In this air strike operation, the concentrated fire defense forces were also mobilized in full force.
Led by Kuhn, Andrei made two round trips and yesterday brought a vehicle crew and two combat teams to Panaka.
After arriving at the hangar, Xia Yu asked Hans and Domi to prepare for departure, while he took out his satellite phone to contact Kuhn and the others.
"Calling Mole, is the crew in position?"
As planned, the Weasel S3 will be deployed to the outer edge of the border rainforest before 6:00 AM.
The specific location is less than 20 kilometers from the core of the rebel forces, allowing for fire support to the illumination team in the shortest possible time.
"Mole received. The crew is in position. We contacted the illumination team 10 minutes ago. They have infiltrated the core area within a 5-kilometer radius of the rebels and have not yet found any targets."
Kuhn responded.
The mole vehicle crew also undertakes the task of communication relay at the front line, and will only establish direct contact with the illumination team when the F-4K arrives at the target airspace.
“It’s normal that they can’t find it. The rebels won’t leave their life-saving equipment out there. They won’t come out until we’re in position. Let I seize the opportunity when we arrive.”
Xia Yu and his group were both attackers and bait, luring the rebels out of their way so they could deliver a fatal blow.
"Yes, boss!"
After hanging up the phone, Hans and Domi had finished loading the ammunition.
The weapon configuration for this operation consisted of two AGm-65E missiles and a six-cell GbU-12 pylon on the fuselage centerline composite pylon, while the four triple pylons under the wings were also fully loaded with ordinary mK82 missiles.
The regular aerial bombs were meant to lure the rebels into making a move, and were also a thank-you gift to Busa, a long-time customer. Xia Yu, that shrewd businessman, surprisingly didn't charge for them.
Outside the hangar, the last rays of the setting sun disappeared, and the fully armed F-4K slowly glided out.
Last time, under the barrage of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, the crew hastily withdrew from the battlefield and returned empty-handed.
With this upgrade to precision strike capabilities, how should the rebels respond?
"Boom!"
Xia Yu pushed the stick to engage afterburner and took off. Two Mach rings on the tail tore through the night sky, and the ghostly figure charged toward the border region with a ferocious appearance.
After watching them leave, Domi, the only ground crew member left behind, returned to the hangar to await orders.
On the other side, in the military camp hidden in the rainforest, the rebel soldiers had few forms of entertainment.
A cigarette with added ingredients before bed helps them forget the day's fatigue, the terrible food, and the constant tension of Busa's calls.
This was only the lower level; officers and instructors from outside had better rations.
Aside from not being able to access the internet, their living and eating conditions here are quite good, and they even have clean water to take showers.
Afika lacks water, both in terms of clean water and physical water resources, unlike the rainforest which is rich in resources.
The former is because there is no running water and no boiling water, while the latter is because the rainforest in the country is drier than the Amazon and Southeast Asia during the same dry season.
Busa scheduled the clearing operation for a week later because the rainy season was over, and there were no more endless mud pits and bad roads, allowing the Anka mechanized infantry battalion to maximize its advantages.
Similarly, this also benefits the rebels.
The armored vehicles that Sassou Nguesso purchased from Alexei arrived in Sudan via the Suez Canal.
Because he has been active in the area for many years, Alexei had already established this transportation route, so this batch of goods will be transported directly to the border with Russia by land.
Sasu calls every day to confirm the convoy's location, ensuring it arrives before Busa makes any moves.
To be honest, he bought it a bit late. He should have placed the order after the strategic shift, but Busa pressed on relentlessly, giving them no chance to breathe.
The principle of eradicating evil must be thorough. Sasu is not unaware of this, but it is very difficult for him to be the evil that needs to be eliminated.
He stubbed out his fourth cigar of the day, grabbed a flashlight, and went out of the cabin to inspect the camp.
Only some areas of the camp were lit outdoors, mainly to prevent air attacks. The planes that were supposed to be responsible for the fire defenses mostly came during the day, but what if they changed their tactics and chose to bomb at night?
Although we couldn't keep them last time, we still had peace and quiet for more than ten days, so the money wasn't wasted.
Two Shilka tanks plus his newly purchased SAM-9 Plus are enough to shoot down any "flies" that come at him.
It's not that Sasu is arrogant; this setup may seem outdated, but it's still quite advanced in Afica's case.
During the Su Lian period, the two types of weapons were mixed together as an anti-aircraft company and assigned to motorized infantry regiments and tank regiments.
