Chapter 20: Reporting the Operational Decision

"Stand up!"
"Salute!"

Inside the tactical command center, the high-pressure atmosphere was almost suffocating. Huang Han strode to the command post, his eyes sharp enough to cut through the air.

"Drop these formalities during wartime."
"Sit!"

With that command, all the officers returned to their stations, feeling uneasy.

"What's the situation?" Huang Han asked, his brows furrowed as he looked toward the intelligence desk.

"The Gaofen-4 satellite detected three F-35s taking off from Kadena Air Base fifteen minutes ago, heading 350. Our theater command immediately initiated an emergency response, dispatching an airborne early warning aircraft for maritime reconnaissance. We eventually located two of the F-35s in sector 1135."

"1135." Huang Han tightened his grip on the map. Dozens of kilometers east of this area lay the Air Defense Identification Zone of the Qilin Theater.

"In other words," Huang Han said, "you allowed a fifth-generation fighter to enter my airspace?"

Silence descended upon the command hall. Only the officer at the Air Force desk stood up, bracing himself.

"Chief of Staff, based on our analysis, there is a high probability that this aircraft is experiencing a malfunction or pilot error. Under normal circumstances, an F-35 would not easily break formation, nor would it venture forward without air support."

As a fifth-generation fighter, the F-35 was a precious asset. Such aircraft were not typically tasked with front-line reconnaissance or assault. Moreover, they had only launched three planes this time, without any early warning or wingman support. Therefore, the Air Force desk concluded that the enemy might have lost their way due to an instrument failure.

Huang Han acknowledged this assessment, but his brow remained unrelaxed.

"Regardless of the reason, this aircraft has entered my airspace. That is unforgivable. I will settle accounts with you all later."

He cast a sharp gaze across the room. "Air Force desk!"

"Present!"

"Orders! Launch one KJ-500 to establish an airborne forward command! Immediately dispatch four formations, totaling 28 sorties of J-15s! Move out to sweep sectors 1126 and 1171; do not let any suspicious signal escape! Additionally, scramble two formations of J-20s to provide beyond-visual-range fire support!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Information Support desk!"

"Present!"

"Orders! Set the JY-27 radars in sectors 1-4 and 15-17 to full power! Ensure the universal data link is flowing! Establish a stable air-to-ground link immediately! Once a signal is acquired, upload it to the airborne forward command at once! No need for my further orders—identify and shoot it down!"

"Understood!"

"The ground forces cannot sit idle either. Air Defense desk!"

"Present!"

"Deploy six air defense battalions. Rapidly assemble in sectors 5-14 and configure them in echelons! If the Air Force cannot find the target, then the enemy plane must be there. Your radars cannot see the F-35, so pay close attention to the data-filling from the airborne forward command! The rules of engagement remain unchanged! Once the signal is shared, lock the data and prepare for engagement. We must annihilate the invading enemy!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zhang Mingrui stood stunned, giving a mental thumbs-up. The Chief of Staff was truly unparalleled. In just a few minutes, he had sorted out the intelligence situation. If the enemy plane disappeared in sector 1135, its most likely location was within the areas the Chief had just deployed. By having the airborne forward command direct the J-20s and J-15s in a dragnet search, they could suppress the airspace with virtually no blind spots. Any remaining gaps would be covered by the ground air defense positions.

Considering the F-35's stealth characteristics, the JY-27 was the absolute key. Only this radar could detect an F-35 with an RCS of only 0.065 without difficulty. His ability to judge the situation and deploy available forces in less than a minute, with a clear plan and flawless strategy, was nothing short of genius.

"Chief of Staff," Zhang Mingrui began, "if it is just an enemy pilot error, our current deployment should be sufficient. We will find it sooner or later."

Huang Han didn't look pleased at the compliment. "Sooner or later isn't early enough. Besides, this deployment isn't flawless."

Huang Han looked at the tactical situation map with deep concern. The KJ-500 in the sky could detect the F-35, but its effective range was only 200 kilometers; beyond that, it was helpless. Thus, the Air Force relied heavily on visual reconnaissance by fighter jets, which was far too dependent on luck. Although the ground radar units had a wide detection range, only two JY-27s were deployed in this area—far from enough.

Thinking of this, Huang Han cast a meaningful look at the experts from the Second Academy of Aerospace. "If we had better missile defense systems right now, I wouldn't be so worried!"

The experts lowered their heads, filled with self-reproach. Although they weren't directly responsible for this emergency, the Chief of Staff was ultimately right. If their work had been more thorough, the air defense teams would have been much more at ease when dealing with a missing F-35. Huang Han didn't intend to blame them; he was simply being calculating, using the pressure to accelerate their research and development progress.

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Huang Han's gaze returned to the big screen. "Air Force desk, report!"

"Tianshan-1 reports that the airborne forward command is established and has taken over command of the sector! The J-15 'Mount Everest' formation has picked up the signals of the two enemy F-35s. Air combat data has been shared with multiple radar stations! The enemy has opened a clear-text channel! We judge that the third F-35 is experiencing a communication failure."

"Ignore those two; I will send another formation to handle them! Your mission is to search for the missing aircraft!"

"Understood, no sign of the missing fighter yet."

"Continue the search."

Huang Han's mind was racing. Without a doubt, this F-35 had suffered a mechanical failure; its navigation and communication were down, and the enemy was surely searching for it in a panic. But that was none of his business. Once it entered his airspace, it was to be shot down, even if it was completely out of control. The problem now was that the airborne forward command had been established, and the enemy plane had not been found. Where had it gone?

"Ground forces report!"

"Yes, sir! The air defense battalions have arrived at their positions and are awaiting data integration. All unit commanders have reported their intent to engage!"

"Very good. Wait for the radar data. JY-27, what is your status?"

"Report! The radar has initiated long-wave scanning! No suspicious signals detected yet!"

"Dammit, keep searching!" Huang Han couldn't help but curse. His greatest hope was the ground-based JY-27. But with neither radar detecting the enemy, the situation was becoming dire. The aerial search was just a gamble; the JY-27 was the primary detection tool. If they couldn't find it, the consequences would escalate to the most severe level.

Huang Han picked up a pen and drew three circles centered on Tianshan-1 and the two radar stations. Zhang Mingrui immediately understood what the circles meant.

"Logically, if the missing plane appeared in this area, it would definitely be captured," Huang Han said, gripping his laser pointer. "But sometimes, it doesn't follow logic."

"Chief, what do you mean?"

Huang Han looked as if he were facing a formidable foe, pointing at the meridian on the map near Lin'yang. To the east was the sea; to the west lay the capital's guarded airspace.

"I suspect it has already passed our defense zone and is heading inland. Once it crosses this line, we'll all be facing a military tribunal, regardless of whether we find the plane or not."