Empire Conquest-Chapter 921 - 130: Key Factors_2
Unfortunately, Fanluo Country is a typical case of having eyes set on high goals but lacking the capability.
Only a few months later, the E-3A early warning aircraft rented by the Newland Air Force to the Fanluo Air Force for testing crashed. Not only was the early warning aircraft completely burnt out, but none of the more than 20 crew members survived. Critically, this E-3A is under the Newland Air Force’s name, and among the crew members killed in the air crash, 13 were Newland Air Force personnel, including one who was the nephew of the Senator from Texas, Chairman of the Senate Military Committee.
At that time, the E-3A was sent to Fanluo Country for test flights to market this large early warning aircraft and help arms dealers secure huge orders.
This incident directly led to the resignation of both the Newland Air Force Chief of Staff and the Minister of Defense.
It was later discovered that the cause of the accident was that the Fanluo Air Force maintenance personnel, during maintenance, added only two-thirds of the necessary hydraulic oil, used waste oil as a substitute, which caused the hydraulic system’s pipes to clog, failing to reach the pressure needed for operation, making the hydraulic mechanism controlling the rudder surfaces unable to function normally, eventually leading to the E-3A crashing during emergency landing because of major aerodynamic control surface failure.
The key point is that the hydraulic oil was sold by the maintenance personnel to a scrap dealer at a price of 15,000 LKR, which is less than 1,000 Newland Dollar.
Just for a few hundred Newland Dollar, causing a nearly 300 million Newland Dollar E-3A to crash, probably only the Fanluo Air Force could have done such a thing.
Although the main personnel involved received severe punishment, with the leading officer sentenced to 15 years in prison, the impact of this event continued through New Calendar year 147.
It was not until that year that the Newland Authority approved the military sale contract of E-3 to Fanluo Country.
This was a full seven years later than originally planned!
However, the export was no longer the E-3A but rather the improved E-3B with enhanced signal processing capabilities, specifically the export model of E-3B. Compared to the Newland Air Force’s E-3B, the E-3BI exported to Fanluo Country retained the complete air detection capability, but reduced by two data communication sets, added voice communication channels, and included a dedicated resting cabin for airborne officers to meet the special requirements of the Fanluo Air Force. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
The reason is simple: Besides the F-15 and F-16 series introduced after New Calendar year 140, the main combat aircraft of the Fanluo Air Force did not have data links equipped, still relying on commanders to give combat orders through voice communication equipment.
Moreover, the Fanluo Air Force had no plans to add data link equipment to other combat aircraft.
To talk about it, the Fanluo Air Force has never had a tradition of upgrading and modifying existing combat aircraft.
Actually, this is also the "norm."
Almost all weaponry exported to Fanluo Country needs modification to be usable by the Fanluo Army.
Take the Army’s main battle tank for example, Fanluo Country’s self-developed "Arjun 1" actually utilizes a diesel engine, and it was downsized to reduce the combat weight to 44 tons of the M1. The main reason for the "downsizing" is that the passage capacity of most highway bridges within Fanluo Country are nearly all below 45 tons, hence the weight of the main battle tank must be controlled within 45 tons, otherwise maneuverability on the battlefield would be impossible.
Consequently, the protection performance of "Arjun 1" is not even comparable to the second-generation M60A3!
With the "Arjun 2," the Fanluo Army relaxed the weight limitations, increased to the level of M1A1, and used the imported 120 mm smoothbore cannon from the Newland Republic. The problem is, the Fanluo Army insisted on the diesel engine and ultimately chose the power system developed by the Bulan Kingdom for the "Challenger," insisting on domestic production. The result is that the performance index of the domestic powertrain has never met the requirements, so nearly 10 years into development, there are still only a dozen prototypes, and no one knows when it can be mass-produced.
Surely, the Fanluo Air Force is not much better.
After obtaining the F-16A/B, the Fanluo Air Force originally could introduce the F-16C/D or even buy the production line to manufacture domestically. Regrettably, not knowing what went wrong, the Fanluo Air Force insisted on using domestically produced light fighters, also requiring them to be cheaper than F-16A/B, meaning smaller fighters, thus abandoning the F-100 engines used by F-16A/B, choosing the F-404 engines used by F/A-18A/B for the LCA, i.e., "Advanced Light Fighter." After several years of development, this fighter jet didn’t even have complete drawings!
Nonetheless, the E-3BI did significantly enhance the combat capability of the Fanluo Air Force.
Before the war broke out, the Fanluo Air Force had acquired 6 E-3BI, with an additional 2 already assembled and ready for delivery after testing.
