Empire Conquest-Chapter 691 - 20: Versatile Talent_2
The air combat beyond visual range, which had been touted by the air forces of countries around the world for decades, finally bore fruit.
However, there were also significant problems.
In this battle report directly submitted by the Wing Captain, the performance of two types of medium-range air-to-air missiles was highlighted, and there was a request to replace the "KK-6" with the "KK-12" as soon as possible.
The reason is, out of 49 victories, the "KK-12" accounted for 42!
The "KK-12" achieved a victory count six times higher than that of the "KK-6"!
More importantly, 12 heavy fighters had only fired 56 "KK-12A" missiles, and the hit rate for a single missile had reached an astonishing 75%.
As for the "KK-6F"?
missiles were launched, but only 7 enemy aircraft were shot down, resulting in a hit rate of less than 17%.
The gap between the two types of missiles was so obvious it could be seen at a glance.
According to the Wing Captain’s assessment, had it not been for equipping a sufficient number of "KK-12A" missiles in advance, the dogfighting phase of the combat would have been much more dangerous, and losses would have been inevitable.
Indeed, the Iraqi pilots captured and interrogated subsequently could also prove this point.
The tactic adopted by the Iraqi Air Force was to compensate for the lack of combat effectiveness with numbers and to exert their utmost effort to bring the air combat into the dogfight stage.
Simply put, as long as there were enough fighters to withstand the Liangxia Air Force’s "three-pronged attack," they would be able to gain an advantage in numbers during close-quarters air combat.
In fact, during the Boi War, the Iraqi Air Force used this tactic against the Boi Air Force, which was equipped with F-14A’s, and achieved not insignificant results.
In close-quarters air combat, the side with the numerical advantage was bound to have an upper hand.
Regrettably, the times had already changed.
Moreover, the aerial combat during the Iran-Iraq War had long been recognized for employing the least technical tactics while using the world’s best-performing fighters.
The result was that after being continuously dealt painful blows, the remaining Iraqi fighter pilots were already terrified and dared not engage in prolonged combat.
In the second battle, it was because they felt there was no chance of winning that the rear commanders issued the retreat order.
At that time, there were only 8 fighters on the south side of the border line.
Had there been no retreat, allowing the remaining 30-plus fighters to continue the assault, they would certainly have gained a numerical advantage in close-quarters air combat.
Unfortunately, the Iraqi pilots had been frightened.
This proved, from one aspect, that electronic interference played a decisive role.
The Iraqi Air Force commanders had failed to obtain accurate battlefield information from beginning to end, were unaware of the situation on the other side, and therefore could not make accurate judgments.
With not even knowing how many enemy fighters remained, or their positions, defeat was inevitable!
After lunch, Shi Shouliang went to the hospital to visit Li Tianling, who had just been rescued by the Special Forces.
There was a fully equipped military hospital in the Military City, capable of accommodating and treating various traumas, not only for the top-ranking sick but also for all kinds of injuries.
Li Tianling had just scraped his forehead during ejection and had a few bruises on his body, which strictly speaking, couldn’t even be considered light injuries.
However, he could only stay grounded for the time being.
Shi Shouliang merely asked him to rest and recover in peace, without forbidding him to return to battle, on the condition that he acquired a fighter on his own.
Afterward, Shi Shouliang returned to the operations command center.
After instructing the staff officer responsible for propaganda to draft the press release as soon as possible, he then called Ding Zhennan, the top war hero responsible for tactical planning, to his office.
Although Ding Zhennan was involved in aerial combat operations, he was a captain in the Army.
He graduated from the military academy just the year before last, and with outstanding results as one of the top ten of the Imperial Joint Military Academy that year, he was assigned to the Northwest War Zone headquarter as a staff officer.
During that year’s "Westward" exercise, Ding Zhennan’s exceptional performance attracted Shi Shouliang’s high attention.
Last year, he was promoted to lieutenant.
Then, during the "Westward 149" exercise, he had even more chances to shine, and he didn’t disappoint Shi Shouliang, proving his talent once again through action.
Moreover, due to his outstanding performance during the exercise, he received a promotion ahead of schedule.
Advancing two ranks in two years was very rare after the war.
If anything, what truly made Ding Zhennan was the military reform.
The key lies in the Imperial Joint Military Academy.
This ace military institution of the Empire was founded less than 30 years ago, and after the great war, the Empire established only this one military school.
