jdhmnovel Chapter 314: War Clouds Approaching: F-35B's Desperate Counterattack
Chapter 314: War Clouds Approaching: F-35B's Desperate Counterattack
Lei Tao, piloting his fighter jet, had just escaped a thrilling and brutal battle. With precise control of the joystick, he executed a smooth, flowing Cobra maneuver. As if infused with a soul, the fighter jet's nose suddenly lifted, its fuselage pitched sharply upward, and it soared into the sky at breakneck speed, leaving behind a long, striking white trail. At that moment, he yearned to return home, wanting nothing more than to return to Chongqing, where he had fought alongside his fellow "Netherworld" squadron members and his beloved Meng Xiaoyu.
Suddenly, a sharp, rapid beeping sound shattered the tranquility of the cockpit. Lei Tao's gaze was instantly drawn to the fighter's early warning radar screen, where he saw multiple flashing dots of light rapidly approaching from the direction of Jiujiang. His heart sank, and his brow furrowed. Drawing on his extensive experience and solid professional knowledge, he quickly determined the type and number of enemy aircraft. He knew full well that the previous air battle had consumed a considerable amount of fuel and ammunition, and now facing a new enemy, the situation was extremely serious.
In this brief but crucial moment, Lei Tao took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently as he quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind. He had two options: one was to leverage the F-35B's superior speed to avoid the enemy's attack and quickly evacuate the battlefield; the other was to resolutely remain and engage the enemy aircraft head-on, seeking a quick and decisive victory.
After a moment's deliberation, Lei Tao gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He gripped the joystick firmly, as if the fate of the battle depended on it. His mind had already made up: stay and fight. Time was running out, and there was no time to lose. He quickly pushed the joystick, adjusting the fighter's attitude, positioning the F-35B to enter the airspace in optimal position to engage the enemy. Then, he expertly activated the weapons system, readying both missiles and cannons, meticulously checking every parameter to ensure accuracy and readiness to deliver a fatal blow.
At the same time, Lei Tao's fingers danced rapidly on the console, accurately pressing a series of buttons to activate the fighter's fire control radar and millimeter-wave radar. In an instant, the fighter's electronic system was awakened. The fire control radar began to search for targets at an extremely high frequency, performing a full-scale scan of the surrounding airspace, and continuously fed back key information such as the model, speed, and direction of all enemy aircraft that entered the detection range to the display in front of Lei Tao. The millimeter-wave radar, with its high precision and strong anti-interference characteristics, provides a more detailed and in-depth analysis of the complex and changing battlefield environment. Even in adverse weather conditions or under strong electromagnetic interference, it can accurately capture the traces of enemy aircraft, providing Lei Tao with a full-scale, all-round battlefield situation awareness, allowing him to always seize the initiative in battle.
As the enemy planes drew closer, Lei Tao finally discerned their type: they were indeed new Japanese fighter planes. He had heard that these fighters had undergone significant improvements, demonstrating significant performance gains. But Lei Tao showed no fear. A faint smile of confidence rose from his lips, and he muttered to himself, "You've arrived, little devils! Let me show you true aerial combat prowess." That smile carried a hint of contempt, as if declaring to the enemy that their provocation was merely an act of overestimating their own capabilities.
The moment the enemy aircraft entered effective range, Lei Tao decisively pressed the launch button, his movements smooth and seamless, without the slightest hesitation. A missile, trailing a long flame, shot towards the enemy formation like a bolt of lightning. Simultaneously, he maneuvered his fighter plane into a rapid dive, exploiting the cover of the clouds to cleverly reduce his radar crosshairs and attempt to get behind the enemy aircraft for a surprise attack. His movements resembled those of a seasoned hunter, stealthily approaching his prey in the darkness, ready to deliver the fatal blow.
Japanese flight captain Hayabusa Sakamoto reacted quickly, barking orders over the radio: "Spread out! Yusuke, Shota, evade left, Takeo and I evade right. Keep your distance! Don't get swept away!" His voice, hoarse with nervousness and anger, carried an undeniable authority over the radio. Like frightened birds, several upgraded Japanese fighter planes, relying on their agility, narrowly avoided the missiles. Responding swiftly in mid-air, they each executed evasive maneuvers as directed, their fuselages tracing breathtaking arcs through the air, successfully escaping the missile threat.
