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

Chapter 249 The Phantom F1 I Just Bought
Nanchang, Factory 320.

"Comrade Qin Liang, I heard that the Americans came to Northwestern Polytechnical University to learn from our experience in the last air battle. Did you suggest that they design the new aircraft with a variable-sweep wing structure?" Old Lu greeted Qin Liang as soon as he got out of the car and brought up this matter.

"Yes, I did say that."

"Therefore, our Factory 320 plans to develop a fourth-generation heavy stealth fighter project and intends to continue down this path..."

Professor Lu had been researching variable-sweep wings for several years, and now, with the successful development of the twin-engine Q-6, he is very satisfied with variable-sweep wings!
"I'm just fooling the Americans. I can't guarantee that this technical approach is correct. If you want to do it... don't blame me if you lose the bid."

To be precise, variable-sweep wings were the foundation of second-generation fighter jet technology. By the time of third-generation aircraft, variable-sweep wings were rarely seen, and by the time of fourth-generation stealth aircraft, they had completely disappeared.

Grumman once developed a stealth version of the Tomcat fighter jet, but failed to win the bid. In fact, the original Tomcat fighter jet was retired, becoming a regret for countless Tomcat fans.

Variable sweep wings can accommodate flight requirements in different states, but they also introduce additional structural weight. To save money, we used stainless steel wing boxes, which are even heavier, so…

Old Lu's eyes dimmed instantly; he had originally wanted to bid for the fourth-generation fighter jet! Since Qin Liang said it was just to fool the Americans, then it must be true.

"Of course, these variable-sweep wings are still useful, for example, in bombers."

When the bidding process began, the twin-engine Q-6 was originally intended to be a bomber. However, due to its advanced avionics and the related technologies of the Tomcat, it also possessed good combat performance. To date, the East still lacks a strategic bomber, and currently only the Spey-type H-6 is used to maintain appearances.

The Americans have the B-1B, the Russians have the Tu-160, and we... can also develop a similar four-engine strategic bomber! A thousand verbal protests are not as effective as a strategic bomber flying with missiles!
Old Lu's eyes lit up: "You mean something like the B-1B and Tu-160?"

Qin Liang nodded.

"As long as the higher-ups approve the project, we can start research and development, but..."

"This does take time. After our air force shifted from homeland air defense to offensive and defensive operations, we have this need. Currently, we can make money while conducting preliminary research."

"Yes." Old Lu nodded: "Anyway, we have money now. If the higher-ups don't support us, we can raise funds ourselves to do research and development!"

The two talked as they walked and soon entered the production plant, where they... saw an old acquaintance.

Minuspel stood anxiously in front of the twin-engine Q-6 fighter jet that was being assembled. He wished he could go up and help assemble the plane.

“Mr. Minuseper, there’s no need to rush. The first four aircraft can be fully assembled within a week. However… this is, after all, our twin-engine Q-6, and it’s still somewhat different from the Tomcat fighter. You will need to undergo a period of conversion training…”

"No, we can't wait any longer. Once these first four roll off the production line, we need to fly them back home immediately. Even if we can't bomb them, we still need to take on the air defense mission. Last time..."

I was careless last time!

If two planes had been launched earlier to patrol over the base, the incoming bombing squadrons would have been spotted much sooner. Although there were planes available at the time, pilots were extremely scarce, and patrols would have consumed a pitifully small number of pilots, so they didn't take off...

"Oh, Qin, you're here too?"

Qin Liang smiled. He had come here precisely because Qin Liang was here!

The J-8 and J-7 combination has already made a name for itself; next up is the twin-engine Q-6. This aircraft is also meant to gain global recognition and showcase the strength of the East's aviation industry, so...

We absolutely cannot let our own people fight each other, at least not from the start!
The twin-engine Q-6 was meant to make a name for itself, but it had to be established using Soviet or French aircraft. Qin Liang was really worried about this, and after much deliberation, he decided to travel from Northwestern Polytechnical University to Nanchang. He couldn't let the disaster wash away the good intentions.

