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

Chapter 308 Sea Harriers and Sea Darts are all trash!
After discovering that all of the Super-7s from the Crying Nation had been deployed, the fleet on this side also became more vigilant. Their Harrier fighters had short loiter time and could not all take off too early, but they still launched two Harriers to patrol over the carrier group.

They might not be able to see the formation of aircraft flying at extremely low altitudes over the sea, but they still immediately noticed the plumes of white smoke rising from the sea after the formation launched its missiles.

"Biscuit calling, enemy aircraft have been visually detected launching anti-ship missiles. Fleet, please prepare for air defense!" Lead pilot Thomas shouted over the radio, then pushed the control stick and flew toward the target.

If it were a Tomcat fighter squadron, they would have been able to lock onto those missiles with radar by now and intercept them in one salvo. But the Sea Harriers don't have that capability, so they can only rush up and fly towards the Crying Nation's Super 7 squadron.

The battle between Harrier and Super 7 has begun!

Both are considered second-generation fighters, but they have different focuses. The Harrier mainly addresses the issue of vertical takeoff and landing, while the Super-7 mainly addresses the problem of lagging performance, especially the lack of beyond-visual-range attack capabilities.

Now, it's all about performance, not takeoff and landing speed!
Thomas had just turned around and was flying toward the target formation when the radar warning receiver sounded in his headset.

I've been locked in.

Those damned Super-7s actually have the ability to lock on at a distance of forty kilometers! Thomas didn't hesitate and immediately pulled the control stick next to him. The Sea Harrier fighter jet, which was still flying forward, had all four engine nozzles rotate, changing from horizontal flight to vertical hovering!
For ordinary fighter jets, a side turn would be necessary at this point. Simply turn 90 degrees to be perpendicular to the enemy's radar beam, and the Doppler radar's filtering effect will allow them to break free from the lock. However, this also means moving away from the enemy aircraft.

They wouldn't let these guys who secretly launched missiles get away. They were going to rush up and take down these enemy planes. Although they only had two planes, as long as they got up there and kept the enemy occupied, it wouldn't be long before the Harrier squadron behind them caught up. All the Harriers that could be launched would be launched and rush up to take down these damned Super 7 squadrons!

By using hovering to break free of lock-on and rushing into visual range, the Sidewinder missile's performance can be fully utilized!
They're not afraid of close-quarters combat!
Sure enough, the radar warning receiver stopped beeping the next moment! That's the sea harrier's advantage!

Thomas was very proud. The next moment, he adjusted the nozzle to the rear, and the fighter jet changed from hovering to forward flight again.

Beside them, the wingman followed suit. The Harrier pilots had long been familiar with this tactic. After flying forward for another five kilometers, the radar warning receiver sounded again in their headsets.

Thomas didn't care. He hovered again, maybe one more time, and he'd be within range of the Sidewinder missiles! They were confident!

and many more!

The radar warning receiver in my headset was still blaring sharply. What... what's going on? Even hovering can't shake off the lock? That shouldn't be the case, unless the other side isn't using pulse-Doppler mode. But without this mode, the search and lock-on range would be drastically reduced. Just how advanced is the other side's radar?
Major Bedakaraz on the other side had already skillfully switched from PDSTT to PSTT mode. The missing "D" meant the loss of pulse Doppler functionality, which would reduce the radar's search range by half. However, it was still the best tool for dealing with Sea Harriers!
The two sides were now within 20 kilometers of each other, so without hesitation, he shouted, "Fire!"

Flames flickered beneath the wings as a medium-range Lightning-10 missile was launched!

Almost simultaneously, Lieutenant Majora, the wingman, also fired a Lightning 10, sending two plumes of white smoke flying toward the two hovering Sea Harriers opposite him.

Thomas was stunned when he saw the smoke rising from the other side.

All of this was beyond his comprehension. Just how powerful was this Eastern Super 7 fighter jet?

Once on the battlefield, I realized the terror of Eastern weapons.

