Qinghai Lake, a converted flat-bottomed barge floats quietly on the lake.

It was a barge used to transport potash, which was bought by the Air Force six months ago, and then installed several close-range self-defense weapon systems and electronics on it, and converted it into an unmanned boat. In the following six months, a mysterious unit was stationed at Daheba Air Base and began to carry out training missions over Qinghai Lake.

In fact, this is a test unit formed by the Air Force and naval aviation.

The unit is armed with only five aircraft, two of which are Su-30MKK of the HNA aircraft, two J-10s of the Air Force, and one is an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.

These five planes are not simple, especially the unmanned reconnaissance plane with a peculiar shape and a wingspan of nearly 40 meters.

Over the plateau south of Lake Qinghai, two Su-30MKK planes lined up in echelons flew north at a speed of 1,100 kilometers per hour at an altitude of about 150 meters above the ground.

In the cockpit of the leading long plane, Liang Guoxiang concentrated on controlling the fighter, and Di Boqing provided him with navigation information.

"It's five meters high, and it's been manually controlled."

"Switch to manual control." Liang Guoxiang grabbed the joystick. "Damn, you can measure the height of five meters?"

"Brother Liang, don't get angry, the image has been transmitted to you, on the posture display, you can see it yourself."

Glancing at the route data that appeared on the screen on the left, Liang Guoxiang sighed and looked up at the sky in front of him.

The formation flight information was provided by the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft flying at an altitude of 18,000 meters. Instead of being measured by the ground radio altimeter on the fighter.

For half a year. Liang Guoxiang: They have been practicing the tactics of guided attacks by unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.

In this new set of land tactics. The key role was played by the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.

Rely on "Longxiang battery" and superconducting motor. The 17-ton "Vulture" unmanned reconnaissance plane is capable of flying for 54 hours at an altitude of 18,000 meters. Or fly to a 5,400-kilometer-per-hour theater at a speed of 540 kilometers per hour. Twelve more hours of search and reconnaissance missions. If it can be integrated into the "Vulture" ground wing that Xi'an Aircraft Company is developing to develop ground protection solar panels. The Vulture can be at least twice as long.

The real strength of the Vulture is not in its flight performance.

Compared to the U.S. military's "Global Hawk". In particular, the 40 model "Global Hawk". The flight performance of the "Vulture" is not outstanding. Several major features are a little worse than the Global Hawk.

What makes the "Vulture" the protagonist is its powerful ability to collect information, conduct joint command, and conduct reconnaissance on the battlefield.

Three broadband satellite communication lines and five tactical data links enable the "Vulture" to receive information from three military satellites at the same time, and to provide tactical information to the four fighters while maintaining communication with the command center.

The high-resolution optical digital camera and millimeter-wave synthetic aperture radar device give the "vulture" two eyes that are 100 times sharper than the eagle's eye, so that it can clearly see the numbers on the car at an altitude of 18,000 meters, or use the radar to distinguish the specific model of the tank. The Air Force also plans to equip the Vulture with infrared and ultraviolet phasers, allowing it to detect ballistic missiles hundreds of kilometers away.

How to give full play to the powerful capabilities of the "vultures" has become an important tactical subject for the Air Force and the Navy.

After half a year of arduous training, Liang Guoxiang and Di Boqing, as well as Major Zhu Ronghui and Captain Yang Jinjie, who were also from HNA on the fighter plane, explored more than 10 sets of new tactics and initially mastered these tactics.

Today, they will play two roles at once.

First of all, under the guidance of the "Vulture" and using the target information provided by the "Vulture", the flat-bottomed barge acting as an imaginary enemy was attacked with anti-ship missiles. Then switch to anti-air combat mode, playing the role of an imaginary enemy of the Air Force, intercepting two J-10 fighters supported by "Vultures" and launching a surprise attack.

In order to achieve a realistic effect, two Su-30MKK have already flown one thousand two hundred kilometers near Mount Kunlun.

Now, it is less than three hundred kilometers from the target.

"Brother Liang, I have received the target data."

"Enter data into the missile guidance system." Liang Guoxiang looked back at the wingman behind his left, "Fifteen seconds later, the missile will be launched." ”

"Understood, enter the fire control data."

Under the operation of Di Boqing, the fire control computer entered the target information it had just received into the guidance system of the anti-ship missile under the wings on both sides. At this time, Captain Yang Jinjie on the wingman also completed the same operation.

In order to achieve the effect of a surprise attack, the two Su-30MKK flew at an ultra-low altitude throughout the whole process, relying entirely on the data provided by the "Vultures" to attack the target, and did not have to irradiate the target with a fire control radar before launching the missile, as in the past. In this way, before the attack, two Su-30MKK will not emit any radio signals and will not even have to climb high to look for targets.

"Guidance information is loaded, request to launch missiles."

Liang Guoxiang hesitated a little and said, "You can launch missiles." ”

As Di Boqing pressed the control button for launching the missile, the explosive bolt on the pylons detonated, and two heavy anti-ship missiles weighing 1.8 tons were thrown out. Liang Guoxiang's reaction was very fast, and as soon as the fighter plane jumped less than ten meters, he pressed the nose of the plane and regained control of the flight altitude.

