Interception

Reaching Mach 1 on its own meant the other side had a certain degree of aerodynamic design and powerful propulsion. Sure, even a brick could fly at Mach 1—but that was purely brute force! Either way, it showed that the aircraft was far from technologically simple.

Speed was one of the clearest indicators of technological sophistication!

After hanging up the internal phone, the captain's expression turned grave. Fortunately, the entire ship had already entered Level One combat readiness, so they would not be caught completely off guard by this sudden situation. However, 815A's self-defense capabilities were limited. Its mission this time had been to investigate the Sky Pit and wait for the Liaoning carrier battle group during long-range reconnaissance—close-range sightseeing, really—before rendezvousing with it. No one had expected such an emergency.

But now that the emergency had occurred, the Navy's primary task was to respond appropriately and bring 815A back safely. This ship was no less valuable than a Type 055 Destroyer—its technical value might even surpass that of a Type 055 Destroyer! Especially the technical personnel aboard; every one of them was invaluable!

"Request assistance from the Liaoning immediately! Prepare to intercept the incoming enemy!"

At sea, a warship could never outrun an aircraft. 815A would soon be caught by these unidentified flying objects. It had to survive until reinforcements arrived!

The battle alarm sounded aboard 815A, and the sailors swiftly took up their combat positions. The ship carried few weapons, but they would give everything they had to protect this precious national asset!

The ship's main guns swung toward the incoming aerial targets. Even in a powerful electromagnetic environment, radar could still detect targets at close enough range. When these targets, which gave no IFF response, entered visual range at speeds far exceeding 815A's, the shipborne optical radar immediately locked onto and magnified the approaching aerial targets, finally revealing their appearance.

The unidentified aircraft looked as though it had been made of glass, its overall shape triangular. This aerodynamic design greatly reduced air resistance. As they approached, chaotic electromagnetic interference and spectral shifts accompanied them.

Range: 30!

Range: 20!

"Communications are being jammed! The electromagnetic spectrum is blocked!" the technician shouted.

Song Xizhu glanced at the approaching unidentified aircraft. Like the Sky Pit in the sky, they generated electromagnetic noise around themselves and shifted the spectrum.

However, interference with radio and data links would not prevent communication entirely. It would only limit the means of communication.

"Switch to laser communications."

"Understood!"

815A changed its communication method and transmitted a laser signal toward the satellite in orbit. The satellite quickly adjusted its receiving equipment and established a communications link with 815A. The satellite-to-ground 100 Gbps laser communications link was connected.

Whether 815A came under attack or not, the laser communications link would transmit the target information back, allowing the reconnaissance ship to fulfill its greatest value. Even in the instant before it was sunk, it had to send back intelligence. With enough intelligence, the enemy could be analyzed and future casualties reduced.

The captain stood on the bridge, his expression grim as he watched the three unidentified aircraft rapidly approach, waiting for them to enter the range of the ship's self-defense weapons.

As an electronic reconnaissance ship, the Type 815A carried only two H/PJ14 30mm single-barrel naval guns at the bow as its main armament. They were better than nothing and could only be used to drive off Pirates.

The guns fired 30×165mm rounds from drum magazines, with a maximum range exceeding eight kilometers and an effective range of around three kilometers. They were equipped with relatively advanced electro-optical sighting systems, and each gunner had a display in front of him. The guns could be aimed and elevated manually using the control console's handles, or operated automatically by the fire-control system.

Because the three approaching targets were aircraft moving at extremely high speed, intercepting them was an exceptionally difficult shot. Only automatic gun control through the electro-optical sighting system could ensure a reasonable chance of hitting them.

At the same time, two sailors operated the two 14.5mm twin-mounted machine guns at the stern. These machine guns used a circular rotating base fixed to the ship's deck, with a 150-round ammunition box on each side. One person alone could operate each one.

The twin-mounted machine guns used belt-fed ammunition. With each recoil cycle, the mechanism pulled a new round into position, then chambered it as it returned forward. They could fire Type 56 14.5mm machine-gun rounds, DGJ02 14.5mm tungsten-core sabot armor-piercing incendiary tracer rounds, DGE02 14.5mm armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary rounds, and more.

These dual-purpose machine guns were barely adequate against slow-moving targets at sea. Against aerial targets, even WWII propeller aircraft would have produced a painfully low hit rate. The other sailors carried 12.7mm heavy machine guns, mounting them on the ship's rail gun mounts and aiming toward the direction of the incoming targets.

Everything usable aboard 815A was brought into play. Even on the helicopter deck at the stern, several Navy soldiers set up man-portable air-defense missiles.

"Range! 15!"

"Range! 12!"

Through the optical sensors, the incoming unidentified aircraft entered a dive, slowing from Mach 1 to subsonic speed—a typical maneuver before an aircraft attack.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The 30mm single-barrel naval guns raised their barrels and poured shells toward the incoming aircraft. One VT fuze shell after another left the barrels, rapidly laying down a barrage.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Amid the dull firing reports, the 14.5mm twin-mounted heavy machine guns at the stern also sprayed an anti-aircraft barrage. Under the operation of the machine gunners and assistant gunners, the 12.7mm heavy machine guns mounted along the railings joined the anti-aircraft fire.

At that moment, 815A was like a hedgehog, firing dense streams of gunfire. Tracer rounds marked out the trajectories as ammunition was desperately hurled at the incoming enemy, increasing the fire density in hopes that the enemy would be "lucky" enough to crash into a bullet or shell.

Anti-aircraft cannon fire was not meant to hit a target directly. Hoping for a shell to precisely strike a transonic or supersonic fighter was like hoping to win 5 million yuan. It was better to scatter a large number of shells along their flight path and wait for them to fly into the barrage themselves.

The three targeted aircraft suddenly dropped lower, skimming close to the sea surface, instantly causing the self-defense fire to miss. Because of the depression angle, the 30mm single-barrel autocannons, 14.5mm guns, and 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns on the opposite side of the ship lost their field of fire. With only one side's weapons available to intercept them, the fire density was instantly cut in half.

Clink, clink, clink. Shell casings fell onto the deck with a metallic rattle. Click, click! As the empty bolt clacked, the assistant gunner beside it swiftly replaced the ammunition box for the anti-aircraft machine gun. Once the bolt returned to position, it resumed firing into the sky. Meanwhile, the 30mm single-barrel autocannon's drum magazine ran dry, and the Navy soldiers beside it hurriedly replaced the drum to maintain continuous fire.

"Range: 5 kilometers!"

"Range: 3 kilometers!"

At last, the incoming targets entered the autocannons' optimal range. Yet strangely, the other side still did not attack.

What was going on? Why weren't they firing yet?

Amid everyone's confusion, the surfaces of the three unidentified aircraft suddenly began flashing. With a thunderous boom, a violent explosion erupted along 815A's side.