world situation changes, the first question our boss will ask is, "Where are our aircraft carriers?"
"Yes, Lyons, your navy must immediately formulate a rescue plan, and do it quickly! Once it's ready, I'll report it immediately!"

This operation is too risky; it requires the boss's approval first. It also needs to be done quickly—the people must be rescued before dawn the next day! Otherwise, the army will be even more despised by the people!

"Yes! I suggest we immediately send our carrier strike group across the Gulf of Oman and into the Persian Gulf. This will save us time!"

"Okay, full speed ahead!"

No one dared to attack their carrier strike groups, or they would face certain death! The 1980s were the most glorious period for the US Navy!
Isfahan.

“The bombing group has successfully returned. Of the American troops that invaded us, less than fifty survived and are currently being pursued by ground forces,” Minuseper said. “Qin, as you planned, they only engaged them, not completely annihilated them.”

"Yes, these people are the best bait. The Americans keep saying they will never abandon or give up, so they will definitely rescue these people. We should also take this opportunity to give them another good beating. After this, the Americans will give up their illusions of using force."

The US military lacks a military spirit. For an army that invades other countries all over the world, they have no reason to whitewash justice. Therefore, all that remains in their army is the camaraderie between soldiers. Just look at Hollywood blockbusters; every military epic portrays this kind of emotion.

For a brother in distress, they will send out more people to rescue him, even if it means more deaths, just to save him. Only in this way can their army maintain a certain level of combat effectiveness!
The previous battles were all scripted, and we just had to follow the historical events. The upcoming battles are unscripted, but Langtuo has already seized the initiative. How we fight is up to us!
"Yes, we'll listen to you!" At this moment, everyone present agreed without hesitation. After all, their previous victories had already instilled in them a blind admiration for Qin Liang. This man was not only a technician, but also a military genius!

"Bring out all our flying Tomcats. A major battle is about to begin, General Minuseper. Our modified Tomcat has an even more important mission!"

"What mission?"

"Shoot down an E-2 early warning aircraft."

The biggest problem this time is the distance! In professional terms, it's called having a lot of strategic depth!
The E-2 early warning aircraft is, after all, a carrier-based aircraft, with a maximum search range of only three or four hundred kilometers. If it wants to command this rescue operation, it would have to risk flying over the land of Langtuo!
Such a good target, it must be shot down! Of course, this kind of aircraft is also escorted by other aircraft, so to shoot it down, we need to use special methods!
Americans, did you know the Tomcat could fly at Mach 2.5? Definitely not! So, it was a MiG-25 that shot down your E-2, not Lang Tuo!
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Qin Liang's face.

At this moment, Qin Liang could sit back and relax, while the American soldiers running wildly in the desert were not so lucky.

Thank goodness they brought the Jeep!

There were no Hummers; they were driving Wesley M38A1s, jeeps manufactured in 1971. Their most distinctive feature was that they could mount recoilless rifles, capable of firing even nuclear shells. According to the plan, it would be stuffed into the belly of a Super Stallion, and when they reached Desert 2, a portion of the Rangers would drive it to seize the airport.

Now, it's still the Rangers driving it, but not to fight, but to escape!

Dust billowed from the rear of the car, the wheels scraping against the sand, making a sound that made one's ears tingle. Sometimes the car would even suddenly leap up, fly away from the high sand dunes, land, and continue its high-speed run.

"Damn it, we have to stay behind to cover our retreat, otherwise we won't be able to shake off these damn pursuers!" Charlie Beckvis shouted.

The people behind them were driving the same vehicles, with equally good maneuverability, so they couldn't shake them off!

Either they all die, or some of them die!
Finally, Frank gritted his teeth: "Ranger Squadron Three, stay with me and stop these damned Langtu people!"

"Yes!"

For soldiers, obeying orders is their duty. Besides, staying doesn't necessarily mean death; they can always surrender!
Hearing the intense gunfire behind them, Charlie Beckvis finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they shook off the enemy, they could quickly hide in the vast desert and call for help. Their forty-odd men could still make it back alive.

When we get back, I need to recommend Frank and the others for credit! If those damn insurance companies refuse to cover the claim, I'll smash their heads in!

"Oh no, there are countless infrared light sources ahead!"

His subordinates held infrared night vision devices, looked ahead, and then felt a chill run down their spines.

What are those?
"It should be the Chieftain Tank!"

Finished!

These jeeps can't break through this defensive line!

Charlie Beckvis gritted his teeth: "We have no choice but to run north!"

