J-20... The New Generation Fighter II
- Thread starter Asymptote
- Start date
- Status
The SAC is under a lot of pressure and flak after the J-20 came out. The official blog is under constant attacks ridiculing how the SAC is only capable of making J-8 variants and Sukhoi ripoffs (which, in my opinion, are baseless accusations).
Lol this article is gold...
“The events depicted in this NOTAM are “what-if” speculative fiction no different from Clancy's 1986 novel, “Red Storm Rising”, but the weapons, tactics, operational techniques, targets, and geography depicted are all based on hard facts and as real as it gets.”
The Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China looked at the Committee members, assembled in the August 1st Building, at the dawn of 6 December 2020.
The air was charged with tension and expectation.
“Tomorrow, if you each tell me your plans and Forces are ready, we will immediately end the US hegemony of the Western Pacific. The US, despite our repeated warnings, has continued to arm the rebel Government in Taiwan, the latest shipments being 200 F-35s they had surplus after JSF sales to Europe collapsed. These aircraft are now in action against us, and in the past week, three J-10A ‘Vigorous Dragon’ fighters have been destroyed while on peaceful patrols of the Straights. This behaviour cannot, and will not be tolerated. Now, let me ask about your preparedness – and true and accurate reports only – if there are weaknesses, now is the time to correct them, not in the heat of battle. Commander-in-Chief (CIC), tell us the strategic plan.”
The CIC rises and opens a PowerPoint briefing on a large screen.
“Our military forces will eliminate the larger US bases across the Western Pacific. Each of the Armed Services will have a substantial role on this Joint and highly coordinated operation. The Second Artillery using DF-21 terminally guided IRBMs; the PLA-AF using the new J-20 ‘Black Eagle’ stealth fighters; and, the PLA-N will employ submarine launched cruise missiles, mainly our excellent DH-10 missiles. Our Intelligence Agencies have been collecting targeting information on critical infrastructure for several years. The initial targets will be digital communications and military installations and equipment. If US naval forces come within 1,000 nautical miles of our coast, they will be attacked with terminally guided DF-21D missiles. Each of our designated Fire Bases will be protected by mobile Surface to Air Missile batteries. Any incoming counter-attack will be detected at long range by HF Sky-Wave and Surface-Wave Over-The-Horizon-radars. Preparations will take place in our “super-hardened” underground airbase hangars to avoid observation by US spy satellites. We have other assets prepared. Mr Chairman, here is the Military Tasking Order of Operation Long March’ …”
There is a sharp intake of breath as the PowerPoint slide is flashed onto the screen. The scope and scale of Operation Long March makes the infamous 1941 Pearl Harbour attack look like a mere tactical skirmish.
The members study the PowerPoint table in complete silence. Each of the Service Chiefs’ heads nod in agreement, knowing that the deployment of forces is well within their operational capabilities and the skills of their crews.
“A question – why Guam International?” says the Chairman.
“We know that some military aircraft are parked in the hangars to the north of the airfield, but our main target is the fibre-optic hubs near the airport. When we breach those, much of the digital communication across the Pacific to the US will be terminated. This will force the American military and their allies to have to use very limited bandwidth satellites – and we can knock those down too, if we wish” is the reply from CIC.
“Thank you Commander-in-Chief, a good answer. Minister for Finance?” invites the Chairman. The Minister stands and moves to the Podium. He speaks quietly and confidently, and the members strain to hear him.
“Our finances are ready to weather the disruption this action may bring. Our GDP is now larger than the whole of the American GDP. We have reduced our exposure in US Treasury holdings to less than $US15B – the Americans’ program of printing money has made them virtually worthless as the US dollar continues to decline in value. We have moved our trillions of FOREX USD into the currencies of our trading partners, raising the value of their currency relative to ours so they can afford to buy our goods, and of course making their futures dependent on our holdings. Our gold reserves are over 2,000 tonnes. We plan to sell a large amount when the action starts, while keeping our other precious metal holdings in reserve. We expect the profit will easily offset the cost of Operation Long March. We are in good shape.”
Next, the Chief of the PLA speaks. “Our DF-21 forces are in position. We plan to launch 30 to 60 rounds into each target.”
“Won’t that be expensive?” asks the Minister for Finance?
“No”, replies the Minister for Defence Materiel, “these missiles are nearly time-expired. It costs as much to refurbish them as to build the new and more effective DF-21Ds.”
“Just so” says the PLA Chief, “We have upgraded the guidance system to the ‘C’ model, so they will be very accurate and cost-effective.”
As if an afterthought, he says, “I also have the HQ-9, the S-300PMU2, S-400 and the HQ-20 SAMs in place to protect the launch Firebases and the key cities of the Homeland if the USA decides to launch cruise missiles from bombers or submarines. We will not get them all, but we will get most and protect our cities and people.”
