Chapter 450: Challenging the Soviet Aircraft Carrier Fleet

Four targets were found at low altitude, 300 kilometers away from us! Admiral Durt, who received the news, immediately knew that the real battle was coming. The fighter planes coming from the 030 direction must be American fighter planes that took off from the Pakistani air force base!

Americans, this is a provocation! At the same time, this is also a test by the Americans to determine the combat effectiveness of their own aircraft carrier formation! As for this provocative behavior, the Soviet Navy’s attitude is quite firm. Warships are the country’s mobile territory! The enemy must not be allowed to invade!

There is a precedent for this. Just a few years ago, the heroic General Andrei, who was a MiG-25 fighter pilot at the Sokolovka base in the Far Eastern Military District, once flew his plane at a low altitude over the American aircraft carrier formation. At that time, the American escort warships opened fire without hesitation. The huge supersonic ramjet missiles rushed towards Andrei's fighter plane. If the MiG-25's flying speed and altitude were not too abnormal, it would definitely have been shot down by the Americans.

At that time, the Soviet Union did not protest, believing that the Americans' actions were an act of provoking war, and counterattack in this situation was tacitly accepted.

Now, the situation has reversed, and it is the Americans who are challenging the Soviet aircraft carrier fleet!

If it weren't for our carrier-based aircraft discovering these four sneaky targets, we would have been broken through by the enemy's air defense network and got into the aircraft carrier formation, but their fate would definitely be extremely tragic! Because the Soviet aircraft carrier is correctly called a heavy aircraft carrier cruiser! Even if the enemy evaded the anti-aircraft missiles of the escorting warships, they would never be able to enter the airspace above the Kiev-class aircraft carrier!

The twin SA-N-3 anti-aircraft missile launchers, the twin SA-N-4 missile launchers, the two AK-726 twin 76.2mm guns, and the eight AK-630 30mm close-in defense guns constitute a powerful anti-aircraft firepower. If the Americans want to fly over the deck of their own aircraft carrier like Andre did, it would definitely be an act of seeking death!

The US aircraft carrier formation must be supported by a large group of warships before it dares to set sail, while the Soviet aircraft carrier dares to carry out combat missions alone!

"Take off the spare MiG-23K immediately!" Without Admiral Durt giving any orders, the Minsk's captain, Colonel Victor, immediately ordered the take-off of the remaining two MiG-23Ks the moment he received the news. These two aircraft were completely equipped for air superiority.

The Kiev-class aircraft carrier has limited deck space, so the parking area can only be set up at the rear end of the tall bridge, which will not interfere with the takeoff and landing of carrier-based aircraft. There are six parking spaces here. Just now, two MiG-23Ks took off, and now there are two MiG-23Ks and two Ka-27 helicopters.

The two MiG-23Ks were quickly towed to the take-off area. In just one minute, the two MiG-23Ks were in the sky.

Breathing the air in the oxygen mask, pilot Christophe glanced at the fleet under the wing. As carrier-based aviation personnel, their mission is to protect the safety of their own aircraft carrier!

The afterburner has not been turned off and the wings are swept back to the final position. This is a fast interception mission!

Under the belly of the aircraft, two R-27 missiles were mounted, flashing a milky white light.

At this time, the top radar of a Krivak-class missile frigate at the front of the formation had already discovered the four incoming targets from the complex sea surface echoes!

The top plate radar has a planar array main antenna composed of many waveguide strips, just like a narrow wall with many grooves of different inclination angles. This radar is not advanced and is not as good as the later phased array radar, but the technology is mature. It is equipped in large quantities in Soviet warships to provide long-range air defense missions.

In later generations, this radar was equipped to the Chinese Navy along with the Sovremenny-class destroyers, and was later copied in large quantities by China and equipped on various types of new-generation destroyers and frigates.

If it is a high-altitude aircraft, the early warning distance can reach 150 kilometers, and the improved version of the future can exceed 300 kilometers. But now, facing the low-altitude fighter, the distance is only 60 kilometers!

At this time, the four incoming fighter planes had already turned on the afterburner, obviously intending to carry out an ultra-low-altitude attack tactic commonly used in sea attacks!

Wearing a respirator, American Colonel pilot Trottrow felt the turbulence of the ultra-low-altitude flight. He was somewhat excited and somewhat dissatisfied with this mission.

Test the air defense level of the Soviet aircraft carrier formation and simulate the launch of anti-ship missiles!

Just after dawn today, a reconnaissance satellite in outer space changed its orbit and discovered the Soviet aircraft carrier formation. Then, the order was given to the US Air Force stationed in Pakistan, requesting this military operation.

This kind of mission was originally completed by the US Navy. The US Air Force's mission is not to fight against ships! However, even if the US aircraft carrier is running at full speed, it will take more than ten days to arrive from the Far East. The US Air Force can only test it first, and it is also a demonstration.

Don't take on a job without a fine drill. The suicidal action of flying over the deck of a Soviet aircraft carrier was not approved, although a brave pilot proposed it. The Soviet Navy's air defense level was also extremely powerful. Getting too close would be suicidal. Now, what they needed to do was to fly close to the sea surface, and when they were 100 kilometers away from the Soviet Navy formation, suddenly pull up, use their own airborne radar to detect and lock the opponent, simulate an attack, and then return to retreat!

It's that simple! This plan was obviously the result of comprehensive consideration of various situations. For Soviet aircraft carriers without carrier-based early warning aircraft, it was not difficult to fly at ultra-low altitude and approach them at a distance of 100 kilometers. Moreover, the US arsenal happened to have anti-ship missiles with a range of more than 100 kilometers!

The main offensive force of the United States is fighter jets, so it has not developed a variety of long-range, abnormal missiles like the Soviet Union. The most advanced anti-ship missile in service in the United States is the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile developed by McDonnell Douglas. It has a maximum air-launched range of 111 kilometers, or 60 nautical miles. Later, it switched to the newer JP-10 aviation fuel and the range increased to 130 kilometers.

The United States does not like to develop anti-ship missiles with ultra-long range. They have fighter jets to increase their attack distance, and each of their improvements focuses on upgrading the electronic systems of anti-ship missiles to increase reliability and penetration capabilities.