Chapter 1511: Chapter 1428: Sooner or Later

Within the cramped cockpit, equipped comprehensively and wearing their helmets, the Tang Army pilots are diligently inspecting the devices in front of them.

This is a new set of equipment, and this operation also marks the first time in this planet’s history that satellite navigation technology has been used to guide aircraft missions.

As a navigator, he is extremely tense, for this mission is the first time the Tang Nation bombing squad is flying over the capital of Qin Country, Wuyang City, to carry out a bombing raid.

No one knows if Wuyang is equipped with an extensive array of anti-aircraft guns, nor whether the Qin people might madly scramble enough fighter jets for an interception.

Thus, the navigator examines the coordinates and says to the pilot, “I suppose you should already see that city.”

“Yes, I see it very clearly.” The pilot’s view is evidently better than the navigator’s, as this is an A-6 attack aircraft, a lightweight frontline bomber of the Tang Nation Airforce, made using the same model as the Navy’s Intruder.

This was done to accommodate the production line, and also a compromise considering the simplification of logistics once components are unified. The Lighthouse Country Air Force uses an F-111 bomber for tactical bombing missions, but Tang Mo did not present the blueprint of this type for mass production.

The Tang Army has consistently used the relatively outdated TU-16, known as the Hong Liu bomber, as their “strategic bomber,” and the Air Force and Navy have shared the A-6 aircraft as their tactical bomber.

As for the frontline tactical support aircraft, the Tang Army uses the A-10 attack aircraft and equips a substantial number of armed helicopters for additional support.

Of course, armed helicopters are assigned to the Army; their command does not fall under Air Force control, so the Tang Nation Air Force executing bombing missions has very few tactical bombers, basically only the A-6 Intruder.

The reason for not using the larger and more formidable Hong Liu bomber for this bombardment is due to its high cost, and most of Qin Country’s airports do not meet the takeoff and landing standards for Hong Liu.

Renovations and repairs require time, and the Qin Army’s retreat happened so quickly that many airports were still waiting for the completion of facilities for large aircraft takeoff and landing, making it impossible to launch the more delicate large bombers.

Even the A-6 is delicate; after all, this machine was produced for the Navy, and its oblique downward intake is essentially not designed for field airports.

However, since it is smaller, the Tang Army’s engineers managed to quickly repair a relatively well-conditioned airport at Guangmian, which was previously a high-standard airport prepared by the Qin Army for their jet aircraft.

After considerable effort, the Tang Army finally made that airport meet the takeoff and landing conditions for the Intruder, then assembled an Intruder attack squadron to swiftly carry out a deterrent bombing on Wuyang.

Escorting these Intruders are the J-7 units launched from the front line, anticipating that the Qin Country Airforce might sweep out to intercept the Tang Nation’s bombing squadron, hence a substantial number of fighter jets were poised for readiness.

As a result, at least 40 J-7 fighter jets were waiting for prey above these Intruder attack aircraft, which were loaded with a large number of bombs.

However, they overestimated their opponent too much; the Qin side, due to chaos and Tang Army’s electronic suppression, did not prepare any countermeasures.

Airports around Wuyang were in turmoil, and at least half of the radar stations near Wuyang didn’t dare to turn on: since the Qin side confirmed that Tang Nation possessed a type of missile that could accurately hit radars by tracking radar signals.

Many of Qin Country’s radar stations remained mostly turned off unless commanded to turn on and expose themselves. This was unavoidable as most were fixed facilities with decidedly low survival rates, and shutting down for self-preservation was not simply out of cowardice.

Understand that losing equipment worth or produced for hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins is inherently wasteful, isn’t it?

As for the Qin Country Airforce, it was even worse—they knew nothing of the Tang Army’s attack, hence could not respond.

Moreover, they fundamentally lacked the capacity to launch any aircraft: some pilots had been taken to Guangmian as gifts to the Tang Army, becoming Tang Nation’s captives, while others were still training novices at the rear, unable to rush to participate near Wuyang.

Furthermore, the returning pilots stationed at Wuyang had an entirely awkward situation: their jet fighters either lost at the front line or hidden at the rear, leaving almost all of what was parked at Wuyang Airport to be P-40 fighter planes.

Using these to intercept Intruders… is somewhat amusing. They are not of the same era, and reluctantly sending propeller fighter planes into battle is truly too cruel.

“Here they come! Time to give them a surprise.” The bombardier on the Intruder “bomber” unarmed the safety of the weapons.

In his view, a massive city was gradually approaching, with dark, dense buildings sprawling along the roads, appearing very spectacular.

“Hope Qin Country has prepared for this.” The pilot, maintaining his plane’s altitude, preserved the formation.

“Bombing commenced!” The bombardier pressed the bomb-dropping button, causing bombs hung under the A-6 attack aircraft wings to tumble down in clusters.

The wind dispersed the bombs, spreading them, and slowly head down to fall, as subsequent aircraft began bombing, creating a rain of bombs over Wuyang.

The sound of jet engines resounded across the sky, followed swiftly by a series of explosion sounds echoing from within Wuyang City. Black smoke columns surged skyward, then the air raid alarm at last screamed piercingly.

Buildings collapsed in the explosions, and the scene of dozens of Tang Nation bombers flying over Wuyang City was seen distinctly by Zhang Tuo, the Qin Country Airforce Commander, who had just left the Imperial Palace preparing to return to his Airforce command base.

He gazed up at those fearsome Tang Nation bombers flying over Wuyang, witnessing the bombs falling onto the city.

The raindrop-like bombs delivered the most direct shock to him, followed by the tremors of the earth, and the dust from the collapsing buildings gradually spread throughout the city.

At this moment, Zhang Tuo’s heart was unexpectedly unperturbed, for he had long known that this day would come. Except, he truly did not expect everything to come so quickly.

“Let Your Majesty go to the shelter for refuge…” Half a foot remaining in the hall, Prime Minister Ying Ke turned back to instruct the slightly flustered Imperial Army soldiers, “Ensure His Majesty’s safety!”

“Yes!” The officer on duty in the hall gratefully responded, then hastily led several guards to the rear hall to find Ying Duo.

However, evidently, the Tang Army did not prepare to bomb the Imperial Palace of Wuyang; the bombs mostly fell in the city’s southern part, where most of Wuyang’s factories were concentrated.