Chapter 008: Unknown Air Situation

Assuming the enemy situation: An unidentified flying object must cross the airspace controlled by the naval aviation before entering the conventional combat airspace of the Second Division. Therefore, it can be concluded that either there are multiple batches of aerial threats, or the opponent this time is more difficult to deal with than before. Li Zhan does not believe that there is an opponent that the naval aviation cannot handle, thus it is certain that multiple batches of aerial threats have emerged

Because the Air Traffic Control issued two alerts of unidentified aerial phenomena on that day, the situation in the sky took precedence over everything else. Therefore, the malfunction of Yu Chenglin's aircraft became less noticeable; under normal circumstances, the Air Traffic Control would have issued a military-wide notice to criticize this matter.

Li Zhan was running towards aircraft number 37 while secretly thinking to himself

In the past month, Li Zhan still followed the regulations and completed three takeoffs and landings, and then he soloed for five takeoffs and landings. The regiment and the division could not find any faults, so they stopped nitpicking and directly included him in the list of personnel on standby for combat readiness

Iron-fisted military governance, acting directly

The duty personnel at the control tower could not help but feel delighted; the seamless coordination of the dual aircraft formation takeoff was truly a sight to behold. From the perspective of procedural correctness, many pilots might be able to achieve this, but when it comes to the fluidity of execution, especially against the backdrop of the present moment, very few can achieve such a perfect harmony.

The boundary line of the airspace on the 11th is over 700 kilometers, nearly reaching the maximum operational radius of the J-7E. The command post considered that they might climb to high altitudes to conserve fuel, so they reminded them to be cautious of avoiding civil aviation aircraft

"Ziz, Dongguai Dong, target heading 210, speed 500." Nan Zhi suddenly called.

The important speech was delivered by Colonel Qi Hong, the political commissar of the division

Nie Jianfeng's words were left unfinished when the alarm suddenly blared wildly, causing adrenaline to surge instantly. Seeing Li Zhan grab his flight helmet and rush outside, Nie Jianfeng shouted: "The 6th Regiment goes first!"

What one fears most often comes to pass, and indeed, two batches of unidentified aerial phenomena have arrived

Li Zhan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as this was the normal situation. The airborne engine failure of Deputy Commander Yu Chenglin's aircraft had been determined to be caused by a deviation in the torque of a screw, which had likely been over-tightened by half a turn, resulting in the rupture of the fuel line during the shaking process. The maintenance personnel would bear the primary responsibility, and other departments could not escape accountability; all would need to undergo rectification.

"Dong San Guai, with an ascent height of 8,000." said Nie Jianfeng

It is extremely rare for the Air Command to encounter two batches of unidentified air situations during a random inspection. Nie Jianfeng stated, "However, based on past experience, the last inspection revealed vulnerabilities in our division's combat readiness duty. If it weren't for your efforts to turn the tide, a notification to the entire army would have been inevitable. Therefore, the Air Command will definitely conduct a second inspection before the Spring Festival, and it is also possible that it will occur during the Spring Festival."

"Please be aware, there is a civil aviation aircraft above your head," Nan pointed out.

You only know that they pride themselves on being bluer than indigo, surpassing indigo itself

Li Zhan should take more shifts, as his home is in this county, making it very convenient for him to return home

After the handover meeting concluded, no one was in the mood, and everyone returned to their respective units and departments to promptly gather all personnel for a roll call to convey the directives from tonight's handover meeting. The Fourth Regiment, as the "party involved," placed even greater emphasis on this matter than the other units. Qi Hong criticized the Fourth Regiment by name during the handover meeting, but did not commend them by name. Perhaps this was due to the consideration that Li Zhan was a newcomer just assigned to the Fourth Regiment, or perhaps the incident involving the malfunction of the deputy regiment commander's aircraft left the division headquarters feeling extremely angry due to inadequate support.

Understood

At this moment, there is a thick layer of clouds covering the troposphere where Li Zhan is located, resembling a cloud mountain that appears to grow in mid-air, making it evident that the stratosphere cannot be seen.

It would be abnormal if the handling of this airborne malfunction were to go unnoticed.

