The detection results of the AWACS aircraft are fed back in real time and shared with the combat command center in real time. When the commander on duty saw that the results of the AWACS and the destroyer were almost identical, he could not believe his eyes.

More specific than the destroyers is the sea search situation of the early warning planes, and there are no sea surface targets within a radius of 200 kilometers with the fleet as the center. But apart from the Y-8 maritime patrol plane, there were only a few merchant ships passing through the area.

The combat commander couldn't help but touch his chin and think.

Did you really return home?

But how to explain the actions of the Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft?

As if seeing his doubts, the combat staff officer said, "The maritime patrol planes will definitely come over, and they want to prevent us from entering the 12-nautical-mile sea area of the islands and reefs, and this is their task." ”

"Didn't the No. 6 heavy fighter plane, which supports the maritime patrol aircraft, have the same mission?" The combat commander was a little puzzled and said with a frown.

The operational staff officer said, "Richard reported that, judging from the tactical numbers and liveries, the two planes should belong to the Air Force and the Navy respectively, and the heavy fighter with the tactical number of Unit 6 and Unit 6 should belong to the Air Force Aviation Corps." ”

"The Chinese Air Force does not have a four-digit tactical number." The commander on duty shook his head and said, "Even if they belong to different branches of the military, there will not be a situation where the support fighters will return first, they will not do this." ”

The combat staff officer looked down at the intelligence data gathered in his hand and said, "But our sea and air search has not found any trace of the second target. The airspace where they confronted Richard was only thirty kilometers from our task force, and at this distance our air defense alert system had the best search results. ”

Generally speaking, the radius of the air defense circle can reach 500 kilometers, but the core area of the air defense circle is 20 to 50 kilometers, and both ship-based anti-aircraft firepower and carrier-based air defense fighters can play the greatest role.

It was at this distance that the task force lost track of its second target, much to the reassurance of the commander on duty in any case—he really did not believe that the heavy fighter with the support mission would drop the defenseless Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft and return first.

But where is he?

"What about Richard? Let him come and see me right away, and besides, has Shirley's analysis come out? Rush! "The commander on duty gave several orders in succession.

A technical staff officer ran over on the other side, handed the information to the commander on duty, and reported, "Colonel, this is the result of Shirley's analysis, only two years ago I found a record, one of the pilots of the tactical number 1616 heavy fighter is the famous South China Sea Mad Dog, and the PR-41 crew is to make the South China Sea Mad Dog toss mental illness." ”

"Mad Dogs of the South Seas?" The commanders on duty were not familiar with this codename, they were not in the same system as the unit in which the PR-41 was located.

The technical staff officer was clear, because the Shirley identification system was used, and the information in the database was shared, so he explained, "Since the PR-41 crew returned from that mission, the aviation doctor found that all of them had varying degrees of psychological trauma. The captain, in particular, has already decided that he will not be able to continue flying. ”

"Exaggerated, huh?" The commander on duty frowned and said, "The captains of the PR are all veterans, how can they cause psychological trauma?" ”

The technical staff officer's expression was a little strange, and he said, "It is said that they were greatly frightened, and the specific situation needs to be asked about the Eagle's Nest, and I don't know very well." ”

The commander on duty paid attention. He knew that this was not a joke, so since such a fact really existed, it showed that the opponent was extraordinary. In fact, the four planes of Richard's squad could not hit the second target, and one heavy fighter plane has already explained the problem, which is enough for the commander on duty to pay attention.

It is precisely because of this that he attaches so much importance to the inexplicable disappearance of the second target.

Although it is only a "confrontation exercise", no one will really use guns and guns, but excluding these factors, other tactical actions are real. If the Shen Hoy heavy fighter broke through the air defense circle, this face would be thrown to the bottom of the sea for several kilometers. Their goal is to come within 12 nautical miles of the islands and reefs, and if they not only fail to achieve their goals but are also broken through the air defense circle, then their combat capability will have to be re-examined.

The commander on duty hesitated for a moment, and then issued a first-class combat readiness order.

Prior to this, the task force was in a state of second-level combat readiness, which shows that they did not take the Gaoxin Y-33 maritime patrol aircraft seriously at all. Of course, under the circumstances of the task force, no one would take a Y-8 maritime patrol plane that has been reviewed twice a year seriously. There is no need to even send fighters at all, with the anti-aircraft fire of the escorted destroyers, the old planes can be driven far away. The purpose of sending the four-plane formation of Richard was not only to be ordered to fight and exercise, but also to train the troops.

At this time, the forced command to raise the first level of combat readiness shows to a certain extent that the 1616 J-16 has caused them great trouble. A heavy fighter that disappears under your nose is like a submarine that cannot be detected by sonar, and the threat posed by it is enormous, even more terrifying than that of a submarine.

The commander on duty is well aware of this.

While they were pondering over where the disappeared Shen Hoy heavy fighter had gone, they almost completely ignored the high-tech Y-33 maritime patrol plane that was rapidly approaching. Prior to this, the aircraft had twice rushed into the air defense circle of the task force, and prevented one of the destroyers trying to enter the 12 nautical miles of the islands and reefs, forcing the ship to make an emergency turn to avoid a collision accident, but the mission of entering the 12 nautical miles of the islands and reefs also failed.

Therefore, they did not pay enough attention to the fast-approaching Gaoxin No. 33 Y-8 maritime patrol plane, thinking that they were just repeating their old tricks. The most important thing is that they know that the plane does not have any attack capabilities, even if it is allowed to fly over the fleet.

"The first target is eight nautical miles away." There are staff reports.

The eyes of the commander on duty fell on the high-tech No. 33 Y-8 maritime patrol fuselage, and his brows furrowed deeply. Why did this old Yun-8, which had already been beaten to the point where it had to call for reinforcements and had been battling the task force for more than an hour, come to the fleet again?

Did the other fighter really return?

He subconsciously touched his chin and thought about it, and found that things were not so simple.

(End of chapter)