A/N: Operation Dragon's Fire is a codename for the combined JSDF contribution to the US-led International coalition defending South Korea. As the article 9 has officially been revised hours after the missile attack on Tokyo, the SDF has been given permission to be deployed abroad in combat operation in alliance with friendly countries, most importantly the United States and South Korea. Hope you liked this chapter!
July 5th, 2018, 06.00 hour, Above Gangwon Province, ROK.2nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1st Air Wing, JASDF.
Eight Mitsubishi F-15EJ Strike Eagles from the Japanese 2nd TFS, squadron callsign "Temple", flying from Yokota AB, are now above Gangwon Province, near the city of Chuncheon, which a day before was fallen to a combined North Korean-Iranian force. Joining the sortie are a six-ship US Navy F-35C Lightning IIs from the VFA-147 "Argonauts" embarked on the carrier USS Ronald Reagan, mainly tasked to lead the formation and hunt down North Korean air defenses, and a four-ship flight of ROKAF (Republic of Korea Air Force) KF-16 Fighting Falcons. The job of top cover of the strike package was assigned into four-ship flight of US Air Force F-22 Raptors, flying at 30.000 feet. Trailing the overall formation is a flight of South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles which will conduct close air support to cover an Allied counterattack aimed to retake the city, led by Japanese 4th Armored Division and South Korean 20th Mechanized Infantry Division.
Each Japanese flight has different payloads for different missions. The D flight, which Tsubaki and Watari were assigned, was primarily a cruise missile carrying group carrying brand-new Lockheed Martin AGM-158B JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range) alongside CBU-105 cluster bombs, while the C flight, along with South Korean F-16s, served as guided bomb-trucks carrying various Paveway laser-guided bombs, primarily Paveway III bunker-busters to destroy North Korean command bunkers, hardened artillery sites, and underground aircraft shelters in the northern side of DMZ.
The Strike Eagles were also carrying two IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) built conformal fuel tanks which also serve as additional hardpoints for the CBU-105s, along with two AAM-4s and four AAM-5s for self-defense in the outer hardpoints near the wingtip.
Inside the F-15EJ with the registration number 11-9821, Tsubaki checked and armed two JASSMs hanging in the centerline station, while Watari made sure it's datalink system, along with Israeli-supplied LITENING targeting pod, are up for the upcoming task.
A few minutes later, "All units, this is AWACS Zeus, United States Air Force, I will be your eyes and ears for this mission. Without further ado, we are commencing the operation. Trireme flight, proceed to the enemy air-defense area to open the safe corridor. The rest of the package will follow Trireme./em" said a USAF air battle-manager aboard a brand-new E-12 Constellation AWACS
"Roger that" said the Trireme flight leader aboard one of the US Navy F-35s. Soon the JSFs, supported by Predator drones deployed as decoys, knocked out the North Korean SAM and AA sites near the city of Chuncheon, opened a corridor which non-stealth planes like the F-15s and F-16s can safely passed through. Then, the package split up according to their missions. The Japanese F-15s and Korean F-16s will push north, while the Korean F-15s will remain in Chuncheon, mainly providing CAS and mopping up the remaining air defenses in the area. The F-35s, still having HARM anti-radiation missiles, also pressed north in front of the combined Japanese-Korean strike formation. Tsubaki and Watari's D flight were put in the rearmost position in order to be able to use their standoff missile more effectively.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to North Korea.. and get your passports out" said the C flight (Temple 3) lead, Capt. Miyamoto Iguchi, as they saw mountainous North Korean terrain below them.
"Temple 4 (D flight), check your weapons, we're almost in range of our targets" said the D flight lead, Capt. Johnson Suzuki, emigrating from the United States in order to join the JASDF.
"Temple 4-2, roger" said Watari on the radio.
"Temple 4-3, affirmative"
"Temple 4-4, roger that"
"Coordinates received, fire!"
As soon as a network of dug-in and hardened artillery positions used to shell northern part of the South, including Seoul were in missile range. "Temple 4-2, rifle" Two JASSMs were soon released from the Tsubaki's and Watari's Eagle, along with the rest of the flight.
"The cruise missiles were not using usual explosives rather; the Americans had also supplied thermobaric warheads to the JASSM, which are used for great effect against North Korean field-fortifications and hardened artillery and SAM positions.
