In the eastern part of the Arabian Sea, west of Kenpad Bay, southwest of Veravor, 69°2′ east longitude and 21°25′ north latitude, on the sea surface shrouded by night, the Vikramatia aircraft carrier is turning to the windward direction... About 25,000 meters northwest of it, the Vikramatia is also turning.

Looking at the fourteen Mik G-29k fighter jets arranged neatly on the flight deck, standing on the corridor outside the aviation bridge, Major General Patel, the commander of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy, showed a smug smile. Spending nearly two billion US dollars, the "Vicramatia" purchased from Russia finally got a chance to show its skills after three and a half years of service.

As the Indian Navy's largest displacement warship, the fate of the "Vicramatia" is full of ups and downs.

In the fourth year of this century, Russia and India signed a package agreement, and Russia provided the heavy-duty aircraft cruiser "Gorshkov" to India free of charge, but it had to be modernized and modified at the heavy machinery factory in northern Russia and equipped with Russian-made carrier-based aircraft.

In early 2007, Russia asked India to increase the modification fee from US$700 million to US$1.9 billion, and postpone the delivery date from the end of 2008 to 2012. India is completely unacceptable to Russia's requirements. Not only is the modification fee equivalent to the construction of a new medium-sized aircraft carrier, the modified "Gorshkov" can only serve for 20 years, half of the new aircraft carrier; and the "Virat" aircraft carrier will be retired before 2012, and the self-built "Virat" can only be put into service after 2012 at the fastest. After the delivery date of the "Gorshkov" was postponed, the Indian Navy will have to spend huge sums of money to extend the life of the "Virat" to ensure that it has at least one aircraft carrier.

After arduous negotiations and tug-of-war bargaining, Russia promised to deliver it in early 2012, and the modification cost was reduced from 1.9 billion to 1.6 billion.

In early 2012, the newly renovated aircraft carrier Vikramatia was successfully delivered.

However, the ship failed to form combat effectiveness immediately.

Before the Vikramatia, India had two aircraft carriers, but they could only carry the Sea Harrier vertical/short-distance take-off and landing fighter, and could not carry conventional take-off and landing fighter.

It took more than a year to just let the pilot master the take-off and landing method of ski jump take-off/blocking landing.

In 2013, the Indian Navy officially announced that the "Vicramatia" had formed its combat effectiveness.

Since then, the "Vicramatia" has been performing training missions in the waters near Visakhapatnam and does not have combat capabilities.

The Indian Navy announced in advance that the "Vicramatia" had formed combat effectiveness. There was no way to do so.

The old and unbearable "Virat" has no longer been able to go to sea to operate. The delivery time of the domestically produced "Virat" site was postponed from the end of 2012 to the end of 2013. If the "Virata" cannot be put into service "in a timely manner", the Indian Navy will face the embarrassing situation of no aircraft carrier available.

It's better to have it than not.

It was not until October 2013, one month before the delivery of the Vikrant, that the Vikramatia truly formed its combat capabilities.

During the intense training of one and a half years, at least eleven pilots died in an accident caused by improper operation.

For the following six months, the Vikramatia only symbolically went to the Arabian Sea for a twenty-one day patrol mission in February 2014, and was training pilots in the Bay of Bengal for the newly-served Vikrati.

As the Vikrant formed its combat capability, the Indian Navy once again had two available aircraft carriers.

From then on, the "Vicramatia" was based on Visakhapatnam and was the flagship of the Eastern Fleet, while the "Vicramatia" was based on Kochi and was the flagship of the Western Fleet.

Although the Vikramatia is much older than the Vikrant, Major General Patel is very satisfied with his flagship as the Indian Navy's largest displacement warship.

Just like the "Vicramatia", Major General Patel's experience was also very bumpy.

As a civilian naval officer, Patel faced much more challenges and difficulties than those Brahmin noble soldiers since the day he joined the navy. Patel relied on his personal talent and tireless and fearless struggle.

The moment he boarded the Vikramatia, Patel knew that his fate was linked to the fate of this warship. In the following two years, Patel strictly demanded himself and his subordinates. Under his leadership, the Vikramatia aircraft carrier battle group became an elite force of the Indian Navy.

In the words of the Indian Navy Commander Admiral Das: Patel's personal charm conquered the entire fleet.

Everything Patel did was for this war.

Like most civilian officers, Patel is an absolute "hawk". Only war can show the value of soldiers, and only war can change the fate of civilian officers.

Patel was not concerned about politics, but he knew that sooner or later, the Vikramatia would go to the battlefield to fight Pakistan to the west or the Chinese navy to the east. The final result would prove that this aircraft carrier worth 1.6 billion yuan and civilian generals were the pillars of the Indian Navy.

After the India-Pakistan crisis broke out, the opportunity Patel was waiting for came.

