February 2, 2021, 23:15

  The Air Force Base of the 25th Air Wing on Jeju Island

  “Missiles detected off the southern tip of Jeju Island! Total, total of 54.”


  The radar operation soldier of the 25th Air Wing yelled at the top of his lungs.

  “What are you talking about all of a sudden?” The officer in charge of radar asked in surprise, to which the radar operator spit out a desperate answer.

  “There are 25 m-missiles! Flying at a speed above Mach 2 towards the whole Jeju Island area, sir.”


  “Did you say Mach 2? Commence the process of declaring a situation and interception! Immediately!”


  The air defense forces of the 25th Air Wing immediately declared the situation that they had first detected the unidentified missiles that had appeared so suddenly to the headquarters of the 7th Carrier Task Group that was in the entire Jeju Island area, as well as the 9th Marine Brigade. At this, the 300PX Cheongung 1 surface-to-air missiles and the S-LAM 300 Cheongung A2 surface-to-air missiles throughout the entire Jeju Island area rocketed up to the heavens.

  However, time was the tricky part. Even though several battalions responsible for anti-aircraft watch had quickly started the mechanical process of interception, several supersonic Sakurabana 09-style SL cruise missiles had already reached their targets before the intercepting missiles got to them.

  This was because they came from such a short distance, and also their speed was at Mach 3, meaning it took them less than two minutes to reach their targets.

  Craaash! Craaash!

  The strike target of the first supersonic cruise missile was the stationing base of the 9th Marine Brigade. The first explosion was accompanied by a raging tornado of flames, while the debris from the trucks and buildings that had been set up soared in the air. This time, the marine barracks building was completely smashed and blown up, and as the marines had been unable to avoid it, they were also thrown into the air with the fragments of the buildings.

  In this situation, the 22 Sakurabana 09-style SL missiles that were heading toward the 25th Air Wing used the topography of the land and flew with free maneuvers that utilized multiple thrust vectors. On the other side, the S-LAM 300 Cheongung A2 surface-to-air missiles that had been launched to intercept them were also shooting down to earth after reaching a predetermined altitude.

  A few of the Sakurabana 09-style SL missiles were hit with huge explosions from the S-LAM 300 Cheongung A2 surface-to-air missiles that were fearsomely falling on them, and they struck the earth with a bunch of debris. But, 15 of the Sakurabana 09-style SL missiles had slipped out of the interception firewall, and at the last second, they sent up spurts of smoke at multiple targets in the 25th Air Wing.

  Just then, a single burst of light poured out from the sky, blowing up the Sakurabana missile that was about to ram into the Igloo. As it was such an urgent situation, Zeus 1 had also deployed an interception.

  Craash! Boom! Booom!

  In an instant, with a few dozen explosions like a fireworks display, a massive amount of debris fell across the runway and the air base buildings. But, as they had not had quite enough time to respond, three enemy missiles struck the runway and the Igloo, exploding on impact. The Igloo collapsed under the explosive force of 500 kilograms, and the CF-21P Phoenix fighters inside sustained damage. Due to a large crater and the numerous debris, the airstrip had also temporarily lost its capability to facilitate launches and landings.

  On the other hand, the Wakashio-grade submarines quickly commenced the diving process after having fired all of their Sakurabana 09-style SL missiles.

  The two P-3CK marine surveillance planes that had been mobilized to strike the unidentified submarines as part of the Corean Marines Air Force were approaching their targets, and then three Hercules destroyer ships from the 72nd Task Group of the 7th Carrier Group 166 kilometers away each fired two SSM-700K Haesong A supersonic ship-to-ship missiles at the submarines.

  As the SSM-700K Haesong A supersonic ship-to-ship missiles flew towards them, the three Wakashio submarines rapidly began the process of diving, hiding themselves in the great depths—the missiles, having lost their targets, began the process of self-destruction and blew up in the air. At this, the P-3CK marine patrol aircraft airdropped six Blue Shark torpedoes, lightweight missiles with a range of up to nine kilometers.

  The missiles dropped from an elevation of one kilometer and quickly pierced through the surface of the water, where they directly emitted sound waves, detected their targets, and dove towards the three submarines using directional target detection for guided control.

  * * *

  February 2, 2021, 23:30,

  Seoul, Yongsan-ku, Bunker B2 (Situation Room of the Joint Command and Control Center for the Republic of Corea Army)

  As reports rapidly came in that several sites on Jeju Island had been attacked by the unidentified submarines, that some 300 surface-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles had been fired, and that 52 fighter planes were going from the 11th Air Wing and moving towards Busan, immediately a sense of anxiety that had never been felt until now swirled about the entire situation room in the headquarters of the joint chiefs of staff.