Moreover, the Newland Air Force deployed 4 more advanced E-3C in Fanluo Country.
Actually, these E-3C were originally planned to be sold to the Bulan Kingdom, only hindered by the Tiaoman Empire’s obstruction, coupled with the Bulan Royal Air Force’s inability to provide corresponding assurances, mainly prohibiting Tiaoman Air Force personnel from accessing E-3C, which kept the Newland Authority from approving the export contract.
Consequently, all 10 produced E-3C were handed over to the Newland Air Force for use.
Compared to E-3B, E-3C mainly enhanced electromagnetic confrontation, namely, its anti-jamming capability, adding several sets of communication equipment to contact the ground command.
The 4 E-3C of Newland Air Force are deployed in the southern region of Fanluo Country, with the main mission of monitoring Diego Base.
The main threat was the 6 E-3BI.
In fact, this was the key reason the Empire Air Force sent 4 "Reconnaissance-29C" to Bakistan.
In the subsequent battle, 2 "Reconnaissance-29C" made the 2 deployed E-3BI of the Fanluo Air Force blind, unable to perform their expected role.
Once the Fanluo Air Force realized the situation and urgently dispatched 2 more E-3BI, the air battle had already entered its concluding stage.
With the assistance of "Zhi-8C" and "Reconnaissance-29C," the Bakistan Air Force, with over 100 fighters, not only resisted nearly a thousand fighters from the Fanluo Air Force but also achieved the impressive result of shooting down 86 enemy aircraft in about 2 hours of combat without any losses.
Of course, "no losses" is actually a publicity term.
In the air battle on that early morning, the Bakistan Air Force lost at least 11 fighters to the Fanluo Air Force’s fighters, and another 17 fighters either crashed on their way back or were scrapped after returning, with a total of 22 pilots killed or missing in action.
Compared to the results achieved, the Bakistan Air Force’s losses were completely acceptable.
According to the combat report provided by the Bakistan Air Force, among the 86 enemy aircraft shot down, at least 34 were F-15A/B, and another 28 were F-16A/B. The key point is, there are dozens of combat results that are unverifiable. The enemy aircraft were all shot down by Bakistan fighters using medium-range air-to-air missiles beyond visual range, and all crashed within Fanluo Country’s territory, making evidence impossible to obtain, only having pilots’ unilateral testimony.
However, most importantly, it shattered the Fanluo Air Force’s initial raid!
The Fanluo Air Force deployed nearly a thousand combat aircraft, certainly intending to destroy the Bakistan Air Force and defense system through the first round of air strikes to gain air supremacy, then destroy Bakistan’s border defenses through air strikes and assist ground troops in advancing into Bakistan territory.
According to this tactic, the Fanluo Army could maintain control over the battlefield initiative throughout.
If the advancement was swift, there was even hope to capture Bakistan’s capital, Yibao, and the key port city Karachi before the Liangxia Empire’s reinforcements arrived.
Strategically, occupying these two cities basically secures the victory.
Of course, the key is the first round of airborne attacks.
Otherwise, the Fanluo Air Force wouldn’t have dispatched a large proportion of its combat aircraft!
Regrettably, under the strong blockade of the Bakistan Air Force, particularly after the F-15A/B and F-16A/B plane groups responsible for seizing air supremacy were defeated, the following attack aircraft groups lost cover, and almost all were intercepted by Bakistan fighters, prematurely dropping their bombs.
A few fearless plane groups were also shot down by Bakistan fighters before entering Bakistan airspace.
Here, there is another very crucial factor.
In September, the Bakistan Air Force obtained 1500 KK-12A medium-range air-to-air missiles and modified the "War-10AP," mainly updating the fire control radar software system and installing data link equipment, thereby gaining the ability to use KK-12A.
The Empire Air Force’s "War-10" series fighters were also undergoing similar upgrades.
It’s precisely the possession of the advanced performance KK-12A that allowed Bakistan "War-10AP" to defeat the even more powerful F-15A/B in air combat. It should be noted that the KK-12A can intercept fighters 60 kilometers away, whereas the AIM-7F "Sparrow" missile used by F-15A/B often has an interception range of less than 30 kilometers for fighters. Furthermore, the F-15A/B plane groups were constantly subjected to electromagnetic suppression.
In fact, many of the Fanluo Air Force’s attack aircraft abandoned the raid missions when subjected to electromagnetic suppression and unable to obtain accurate battlefield information.
Don’t be fooled by the Fanluo pilots’ rather unimpressive technical and tactical abilities, for they are exceptionally astute when faced with life and death decisions.
