Chapter 301

Chapter 301: "Dark Sabre" Squadron

“Hi! ‘Dragon Knight’, it was really tough to find you, and I’m so happy to see you!”

The voice of the instructor team leader, Colonel Wu Nanjie, came through the radio channel, and the formation of aircraft appeared in the Light Mirror Technique ahead.

A flying squadron composed of 27 fully armed J-15 "Dark Sabre" aircraft, equipped with air-to-air and anti-ship weapons, was rushing towards them at full speed. The two sides could already see small dark specks far away.

“You look quite impressive with a whole group of little friends behind you! Looks like everyone thinks highly of you,” said the deputy leader, Colonel Cang Zilong, whose codename was "Purple Dragon," joining the communication channel.

“Don’t worry, our instructor team is fully mobilized. If anyone dares to cause trouble for our brothers, we will take them down, right?”

“Right!”

The voice of Major Wang Xin, the rear guard, received unanimous approval from all “Dark Sabre” pilots.

“Thank you, everyone!” Lin Mo felt a bit touched, with his eyes slightly moist.

Concerned for his safety, the instructor team from the "Shilang" aircraft carrier training ship came out in full force, bringing the best carrier-based aircraft flight trainees to support him. This kindness was truly appreciated.

In friendships, the strongest bond is formed through shared challenges, which is no surprise at all.

Lin Mo completely ignored the flustered F-18 Hornet Squadron behind him; he felt more like an emperor parading among a crowd of attendants.

“Now for the order, ‘Dragon Knight’ returns to the team! Temporary Squadron 1, let’s play nice with our American guests!”

The voice of Colonel Wu, also known as "Landmine," turned cold when he mentioned the American guests.

“They are Chinese!”

The squad leader of the Crocodile Squadron nearly burst his eyes in the cockpit, letting out a strange cry.

Just moments ago, a flurry of signals suddenly jumped on the radar, with alarms ringing continuously. It was a large-scale beyond-visual-range fire control radar locking on and an IFF enemy recognition scan, brazenly operating without even using interference patterns, perhaps believing they did not need to at all.

It was a full squadron of Chinese carrier-based aircraft.

There had to be Chinese electronic warfare aircraft nearby, and the stealth performance of "Dark Sabre" was exceptional; otherwise, they wouldn’t have just discovered their presence now.

The distance between the two sides quickly closed in. Given the speed of their head-on approach, even elementary school students could calculate this addition, and the speed of the approach was quite astonishing—almost reaching one kilometer per second.

“Captain, what should we do? They have a whole squadron!”

“What else? Turn around immediately! You fool! Do you want to fight them all at once?”

The squad leader of the Crocodile Squadron could calculate with his backside that facing three times the number of enemies with superior aircraft and their own electronic warfare support meant there was no hope for victory in this battle.

One J-15 "Dark Sabre" could defeat two F-35 "Lightning IIs" and lead an entire F-18 Hornet Squadron around; this was already frightening, but what if they encountered a whole group of them?

God! Are we still allowed to live?!

The grim implications left the pilots of the Crocodile Squadron feeling desperate.

The squad leader of the Crocodile Squadron pulled up the nose of the aircraft and quickly performed the Herbst turn, deciding to retreat. This guy definitely learned his lesson.

The other F-18 Hornets were clever too; sensing danger, they quickly scattered in a tight formation, unwilling to even greet the incoming "Dark Sabre" squadron.

Well! What a group of rude folks.

“Let’s go, ‘Dragon Knight’, come home with us!”

Colonel Wu of the instructor team seemed to completely ignore the flustered F-18 Hornets. Seeing them in a panic, practically wishing they had wings to escape, it was clear that Instructor Lin must have humiliated them badly.

“Yes, sir!”

Lin Mo’s voice came through the radio into Colonel Wu’s cockpit and was also intercepted by the distant EA-6B "Prowler" electronic warfare aircraft. The listening personnel couldn’t help but shiver.

Commander? So this isn’t even the highest-ranking officer? The real tough guy is still behind—these Chinese pilots in the aircraft carrier training fleet are impressively skilled.

Fortunately, these Chinese people ignored the "Crocodile" squadron, made a half turn, and headed back.

We should really thank God; these lucky ones who escaped death should celebrate with champagne when they return—it was too risky.

Watching the J-15 "Dark Sabre" squadron depart, the Americans had all their thoughts elsewhere. Come on, they had just fought a battle with aliens, using up massive amounts of their weaponry stockpile, and the nearby waters were nearly blown to bits.

As for combat losses? Only one light anti-submarine helicopter lost its towed sonar. Oh no, it should be said it got its tow cut off.