Not long ago, my instructor successfully completed the annual summary training, with a large number of aircraft transitioning to stationed training. Qi Hong appeared to be in good spirits, seemingly full of vigor, and said, "Yesterday, all aircraft successfully completed the transition to stationed training, achieving the goal of zero errors in flight training for the entire year! This is no small feat. Three regiments with sixteen batches of participating aircraft, totaling thirty-six planes, flew over four hundred takeoffs and landings within seven days. Comrades, that averages to sixty takeoffs and landings per day. Such a high intensity greatly tests the support capabilities of each airfield and also poses a challenge to the physical endurance of the pilots. Completing this with zero errors is truly commendable."

Li Zhan said, "The superiors may consider the occurrence of the last situation"

Amidst the rustling sound of electromagnetic interference, Nie Jianfeng shouted, "Pull up!"

Kong Si is truly tireless in this endeavor

This is merely the beginning

"Dongguai Dong, you are cleared for takeoff!" The tower controller, Zhang Wei, a staff officer from the operations department, knew that Flight 37 belonged to Li Zhan and couldn't help but remind, "Dong San Guai, you are the wingman."

It is no wonder that Qi Hong was furious

In just over a month, New Year's Eve will arrive, and a festive and harmonious atmosphere has begun to envelop the entire nation and its people. Leaders have started to frequently visit the grassroots to extend their greetings to the troops and local officials for the New Year.

The scheduling of single pilots is prioritized, while those with spouses and children are arranged as much as possible towards the end. This is a tradition that distinguishes our unit from other military forces—other units typically schedule duty during the Spring Festival holidays based on rank, from highest to lowest.

Everyone's face was filled with excitement, and they instinctively straightened their chests with a slight smile. They had reason to be proud; among so many aviation divisions, including the naval aviation, there were only a handful that could achieve the training intensity of the 2nd Division.

Look at the alarm light! Li Zhan has already run to the door, pointing with his hand at the flashing red alarm light on one side

The atmosphere in the control tower has already entered a state of tension; once an air situation arises, it automatically shifts to a first-level combat readiness. The duty personnel are both anxious and accustomed to this. Throughout the year, similar air situations are handled countless times.

When Li Zhan climbed onto the aircraft, he saw two SU-27SKs from the Sixth Regiment taking off in a double formation, lifting off early and climbing at a steep angle directly towards the blazing sun in the east.

When the last number appeared, Li Zhan released the brake, and the J-7E surged forward as if it had been forcefully kicked in the rear. The powerful thrust pushed Li Zhan against the back of his seat. The aircraft's speed increased rapidly, experiencing slight vibrations as it charged forward with great effort

Nie Jianfeng instinctively said, "It wants to run? Understood! Turn at the third hole, apply full thrust!"

Yu Chenglin has become much haggard. In recent days, he has been closely following the maintenance team to inspect his aircraft, leaving no screw or rivet unchecked. He is even the deputy regiment commander in charge of safety, yet his aircraft encountered issues, and it was due to the lack of rigor in the maintenance work. One can imagine the immense pressure he is under

Li Zhan coldly snorted and said, "I am just afraid of not conducting random inspections; those guys simulating the Blue Army of HNA are very arrogant."

Two J-7E fighter jets engaged afterburners and adjusted their course, racing forward without any further consideration for fuel issues

After a few seconds, Li Zhan replied: "Dong San Guai understands."

The temperature in the auditorium suddenly dropped

Sitting down next to Li Zhan, Nie Jianfeng pointed to the other side and said, "However, under normal circumstances, it is not our turn to go up; the two Su-27s from the Sixth Regiment have been on standby, and they are the ones who go up first"

In the past year, our division has been at the forefront of various tasks among the Air Force units. Comrades, the two banners for the Advanced Unit in Annual Military Training and the Advanced Unit in Annual Political and Ideological Work are displayed in the honor room of the division headquarters. This is closely related to everyone's efforts

"Dongguai Dong, this is Nanzhi, adjusting course to 120, you are heading to airspace 11." Nanzhi took over command and called Nie Jianfeng

Nie Jianfeng responded immediately, "Adjust the course to 120, understood!"

