flstandardbreds Chapter 136 Operation Arc Light - NO. 3
Chapter 136 Operation Arc Light - NO. 3
"Vanguard 1-1 calls Tango Fox and Tango Wolf," repeat, Vanguard 1-1 calls Tango Fox and Tango Wolf.
"Pioneer 1-1, this is Tango Fox, received."
"This is Tango Wolves, Vanguard 1-1, very clear!"
"Alright, let me clarify your operational objective again. Tango Formation, your mission is to support the Ranger allies on the Savoy front. They will use red marker rounds to mark the enemy, while the allies will use green marker rounds."
"Completely understood! Vanguard 1-1."
The MA-08 armed flying gunship flew over the mountain ridge, the sun lifted the veil of night from the horizon, and the anti-gravity engine roared. This thing, once regarded as black technology, has many hypotheses, but the official only admits one - the reason why the anti-gravity engine can reverse gravity is because the engine itself and the planet's core produce a peculiar reaction, which makes the anti-gravity phenomenon occur.
The MA-08 armed flying gunship, or its official name—MA-08 armed helicopter, consists of two aircraft per squadron. The two flying gunships sent to Savoy for special operations missions were both equipped with 57mm rockets, quadruple 12.7mm M3 aircraft machine guns, and several machine guns mounted on either side of the cabin in the small compartment.
All these characteristics make this type of gunboat not very fast or maneuverable. So, a full 20 minutes after the battle began in the city of Savoy, the two attack helicopters with the call signs Tango Fox and Tango Wolf arrived at the scene. As a modified version of the MI-08 attack helicopter, the MA-08 perfectly inherited the original's long range and large carrying capacity, making it the Rangers' fastest and only available support.
Operation Arc Light was driven almost entirely by the culmination of Amerlane's military industry. The Rangers' ability to fight ten against one, relying heavily on localized heavy firepower and information access through helicopters, individual radios, automatic rifles, and smoke indicators, made them virtually invincible.
"Alright, this is Tango Fox, Vanguard 1-1, connecting to the live channel, over."
"Received, good luck!"
"Tango Fox is calling Vanguard 3-1, repeat, Tango Fox is calling Vanguard 3-1, we have arrived on site, everything is ready, and we have brought you a small gift."
The unique roar of the magic-guided anti-gravity engine could be faintly heard from the sky. The rangers were pinned down by the machine guns of the Savoy Fortress, but now that the big guy was here, who wouldn't be excited? They immediately cheered towards the sky, their morale rising even higher.
"Alright, Tango Squad, this is Vanguard 3-1. It's nice to see you, but you're late. Now, I'm handing the stage over to you and the JTACs. Call out the spotlights and dance with them. That's all."
"Received, Vanguard 3-1, over."
"Tango team, this is Searchlight 1-1, all ready, we are prepared to receive the nine-line briefing."
The 9-LINE is the standard fire support order for the Air Force and Army Aviation of Amerland. It consists of nine lines and communicates between the pilot and JTAC via radio, which can effectively prevent accidental fire support incidents.
JTAC, holding a file board and radio, made a call. Santos Guevara set up his FAL and fired at the machine gun position above. The Balkan Empire's army constantly honed itself in this war. During the Las Vegas War, thanks to the flanking attacks on Las Vegas by the Amerlansi forces, the Balkan Empire successfully seized more fertile land and was at its peak.
Now, they are forging their army in the midst of war. Hand-cranked heavy machine guns are fitted with shields, and infantry guns are positioned behind brick fortifications. The infantry, positioned on higher ground, form a crossfire that is almost impossible to break through. This is the reliance of the Savoy garrison. The entire Savoy garrison consists of only three regiments, of which an entire regiment was annihilated at the garrison. Only one and a half regiments escaped back to the fortress. The fortress has everything and also threatens the crucial X-ray landing point—several artillery pieces are directly aimed at the town square.
No one wanted to gamble on the accuracy of Balkan soldiers' artillery. Each helicopter was expensive, and the 12 Rangers on board were priceless. It's no exaggeration to say that 12 Rangers were enough to overthrow the regime of a small country.
JTAC delivered the message at lightning speed, and then it was the turn of the armed helicopters to appear. The sun had already risen over the mountains, bringing a ray of dawn to the earth. The huge armed helicopters descended from the sky and hovered in front of the fortress. The pilot of Tango Fox used a reflective sight to aim at the targets—several machine gun bunkers, infantry, and infantry guns.
Green smoke rose from the friendly forces' position, while the enemy's position was hit by a red smoke grenade. Everyone knew what to do next.
57mm rockets exploded on the fortress, and .50mm bullets cleaved soldiers who couldn't dodge in two, then destroyed soldiers hiding behind bunkers along with the bunkers. Two armed helicopters, one on the left and one on the right, swept away all the firing points on the fortress like brooms.
"Yeah!!!! We've taken them down!!"
The Rangers cheered. Without firepower, they emerged from their bunkers and advanced under the cover of smoke grenades. Two helicopters circled continuously, spewing deadly machine gun fire at the enemy from all directions like a hedgehog.
Advantage of being at a high vantage point? Not at all.
Firepower suppression? First, we need to get past the 57mm rockets and the quadruple 12.7mm grenades.
Bunker? Go to hell with the bunker!
With the help of these two flying Reapers, the fortress was quickly breached. The moment the Rangers stepped into Savoy Fortress, a fleet of transport helicopters carrying the entire Ranger Regiment flew over the battlefield, unloaded the remaining battalions and company headquarters, and the entire Ranger Regiment of over a thousand men crossed the front lines of Amelansi and the interventionist forces to take control of this dangerous place.
High up, the Amerinsky tricolor flag was raised, and Santos Guevara was finally able to lean against a wall and rest for a while. After all, the FAL automatic rifle was not light, as was the backpack he was carrying.
The operation progressed faster and more smoothly than anyone had imagined. A battalion of just over 100 men, acting as the main attacking force, was able to defeat the defending army of three regiments and drive them out of the mountain city.
However, luck played a significant role in this. If a platoon from the 1st Battalion hadn't stormed the local garrison's armory, the casualty ratio and combat efficiency probably wouldn't have been so impressive. Command errors and the response to the attack were the key to the Balkan forces' failure, and also the most basic mistakes.
However, who would have thought that an elite force would descend from the sky in Savoy, a city 70 or 80 kilometers away from the front line, and who would have thought of the appearance of helicopters?
Thousands of Balkan soldiers died in the garrison. Two regiments of soldiers were crammed into the high-walled compound, all of them drunk. Most of them died in the garrison, riddled with RPG-2s, grenades, FALs, MG3s, and more. Blood flowed from the bullet holes and cracks in the wooden row houses. The entire garrison had been ordered to be strictly off-limits, and no one wanted to clean it up, but the stench of blood mixed with gunpowder could be smelled throughout the city.