  “Fortunately, thanks to the emergency deployment of Zeus 1, it seems Jeju Island avoided serious casualties, sir.” The Head of Strategic Operations wiped the sweat off his forehead and let out a sigh of relief as he spoke.

  “That’s a one-in-a-million, incredibly lucky…… But then, this is very suspicious, how they were able to neutralize our anti-submarine net as well as our anti-aircraft net…… For now, I say we leave analysis to later and focus on once again confirming the current situation.”


  “Yes sir, Mr. Chairman! After completing its assignment, we are presently planning for Zeus 1 to take on the interception of the J-ONE surface-to-surface missiles, and two Samjoko fighters have just made emergency departure for battle. The combined forces of the First and Third Fleets, as well as the naval destroyer Yi Soon-shin, have commenced the process of intercepting the remaining 320 missiles.”


  “What about the fighters flying towards the Port of Busan?”


  “Yes, sir, currently 24 fighters of the 23rd Air Wing have departed.”


  Just then, one of the operators shouted out a report. “Sir, I’ve received reports that the Blue Shark torpedoes have just now sunk one of the unidentified submarines. They are trailing the remaining two submarines using their detection information.”


  “Are there any of our submarines that are currently positioned there?”


  “My report says the Hong Beom-Do (SS-079), Lee Beom-Seok (SS-080) are going as fast as they can and have caught up to within 35 kilometers of the enemy, sir.”


  “Tell them to do whatever it takes, whether it’s a patrol plane or a submarine, and whatever they do, don’t lose those unidentified subs!”


  “Yes sir, I understand.”


  * * *

  February 2, 2021, 23:30,

  The sky above Tsushima Island, Japan

  The squadron of KF-21P Red Phoenix fighters from the 23rd Air Wing in Kimhae had barely entered the airspace of Tsushima Island when a group of seven F-35 Lightning II planes, as well as six JX-1 Zero fighters, flew to meet them in a squadron formation.

  A moment later, the Red Phoenix fighters struck first with their S-AAM-200 Rattlesnake missives, and the air battle began. The Air Self-Defense Force of Japan had mobilized as many radar units as could be operated in Tsushima, Kyushu, and elsewhere—500 kilometers away, three E-767 early warning and control aircraft worked tirelessly to boost the radar system’s output to detect the enemy fighters if it were at all possible.

  But, the 24 Red Phoenix fighters ignored these radar signals, as their stealth capabilities and levels were different from average fighter planes, and continued to go forth to trample the fighters belonging to the 11th Air Wing of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.

  On the other side, the 320 cruise missiles that had crossed the eastern coastline and were heading towards the Corean peninsula were each intercepted, one by one, by the SM-2, GTAS-150 Haegung, and the GTAS-300 Haechunryong antiaircraft missiles. Even the ones that were lucky enough to survive and infiltrate the interior of the peninsula were prevented from completing their mission by the surface-to-air missiles of the air defense battalions that were placed here and there, and exploded in the air and burned up.

  As fierce battles were being waged in multiple places in this manner, two B-1B Lancers and eight EA-18G Growlers that Japan’s military had loaned from the air wing of the Fifth Carrier Strike Group of the Seventh Fleet of the US Marines were flying quickly in the sky 12 kilometers above the southeastern tip of Jeju Island, moving toward the island at a speed reaching Mach 1.2.

  * * *

  February 2, 2021 23:45

  The southern seas of Jeju Island, Latitude 32°30′, Longitude 125°48′


  The JS Wakashio (SS-601) and JS Arashio (SS-603) had left behind the JS Natsushio (SS-602) that was hit by Blue Shark light torpedoes from the P-3CK marine patrol aircraft, escaped safely to an area outside the sonar detection territory of the Poseidon 3, and soon were diving at a rapid pace to the south.

  However, at an azimuth of 3-2-5, 35 kilometers away, the 214th-class submarine Hong Beom-Do (SS-079) had begun diving in secret, and at an azimuth of 0-6-8, 41 kilometers away, its sister ship the Lee Beom-Seok (SS-080) was emitting detection rays from its M-SUSL sonar system as intensely as its output would allow, and was persistently chasing after the two submarines of the Japanese Marine Self-Defense Force at full speed.

