radar trained its missiles onto them as well as all it anti- aircraft guns.
The destroyer fired its first two medium range missiles.
Barter flight anticipated its move.
“This is Barter lead. Release chaffs and break!”
The four Bronco ejected their chaffs simultaneously creating glittering clouds on their wake as the single file Bronco planes arched to the starboard side.
The supersonic missiles hit the chaffs and exploded.
Barter flight survived the explosion at the nick of time. Commander Valdez pressed for the attack. He called his men to regroup again and maneuver for a firing solution. It the distance of nine miles toward the target with an altitude of seventy feet zbove the sea, Barter flight got a clear shot. All the Sea Skua missiles have a lock-on on one single target- the Jianghu destroyer. But the destroyer also got a firing solution against them.
“Fire when ready!” Commander Valdez told his men on the radio.
Then he told the base about the situation.
“Seaside, this is Barter lead going for the attack.”
The four Bronco headed toward the target in spread out formation skimming just above the water. Then simultaneously, they fired the missiles. The missiles streaked toward the destroyer while the Bronco continued their closure to guide the missiles by the planes’ radars
As the missiles streaked toward the destroyer, its air defense system as well as that of the assisting frigate pounded the assumed flight paths of the missiles by their anti-aircraft guns as evidence by the heavy flak formations above their airspaces. But the guns cannot pin down the missiles. The Sea Skua missiles traveling at supersonic speed while skimming the waves are very hard targets to be shoot down. The missiles continued its closure until it acquired the destroyer on their own sensor, targeting the upper structure of the destroyer.
The destroyer fought back by firing its four missiles against the Bronco planes. Its close-in weapon system blazed end spewed its deadly bullets on the incoming missiles but it only managed to shot down two missiles.
The remaining missiles hit the target and exploded in rapid succession wreaking havocs on the communication and electronics equipments housed on the upper structure, rendering the ship electronically blind and crippled.
Commander Valdez knew that Barter flight succeeded in their mission. He felt elated and relieved. But only for a moment, his radar showed that four missiles were coming on them fired by the destroyer before the explosion. He was rattled again upon knowing the missiles were already on their own autonomous guidance, diving from a high altitude.
“Full chaff release now!” he ordered his men
Then he maneuvered his plane for escape.
“Break for egress!” he yelled again.
The members followed the arching maneuver of their lewder to escape from the missiles.
The missiles of the destroyer, does not have the sea-skimming mode. After it popped-up from the canisters it will sour it high altitude flight before diving at high speed toward the target. But its sensors and its guidance could not follow the high speed dash of the planes near the surface. Instead its sensors decided to choose the stationary formations of glittering chaffs. All the missiles exploded harmlessly.
Barter flight continued its escape by skimming above the waves. Few minutes later they were in a safe range away from any possible attack from its enemies. “Seaside this is Barter flight lead. We’ve completed a successful attack on the target. Barter flight is engaging in egress run based on Plan Pag-asa Zero-One,” called Commander Valdez.
“Good move, Barter. But it’s not yet over. Immediate warning, Barter flight, Bandits were spotted by the U.S. WZCS sixty miles from you and closing. Drop to sea- skimming mode in full power. Hammer flight will cover your egress on the some flight corridor. Sessile is shifting tactical.”
Roger, Seaside,” acknowledged by the leader.
Commander Valdez ordered his group to drop again to sea-skimming mode where their chances of surviving an attack from a supersonic fighter were better than being caught lumbering at higher altitude.
The Bandits were four SU-27 supersonic fighters which were based on Paracel Island. These aircrafts were on station and served as a combat air patrol of the flotilla. Spratly was beyond their fuel range but this deficiency was remedied by their military strategist by having an airborne refueling tinker at strategic locations. The fighters were late to react and were not able to intercept the attacking Bronco because the flotilla detected the planes only at short range with less time to rest.
After a brief chase, the four fighters closed-in on the Bronco planes like bats chasing slow moving insects. But the four SU-27 were still at high altitude formation while the four Bronco skimmed the surface. Added to this, all the SU-27 do not posses a more advance radar that can effectively deal with fast moving targets near the surface.
Barter flight knew this weakness of the fighters that is why the plan for the egress they opted was the fuel consuming maneuver- sea skimming. They relied on their air cover of F/Z-18; thinking that in due time their protector will arrive to confront their attackers. Precious ticks of time were wasted by the attacking SU-27 fighters. They have no effective surface-moving target tracking radars. On their radars their computer could not separate sea clutters from their targets. They were looking for a firing solution for their radar-guided missiles but they could not find it. The fighters decided to attack using the short range infra-red homing missiles.
Trailing the Bronco from high altitude, the fighters began to dive, steadily decreasing their altitude, following the wake of the Bronco at slower speed.
Commander Valdez anticipated the move of the attackers.
“Barters flight this is lewd,” he called in their inter-plane frequency. “Bandits are bracing for IR attack! Prepare the flares!”
“Roger, lead,” came the answers.
