CHAPTER 01
SKIES OF INCURSION
Phuku Lagolla Air Base, Federal Republic of Aurelia
Briefing Room
3 October 2020 - 0645 Hours
Twenty-nine year old Aurelian test pilot First Lieutenant Alvino Blanco sat waiting in the briefing room wearing his flight suit. With him were his fellow test pilots, Second Lieutenant Rafe Ibañez and First Lieutenant Estevan Giordano. The two were conversing among themselves, which Alvino didn't even pay any heed to. He just wanted to know why the three of them were called up at such an early hour in the first place. He didn't have to wait long, as the head base commander, thirty-seven year old Colonel Luisa Miranda entered with her second in command, thirty-four year old Major Sergio Ríos.
"Attention!" Alvino stated and stood with his fellow test pilots just as their superior officer walked up to the podium in front of them. The moment she reached the podium, Colonel Miranda turned to her subordinates and stated, "At ease, men."
It was at this point that Miranda started the briefing in a rather grim tone, "As you know, our nation is being invaded by our neighbor, the Democratic Republic of Leasath. We've lost, at most, forty percent of our territory to them within the last two days and, most importantly, our capital is being besieged. Despite our best efforts to support our forces in the capital, we've been losing planes and pilots." This was no surprise to the three test pilots as they each had friends and family in either Griswall and/or in the occupied areas. Alvino, himself, couldn't help but think of the safety of his wife, Leila, and only son, Teodor, as a result.
Miranda's next words broke Alvino's train of thoughts, "As a result, we've come to the conclusion that we should bring you three test pilots to combat status. This also means that the three experimental and prototype aircraft we have on base will be seeing their first combat sorties. Thankfully, the technicians from both General Resource and EASA have brought their planes' hardware and software to combat readiness."
The three pilots subsequently become nervous, despite their best attempts to hide it. They knew that they didn't have any combat experience whatsoever, much less the hardware they've been testing within the past year or so.
The mood suddenly changed a few seconds after, as shaking was felt throughout the air base. "The hell was what?!" Ibañez asked, rather alarmed. A male Sergeant rushed in from the hallway outside while air raid sirens simultaneously began going off, "Colonel, we're under attack! Leasath forces are attacking the base!" Miranda cursed out loud, "¡Mierda! Of all the times..." Turning to the three pilots she ordered, "Scramble at once! It won't be long before another wave of whatever hit us gets here!"
Upon running to the bomb-proof revetments as though their lives depended on it, the three test pilots got in their assigned aircraft. Alvino quickly climbed into his General Resource-built XFA-24A Apalis 4.5th Generation multirole fighter, started its twin engines, and closed the glass canopy. At the same time, Ibañez climbed into his Erusean Air and Space Administration (EASA)-built YR-302 Fregata 4.5th Gen ground attack aircraft, started the plane's four engines, and closed its COFFIN system's hardened shell. And finally, Giordano climbed into his EASA-built XR-45 Cariburn 4.5th Gen, forward-swept wing air superiority fighter, started its twin engines, and closed its own COFFIN shell.
As the three planes began taxiing to the end of the runway, their pilots noticed that the squadron's chase plane used in the prototypes' test and evaluation flights, an F-16D, was already a smoldering wreck. They soon got word from a male officer in the control tower, "Falco Squadron, get into the air ASAP! Our radar is picking up a wave of enemy aircraft inbound!" Giordano frantically asked, "How many?!" The officer from the tower replied, "Unknown at this time! What's more, our surface-to-air missile batteries are down! I say again, all our SAMs are down!" Alvino replied, trying to be as calm as he could under the circumstances, "Roger. We'll take down the bandits. Just make sure you keep the runway clear of any debris when we come back."
Reaching the end of the runway, the Alvino made a quick check in, "Falco One, ready for take off on Runway One-Three." This was followed by Ibañez, "Falco Two, ready." and finally by Giordano, "Falco Three, ready." The tower replied, "Falco Squadron, you're cleared for take off!" The three planes ran up their engines and let go of their brakes. Racing down the runway, the experimental and prototype planes each pitched their noses up and took to the air.
Leveling off at twenty-four-hundred feet, the three planes got word from a female voice in the ground control intercept, "Falco Squadron, this is G.C.I, do you see the enemy formation on your radar?" Alvino replied, "Affirmative. We've got enemy fighters and some faint contacts inbound at bearing zero-two-zero, twelve miles from our location. It looks like we could be dealing with stealth aircraft." The G.C.I officer concurred, "Roger. We're already scrambling the rest of the base's assets. However, it will be between five-to-ten minutes before they get into the air." Giordano, concerned, stated, "So it's just the three of us until then, huh." Alvino replied, "Very much so, Three. Now let's get into attack formation."
As the three prototype fighters closed in on the Leasathian formation, Ibañez got a glimpse of the bombers' silhouettes, "Whoa... Are those Cetorhinuses?" True to his word, the bombers ahead of them were EASA-built YRB-89 Cetorhinus prototype, COFFIN-equipped stealth bombers; a large, strategic bomber version of the EASA-built YR-99 Forneus prototype, COFFIN-equipped stealth multirole fighter. Alvino, equally astonished, replied, "I guess the rumors are true, after all." Said rumors were of the Fuerza Aérea Leasath (Leasath Air Force) procuring a considerable number of such bombers into their arsenal.