At this moment, if he continued to hover, he would be providing himself with target practice for the enemy's missiles! He had no choice but to quickly maneuver the fighter jet back into level flight. Only with speed could he maneuver and evade the enemy.

He didn't turn 90 degrees to the side. If hovering couldn't shake him off, then turning to the side would be pointless. He didn't run away either; running away wasn't his style. He piloted the fighter jet and flew towards the missile!
If we compare the data, even the bulky Phoenix missile has an overload of 17G, not to mention the Lightning-10, which has the same body as the Sparrow missile and an overload of 35G. In that case, it seems that the Sea Harrier, with a maximum overload of only 6G, has no chance of escaping.

However, in reality, fighter jets are operated by people, and there are ways to counter missiles. For example, if they fly head-on, and then suddenly turn at the moment of collision, and add a countermeasure, they can shake off the missile.

No matter how high your missile overload is, if you don't have enough time, you won't be able to catch up with it when it turns!

Thomas struggled to remain calm as he flew toward the missile, increasing his speed faster and faster. Just before contact was imminent, he pulled the control stick and applied the rudder...

boom!
The next moment, Lightning 10 exploded, and countless fragments rained down on the Harrier fighter jet! Thomas felt as if he were flying in a typhoon, the aircraft shaking violently. The next moment, the fire alarm lights came on, and he could smell the burning.

Without further hesitation, he pulled the ejection pin and left the cockpit a second before the fighter jet was about to explode.

As the parachute opened, he glanced around and saw that his fighter jet had crashed into the sea, while his wingman... was burning.

There's a technique to taking off head-on and then dodging! If you dodge too late, the missile will already be detonating, and dodging will only create a larger kill zone for the missile.

If you dodge too early, the enemy missiles will still react! The high-G missiles will follow up and continue the attack!
Thomas was too late to dodge, while his wingman was too early. As a result, both planes were turned into burning fireballs. His wingman was even more unlucky; he didn't even have time to jump out of the plane before being engulfed by the flames!

The Harrier's lackluster performance was revealed by the explosion of these two aircraft!
Aircraft carrier strike group, Invincible.

Sandy Woodward gripped the bridge railings tightly with both hands, watching the Harrier fighters glide one by one onto the flight deck and then take off from the upturned deck. At that moment, he felt a little nervous.

He thought he had shaken off his opponent, but he didn't expect... the other side had already launched missiles, thirty-six missiles! Could his warships stop them?
There is no other choice now but to get the Harriers to take off as soon as possible and have the escorting ships deploy in anti-aircraft formation to deal with this wave of attacks!

On the foredeck, Harrier fighter jets were rapidly taking off, while on the aft deck, Sea King helicopters, each carrying a large electromagnetic reflector sphere, were also taking off in turn.

Prince Andrew's Neptune helicopter also took off. At this moment, he was no longer a prince, but a soldier, whose duty is to obey orders!
This was the first wave of attacks their formation had encountered. If they couldn't preserve their strength in this wave of attacks, they would have to slink back!

Come on, damn missiles, let me show you the power of a century-old navy! While we're swaggering across the ocean, you're still... lying on your kang (heated brick bed) smoking something!
"Report: Two Harriers have been shot down, and anti-ship missiles are still 10 kilometers away!"

Upon receiving this report on the bridge, Woodward's body involuntarily trembled. Two planes lost already? Damn it!
At this moment, all he wanted to do was curse those damn politicians who took pleasure in killing their own army, and those foolish voters who were always thinking about getting more benefits and constantly cutting defense spending... Without a strong army, how can there be a stable and peaceful environment for development?
Our own escort fleet intercepted one wave, used the electromagnetic sphere to lure another, and only a few remained...

"HMS Sheffield reports: Target locked!"

what?
Woodward felt his legs go weak; their main air defense ship was unable to lock onto the target.
"The target has been lowered to an altitude of three meters, far exceeding the interception capability of the Sea Dart missile!"

