Empire Conquest-Chapter 825 - 83: The Three-Horse Team (2)

Besides, the bomber isn’t much better than the attack aircraft, except that the cockpit is slightly larger.

Because working conditions are so harsh, the Empire Air Force has had to offer very high allowances and attractive perks to retain pilots and accurately compete with civilian airlines, doing their utmost to extend the service time of pilots who have been trained with a large amount of investment.

Before the outbreak of the great war, the average service time of Empire Air Force pilots before retirement was as high as 13 years, the highest in the world. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Even so, every year, a large number of pilots leave.

If not for having the largest and most complete pilot training system in the world, the problem of insufficient pilots would have been exposed a long time ago.

Anyway, the arrival of the "Attack-9B" greatly improved the strike capability of the Tactical Air Force.

However, the "Attack-9B" isn’t everything.

Along with the arrival of the "Attack-9B," there were also two brand new "Zhi-10A" Joint Command Aircraft.

These are two new aircraft that rolled off the production line last month.

To speak of it, the "Zhi-10A" is the key among the keys.

In the evaluation of the Empire Air Force, the "Zhi-10A" is not only a force multiplier but also an advanced weapon that changes the face of war.

Over at Boss Bay, the "Zhi-10A" has already proven its enormous value.

Just in August, the Empire Air Force’s "War-16A" plane group, under the guidance of "Zhi-10A," destroyed a dozen Iraqi ballistic missile launch vehicles.

Moreover, under the command of "Zhi-10A," several brilliant massive airstrikes were launched.

For example, on August 11, the "Zhi-10A" operating in the northern airspace of Saudi Arabia detected a convoy of Iraqi armored forces moving towards the border, then called upon rear strike forces and guided the Air Force’s multi-purpose fighter to destroy this armored force with over 100 tanks in about half an hour, directly crushing the Iraqi Army’s reprisal ambition.

Later on August 23, the "Zhi-10A" commanded the "War-16A" plane group to bombard an Iraqi army attempting to retreat from Kuwait, turning the entire highway into a sea of fire in a half-day bombardment, annihilating this elite force with tens of thousands of soldiers.

The top value of "Zhi-10A" is to significantly improve the strike efficiency of Tactical Air Force.

However, there are still some voices of doubt.

When the "Zhi-10A" was deployed in battle over at Boss Bay, the Iraqi Air Force had been crushed, and the Empire Air Force firmly held air superiority, so the "Zhi-10A" could patrol in the forward airspace near the battlefield, thereby achieving a detection distance of more than 150 kilometers.

Clearly, against an enemy with a strong defense system, the "Zhi-10A" may not necessarily be able to deploy forward.

West Luosha has a strong air defense system, with the range of its S-300 air defense missiles exceeding 100 kilometers, and the latest model possibly reaching 200 kilometers.

If this is the case, the "Zhi-10A" would have to retreat, substantially shortening the effective detection distance.

To monitor the battlefield, the "Zhi-10A" must be deployed forward, hence facing numerous unknown, uncontrollable risks.

Speaking of value, the "Zhi-10A" is above the "Zhi-8C."

Given its performance in the Boss Bay war, it is inevitably a thorn in the enemy’s side, easily targeted on the battlefield.

If deploying a large number of fighters to cover the "Zhi-10A," it might be overkill.

Overall, the "Zhi-10A" is more like a weapon designed to tackle weaker enemies, and in full-scale war, it might not perform well.

According to this view, the Air Force should focus more on small support aircraft, relying on battlefield observation aircraft like the "Attack-2EG" to guide airstrike operations.

This is also the key reason why the Air Force hasn’t retired the "Attack-2EG."

Of course, whether the "Zhi-10A" can adapt to high-intensity warfare still needs to be proven through actual combat.

Precisely because of this, the Air Force dispatched the newly received two "Zhi-10A" to guide and command the "Attack-9B" plane group to launch attacks.

Additionally, the Air Force has also dispatched a large number of electronic reconnaissance aircraft and Electronic Attack Aircraft.

Yes, the same "Attack-8FZ" Electronic Attack Aircraft that shone brightly in the Boss Bay war.

According to the Air Force’s arrangement, when the "Attack-9B" plane group launches an attack and the "Zhi-10A" advances to about 100 kilometers behind the front line, each of the four main reprisal directions has two sub-teams of "Attack-8FZ," including one sub-team of four aircraft performing electromagnetic suppression tasks at the forefront.