“Air Force?” asks the Chairman.
“We have been receiving one J-20 stealth fighter a week since 2016,” the PLA Chief continues, “We now have 160 J-20A single-seat fighters, and 80 J-20B two-seat theatre-bombers. These are all in fully operational service, so the MTO just fits. You know, the US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates was half right when he said China would not have a ‘Stealth Fighter’ until 2025 – perhaps he was speaking of our mature and full capability. But I digress. With the low signature of the J-20, we can employ our excellent satellite guided glide bombs, and the Minister for Finance might be pleased to hear that our estimate of the ordnance cost for an airfield target will be less than $US4 million. Not a bad economic exchange for the destruction of American military capabilities.”
“And the Navy?” invites the Chairman.
“We have our submarines in place near each target, and they will be in deep water as they fire, so have an excellent chance of escaping,” he advises. “This attack will not destroy these bases, but there will be a lot of damage and loss of capability, especially aircraft the Americans arrogantly park on open tarmacs. I also have underwater assets in place off Los Angeles, and there are several ships carrying containerised Klub cruise missiles off the East and West Coast of the USA, if we need any follow-up action.”
“Thank you all. Now, what of the 200 F-35s on Taiwan?” asks the Chairman.
The Minister for Cyber Defense, Madam Chien-Shiung Wu, has a Berkeley PhD in Computer Science and is young, brilliant and beautiful – in a scintillating pink-diamond sort of way, and speaks with chilling certainty.
“Over the past decade, my staff have penetrated the JSF software facilities and have made ‘certain changes’ that cripple the JSF. This is classified ‘above top secret’ and so you do not need to know more”.
The Air Force Chief asks “Then how were my three J-10A’s destroyed by the Taiwanese F-35s?”
“A piece of deceptive illusion,” replies Madame Wu, “We had to convince the US with a war-like demonstration that their F-35’s systems work, so we ‘arranged’ a successful F-35 attack on the J-10s - when you are network dependent you are cyber-vulnerable. Our pilots were specially briefed and ejected in straight and level flight just before the Taiwanese AIM-120 missiles hit. So the arrogant Americans will think their ‘war-tested’ F-35s are working perfectly.”
“Well, even if they have found this bug,” advises the Army Chief, “we have been using the F-35 operations over Taiwan to check its signatures, and my SAM people say even the obsolete HQ-9s will kill them. I also have the HQ-20s ready.”
“And I have J-10As and Bs and our J-11Bs on alert ready to catch any you don’t get,” says the Air Force Chief with equally chilling confidence.
“Are you all confident that ‘Operation Long March’ will be successful?” asks the Chairman. All heads nod in agreement. “Very well, the attack on Andersen Air Force Base will start at 10:00AM Local Time on 7 December 2020. The submarine and DF-21 attacks will be delayed accordingly, as advised by CIC, to provide the Black Eagles with the advantage of complete surprise.”
The Chief of the Air Force General Yónggàn de Zhànshì rises and asks the Chairman, “My son is the J-20B Wing Commander. I am fully qualified on the J-20B. May I fly into battle as one of my son’s wingmen?”
“General, you may”, agrees the Chairman, “and our good fortune flies with you.”
At 14:00 on the 6th December 2020, the scene moves to Yiwu Airbase near Shanghai, a former PLANAF super-hardened underground airbase, and now the home of the first J-20B Black Eagle Air Regiment. Colonel Liè Lóng rises to his feet to address his aircrew and battle-staff.
“Warriors, we have been commanded by Air Task Order (ATO) ‘Black Eagle Long March’ to go into battle to liberate the Pacific Ocean from the 75 year tyranny of the United States. Our regiment's task is to eliminate the Guam Air and Naval Bases as viable military installations. We will…..” He is interrupted as each of the men and women rise and begin to cheer – they have been training for this moment for months and years, and have great pride in their expertise and equipment, albeit untested in war.
The Colonel raises his hand for silence, and the tumult quickly dies away. “As I was saying, we will fly to the Guam launch points - 50 nautical miles for J-20As and 20 nautical miles for the J-20Bs - release our ordnance, and return. The Intelligence and Weapons Officers have done their jobs well and each bomb has been programmed with a target area. Some of the 100 kg bombs with EO sensors will search for high value targets; other 500 kg bombs will use GPS-INS to destroy fixed installations. We have three squadrons of twelve J-20As and a squadron of twelve J-20B fighter-bombers for the task, so this will be a near-saturation attack.”