After escaping the missile threat, Sakamoto Hayabusa quickly changed the channel and shouted fiercely, "Everyone, listen! This is the mysterious fighter plane. We must not let it escape! Triangle formation, close in, tighten the encirclement!" His eyes revealed a hint of unwillingness and madness, like an enraged beast, eager to retaliate. The Japanese fighter planes circled rapidly in the air, coordinating with each other in a predetermined triangle formation, gradually approaching Lei Tao, attempting to encircle and suppress him. Their movements were unified, like a well-trained wolf pack, working in perfect harmony. They regarded Lei Tao as prey and gradually tightened the encirclement.
But what they didn't expect was that the missile would actually turn around.
"Holy crap! What the hell is going on?" Ito Hayato screamed in terror, his eyes fixed on the missile that should have flown away, but now strangely traced an incredible arc through the air. His voice was sharp and trembling, filled with fear and confusion, as if he had witnessed something beyond common sense.
Sakamoto Hayabusa's face instantly turned pale, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Quick! Spread out! Maneuver erratically. Don't get locked on!" His hands gripped the joystick tightly, his knuckles white from the strain, and veins bulged on his forehead, as if he were making a final struggle against fate. The Japanese pilots frantically maneuvered their planes, their fuselages swaying violently in the air, sometimes rapidly climbing, sometimes diving, trying to escape the missile that was tracking them like a ghost. Their planes dove left and right across the sky like headless flies, completely losing their previous rhythm.
The missile seemed to have eyes, tightly biting into Takagi Shota's fighter plane. Takagi Shota's hands trembled violently, his breathing was rapid and heavy, and beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. He turned the joystick frantically, muttering: "I can't escape, I can't escape this time..." His eyes were filled with despair and fear, as if he saw the shadow of death approaching him. With a deafening roar, flames instantly engulfed Takagi Shota's fighter plane, and the wreckage fell like raindrops. The flames of the explosion were like a blooming flower of death, illuminating the entire sky and announcing the disappearance of a life.
"Takagi!" Aoki Yusuke cried out in grief, his eyes filled with fear and anger. Sakamoto Hayabusa gritted his teeth, his eyes red as he roared, "Don't panic! Continue the encirclement plan. Takeo, you suppress from above. Yusuke, you coordinate with me to flank!" His voice trembled slightly, yet it was filled with determination as he tried to stabilize the chaotic situation.
Lei Tao observed the panicked Japanese soldiers with a sneer on his face. His hands danced nimbly on the control stick, and the F-35B, like an agile black panther, weaved in and out of the Japanese fighters. Taking advantage of the disruption in the Japanese formation, he quickly pulled up and then abruptly executed a half-roll. The fighter first performed a half-roll, tilting the fuselage sideways, then dived downward, rapidly changing direction and altitude, plunging towards Sakamoto Hayabusa and Aoki Yusuke at breakneck speed. Simultaneously, he pressed the cannon fire button, and the cannon roared, unleashing a torrential rain of shells.
Seeing this, Sakamoto Shunpei quickly pulled the joystick, maneuvering his fighter into a broken S-shape. He first pulled the stick to climb, then, after reaching a certain altitude, suddenly lowered the nose of the aircraft and quickly turned, then dived down. This zigzag flight path successfully avoided Lei Tao's barrage of projectiles. But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he realized that Lei Tao's fighter was closing in on him. Lei Tao's eyes were firm and cold. He aimed at Sakamoto Shunpei's fighter, his finger hovering over the missile launch button. Just a simple press would end the battle.
At this critical moment, Sakamoto Shunpei suddenly made a crazy move. He pushed the throttle to the limit, and the fighter plane rushed straight towards Lei Tao's F-35B at a speed close to losing control, hoping to disrupt Lei Tao's rhythm with a desperate gesture. A crazed smile appeared on his face, as if he had put life and death aside and only wanted to drag Lei Tao to his death.
"This guy's crazy!" Lei Tao was startled, but his years of combat experience enabled him to react quickly. He quickly pulled the joystick, sending the F-35B into a sudden, rolling maneuver. The fighter continuously rolled around its longitudinal axis, its fuselage deftly avoiding Sakamoto Hayabusa's frantic attack in a high-speed rotation, carving a dazzling spiral trajectory through the air.