May 26, 2020, 14:20

  th Flight Training Wing Air Force Base, Muju-kun, Junbook.

  The Chinese J-20 fighter jets approached a distance of 250 km, but as they could not detect the Phoenix Flight Wing, they flew back over the Western Sea.

  “Fire Rattle Snake missiles at each target if they reach within 200 of the missiles’ range.”
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  Maeng-gu, confirmed DAT-

  Dal-gu, confirmed DAT-

  Hyuck-gu, confirmed DAT.

  A moment later, when the Chinese Flight Wing reached the Rattlesnake mid-range air-to-air missiles’ range, the four KF-21P Phoenix fighter jets fired 32 missiles, which spewed out blue flames and flew toward the Chinese J-20 jets at Mach 12. The J-20 fighter jets’ missile alarms must have gone off again because the jets all made evasive maneuvers and broke formation.

  However, all 32 jets were struck down. The Chinese jets released powerful jamming emissions, along with chaffs and flares, and made evasive maneuvers. However, before they even had the chance to fire their newly-developed 200 km-range PL-15 mid-ranged missiles, they were vaporized in the sky.

  Modern air warfare is simple. It’s a strategy of who has the upper hand in terms of reach and firepower, and a game of who detects who first. From this perspective, the recently developed 5th-generation jets were no match for Korea’s newly-developed 6.5-generation Phoenix fighter jets.

  China’s J-20 fighter jets were only 5th generation in name, and the Western nations all considered them as 4.5 generation jets. The reason being that although the externals of the jet looked like America’s F-22 stealth fighter jets, the jet’s material coating, which was supposed to absorb radio waves, was poor in quality. The jet also lacked electronic warfare equipment and systems. As a result, there were no real differences between China’s J-15 and J-20 jets.

  Captain Choi Young-ho’s flight wing had successfully passed the second test and was now entering the third test stage.

  Beep~ Beep~

  Information on the F-22 jets was displayed on the radar screen with an alert, indicating that dozens of bandits (identified enemy planes) were detected at the Phoenix Flight Wing’s 6 o’clock.

  In truth, the F-22 jets would have a hard time appearing at a distance of 55 km from the Phoenix jets undetected. However, these emergency situations were programmed into the simulation in order to improve the pilot’s abilities.

  “South point bandit 16 F-22 distance 55 check! Take Spirit S and then maintain line Everest.”
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  Maeng-gu, confirmed DAT-

  Dal-gu, confirmed DAT-

  Hyuck-gu, confirmed DAT.

  When the mock F-22 enemies showed up 55 km from their rear, Captain Choi Young-ho kept his cool and ordered his flight wing to go into Dog Fight battle formation, which is for battles between high-tech stealth jets.

  At the direction of Captain Choi Young-ho, the four Phoenix jets lowered their altitude and maneuvered from left to right. When the flight wing got into position, a HUD screen lit up on the Phoenix pilots’ helmet visors and showed the F-22 jets.

  “Yeong-gu, Standby S-AAM-50 Magpie Viper (Short-range air-to-air missile), fire.”
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  Maeng-gu, Fox Two-

  Dal-gu, Fox Two-

  Hyuck-gu, Fox Two-

  Yeong-gu, Fox Two.

  At Captain Choi Young-ho’s orders, the jets fired two missiles at a time. A total of eight infrared short-range missiles flew off, billowing white smoke, at the same time the RWR (radar warning receiver) alarm sounded.

  Beep~ Beep~ Beep~

  The F-22 fighters’ powerful radar AN/APG-77 detected the Phoenix jets in its visible range and locked-on the missiles. The jets then launched their AIM-120 AMRAAMs-

  “Yeong-gu, launch! Launch! Launch! AMRAAMs. Flight Wing, all music on, break turn.”
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  Maeng-gu, Dal-gu, Hyeok-gu, confirmed DAT.

  The missiles launched by the Phoenix jets and F-22 jets charged at each other, and each flight wing used their SECM jammers while transitioning into emergency evasive maneuvers. It was a true dog fight between the 21st century’s high-tech stealth fighter jets.

  The first infrared missile that Captain Choi Young-ho fired charged toward the two F-22 jets, which then took evasive maneuvers and sprayed chaff and flares. But at such a short distance and at a high speed of Mach 8.5, the missiles hit the F-22 jets, and the jets exploded in the air. The six F-22 jets that were ahead of them also met the same fate.

  Now there were only eight F-22 jets left, but they outnumbered the Phoenix jets by two to one.

  Two AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles flew toward Captain Choi Young-ho at Mach 4. He trusted the jet’s A.I. fire control system and fired the 20mm laser Vulcan beams.

  Pew~ Pew~ Pew~ Pew~ Pew~

  The first AMRAAM was intercepted by the stream of laser beams and exploded in the air. The second AMRAAM flew through the flames and was about to release its firing mechanism when Captain Choi Young-ho spun his plane quickly like a drill ten times and started a sudden right-sided evasive maneuver. This caused the AMRAAM, which had already sent out fragments, to hit empty air. If this evasive maneuver was done with a regular fighter jet, then the pilot would have had the blood rush to his head from the force of 9G, causing him to lose consciousness. But the Phoenix fighter jet had a counter gravity system, and the pilot inside it could only feel up to 2G of force. Additionally, the A.I. piloting system linked to the pilot’s helmet was capable of automatically balancing the jet.

