Sitting in a modified Hummer, Hosseini, the mid-level leader of the AceAce team in charge of the entire Palmyra defense, was eating his dinner: a fried minced meat and wheat ball wrapped in tin foil.
Wheat flour wrapped around pine nuts, diced onions, and minced mutton served as both a staple food and a side dish. However, the officer, who had just been promoted for his bravery in battle and his skillful command, had little appetite.
He had just received bad news: in the last two days, an unfamiliar armored convoy had arrived at the outposts of the Ossians and government troops.
There were tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, not many in number, but the informant didn't recognize a single one.
This made Hussein feel uneasy, because whether it was the government forces or the Ossians, their armored units only used a few types of vehicles.
After fighting for so many years, he should know all his people by now!
Could it be that these armored vehicles are the enemy's main asset?
They've made a mistake!
Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are ineffective against them.
The Turkic people have already experienced this pain, and the government forces understand it even more deeply, thanks to the Ossi people hiding behind them, constantly supporting these old-fashioned people.
Oh no, there's also the T-90 and T-90A.
This tank seems to be equipped with some kind of Shtora-1 active defense system, making it much more difficult to destroy the enemy.
Yes, it just takes a little more effort.
While the big-eyed cutie may look adorable, this soft-kill active defense scheme that uses infrared interference to jam anti-tank missiles is now completely outdated.
Especially for fearless extremist groups, if anti-tank missiles can't take you down, then they'll use RPGs at close range.
Even losing ten or eight rocket launcher gunners in exchange for one of your tanks is well worth it.
If the RPG-7's penetration depth is insufficient, then they will switch to a heavy rocket launcher with high penetration depth.
Not to mention that these can be easily bought on the black market, there are plenty of them captured, and they are cheaper than anti-tank missiles.
This is also why hard-kill active defense systems are becoming increasingly popular. Those who are on drugs or chanting scriptures are truly fearless. In complex battlefield environments, they can deliver a close-range kill and it's game over!
Even if you have accompanying infantry and take down the enemy, the turret will still be blown away, resulting in the direct loss of 1 heavy armored unit and 1 elite vehicle crew. Let's see who feels the pain more.
Hussein had great confidence in the organization, but he hated the feeling of being out of control.
Another thing that worried him was the Ossian TOS-1A flamethrower tank, a self-propelled rocket launcher system that used the T-72 chassis.
Thermobaric rockets fired from tanks cause not only severe shockwave damage, but they can also instantly deplete the surrounding oxygen.
The other side sent a total of 8 of these things to the government forces, and so far only one has been destroyed. The T-4 air base, which is not far from them, has deployed this weapon.
This is why Hussein deployed dozens of personnel specifically to monitor the movement of the enemy's armored units.
If the other side dares to deploy the TOS-1A, don't blame them for striking first.
Even after the upgrade, it only has a range of 6 kilometers. If you are prepared, it is still easy to deal with. As for those real multiple rocket launchers, there is really nothing you can do.
Because he also needs to defend the urban area, the range of his troops cannot be extended beyond a radius of 10 kilometers.
Fortunately, conventional rockets are not that vicious, and there are also bunkers in the city.
However, since the enemy has new armored vehicles, the original defense plan needs to be changed. At the very least, we cannot allow their T-55s and T-62s to engage the enemy in direct combat.
These two old models were captured from the government forces. They are fine for taking down infantry fighting vehicles, pickup trucks, or opponents of similar strength, but they are too difficult to use against T-72B3 and T-90/T-90A.
Hussein desperately wanted to organize another tank captured from Elago, but Oslo air force was lurking in that direction, and deploying it in Balmira would make them easy targets.
So, as a second-best option, he was given some other things, such as…
"Usamach, give our friends a heads-up after nightfall."
After finishing the last bite of the fried meatballs, Hussein gave orders to his deputy beside him.
If he has no appetite today, then the other person shouldn't expect to enjoy their meal either.
"yes!"
As darkness fell completely, Xia Yu accepted Old Ye's invitation and took Liv to his place for dinner.
In the city, the food in Genna is decent because they have high wages and can afford to cook for themselves.
Deploying them to the front lines now would be a poor move. Fortunately, the chef is a chef after all; he usually shares weal and woe with the employees. Today, taking advantage of the "business banquet" opportunity, he prepared a good meal.
