Empire Conquest-Chapter 783 - 63: Coordinated Combat_2

As for air combat, it is simply not considered.

Back then, the Empire Army tested combat missiles on helicopters, not to counter helicopters, but to counter attack aircraft also operating at ultra-low altitudes.

If necessary, they also need to be used against fighter jets.

It can be seen that helicopters were merely given a barely adequate self-defense capability.

During the Boi War, the Empire Army’s helicopters never encountered any airborne threats!

Moreover, when designing the "Z-10," many new technologies, or rather new tactical concepts, had not yet emerged, so they could not be adopted by the designers.

The most typical of these is stealth.

Stealth combat aircraft, represented by the "Attack-11," were developed only after the "Z-10" design was completed, and it was proven through actual combat, which happened four years ago.

The result is that the "Z-10" did not consider stealth at all.

In recent years, the Empire Army was still entangled over whether helicopters need stealth, or rather, not wanting to follow the trend.

These are all the shortcomings of the "Z-10."

However, this also became the direct motivation for the Empire Army to initiate the "Z-X" project, or rather, the tactical performance criteria set for the "Z-X" project.

Although the advanced armed helicopter still under design is intended to replace not the "Z-10," but the "Z-7," the performance requirements proposed by the Empire Army are actually aimed at the defects of the "Z-10," and all issues with the "Z-10" must be resolved in the "Z-X."

Compared to the "Z-10," the most prominent feature of the "Z-X" is its positioning as a "medium multi-role combat helicopter."

Unfortunately, the "Z-X" is still at the design stage, and even at a fast pace, it will take several more years to join the Empire Army combat sequence.

Like the initial development of the "Z-10," the main reason for the slow progress of the "Z-X" development work is the excessively high tactical performance criteria set by the Army, which existing technology cannot meet, therefore requiring a lot of time to resolve technical difficulties, or to wait for relevant technology to mature.

As for now, they can only make do with the "Z-10A," which has not yet reached full potential.

Of course, Lian Mingyang and his team are not without confidence.

Through confrontational training with hypothetical enemy forces, Lian Mingyang and other pilots have long known that when encountering enemy helicopters, especially the more agile armed helicopters, the ideal way of engagement is to fire from as far a distance as possible, and avoid dogfighting with enemy aircraft.

If it cannot be avoided, they must seek a quick victory.

In simple terms, it means avoiding at all costs combat with those enemy aircraft that are more agile than theirs.

Fortunately, helicopter dogfighting tactics are still in the exploratory stage.

To be accurate, there are basically no strategies to follow. The only principle is to fire before the enemy does, giving them no chance to retaliate.

In fact, once within the firing range of the machine gun, helicopter air combat is almost a one-hit kill "instant kill."

Not to mention medium armed helicopters, even the "Z-10A" can’t withstand a few rounds of 30mm shells.

Due to poor climbing performance, and the lack of space for dive attacks, in air combat, helicopters mainly maneuver horizontally, trying to avoid the opponent’s machine gun range, and maneuver behind the opponent to shoot them down.

The key here is the helicopter’s machine gun, and the weapon operator responsible for controlling the machine gun.

This is also the most notable advantage of the "Z-10A."

The 30mm machine gun developed specifically for the "Z-10A" not only has vast power, but the turret located on the underside offers the broadest firing arc among all current armed helicopters, with a horizontal rotation angle of plus or minus 120 degrees, and a vertical rotation angle from positive 15 degrees to negative 75 degrees.

Under the control of the weapon operator, this machine gun can attack almost all targets except those in the rear 120 degrees and directly below.

Furthermore, 30mm shells can instant kill targets like helicopters.

In comparison, the "Tiger" style machine gun is clearly inferior.

Although the "Tiger" style also uses a 30mm machine gun, with no less power, it is mounted at the nose, precisely below the fuselage.

Due to obstruction from the fuselage, the direction shooting arc of this M781 machine gun is much worse than that of the "Z-10A."

As for survivability, the two are simply not on the same level.