"Good hit, good hit on those dug-in tanks and hardened AA positions." said Capt. Suzuki in praise to his pilots. The enemy line of defense has been hit hard by the thermobaric missile strike with significant numbers of tube, rocket artillery, and air defense position taken out along the AO (area of operations).
"Those people will rest easier tonight" said Watari.
""We're now down to CBUs (cluster bombs), give us our orders!" hollered Temple 4-4./
"All D flight, support the C flight and the Koreans on the remaining enemy fortified positions and SAM sites. Moreover, expect enemy air forces to be here in force so get ready for some air-to-air." Suzuki ordered.
"Head's up, we're spiked, looks like a KN-06 (Pong'hae-5 medium-range SAM)". called Temple 4-3, which soon break off alongside their wingman.
"Roger that, tell me if you see anything." Tsubaki said. Meanwhile, the F-35s detected the remaining launchers. One of them is positioned 11 o'clock in front of Tsubaki and Watari's plane. Then..
"Missile launch! Missile launch!" he shouted. Immediately the F-15s missile warning system blares over the cockpit and they pumped out chaffs to confuse the SAM, it's location revealed and the F-35s fired their remaining HARMs. Soon Tsubaki and Watari saw a fireball
"Temple 4-3 is down!" Their blood run cold.
"Confirmed, I see two chutes" Tsubaki reported. She soon said "Screw it, I going to take out that SAM battery too. I can't afford those stealth drivers stole all the honor."
"Tsubaki, what on.." Watari protested, from his backseat, but soon his girlfriend cut him off. "We are here to blast the Norks to wherever they come from. There must be somebody mopping them up." Watari relented and as his partner expected, not all SAMs in the area have been destroyed. Tsubaki then put her plane into a dive while Watari checked the firing solution of the CBU. Avoiding fire from two ZU-23-2 towed AA and one Igla-1 MANPADS, Tsubaki pushed the release button, dropping one of the weapon on the way.
Tsubaki pulled back the stick and climbed into 3000 feet as two cluster bombs released thousands of bomblets that destroyed the remaining KN-06 launchers and it's support units. along with a large truck that turned out to be one of the enemy's mobile headquarters for the artillery unit.
"Excellent work, Temple 4-2, you finish off those damn SAMs". Kinetic (Tsubaki's callsign), you are a pretty crazy chick I ever seen. Bravo.." reported Suzuki.
"Well, extend the credits to those Americans, through" She replied, referring to the US Navy F-35s.
"This is Trireme lead, be advised, we have one flight of Su-30s and one Saeqeh heading your way, The Flankers are from the north-northwest, the Saeqehs are from the northeast. The Raptors are currently engaged with another group of North Korean hostiles, so you are on your own, as we are engaging the Flankers. Good luck!" said the F-35 flight lead.
"What the fuck is a Saeqeh?" Tsubaki asked while she leveled her plane to regroup with the remaining member of the D flight.
"It's an Iranian reverse-engineered old F-5s with Hornet-style twin vertical tails!" Watari replied.
"Sounds pretty easy for us" said Tsubaki closing the conversation. Soon, the AESA radar detected four unidentified contacts, soon identified as HESA Saeqehs.
""AAM-4 armed and ready."
"Fox three!" Each F-15s, now flying on V formation, launched single AAM-4; two hit and one missed.
"He's mine!" Tsubaki maneuvered her plane in order to be close to one of the remaining Iranian F-5 knockoff, followed by 4-1. The enemy, found himself in defensive, attempted to lure her plane towards the mountains, but soon Tsubaki's HMD obtained a good off-boresight lock as the Iranian engaged his afterburner. A fatal mistake.
"Temple 4-2, Fox 2!" An AAM-5 went off the left- side of her wing. The move surprised the Iranian pilot inside; his plane soon exploded when the Mitsubishi-built missile hit the Saeqeh. The Iranian pilot was killed instantly.
"Good kill, Tsubaki!" Watari shouted.
"Yatta!" (I did it) Tsubaki replied.
"Temple lead, splash one Saeqeh! Now, let's get the hell out of here!" Watari exclaimed.
"Good work, minna. All Temple call-sign, RTB!" Both Suzuki and Miyamoto ordered their respective flights to form up and head back to Yokota./
A/N: /strongHope you like the ground attack mission here!/p