Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 74 Air Force Debut
Bandar was overjoyed.

Now he can finally beat up the Zion devils without restraint.

He stood on the turret of the command vehicle, observing the terrain ahead through binoculars, while the hot wind blowing in his face, carrying sand grains, lashed against his skin.

"The Zionists are very cunning. They'll hide their tanks behind the slopes and wait for us to enter their encirclement before firing at our flanks!"

He issued the order over the radio: "Self-propelled artillery battalion, suppress the hillside ahead with fire; Hammerhead battalion, deploy mine-clearing plows; First and Third Battalions, draw fire from the front; the rest of the crews, charge forward! Crush them!"

The armored brigade came with its own divisional artillery group, which consisted of three self-propelled artillery battalions and one rocket artillery company. Two of the artillery battalions were transferred away by Lu Lin, leaving one to supplement the armored forces with long-range firepower.

A muffled rumble like thunder came from the distant hillside as shells from the M109 howitzers of the artillery battalion whistled and crashed down on the hillside, sending up clouds of sand and dust that shot into the sky like fountains.

The steel torrent of the 1st Armored Brigade began its advance, and at that moment, Zion's forces spotted them, and the anti-tank positions launched a counterattack.

The three M60A1 tanks equipped with mine-clearing kits at the front slowly moved forward. In the sandstorm caused by the exploding cordons, two tanks were suddenly overturned by landmines.

"Thunder!"

At that moment, an M60A1 was hit in its auxiliary fuel tank by shrapnel from an SS.11 shell fired from an anti-tank position, and the entire vehicle instantly burst into flames.

(Vehicle-mounted SS.11)

Bandar showed no fear and continued to give orders: "Spread out! Keep pushing! Don't give the enemy a chance to breathe!"

The 1st Armored Brigade still held an advantage in numbers and mobility, and the M60A1 main guns fired as they advanced, steadily and continuously advancing towards the hillside.

Shells rained down on the Zionist positions, sending the entire area billowing into thick smoke.

"Now this is what fighting a war is all about!"

Bandar stood atop the turret and shouted towards the Zionian fortifications ahead, "Charge! Allahu Akbar!!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The driver, Harvey, saw through the periscope that a friendly M60A1 to his left front had been hit in the turret base, followed by a secondary explosion, and the turret flew high into the air.

"Try to move in an S-shape to avoid being locked onto by the main guns of enemy tanks!"

The train commander, Al-Khali, gave the order.

Sergeant Harvey asked with some concern, "Commander, can we make it?"

Since this was his first real-world experience, he couldn't help but sweat from nervousness.

Al-Khali said confidently, "Of course! Back in Nuksil, I drove an AMX-13 with a major general in tow and slaughtered an entire regiment of chiefs. Now that we're driving an M60, there's no reason we can't even take down a small hill!"

Harvey hesitated, "But at that time, it was carrying Major General Amir."

Upon hearing this, Al-Khali pulled out a feather: "See this? The Major General is always with us!"

As a knight who once carried a general into battle, Al-Khali became a legendary figure in the armored division. If he hadn't come from a commoner background, he would at least be a company commander of an armored company now.

But this does not diminish his status as a war hero. Upon seeing the feather, Harvey and the gunner's eyes seemed to light up as well.

There is a legend circulating in the armored forces that the major general is an apostle of God, and the eagle is his incarnation.

At that moment, they seemed to truly sense that the major general was standing behind them, charging forward with the troops.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, Lu Lin was watching this scene from the sky.

"Bandar is going to be in for a rough time now." The advance of armored forces, coupled with the heavy bombardment by howitzers, has created quite a commotion.

The Xi'an Armored Brigade also clearly felt the threat from the north and began to shift more of its defensive forces toward the First Armored Brigade.

A fierce battle awaits both sides.

However, thanks to Bandar taking on the vast majority of the firepower, the mechanized infantry division led by Ibrahim in the south faced much less pressure.

Engineers led the way, followed by armored vehicle mechanized companies and air defense platoons advancing in stages. Mortar teams established temporary positions after capturing each high point.
Ibrahim's offensive style is characterized by a steady and methodical approach.

Regardless of the actual effect, at least Commander Lu Lin felt quite reassured.

The people that Prince Muhammad sent to him were definitely not just there to fill a quota. Although Shuangzhi had not had any real combat experience in recent years, some people's talents only need one battle to prove themselves.

At that moment, the communications officer relayed a message: "General, a call from Air Force Command: 'Desert Storm' squadron has taken off, and four F-4s are approaching the combat zone. Requesting target coordinates!"

Lu Lin was somewhat surprised. Had his own air force been mobilized?
Since witnessing the advantages brought by the Zionist air force, Arab countries have been actively preparing their own air forces.

As the most famous dog-owning family in the Middle East, Shuangzhi was naturally very envious.

So His Majesty King Shams generously provided financial assistance and the help of the United States, and in just nine months, the first air column in the history of the Shuangzhi was formed.

"Alright, let them give it a try."

Opportunities for real combat don't come often, so Lu Lin thought for a moment and said, "Send them the specific coordinates of the shelling Bandar just requested, but be careful of the enemy's anti-aircraft fire."

The eagle's perspective can only see exposed enemy units, while those that are well hidden are uncertain.

But the F-4 should be fine, right?

Lu Lin thought to himself.

The pilot quickly replied over the radio: "Desert Storm received."

Lu Lin turned his gaze back to the sky, and soon he spotted a rapidly approaching flight column at an altitude of about 3000 meters. At the same time, the air defense system on the ground in Zion was activated, and more than a dozen Sidewinder missiles shot into the sky, trailing plumes of fire.

Lu Lin quickly noted down the locations of these anti-aircraft positions and informed the artillerymen of their approximate positions: "Give them a good beating!"

Upon seeing the missiles approaching, the F-4 squadron in the air lowered its altitude instead of increasing it, because they had already locked onto the ground coordinates, and MK82 bombs fell from under their fuselages like raindrops.

At this point, they had entered Zion's low-altitude fire network, with 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns captured from Al-Iraq weaving a dense barrage.

Lu Lin's heart was in his throat.

"Fire flares!" he shouted into the radio.

At the critical moment, all four F-4s simultaneously released flares, and orange-red sparks exploded in the air, causing the missile's infrared guidance to fail.

However, a Sidewinder still detonated at extremely close range, and the fragments instantly pierced the right engine of an F-4.

Watching the F-4 stagger away, billowing black smoke, Lu Lin broke out in a cold sweat.

Looking at the actual bombing results, not to mention that they deviated from the designated area by hundreds of meters, two of them even landed in the armored group commanded by Bandar.

"Damn it! Which idiot dropped this bomb?!" Bandar's angry curse came through the radio.

Lu Lin sighed. The Air Force was truly rotten to the core.

So he told the communications soldier:
“Tell the Air Force Command that if this kind of mistake happens again, I will personally go back and arrest all the pilots and execute them!”

　Thanks—can I earn this much, brother?, for the 34 monthly tickets!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)