February 20, 2021, 09:00 (Guam time 10:00)

  Outer space at an altitude of 1,100 km at the northern end of Guam, USA

  388 units of RGM-109 Tomahawk had been fired by destroyers of the 3rd Fleet of the 11th Carrier Strike Group to strike Jeju Island. Also, 125 units of RGM-109 Tomahawk had been fired by the 1st Carrier Strike Group to aim coastal industrial complexes, Pohang and Ulsan. But they failed to achieve their goals because they were mostly intercepted and exploded in the air. Only eleven missiles hit Jeju Island and the Corean Peninsula. However, most people had already evacuated so there was no human injury from those missiles.

  What was left were 720 units of RGM-109 Tomahawks that were fired from the three U.S. aircraft carriers. But 261 of them had also been intercepted. Besides, KS-AD Zeus 1 and 2, the strategic interception satellites, that had intercepted missiles from other regions, had also joined in the interception effort. So, the interception rate increased quite significantly.

  On the other hand, fierce air battles were taking place between the southwestern ends of Kyushu and Honshu. Outside the atmosphere above the South Pacific, the first space battles in human history were just beginning.

  Four units of CFS/A-31SP Three-toed Crow were in activated TCS (transparent concealment system) mode. They had broken through the atmosphere above Guam. They were approaching 3km away from an unidentified aircraft flying in space in the exosphere and began to close the gap. If they got closer, even if they were using TCS mode and strong SECM, other spaceships could sense or catch the Three-toed Crows. So, they kept a minimum distance of 3km.

  Each CFS/A-31SP Three-toed Crow flew alongside an unidentified aircraft.

  “Captain Oh, do you recognize that symbol?” Lieutenant Colonel Lee Du-ho, who was the captain of the first Three-toed Crow, looked at the display enlarged with an optical lens and asked Captain Oh Sang-gu.

  On the screen, there was an unidentified aircraft in the form of a flat triangle on a twin-engine. On the rear wing, there was a symbol that said “NORAD.”


  In response, co-pilot Captain Oh Sang-gu turned his gaze towards the display and said, “Well. I think I saw a mark like that from somewhere, but I can’t remember.”


  “I shouldn’t have asked him. Isn’t that right, Major Ahn?”


  “Yes, sir!” Major Ahn Hyeok, who was operating the anti-war control console from the back seat of the cockpit, answered.

  “Can’t you identify friend or foe yet?”


  “I am scanning and linking with identification database now. Please wait for a moment.”


  Major Ahn Hyeok, who was in charge of various radars and armed operations, completed the scan of the unidentified aircraft and checked it by comparing it with the identification database. However, no other information came out. So, he linked to the latest database updated yesterday in an S-class confidential form. Soon, information about the unidentified aircraft appeared on the display.

  “Identification of friend or foe is over. Please check your display,” Major Ahn Hyeok said.

  “Is that so?”


  Lieutenant Colonel Lee Du-ho pressed the button of the tactical display and the information about the unidentified aircraft appeared on the 5-inch screen.

  The name of the unknown aircraft was the B-3 Tarantula, a space fighter that was currently affiliated with the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Then, detailed data appeared as well.

  “I knew it! But damn, America has really serious technology. Anyway, since we confirmed they are American aircraft, let’s begin the attack,” Lieutenant Colonel Lee Du-ho smiled and gave orders. “This is CFS/A-31SP Three-toed Crow one. It is confirmed as American aircraft. We will engage. First, increase the distance, cancel the TCS mode and immediately start the attack. Over.”


  – Three-toed Crow two! Copy that!

  – Three-toed Crow three! Copy that!

  – Three-toed Crow four! Copy that!

  “Engage All Fence Go in distance 5.”


  To use the ultra-high power 50mm laser beam of the Three-toed Crow, they had to turn off the TCS (transparent concealment system) mode. This was because the power consumption of the TCS was too high. If they attacked without turning it off, an overload might occur.

  At the order of Lieutenant Colonel Lee Du-ho, the four Three-toed Crow jets increased the distance. When they moved about 5km away, they turned off TCS mode, and the ultra-high power 50mm laser launchers popped out from the bottom of the jets.

  The red laser beams, flying at the speed of light, swept through the four B-3 Tarantulas flying over the Corean peninsula in a diamond formation for a second bombardment.

  Of these, several holes were drilled in the rear of the fuselage of one Tarantula flying from the right. The internal engine was damaged as well. A flame broke out immediately, then it exploded, and debris scattered all over the place.

  One Tarantula that was flying at the back was also damaged in the rear. Dark red smoke and flames erupted. It fell to earth by gravity, started turning into a big ball of fire, and eventually burned down.

  The other two Tarantulas were lucky. Even though they were hit by the laser, they sped up and started evasion maneuvers. Two Three-toed Crows followed them and continued to fire laser beams.

  The space warfare like a scene out of Star Wars was actually taking place in outer space.

  After a while, the Tarantulas began to counterattack. A high-heat light was seen from the circular launch tube protruding from the top of the jet’s fuselage.

  This weapon was an Airborne Laser (ABL), which could be considered as an early model of a laser weapon. Due to the high cost and the shortcoming of having to carry a huge COIL (Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser), there had been constant opposition to its use. However, the U.S. Department of Defense had continued to pursue research and succeeded in developing it with a weight of 5kg per kW and a maximum volume of 3m3 in 2020. As a result, a high-energy laser weapon weighing only 907kg in the 150kW class was equipped on the B-3 Tarantula for the first time.

  However, the downside of the early version of the laser weapon, ABL, was that it had to hit the target with high heat for at least 10 seconds to be effective. The two Three-toed Crows moved side to side and emasculated the ABL laser.

