Great Power Long Sky

Large raindrops, like dense drumbeats, pounded wildly on the flight deck of the USS Kitty Hawk, splashing water half a foot high. In an instant, they were torn apart by the howling sea wind, forming winding water streaks on the deck and blurring the view.

The flight deck was crowded, but there was no panic. People from all departments were busy in a tense but orderly manner, and every movement was precise and rapid.

Aviation service personnel, dressed in vests of various colors, constantly wiped the rain and fog off their helmets and goggles, yet their work remained unaffected.

These aviation service personnel are distributed in various positions. Some wave their arms vigorously to guide the pilots to move the fighter jet to the ejection position. Every gesture is clear and powerful. Then, another group of personnel bends down to check the ejection hook of the fighter jet to ensure that the steam catapult and the ejection hook of the fighter jet's nose landing gear are perfectly connected.

The radio channel was chaotic, with various commands rising and falling, intertwining and shuttling, yet it did not appear disorderly.

The pilot sat in the cockpit of the fighter jet, his eyes focused intently on the controller ahead. He gripped the control stick lightly with both hands, and with a calm and serious expression, he moved the stick in large movements to check whether the condition of each wing surface was normal.

The U.S. Navy is the most experienced force in the world in using aircraft carriers, bar none. They have extensive experience in launching and recovering aircraft under complex weather conditions.

The heavy rain continued to rage, and the sea wind, carrying rainwater, kept pounding the deck. The 90,000-ton USS Kitty Hawk was experiencing a slight swaying from side to side in the increasingly high sea state.

The two F-14Ds have reached the takeoff position. The next step is to raise the spoilers and wait for the ejection command.

The JH-7 fighter-bomber No. 81291 flew from the stern of the USS Kitty Hawk at a low speed of 320 kilometers per hour, with its nose slightly raised and all the speed brakes fully deployed. It flew over the flight deck at an extremely low altitude of about ten meters, passing by two F-14Ds that were already waiting to take off.

After flying over the catapult runway, Li Lu increased the throttle and pulled up the nose of the aircraft. The twin tail nozzles pointed towards the catapult runway, and the tail nozzles opened wide, spewing out a powerful airflow that blew past the two F-14Ds waiting to be catapulted. The air service personnel on the deck had to bend over and lower their heads, and several were caught off guard and were blown to the side.

Because of Li Lu's actions, the flight control tower had to urgently halt the takeoff procedure!

Max was so angry he almost had a heart attack.

Once again, Li Lu's cold and ruthless warning came through the international communication channel.

Max strode out of the tactical intelligence command center, and his staff quickly followed with their mobile communication devices.

"Commander has arrived at the ship's deck!"

As Max strode into the cockpit, the watch officer announced loudly.

"Simon, is there any way to avoid that shameless fighter jet?" Max asked Captain Simon abruptly.

Simon shook his head and said, "Unless we shoot him down and get clearance to fire?"

Max, his face ashen, walked to the cabin window, the wipers whirring as he looked out. He saw the JH-7 fighter-bomber, number 81291, turning around at the bow.

"He's coming again!" The watchman observed through his binoculars.

Simon walked over to Max and said in a deep voice, "I have to admit, the pilot of that JH-7 fighter jet was an excellent pilot."

"As you probably saw, he dared to fly at a height of ten meters above the sea in such terrible weather."

Max said, "I saw the lowest sea-skimming height reach five meters."

With a sigh, Simon said, "Sir, although we'd rather not admit it, the fact is that our core air defense perimeter has become meaningless. You probably have to consider whether to continue westward as planned."

The feeling of having a fishbone stuck in one's throat wasn't unique to Max.

"He's coming again!" the watchman reported loudly.

Max instinctively leaned towards the cabin window, his eyes practically bulging out.

But then we saw JH-7 fighter-bomber number 81291 approaching from the stern at an even lower altitude, its posture no different from that of a landing!

"Oh my god! What is he going to do! Is he going to land on the deck?!" someone exclaimed.

If the deck is touched, Max will have ample reason to give the order to fire, and the Phalanx close-in weapon system will tear the JH-7 apart in an instant.

"Close-in weapon system, prepare! Heed my command!" Max ordered through gritted teeth.

The operations staff immediately relayed the order.

The Phalanx CIWS deployed on the port side outboard gun turret immediately activated its fire control radar, locked onto the approaching JH-7 fighter-bomber, and moved its gun barrel accordingly.

Through the hazy rain, the JH-7 fighter-bomber drew closer and became clearer.

Everyone on the flight deck stopped working, tilting their heads back and wiping the rain off their goggles as they watched intently as the JH-7 "slammed" towards them.

This time, Li Lu flew at an even lower altitude, almost as if he were preparing for a touch-and-go takeoff, even lower than the altitude of a typical low-altitude flyby.

Without a doubt, Li Lu and Xue Shuang were using their lives to continue sending a warning—either shoot me down or turn around and leave; there was no third option.

The JH-7 was getting closer and closer, its speed was getting slower and slower, and its nose was at an angle of about 30 degrees. It was only seven meters away from the flight deck and flew slowly past the left side of the superstructure.

Li Lu and Xue Shuang simultaneously turned to look at the ship's cockpit. They seemed to see Max and the others, and in unison, they stretched out their left hands, pointing at Max.

The white work gloves stood out against the rain.

The tail fins of the fighter jets on the flight deck were more than five meters high. Li Lu flew slowly over at this extreme altitude, with the tail nozzles pointing diagonally at the deck, and powerful airflow spraying out at all the aircraft below.

The crew members in the two F-14Ds waiting in the catapult launch positions could almost feel the intense heat of the exhaust flames through the cockpit canopy. The continuous shaking of the fighter jets intensified their fear.

This is not only a testament to exceptional skill and daring, but also an expression of an unwavering fighting spirit to fight to the death in such an extreme manner.

The powerful aircraft carrier was pinned to the surface of the sea by a relatively unadvanced second-generation fighter jet, unable to do anything. This was not only a disgrace, but for all the personnel on the carrier who witnessed it, the most profound feeling was panic and fear.

What was clearly a fighter jet with no anti-ship attack capabilities had been transformed in their eyes into a demon capable of sending the USS Kitty Hawk to the bottom of the sea at any moment.

"Sir, you have to make a decision," Simon said in a low voice, taking a deep breath.

Max was no longer angry. Instead, he felt respect for the JH-7 fighter-bomber that was slowly passing by. The courage and will shown by this lone warrior made him, a fellow professional soldier, feel a deep respect.

"Tell him to clear the way. Once we've recovered the aircraft, we'll immediately turn due east. We have no intention of entering their no-fly zone," Max ordered.

At this moment, several F-14s and F-18s are circling at high altitude, waiting to return to their mothership.

Unable to eject or recover the aircraft, if Max doesn't make a decision, and if Li Lu recklessly crashes the JH-7 onto the flight deck, the aircraft on the deck will be lost, and the aircraft in the sky can't expect to come back either.

Foreseeable losses.

The communications officer immediately called JH-7 fighter-bomber number 81291 on the international universal channel and conveyed Max's meaning verbatim.

Li Lu breathed a sigh of relief and continued to linger and monitor the area on one side, leaving the airspace clear.

The flight deck was busy once again, this time not with emergency catapult launches of fighter jets, but with the deck being cleared and aircraft recovered.

After more than 20 minutes of work, the recovery of all the fighter jets was completed.

Max kept his word, and the massive USS Kitty Hawk carrier battle group began to turn and head east, disengaging at a top speed of 30 knots...