“J-20B pilots, you will each be flying the ‘Deadly Rain’ manoeuvre you have practiced so many times. Make sure you fly with precision and confidence, as your lives will depend on your skill. The J-20As will also be armed as fighter escorts in case any F-22As or F-35As are on combat air patrol duties. Each aircraft has an individual ATO, so study this carefully. Now, get some rest – we take-off at 06:30, there is a refuelling outbound and possibly inbound if you are intercepted. The mission will last about 7 hours. China salutes your strength and courage.”
General Yónggàn de Zhànshì rises at 04:00, dresses and enjoys a hearty traditional breakfast, and attends the final briefing at 05:30. Weather is clear over Guam, as the ‘fanumnangan’ dry season has started – a perfect environment for smart EO bombs looking for an exposed target. At 6:30, he is taxiing as number two in the third element of the second Squadron, and makes an uneventfully smooth takeoff. Captain Gōngjiàn Shou, his Weapon Systems Officer, is nervous flying a combat mission with the Chief, but soon settles into the task.
The Squadrons fly out 1,000 nautical miles, and take it in turns to drink from an H-6U Badger or an Il-78 Midas aerial tanker. Then on another 600 nautical miles to the weapons release point.
Like all such war activities, this long transit is boring straight and level flight. However, each J-20's radio frequency surveillance system is active, continually ‘sniffing’ the ether for hostile radar and radio transmissions. As they approach Guam, the radars and civil aircraft chatter is intercepted and assessed. Each of the J-20 fighters is part of a ‘Low-Probability-of-Intercept’ information net, with data being exchanged by directional, millimetre wave data-link pencil beams. The network has multiple redundancies and each and every aircraft can act as a peer-to-peer node. As a result, the aircraft all share a common air picture, and the crews can communicate with little chance of the transmissions being intercepted.
In the J-20s, a professional calm prevails in each Squadron and Flight as each of the aircraft approaches the GPS release point designated in its ATO. As the J-20Bs approach to 20 nautical miles at 45,000 feet and Mach 1.5, the engines are advanced to full afterburner, and the nose raised to 20 degrees; 0.8G is held.
At the designated release point, the weapons bay doors on each aircraft are opened; the LS-6 100 kg smart bombs are ripple-released at one-per-second. Lastly, a single LD-20 decoy dispenser is launched after rolling a few degrees to the right. Doors are closed, the aircraft barrel-roll into a tight Immelman turn to escape, presenting any missiles launched from Guam with a difficult supersonic tail-chase. Engines are returned to military power to close the nozzles and lower the radar signature.
Meanwhile, the two hundred and forty released 100 kg LS-6 smart bombs fall into the attack “basket”, descending in a graceful curve.
The LD-20 falls 5,000 feet and its three petals open, releasing 49 radar-reflecting decoys, each with aerodynamic drag designed to fall slightly faster than the LS-6 bombs. This, plus the chaff packed throughout the canister, screens the attacking LS-6 bombs and the retreating J-20Bs.
On Guam at 9:56, it is a beautiful clear Monday. The MIM-104 PAC-4 Patriot teams are recovering from a hectic weekend of social activities, and are enjoying the light sea breeze. Their reverie is woken rudely by a blaring klaxon.
Lieutenant Brown is in charge of the battery, he bounds into the Engagement Control Station van.
What he sees first confounds him, and then horrifies him – 48 radar symbols bloom across the screen, then from each symbol a cloud expands with numbers too large to count – all inbound for Guam.
Some symbols are headed directly for Andersen AFB, others for the Guam International Airport, and a third set to the Apra Naval Complex. A gut wrenching comprehension of what is unfolding finally dawns on the Lieutenant.
“This is a stealth attack – and those incomings are probably bombs.” Forty-eight of the symbols disappear as the J-20 weapons bay doors close, and then a faint, rapidly retreating group of blips appears, then wink out one-by-one off the screen.
The larger 500 kg winged LS-6 glide-bombs head for their GPS designated targets: C3 centres, maintenance facilities, munitions storage and the massive underground fuel storage tanks.
The smaller 100 kg LS-6 “small diameter bombs” have a more interesting task. As they approach their GPS designated search box, their Electro-Optical seekers scan the tarmac for targets, selecting high-value planforms like B-2As and F-22As over lesser value targets like F-35s and F/A-18s. They do not make and lock-in their aim-point selection until the final few seconds of flight.
If they don’t find a parked aircraft target, they head for a building.
Some 240 LS-6s are incoming, screened by no less than 588 ballistically, and in radar signature appearance, near-identical decoys.
Lieutenant Brown is not having a good day. He finally orders the battery “weapons free” to engage as many incomings as possible. His Patriot launchers have up to 48 ready shots loaded, but with 240 bombs and 588 decoys incoming, his, and the Patriot systems’ tasks, are impossible. The Patriot missiles scan ahead and each detects and reports a plethora of returns using its ‘Track-Via-Missile’. Which is a bomb and which is a decoy? After all rounds are fired, about 220 LS-6S are inbound, and nothing is left in the Patriot locker to fire.