  “This is Three-toed Crow one. Three and four! Can’t you shoot?”


  – This is Three-toed Crow three. The enemy aircraft has a better steering power than expected.

  – This is Three-toed Crow four. I am sorry, sir. We will do our best.

  “You should have hit them in the first shot!”


  Lieutenant Colonel Lee Du-ho was engaged in a three-dimensional chase where it was difficult to distinguish top and bottom. He fired a laser beam towards the bottom of the one Tarantula while making a big turn from the opposite side of Three-toed Crow 2 and 3.

  As dozens of laser beams hit the bottom of the Tarantula, large and small sparks bounced and then exploded. Only one enemy was left now. On the display, the last Tarantula was disappearing as it entered outer space at a speed close to Mach 20. Three-toed Crow 4 accelerated and tracked it, continuing to fire a laser beam.

  And after a while, the laser beam hit the Tarantula right on the engine. It exploded in a dark red flame.

  In less than five minutes, mankind’s first space war was over. America’s newest space bomber, the B-3 Tarantulas, had all been reduced to dust in space.

  “There may be other aircraft, so we will go into reconnaissance mode from now on. No. 3 and no. 4 fly to the Corean peninsula, reconnaissance in the outer space and atmosphere, while no. 2 turns here and enters reconnaissance. No. 1 will move over Guam. Don’t use the multi-domain radar. Use a one-way QMZ-01A radar. Over.”


  ***

  February 20, 2021, 09:05

  The sky over the northern end of Honshu, Japan

  During the dogfight, one Red Phoenix fighter jet was shattered in the air by numerous AIM-120 AMRAAMs. The B-1R Archer’s AIM-120F AMRAAM attack that supported the F-22SR Super Raptor from the back was very fierce.

  On the other hand, one CF-21P Red Phoenix chased a F-22SR Super Raptor, consistently shooting laser Vulcan beams. The F-22SR Super Raptor’s rear became like a beehive. Dark smoke came out of the aircraft and soon it exploded, falling to the ground.

  “This is White Angel One! This is the battalion commander. Detecting multiple points from the east side! Black Moon squadron, take charge. Over.”


  Even in the midst of a frantic battle, the commander of the squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Park Tae-gwang, ordered the Black Moon squadron to attack the unidentified aircraft that were detected-

  This is Black Moon one! From now on, our squadron will move out of the war zone. Go on to the East Point, 1-1-5, distance 82. Afterburner on, Go!-

  This is Black Moon two! Copy that!-

  This is Black moon three! Copy that!-

  This is Black moon four! Copy that!

  – Afterburner on!

  The Black Moon squadron hid themselves using the TCS mode, immediately increased their speed, and flew over to the east end.

  After the Black Moon squadron disappeared, the F-22SR Super Raptor launched more AIM-120F AMRAAMs. The pilots of the CF-21P Red Phoenix secured altitude through rapid maneuvering. They performed more than 10G of movement that the F-22SR Super Raptor pilots could not even imagine. They avoided the oncoming AIM-120F AMRAAMs and soon launched a laser Vulcan beam with a dive maneuver.

  Boom! Boom!

  The ACS (anti-gravity control system) function enabled instantaneous acceleration and hasty deployment. Thanks to this, the CF-21P Red Phoenix could perform a highly difficult evasion maneuver that hadn’t been seen in any air shows.

  Meanwhile, the Black Moon squadron, which flew with an afterburner towards the unidentified aircraft, confirmed its identity in less than 30 seconds.

  On the identification of friend or foe display, it was said it was a B-1R Archer. The B-1R Archer, developed for missile support from the rear of enemy fighters, looked very similar to the existing B-1B Lancer.

  “That’s it! Bastard! Because of you, so many of our comrades were crushed!” Major Choi Young-ho thought about his fellow soldiers who had died in this engagement and gave an order.

  “This is Black moon one! Each of you intercept each flight ahead. Engage offense!”


  Major Choi Young-ho frowned. He aimed at the B-1R Archer using the aiming point of the visor of the helmet. At that time, the RWR alarm sounded loudly.

  Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

  “Let’s see who wins!” Major Choi Young-ho muttered.

  He pulled the firing button of the 12mm laser Vulcan beam, not performing evasion flight. From the internal arming room, two AIM-120F AMRAAMs popped out. Soon, the laser Vulcan beam drew a line on the B-1R Archer’s fuselage from the front to the tail wing. Intense sparks could be seen along the line and dark red smoke rose. Then, it quickly lost its center and began to fall to the ground.

  Meanwhile, Major Choi Young-ho found the AIM-120F AMRAAMs flying at him. He kept calm and spun the jet quickly like a drill. Then, he shot a laser Vulcan beam toward the first AIM-120F AMRAAM.

  Boom!

  The laser Vulcan beam hit the AIM-120F AMRAAM right on. It exploded. When the second AMRAAM approached about 30m away, he quickly turned the jet starboard. If it was a normal fourth-generation fighter, the body of the pilot would not be able to withstand the tremendous gravity.

  Bam!

  The AIM-120F AMRAAM which was a blast type warhead exploded, and numerous debris swooped towards Major Choi Young-ho’s aircraft. But he succeeded in avoiding them dramatically with a rolling maneuver.

  While he rolled, he could see the aircraft of Captain Oh Gil-sung. He was the wingman of the Black Moon squadron. Captain Oh Gil-sung shot down the B-1R Archer with a laser Vulcan beam while avoiding incoming missiles with a wonderful maneuver.

  “Hell yeah! That’s my wingman!” Major Choi Young-ho shouted.