Chapter 111 The Little Antelope Falls, But I Can Still Win (Please Subscribe!)
"Calling command vehicle, this is Ivan, I think I'm a little late."
Ivan's voice came through the radio, and Philip felt as if he had grasped at a straw.
“It’s not too late, Ivan. Can you see the convoy at 10 o’clock?”
Philip helped himself to his feet by holding onto the body of the Amx-10p.
He was only scratched by the edge of an open bullet hole created by the machine gun, but he didn't care at all. His attention was entirely focused on Xia Yu and the others.
"Did you see that infantry fighting vehicle whose body looks like a weasel but whose turret looks like a cougar?"
He now realized that the other side wasn't piloting a BMP-2M at all, but a Marder with an upgraded main gun.
This damn concentrated fire defense, why don't they use the money they make to buy cars and houses, or splurge on girls...?
Why spend millions to modify infantry fighting vehicles? Did they plan to deal with them all along?
At this moment, both Philip and Maxim felt like fools who had been completely fooled by the other.
The 30mm machine gun is less than enough to fight the rebels; it's an upgrade specifically designed to target their convoys.
"Is this the only target?"
As Ivan spoke, he operated the weapon control panel, activating a HOT3 CCD active seeker.
Destroying armored targets with missiles is the safest option, while unguided rockets are more suitable for attacking fixed targets.
As for using the helicopter's autocannon against the infantry fighting vehicle's autocannon, Ivan didn't want to fly too low and get shot down.
Even more critically, the Gazelle is equipped with the 73-caliber GIAT m621 (15A) 20mm cannon, which is less powerful than Rheinmetall's Rh202 cannon. (It was developed from the 90-caliber cN-mIt-20F2 single-barrel close-in weapon system; helicopters with reduced caliber ammunition are all ineffective with the same ammunition.)
He feared he wouldn't be able to penetrate the top armor of the heavy infantry fighting vehicle.
Ivan's concerns were valid. The A-10 Warthog's 30mm GAU-8 seven-barrel Gatling gun was still the best weapon to take down, and even the Su-25's Gsh-301-2 twin-barrel gun of the same caliber was no match for it.
"Yes, although they have a second Weasel, it's not here."
Philip said affirmatively.
The Amx-10p crew just reported to him that the night vision device did not detect any armored targets on the left. The concentrated fire defense only deployed their special operations team on the opposite side, so they only used rocket launchers for the attack.
"Prepare to lock onto the target, wait, their guns are turning towards me."
Ivan's terrified voice came through the radio, and Philip's heart clenched; he seemed to have forgotten something.
All modern infantry fighting vehicles possess a certain degree of air defense capability. However, under normal circumstances, the air defense efficiency of a single-barreled cannon is certainly not as good as that of a multi-barreled cannon, and a vehicle with an air-to-air radar is stronger than one dedicated to ground attack.
This situation only changed with the advent of programmable ammunition.
The reason why a set of mK30 2\/Abm main gun system can sell for more than one million US dollars is because it integrates a relatively advanced fire control system.
This alone makes it superior to the previous generation Rh202 autocannon, which required a lead time.
"Waaah~~"
Driven by the motor, the gun barrel was raised from a -5° elevation angle to 40°, with the muzzle pointing directly at the approaching Gazelle in the night.
"Thump~thump~thump~thump..."
Without hesitation, Kuhn pressed the fire button. The first PMC-308 airburst projectile, propelled by the deflagration of the single-base nitrocellulose propellant, accelerated from 0 m/s to 1100 m/s in the barrel.
However, due to the adoption of 35mm Ahead ammunition technology (cluster pre-fragmented programmable submunition), the velocity measuring coil and the projectile programming device in the muzzle brake operate sequentially 25 microseconds apart.
Distance: 1864.7m!
The initial velocity of the projectile is 1100 m/s!
Detonation time: 1.63 seconds!
Inductive programming fuse, data writing in progress!
After completing the entire process, the airburst projectile finally left the gun barrel, and after unlocking the first safety fuse at 60 meters, it flew for a little over a second.
"Boom~ Boom~ Boom~ Boom..."
Dozens of pre-formed tungsten balls, numbering in the thousands, formed a deadly net, enveloping the armed helicopter that had not yet locked onto its target.
If it were a Mi-24 or Ka-52, it wouldn't have had a problem surviving this barrage of metal. But the Gazelle, with its non-bulletproof skin and glass, was riddled with holes by the dense tungsten balls and fell helplessly to the ground amidst black smoke.
"Rumble~~"
One thing was overlooked: the fuselage structure wasn't crash-resistant, and the Gazelle exploded into a fireball upon landing.
