Chapter 130 — Clash Over the Okhotsk Sea
Captain Osipovich sat in his cockpit as the rest of the 592nd Regiment launched alongside him.
Regarding the earlier incident with the Korean airliner, Osipovich felt no regret. Given the same scenario again, he would make the same choice. It was his duty to defend Soviet airspace, and he believed that's exactly what he had done.
Now, with American aircraft advancing northward from Hokkaido and toward Sakhalin Island, it was clear this was no routine patrol. The intentions were unmistakable.
Was another world war on the horizon? If so, so be it—Osipovich and the others had no fear of confrontation.
"This is not a drill," came the voice of Regimental Commander Yuri Mozgov through the headset. "If any aircraft crosses into Sakhalin's airspace, engage immediately."
All twenty Su-15 interceptors took to the sky, guided by ground radar.
The Typhoon-M airborne radar systems in each aircraft were already warmed up. Designed with an inverted Cassegrain antenna, it was a relatively modern radar unit in Soviet service, capable of detecting bomber-sized targets at over 100 kilometers and fighters within about 60 kilometers.
Although limited compared to their American counterparts, the radar range was sufficient to engage with the R-98 air-to-air missiles mounted beneath their wings. Each interceptor carried four of these medium-range missiles—two infrared-guided and two radar-guided.
The regiment's intercept strategy followed the standard Soviet protocol: engage with guidance from ground control.
The Su-15s spread into two broad wings, flying parallel at intervals of two kilometers. The predesignated interception point was set over the eastern Sea of Okhotsk. Spirits were high. This was not a drill, and the stakes were real.
On their radar screens, the American aircraft appeared—eighteen F-15s flying a textbook "eagle wall" formation: two lines staggered by altitude and distance. With three kilometers between them laterally and five kilometers of altitude separation, the Eagle formation was optimized for beyond-visual-range engagement.
Each F-15's APG-63 radar was already tracking Soviet targets at a distance of 80 kilometers. The American system, designed for precision fire control, outperformed Soviet equipment in electronic sophistication and tactical flexibility. The APG-63, despite not matching the AWG-9 in range or multi-target capability, offered high reliability and strong resistance to clutter. It was optimized for one thing—air superiority.
Target assignments were distributed across the American formation via datalink. Every F-15 had its lock. Nathaniel Christopher, leading the Fox Hunting Squadron, gave the order.
"Accelerate!"
The fighters surged forward. Auxiliary fuel tanks were jettisoned, and the twin F100 turbofans roared. Each F-15, streamlined for air combat, leapt ahead with a burst of power, breaking Mach 1.5 in moments.
At 40 kilometers, the optimal range for an AIM-7F launch, Nathaniel gave the next order.
"Fire!"
Almost in unison, each pilot pressed the launch trigger. Under the wings, flames burst from the launch rails as AIM-7F missiles streaked into the sky. The entire front line of the eagle wall was momentarily engulfed in smoke trails and supersonic fire.
The initial salvo was not expected to strike with accuracy. At long range, the missiles would exhaust their propulsion early and begin gliding, limiting maneuverability. But that wasn't the point. The goal was to scatter the enemy formation, force them to break ranks and lose their tactical posture.
It worked.
Inside the cockpits of the Su-15s, radar warning receivers screamed. Lock-on indicators flashed red. American missiles were incoming.
"Maintain formation!" Commander Yuri barked over the radio. "Prepare to launch!"
Closing rapidly, the Soviets pressed forward. In another moment, the distance shrank to twenty kilometers. Now the Americans were visible on the horizon, and the Su-15s responded in kind.
"Two missiles per target—fire!"
Missiles screamed from pylons on both wings. Contrails filled the sky as the first volley of R-98s launched toward the F-15s.
Now it was time to evade.
The American missiles closed in. Su-15 pilots pulled into hard turns, using every ounce of their airframes' capacity to throw off the guidance of the AIM-7Fs. Unlike later generations of fire-and-forget missiles, these required continuous radar lock, and any maneuver could disrupt them.
It wasn't enough to fire back. The Su-15s weren't designed for dogfighting. Their strengths were high speed, high altitude, and quick intercepts—not prolonged close combat. The Soviets knew this.
Following their volley, the interceptors began to pull back to reorganize and prepare for a second salvo.
But the Americans weren't going to let that happen.