“Yes, Mr. Minuseper, I was also very saddened to hear that the Tomcat fighter jet was destroyed on the runway. After all, we provided the engine and avionics for that aircraft. Now, you really need a glorious victory to wash away the shame of your air force.”

“That’s right!” Minuseper’s expression turned serious. “Back then, we were just knocked to the ground. Once we took to the skies, the sky would absolutely be ours to rule!”

"Yes, I believe it too. I heard that your companions have all been released."

“Yes.” Minuspel looked at the people around him. Almost all of the people he brought this time were released from prison. After their release, they didn’t even go home. They came directly to the East in order to quickly grasp the characteristics of the aircraft produced there.

"Let me introduce you. This is Colonel Ferreton-Mazandalani, who came out of... prison."

That name sounds familiar... wait, this guy is an ace pilot!

During the Iran-Iraq War, the ground belonged to Iran, and the skies belonged to Iran. Throughout the war, Tomcat fighters alone shot down about 180 aircraft, and 16 of them were thanks to this guy in front of us. Phoenix, Sparrow, Sidewinder... This guy even used the M61A Vulcan cannon to shoot down two of them, which is enough to show how fierce this guy is.

Qin Liang shook hands warmly: "Welcome to the East! Your spirit is truly admirable."

"What spirit?" Minuseper asked curiously.

"Perhaps we have different political views, perhaps we have different stances, but when it comes to the greater good of the nation and the people, these can all be set aside," Qin Liang said. "Just like when we in the East faced foreign invasion, we were able to unite against it..."

Although that bald man shouted something about "pacifying the country before resisting foreign aggression," the National Revolutionary Army was still the main force of resistance on the main battlefield. Although they were defeated, they still depleted a lot of the enemy's manpower.

The East was like that back then, and so is Langtuo now. These people in front of us were all considered political enemies and imprisoned, but after they were released, they did not complain about the current government. Instead, they resolutely decided to take up arms to defend their homeland!
"Qin, you truly understand us best. Right now, our domestic conflicts are secondary; the foreign invasion is the primary concern. We can't wait to take to the skies in our fighter jets and fight the enemy to the death!"

"No, no, risking your life is the most foolish thing to do. Every pilot's life is precious. You must protect yourselves so that you can better fight the enemy."

Protect yourself and fight the enemy—these eight words cannot be reversed!

Upon hearing Qin Liang's words, the other party fell into deep thought once again.

With the destruction of the Tomcat fleet, they can now only use their old F-4 and F-5 fighters to fight the enemy. Since the start of the war, pilots of these fighters have been killed every day. They are in a very urgent situation now!

"Qin, what do you think we should do?"

"That depends on what poses the greatest threat to you."

"It's the combination of J-8s and Super-7s on the other side. The J-8s use their radar advantage to search the airspace and attack us with long-range missiles, or command the Super-7s to engage in close-range combat. Almost all of our recent casualties were caused by these aircraft!"

Sure enough, after getting the planes, these guys planned to fight the J-8 and J-7 combination to the death!

Qin Liang shook his head seriously: "No, that's not what I think."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Those Hussein missiles that can reach your capital—although I haven't been following the recent battle situation, if I'm not mistaken, Iraq is definitely launching these missiles every day to attack your capital. You should know very well what it means for a country's capital to be attacked, right?"

That's Saddam Hussein's simple thought process: attacking the enemy's capital is exhilarating!
He never considered the point of attacking the capital. At most, it would only create some panic. The most important thing was to use those modified Hussein missiles to attack enemy air bases, tank troop positions, logistics supply points, power plants, etc., to cripple the enemy's war potential to the greatest extent possible!
A winning hand, played terribly. But that's okay, the longer you play, the more weapons you can buy!

