The air defense network made up of dozens of anti-air missiles looks full of holes, but missile interception isn't like the stubborn pursuit shown in the movie Top Gun.

Because the missile's fuel is limited, it can only support a flight time of several seconds, then most of the time it's gliding without power, all relying on electronic programs to pre-calculate the trajectory of enemy aircraft or enemy missiles, then preset points for attack.

At most, the vector engine system uses its limited remaining fuel to correct the trajectory.

And when the radar shows "enemy missile" to the pilot, his reaction time won't exceed ten seconds.

Bad news

The planes and missiles of 2076 seem very advanced.

Good news

The planes of 2076 are still controlled by people.

Moreover, the person inside is likely, like those in the power armor of large companies, to be a torso without limbs, just a living stick.

But the even better news is, there are no people in Horizon Corporation's planes and missiles.

Because human talent is the largest drawback limiting fighter jet maneuver parameters, the G-force that human flesh can endure is limited, no matter how many cybernetic enhancements you install, if the brain isn't replaced, it's all the same.

In the face of physiological tolerance limits, no matter how fast your reaction speed, it's useless; this isn't a problem that Sianweistan and Krenzikov can solve.

But if the pilot isn't factored in, then how fast planes and missiles can fly, how strong their maneuverability is entirely depends on material, fuel, and the reaction speed of artificial intelligence.

It's like that Cuban missile deliberately bumped into the Horizon anti-air missile in front, as the distance between them shortened to several meters.

With a boom

The anti-air missile triggered its proximity explosion program.

Only at this point can players on the beachhead see some traces through high-magnification cyber eyes.

In the far distance, the sky lights up dozens of times in succession, followed by flames burning across the sky, like meteors scattered toward the ground, with some fragments flying over the player's positions high in the air.

Inside, there are shot-down missiles, and crashed Cuban aircraft.

With the help of radar and doorframe robots' electronic eyes, players in Cyberspace clearly watched the entire short air defense battle.

"Cool! Damn, this in-game CG cutscene almost made me piss myself."

"When are we going to fly up there? If I could sit in a fighter jet and go up for a fight, my life would be worth it."

"You want to fly? You, a dumbass who needs to retake the C1 course three times, dreaming of flying a plane? In your dreams."

Meanwhile, the command center's Wildman was posting a confidential inquiry to the big shots on the official forum.

[Our first batch of Raider drones has just arrived at the coast. If connected to Sky Net, they should be able to take on these planes with short-range turbine acceleration. Should we give it a try and see what they're made of?]

Although this round of attacks seemed not aimed at them, as military technology is considered the players' allies, they certainly couldn't remain unmoved like some people, leaving their allies in a bind, right?

However, the big shots on the official forum had a very unified opinion.

[No action]

[If military technology dared to bring the airship to the Gulf of Mexico, it indicates it inherently possesses considerable air defense firepower. If it can't withstand even one round of Cuban airstrikes, then you really need to start reconsidering whether military technology is qualified as a co-op partner. Change partners sooner rather than later.]

[Now is not the time to expose your trump card, the later the trump card is revealed, the greater the impact when you do. Additionally, a batch of drones isn't enough yet, they haven't been loaded with air-to-air missiles, so even if deployed, they can't fully exert their advantages. You need close to a five-figure number to truly make an impact.]

Alright then, seeing this attitude from the big shots, Wildman quelled his impulse to interfere.

But five figures... is he for real?

And as the big shots predicted, those three airships not only fired massive anti-air missiles and close-in guns for interception but also secretly held six fighter jets that went up for a thorough dogfight.

Finally, military technology's pilots and planes slightly prevailed, sacrificing a 1:3 ratio to destroy three of the opponents, making the Cuban Air Force retreat.

If Horizon Corporation hadn't intercepted midway, although military technology could still win the fight, they likely would have suffered more casualties.

But this also gave players a reminder, they were not facing minor warlords or bandits like the Chaotic Blade Association or Netherworld Dog, but a gang that stole national armed forces, a drug cartel. No matter how they look down on them, strategically, they must absolutely focus on the enemy.

And they must also catch up rapidly in developing their own armed forces.

————

"Not bad for the first day."

Looking at the results reported by the players, Lin Miao was beaming.

He doesn't understand military affairs, but standing firm on the beachhead according to the original plan, capturing the airport, repelling the opposing army's reinforcements, and leaving a strong impression in front of military technology, is definitely a reason for joy.

Even Lin Miao could say that this round was expertly done.

With this opening success, he can leverage for more bargaining chips in subsequent negotiations with military technology.

After checking the battle report, then viewing the application from the players:

[Application to build an entertainment live-stream software covering US cities—Truth Department]

Entertainment live-stream software covering US cities... dude, you're really dreaming big, do you know what you're talking about?