The SU-27 lead pilot got a lock-on and fired his missiles. He saw his two missiles streaking toward the formation of the Bronco. His lock-on was directed to the last two planes of the flight. Suddenly he saw simultaneous flashes floating above the formation. Then burst into maximum brightness as the missiles streaked into it. The infrared-guided missiles were easily lured. Their sensors acquired the bursting thermal energy of the flares and headed toward it. The missiles exploded in succession but the Bronco planes were out of harms way. The SU-27 lead pilot staggered in disbelief. Antiquated aircrafts had fooled their advance missiles and escaped. Out of anger he ordered for an all-out gun attack. He called for a one-on one situation where each member of his group has an enemy plane to deal with. He looked at the Bronco planes as a helpless flight of slow-flying birds ready to be swooped down by them –the hungry predators.
The supersonic fighters overshot the low-flying Bronco. The group arched in unison making a circle maneuver as it dived toward the Bronco, still skimming above the waves.
“Hammer flight, this is Barter lead,” radioed by the leader.
“Go ahead, Barter lead.”
“Say your ETA. We’re under attack! The Bandits are bracing for a gun attack run!”
“ETA is four minutes at high speed.”
“Request to attack at long range! We’re in danger!”
“Roger, Barter led. Hammer will attack at long range.”
The fighters after completing the turn around descended gradually at slow speed, steadily cutting the altitude differences of their targets. After gaining the right altitude each fighter selected their own target. This time it is a one-on-one situation. The fighters now aimed their guns on the tails of the Bronco planes, a slight downward angle from their position.
Commander Valdez ordered his men to shake-off the attackers but it won’t work. The attackers were on their back matching their speed. They were ready to crush them any moment from now. Then hope flashed on his mind- they can outmaneuver the fast flyers.
“Barter, execute reverse move now!” he yelled on the radio.
The
group understood the command. Barter flight arched to the right for a full circling maneuver at low altitude. Sensing that targets were abruptly changing their direction the attackers opened fire on them even without accurate aim. Barrages of explosions trailed the wake of the Bronco relentlessly for few minutes. It only ceased when the attackers overshot the Bronco, with out any hit.
Having the advantage of slow speed, the Bronco can turn around on a short radius compared to their attackers. Within a radius of eight hundred yards the Bronco completed their circling maneuver while skimming above the waves. The supersonic fighters overshot them and kicked speed again to a higher altitude. They struggled to get another attacking position using their guns. Barter flight had bought precious minutes. They were still alive but they didn’t know how long it will last. Hammer flight, their savior was not yet around but the attackers were positioning again for the final shot.
The fighters had acquired again the Bronco on their gun range but in a higher altitude. They were not attacking yet, nor in a hurry to dive but simply overcastting the planes, calculating their next move.
But suddenly somebody had shot one of the fighters from nowhere. It was blasted in the air and it plummeted ablaze.
“Barter flight, I got one of the Bandits blasted!” exclaimed by the voice on the radio.
“Pulverized them, Hammer!” countered by Commander Valdez.
“They have no room to hide, Barter. Every one is on the firing range to be executed.”
The blast brought the remaining fighters to realize that they were under attack from long range. The SU-27 fighters banked to the left and rolled. While evading, they simultaneously release the chaffs on their tails. One of the SU-27 was not able to react swiftly and was immediately locked by one of the missiles. The fighter managed to jinks and then released its chaffs trying to fool the missiles- but it didn’t bite the bait. The fighter was blzsted above the airspace of the skimming Bronco.
Barter flight watched the grand show on first class seat. They have seen the blasting of their two attackers that threatened their very own existence few minutes ago. Now they were gone. Their saviors have arrived and they got a sense of relief.
The remaining SU-27 decided to confront the unseen enemy. They swiftly climb toward higher altitude and faced the direction where the missiles came from, even though their radars have not yet picked up anything on its range.
From their position Commander Valdez observed the fading silhouettes of the SU-27, and then he noticed two fast-moving fiery objects goes head-on collision course with the two fighters. The fighters didn’t alter course. Seconds before the impact, the fighters quickly rolled into opposite direction leaving a wide gap at the center of their course where the missiles passed through and exploded. The fighters escaped unhurt from the blasts.
Then from a higher altitude Commander Valdez saw the silhouettes of their F/A 18 fighters in descending flight, nose pointed it the lower SU-27 fighters. Sensing danger the SU-27 banked and rolled as they tried to break the lock-on desperately. But it was futile; the F/A 18 had already released their missiles with a solid lock-on. Seconds later the missiles found their individual target.
Barter flight members witnessed the explosions above them. Their attackers were shattered into pieces. They rejoiced. They have won the aerial battle.
“Barter flight, this is Hammer lead. We smoked the Bandits! You’re safe now.”
“Thank you, Hammer.You save us on time.”
At the Seaside base, General Bane received all the reports about the missions conducted by their air assets against the enemy’s warship and he was delightfully convinced with the outcome. Though they got the upper hand in the initial confrontation, he was still deeply bothered by the might and immensity of the