Operation: Gyre


Sand Island Air Force Base

September 24th 2010, 18:00

It is Hangar C of rear sector of the base, a huge structure capable of parking a small squadron, its gate is wide-open, and the principal of the hangar as well as the principal of all contents inside it, is sitting on a bench outside the gate, enjoying the daily tropical sunset as he always does. Wolfgang Buchner, also being called "Pops" by everyone, is a kind and wise oldman and a professional machinist, he is also Captain Bartlett's intimate friend.

A tall and muscular figure walks to him, it is definitely Bartlett, after the squad touched down, all four pilots were immediately summoned by base command for inquiry. No greetings are needed between two friends that close, Wolfgang asks directly: "How's the trial going?"

Bartlett: "Very dramatic. At first Fatty His Highness accuses me for ignoring direct orders to fire at bogeys, then he commends me for making the right choice of ignoring direct orders and saved those kids' lives, then old-schools like 'expecting better performance in future', that's all."

Wolfgang: "How about the kids?"

Bartlett: "They got their deserved commendations, now they're enjoying some sleep in their cells. After all, this is a tough day even for me." He lets out a relived sigh.

Wolfgang: "Quite a job of being three children's daddy, huh?"

Bartlett: "They managed to survive the first actual combat, for Nagase, the second. I don't know how long I can keep them alive and unscratched." The captain changes the topic: "Now the command must pull out all the tricks to find out the origins of unidentified aircrafts, I bet they won't rest for days."

The two friends go silence, since they both know the efforts to attribute those planes are not that necessary, everyone in this base has a good idea of where they came from — right in front of them, beyond western horizon, across the Ceres Ocean, is Murska Airbase of Union of Yuktobanian Republics, another global superpower alongside Osean Federation itself. The two countries were allies since the Belkan War, but things can change, and sometimes can change in a sudden.

Bartlett lightens up the heavy atmosphere by joking himself: "Well, just hope I won't be 'Heartbreak Twice'." He used to have a girlfriend back to the time of Belkan War, a Yuktobanian military personnel, but because the war, they broke up. That's why he gave himself the callsign "Heartbreak One", and the emblem painted on his jetfighter's hull — a poker card of Red Heart A, in the middle there is a heart cut in two by a dragger, half is red another half is white.


September 27th 2010

Days had past since the "Close Encounters of Firepower Kind" of Wardog Squadron. Publicly, the skirmishes are well covered, but everyone in Osean Defense Forces Central Command and the central government is alerted and busied to solve these issues. During this progress, new issues arise, Wardog Squadron now is to deal with them.

Mission Briefing Room, 10:30

"A ship of unknown origin has been detected approaching Sand Island coastline. We've confirmed that this ship has launched numerous unmanned aerial vehicles probably used for reconnaissance. The UAV will likely return to the launch ship for retrieval after completing their spy operations. You are to halt this operation by intercepting and destroying these recon drones before they can be recovered by the ship. However, do not attack the ship until further orders are transmitted. Now proceed to hangar and get ready to take off."


Ceres Ocean

Longitude: 145 Degree 24 Minute 34 Second East

Latitude: 08 Degree 01 Minute 13 Second North

September 27th 2010, 11:33

Four F-2As fly over Sand Island, a tiny volcanic island eroded into an atoll. This small patch of dry-land serves as both a backwater and a frontline base in Osean Federation's overall defense, that's why it is attractive to someone with "inclement intensions". Wardog Squadron's four fighters form a rhombus formation, fly west to meet the peepers, they are all armed with AIM-9M as standard generic-purpose missile, AIM-120D XMAA (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) as primary special weapon, AIM-9X QAAM (Quick Maneuver Air-to-Air Missile) as secondary special weapon. Actually, this armament configuration is way overkill for hunting some UAVs — as long as they don't pack air-to-air capability.

AWACS Thunderhead: "Transmitting targets' coordinates…those drones are cunning, staying right beyond reach of Sand Island's air defense system. Wardog, targets are no-aggressive Searcher Mk. II Reconnaissance UAVs, you can take them out with ease, but make sure shoot them all down before returning to spy vessel."

Bartlett: "Wardog Leader understood, kids, show me what you've got."

Nagase: "Roger, Edge engaging."