The school’s mission is to cultivate all-around commanding talent!
For this purpose, the Joint Military Academy does not recruit from the civilian population but instead selects outstanding students from three top-tier military academies—the Army Command College, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Flying Academy—for three to five years of specialized training, as well as offering further education and training for active-duty officers.
Moreover, the Academy’s instructors and drill sergeants are all senior military officers from frontline units, utilizing a rotation system to ensure the teaching team always stands at the forefront of military theory, imparting accumulated experience and summarized theory to the students, leading the development of military thought.
Although it has only been a short 30 years, the Imperial Joint Military Academy is already recognized as the best military school in the world.
Of course, those who enter the Joint Military Academy are among the best of the military.
Although there is a focus, all students must be proficient in joint operations.
Still, individual capability is equally important.
There’s not much to say about the previous exercises, but this time’s actual combat performance was the most convincing.
Before the war began, Ding Zhennan had clearly mentioned that the Iraqi army would not sit back and wait for death but would launch a large-scale reprisal in the initial stages of the war.
It wasn’t that Iraq’s generals were very confident, but rather it was related to the backstage Tiaoman Empire.
Clearly, Ding Zhennan’s judgment had become a reality.
Key also was his firm belief that relying on 3 "Expeditionary Mixed Wings" would be sufficient to crush the Iraqi Air Force and ensure the no-fly action was carried out.
When making this analysis, he only emphasized one point.
Iraq was merely a regional power and had no qualification to challenge the Empire; using the "Westward" exercise tactics against the West Continent to deal with Iraq was an overkill.
Precisely because of this, Shi Shouliang only deployed 3 "Expeditionary Mixed Wings", thereby freeing up more transport capacity—more precisely, the airport’s throughput capabilities—to transport other, more critical equipment and materials, such as the maintenance facilities necessary for long-duration operations.
Once again, facts have proved that Ding Zhennan’s judgment was correct.
Actually, the no-fly tactic also originated from Ding Zhennan.
Dividing it into two phases, first setting it at 100 kilometers, then after having sufficient forces expanding to 300 kilometers, was indeed Ding Zhennan’s idea.
At that time, Shi Shouliang had expressed his concerns, feeling that such an arrangement was too risky.
But now it appears that Ding Zhennan’s planning was not mistaken.
"We need to adjust the deployment quickly, getting all three Wings ready for ground strikes, with at least half of the fighters on standby on the ground," Ding Zhennan said as he closed the door. "Once arrangements here are complete, I’ll go see the Marine Corps’ temporary strongpoint."
"Is it that urgent?"
"After taking a hit in the air, the only option left is to play our hand on the ground. Given the current situation, we should be more concerned that Hussein might become enraged."
Shi Shouliang furrowed his brows, his expression solemn.
In fact, what set Ding Zhennan apart was his political insight, which far exceeded that of ordinary soldiers, allowing him always to consider issues from a strategic height.
"After this afternoon’s battle, the Iraqi Air Force won’t be able to recover until tomorrow at the earliest. If I’m not mistaken, Baghdad will pin their hopes on the night, believing they can launch a surprise attack under the cover of darkness. If Hussein feels he must take a risk, it will definitely be tonight."
"We only have two companies."
"Two of the most elite companies!"
Shi Shouliang remained worried.
"We don’t need to worry about a large-scale Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia for now, as without air supremacy, the Tiaoman advisors will make Hussein come to his senses. What we really need to worry about is military adventurism for political purposes, like provoking an invasion to induce Saudi Arabia to counterattack, or requiring us to provide more reliable security, such as deploying more troops for combat before officially counterattacking."
"Drag it out?"
"At present, dragging it out might be the best outcome Hussein can hope for."
Hearing Ding Zhennan put it this way, Shi Shouliang immediately understood.
"Okay, you go make the arrangements now."
"If needed, I’ll be back tomorrow morning." As he reached the door, Ding Zhennan seemed to remember something, turned back to Shi Shouliang, and said, "If possible, it’s best to deploy the air defense system ahead of time, to be ready for missile attacks—after all, Hussein doesn’t have many cards left to play."
Shi Shouliang let out a sigh and then nodded in agreement.
He hadn’t forgotten the matter, but was undecided about adjusting the deployment, and following Ding Zhennan’s reminder, he too felt it was indeed necessary.