Two B-2As and twelve F-22As are on a deployment to Andersen AFB. They are just back from the 06:00 ‘sunrise strike’ on Farallon de Medinilla Island bombing range and are being refuelled, repaired and re-armed for the next mission at 12:00. Without hardened shelters, each aircraft is in the open and several of the LS-6s find them in their designated kill box.
The LS-6s arrive nearly simultaneously like a deadly hail from Hell, and the entire tarmac area erupts in a massive series of explosions, enhanced by aircraft fuel, tankers and weapons sympathetically exploding. The ground crew watch, horrified, as the LS-6 smart bombs drop near vertically into the centroid of each aircraft, blasting them to smithereens. Huge fuel fires and weapon detonations erupt.
At Guam International, it is much the same. PLA HUMINT has identified which of the hangars on the north-side of the airfield contain military aircraft, and several are hit by 500 kg LS-6 glide-bombs. More importantly, the communications buildings across Guam housing the trans-pacific fibre-optic cable repeaters are hit with several bombs, and communications are instantly terminated.
The Apra Harbour Naval Complex receives multiple hits from the assigned 72 LS-6 500 kg GPS-INS guided bombs. HUMINT delivered by cellular telephone earlier that morning identifies two nuclear submarines and three frigates alongside piers. Each receives a direct hit by an LS-6. The remaining rounds devastate the support facilities.
Ten minutes later, a pair of J-20R reconnaissance fighters pass over Guam flying from South-East to North-West, with AESA radars and cameras recording the damage. Their job is hampered by massive quantities of burning fuel and aluminium ash in the air, but the AESAs can detect the detail of shapes on the ground. Post-flight assessments confirm that all attack objectives were met.
Several hours later, General Yónggàn de Zhànshì is enjoying the euphoria with the aircrew and support staff in the Black Eagle Operations Room. “I cannot, for security reasons, tell you more, but China is very proud of you, and those who designed and delivered the Black Eagle capability.”
He then returns to his J-20B and with Captain Gōngjiàn Shou, flies to Beijing International, where the J-20B stealth fighter will be put on public display. From there, he is whisked away by a staff car to the Central Military Commission.
The Chairman of the Central Military Commission addresses the assembled members. “Well done to each of you and the Services you represent. In Operation ‘Long March’ the time from first J-20 weapons-bay door opening to the last DF-21 and DF-10 impact was less than 15 minutes. Twenty strategic targets were attacked and severely damaged across 6 million square miles of ocean, and we had no losses. Assessments are still being conducted, but it seems all strategic objectives have been achieved. We must now be on our guard for a counter-attack. We are ready. Thank you all.”
The events depicted in this NOTAM are “what-if” speculative fiction no different from Clancy's 1986 novel, “Red Storm Rising”, but the weapons, tactics, operational techniques, targets, and geography depicted are all based on hard facts and as real as it gets.
This NOTAM makes one deadly and incisive point.
Every nation investing in a major military capability does so with the expectation that some day, it could be used. Weapons systems are classified as ‘Defensive’ or ‘Offensive’; some are both.
The large J-20 stealth fighter is, on balance, a modern example of an offensive sledgehammer conceptually similar to America's now long retired 1960s-developed F/FB-111 fighter-bombers, with considerable capability as demonstrated by this NOTAM.
A Nation that takes a longer view of world events and invests wisely in its military capabilities will have the power to control events in its own interest – be that defensively or offensively.
Be alarmed and be prepared!
“The events depicted in this NOTAM are “what-if” speculative fiction no different from Clancy's 1986 novel, “Red Storm Rising”, but the weapons, tactics, operational techniques, targets, and geography depicted are all based on hard facts and as real as it gets.”
The Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China looked at the Committee members, assembled in the August 1st Building, at the dawn of 6 December 2020.
The air was charged with tension and expectation.
“Tomorrow, if you each tell me your plans and Forces are ready, we will immediately end the US hegemony of the Western Pacific. The US, despite our repeated warnings, has continued to arm the rebel Government in Taiwan, the latest shipments being 200 F-35s they had surplus after JSF sales to Europe collapsed. These aircraft are now in action against us, and in the past week, three J-10A ‘Vigorous Dragon’ fighters have been destroyed while on peaceful patrols of the Straights. This behaviour cannot, and will not be tolerated. Now, let me ask about your preparedness – and true and accurate reports only – if there are weaknesses, now is the time to correct them, not in the heat of battle. Commander-in-Chief (CIC), tell us the strategic plan.”