Red sausage borscht, served with Syrian flatbread and three Russian roasted chickens, is simple yet shows thoughtfulness.
Unfortunately, someone doesn't want them to have a good dinner tonight.
"Whoosh!"
Amidst the whistling of flying shells, a violent explosion rang out.
The commotion was caused by a 155mm howitzer, and the impact point was about 300 meters away from them.
Because of his experience, Xia Yu made a quick judgment. He threw down his knife and fork, hugged his wife, and lay prone on the ground.
"Whoosh!"
Then another one appeared, this time even closer.
But why are the intervals between the third and fourth shellings getting longer and longer? And the enemy only has this one cannon.
"boom"
After the sixth explosion, there was complete silence.
Unaware of what was going on, Xia Yu pulled Liv up and looked at Old Ye, who was still focused on the food.
“Sherlock, and Ms. Liv, you’ll get used to it quickly. These bastards love to pull this trick. As a civilized person, I would never bombard them during worship.”
He calmly began to explain.
This is clearly not the first time.
It turned out that the Black Army in the city had an M109 self-propelled howitzer, which would occasionally fire a few shots at the outpost camp before quickly withdrawing.
There was really no way around it. Even though this old guy had been in service for almost 60 years, as long as it was a self-propelled artillery piece, it meant mobility.
They fire a few shots and then run away; even with counter-battery radar, they can't lock onto the target.
"This cannon was also obtained from Yila Ke."
Xia Yu knew that the government forces rebuilt by the other side were incompetent, but he didn't expect them to be this bad, to have become the transport captain of extremists.
"Not only that, there are also quite a few M1A1 Abrams. It's a pity they weren't deployed in Balmira, otherwise I would really like to try it out and see what it's like to destroy an American tank."
Old Ye said regretfully.
Ace isn't stupid; he knows that tanks are for bullying opponents who don't have tanks.
In the direction of Balmira, there are not only tanks, but also tank killers—armed helicopters.
Faced with an air-launched anti-tank missile, the M1A1's fate was not much better than that of the T-62; it was even less effective against the opposition forces that were equally hostile to it.
Of course, in older battles, these tanks can also be used as bait to achieve more valuable results.
Not many members had formally attended military academy, but the battlefield taught Ace a lot.
"Rather than destroying it, I'd like to capture one to enrich my collection."
Xia Yu expressed a different opinion.
You know, the M1A1. It's impossible for a concentrated fire defense to operate this kind of tank, but it's a different story as a war trophy—pretty cool, right?
“You really like collecting, and it’s all these kinds of things. I prefer yachts, villas, and private jets.”
Old Yefu, having filled his stomach, wiped his mouth and complained.
He already possessed these things before becoming the owner of Gna.
Now, old Yev wants to earn more money to buy a longer yacht, a bigger villa, and a more expensive private jet.
This highlights the difference between the two. Although yachts and private jets are also vehicles, they are not resistant to damage, and villas are not as safe as bunkers.
Who wouldn't want to enjoy life? But compared to safety, enjoyment always comes second to Xia Yu. He also prefers war machines to the toys of the super-rich.
"But that's true, only in this way can it be turned into a museum, I don't have that kind of patience."
Seeing that the couple had finished eating and got up, Old Ye said one last thing.
"See you tomorrow. I need to go check on the casualties now."
"See you tomorrow!"
Of the six shells fired by the enemy, only two landed in the tent area, and only one tent had people inside, resulting in the deaths of three government soldiers.
Gna's military doctor confirmed first that no one was injured except for the three dead.
"They were so unlucky; they didn't have dinner, and the frying site was less than 20 meters away from them."
Liv went to see if she could help, and when she returned, she said to Xia Yu.
So we need to be more proactive when it comes to eating!
“This M109 is a problem. I don’t want to get hit by a stray shot while I’m eating or sleeping. I have to find a way to take it down.”
According to Old Yev, the enemy attacks about once a week, because they have a limited supply of shells of that caliber.
But why is it such a coincidence that they are harassing them on the very day they arrive at the front lines?
This made Xia Yu suspect that the other party might have known their whereabouts and was greeting him in this way.
A polite person like Huang You deserves a positive response, and we must give them a shock by focusing our fire on him.