The vital parts of the "Z-10A," for example, the rotor, can still operate for 30 minutes after being hit by a 30mm shell, providing the pilot a chance for an emergency landing. The two engines installed on either side of the fuselage are separated by the fuselage, making the probability of being entirely destroyed by a single shell very low. Even with just one engine, the "Z-10A" can allow the other engine to work in overload mode for 15 minutes. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The "Tiger" style does not have these capabilities.

Simply put, if both sides hit each other, the "Tiger" will crash immediately, while the "Z-10A" has a high probability of being able to fly for at least 15 more minutes.

Do not underestimate these 15 minutes.

On the battlefield, this means having the ability to fly behind friendly lines and land in a controlled area, increasing the pilot’s chance of survival.

Of course, these are not the issues Lian Mingyang is concerned with.

At 7 p.m., Lian Mingyang set out with his team.

The latest reconnaissance report showed that the enemy’s vanguard has advanced several dozen kilometers south from Akhtubinsk, about 80 kilometers from the defensive line of the East Luosha Army.

At the enemy’s rate of advance, they could launch an attack as early as between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Even if they encounter trouble along the way, such as needing some time to prepare for the attack, they will certainly be able to launch the offensive before 12 a.m.

In addition, it should be noted that the armored forces of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division can only arrive after 1 a.m.

For the previous few hours, apart from the East Luosha Army on the defensive line, the only force capable of stopping the enemy would be Lian Mingyang’s low altitude assault unit.

As for the Air Force’s attack aircraft, they primarily operate in the north, bombing enemy forces advancing toward Orenburg.

The East Luosha Air Force is mainly responsible for the south, blocking enemy forces advancing toward Novorossiysk.

Furthermore, the Empire Air Force has already begun strategic bombing of the West Continent Group, targeting objectives behind the front lines, contributing little to stopping the enemy’s armored assault force.

As Zheng Zhishuang put it, whether the enemy can be kept outside Astrakhan hinges on tonight.

If the enemy’s offensive can be thwarted tonight, if their assault forces can be hit, making them halt and regroup their forces for another assault, there will be enough time to adjust defensive deployments, and thus a chance to establish a front line north of Astrakhan to engage in decisive battle against the enemy’s main force.

If tonight’s reprisal operation fails, the consequences are unimaginable.

Do not forget, coming from the north are as many as three armored brigades, including one elite unit from the Tiaoman Army.

Additionally, there’s the Tiaoman Low Altitude Assault Brigade.

If unable to stop the enemy, in at most two days, the enemy’s armored flood could reach Astrakhan.

Of course, Lian Mingyang and his team are not fighting alone.

The 04101 Battalion of the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division is already moving north, and speeding toward the battlefield, expected to arrive half an hour earlier than the front line.

Zheng Zhishuang adjusted the mission temporarily because of this.

Lian Mingyang and his team’s primary task is to ensure air superiority, namely to block enemy armed helicopters to ensure the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division’s armored forces can enter the battle smoothly.

In this way, coordination with the armored forces is necessary.

Fortunately, this is not a difficult task.

Coordinating with the armored forces in combat is inherently the number one task of the low altitude assault unit, i.e., armed helicopters, and is a focal point in their daily training.

For this purpose, the Empire Army has specially established a communication and command system covering the entire army.

Relying on this system, upon reaching the battlefield, Lian Mingyang and his team must follow the orders of the armored brigade commander, becoming a temporary reinforcement force of the armored brigade.

In fact, this is also a kind of liberation.

While coordinating with the armored forces in combat, Lian Mingyang and his team no longer need to worry about logistical issues.

According to Zheng Zhishuang’s arrangement, the brigade will set several temporary landing sites behind the front lines, and arrange logistical units to provide necessary support for the armed helicopters.

Of course, mainly supplying fuel and shells.

No need to say more about fuel; the turbo-shaft engine can directly use diesel. Infantry fighting vehicles also use 30mm machine guns, and the ammunition is common with the "Z-10A."

As for missiles, transport helicopters need to deliver them from the rear.

However, this can effectively enhance the combat efficiency of the armed helicopters.

In summary, this time they are not acting as lone heroes, but coordinating combat with brother units!