  With this advanced technology, the KF-21P fighter jet showed superior maneuverability despite being outnumbered in the dogfight, and it took out the F-22 jets.

  Captain Choi Young-ho alerted his wingman, Captain Jeon Chang-bin, of the danger. “Yeong-gu, contact, Maeng-gu, check six.”
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  Maeng-gu, confirmed DAT.

  Captain Jeon Chang-bin raised the nose of his jet high and sharply increased the angle of attack so he could make a sudden stop with the generated air resistance. This is called the “Cobra maneuver,” but the technical term is “high-speed yo-yo” maneuver. The F-22 jets approaching from the rear passed over the captain’s jet and shot forward. When the tide of the battle turned in his favor, Captain Jeon Chang-bin dropped his jet and recovered momentum, then moved behind the F-22 jets to begin shooting the 20mm laser Vulcan beams.

  Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew ~

  Numerous laser beams struck the jets’ engines, which then lit into flames, causing the jets to explode-

  Hit-

  Yeong-gu, contact. Maeng-gu, good job.”


  With a spectacular evasive maneuver, Captain Jeon Chang-bin passed by and complimented the attack. However, an urgent radio message from Hyuck-gu came on the comms-

  Hyuck-gu, launch! Launch! Launch!

  Lieutenant Oh Seung-gil, whose call sign was Hyuck-gu, was busy avoiding the sidewinder missiles at his 9 o’clock.

  “Yeong-gu, contact. Dal-gu, loop.”
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  Dal-gu, confirmed DAT.

  At Flight Leader Yeong-gu’s order, Dal-gu shot his jet shot upward and then circulated back from his evasive maneuver, as if to tumble back. After he made one round, the sidewinder that was giving chase couldn’t handle the sudden change in angle and began to spin. Captain Choi Young-ho took this opportunity to strike down the sidewinder with the laser Vulcan beams.

  Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew~

  Boom!

  After a few minutes into the dog fight, only two F-22 fighter jets were left. The F-22 jets all gathered toward Hyuck-gu. They outnumbered him, but his wingman, Dal-gu, flew in from his 9 o’clock and fired 20mm Vulcan beams. When the F-22 jets were hit by the multiple laser beams, they lost balance and tilted to the right, then crashed.

  There was only one enemy jet left. The F-22 seemed to be trying to make one last struggle. It raised its altitude to turn around and then fired its AMRAAM missiles and last Sidewinder simultaneously. As a result, Maeng-gu, Hyuck-gu, and Cheolpgu’s jets’ lock-on alarms sounded, and the three flight wing members raised their SECM outputs and then made evasive maneuvers, releasing flares and chaffs.

  Unlike his three comrades, Captain Choi Young-ho was free from enemy jets. He used the afterburner to thrust toward the last F-22 Raptor jet. Then, he flew above the jet and shot laser Vulcan beams over the top of it.

  Pew pew pew pew pew ~ Pew pew pew pew pew~

  The 20mm laser Vulcan beams fell like a stream of light and passed straight through the F-22’s canopy, leaving a line of burn marks. The F-22 made a hammerhead turn to try and change direction, but it lost its balance and plummeted to the ground.

  After the last F-22 jet crashed to the ground, the powerful SECM jammers disabled the seekers of the AMRAAM missiles heading toward Maeng-gu and Hyuck-gu, causing the missiles to explode. The sidewinder heading toward Chul-gu hit one of the flares and also blew up.

  Simulation complete.

  The four Yeong-gu Flight Wing members finished the three stages of the simulation. They were high-fiving each other and celebrating their best improvement yet.

  “Chang-bin, your Cobra maneuver was amazing.”


  “Of course! Who do you think I am?”


  “Man, don’t you know humility?”


  Both of them teased each other and bumped fists, and Lieutenant Oh Seung-gil and Han Sang-jin, who were both in the simulation with them, gave them a thumbs-up.

  “Great work, Captain Choi and Jeon, sirs.”


  “Yes, you two as well. You must have had a hard time listening to that idiot Captain Choi.” Captain Jeon Chang-bin pointed to Captain Choi Young-ho and began to laugh.

  “If I’m an idiot, then you’re an idiot too.”


  “Ha ha ha.”


  That day, the final simulation tests for the KF-21P were conducted with 20 flight wings, and the Yeong-gu Flight Wing, which had gone last, took first place with a score of 94 out of 100.

  Yeong-gu: J-15 jets shot down: 4. J-20 jets shot down: 8. F-22 jets shot down: 5.

  Maeng-gu: J-15 jets shot down: 4. J-20 jets shot down: 8. F-22 jets shot down: 4.

  Dal-gu: J-15 jets shot down: 4. J-20 jets shot down: 8. F-22 jets shot down: 3.

  Hyuck-gu: J-15 jets shot down: 4. J-20 jets shot down: 8. F-22 jets shot down: 4.

  When the results came in, Choi Young-ho and Jeon Chang-bin embraced each other and cheered.