About fifty meters above the ground, the rocket-ramjet engines on the four missiles started. Within five seconds, the missile flew at a speed of Mach 2, and the engine worked in ram mode. Reaching the sky over Qinghai Lake, the missile's flight altitude was reduced to less than twenty meters. Fifteen seconds before hitting the target, the missile enters the self-guidance phase. Depending on the pre-set attack pattern, the missile will choose to jump and dive or skim horizontally. Eventually, the barge was destroyed by a missile, that is, the missile was shot down by the rapid-fire cannon on the barge.

"Throw away the auxiliary fuel tank, switch to anti-air combat mode, the altitude is 6,005, the figure-8 flight line, and search the nearby airspace."

"No. 2 understands, the height is six thousand five, the mode of anti-air combat."

Two Su-30MKK fighters pulled up one after the other, and the on-board fire control radar was immediately activated and began to search the surrounding airspace.

Air combat is completely different from sea operations, especially when there is no AWACS support.

The H30M Doppler fire control radar equipped on the Su-001MKK has a detection range of 180 kilometers and a tracking range of 120 kilometers for targets with a radar reflection cross-section of five square meters. It can track up to eight air targets at the same time and attack two of the most threatening targets.

At this time, Liang Guoxiang and they were going to challenge two J-10s.

Whether it is Liang Guoxiang or Zhu Ronghui, they don't have much confidence in defeating their opponents.

The two J-10s sent by the Air Force were not ordinary models, but the latest. In addition to the new engine and greatly improved maneuverability, it is also equipped with more advanced passive detection equipment, and the fuselage is coated with a composite material that can absorb radar waves, and the radar reflection cross-section is less than one square meter.

In the first few trainings, the Su-30MKK did not take much advantage.

If there is support from airborne AWACS, the Su-30MKK has a somewhat better chance of winning. But now not only do they not have the support of airborne early warning aircraft, but the adversary can also rely on the battlefield information provided by the "Vulture" to quietly approach and launch an attack without the SU-30MKK being unconscious.

There is no suspense in this battle.

As time passed, Liang Guoxiang became more and more uneasy.

"Brother Liang, what do you think those two air force rabbit cubs will do with us? They're not going to go behind our ass and kill us with machine guns, like they did last time, right? ”

"It's not that outrageous." Liang Guoxiang let out a sigh, "This is a combat effectiveness test exercise, they will definitely launch missiles outside the vision, and then use the data link to provide guidance information for the missile, which will not give us a chance to fight back at all." ”

"Damn, don't we become fish on the chopping board?"

"What's the solution?" Liang Guoxiang smiled bitterly, "Who told the Indian Air Force to equip the Su-30MKI, and we have become the most ideal 'imaginary enemy'?" ”

"However, the Indian Air Force has early warning aircraft, and if we want to make the exercise closer to actual combat, we should be provided with early warning aircraft."

"Don't be wordy, pay attention to the radar warning machine." Liang Guoxiang glanced around, "Those two rabbit cubs won't be hidden all the time. The datalink can only provide medium-range guidance information, and ten seconds before the missile arrives, they must illuminate us with a fire control radar, otherwise the missile will not be able to obtain the final attack data. ”

"Understand, there's only ten seconds left for us to pray."

As soon as Di Boqing's words fell, the radar warning plane screamed.

Liang Guoxiang immediately pressed down the joystick and pressed the launch button of the radar jamming bomb. The radar on the J-10 fighter takes only five seconds to acquire the necessary data, and if it does not leave the range of the opponent's fire control radar within five seconds, it will definitely be "shot down".

"Where are they?"

"There is no left rear, there is no right rear, the radar does not detect enemy aircraft. , where the hell are they? ”

"Damn, fight!" Liang Guoxiang felt a burst of excitement, which was the result of the rapid secretion of adrenaline.

Two Su-30MKK rushed to the lake below like meteors.

The radar alarm machine has not stopped, and the frequency of the alarm is getting higher and higher.

When the red signal light comes on, the siren stops abruptly. Liang Guoxiang immediately pulled back the joystick and increased the throttle. When the Su-30MKK changed to dive, a white air flow was pulled over the lake.

"Falcon, this is the command center, the exercise is over, and the ultra-low altitude returns. Repeat, the exercise is over, and the ultra-low altitude returns. ”

"Command center, this is the Falcon, received the order, return at ultra-low altitude."

After switching the flight status to automatic control mode, Liang Guoxiang pushed the goggles of his helmet and wiped the sweat off his face.

There was no suspense, and even the shadow of the "enemy plane" was not seen, and it was shot down by a medium-range air-to-air missile launched by the "enemy plane".

Liang Guoxiang is a little unwilling, really better than fighting, he will not lose to the fighter pilots of the Air Force.

Thinking of this, Liang Guoxiang looked up at the sky above him.

A drone that is not equipped with any weapons, cannot attack any target, and does not even require a pilot, completely changes the mode of operation of the air force and naval aviation, and subverts all tactics.

Fortunately, this revolution took place among the armies of the republic.

When the two Su-30MKK disappeared into the mountains, the flat-bottomed barge, which was blown to pieces by four anti-ship missiles, also disappeared without a trace