Badger Flight...ten A-10C's flying into Liberia...
The air was thick down low and Capt Collins was getting a fair bit of buffet on his flight in. He was leading a 5 ship formation into hostile airspace and although top speed wasn't what the fighter jocks would be impressed with, when you're 50 feet off the ground on a pitch black night it kinda makes things a bit more relative. The fast attack boys in the F-15E's were suppose to have eradicated the anti-air danger and had moved on to secondary targets...specifically the Chinese armor.
You can never be sure though and for the 3rd time in 10 minutes he performed radio checks, confirmed kill boxes and established targeting priorities. Armor first---tanks and armored personnel carriers---artillery second----self propelled and towed---infantry third, in the open or in identified fortifications and then any anti-air they ran up against.
That crazy, bible thumping, swearing Deputy CINC wanted blood. An interesting guy Howling Mad was. He could pray to keep his guys safe and turn around without missing a beat and pray that God allow his men to kill every son of a bitch that went up against his extended family---the United States of America. Civilians would find that thought process to be an impossible paradox. Capt Collins thought it was beyond cool.
He paused and considered something that mad him laugh inside. He was never a praying man himself but the more he thought about it the more he knew that on this night he was praying at the alter of death and destruction. It was nothing personal. He didn't know the guys on the ground...on either side...but he wanted to wipe enemy blood off his canopy when this was all over.
Dragon Flight...thirty SU-30's rocketing into Liberian airspace.
Major Tran was a rising star in the Chinese Air Force. He was a family man and he was a patriot. He was not one of the architects of the mission in Liberia but his nation called upon him to help defend his countrymen.
Tran liked American culture. Enjoyed the music, loved the movies and clothes and quite honestly believed that the two country's had more in common than they had differences.
That was then. This is now.
Tran ordered his flight to go supersonic. American warplanes had bombed Chinese troops. This was the first of many fighter sweeps to keep the capitalist dogs at bay. If they could not return the respect that he and his countrymen gave to others then he would at least earn their fear.
Tran readied his AA-12 missiles, test fired his gun and watched his screens. He saw 10 enemy airplanes flying low swirling up and down bombing his people.
The first meeting between the Chinese and American air forces was seconds away.
1stSgt Alexander. 75th Ranger Regiment on the ground in Liberia
The entire command element had been wiped out--they walked into a well laid enemy ambush. The fighting had been intense but it really was a done deal...Rangers are good. No. Fuck that. Rangers are terrific. But terrific don't cut it when you're staring down the barrel of a 30mm cannon mounted on a Norinco 8x8.
Alexander had spent the last two days escaping and evading, making radio contact with Rangers when he could, picking up stragglers and basically---as far as he knew it, was the highest ranking Ranger left alive. So far he had rounded up 45 of his boys and they were making their way to the coast line. Hopefully the daredevils in the 160th would be able to extract them. If not it was a long walk to Djibouti.
He wondered aloud how such a simple airport seizure could go so wrong. Intel had definitely screwed the pooch and someone would taste his blade...if he made it out alive. And considering how much enemy activity he was seeing that was a mighty big if.
All he could do is keep moving, think about his wife and kids and ask God for one more sunrise. A bad day hasn't gotten any better and he really didn't expect it to.
section 6. The fight is on. USN steps in. 160th swoops low. Chinese Mech Infantry/Tank Division lands.
The air was thick down low and Capt Collins was getting a fair bit of buffet on his flight in. He was leading a 5 ship formation into hostile airspace and although top speed wasn't what the fighter jocks would be impressed with, when you're 50 feet off the ground on a pitch black night it kinda makes things a bit more relative. The fast attack boys in the F-15E's were suppose to have eradicated the anti-air danger and had moved on to secondary targets...specifically the Chinese armor.
You can never be sure though and for the 3rd time in 10 minutes he performed radio checks, confirmed kill boxes and established targeting priorities. Armor first---tanks and armored personnel carriers---artillery second----self propelled and towed---infantry third, in the open or in identified fortifications and then any anti-air they ran up against.
That crazy, bible thumping, swearing Deputy CINC wanted blood. An interesting guy Howling Mad was. He could pray to keep his guys safe and turn around without missing a beat and pray that God allow his men to kill every son of a bitch that went up against his extended family---the United States of America. Civilians would find that thought process to be an impossible paradox. Capt Collins thought it was beyond cool.
He paused and considered something that mad him laugh inside. He was never a praying man himself but the more he thought about it the more he knew that on this night he was praying at the alter of death and destruction. It was nothing personal. He didn't know the guys on the ground...on either side...but he wanted to wipe enemy blood off his canopy when this was all over.
Dragon Flight...thirty SU-30's rocketing into Liberian airspace.
Major Tran was a rising star in the Chinese Air Force. He was a family man and he was a patriot. He was not one of the architects of the mission in Liberia but his nation called upon him to help defend his countrymen.
Tran liked American culture. Enjoyed the music, loved the movies and clothes and quite honestly believed that the two country's had more in common than they had differences.
That was then. This is now.
Tran ordered his flight to go supersonic. American warplanes had bombed Chinese troops. This was the first of many fighter sweeps to keep the capitalist dogs at bay. If they could not return the respect that he and his countrymen gave to others then he would at least earn their fear.
Tran readied his AA-12 missiles, test fired his gun and watched his screens. He saw 10 enemy airplanes flying low swirling up and down bombing his people.
The first meeting between the Chinese and American air forces was seconds away.
1stSgt Alexander. 75th Ranger Regiment on the ground in Liberia
The entire command element had been wiped out--they walked into a well laid enemy ambush. The fighting had been intense but it really was a done deal...Rangers are good. No. Fuck that. Rangers are terrific. But terrific don't cut it when you're staring down the barrel of a 30mm cannon mounted on a Norinco 8x8.
Alexander had spent the last two days escaping and evading, making radio contact with Rangers when he could, picking up stragglers and basically---as far as he knew it, was the highest ranking Ranger left alive. So far he had rounded up 45 of his boys and they were making their way to the coast line. Hopefully the daredevils in the 160th would be able to extract them. If not it was a long walk to Djibouti.
He wondered aloud how such a simple airport seizure could go so wrong. Intel had definitely screwed the pooch and someone would taste his blade...if he made it out alive. And considering how much enemy activity he was seeing that was a mighty big if.
All he could do is keep moving, think about his wife and kids and ask God for one more sunrise. A bad day hasn't gotten any better and he really didn't expect it to.
section 6. The fight is on. USN steps in. 160th swoops low. Chinese Mech Infantry/Tank Division lands.