Great Power Long Sky

The Donghai Air Base has deployed more than 50 aircraft of various types, including the main force of the 7th and 8th Air Regiments, and has also specially reinforced the deployment of several combat support aircraft for reconnaissance, communication and other missions.

This configuration fully demonstrates the comprehensive capability of the Donghai Air Base, as a regimental-level unit, to ensure coordinated operations of multiple aircraft types under complex conditions.

On March 7, Li Lu successfully completed the conversion training for the J-8B fighter jet, and the important aircraft type "J-8B" was officially added to his personal flight qualification file, marking that he has the ability to fly this type of fighter jet to perform missions.

Following this, on March 15, Li Lu led the core flight personnel of the 8th Air Regiment, including Li Dongying, to successfully organize preliminary low-altitude penetration flight training. Through this training, a group of pilots from the 8th Air Regiment initially mastered the key skills of using J-8B fighter jets to carry out low-altitude penetration operations.

Of course, due to the short training period, these pilots can only be considered to have initially acquired this combat capability.

Time was running out, and no one was sure how effective the J-8B fighters of the 8th Air Regiment would be in actual combat using high-low altitude coordinated tactics.

At 3:30 a.m. on March 20, all the pilots, combat staff officers, and combat support personnel of the 7th and 8th Air Regiments gathered in the combat conference room, where the atmosphere was serious and solemn.

Two large operational maps were hanging on the walls of the conference room. One map detailed the No. 3 airspace and No. 3 beach area—the operational area under the unit's responsibility. The other map was a schematic diagram of the joint military exercise covering the entire area, clearly showing the overall layout and phased planning of the exercise.

To ensure unified command, the joint military exercise command established the East China Sea Front Command Post of the Air Force at the East China Sea Air Base, with Feng Liang as the chief, Xu Hailiang as the deputy chief, and Li Dongying as the chief of staff, to unify the command of the combat operations of the 7th and 8th Air Regiments.

Li Lu, Xue Shuang, and Zhao Chaoyang were appointed as operations staff officers at the command post. Li Lu was specifically responsible for commanding and coordinating the amphibious landing operations of the 3rd Army Group.

To strengthen inter-service coordination, the 7th Air Regiment dispatched an Air Force coordination group to the 3rd Army Group, while the 3rd Army Group dispatched an Army coordination group to the Donghai airfield.

The Army coordinator is Wang Qiang, a captain and operations staff officer of the 9th Motorized Infantry Division. He also serves as an operations staff officer at the East China Sea Front Command of the Air Force, forming a two-way communication link.

In addition, the higher command dispatched an additional surface-to-air missile battalion to be deployed around the Donghai airfield, significantly enhancing the air defense firepower and air cover capabilities of the airfield.

Meanwhile, the Yuanling Radar Station also dispatched a mobile radar detachment to the front of a coastal mountain, forming a cross-detection network with the station's fixed radar, effectively improving the early warning coverage of low-altitude and ultra-low-altitude targets. The mobile radar station operates with Fang Dong, a key technical expert, at its core.

Inside the command center, everyone stood solemnly with their backs straight, quietly awaiting the order to proceed.

As the clock struck 4 a.m., the red dedicated phone on the table suddenly rang urgently.

Commander Feng Liang quickly grabbed the microphone and calmly and forcefully announced his identity: "Feng Liang, East China Sea Frontline Command of the Air Force!"

The instruction coming through the receiver was clear and concise: "Codename Joint 96, exercise commence!"

"Yes!" Feng Liang replied.

After putting down the microphone, he scanned the entire room and solemnly announced, "I command!"

With a whoosh, everyone stood up in unison.

Feng Liang immediately issued the order: "All units under the East China Sea Front Command of the Air Force! Immediately proceed with the exercise according to the established plan!"

"Yes!" A loud response echoed in the room.

In the blink of an eye, the operations room was empty, and all the officers and soldiers rushed to their respective battle stations.

At the same time, all participating troops received the order to officially begin the exercise's implementation phase.

The first to launch the operation were not the air force, but the covertly deployed Second Artillery Corps.

In the deep mountains and dense forests dozens of kilometers away from the Donghai airfield, the mountains were still shrouded in darkness, with only a faint red light shining from the launch vehicle at a certain missile launch site.

The battalion commander inspected the launch site through the damp dew. The three launch vehicles were deployed in a triangular formation, and all pre-launch preparations were complete.

Soon after, he received instructions from his superiors to immediately organize and implement the plan according to procedures.

"Check the refueling lines and confirm the launch parameters!" he ordered into the walkie-talkie, his voice echoing faintly in the silent valley.

Immediately, the three DF-15 ballistic missiles slowly rose into position, and the gunners sequentially injected the firing parameters.

Inside the command tent in the distance, a red arrow on the battle map pointed directly to the target area in the East China Sea. Encrypted command signals came through the radio from time to time. The air seemed to solidify into a heavy block of iron, pressing down on everyone's chest.

"One vehicle is ready!"

"Both vehicles are ready!"

"All three vehicles are ready!"

The commander decisively issued the final order: "Three rounds fired simultaneously! Ignition!"

"Three rounds fired simultaneously! Ignition!"

The launch site, which was originally covered by the night, suddenly erupted with three dazzling and huge flames. The rocket engines spewed out powerful thrust, propelling the missiles steadily into the air. Their speed continued to increase, and three bright tail flames pierced the night sky, rapidly climbing towards the outer atmosphere.

The launch of these three missiles, like three large signal flares blooming in the sky, officially opened the curtain on the exercise. Hundreds of thousands of participating troops were fully activated according to the predetermined plan and entered a state of high-speed operation.

Located in the temporary camp at the simulated training ground on the mountain island, the 258th Regiment of the 9th Motorized Infantry Division of the Army has been conducting intensive pre-combat training for more than two months.

After receiving the order to act at 4 a.m., Colonel Li Mu, the regimental commander, immediately instructed each battalion and company to distribute live ammunition and specified the time for the troops to assemble.

Each soldier received a basic load of ammunition: the rifleman carried a Type 81 automatic rifle with a magazine full of thirty rounds, and four more fully loaded spare magazines in his ammunition pouch, for a total of one hundred and fifty rounds; the machine gunner and assistant gunner carried nine magazines and four drum magazines together; and the rocket launcher operator and his assistant were equipped with three rockets.

This is the basic weapon configuration of the infantry company in this exercise. They will become the absolute core force for the amphibious landing and even the entire exercise process, while other branches of the armed forces, including the navy and air force, play a supporting and cooperating role in a certain sense.

"Those who need to supplement their wills, please write them now and submit them to the clerk for safekeeping!"

The company's duty officer loudly reminded and urged the soldiers to complete the last preparation before the attack.

Fifteen minutes later, the 258th Regiment completed its assembly, and Colonel Li Mu, the regimental commander, issued the order to proceed to the loading site.

The long, serpentine convoy advanced stealthily, meandering along a road it had traveled countless times before, toward the loading dock.

At the dock, dozens of landing ships are ready.

The troops of the 258th Regiment arrived here and immediately began loading operations.

At this very moment, the same scene unfolded at several docks. The 3rd Army was to complete the loading of all personnel and equipment before dawn, and the massive landing fleet would depart on time to cross the strait.

Prior to this, the naval destroyer and frigate formation had arrived at the designated sea area, and the ship's guns were loaded and the missiles were warmed up.

Before the 3rd Army arrives at Beach No. 3, a Marine Corps brigade will launch an initial beach landing operation to open up the landing zone.

No one believed this was merely a military exercise.