"That's the Barmilla Castle. From the castle, you can overlook the entire city."
Nothing happened that night. After a night's rest, Xia Yu went to the front line to inspect the situation on the battlefield.
Built in the 13th century, it was a formidable fortress surrounded by a moat (now dry), with only a drawbridge for entry and exit.
The Black Army stationed a platoon of soldiers in the castle, stockpiling large quantities of weapons, ammunition, food, and water.
This is clearly a war of attrition, and their bunker happens to be a historical building, so you can't just drop a bomb on it.
Deploy attack helicopters and suppress the enemy with heavy machine guns that are less effective against rocks, while transport helicopters rappel down a combat squad. This top-down approach will solve the problem.
However, helicopters must be able to strike and retreat quickly. Just last year, a Russian Mi-35 was hit in the tail rotor and was unable to break free of the spin to make an emergency landing, resulting in its immediate demise.
To date, Russia's helicopter losses have approached double digits, demonstrating the high intensity of the Syrian battlefield.
The Black Army possesses a sufficient number of portable anti-aircraft weapons, which cannot be taken lightly; Xia Yu does not want to experience another Doe Fall.
There's only one road.
Xia Yu put down his binoculars and asked.
"Yes, Balmila is known as the Bride of the Desert because it is a vital passage and a must-pass for caravans."
The ancient city wasn't built haphazardly; its glory stemmed from the profits generated by taxation. That's why other caravans would pass through here.
If even ancient camel caravans couldn't make it across, then tanks certainly can't traverse the rugged gravel roads.
The Black Army has repeatedly deployed a large number of troops to fight for this place, all for the sake of stabilizing the oil-producing areas behind them. Otherwise, what value would a stone city have?
Unlike other extremist groups, Ace Ace pays salaries to all its members. They face significant profit pressure and must ensure stable production from their oil fields.
In Yilakou, the Black Army controls not only oil fields but also oil refineries, processing crude oil into refined oil products to obtain higher profits.
Suddenly, I felt a sense of déjà vu about this company. If it's a company that commits murder, arson, and territorial robbery, then it's a robber company.
"Is there an oil field in the nearest place, Alec?"
Xia Yu took out his phone, found the map, and asked.
He was already thinking about what to do after taking Balmira. The ancient city was the last resort for the concentrated fire defense, but business can't just focus on the last resort. Why didn't they take it down along with Elek?
With two cities captured, the government forces will surely have to pay more in return, making their long journey to the Middle East worthwhile.
Further north, the concentrated fire defense team could no longer get involved; they were there to provide support, not to fight the entire battle. Xia Yu had to make a choice.
How can we capture these two key cities effectively and complete this high-intensity battlefield experience?
A rough plan kept taking shape in his mind and gradually took form.
"Woo"
Sergei launched a drone not far away.
For close-range reconnaissance, consumer-grade drones are sufficient; long-range reconnaissance requires high-altitude air force reconnaissance drones with long endurance.
Sparrowhawk A and his team also brought their own camera this time, which was upgraded to a Phase One ixu180 aerial camera. The 80-megapixel resolution significantly improved the image quality.
This is still sufficient for now, after all, apart from having a longer battery life, the image quality of Russia's Seahawk-10 is not as good as the upgraded Sparrowhawk-A.
As for the reconnaissance and strike drone, Meng Qiao said that the first one will be delivered in two months, and the manufacturer will send technicians to train the drone's operation and maintenance.
Jihuo Defense will also send people to learn and familiarize themselves with the operating procedures, since the company has never operated a reconnaissance and strike drone before and is very lacking in experience.
Meanwhile, outside the outpost camp, dozens of kilometers away from Balmira.
"Woo"
A St. Inspire 2 drone also took off silently, capturing a clear shot of the campsite.
"I see them. There are two helicopters, a Mi-24 and an unfamiliar transport helicopter."
"Where are their tanks and infantry fighting vehicles?"
"Damn it, it's hidden inside the tent, I can't see it at all."
This group of people were spies sent by Hussein to gather intelligence on the armored convoy.
However, fearing a surprise attack, all of Jihuo Defense's combat vehicles were parked inside two rows of tents, making them invisible from the air.
This unexpected turn of events prevented the other side from gathering their intelligence.
Who are those people over there?
"Da da da"
Warning shots rang out.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com