Preface 2: The Flying Tiger with Wings

The entire process took approximately thirty seconds, but for Kong Zhigao, those thirty seconds felt longer than his thirty-two years of life. During the rappelling, the helicopter had to maintain a hovering altitude between five and ten meters, remaining stationary and thus unable to evade the incoming bullets

"No problem, are you still not confident in my skills?" After saying this, the co-driver chuckled.

As the surface temperature decreases, the fierce winds in the valley become increasingly rampant, and large helicopters weighing over ten tons are tossed about like dragonflies in the wind, disturbed by the turbulent air currents, rising and falling, swaying left and right

He thought of his wife waiting at home with eager anticipation and his son still in swaddling clothes. Kong Zhigao truly harbored some resentment towards this group of unknown origin, yet they could command the respect of the colonel captain and the rear admiral escort fleet commander. If an accident were to occur in this desolate place, not only would he be unable to reunite with his wife and children, but he would also have no place to be buried.

"Old Kong, what is that thing?" The co-driver inquired through the internal channel to Kong Zhigao.

The helicopter flew closer and closer, and the battle ahead became increasingly intense

For these four pilots, coming to this place to carry out their mission feels like living a nightmare

Meanwhile, another helicopter carrying thirteen special forces soldiers arrived at the southern side of the camp

Kong Zhigao nodded slightly, and before he realized it, a layer of sweat had formed in the palms of his hands

At this moment, the co-pilot relinquished control and switched the joystick to fire control mode. When the altitude reached twenty-five meters and the nose was aligned with the camp, bright tongues of fire erupted from the firing ports of the aircraft machine gun pods suspended on both sides of the helicopter's cabin

However, the vertical climb rate of the helicopter is too slow

During the joint exercise of the Sanhe Military and the Navy last year, Kong Zhigao transported a group of special forces to a submarine participating in the exercise. This group of special forces was equipped with the individual soldier computer that Kong Zhigao had just encountered. Kong Zhigao, who had always been very interested in electronic devices, inquired about relevant information from several classmates working at the exercise command headquarters after the exercise concluded. He learned that it was the latest developed individual soldier computer, which was first equipped to several special forces directly under the General Staff Department.

In the night sky, two Ka-27 helicopters, one following the other, maintained an altitude of below 20 meters and increased their flight speed to over 240 kilometers per hour

Someone patted him on the shoulder. Kong Zhigao immediately switched the helicopter to co-pilot full control mode. He then turned to look back.

Having finished speaking, Kong Zhigao switched the lighting in the cabin.

However, low-altitude flight is not the forte of Hainan Airlines pilots

"No, we cannot let the helicopter take risks." Just as Kong Zhigao felt a pat on his shoulder, the voice of the special forces commander came through his earpiece. "Captain, fly a bit faster. If the situation turns dire, you can leave the battlefield. After the battle is over, I will contact you."

Upon hearing the words of the special forces commander, Kong Zhigao immediately activated the green lighting inside the cabin, simultaneously pulled back the control stick, reduced the throttle, bringing the helicopter to a halt and lowering its altitude

The red light serves both to indicate that the helicopter is about to arrive at its destination and to alert the special forces inside the cabin

The more he thought, the more depressed Kong Zhigao became

The commander of the special forces, along with twelve fully armed special soldiers, was in the cabin behind Kong Zhigao

After speaking, the soldier specifically pointed out the mobile house displayed on the computer screen

Kong Zhigao pushed the throttle to the maximum position, needing to quickly increase the helicopter's altitude to leave the threat zone of light weapons

The co-pilot first detected the danger, but it was too late

The operations directly deployed by the General Staff Department are certainly extraordinary

Old Kong, quickly get up

Flying at ultra-low altitudes over land is a hallmark skill of army aviation pilots

The hatch opened, and two ropes were thrown out. More than ten special forces soldiers in the cabin exited the aircraft in succession

Captain, lower the altitude and stabilize the aircraft

The sound of crackling continued to resonate, with sparks of fire constantly flashing, pushing Kong Zhigao's nerves to their limit

After serving as a soldier for fourteen years and flying thousands of hours on three different types of helicopters, this was still Kong Zhigao's first time participating in actual combat. Although he had participated in several exercises each year, exercises were ultimately just exercises and never true battles. For both Kong Zhigao and the co-pilot, it would be strange if they were not nervous on their first time on the battlefield

He is piloting a Hainan Airlines anti-submarine helicopter, not an armed helicopter from the Army Aviation. Although small-caliber bullets do not pose a significant threat to the Ka-27, a single heavy machine gun is sufficient to bring it down

Although life at sea is extremely arduous and he has to leave behind his wife and his son who has just turned one month old, Kong Zhigao does not feel disheartened. This is because after completing the three-month escort mission, he will be able to return to his homeland with the fleet and receive a promotion two years ahead of schedule. For a thirty-two-year-old captain pilot, being promoted to major before the age of thirty-five would greatly enhance his prospects.