“That’s right, our capital is under attack by the enemy. Damn it! Before the war, Saddam only had Scud missiles with a range of 300 kilometers. I never expected that they would suddenly transform the Scuds into Hussein missiles, doubling the range!” Minuseper said through gritted teeth.

"Therefore, your biggest threat is the Hussein missile!"

"Yes, that's a huge threat, but... those are all mobile launchers! Even if we wanted to, we couldn't hit them at all. After they launch their missiles, they'll immediately move to a new position, and by the time we fly over, we won't find anything..."

“That’s right, you definitely won’t find the mobile launcher, but since their missiles are modified, there must be a modification factory, right? You find the factory, fly over there and bomb them, isn’t that enough?” The men’s eyes lit up.

Attack the missile factory!
Qin Liang knew the location of the modification, of course. It was in Erbil. Near the factory was the Khalil Air Base, where Mirage F1 fighter jets purchased by Ilya from the French were deployed.

Although subsequent orders were cancelled, the first batch of 36 Mirage F1EQs was still delivered to Izvestia at the insistence of the French. Izvestia's air force had no choice but to accept the contract; otherwise, they would have to pay a hefty compensation fee!

Although the order was placed in 77, this batch of fighter jets only recently arrived, so they are considered newly purchased aircraft!
"That's right, Qin, you're right. We do need to find these factories, but... with just these four twin-engine Q-6 bombers, I'm afraid we still won't be able to achieve enough bombing results!"

There are still too few planes. Although the other planes will be assembled one after another by the end of the year, they can't afford to wait!

"It doesn't matter if we don't have many planes, you can still use a combination of J-8s and J-7s!" Qin Liang said. "These four twin-engine Q-6s will go over and act as airborne early warning aircraft, directing the other aircraft groups to launch ultra-low-altitude surprise attacks!"

Both the F4 and F5 are all-rounders in the air, capable of both air combat and bombing. Therefore, there is no shortage of bomber aircraft, but a lack of air escort. This task can be assigned to the twin-engine Q-6!
In the later stages of the Iran-Iraq War, as the number of Tomcat fighters gradually decreased, they no longer rushed to the front for air combat and mostly stayed behind as airborne early warning aircraft.

Upon hearing Qin Liang's words, Minuseper was overjoyed. That's right, why didn't he think of using this tactic!

"Okay, let's do it that way! By the way, we've noticed that your Lightning-10 medium-range air-to-air missiles are quite good. Could you export a batch to us?"

The lack of long-range Phoenix missiles in Langtu has been solved through imitation in the East. The Lightning-20 air-to-air missile has demonstrated its formidable strength on the battlefield, especially in surprise attacks, where it is an absolute master.

However... their medium-range air-to-air missiles are lacking. The Sparrow missiles they have are prone to missing their targets and are not much better than those from the Vietnam War era. The missiles produced in the East are of truly excellent performance, and their weapon interfaces are also universal; if you can mount a Sparrow, you can mount it.

On the battlefield, many F-4 and F-5 aircraft were shot down by MI6-10 missiles launched from the Super-7!

"Of course, no problem!" Qin Liang nodded. "For close-range combat missiles, you can also purchase our Lightning-9, which has even better performance than the Sidewinder!"

"it is good!"

They have already witnessed the advanced nature of Eastern weapons. Since the J-8s on the other side can carry their Phoenix missile replicas, their fighter jets can certainly carry the Blitz-9 and Blitz-10 missiles that the other side has!

Eastern friends...

We must understand the difficulties faced by our Eastern friends; after all, the two sides hadn't gone to war yet when the airplanes were sold!
October 3rd, the 11th day after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War.

Ito, northeastern Erbil, Tahrir Air Base.

The sky was clear and cloudless, and the sun was shining brightly on the earth. It was truly a perfect day for flying!
Several pilots hid in the shadows beneath the plane, studying a map.

"Today, our bombing mission is an enemy ground-based air defense missile site. This Hawk site has already taken out three of our fighter jets. This time, we must take them down!" Squadron Leader Adnan said, "This is the sacred mission of our 11th Fighter Squadron!"

