489: Chapter 486: Hit, the Plane.
489: Chapter 486: Hit, the Plane.
The MK82 is actually just a conventional bomb, but it’s often used as the warhead for laser-guided bombs.
It’s incorrect to refer to it as an MK82 laser-guided bomb; the correct term should be the CBU-12 laser-guided bomb.
However, many people are accustomed to calling it the MK82 laser-guided bomb instead of the CBU-12.
Gao Yang had no intention of correcting Nate’s habitual reference, and after taking cover in the woods, without any high-value targets, the Super Tucano aircraft wouldn’t just drop laser-guided bombs, since they’re not cheap, and Colombia isn’t as financially robust as the good ol’ USA.
For Gao Yang and the others, the threat from laser-guided bombs wasn’t too great after they’d taken cover in the woods.
But if a MK-20 was dropped, that would truly spell their doom.
The MK20 cluster bomb weighs only 222 kilograms but contains 247 MK118 submunitions.
Once deployed, a single MK20 can cover an area of 4,800 square meters.
Nate was extremely wary of the Super Tucano dropping cluster bombs, yet Gao Yang didn’t share the same level of concern.
He knew that cluster bombs were frightening, but having never seen their effects firsthand, he lacked a strong emotional response.
However, seeing Nate—usually fearless—so anxious, Gao Yang couldn’t help but become nervous as well.
In fact, Gao Yang was already tense, but now his anxiety reached a level where he found it hard to breathe, and he started to struggle with drawing breath.
“Report, Chainsaw severely wounded, Harp severely wounded, Spider lightly wounded, no fatalities!”
The casualty report came in quickly.
No fatalities.
They were lucky, but Gao Yang doubted their good fortune could last under continued attacks.
The second batch of fighter jets left, and a third batch arrived, again two aircraft, one leading and one following, launching their attacks in succession.
The third wave of fighters wasn’t equipped with gun pods; the two planes dive-bombed and started strafing with their wing-mounted guns.
It was then, that two 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine guns finally opened fire.
The ammunition loaded into the anti-aircraft guns was armor-piercing incendiary rounds, interspersed with tracer rounds to indicate trajectory.
As the aircraft began their dive, a line of red tracer fire rose to the skies from the woods.
Using anti-aircraft guns to shoot down planes is extremely difficult, so much so that one shouldn’t hold much hope for success.
The anti-aircraft barrage shot up into the sky, looking beautiful, but it fell behind the Super Tucanos.
By the time the two guns ceased firing and corrected their trajectory for another volley, the Super Tucanos had already completed their attack runs over the battlefield.
The anti-aircraft guns chased after the planes, shooting a few bursts of bullets before giving up the attack.
At this moment, Nate urgently said, “We can’t deploy the anti-aircraft cannon, and the machine guns are just for show; we must retreat.
I just saw four transport planes fly past; it’s very likely they’re carrying airborne soldiers.
We can’t wait to be surrounded.”
Nate didn’t know what kind of bad luck he’d run into.
Every time he gave an order, a new situation would immediately come up to shatter his plans, and this time was no exception.
Just after saying they should retreat, a roar of rotor blades thundered above, and then Gao Yang and Nate looked up in unison, both shouting, “Fuck!
Black Hawk!”
“Fuck!
Iroquois!”
Since they had different vantage points, Gao Yang and Nate saw different things.
Nate spotted Black Hawk helicopters, while Gao Yang saw at least two UH-1 Iroquois.
Gao Yang screamed, “What the hell is going on!”
Nate’s face turned ashen as he yelled, “Damn it, has Colombia mobilized its entire air force?”
Just then, Chloe shouted over the radio, “Colonel, the air force has deployed all its available helicopters to bring in the Jaguars, and also, the entire Bogota Air Force Special Command Group is in action; they’re planning to perform an aerial interception on us.”
Nate immediately grabbed the radio handset and shouted, “Order, establish a circular defensive position… no, cancel that order, wait for instructions!”
After that, Nate stared intensely at Gao Yang and urgently said, “Ram, you take over command, issue the orders, quickly.”
Gao Yang was taken aback and asked, “Why?
What are you doing?”
Nate yelled, “Damn it, can’t you see my luck is terrible?
Hopefully, your good luck can save our lives.”
Without hesitation, Gao Yang shouted into the radio, “This is Ram, I’m in command now.
Orders: establish a circular defensive position, observe if the enemy has executed an air drop.
We now have mortars and rocket launchers, get them ready for ground combat, look for breakthrough points where enemy defenses are weak!”
Whether to hastily flee before the enemy could conduct an airborne operation or to fight a battle before breaking away, Gao Yang chose the latter, because he didn’t know where to go or where the areas were suitable for airborne and helicopter landings.
Instead of retreating rashly, it was better to observe the situation first before deciding where to retreat.
Gao Yang wasn’t afraid of being surrounded by airborne troops since, like themselves, the airborne soldiers couldn’t carry heavy equipment.
And he was confident that in land-based combat, with the strength of the Angel Mercenary Corps and the Satan Mercenary Corps, plus Ivan’s elite forces, any Jaguars or Bogota Air Force Special Command Group wouldn’t stand a chance.