After the battle began, they retreated south, since only by moving south could they get closer to the Persian Gulf. The Langtuo people could think of this, so... the Langtuo tank force came!
Like herding sheep, the retreating American troops could only turn north. If helicopters were to come to their rescue, the distance the jeeps had traveled was negligible.

Fortunately, the tanks from the south didn't chase after us.

In the Gulf War in the early 1990s, Saddam Hussein's T-72s were utterly defeated by Western equipment, and the use of outdated infrared headlights was one of the main reasons.

This technology, originating from World War II, requires tanks to be equipped with infrared headlights that emit infrared rays forward. After illuminating a target, the rays are reflected back and fall onto the periscopes of the driver, commander, and gunner, allowing for daytime driving as the infrared rays are invisible, thus avoiding detection.

However, infrared imaging night vision devices can see it! Western tanks are generally equipped with infrared imagers, and seeing infrared headlights is like holding up a flashlight in the dark.

In the late 1970s, tanks around the world mainly used infrared headlights, and Yotau was no exception. However... the Americans didn't know that this was Yotau's intention.

Dealing with these people would only take three to five minutes!

It was 2 a.m.

"We've got news from our people!"

"what's the situation?"

"Currently, forty-two people have survived, having shaken off their pursuers and reached the northern latitude... and eastern longitude..."

The location was quickly marked on the map, and James Walter frowned: "More than a hundred kilometers northwest of Desert One? Why don't they run south?"

"Langtuo's armored forces have already set up several lines of defense in the south, so they simply cannot break through."

Armored units have also been deployed!

In many Hollywood blockbusters, special forces soldiers are portrayed as Rambo, capable of single-handedly taking down an entire unit. In reality, special forces are only suited for special operations, such as sabotage and rescue operations behind enemy lines. If they encounter a regular enemy army, especially a heavily armed one, they would be utterly defeated. "Our HH-53Es are ready and can be deployed at any time. With the addition of extra fuel tanks, they have enough capacity for a round trip," Lyons stated.

The Super Stallion has many models. The HH-53 assault transport helicopter, developed in 1968, was specifically designed for assault and rescue missions. During the Vietnam War, it was widely used to rescue parachuting pilots. It was equipped with a Gatling gun on its side, which could be used to straf the ground. It could also carry 38 soldiers.

In this situation, each helicopter only needs to be equipped with twelve soldiers for rescue. Any more would be a waste. Deploying four helicopters would provide enough redundancy to take all the people in distress away.

“That’s right, deploy immediately!” James Vought said. “Have them fly over first, and the other escort planes will take off in two hours.”

Helicopters are too slow, and other fighter jets can't fly over now; it would alert the enemy.

"Our operation has been approved from above; the operation is codenamed Blue Light Rescue!"

The eagle's claws have been severed; all that's left is rescue!
At this moment, the aircraft carrier strike group, operating at full power, had just passed through the Strait of Hormuz. On the deck, the sea breeze was fierce, and four HH-53E helicopters took off.

The operation failed, and in the end, the US Navy had to come to the rescue! At that moment, they were all very excited.

After four helicopters flew by, at the takeoff point on the angled deck, a plane with a large plate on its top was launched. Its slender fuselage and four vertical tail sections constituted its unique shape.

Hawkeye early warning aircraft, the world's only fixed-wing carrier-based early warning aircraft!
After World War II ended, the Americans began developing carrier-based early warning aircraft, and to date, the Hawkeye has been iterated to the latest model, the E-2C.

The radar antenna on the back of the aircraft is still the old meter-wave antenna, which is just a large frame. Therefore, unlike other radar antennas that are thick in the middle and thin at the sides, the radar dome of the E-2 early warning aircraft is completely flat and of uniform thickness. However, its radar system has been upgraded to the APS-120 radar, which uses dual delay line cancellation technology to better filter clutter and can fully monitor land targets.

Because the programmable digital computer has been upgraded, the internal heat generation has increased, so an additional air intake has been added to the top of the back of the machine, which is one of the distinguishing features from the previous models.

Steam filled the deck, and with a whooshing sound, the E-2 early warning aircraft left the deck and flew into the vast night sky.

If you take off now, you'll be back in daytime, so even pilots without nighttime landing capabilities can take off.

Carrier-based aircraft are like dancing on a knife's edge. Even the world's number one U.S. military only has 60% of its pilots capable of night landings. But night takeoffs are not a problem, since the pilots don't need to be involved; the catapults are the only solution.

Large-scale attack operations typically involve launching an attack at dawn and returning at daybreak; this is a standard tactic for the U.S. Navy.

