The 40 "H-9Ds" divided into two groups all took off in the afternoon. After joining the large early warning aircraft, which was also arranged by the Air Force, they flew eastward for 4 hours at economic cruise speed, and arrived at the northwest of the transit island at around 10 o'clock at night local time.

Before this, the 61st Special Mixed Fleet had already moved to this direction.

Shortly after nightfall, the 61st Special Mixed Fleet sent two "Fing-6C" and eight "War-9B" to divide into two formations to go to the scheduled standby airspace to provide cover for the Air Force bombers. The attack was only launched after receiving the order as planned.

To this end, the Air Force also specially arranged a brigade of eight "Oil-20Ds" to provide support for combat operations.

If you want to say it, the value of a large tanker is fully reflected here.

Although there are only 128 aircraft in total of "Oil-20" and more than 600 aircraft in "Oil-29A", in terms of value, "Oil-20" is far above "Oil-29A".

The key is that "Oil-20" can carry 180 tons of fuel!

In comparison, the oil carrying capacity of "Oil-29A" is less than 100 tons, which is simply not worth mentioning.

Don't underestimate the gap of these dozens of tons.

The reason is that the tanker itself also consumes fuel.

Usually, 1,500 kilometers away from the base, fuel for patrol for 6 hours and 15 minutes of residual oil left when returning, "Oil-20" can output about 120 tons of fuel, while "Oil-29A" can only output 60 tons, which is twice the difference between the two. If the distance is doubled and the requirements of other tasks remain unchanged, "Oil-20" can still provide 80 tons of fuel for other fighters, while "Oil-29A" only has a pitiful 20 tons. The key is that "Oil-20" can fly to 5,000 kilometers away for refueling operations. If you don't have to stand by in the frontline airspace, the oil transmission volume can reach 80 tons, while "Oil-29A" can't fly so far.

In addition, "Oil-20" can also be used as a transport aircraft.

When performing cargo missions, the maximum cargo capacity of the "Oil-20" reached 120 tons, and it can fly 8,000 kilometers with this load capacity. If it is not loaded and takes off in full oil, the maximum range exceeds 20,000 kilometers and can fly directly to any location in the world.

The key is that the "Yui-20" has a set of oil-receiving equipment that can obtain fuel from other refueling machines, thereby greatly extending patrol time.

In theory, a brigade of eight "Oil-20s" can adopt a relay method, which can ensure that 2 to 4 refueling machines are in the deployment state at any time.

In addition, the D-type added hose refueling equipment, which can replenish Navy combat aircraft.

However, "Oil-20" is also very expensive.

To be honest, it is because the "Oil-20" is too expensive, and in many cases, there is no need to use such a large tanker. After purchasing 130 aircraft, the Imperial Air Force switched to buying the much smaller, but much cheaper "Oil-29A", and has successively purchased more than 700 aircraft.

When performing important tasks, you still have to rely on "Oil-20".

But these 8 "Oil-20D" can transport 640 tons of fuel.

If necessary, it can also be increased to 880 tons.

This is to provide part of the return fuel to other aircraft, and then perform aerial refueling during the return journey to obtain the fuel to fly back to the base.

Even if you need to stand by for 6 hours, 40 "H-9Ds" only need to replenish 15 tons of fuel before launching the assault.

If you don't have to stand by, you don't have to refuel the bomber in the air.

This arrangement is mainly just in case.

After hanging on 24 "KD-30B", the "Hong-9D" can still take off in full fuel state, that is, after flying 5,000 kilometers, it can patrol for 4 hours, or launch an attack on targets 7,500 kilometers away. If the standby time reaches 6 hours and an assault flight is required, it will consume additional fuel, and the fuel must be replenished before this to ensure that after completing the mission, it can fly back and meet with the tanker.

It is not strange to perform such long-range raid missions and refuel in the air before and after the attack.

Of course, the escort fighter jets arranged by the 61st Special Mixed Fleet need to be refueled in the air.

In fact, this is also the reason why "Oil-20D" performs this task.

Among the Air Force's tanker, except for a few small tanker that serves special forces, only the "Oil-20D" is equipped with hose refueling equipment.

If you want to say it, the Imperial Air Force has always been resistant to the hose refueling system.

Otherwise, it would not have been launched 6 years ago after Zhou Yongtao became the chief minister of the empire, and in just a few months, the first batch of "Oil-20" transformation work was completed, and then the test acceptance was successfully passed by the Navy.

Before the outbreak of the war, there were only 20 "Yuan-20D" aircraft in total, and all of them were deployed on the Dongwangyang side.

The reason is also very simple. The East Ocean is the home court of the Imperial Navy, and the main bases are very far apart, which has high requirements for the range.

Fortunately, compared with "Oil-20B", which is the main model of the Air Force, "Oil-20D" only adds a set of hose refueling equipment, and makes necessary changes to the software of the control system to control hose refueling equipment. Other aspects are exactly the same.

In other words, as long as there is a need, the space can transform all "oil-20B" into "oil-20D".

But now it seems that there is no need for this for the time being.

If you just refuel for the escort fighter jets, even if the 61st special fleet sends all the carrier-based fighter jets on board, it will not be any challenge.

The maximum fuel load capacity of "War-9B" is less than 9 tons, and the usual refueling capacity is between 4 and 6 tons.

To use up all the 640 tons of fuel carried by the 8 "Oil-20D", more than 100 "War-9Ds" will be deployed, while the 61st Special Mixed Fleet does not have so many fighter jets in total.

In fact, this can also show the great value of large tankers.

The fuel loaded by an "Oil-20D" is at least equivalent to the fuel that 10 "Oil-5Fs" can provide when performing partner-style refueling missions.

The Air Force dispatched 8 aircraft at a time, which definitely cost a lot!