The 11th Fighter Squadron was the first squadron in Il-Dazs to be equipped with Mirage F1 fighter jets. When they first received the planes, they were quite pleased with themselves. However, it wasn't long before they discovered that their planes were a whole level below the Super-7!
Especially radar and missiles!

Thus, this unit, which should have been the strongest fighting force in the Ito army, has now been reduced to carrying out ground attack missions! These missions are very dangerous, and if one is not careful or is unlucky, they may be shot down by the enemy.

However, they had no other choice.

After Adnan finished speaking, he looked up at the plane next to him. The number 4004 was very conspicuous. This was the first Mirage F1 received by the Iraqi Air Force!

Just then, a sharp air raid siren suddenly sounded.

"what happened?"

"Air raid! Enemy planes are flying towards us!"

"Great! Let's fly up now!" Adnan was excited. They were on standby, just the few of them. Moreover, the air superiority loadout on the plane hadn't been removed yet, and the bombs weren't attached. It would be perfect to shoot down a few enemy planes to vent their frustration!

Several people rushed to the plane, climbed into the cockpit, turned on their radios, and heard the control tower's voice through their headsets.

"Attention! Enemy aircraft have crossed the line of fire and are heading towards our border. Giraffe Squadron, take off immediately!"

“Giraffe received!” Adnan replied, starting the engine in the back.

The Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine started up quickly. Although the afterburner thrust reached 70.6 kN, which was much greater than that of the MiG-21, it was still an outdated turbojet engine and could not compare with the advanced turbofan engine of the Super-7.

Even the voice itself didn't sound very pleasant.

With a roar, four Mirage F1 fighter jets took off in formation, their tail engines blazing with intense flames, indicating that they had engaged afterburners. Beneath their wings, the Matra Super 530 missiles and Magic air-to-air missiles gleamed brightly.

If there is any advantage, it is that the Mirage F1 is equipped with a data link and can also communicate with the French radar at the base. Therefore, they can receive information about the location of the target without radio calls and can fly directly to the target.

"What are these four targets?"

"The echo was very strong, it shouldn't be an F-5 fighter jet, it's most likely an F-4 Phantom. I really didn't expect that Lang Tuo would actually deliver our victory!"

"Yes, the most we've shot down so far is a combination of J-8s and Super-7s. Now, we also need to take down a few to prove the strength of our Giraffe Squadron!"

With the data link, there was no need to call for coordinated operations from the air, so people started chatting over the radio.

"Keep the radio silent!" Adnan yelled over the radio. "Can you guys be quiet? It's so noisy!"
For some reason, Adnan always had a bad feeling.

Without looking down, looking at the head-up display, the four targets are rapidly approaching, 150 kilometers, 100 kilometers...

Once the target is within 50 kilometers, we can use our own radar to intercept it. Therefore, we need to activate the radar now to warm it up...

The Thomson-Cirano IV radar used in the Mirage F1 was touted by the French as the most advanced radar in the world, but in reality, it was just a low-level fire control radar using an inverted Cassegrain antenna. It could detect targets the size of fighter jets at a range of no more than 55 kilometers and had a pitiful look-down and shoot-down capability of less than 20 kilometers...

So... there's no need to rush right now.

The radar is warming up, bright spots are appearing on the screen, wait!
How did this radar detect a large number of fighter jets flying at extremely low altitudes? This...

His heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the four targets above were decoys, and the main force was the group of aircraft below? No, no, it couldn't be; it was probably just noise...

At that very moment, the sound of a radar alarm receiver suddenly came through the headphones.

That's impossible! The two sides are still...70 kilometers apart! How could it be locked on like that? What kind of plane is that?
"Giraffe Squadron, attention! Enemy aircraft have launched missiles!"

Damn it, the missiles have even come up! That can only mean…

Male cat?

　PS: Iraq's Mirage F1.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)