Without him coming forward, the navy commander will win the opportunity for the Eastern Fleet and the Navy to join the war.

On June 27, the eastern fleet led by the Vikramatia left Visakhapatnam and headed to the Arabian Sea to assist the Vikrat aircraft carrier battle group, carry out a maritime blockade of Pakistan, and bomb Pakistan's naval base.

After dark, the "Vicramatia" and "Vicrand" that were operating outside the strike radius of Pakistan Air Force fighter jets turned north to look for combat opportunities.

What Patel needs is not an opportunity, but a command.

Before the early morning of July 3, the Navy Command finally sent a combat order to allow the Vikramatia and Vikrant to send carrier-based aircraft to bomb Pakistani military ports.

The two aircraft carriers will send carrier-based fighter jets to bomb Guadal military port before dawn, the Air Force will send long-range fighters to escort the naval attack aircraft group, and also send an A-50i to coordinate the combat operations of the navy and the Air Force fighter jets. On the way back, the carrier-based aircraft will join the refueling opportunities sent by the Air Force over the Arabian Sea to replenish fuel.

This arrangement is not just for the use of naval carrier-based fighter jets.

The "Vicramatia" carries twenty-eight G-29ks, and the "Vicramatia" only have twenty-four G-29k fighters, which is not as good as a tactical fighter brigade of the Air Force. In addition, the predecessor of the MiG-29k was the MiG-29 frontline air-control fighter. It has excellent maneuverability and strong fighting ability, but it is not equipped with advanced electronic equipment, and its ability to attack ground/sea is very barely strong. The "Vicramatia" and "Vicramatia" do not have catapults on the "Vicramatia" and "Vicramatia" and the "Vicramatia" have no catapults, and the fighter can only take off in a ski jump and cannot reach the maximum takeoff weight. Not only is the combat radius greatly affected, but the bomb load capacity is also affected.

After carrying the earth/sea attack ammunition, the fuel carried by MiG-29k was unable to return to the aircraft carrier after attacking the port of Gwadar 600 kilometers away, so it had to arrange air force refueling aircraft to provide support.

The two aircraft carriers were dispatched to attack mainly to take care of the navy's emotions.

Patel didn't think so. The G-29k fighter who could sink large enemy warships on the ocean would definitely be able to easily sink a Pakistani warship docked in Gwadar Port.

Each MiG-29k can carry four anti-ship missiles and two fighting missiles, and has powerful strike capabilities.

Under the caress of the sea breeze, Patel looked forward to the upcoming battle.

It was not just a battle between the fourteen pilots, but also a battle between the Eastern Fleet, but also a battle between Patel, his first battle in his 28 years of service in the Indian Navy.

The fleet officers and air service personnel on the aircraft carrier flight deck and in the hangar were not in such a good mood.

They must complete the preparations before the fighter takes off within the specified time, including checking the status of the fighter, replenishing fuel for the fighter, mounting ammunition, etc.

The mysterious g-29k is like its brother in the Indian Air Force, a bit "unacceptable to the local environment".

This type of aircraft requires six service personnel to be busy for eight hours every hour, and the flight hours maintenance hours reach an astonishing forty-eight!

No matter what, the battle is about to begin, and the service staff dare not be careless at all.

As the sky is about to brighten, the Navy Command sent the latest information: the main battleship of the Pakistan Navy is still anchored in Gwadar Port and has no intention of leaving the port.

At 5:30, Patel issued an order to take off.

The Vikramatia will release fourteen fighter jets, the Vikramatia will release twelve fighter jets, and the Twenty-six fighter jets carried twenty-eight anti-ship missiles and thirty-eight air-to-ground missiles, divided into two batches, attacking Pakistani naval warships and infrastructure in the Gwadar Port in turn.

Two rounds of bombing were enough to destroy the Pakistani Navy and paralyzed the Guadal Naval Base.

As the first fan-29k drove at full speed, he staggered into the night sky before dawn, and the battle began.

On the flight deck, the aviation coordinator was busy.

Only two fighter jets can be taken off at a time. Fighters carrying anti-ship missiles take off from the main runway on the left, and fighters carrying ground missiles take off from the secondary runway on the right. Fourteen fighters are divided into seven batches, each taking at least two minutes, and at least twelve minutes in front and back.

An error occurred while busy, and the coordinator dragged the plane wrongly, resulting in the takeoff time being extended to fifteen minutes.

It was just a small mistake and had no effect on the entire operation. In fifty-five minutes, Gwadar Port will be swallowed by flames.

Patel was very capable and excited. He didn't know that just above his head, a low-Earth orbit reconnaissance satellite had already monitored the Vikramatia and the Vikrand for 35 minutes. When the two aircraft carriers accelerated their navigation against the wind, the reconnaissance flight issued an alarm.

damn it*

New books are on the list, please recommend and collect!

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Chapter completed!