The CIC rises and opens a PowerPoint briefing on a large screen.
“Our military forces will eliminate the larger US bases across the Western Pacific. Each of the Armed Services will have a substantial role on this Joint and highly coordinated operation. The Second Artillery using DF-21 terminally guided IRBMs; the PLA-AF using the new J-20 ‘Black Eagle’ stealth fighters; and, the PLA-N will employ submarine launched cruise missiles, mainly our excellent DH-10 missiles. Our Intelligence Agencies have been collecting targeting information on critical infrastructure for several years. The initial targets will be digital communications and military installations and equipment. If US naval forces come within 1,000 nautical miles of our coast, they will be attacked with terminally guided DF-21D missiles. Each of our designated Fire Bases will be protected by mobile Surface to Air Missile batteries. Any incoming counter-attack will be detected at long range by HF Sky-Wave and Surface-Wave Over-The-Horizon-radars. Preparations will take place in our “super-hardened” underground airbase hangars to avoid observation by US spy satellites. We have other assets prepared. Mr Chairman, here is the Military Tasking Order of Operation Long March’ …”
There is a sharp intake of breath as the PowerPoint slide is flashed onto the screen. The scope and scale of Operation Long March makes the infamous 1941 Pearl Harbour attack look like a mere tactical skirmish.
The members study the PowerPoint table in complete silence. Each of the Service Chiefs’ heads nod in agreement, knowing that the deployment of forces is well within their operational capabilities and the skills of their crews.
“A question – why Guam International?” says the Chairman.
“We know that some military aircraft are parked in the hangars to the north of the airfield, but our main target is the fibre-optic hubs near the airport. When we breach those, much of the digital communication across the Pacific to the US will be terminated. This will force the American military and their allies to have to use very limited bandwidth satellites – and we can knock those down too, if we wish” is the reply from CIC.
“Thank you Commander-in-Chief, a good answer. Minister for Finance?” invites the Chairman. The Minister stands and moves to the Podium. He speaks quietly and confidently, and the members strain to hear him.
“Our finances are ready to weather the disruption this action may bring. Our GDP is now larger than the whole of the American GDP. We have reduced our exposure in US Treasury holdings to less than $US15B – the Americans’ program of printing money has made them virtually worthless as the US dollar continues to decline in value. We have moved our trillions of FOREX USD into the currencies of our trading partners, raising the value of their currency relative to ours so they can afford to buy our goods, and of course making their futures dependent on our holdings. Our gold reserves are over 2,000 tonnes. We plan to sell a large amount when the action starts, while keeping our other precious metal holdings in reserve. We expect the profit will easily offset the cost of Operation Long March. We are in good shape.”
Next, the Chief of the PLA speaks. “Our DF-21 forces are in position. We plan to launch 30 to 60 rounds into each target.”
“Won’t that be expensive?” asks the Minister for Finance?
“No”, replies the Minister for Defence Materiel, “these missiles are nearly time-expired. It costs as much to refurbish them as to build the new and more effective DF-21Ds.”
“Just so” says the PLA Chief, “We have upgraded the guidance system to the ‘C’ model, so they will be very accurate and cost-effective.”
As if an afterthought, he says, “I also have the HQ-9, the S-300PMU2, S-400 and the HQ-20 SAMs in place to protect the launch Firebases and the key cities of the Homeland if the USA decides to launch cruise missiles from bombers or submarines. We will not get them all, but we will get most and protect our cities and people.”
“Air Force?” asks the Chairman.
“We have been receiving one J-20 stealth fighter a week since 2016,” the PLA Chief continues, “We now have 160 J-20A single-seat fighters, and 80 J-20B two-seat theatre-bombers. These are all in fully operational service, so the MTO just fits. You know, the US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates was half right when he said China would not have a ‘Stealth Fighter’ until 2025 – perhaps he was speaking of our mature and full capability. But I digress. With the low signature of the J-20, we can employ our excellent satellite guided glide bombs, and the Minister for Finance might be pleased to hear that our estimate of the ordnance cost for an airfield target will be less than $US4 million. Not a bad economic exchange for the destruction of American military capabilities.”
“And the Navy?” invites the Chairman.
“We have our submarines in place near each target, and they will be in deep water as they fire, so have an excellent chance of escaping,” he advises. “This attack will not destroy these bases, but there will be a lot of damage and loss of capability, especially aircraft the Americans arrogantly park on open tarmacs. I also have underwater assets in place off Los Angeles, and there are several ships carrying containerised Klub cruise missiles off the East and West Coast of the USA, if we need any follow-up action.”
“Thank you all. Now, what of the 200 F-35s on Taiwan?” asks the Chairman.