On the Type 42 destroyer, the radar officer was cursing: "Damn it, how can their missiles fly so low? The lowest altitude of an Exocet missile is only five meters!"

"Even if it flies five meters, we can't intercept it!" someone muttered nearby. "Our sea darts are useless!"

The design specifies a minimum interception altitude of ten meters, but in reality, targets below twenty-five meters are often obscured by sea clutter. That's about it for semi-active radar-guided missiles of this era. Of course, they could easily take down the aircraft launching the missiles, but the problem is, those damned planes simply don't get close! The radar screens don't even show any trace of those planes. If nothing unexpected happens, after firing the missiles, those planes will have already flown away. At most, they might have shot down two Sea Harriers, wasting time, and then they'd be gone again!
Damn assassin!
Cursing won't do any good!
On the Type 42 destroyer, the main air defense weapon is the twin-mounted Sea Dart missile. Since this weapon cannot lock onto the target, other means must be used: two 20mm anti-aircraft guns and the 114mm naval gun at the bow!
Boom, boom, boom!
The 114mm naval guns have a longer range. They fired first, and flames burst from the muzzle one after another as shells flew towards the missiles that were flying towards the sea like arrows from the era of cold weapons.

Unfortunately, they couldn't aim properly! Not even a single missile could take them down! They continued flying, ignoring the shells exploding in the distance.

tom tom tom...

The 20mm anti-aircraft guns also opened fire.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the ship, on the helicopter landing platform, a large electromagnetic interference sphere was being blown up.

These commotions seemed to have finally angered the missile swarm, as one of the missiles suddenly changed direction and flew towards HMS Sheffield!
"Quickly, take it down!" Ray Evans practically roared from the bridge.

That's terrifying, absolutely terrifying! If we don't take out that missile, they might very well be wiped out!
20mm shells sprayed onto the sea, while the missile, which had already flown three kilometers away, suddenly began to change direction, turning right, then left...

Snake maneuver! Snake maneuver!
Damn it, the C801 anti-ship missile produced in the East can actually perform serpentine maneuvers in the final stage of an attack!
Everyone was stunned. Even the gunners of the 20mm cannons stopped their aimless firing. At that moment, in everyone's pupils, the missile was rapidly magnifying, magnifying...

Boom!
The missile easily tore through the thin steel plates of the HMS Sheffield's hull and went inside!
In the era of battleships, the hulls were very thick and covered with armor to protect against armor-piercing shells. However, after battleships relinquished their position as the dominant force at sea and gave way to aircraft carriers, the armor on ordinary warships disappeared.

The means of countermeasures have evolved into missiles. As long as our own air defense missiles intercept the enemy's anti-ship missiles, that's enough! How can we build warships that are so thick and have a displacement of tens of thousands of tons in large quantities?
Moreover, the price of warships continues to soar.

Therefore, later warships were all thin-skinned and heavily fortified; even an American warship that docked in port had a large hole blown in it.

Anti-ship missiles mostly use semi-armor-piercing warheads, which can easily tear through the armor of destroyers!

This location was right in front of the equipment compartment of the power compartment. Two soldiers who were maintaining the equipment heard a loud bang, and whoosh! A huge thing flew past them. The shockwave was so strong that it could have squeezed their eardrums, causing their faces to change drastically and their brains to go blank. Bang!
Another collision! The giant thing vanished before our eyes!
The C801 anti-ship missile continued to penetrate deeper, tearing open one or two more compartments before reaching the predetermined point.

boom!
The 165-kilogram warhead exploded!
Flames and shockwaves swept out, and the side wall of the compartment in front of them flew up. The two sailors in the equipment room, who thought they had escaped, were engulfed by flames the next moment.

The instant the explosion rang out, Ray Evans reacted: "Quick, damage control personnel, rush in and put out the fire as soon as possible!"

If it were a first-generation anti-ship missile, a large vessel using a liquid rocket engine, just one would be enough to completely destroy their warship. However, the anti-ship missile that flew this time used a solid-propellant engine and was smaller, so although they took a hit, they still had a chance to turn back...