Philip, who had just thought they could turn the tables and defeat the concentrated fire on the defenses, was now completely dumbfounded.
This development was not quite what he had expected. Shouldn't they have just blasted that damned modified Marder with a HOT-3?
It was theoretically feasible, but unlucky Ivan ran into a quick-fire gunner.
They fire first, giving you no chance to launch anti-tank missiles.
Those damned Chinese, they're obsessed with money! Selling weapons like this to PMC is destroying the market!
Philip cursed inwardly.
Rheinmetall stated that it does not accept orders from individual customers; its goods are only wholesaled to large distributors. If there is any problem, please turn left and find the distributor.
"Philip, let's go, or it will be too late."
Maxim shouted to his partner again.
He had held out hope when the helicopter arrived, but that hope was dashed in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps, even if they fail to meet this year's KPI, they shouldn't wage war against Concentrated Firepower.
In this attack alone, the company lost a Gazelle, almost an entire armored vehicle convoy, and a large number of full-time employees.
Good heavens, the compensation alone will amount to tens of millions of euros, not to mention the equipment.
As the branch office manager, he and Philip are both largely to blame.
Headquarters will not let those lunatics from Jihuo Defense get away with it, nor will it let them get away with it.
As a result, they not only cannot return to Bali, but also have to find a way to bring their families out before headquarters reacts.
A silent weariness instantly overwhelmed him. Not only had his dream of owning a detached house vanished, but he also had no time to liquidate the apartment he had saved up over the years. All he could carry with him was a few hundred thousand euros.
"Bang!"
Philip got into the car and closed the door, listening to the machine gun fire continuing behind him, and stared ahead without saying a word.
"That's right. We've done everything we can. Now we can only let headquarters deal with them."
Seeing that his partner had finally come to his senses, Maxim forced an awkward smile and said...
"Calling vehicle number 1, Karim, hold on, I'll be back to rescue you soon."
Philip ignored his partner and contacted his men via radio.
"Wait, we should evacuate immediately. They can even shoot down helicopters. Going there would be suicide."
Maxim was getting impatient. He wasn't waiting for Phyllis because they had a good relationship, but because the guy could fly a helicopter.
They couldn't drive very far; the only way to leave this place was by that little Antelope, but it seemed that he and Philip hadn't reached a consensus.
"The effective range of the airborne HOT3 is 4,300 meters. I don't believe their cannons can hit that far."
After suffering a series of setbacks, Philip's intelligence returned to normal.
This time he was right; the mK30 2/Abm main gun fire control system has an effective anti-air range of only 2,500 meters.
Beyond this distance, you can still calculate and shoot, but you won't have much accuracy left.
When facing a powerful enemy, we must learn to play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, and make the most of our advantages.
"Then what?"
Having confirmed that the plan seemed feasible, Maxim asked Philippe about his next steps.
"I can't go back to the country. I plan to find a place where the company won't find me."
Philip said, looking at the base getting closer and closer.
He just didn't want to be a deserter. Once he destroyed the infantry fighting vehicle used by the concentrated fire defense, he wouldn't be a deserter anymore.
"Let's go together then, so we can look out for each other on the way."
The two have been partners since the branch office was established, and they were still partners on the run.
This wasn't a matter of fate, but rather Maxim's appreciation of Philipp's abilities.
He can easily escape on his own, but if he wants to take his family with him, even two loyal subordinates might not be enough.
But the current crisis is not over yet, isn't it too early for him to think about these things?
"Thump~ thump~ thump~~"
It was a bit early. The muzzle of the Marder S30 was leveled again, and airbursts were set at three distances: 60 meters, 80 meters, and 100 meters. Kuhn fired about ten more PMC-308 airburst rounds.
Like a fully automatic shotgun enlarged to 30mm caliber, the tungsten ball exploded continuously in the middle and rear of the convoy, reaping the lives of the low-ranking combat personnel who had disembarked, taken cover, or dared to fight back with their guns.
"I'm wondering why the Ossians didn't design a 30mm shotgun!"
During a lull in the fighting, Xia Yu spoke to his crew.
The former Suning Union produced a KS-23 shotgun, whose barrel was a modified 23mm autocannon barrel that had been shortened.
Xia Yu hoped that Oros would keep up the good work, even if the 2A42 was a bit rough, shortening it to make it a "shotgun" would be a good option.
“Good idea, we can provide the gun barrel.”
Hans was the first to respond.
Under the boss's guidance, their company has a corporate culture of picking up trash on the battlefield.