Thankfully, the four stealthy YRB-89s' formation was betrayed by their escort fighters being shown on radar. From their radar signatures, alone, the three test pilots could make the educated guess that the escorts in question were six Mikoyan MiG-21-93 'Fishbed-R3' fighters and a pair of Sukhoi Su-25T 'Frogfoot-C' ground attack aircraft; the Sukhois acting in a Suppression of Enemy Air Defence role. Alvino made a calculated decision, and began instructing his wingmen, "Okay, here's what we'll do: Falco Two and I will deal with the bombers and 'Frogfoot's. Falco Three, since you're in a pure air superiority fighter, you are to provide top cover against their MiGs. Understood?" Ibañez confirmed, "This is Falco Two, roger." Giordano followed suit, "Falco Three, roger. Awaiting the green light." Moments later, the G.C.I gave the go-ahead, "Falco Squadron, you're cleared to engage!" The three pilots responded in turn, starting with Alvino, "Roger, Falco One engaging!" Ibañez followed suit, "Falco Two engaging!" finally followed by Giordano, "Falco Three moving to intercept!"
The three prototype fighters accelerated toward their targets. While doing so, Giordano switched to the Meteor long-range, radar-guided missiles on his XR-45. "Target lock." he stated as he locked up a MiG, and pressed the pickle button, "Falco Three, Fox Three! Fox Three!" The missile launched off one of the Cariburn's wing-mounted hard points and streaked toward its target; one of the 'Fishbed's, which was subsequently destroyed in a head-on hit. There was no ejection from the downed Leasathian fighter.
Noticing that one of their MiG-21s was shot down, confusion ensued among the Leasathian formation, "What the hell?! One of ours went down!" One other MiG-21 pilot stated, "Aurelian fighters!" The lead 'Frogfoot' pilot, both equally confused and alarmed, replied with a question of his own, "What?! Where the hell did they come from?!" The 'Frogfoot's wingman responded, "They're coming at us from our twelve o'clock!" followed by a 'Fishbed' pilot, who was nothing more than a 'nugget', made a statement that sounded like he was getting overconfident, even cocky, "There's only three of them. This should be easy for us." However, the next thing his squadron mates heard from him was a panicked scream, as an AIM-120D AMRAAM medium-range, radar-guided missile from Alvino's Apalis struck home.
"Dammit! We can't let ourselves be sitting ducks! All fighters scatter!" the lead MiG-21 pilot ordered. It was a fatal mistake, as they left their YRB-89s and Su-25s vulnerable to attack from both Alvino and Ibañez' Apalis and Fregata, respectively. Getting a faint radar lock on one of the strategic bombers, Alvino launched an AMRAAM, "Falco One, Fox Three!" The AIM-120 dropped off one of the XFA-24's four center line hardpoints and fired its rocket motor. As the missile streaked off toward its target, the Leasathian bomber tried to decoy it with chaff. However, it was no use, as the impact from the missile's kinetic energy alone tore off the Cetorhinus' port wing at the root. The bomber's pilot shouted on the radio, "¡Mierda! This is Halcón Two, we're going down! Ejecting!"
Ibañez, meanwhile, maneuvered his four-engine aircraft to the remaining bombers' six o'clock position. The lead YRB-89's exhaust giving off a bright, hot return for his MICA IR infrared-guided missiles. "Falco Two, Fox Two!" Ibañez stated as he fired off one of the Erusean-designed infrared missiles. Despite the bomber's attempt at dumping flares, it was no use, as the MICA IR was designed to not be fooled by countermeasures. The missile detonated in the bomber's starboard engine block, "This is Halcón One, we're hit! Engines one and two are heavily damaged! Dammit! We're losing altitude and unable to maintain course! Ros, dump the payload! We need to get out of this airspace!" The lead Cetorhinus dumped its bombs and turned around out of the formation. The pilot on board informed, "Three, you are to take command." Witnessing their two SEAD aircraft get torn to pieces by either missile or cannon fire, the pilot of the number three bomber was starting to panic, himself; despite him shouting, "Roger!" in reply.
Said pilot of the number three bomber, witnessing the number four in the formation go down, shouted on radio in desperation, "What the hell is our escort doing?!" Unfortunately for the lone remaining YRB-89, the MiG-21s that were supposed to escort the flight were, at this point, either downed or attempting to make their escape from Giordano's merciless attacks. Alvino closed in on the lone bomber and fired his Apalis' M61A4 Vulcan twenty milimeter cannon, "Guns!" The Vulcan's bullets buzz sawed through the YRB-89's starboard wing, allowing it to cut off from the rest of the aircraft.
"This is G.C.I., all bandits are either down or no factor. Hold on. The Colonel wants say something." The next thing the three test pilots heard was Miranda's voice, "Well done, Falco Squadron. We owe you a debt of gratitude today. Now, return to base. Drinks are on us in the Officer's Club tonight. We'll celebrate with you guys being officially put onto combat status!" Alvino replied, "Thank's Colonel. Falco Squadron, returning to base."
The three prototype aircraft rejoined formation and turned back to Phuku Lagolla AB, where they hoped to have some rest and a round of drinks later on that night. However, the squadron would be called back into the air much sooner than anticipated.