The crew members of the early warning aircraft that are being ejected now have no idea that this is their last flight!

The E-2 climbed to cruising altitude and then activated its radar, instantly detecting everything around it, including the four helicopters that had already flown to the land of Langtuo.

"Eagle Eye calling Blue Light Squadron, be aware, everything is normal in your vicinity!"

"Blue Light Formation received! We can already see the coastline!"

everything is normal!
The Americans breathed a sigh of relief.

Isfahan.

"Qin, just as you predicted! They indeed dispatched four helicopters and flew over our land! Hmph, this time we'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

"Yes, absolutely." Qin Liang nodded. "Next, we need to prepare for our second strike! It's going to be a busy night!"

Qin Liang looked up at the stars. Once he finished this job, he could go back. He, the groom, had spent his honeymoon with a bunch of stinky men!
“Qin, do you think they won’t launch a large-scale war next?” Minuseper asked.

As former allies, they know how powerful the United States is.

"War? If they really dare, that would actually be a good thing. If they take action in the Persian Gulf, what will the other countries think? They will all oppose them. Besides, we are not to be trifled with. The Persian Gulf is such a small place. Our fighter jets, armed with anti-ship missiles, can send their carrier strike groups into the sea. In fact, we only need to lay mines, and that will be enough to give them a hard time!"

Qin Liang's face was full of contempt: "Then we'll show the whole world that the Americans are all bark and no bite!"

"Well, you're right!"

One Tomcat fighter jet after another was pushed out of the hangar. Qin Liang counted them quickly and there were about twenty. This was the limit that Langtuo Air Force could deploy. However, there was no need to worry. Soon, the new Persian Cat with a new heart and brain would arrive!
"I'm going to change into my flight suit."

what?
Qin Liang looked at Minuseper: "Are you going to join the war too?"

"Yes, my mission is to shoot down that E-2 early warning aircraft!"

"Alright, then I wish you a successful start and a safe return!" Qin Liang said, "I'm leaving here too."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to wait for the downed E-2 early warning aircraft. We need to clean up the wreckage quickly, otherwise the Americans will destroy it by any means necessary."

The first wave was aerial bombing, and all the planes at Desert One base were destroyed in the flames, becoming nothing more than exhibition halls. The second wave mainly used air-to-air missiles, so the wreckage of the downed planes was still intact.

How much of the Super Stallion wreckage we can get our hands on depends on luck. Anyway, the East doesn't need helicopters of that caliber right now. But the E-2 early warning aircraft has a lot of valuable stuff inside! We can bring it back as a reference for our own airborne early warning project!
They wouldn't object to me taking the wreckage since I've helped them so much.

"No rush, we'll prepare a helicopter for you! We can go over after we shoot it down!"

Time passed very slowly, so slowly that every second felt so long, yet time also passed very quickly; in the blink of an eye, two hours had passed!

The E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft has also flown away from the sea and penetrated 100 kilometers into the airspace above Langtuo's land. It is escorted by two variable-sweep Tomcat fighter jets, so it should be quite safe.

Only in this way can its radar waves cover the Super Stallion formation 300 kilometers away. To be on the safe side, its radar waves need to extend an additional 100 kilometers to provide early warning to the formation. As the Super Stallion formation flies forward, it must also continue to penetrate deeper into the Langtuo inland area.

Inside the cramped cabin sat three people, each with a large radar screen in front of them. The bright lines on the screens were rotating at a rate of one revolution every half minute, updating the target information with each rotation.

Suddenly, two bright spots appeared on the edge of the screen!

"Hawkeye calling Super Stallion Formation! Hawkeye calling Super Stallion Formation! Attention! Two fighter jets are approaching from your 1 o'clock position! Please halt immediately!"

"Super Stallion formation received!"

When the helicopter transitions from forward flight to hovering, the pulse Doppler effect filters out these noises as clutter.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the aircraft carrier at sea behind, steam filled the air as Tomcat fighters quickly catapulted into the air to provide reinforcements.

On the radar screen, the two targets were rapidly approaching the Super Stallion formation. Everyone's hearts were in their throats: eighty, sixty, thirty... ten...

The target has flown away!
It seems they only flew by occasionally! The Langtuo Air Force has long had its wings broken. Being able to take off two for night patrols is probably the maximum sortie rate they can muster.

Keep going, another ten minutes or so should be enough to get to the rescue!

and many more!

A radar officer suddenly noticed a target rapidly approaching in one corner of the screen!
　PS: Willis and Hawkeye.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)