Their equipment quantity might be a bit small compared to the brigade, but there weren't many enemies either!
Aside from dealing with the F-4s that are heavily armed and defended, there are only a few Su-25s that are out of commission in Busa. The configuration of three vehicles is more than enough.
The problems in the sky are easy to solve, but those on the ground are a bit more difficult, especially that indestructible tortoise shell on the Panaka battlefield.
Sasu felt that defeating the enemy head-on with T-72s was impossible; a sneak attack was the best course of action.
Using RPGs to deplete the enemy tanks' anti-tank capabilities as much as possible, then using anti-tank missiles to destroy their defenses, is an experience the rebels learned after wiping out all their armored forces.
Alexei only provided one high-penetration short breech, but Sasu bought quite a few ordinary short breech ...
Once Busa's army reaches the border, he will send men to begin laying mines, at which point no one, whether people or vehicles, will be able to get in.
The thing Little Anka feared most has come true: away from the city map, the rebels are performing even better in the rainforest.
Without concentrated fire defense, this clearing operation could take several years.
several years?
That's an understatement. Afica isn't the only place like the border rainforest where armed groups congregate.
Xia Yu is dedicated to bringing peace to this place, but this land can never truly be at peace.
The war will continue, and PMC military contracting and arms dealing will only flourish.
"Pfft~~"
Anton pulled out his Glock 44, attached the Osprey silencer, and opened a third eye on a cobra blocking his way.
"Calling 05, how's the situation on your end?"
The irradiation team split into two groups, and Anton took the opportunity to call on the other group led by 05.
"05 received. We just inspected the two camps in the east. They are only one-third the size of the core camp and are unlikely to be equipped with Shilka River defenses, but we cannot rule out the possibility of other air defense units."
Waving to signal the team to stop, 05 reported to Anton.
A shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile is a basic air defense unit, posing a threat to any low-flying, slow-moving fighter jet.
If the boss gets knocked down by the other side, they'll have to rush over and rescue him.
Xia Yu said that an experienced driver would never crash a plane, and these guys weren't expecting anything good from him.
"That's right. Focus all your efforts on illumination guidance and prioritize taking out the rebel anti-aircraft gunners."
This is part of the operational plan, Anton emphasized repeatedly at this moment.
The two groups that guided the team each had a marksman whose rifles were 7.62mm long-barreled and could cover targets in an area of 600 to 800 meters.
For concentrated fire defense, they are more effective than pure snipers.
In this behind-enemy-lines guidance operation, each team also had the main firepower output, while the other two people were mainly responsible for protecting the guide.
"receive."
"Click~~ What did you receive?"
Xia Yu's voice came through the radio.
After flying over Panaka, less than 30 kilometers from the border rainforest, he connected to the guidance team's radio channel.
"Is that the boss?"
"Calling all members of the guidance team, the Weasel crew will arrive at the battlefield in 30 seconds!"
"Whoosh~~"
As soon as Xia Yu finished speaking, the sound of fighter jets came from afar.
Anton and his men could hear it, and the rebels nearby could hear it clearly as well.
"Mongoose, target the first camp on the left front, prepare to drop bombs!"
"yes!"
Hans input the target data with ease.
The old ghost upgraded the targeting pod, and with the help of night vision, it can achieve the same bombing effect at night as during the day.
"Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~~"
A total of six mK82 bombs were launched from under the wings, detached from their racks, deployed their drag systems, and were dropped toward the target camp.
"Boom~ Boom~ Boom~~"
The firelight illuminated most of the camp and served as a warning to all camps within a radius of several kilometers.
Under the cover of night, the rebels reacted more slowly than during the day. It wasn't until the F-4Ks arrived at the second camp and dropped the last six conventional bombs that an anti-aircraft gunner carrying a Needle-S missile emerged from the cabin.
Just as they looked up and peered in the direction of the plane, preparing to aim and fire...
"Bang!"
A 7.62x51mm bullet pierced his left chest, and he fell limply to the ground along with the bullet.
"Calling I, the threat at Camp 3 has been cleared, and no targets have been found. We will proceed to Camp 4 immediately."
Putting down the ScAR-h in his hand, 05, while signaling his men to retreat to the next camp, did not forget to call Anton.
The camps 1 and 2 they were patrolling ahead of them may also have shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, but the darkness concealed the F-4Ks' movements, making it difficult for the anti-aircraft gunners to locate and pre-aime on the targets with the naked eye.