  “Captain! We’ve got something. Our sonar operator officer had his headset on tight and focused on analyzing the acoustic signature that came across, sir.”


  “What is it?”


  “Our estimates indicate two submarines, but they can’t be confirmed in our identification system.”


  “Those bastards! They must be the unidentified submarines the fleet command notified us about. Where are they, sonar operator?”


  “Azimuth 1-8-2, depth 82, at a distance of 33150, currently moving south at 18 knots, sir.”


  “Good. Keep following them closely on the M-SUSL sonar system. Are there any of our forces’ submarines in the area?”


  “Yes sir, the Lee Beom-Seok is presently at azimuth 1-1-5, at a distance of 66000.”


  “You’ve secured their acoustic signature, right?”


  “Yes sir, we’ve secured it.”


  “Set the first sub as number one, and the second as number two.”


  “Enemy submarine, designated number one and number two!”


  “Insert the acoustic signature for number one in the first and second torpedoes, and for the third and fourth torpedoes, the acoustic signature for number two.”


  “First and second torpedoes, number one inserted! Acoustic signature for number two inserted into the third and fourth torpedoes.”


  “Catch up to within a distance of 10000. And make sure to send this information to the crew of the Lee Beom-Seok through secure communications links.”


  “Yes, sir, I understand.”


  The captain of the Hong Beom-Do (SS-079), Lieutenant Colonel Kim Yeon-ho thought that taking on an unidentified enemy alone had too great a risk factor, and so the sonar operator sent a message to the Lee Beom-Seok (SS-080) to carry out a coordinated operation.

  * * *

  February 2, 2021, 23:45

  The skies above the southwestern edge of Jeju Island, at an elevation of 82 kilometers

  The two B-1B Lancer strategic bombers were moving gradually into the airspace above Jeju Island, escorted by the eight EA-18G Growler fighters and electronic warfare planes, and once they had arrived successfully without any real danger, they gradually increased their elevation and began the preparations for large-scale bombing.

  On the other side, after the unidentified submarines had been detected, the eight KF-21P Red Phoenix fighters from the 25th Air Wing that had already deployed very minutely detected the presence of the B-1B Lancers and EA-18G Growlers, and immediately turned their nosecones and flew towards the southwestern tip of Jeju Island.

  The EA-18G Growlers detected the incoming Red Phoenix fighters as they closed in within 40 kilometers of them, due to intense signal jamming and the Growlers’ jamming of the various avionic equipment of the Red Phoenix planes, and began to prepare for combat. Meanwhile, the EA-18G Lancer strategic bombers had reached high altitude and increased to full speed and were getting close to their targets, the naval base of the Seventh Carrier Task Group, and the air force base of the 25th Air Wing.

  * * *

  February 2, 2021, 23:50,

  The Cabinet’s Emergency Situation Room in Tokyo, Japan

  The multiple combat stations playing out currently were clearly displayed on several strategic screens in the situation room. Among these, Head of the Joint Staff Office, Masaki Hajime, had his gaze fixed on the one showing the situation in the southwestern area of Jeju Island.

  “Mr. Chief of the Joint Staff Office, sir, so far it appears our strategy has been a success.”


  The Chief of the Joint Staff Office for the Air Force looked at the same screen as he said this to the Chief of the Joint Staff Office, his arms folded.

  “There’s no guarantee of that yet! The damage to the 25th Air wing was less than we thought, and there’s also their antiaircraft battalion that’s still operating. The fact that we couldn’t hurt them any more than this even when we caught them in an ambush is troubling to me.”


  Inside the Joint Staff Office, they had thought that they could at least deal a significant blow to the Jeju Island antiaircraft battalion and the 25th Air Wing with the three Wakashio-grade submarines. However, their estimation had been severely off. Out of 54 total missiles, only 21 of the Sakurabana 09-style SL cruise supersonic cruise missiles were successful in making it to their targets. And among those, only three had struck the forces of the 25th Air Wing. The remainder had all been intercepted within the short space of two minutes. It was a lightning-speed response power that those in the Joint Staff Office couldn’t have dared to imagine.

  “This time we’ll bring them to an end, sir.”


  “We’ll see!”


  The image of both formations of fighter planes meeting in one spot and beginning an air battle was displayed on the tactical screen that received the information from the E-767 airborne warning, the control system, and the EA-18G Growler fighters, and in that battle array, the B-1B Lancers were flying quickly into the airspace of Jeju Island.