Chapter 109 Recovering the Tomcat

USS Kitty Hawk.

"We don't have to worry too much about the threat of the MiG-25. Although they can fly to an altitude of 30,000 meters and a speed of Mach 3, their maneuverability is very poor at this altitude and speed. They can't engage in any combat at all, let alone launch missiles in this state." Captain Steve, the captain of the aircraft carrier, said: "At most they can conduct reconnaissance. Our Blackbird can also conduct reconnaissance at this altitude."

This statement was weak, as everyone knew that just a few months ago, an American Blackbird was shot down by the Soviets over the Far East. After that, the Blackbird never flew over the Soviet Union again.

Our Blackbird, a sci-fi fighter made of pure titanium alloy, was defeated in Soviet airspace. We have no other means left, but how exactly is the Soviet MiG-25 made? How can it have the performance of a fighter? The Soviet aviation technology has left the United States far behind!

The MiG-25 can intercept the Blackbird, but the Blackbird cannot intercept the MiG-25. That's the difference!

Now, almost everyone thinks that the MiG-25 is also made of titanium alloy. The Soviet Union has abundant reserves of titanium and rich experience in processing titanium alloys. Not to mention, even the American Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, most of the titanium alloys were actually imported from the Soviet Union under the pretext of civilian use.

If they knew that the MiG-25 was made of stainless steel, they would probably be so depressed that they would vomit blood.

"We should continue to develop air defense missiles," said Colonel Ted, the commander of the flight wing. "If our escort warships had air defense missiles with a firing altitude of more than 30,000 meters, we wouldn't have to be so passive now."

At the beginning, the Soviet Union did not have aircraft with sufficient altitude. Seeing the American U-2 conducting reconnaissance indiscriminately over the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union had to vigorously develop missiles. As a result, the U-2 was shot down by the SAM-2 and became completely obedient.

Now, if we want to make the Soviets behave themselves, we have to follow the same path and develop missiles with a firing altitude of over 30,000 meters!

Vice Admiral Jonard also frowned, "Yes, I will suggest to the Navy Headquarters that our newly developed standard missiles should have a firing altitude of more than 30,000 meters! However, we don't have to worry too much about this kind of aircraft. If they dare to come down, our Tomcat fighters will definitely be able to shoot them down with their performance advantage!"

While the top commanders were discussing the matter, other members of the fleet were still working in an orderly manner at their posts.

On the spherical radar screen, you can see a bright line rotating, and after the bright line rotates one circle, two bright spots appear on the screen.

"Report, direction 180, distance 90, speed 500, altitude 500, two targets." The radar operator reported.

"Don't worry, that's the Boxer Squad." Another radar officer said, and he pressed the intercom button: "Boxer, Boxer, please reply if you get it, over."

"Boxer received, preparing to return, over." Soon there was a response on the radio.

"Pay attention to speed and direction, over." The radar officer continued.

After hearing these conversations, the radar soldier finally relaxed. The altitude and speed of the two targets seemed to be preparing to return, and the radio conversations were also accurate. It seemed that he had been worrying too much.

Damn it IFF, it must be broken again!

During World War II, the problem of friend-or-foe identification had already become prominent. Now, the main equipment used in the Western world is the radar friend-or-foe identification system, which consists of two parts: an interrogator and a transponder. After the radar finds the target, it uses the interrogator to send a set of coded interrogation signals to the target. If the target is yours, the transponder on the target will automatically decode the interrogation signal and then automatically send back a coded response signal. If the response is correct, it proves that it is yours. After the interrogator decodes the response signal, it outputs an identification mark to the radar display, which is displayed together with the target echo.

If it is an enemy target, even if there is a transponder, there is no corresponding password, it cannot be solved and cannot be responded to.

However, this is all theoretical. In reality, this system often fails, such as in bad weather, when electromagnetic wave energy is attenuated. As a result, the transponder does not receive the inquiry signal and will not answer. Therefore, this system ultimately becomes that those who can answer are definitely ours, and those who do not answer cannot be confirmed!

In all previous Western military operations, even in the later Gulf War, accidental attacks caused by problems in identifying friend or foe accounted for about half of the losses, which is quite huge.

Today, electronic technology is far inferior to that of later generations and is even less reliable.

The Soviet Union, with its more backward electronic technology, adopted a more extreme approach. For example, each air defense force on land had its own area divided and each was responsible for its own area, without worrying about friendly forces. At sea, warships did not have friend-or-foe identification. In real wartime, anyone who entered the air defense area of ​​a warship would be shot!

Now, the radio contact was correct and the signal characteristics were similar. The radar soldier did not have too many doubts. He did not know that he had made a big mistake!

At this time, the wind and waves had subsided a little, and the rear deck of the Kitty Hawk was bustling with activity as they prepared to recover their two Tomcat fighters.

Next to the Fresnel optical landing aid system on one side, several people wearing white vests held signal guns in their hands. They had to observe whether the aircraft's landing route was appropriate. If the other party did not accurately aim at the center line of the runway, if the landing posture was wrong, if the landing hook did not hook the arresting cable, they would need to take off again.

Their eyes were wide open, staring at the plane that was getting closer and closer, but when they saw the two planes from a distance, they always had a strange feeling.

Why does it look different? They have watched their own Tomcat fighters land countless times. From this angle, the Tomcat fighter should not look like this, with such a big air intake?

As the two planes got closer, the crew on the deck were stunned. What was that? A huge rectangular air intake, missiles hanging from the wings, and a fuselage size that was obviously larger than their own Tomcat fighter.

As they watched in amazement, the other side actually lowered the landing gear! The huge main tires could rub against the deck of their own aircraft carrier at any time!

"MiG-25!" shouted a deckhand in a yellow vest.