If the guidance team can handle it conveniently, then the Shilka River is a higher priority if not.
"Bang!"
On the Anton side, the precision marksman IV, using a SIG716 patrol, also killed an anti-aircraft gunner.
"I received your message. We've taken one down too. Heading towards the main camp immediately."
Based on intelligence from both sides, they were able to deduce some patterns: the smaller camps were at most equipped with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, while anti-aircraft vehicles were likely deployed at the larger camps.
The Shilka River tank that fired at Xiayu last time was at the main camp, so it seems they don't have many self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.
"Da la~ da la~ da la~~"
Before Anton could arrive, a barrage of trailing bullets rained down on the sky amidst sharp and rapid cannon fire.
It's the Shilka River, they've opened fire!
The mercenary vehicle crew that Alexei helped find was undoubtedly highly skilled, but they encountered a formidable opponent.
The barrage of attacks, launched with anticipation, was left far behind by the low-altitude, high-speed barrage.
The anti-aircraft gunner next to the vehicle had just activated the missile, and before the lock-on warning sounded, the target disappeared out of range.
Hahaha, as long as I run fast enough, danger can't catch me.
Xia Yu's actions at this moment fully illustrate this point.
"Mongoose, have you spotted the target?"
Xia Yu asked Hans behind him.
"We saw it. They tore off the camouflage cloth, and we only saw it after they opened fire."
Hans, who had turned his gaze away from the screen, replied as he adjusted the laser targeting pod to its correct position.
Tanks with their engines running and military trucks in motion are relatively easy targets to spot.
Anti-aircraft vehicles are meant to be stationary.
Without ground-based laser guidance, they can only retaliate after the enemy fires first.
"Huffing and puffing~"
Carrying dozens of kilograms of gear while off-roading in the jungle, Anton felt his breathing become erratic.
During the day, the glider dropped them 10 kilometers away from the rebel core camp. The operation, which involved infiltration, reconnaissance, and cross-country running, was no less strenuous than running a marathon fully armed.
But as long as the operation is successful and the contract is fulfilled, all of this is meaningful.
The other three followed closely behind him, only slowing down when they were about to reach the vicinity of the main camp.
Quickly adjust your breathing and use tactical maneuvers to approach the chaotic camp.
Through the perspective of the $40,000 four-lens night vision goggles, Anton finally spotted his target.
The four cannon barrels were tilted and pointed towards the sky, waiting for the monster to fly low over once again.
"V, come here quickly, prepare for laser irradiation guidance."
V, acting as the guide, tossed the rifle to his companion and unloaded the L-3 Insight ScARAb-Ground from his backpack.
Powering on at top speed, an encrypted laser beam, visible only with night vision goggles, shot out and shone on the unsuspecting Shilka River.
"Calling the boss, this is I, main base direction illumination guidance completed."
Both of the ghosts heard Anton's call.
"Mongoose, prepare to drop the bomb!"
"yes!"
Without needing continuous illumination and locking from the sky, Hans activated a GbU-12 directly after matching the laser code.
"Whoosh~~"
The second-generation Paveway missile successfully detached from the rack, and the movable laser seeker head, after detecting laser reflection, controlled the tail fins to adjust the missile's attitude.
Except for the lack of power and its reliance on inertia to fly towards the target, it is no different from a missile.
No, there are still some differences.
Without power, you can't see the exhaust flame, especially in such a dark environment. A locked target might not even know how it died.
"Boom!"
The air defense vehicle crews, who did not live to see the F-4K return to flight, were sent into the sky by aerial bombs with eyes.
Faced with nearly 100 kilograms of explosives, it would be pointless to build a defense like a T-84 fortress along the Shilka River.
Great, the $1 million is in hand.
So, how many more million can they make next?
"Calling the boss, target spotted in the direction of Camp 4."
Interrupted by 05's call, Xia Yu decisively turned the plane around and flew towards the rebels' Camp 4.
The rebel camp had been split up once before, and Jihuo Defense renumbered them before the operation. The main base was the largest one, but that was a target that Sasu had put out.
One of the two Shilka-class tanks was deployed, while the other one, along with the SAM-9, remained at his permanent camp, Camp 4.
Outside the camp, the 05 team spotted the unfired Shilka River, but due to the terrain and their perspective, they didn't notice the SAM-9 on the other side.
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