As for the other sub-team, it’s on standby in the rear to ensure it can move forward at any time to deal with urgent needs.

If we’re going to talk about it, this is definitely a significant operation.

The total number of "Attack-8FZ" is less than 100, with more than 30 stationed in Boss Bay, and it’s necessary to retain some forces for other strategic directions. Therefore, the Empire Air Force can deploy up to 40 "Attack-8FZ" to the Northwest Battlefield, and this time they’ve used 32 of them.

Actually, the Empire Air Force has realized the severe shortage of electronic attack aircraft and is already addressing this issue.

Last month, the Empire Air Force issued only one procurement order, which is to convert 120 stored "Attack-8" into electronic attack aircraft.

The key is to carry out improvements according to the latest standards.

This is related to the future development plan of the "Attack-8FZ".

Years ago, the Empire Air Force suggested developing an electronic attack aircraft to replace the "Attack-8FZ", but it has always been just a wish.

The reason is simple. The number of such specialized aircraft won’t be large, just over 100 at most, so developing a dedicated platform would be outrageously expensive. As you know, other tactical aircraft, even the ones with the fewest numbers like heavy ship-borne fighters, exceed 600 units.

In comparison, modifying existing combat aircraft is clearly more appropriate.

Of course, both the Air Force and the Navy have always done so.

The Air Force modifies the "Attack-8", while the Navy modifies the "Attack-5".

The main reason for choosing attack aircraft, apart from the fact that electronic attack aircraft don’t pursue maneuverability, is that heavy attack aircraft have larger internal space.

As for the shortcomings of attack aircraft, such as slow flight speed, it’s actually not a big issue.

Electronic attack aircraft mainly operate alongside attack aircraft, suppressing enemy air defense systems, so a flight speed on par with the main attack aircraft of the time is sufficient.

Moreover, the "Attack-8" is itself a supersonic attack aircraft, so the speed of "Attack-8FZ" is not slow.

In comparison, the Navy’s "Attack-5" prioritizes long range, so its full-load cruising speed is much slower than that of Air Force attack aircraft.

This issue becomes particularly pronounced during coordinated operations.

If the Navy provides cover, electronic attack aircraft need to depart in advance to wait in the designated airspace; otherwise, they can’t keep up with the Air Force’s combat aircraft.

Because the "Attack-5CZ" is unreliable, the Air Force is unwilling to retire the "Attack-8FZ", which has been in service for 30 years.

However, this doesn’t mean the "Attack-8FZ" is perfect.

In comparison, the biggest issue with the "Attack-8FZ" is maintenance complexity and high upkeep costs.

This is also why the Air Force is reluctant to purchase too many "Attack-8FZ" and prefers to request naval support when necessary.

In summary, the Air Force has always wanted to acquire a cheap yet sufficiently capable electronic attack aircraft.

The Air Force initially planned to develop an electronic attack aircraft based on the "War-16".

However, after intervention from the Ministry of Defense, the Air Force had to compromise, accepting the Ministry’s arrangement to have the Navy lead the development of a dedicated electronic attack aircraft, with joint procurement by the Air Force and Navy, lowering costs through mass procurement and simplifying logistical support.

The Navy chose the platform currently being developed, "Attack-X".

The rationale is simple: the "Attack-X" project is led by the Navy, giving it absolute authority.

According to the agreement, the Air Force is responsible for the development of the electronic warfare subsystem, because the Air Force has more experience.

Since the "Attack-X" project has been delayed repeatedly, the Air Force has been using new technology to modify the "Attack-8FZ", claiming externally that the "Attack-8FZ" is being tested for weapon systems for the next generation of electronic attack aircraft. However, due to funding constraints, not all "Attack-8FZ" have been modified.

Before the outbreak of the great war, only about 50 "Attack-8FZ" were modified, and they were the batch with the shortest service life.

These modified "Attack-8FZ" are the ones deployed this time.

In the reprisal actions on the night of the 14th, the "Attack-8FZ" and "Zhi-10A" were the real main forces, playing a decisive role.

As for the results achieved by the reprisal, there is no doubt.

The key is that deploying so many support aircraft, to anyone, signifies a large-scale reprisal. No one sees it as just a feint.