The Minister for Cyber Defense, Madam Chien-Shiung Wu, has a Berkeley PhD in Computer Science and is young, brilliant and beautiful – in a scintillating pink-diamond sort of way, and speaks with chilling certainty.
“Over the past decade, my staff have penetrated the JSF software facilities and have made ‘certain changes’ that cripple the JSF. This is classified ‘above top secret’ and so you do not need to know more”.
The Air Force Chief asks “Then how were my three J-10A’s destroyed by the Taiwanese F-35s?”
“A piece of deceptive illusion,” replies Madame Wu, “We had to convince the US with a war-like demonstration that their F-35’s systems work, so we ‘arranged’ a successful F-35 attack on the J-10s - when you are network dependent you are cyber-vulnerable. Our pilots were specially briefed and ejected in straight and level flight just before the Taiwanese AIM-120 missiles hit. So the arrogant Americans will think their ‘war-tested’ F-35s are working perfectly.”
“Well, even if they have found this bug,” advises the Army Chief, “we have been using the F-35 operations over Taiwan to check its signatures, and my SAM people say even the obsolete HQ-9s will kill them. I also have the HQ-20s ready.”
“And I have J-10As and Bs and our J-11Bs on alert ready to catch any you don’t get,” says the Air Force Chief with equally chilling confidence.
“Are you all confident that ‘Operation Long March’ will be successful?” asks the Chairman. All heads nod in agreement. “Very well, the attack on Andersen Air Force Base will start at 10:00AM Local Time on 7 December 2020. The submarine and DF-21 attacks will be delayed accordingly, as advised by CIC, to provide the Black Eagles with the advantage of complete surprise.”
The Chief of the Air Force General Yónggàn de Zhànshì rises and asks the Chairman, “My son is the J-20B Wing Commander. I am fully qualified on the J-20B. May I fly into battle as one of my son’s wingmen?”
“General, you may”, agrees the Chairman, “and our good fortune flies with you.”
At 14:00 on the 6th December 2020, the scene moves to Yiwu Airbase near Shanghai, a former PLANAF super-hardened underground airbase, and now the home of the first J-20B Black Eagle Air Regiment. Colonel Liè Lóng rises to his feet to address his aircrew and battle-staff.
“Warriors, we have been commanded by Air Task Order (ATO) ‘Black Eagle Long March’ to go into battle to liberate the Pacific Ocean from the 75 year tyranny of the United States. Our regiment's task is to eliminate the Guam Air and Naval Bases as viable military installations. We will…..” He is interrupted as each of the men and women rise and begin to cheer – they have been training for this moment for months and years, and have great pride in their expertise and equipment, albeit untested in war.
The Colonel raises his hand for silence, and the tumult quickly dies away. “As I was saying, we will fly to the Guam launch points - 50 nautical miles for J-20As and 20 nautical miles for the J-20Bs - release our ordnance, and return. The Intelligence and Weapons Officers have done their jobs well and each bomb has been programmed with a target area. Some of the 100 kg bombs with EO sensors will search for high value targets; other 500 kg bombs will use GPS-INS to destroy fixed installations. We have three squadrons of twelve J-20As and a squadron of twelve J-20B fighter-bombers for the task, so this will be a near-saturation attack.”
“J-20B pilots, you will each be flying the ‘Deadly Rain’ manoeuvre you have practiced so many times. Make sure you fly with precision and confidence, as your lives will depend on your skill. The J-20As will also be armed as fighter escorts in case any F-22As or F-35As are on combat air patrol duties. Each aircraft has an individual ATO, so study this carefully. Now, get some rest – we take-off at 06:30, there is a refuelling outbound and possibly inbound if you are intercepted. The mission will last about 7 hours. China salutes your strength and courage.”
General Yónggàn de Zhànshì rises at 04:00, dresses and enjoys a hearty traditional breakfast, and attends the final briefing at 05:30. Weather is clear over Guam, as the ‘fanumnangan’ dry season has started – a perfect environment for smart EO bombs looking for an exposed target. At 6:30, he is taxiing as number two in the third element of the second Squadron, and makes an uneventfully smooth takeoff. Captain Gōngjiàn Shou, his Weapon Systems Officer, is nervous flying a combat mission with the Chief, but soon settles into the task.
The Squadrons fly out 1,000 nautical miles, and take it in turns to drink from an H-6U Badger or an Il-78 Midas aerial tanker. Then on another 600 nautical miles to the weapons release point.
