Chapter 135: Pursuit
However, in the face of these Sparrow missiles, Andrei was not worried. As long as they were not hit by Phoenix missiles in a sneak attack, no other missiles could pose a threat to the MiG-25.
Operating his fighter and continuing to climb, Andrei showed no concern for the Sparrow missiles that came his way.
The APG-63 radar of the F-15 continuously illuminated the MiG-25 with beams, guiding the incoming Sparrow missiles, which flew fast.
But then, they discovered the target was still climbing.
Against such a target, the Sparrow had no choice but to follow the climb. However, its fuel had already been expended, and it now relied on unpowered inertial flight.
As the MiG-25 continued ascending by another thousand meters, the Sparrow missiles ran out of kinetic energy and, unable to reach the target, self-destructed.
Climbing to an altitude of 26,000 meters again, Andrei's eyes burned with revenge.
"Third squadron, intercept the Tomcat fleet that launched the attack. Second squadron, come with me!" Andrei's priority was to target the F-15s. As for the Tomcats, after their failed ambush, they would likely retreat. Last time, they had been frightened off. Until their engine issues were resolved, they wouldn't dare engage.
By now, seventy percent of their fuel was gone. Returning to Sokolovka was no longer possible. After the fight, they would land directly on Sakhalin Island. With less fuel onboard, the MiG-25's thrust-to-weight ratio exceeded 1. Even in a dogfight with the F-15, it wouldn't be completely outmatched.
Radar indicated that after their failed ambush, the F-15 fleet had chosen to disengage and retreat south. In a maximum of five minutes, they would reach Hokkaido airspace.
They had no other option. Their fighters couldn't climb past 20,000 meters to intercept the MiG-25. Retreat was their only choice.
That was fine. It gave Andrei a chance to pursue.
High in the sky, the MiG-25 formation split. Four jets chased off the Tomcats. Five pursued the retreating F-15s. One had been damaged after evading the Phoenix missiles and was forced into a crash landing.
Using their speed and altitude advantage, the MiG-25s closed the gap with the F-15s. The F-15s raced for Hokkaido. If they reached it, Andrei's fleet would have to halt pursuit. They had only one shot.
Like knights on horseback chasing fleeing infantry, the MiG-25s closed in.
At 25 kilometers out, the MiG-25s dove from high altitude. Radar on their noses targeted the fleeing F-15s.
The F-15s were still flying at 15,000 meters—a perfect opportunity for the MiG-25s.
The 513th Regiment's MiG-25s had all been upgraded to MiG-25PDs, equipped with the Skylark 25 radar. While its ground clutter filtering wasn't perfect, at 15,000 meters, the effect of ground echoes was minimal.
Infrared-guided R-40 missiles flashed under their wings and streaked toward the retreating targets.
After launch, the MiG-25s raised their noses and climbed again to altitude. The MiG-25 ruled the high skies. It could attack without fear of counterattack.
Early warning aircraft relayed urgent alerts to the F-15s. Pilots of the experienced 14th Squadron released flares and maneuvered to evade. Many R-40s lost their lock.
"Boom!" A fireball erupted in the sky. One F-15 failed to escape and was hit. The warhead ignited its fuel tanks. The jet exploded midair. The pilot never ejected.
The entire dogfight lasted only five minutes. When Andrei's squadron landed at Kamenei Iluchii base, the outcome was already clear.
One F-15 down, one damaged, and four F-4s lost. These F-4s had been overwhelmed when the F-15s separated to intercept the MiG-25s. They were swarmed by MiG-21s and Su-15s.
On the Soviet side, the toll was heavier. Four MiG-21s, six Su-15s, and one damaged MiG-25.
As for the Tomcats, they fled fast. As the MiG-25s neared Hokkaido, the Tomcats vanished over the Pacific without losses.
Hearing the results, Andrei frowned.
Losses of Su-15s and MiG-21s were mainly due to the F-15s. With F-15s now deployed, air superiority in the Far East would become even more contested.
Strategically, the Americans had gained. The engagement tested their new F-15s in real combat. Against the MiG-21 and Su-15, they had overwhelming advantage. American pilots viewed the Soviet planes as slow and easy targets.
Though the MiG-25s weren't shot down, one was damaged. The Navy and Air Force combined showed they could threaten even the MiG-25. The Americans walked away pleased, feeling they had finally dealt a strong blow to the Soviets.
The losses? Mostly suffered by Japan's Self-Defense Force. Their fighters were expendable in American eyes. More F-4s could easily be handed down from U.S. surplus.
As for Soviet diplomatic protests? The U.S. wasn't concerned. From their perspective, the Soviets had shot down a civilian airliner first. They had only themselves to blame.