Davenport: "Roger, Chopper engaging."

Blaze: "Roger, Blaze engaging."

Two UAVs dead ahead, blaze fires missiles to them, achieves first two kills in this mission, follow him, Nagase and Davenport got their kills too, the situation is just a plain target practice alongside a game of eagle and chicks. Since there are no targets with weapons to fire back, Bartlett doesn't need to participate and assist anyone, just observes his subordinate's activities of pursuit and destroy.

Davenport: "I'm glad they don't have pilots inside, I still feel guilty of shooting manned aircrafts down."

Blaze: "We're soldiers, we are obliged to terminate unauthorized incomers. They hire us to kill, 12000 credits per month plus bonus for each confirmed execution."

Davenport: "Really? I thought they just hire us to operate military hardware, not firing something explosive to others. Anyway, I feel better fighting drones rather than fighters myself."

Reconnaissance UAV stands no chance against F-2A, not to say four of them with advanced missiles, less than five minutes all drones are shot down, during the process some of them attempt to use combat maneuvers of some sort, yet insufficient to escape from manned battleplanes.

AWACS Thunderhead: "Spy vessel is moving…it's attempting to escape to west. Wardog Squadron, fly to its position and keep it from escape until a boarding party arrives, but don't fire at it…wait…four bogeys inbound at 280, and coming in fast!"

Bartlett: "Then we must destroy those bogeys before doing anything to the ship. I wonder how many planes they got lined up at the border."

Davenport: "I'd like to say lined up at the grinder. We can scrap them in no time, right?"

Bartlett: "Don't get cocky Rock 'n' Roller, you'll be Swiss-cheesed if those are high-tier models."

Davenport: "I know boss, but since they are Flankers, we can take on them, do you agree?"

Bartlett: "So you stay and fight, I and others are going back to enjoy some drink and snack."

Davenport: "That's cruel boss…here they come."

Su-27s break into singles, seems they intend to play one on one. However Wardog Squadron has no interest to play with them this time. Four AIM-120D, four confirmed kills.

Bartlett: "Now we can move to disturb the ship's flee."

Nagase: "I have visual confirmation of the ship…it looks like a large freighter to me…and no apparent symbols on its hull."

Bartlett: "Not all unidentified ships raise gigantic banners written as 'we are ships from adversary factions, come and get us'. Guys, stay frosty, we just circle the ship to slow it down, don't fire upon it and don't get too close — nor too far."

Nagase: "On the deck there are orderly organized metal container…how do they launch and receive UAVs like this?"

Bartlett: "Edge, you're too close to ship, pull out!" Before he finishes this sentence, a container on the deck opens, reveals its content — an S-300PMU-1 surface-to-air missile launcher.

"I can't shake it!" Nagase is being chased by an advanced active-radar-homing SAM, she does maneuvers and release chaffs, but that missile doesn't get hampered at all, still stick on her tail, the distance between them is shortening, that's not a good sign.

Bartlett inserts himself between Nagase and missile, missile immediately turns on him. However F-2A is a low-tier fighter after all, even an experienced pilot like Wardog Leader cannot trick an advanced SAM by piloting it. So Bartlett pulls ejection lever, rocket-propelled seat pushes him to hundreds meters away from the F-2A — which is blown up alongside the missile at the blink of his ejection.

Nagase & Davenport & Blaze: "Captain! Are you all right?"

Bartlett: "I'm fine, good chute, no scratches."

Nagase: "Captain I'm sorry…"

Bartlett: "Save the waterworks Edge, pilots are always more important than aircrafts. Just get the crew back alive and unscratched, and tell the base to scramble search and rescue copter, also my reserve plane."

AWACS Thunderhead: "Warning! State of emergency! Wardog Squadron return to base as fast as you can!"

Nagase: "But captain bailed out near a hostile ship, we must stay around until…"

AWACS Thunderhead: "Leave him to rescue team! Yuktobania had declared war on us! Get back to base to refuel and rearm and take off for an urgent mission, if needed, change your planes!"

Bartlett's voice comes from his portable comlink: "Thunderhead is right, some other places need you more than here. Go, I can take care myself."

Nagase: "Captain, hang on there, you must come back."

The remaining three aircrafts fly to east after circling for another round.