Chapter 132 - Generational Divide in the Skies
A generational gap in technology can be a brutal and unforgiving reality.
By the time fourth-generation aircraft became dominant, there was only one effective countermeasure: to possess fourth-generation aircraft of your own. No matter how many third-generation jets one fielded, they were no match. And some disparities between second- and third-generation fighters could be narrowed with avionics improvements—but avionics were the Soviet Union's Achilles' heel.
Now, in the air over Sakhalin, American third-generation fighters were overwhelming Soviet second-generation interceptors. Built around energy maneuverability theory, the F-15s boasted high-thrust turbofans and advanced systems that gave them total superiority. The era of close-in subsonic dogfights had begun, and in this domain, the Soviets' aging equipment struggled.
While the Su-15s bled speed and energy with every hard maneuver, the F-15s remained agile, loaded with ten missiles each, and retained their ability to press the fight.
Fortunately for the Soviets, only two minutes had passed before reinforcements arrived: MiG-21 fighters from the 308th Regiment, scrambling in from northern Sakhalin.
Head-on engagements would have been suicidal for the MiG-21s. Lacking powerful radars and long-range capability, they were easy prey for the F-15's missiles. But now that the American fighters were fully engaged with the Su-15s, the MiG-21s had a narrow window to close the distance.
The airspace over the Sea of Okhotsk was chaos. Even though the EC-121 early warning aircraft had alerted the 14th Flight Team, the American pilots were too deep in the action to react. In close-quarters, the MiG-21s, despite their limitations, could still be dangerous. Lightweight and nimble, late-model MiG-21s had proven themselves capable of fighting even early F-16s under the right conditions.
But F-15s were in a class of their own.
Still, the Soviet pilots dove into the fray with bravery. The MiG-21s, their thin fuselages and pencil-like profiles cutting through the sky, swarmed the Americans. One pilot managed to get onto an F-15's tail, struggling to maintain lock long enough to fire. But the American jet abruptly pulled a hard break, its superior turn rate throwing off the launch angle. The missile couldn't lock.
In that F-15, Captain George utilized his anti-G suit to maximum effect, executing a 25-degree-per-second turn that easily shook the Soviet pursuer. Then he flipped back and caught sight of the MiG-21 trying to reacquire him.
George's targeting system painted the MiG-21 cleanly. With the help of his onboard systems, he toggled to guns and opened fire. A stream of 20mm shells from the M61 Vulcan cannon ripped through the MiG-21's fuel tank. Flames erupted. It was George's second kill.
Elsewhere, the 14th Flight Team fought with cold precision. Most of the pilots were Vietnam War veterans, familiar with real combat and bolstered now by vastly improved aircraft. The F-4s behind them were struggling to stay in formation, but the F-15s pushed forward.
"Fox Hunting Team and Chitose Flight Team, alert! Direction 030, altitude 26,000 feet, speed 2.4 Mach. Ten contacts detected. Estimated range 80 kilometers. Suspected MiG-25s. Withdraw immediately!"
That message hit hard.
There were no MiG-25 units stationed on Sakhalin. The aircraft now vectoring in at high altitude and speed had to be from Sokolovka—and they were led by none other than Andrei.
Ever since the civilian airliner incident, the Far East air defense network had been on high alert. Thanks to Andrei's reforms at the Sokolovka base, maintenance and readiness had improved drastically. Fighter availability was consistently above 90%.
Still, when American fighters were first spotted over Hokkaido, the 513th Regiment had held off.
The delay was due to strict jurisdiction boundaries. The Soviet Air Defense Forces were divided by territory:
The 11th Army Group covered Khabarovsk, with units in Komsomolsk, Magadan, and beyond.
The 23rd Air Defense Force, based in Vladivostok, included Andrei's 513th Regiment.
Sakhalin itself fell under the 24th Air Defense Division, covering Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and surrounding islands.
Other divisions, like the 25th in Chukotka and the 29th in Amur, also stood ready.
Andrei had required clearance to intervene previously. But now, with American F-15s assaulting Sakhalin, regional command had authorized the MiG-25s to scramble from Sokolovka.
The 592nd and 308th Regiments were holding on, but help was needed. Andrei and his team were the answer, streaking across the sky at over twice the speed of sound.
Now the battle for air superiority was truly beginning.