He wasn’t worried about ground combat, but the threat from the air was a different story.
After giving the orders, Gao Yang looked to the skies and said, “We need to find a way to shoot down the planes; they’re flying at a very low altitude.
What about trying with rocket launchers?”
Nate scornfully replied, “Rocket launchers against planes?
Stop dreaming.
These are fixed-wing aircraft, not helicopters hovering to let you shoot them with rocket launchers.
But, you’re the commander now; you call the shots.
Maybe your good luck can actually bring one down.”
The people hidden in the forest had begun to move quickly.
Those skilled with rocket launchers and mortars ran to the trucks that had entered the woods, unloading these heavy weapons, and began preparing to establish a defense position.
Another round of air strikes arrived, and this time the airplanes targeted the anti-aircraft machine guns which had given away their location when they fired.
The two planes strafed with their guns, but no rockets came.
Gao Yang didn’t know what kind of rocket pods the Super Tucanos were equipped with, but judging from the power of the rockets, and considering Colombia’s history of importing American weapons, they were likely 70 mm rockets.
Luckily for those meeting up with Gao Yang, they bore the brunt of the rocket strikes.
Otherwise, with at least four Super Tucanos carrying rocket pods, if all those rockets had been fired at where Gao Yang and his group were hiding, the outcome would be hard to say.
Now that the planes were no longer launching rockets, there was only one reason for that—their rockets were spent.
Watching the planes ascend once more, Gao Yang let out a breath of relief and said, “Luckily those meeting us took the majority of the rockets…”
Nate also expressed his relief, saying, “That’s why I say you’re lucky.
The enemy planes came too fast and unexpectedly.
If you hadn’t told those guys to drive our cars away, we’d be the ones out of luck now.”
Just then, Gao Yang saw Glolov running with a gun in his arms, looking like he intended to operate the anti-aircraft machine gun.
Ever since the anti-aircraft machine gun failed to hit the plane and revealed its position, attracting an air strike, nobody had been operating it.
Remaining at the firing position was akin to seeking death.
“Big Dog, what the hell are you doing?”
Glolov glanced at Gao Yang but didn’t stop, shouting loudly, “I’m going to shoot down the plane.”
Glolov’s response oozed confidence and didn’t seem like he was joking.
Gao Yang exclaimed in alarm, “Are you fucking crazy!”
Glolov flipped Gao Yang the middle finger, then continued running towards the anti-aircraft machine gun.
Gao Yang was incredibly anxious; without a second thought, he ran after Glolov, and Cui Bo and Brejinsky also followed closely behind.
Seeing that Gao Yang was quickly catching up, Cui Bo yelled while running, “Is that how you talk to your father-in-law?”
In this urgent moment, Cui Bo still had a sense of humor, which irritated Gao Yang to no end.
Gao Yang shouted back angrily, “Idiot, stop fucking around.
Operating the anti-aircraft gun now is suicide.
Stop Big Dog from going!”
Out of breath, Cui Bo responded, “Big Dog says he can do it, and I think he can too.
Let’s be cautious and try it, it’s better than just taking hits.”
Gao Yang wasn’t doubting Glolov’s capabilities, but operating the anti-aircraft gun at this moment was indeed very dangerous.
Just as he was about to issue a command forcefully asking Glolov to stay away from the gun, he heard someone behind him say, “He seems quite sure of himself, why not let him give it a try?”
Gao Yang turned and realized Nate had followed them at some point.
After hesitating for a moment, Gao Yang ultimately refrained from ordering Glolov not to operate the anti-aircraft machine gun.
The machine gun, mounted on a pickup truck, was fixed with a tall tripod and had two curved shoulder rests.
Glolov yanked the machine gun around and immediately aimed the muzzle skyward.
Gao Yang stopped about twenty meters away from the anti-aircraft machine gun; getting any closer was too dangerous.
Though he was extremely concerned about Glolov, clustering together as sitting ducks was a foolish action.
That’s when Cui Bo pointed to the sky and said, “There’s the plane, it’s coming over.”
Gao Yang shouted, “Shoot quickly, and run if you think it’s no good!”
Glolov pointed the gun at the direction from which the Super Tucanos were coming, then locked the muzzle in place, focusing on the planes through the gap above him.
As the planes entered a dive, heading straight for the anti-aircraft gun, Gao Yang couldn’t help but yell, “The target is still the anti-aircraft gun, get out of there!”
Glolov ignored Gao Yang’s screams; he was waiting.
At this moment, Nate too became anxious, shouting loudly, “We’re on the attack line, get out of there!”
Gao Yang roared, “Big Dog, I order you to get out of there right now…”
Just as Gao Yang was about to give an order, unable to bear it any longer, the planes’ guns opened fire, and so did Glolov.
The bullets fired by Glolov formed a straight line, glowing as they rocketed into the sky.
But the line was not aimed at the plane; it was aimed just in front of the plane’s nose.
And as the streak of bullets reached the exact area Glolov had anticipated, a Super Tucano flew right into it.
(To be continued.
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