What to say is to ensure that you can seize it when the opportunity comes.

The result was that when Bai Huawei issued the order, both bomber formations had arrived at the standby waters, but in fact they had just arrived.

At that time, the "War-9B" that provided cover had joined the tanker and was conducting its first air refueling.

After confirming that the combat order comes from the front line commander-in-chief, he follows the bomber group and is responsible for command and coordination, the command will be forwarded.

It's really too early to say something.

According to the arrangement made by Bai Huawei, before launching the attack, the 61st Special Mixed Fleet will send a batch of fighter jets to enhance the cover.

The key is that the range of the "KD-30B" is only 650 kilometers. In order to improve the hit rate, the projection distance must be controlled within 600 kilometers.

If the target of the attack is the special mixed fleet of the Newland Navy, it will definitely face air defense fighters.

In fact, this is also the reason why the Air Force dispatched large early warning aircraft to participate in the attack operation.

The Navy's "Finger-6C" does not have air refueling capabilities and can provide assistance to escort fighters during the standby stage at most.

After the assault operation began, the Air Force's large early warning aircraft could only be relied on.

Then, fighter jets have to be arranged to provide cover for early warning aircraft.

The 61st Special Mixed Fleet also made special adjustments to this. Both wings reduced the multi-purpose fighter jets of one brigade and added 20 heavy fighter jets.

In other words, there are a total of 88 "War-9Bs".

It is precisely because Bai Huawei arranged for the 61st Special Mixed Fleet to dispatch a brigade of 24 fighter jets, and two of them carried out offensive escort missions.

Simply put, in two attack directions, each arranged eight "War-9B" from one squadron to open the way in front of the bomber group, which was actually to divert the enemy's air defense fighter jets. The usually used tactics are actually to assault the enemy's early warning aircraft, forcing the enemy to retreat and shrink the defense line.

Here, a very important tactic involves.

The outer air defense circle of the Newland Fleet only extended 450 kilometers outwards, and relied on the AIM-54 used by the F-14 to obtain an interception distance of 600 kilometers. In this case, the early warning aircraft can only stay above the fleet and fight in concert with the air defense warships.

Of course, this is also seeking cover from air defense warships.

In this way, as long as the early warning aircraft of the Newland Fleet can be forced to retreat, the "H-9D" has the opportunity to launch an attack on the maximum range of the "KD-30B".

But the problem is that the "War-9B" of the second batch of two squadrons has not yet set off!

According to the plan, the attack will start as early as the early morning, and after mastering the general orientation of the Newland Fleet, the 61st Special Mixed Fleet will send escort fighters.

Before this, the patrol planes sent by the Navy did not discover the Newland Fleet, and the 61st Special Mixed Fleet did not dispatch escort fighters in advance.

In addition, the plan does not mention the first attack on the landing fleet.

Fortunately, the combat effectiveness of the landing fleet is far inferior to that of the special mixed fleet.

But, to deal with the landing fleet, all bombers need to be used?

In the telegram order, Bai Huawei only mentioned that the attack was launched by the Air Force bombers, and did not make any requirements for specific tactics, nor was there any need for this.

The result was that after comprehensive trade-offs, the Air Force officer in charge of combat command only issued attack orders to the A formation.

There are 480 "KD-30B" in total for the 20 "H-9Ds". Even based on 80% reliability, there are as many as 384 anti-ship missiles.

It is definitely more than enough to deal with dozens of landing ships.

In addition, we did not wait for the escort fighter jets of the 61st Special Mixed Fleet, but instead let the eight "War-9Bs" that arrived and were performing air refueling before to perform escort missions. To be precise, the four "War-9Bs" that cover the B formation accelerated to fly to the front to perform offensive escort missions, and the other four "War-9Bs" stayed behind to cover early warning aircraft, while the 20 bombers of the B formation temporarily retreated 500 kilometers. After the additional fighter jets sent by the 61st Special Mixed Fleet arrived, they returned to the standby airspace and continued to wait for the attack order.

When the early warning aircraft forwards the order, it is after 22:00 on the 12th of the island transfer time.

The standby airspace of the A formation is 1,500 kilometers northwest of the transit island.

In other words, the "Hong-9D" of the B formation can launch an attack at around 23 o'clock as soon as possible.

As for the reconnaissance operations before the attack, there is no need at all.

Before dark, the Newland Navy's landing fleet was on the landing ground, and the destroyers that provided cover for the fleet also bombarded the defending positions.

The key is that the six amphibious assault ships are not too far from the transit island.

The main thing is that the vertical take-off and landing attack aircraft carried by amphibious assault ships have been bombing the transit island, providing air support to the landing troops and suppressing the artillery positions of the defenders, even if there are only a few mortars left. This type of attack aircraft can only take off vertically from the attack ship, and then glide at most for a short distance and then take off. After hanging 2 tons of bombs, it cannot fly far, and the combat radius is less than 200 kilometers.

In fact, this is also the main reason why the Imperial Navy has no interest in vertical take-off and landing fighter jets.

Until dark, the Harrier appeared on the transit island, and used 500-pound and 1,000-pound aviation bombs.

In addition, during the first round of reconnaissance at night, a patrol aircraft from Wei Island discovered the landing fleet and used radar to detect dozens of large ships. It was only threatened by air defense warships, and the Harrier type had certain air combat capabilities, so the patrol aircraft did not fly too close.

Based on this information, there is reason to believe that even the landing fleet has begun to retreat eastward and has not run far.

What to say, what needs to be worried about is actually the special mixed fleet that stays behind to cover.

It is precisely because the Air Force front-line commander arranged four "War-9B" aircraft to accelerate forward. In addition to attracting the enemy's attention, he also carried out tactical reconnaissance missions.

However, there is no way.
To be continued...