They had previously destroyed three BMP-2 tanks in Bomatu, Xia Yu had removed their engines and two-way stabilizers, and Hans had salvaged two gun barrels, which could now be put to use.
"Considering the recoil, I think it would be more suitable to install it on the Panhard VbL."
Kuhn offered feasible suggestions.
Because he didn't think either of them looked like they could withstand the recoil of a 30mm machine gun bullet.
"Absolutely, 139,000 joules!"
Xia Yu raised both hands in agreement.
Even with a Desert Eagle that only produces a little over 3,000 joules, people still complain about wrist fractures, let alone one with two orders of magnitude more.
In fact, even the KS-23 used a separately developed bullet. The original 23x115mm shell had 42,000 joules of kinetic energy, which could easily injure the user.
However, the 40mm grenade launcher is still more suitable for four-wheeled light armored vehicles.
Within 500 meters, it can fire in full automatic mode; beyond 500 meters, with a scope, it becomes a sniper rifle.
Leaving these modified "shotguns" at the museum's shooting range to share joy with visitors is more meaningful than taking them to the battlefield.
A single shot costs $100, and a long-range gun (10 shots) is on sale for only $800. You won't lose out or be cheated.
The atmosphere inside the Weasel S30 was pleasant, while in the opposite Amx-10Rc's cabin, there was only silence.
Karim finally received Philip's order to persevere, but the demons on the other side did not slow down their slaughter at all.
His father was an Algya Blackfoot, or French Algya (French people wear shoes, while natives go barefoot). He has French blood, but he identifies more as a Frenchman.
In fact, Karim did just that, joining the Foreign Legion in the United States right after graduating from high school.
He became an armored soldier in the 1st Armored Car Company of the 1st Cavalry Regiment, working his way up from gunner to tank commander, until he joined the White Hats after retiring from the military.
Before his discharge from the military, he fought for his country; after receiving citizenship, he became even more so.
He was willing to die as a white-hatted employee and a citizen of xx, which was fundamentally different from Philip's fanatical convert.
Regardless of whether the commander returns or not, Karim will try to defeat the opposing Demon crew.
It's like another version of Zhu Zi, except that the other guy's dad didn't run away, but you're just an employee of a PMC company. If you're fighting for money, then you're fighting for money. Why are you pretending to be a big shot?
Xia Yu simply doesn't understand these kinds of people's thinking; all he can do is let them have their way.
"Waaah~~"
What was that sound?
Karim, who was brainstorming strategies against the enemy, was drawn by the sudden noise.
His gunner and driver looked at each other, equally curious about what had caused the commotion, since everything seemed normal on the monitor.
"Boom!"
An 82mm mortar shell landed on the top of the turret of the Amx-10Rc, causing a violent explosion.
"I knew it, 82mm is not as good as 120mm."
Watching the fire and smoke instantly engulf the entire vehicle on the remote control monitor, Xia Yu, dissatisfied with the effect, pressed the modified pesticide spraying button again.
"Boom!"
Two 82mm mortar shells hitting the top would render the people inside completely incapable of fighting, even if they were still alive.
"Waaah~~"
The agricultural drone that had just been launched returned along the same route.
Xia Yu brought this MG-1S with him when he returned from Konglujia, and it came in handy this time.
Heavy infantry fighting vehicles face off against wheeled tank destroyers.
What a joke! They're hiding so far away, and there are so many tank wrecks piled up on the road. They're not going to deliver food to them!
Xia Yu, disregarding martial ethics, went straight to using a drone, but the drone's payload capacity was a bit small, only 10kg.
Their 120mm mortar shells weigh 16kg each, so they had to switch to two 82mm shells.
Hopefully, Xinjiang can release a new product soon. This limited payload capacity is affecting their combat capabilities, isn't it?
"Waaah~~"
With two 82mm mortar shells reloaded, Xia Yu piloted the agricultural drone toward the White Hat's base.
The other side only took off one Gazelle, one less than the two he had expected.
According to intelligence, only one of the three helicopters belonging to the White Hat crew was malfunctioning, so no matter what, there is still at least one helicopter that poses a threat to them.
"Calling 01, calling 01, this is Mole. The target convoy has been cleared. Return to rendezvous immediately."
Kuhn took on the role of liaison, calling the digital team back.
Hans, meanwhile, was busy reloading the machine gun's ammunition feed system.
Two hundred shells were fired, leaving less than 20, which shows how intense the battle was.
"01 received, I will lead the team back immediately."
Sergei replied via radio.
They rushed two kilometers away, and the sound of explosions never stopped in their ears. They even witnessed the crash of the little antelope.
Concentrated Fire Defense won; their 10 men destroyed an entire armored convoy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com