"Captain, switch to the red channel immediately," said the soldier behind him, handing a handheld computer to Kong Zhigao. "We must arrive within five minutes. First, take us to the road north of the camp, then use the onboard machine gun to sweep the vehicles within the camp, but be sure not to hit that mobile house."

Old Kong, this isn't a joke, is it? Just like Kong Zhigao, the co-pilot was also stunned

Major, we are late

As the bright flash appearing to the west of the camp entered Kong Zhigao's pupils, he barely had time to press the button to launch the interference flare and push down the control stick. In the moment he lost consciousness, Kong Zhigao realized that his platform had been hit, and it was struck by either a rocket or a man-portable air-defense missile

Captain Kong Zhigao muttered curses under his breath while exerting all his strength to grip the helicopter's control stick tightly, his right hand firmly clutching the throttle. As they just entered the canyon, Kong Zhigao disabled the flight assistance system, relying entirely on his and the co-pilot's skills to maneuver the helicopter. Behind them, another helicopter of the same model, the Ka-27, also had two pilots who chose the same flying method.

If the special forces in the cabin are from the General Staff's special forces, they must be carrying out a secret mission under the orders of the Chief of General Staff. Not only the captain and the escort fleet commander, but even the fleet commander and the military region commander must cooperate with them and provide them with assistance

After crossing a small hill overgrown with thatch, Kong Zhigao immediately saw the brightly lit construction site ahead, where a fierce battle was taking place

Kong Zhigao glanced at the clearly marked square on the screen and nodded. "No problem, we will handle it carefully, and we will arrive in five minutes"

At that moment, on hetushu.com, Kong Zhigao was fully focused on controlling the helicopter, no longer questioning the identity of that group of special forces.

Under the disturbance of an ascending airflow, the helicopter began to shake violently, and immediately afterward, the altitude alarm temporarily installed on the top of the instrument panel emitted a yellow warning signal. Accompanied by a sharp buzzing sound, Kong Zhigao and the co-pilot on the right simultaneously lowered the control stick and reduced the throttle. The helicopter plunged into the dark canyon like a drunken giant. It was not until the yellow warning signal and the buzzing sound disappeared that the two pilots pulled back the control stick and stabilized the throttle. Taking this opportunity, Kong Zhigao wiped the sweat from his face.

Any pilot knows that flying a helicopter in a canyon is certainly to evade radar, shorten the distance of noise transmission, and reach the destination in a concealed manner

This is truly a damn ghost town

Served in the military for fourteen years. Flew for ten years. Spent four years flying the Ka-27. Kong Zhigao primarily flew over the sea or lakes, rarely over land, and even less frequently over mountainous areas. Even over the ocean, helicopters cannot conduct low-altitude flights casually. This is because a calm sea surface can create visual illusions for pilots, making it difficult for them to accurately judge altitude using visual methods. If the radio altimeter malfunctions, helicopters also cannot conduct low-altitude flights casually. This is because a calm sea surface can create visual illusions for pilots, making it difficult for them to accurately judge altitude using visual methods. If the radio altimeter malfunctions, accidents are very likely to occur. If the sea surface is not calm enough, it is certainly windy with high waves, resulting in extremely poor flying conditions, making low-altitude flights even more impossible.

Directly conduct an air drop within the camp to draw fire; otherwise, Lao Kang and the others will be doomed

"The individual soldier computer, I saw it at last year's Zhuhai Airshow. At that time, it was just an engineering prototype. I didn't expect it to be equipped to the troops so soon." Kong Zhigao said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "Wait a moment, I'll control the helicopter, and you operate the machine gun. Be careful not to hit that mobile house; I really don't want to offend those rascals."

As sparks flew up, several bullets struck the windshield of the helicopter

Kong Zhigao never anticipated that just as the fleet was about to return home, a group of special forces that suddenly appeared on the destroyer would completely disrupt his plans for a family reunion, forcing him to pilot a helicopter to transport those special forces to carry out a special mission that didn't even have a code name

Kong Zhigao switched the communication line to the internal communication channel and overheard the conversation of the special forces behind him

Why fly so low

Approximately seven hundred meters from the camp, several bullets struck the helicopter. Clearly, the enemy had detected the approaching helicopter

After the last special forces soldier disembarked, Kong Zhigao immediately lifted the helicopter

Do not ask so many questions; let us focus on our duties.

Fortunately, the bulletproof glass has not yet reached its "expiration date"; the small-caliber bullets only left a few marks on the glass and did not penetrate it

More than two months ago, Kong Zhigao bid farewell to his wife at Sanya Port before boarding a destroyer, joining the fleet to carry out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden, thousands of miles away. This is the fifth escort fleet dispatched by the Republic's Navy to the Gulf of Aden in two years, and it marks Kong Zhigao's second participation in escort operations

Adjusting the helicopter's operating mode, Kong Zhigao swiftly pulled back the control stick and released the throttle. The massive machine, weighing over ten tons, soared into the night sky like a light swallow, darting along the sheer cliffs on the western side of the canyon amidst the howling winds.

The special forces soldiers who landed have dispersed and are advancing towards the camp under the cover of the helicopter's machine gun fire