Except for a few unfortunate souls who bumped their heads or twisted their ankles, there were no casualties.

The target disappeared, and at 200 knots, not many devices could track it over the vast sea.

This was indeed a strange battle!

Even the Americans didn’t understand if their weakness made the opponent look down on them, or if the other side simply didn’t have any weapons loaded.

Well, they should thank Lin Mo, not God.

If it weren’t for Lin Mo, this Dragon Knight, who desperately intervened, the recently ravenous gold giant dragon might have been able to chew through half their fleet.

As Lin Mo skillfully landed the J-15 "Dark Sabre" on the flight deck of the Shilang aircraft carrier, he received a hero’s welcome.

Landing with munitions and fuel tanks was indeed a bit risky.

As the flight trainees cheered, Lin Mo descended from the flight deck, and his "Dark Sabre" was immediately surrounded by Marine Corps soldiers on the ship and quickly taken to the hangar below.

Mechanics promptly downloaded the black box data and video captured by the onboard external camera.

Lin Mo’s mission was far from ordinary; assisting the South China Sea patrol vessels had become secondary. The most crucial aspect was the confrontation between "Dark Sabre" and the "Lightning II," visiting the Americans’ aircraft carrier task force, and the most precious treasure—a brief one or two seconds of video footage of the mysterious high-speed submersible. This was the closest firsthand data, something even the Americans might not possess.

The digital storage device on the "Dark Sabre" was immediately removed and placed in a secure box, sent to the most heavily guarded area of the aircraft carrier.

Perhaps China’s first aircraft carrier training ship never imagined that the newest carrier-based aircraft could engage with America’s latest carrier-based planes. This data was extraordinarily valuable, as Lin Mo engaged in a simulation match with two F-35 "Lightning II" fighters, the duty Captain Bai and several other ranking captains exchanged views. They did not issue orders for Lin Mo to return immediately but chose to observe.

On one hand, this allowed Lin Mo to confidently engage with the opponent, while on the other, it was an opportunity to gather data on the "Dark Sabre" and "Lightning II" matchup—a windfall. Moreover, according to the recent data, the "Dark Sabre" had even won, marking an incredibly valuable combat record.

Furthermore, the "Dark Sabre" squadron sent out simultaneously was meant to safely bring Lin Mo back.

However, the American "Crocodile" squadron launched missiles without orders, and it’s believed that the Chinese military would surely seek an explanation from the Americans.

Without being skinned, the George Washington aircraft carrier task force should not expect to leave the South China Sea unscathed. This is home turf for the Chinese; guests cannot just slip away without a word.

The American aircraft carrier task force inadvertently tangled with an unknown high-speed submersible, and the troubles for the Americans in the future are certain to multiply.

China would also be more than happy to watch the battle from a distance.

Just the message sent, "America fights for freedom for all mankind," makes one wonder what kind of explanation the Pentagon will come up with.

That mysterious submersible saw not only the Americans but also the Chinese. If both military forces issue a gag order simultaneously, it’s uncertain how much effort would be needed to suppress this incident.

Regarding the unknown, the Chinese navy typically does not act rashly without absolute certainty.

With its high speed and strong defenses, even just this characteristic poses an absolute threat to navies worldwide.

The Americans’ frustration is not without reason; such robust technology, if they just had one with conventional torpedoes, could sink an entire aircraft carrier task force in the ocean.

Especially during sudden approaches and departures at high speed, this offers significant reference value, potentially representing the most cutting-edge combat weapons for surface and underwater battles in the future.

As one of the parties involved, Lin Mo was quickly taken to the number one conference room on the Shilang aircraft carrier, which was the largest and best-equipped conference room.

This was already the second day since Lin Mo returned, but it did not hinder the superiors from urgently organizing a special investigation team for remote participation in this investigation meeting.

On the nearly 150-inch large LCD screen, there was a pointed, cone-shaped object resembling an arrow. This shape was gathered through the onboard external equipment of Lin Mo’s "Dark Sabre" and the passive sonar of the South China Sea Fleet submarines. Professional personnel worked overnight using Maya and 3DMax software to create a simulation image.

In the conference room, a document marked with the highest level of confidentiality was distributed to everyone, and they were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, as the matter was crucial; no one in the higher-ups dared to be careless.

Seated in the conference room were the nine on-duty captains from the training ship, all the instructors from the aviation crew, the group leader from the weapon crew, the leader from the maintenance crew, and the captain of the 039-class Yuan submarine “Jing Ke” escorting the carrier fleet, adding up to nearly thirty people, including Lin Mo.

Of course, there were also participants through remote connections, including the commander of the South China Sea Fleet and various domestic experts and executives related to submarine design and manufacturing.