Like all such war activities, this long transit is boring straight and level flight. However, each J-20's radio frequency surveillance system is active, continually ‘sniffing’ the ether for hostile radar and radio transmissions. As they approach Guam, the radars and civil aircraft chatter is intercepted and assessed. Each of the J-20 fighters is part of a ‘Low-Probability-of-Intercept’ information net, with data being exchanged by directional, millimetre wave data-link pencil beams. The network has multiple redundancies and each and every aircraft can act as a peer-to-peer node. As a result, the aircraft all share a common air picture, and the crews can communicate with little chance of the transmissions being intercepted.
In the J-20s, a professional calm prevails in each Squadron and Flight as each of the aircraft approaches the GPS release point designated in its ATO. As the J-20Bs approach to 20 nautical miles at 45,000 feet and Mach 1.5, the engines are advanced to full afterburner, and the nose raised to 20 degrees; 0.8G is held.
At the designated release point, the weapons bay doors on each aircraft are opened; the LS-6 100 kg smart bombs are ripple-released at one-per-second. Lastly, a single LD-20 decoy dispenser is launched after rolling a few degrees to the right. Doors are closed, the aircraft barrel-roll into a tight Immelman turn to escape, presenting any missiles launched from Guam with a difficult supersonic tail-chase. Engines are returned to military power to close the nozzles and lower the radar signature.
Meanwhile, the two hundred and forty released 100 kg LS-6 smart bombs fall into the attack “basket”, descending in a graceful curve.
The LD-20 falls 5,000 feet and its three petals open, releasing 49 radar-reflecting decoys, each with aerodynamic drag designed to fall slightly faster than the LS-6 bombs. This, plus the chaff packed throughout the canister, screens the attacking LS-6 bombs and the retreating J-20Bs.
On Guam at 9:56, it is a beautiful clear Monday. The MIM-104 PAC-4 Patriot teams are recovering from a hectic weekend of social activities, and are enjoying the light sea breeze. Their reverie is woken rudely by a blaring klaxon.
Lieutenant Brown is in charge of the battery, he bounds into the Engagement Control Station van.
What he sees first confounds him, and then horrifies him – 48 radar symbols bloom across the screen, then from each symbol a cloud expands with numbers too large to count – all inbound for Guam.
Some symbols are headed directly for Andersen AFB, others for the Guam International Airport, and a third set to the Apra Naval Complex. A gut wrenching comprehension of what is unfolding finally dawns on the Lieutenant.
“This is a stealth attack – and those incomings are probably bombs.” Forty-eight of the symbols disappear as the J-20 weapons bay doors close, and then a faint, rapidly retreating group of blips appears, then wink out one-by-one off the screen.
The larger 500 kg winged LS-6 glide-bombs head for their GPS designated targets: C3 centres, maintenance facilities, munitions storage and the massive underground fuel storage tanks.
The smaller 100 kg LS-6 “small diameter bombs” have a more interesting task. As they approach their GPS designated search box, their Electro-Optical seekers scan the tarmac for targets, selecting high-value planforms like B-2As and F-22As over lesser value targets like F-35s and F/A-18s. They do not make and lock-in their aim-point selection until the final few seconds of flight.
If they don’t find a parked aircraft target, they head for a building.
Some 240 LS-6s are incoming, screened by no less than 588 ballistically, and in radar signature appearance, near-identical decoys.
Lieutenant Brown is not having a good day. He finally orders the battery “weapons free” to engage as many incomings as possible. His Patriot launchers have up to 48 ready shots loaded, but with 240 bombs and 588 decoys incoming, his, and the Patriot systems’ tasks, are impossible. The Patriot missiles scan ahead and each detects and reports a plethora of returns using its ‘Track-Via-Missile’. Which is a bomb and which is a decoy? After all rounds are fired, about 220 LS-6S are inbound, and nothing is left in the Patriot locker to fire.
Two B-2As and twelve F-22As are on a deployment to Andersen AFB. They are just back from the 06:00 ‘sunrise strike’ on Farallon de Medinilla Island bombing range and are being refuelled, repaired and re-armed for the next mission at 12:00. Without hardened shelters, each aircraft is in the open and several of the LS-6s find them in their designated kill box.
The LS-6s arrive nearly simultaneously like a deadly hail from Hell, and the entire tarmac area erupts in a massive series of explosions, enhanced by aircraft fuel, tankers and weapons sympathetically exploding. The ground crew watch, horrified, as the LS-6 smart bombs drop near vertically into the centroid of each aircraft, blasting them to smithereens. Huge fuel fires and weapon detonations erupt.
At Guam International, it is much the same. PLA HUMINT has identified which of the hangars on the north-side of the airfield contain military aircraft, and several are hit by 500 kg LS-6 glide-bombs. More importantly, the communications buildings across Guam housing the trans-pacific fibre-optic cable repeaters are hit with several bombs, and communications are instantly terminated.