After quickly checking all systems and obtaining permission from the ground crew, I decisively started the vehicle and immediately reported to the control tower: "Dong San Guai requests takeoff"

On the morning of New Year's Eve, Nie Jianfeng entered the flight briefing room under the control tower wearing a flight helmet. Li Zhan was sitting there watching the news and, slightly surprised, said, "Team Leader Nie, aren't you coming tomorrow?"

Li Zhan did not hesitate at all, decisively pulling up the control stick, causing the fighter jet to suddenly lift its nose. At the same time, Nie Jianfeng also pulled up. The two aircraft synchronously retracted their landing gear, climbing at a speed faster than that of the SU-27SK. They continued to ascend until they reached mid-air, where the two jets executed a beautiful leap into the higher sky.

Starting that evening, all personnel, except those on standby duty for combat readiness, were required to conduct self-examinations and corrections from their respective posts. The regiment established a leadership group for rectification to conduct random inspections at any time and place. Other units, as in previous years, engaged in extensive safety education and internal hygiene efforts to welcome the Spring Festival, sending off old soldiers and welcoming new ones while preparing for the New Year activities. Only the Second Division was shrouded in a solemn atmosphere

Two J-7E fighter jets slid out of their positions in succession and quickly entered the takeoff position. Li Zhan turned his head to look at Nie Jianfeng on the left. When Nie Jianfeng gave a thumbs up, he pushed the throttle to the maximum, confirmed that the power was normal, and raised his thumb in response. Nie Jianfeng extended three fingers, his white safety gloves very conspicuous, and began the countdown

3, 2, 1

Li Zhan could also hear such conversations. He instinctively raised his head to look up through the engine cover, but of course, he could see nothing. Commercial airliners typically fly at an altitude of around 10,000 meters, as this altitude is situated in the stratosphere. Depending on the geographical region, the height may vary slightly, but the difference is not significant. People often refer to the "10,000-meter high altitude," mainly because this space is where commercial aircraft predominantly operate, and it is the atmospheric layer that the general public can intuitively experience.

"We are partners, so there is no reason for us to be separated," Nie Jianfeng said with a smile. "The department has adjusted the duty schedule, and starting today, we will be on double duty together."

Qi Hong suddenly changed his tone and said seriously, "However! During the high-intensity training, some issues have also been exposed. I believe everyone is aware of this; I am referring to the aspect of combat readiness duty. On the day of the transition to stationed training, the Air Force Command conducted a surprise check on the combat readiness situation and directly provided the topic for the simulated confrontation exercise. In the simulated airspace No. 2, two batches of unidentified air situations appeared consecutively, yet we found ourselves lacking sufficient combat readiness personnel! Comrades! If this were war, we would be eternal sinners! I have already requested disciplinary action from the command, as the actual commander of the 2nd Division, the responsibility lies with me. The 2nd Division must be reformed; these are the exact words of the leaders of the Air Force Command!"

He reprimanded for a full half hour, using this incident as a starting point to elaborate on the issues present in various departments. Li Zhan listened attentively and realized that no department was overlooked. His words were direct and to the point, incisively addressing the core issues without any hint of subtlety. Li Zhan was left with a profound impression of the style of this political commissar.

These subjective factors cannot affect the duty schedule during holidays

Two fighter jets maintained visual distance and began to climb simultaneously, piercing through the thick clouds above. Once they passed through the clouds, they could essentially reach the bottom of the stratosphere, allowing them to utilize this space for high-speed cruising, conserving fuel while also gaining an altitude advantage

Suddenly feeling a chill, Nie Jianfeng quickly picked up his helmet and rushed out.

From 9:00 to 11:00, for a full two hours, a meeting was held via video conference. After the team leader finished speaking, the political commissar spoke, followed by the deputy team leader, the deputy political commissar, and the chief of staff. The squadron leader and the instructor of the maintenance team were repeatedly called upon to stand up, receiving reprimands from various individuals, with their heads hung low throughout the entire process

At this moment, Nie Jianfeng slowed down slightly and reported in a somewhat flustered manner, "The tunnel is ready, requesting takeoff!"

Li Zhan slightly increased the distance from Chang Ji and said, "Understood"