Although Asunción is a bit far, there's still a chance, a chance!
Thick smoke billowed up, visible to the entire formation, but no one cared who had been hit; they were all on high alert.

On the HMS Sheffield, the sailors displayed incredible courage. Some didn't even have time to put on fireproof clothing before grabbing fire hoses and rushing into the flames. One fell, and another followed. It was either they died, or everyone died together...

At this moment, the fighting spirit cultivated over hundreds of years finally burst forth!
Unfortunately... the flames roared and spread rapidly, soon reaching the upper structure. The aluminum alloy was melting and burning, and the flames grew even larger! The entire upper structure was engulfed in flames!

Desperate cries echoed as people jumped into the sea. On the bridge, Ray Evans, watching the flames draw ever closer, shouted, "Abandon ship!"

This warship is beyond saving! Its greatest contribution was drawing one anti-ship missile away from the fleet, but what about the remaining thirty-five?

He looked toward the fleet and saw a Sea Harrier fly by. Under its wing, a flash of fire appeared as a Sidewinder missile detached from its rack and hurtled toward an anti-ship missile. Then... the Sidewinder missile and the anti-ship missile passed each other and exploded in the distant sky.

Air-to-air missiles, used to deal with aircraft, are still too difficult to intercept anti-ship missiles!

The pilot watched the anti-ship missile continue its flight toward the Invincible with rage. He pushed the control stick, gave chase, and carefully aimed with his cannon.

The next moment, the missile suddenly changed direction, and all the machine gun shells missed their target. The missile had entered its final serpentine maneuver!
"Damn it!" he cursed as he continued firing, but his attempts to intercept the enemy all failed, and he ran out of ammunition!

The missile is still approaching the Invincible!

Without further hesitation, he maneuvered his carrier-based aircraft and rammed it head-on into the missile!

boom!
Brilliant fireworks burst across the sky above the sea. The pilot ejected safely in the final stage, while the wrecked debris crashed and clattered against the hull of the Invincible.

On the bridge, Woodward watched this scene with a complicated expression.

The pilot was brave, but... did it make sense? Using a Sea Harrier to take down an anti-ship missile is a tactic the British Navy simply cannot afford!
Nearby, the Type 21 frigate USS Antelope.

Back then, the Labour Party's plan to destroy its own fleet not only eliminated the CVA01 aircraft carrier and the Type 82 destroyer, but also accelerated the development of the main Type 22 frigate. In order to fill the gap before the Type 22 frigate entered service, the Royal Navy decided to build the transitional Type 21.

With private shipyards leading the project's development and strict cost control, the British Navy originally thought that the cost of such frigates would be reduced, with an average cost of £350 million. However, the first ship, HMS Amazon, still cost £1440 million.

Of course, like the Type 42 destroyer, aluminum alloy is used extensively to reduce weight. Five years ago, a Type 21 frigate suffered a fire that damaged the aluminum alloy ladders. At that time, the British realized the unreliability of aluminum alloy, but they had no choice. The displacement was strictly limited by Parliament, and if they wanted to equip warships with more equipment and stronger combat capabilities, they had to use aluminum alloy.

Putting everything else aside, just look at this Seacat air defense missile system. If it weren't for the fact that the aluminum alloy lowers the center of gravity, could the Seacat even be installed above the hangar? There's no other suitable place to install it!

Amidst the flashing flames, the Seacat anti-aircraft missile was launched, followed by a second one, each heading towards a different target.

The naval battle has now reached a fever pitch. Missiles that the Type 42 destroyers cannot intercept have to be intercepted by their Type 21 frigates!

boom!
On the sea surface, a fireball erupted as a C801 missile tilted and plunged into the seawater.

"Interception successful!"

boom!
Another Seacat surface-to-air missile exploded, but this time it was some distance from the target. After the flash, the missile continued to maneuver serpentinely on the sea surface, heading towards the Invincible in the center of the formation!

(End of this chapter)