The Apra Harbour Naval Complex receives multiple hits from the assigned 72 LS-6 500 kg GPS-INS guided bombs. HUMINT delivered by cellular telephone earlier that morning identifies two nuclear submarines and three frigates alongside piers. Each receives a direct hit by an LS-6. The remaining rounds devastate the support facilities.
Ten minutes later, a pair of J-20R reconnaissance fighters pass over Guam flying from South-East to North-West, with AESA radars and cameras recording the damage. Their job is hampered by massive quantities of burning fuel and aluminium ash in the air, but the AESAs can detect the detail of shapes on the ground. Post-flight assessments confirm that all attack objectives were met.
Several hours later, General Yónggàn de Zhànshì is enjoying the euphoria with the aircrew and support staff in the Black Eagle Operations Room. “I cannot, for security reasons, tell you more, but China is very proud of you, and those who designed and delivered the Black Eagle capability.”
He then returns to his J-20B and with Captain Gōngjiàn Shou, flies to Beijing International, where the J-20B stealth fighter will be put on public display. From there, he is whisked away by a staff car to the Central Military Commission.
The Chairman of the Central Military Commission addresses the assembled members. “Well done to each of you and the Services you represent. In Operation ‘Long March’ the time from first J-20 weapons-bay door opening to the last DF-21 and DF-10 impact was less than 15 minutes. Twenty strategic targets were attacked and severely damaged across 6 million square miles of ocean, and we had no losses. Assessments are still being conducted, but it seems all strategic objectives have been achieved. We must now be on our guard for a counter-attack. We are ready. Thank you all.”
The events depicted in this NOTAM are “what-if” speculative fiction no different from Clancy's 1986 novel, “Red Storm Rising”, but the weapons, tactics, operational techniques, targets, and geography depicted are all based on hard facts and as real as it gets.
This NOTAM makes one deadly and incisive point.
Every nation investing in a major military capability does so with the expectation that some day, it could be used. Weapons systems are classified as ‘Defensive’ or ‘Offensive’; some are both.
The large J-20 stealth fighter is, on balance, a modern example of an offensive sledgehammer conceptually similar to America's now long retired 1960s-developed F/FB-111 fighter-bombers, with considerable capability as demonstrated by this NOTAM.
A Nation that takes a longer view of world events and invests wisely in its military capabilities will have the power to control events in its own interest – be that defensively or offensively.
Be alarmed and be prepared!
Last edited:
Semi-Lobster
Junior Member
I am seriously surprised somebody took the time to write all this because they will never get all those hours back 
I am seriously surprised somebody took the time to write all this because they will never get all those hours back
It's a really fun read if you let you lose a bit of your common sense though. Still better than those stealth fighter articles by BBC and such. :/
Terrible fanfiction. I could do a better job.
FarkTypeSoldier
Junior Member
I am seriously surprised somebody took the time to write all this because they will never get all those hours back
I think its because of the 'shift' of power. Russia is not longer a threat after the collapse of Communisim in 1990, after which China had an 'Open Door' policy which saw its economic growth. Then suddenly the red tide was shifted from Russia to China. Western writers, have to find new insprations and thus writing China as the new threat! Hands wont clap, and writers in China knew of this, they written about the west too. And the war of words spreaded from books, to movies (Red Dawn 2) and games (Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising)...
airsuperiority
Captain
At least that article is better than Tom Clancy's. The Bear and the Dragon is a mind-insult.
Maybe Martian and Tphuang should try and write one.
Maybe Martian and Tphuang should try and write one.
MwRYum
Major
The things around China and the F-117 shot down were old stuff, and pretty much why the Chinese never buy the US story about the "map error" - you don't slam 5 JDAM bunker-busters into somebody's embassy for nothing. Though the Chinese rumors were that the bombs only got those Chinese casualties but failed to eliminate the target, and not only the debris of F-117, an unexploded JDAM module was shipped back to China as well.
Now, it doesn't mean the RAM coating, if such used on the J-20 samples now, were those of the formula used by F-117, they could still give the Chinese scientists something to get the ball rolling, then develop their own improved formulas over the last decade, even to emulate those on F-35 "paste-on" instead of "spray-on" that of the past. If Chinese want to field the J-20 or its derivatives in any significant numbers, ease of maintain is essential, especially many Chinese airfields are in pretty environmentally hostile places.
Now, it doesn't mean the RAM coating, if such used on the J-20 samples now, were those of the formula used by F-117, they could still give the Chinese scientists something to get the ball rolling, then develop their own improved formulas over the last decade, even to emulate those on F-35 "paste-on" instead of "spray-on" that of the past. If Chinese want to field the J-20 or its derivatives in any significant numbers, ease of maintain is essential, especially many Chinese airfields are in pretty environmentally hostile places.
- Status