Mercenary's War

Vorvitsky must be figuring out a way to take out the enemy helicopters, but whether he can come up with something big depends on his abilities.

When it comes to dealing with armed helicopters, Vorvitsky has bloody experience. Last time, he led the Dagger Assault Team in an aerial strike brought by the Crown Forces led by Fahad, and then Vorvitsky’s troops were completely wiped out.

Vorvitsky was hit on the head by a rock, bleeding a lot, and it’s very likely he has a brain injury or severe concussion. Originally, he was supposed to be sent away for a full examination, but after Vorvitsky woke up and insisted he was fine, and Andy He also observed and thought there was no major issue, Vorvitsky returned to the battlefield.

No matter what, Vorvitsky insisted on returning to the battlefield because he was holding a grudge in his heart. Liang Dong, to attract the enemy’s attention, was hit almost to the point of death, losing a significant part of his intestines, and Vorvitsky was able to survive, thanks to Liang Dong’s diversionary efforts.

There was no severe intracranial hemorrhage or major concussion, but a concussion certainly existed, so Vorvitsky couldn’t participate in the revenge action against the Crown Forces, which left him resentful and dissatisfied.

Now, the Crown Forces are gone, but Vorvitsky still hasn’t let go of his grudge, so he is determined to bring down the armed helicopters of Saudi Arabia.

In terms of individual ability, Vorvitsky is really no match for the other members of Satan; anyone can outshine him by miles, but Vorvitsky’s strength doesn’t lie in his marksmanship or how fast he can run, but in his mind.

The wound on his head is healing and slightly itchy, and Vorvitsky dared not scratch it. He removed his military cap and forcefully pinched around the itchy wound with his fingernails.

Looking up at the helicopter in the sky, Vorvitsky lowered his head, quickly drawing a sketch on the ground with his finger, followed by writing a series of numbers.

After pondering for a moment, Vorvitsky softly said into the intercom, "Turtle, launch four anti-aircraft missiles again, now."

After a short while, four not-so-obvious plumes of smoke rose from the hill where Peter was stationed, and four missiles were launched into the sky. However, they were again drawn away by decoys and missed their targets.

How the ground forces deal with the threat of helicopters is a major topic. It’s something every country’s military studies. Overall, even with anti-aircraft missiles, the ground forces are at a great disadvantage against helicopter threats.

Using man-portable air-defense systems to hit helicopters is sometimes very simple, sometimes very difficult. It depends on the advancement of the anti-aircraft missiles and also the advancement of the helicopters.

Due to their portability, these missiles can’t be too large, and within the weight limits suitable for individual soldiers, the effectiveness of the missile’s seeker head and radar is naturally limited. If the helicopter is outdated, it’s easier, but if the helicopter is highly advanced, it naturally becomes more challenging.

The front and rear cockpits have thick armor protecting the pilots. Even if directly hit by a 23mm autocannon, it can be resisted. The most vulnerable rotor, even if hit directly by a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, can continue flying, but this hard protection isn’t the greatest manifestation of Apache’s defensive capabilities.

The Longbow Apache is particularly difficult to target, not because of its thick armor that can withstand a large number of bullets and shells, but because this aircraft is smarter and harder to capture.

Most man-portable air-defense systems use passive infrared guidance to attack aircraft, so when attacking helicopters, they primarily target the exhaust of the turbine gas engine because that’s where the temperature is the highest. However, the Longbow Apache has a system called Black Hole for thermal infrared suppression, primarily functioning to quickly mix the hot exhaust with cold air, significantly reducing the chance of being detected by infrared seekers.

Moreover, the Apache helicopter is equipped with extremely advanced reconnaissance systems, such as its radar system, which needs no further mention. The Apache also has a very powerful thermal imaging night vision device, capable of detecting targets 20 kilometers away. For humanoid heat sources, it can detect up to 10 kilometers under good conditions, and even under less-than-ideal conditions, detecting personnel targets five to six kilometers away poses no problem.

Thermal imaging night vision, direct optical devices, automatic trackers, and laser spot trackers make up the target acquisition identification system. These advanced devices allow Apache pilots to precisely search, detect, identify, and attack targets from long distances under any weather conditions. Additionally, they can choose the safest flight route based on enemy distribution.

Therefore, when an Apache is flying and engaged in combat, it is really difficult to shoot it down.

But now Vorvitsky not only wants to shoot down one Apache, he wants to take down four at once.

The second salvo of four anti-aircraft missiles ended up depleting some of the Apache’s decoy flares, and those four Apaches didn’t even return fire.

The initial plan failed.

Vorvitsky’s first step was simple: launch anti-aircraft missiles to lure the Apaches into retaliating. Assuming that at a greater distance, gun attacks would be ineffective, the enemy might use air-to-ground missiles for precision strikes to destroy the threatening anti-aircraft positions.

If the Apache launches anti-tank missiles for precision strikes, it must align its nose with the target for laser guidance, which is the only reason a helicopter might hover or fly slowly in a straight line. As long as the helicopter hovers, the emitted hot air doesn’t dissipate quickly, giving the not-so-powerful infrared seekers of the man-portable air-defense systems a high probability of locking onto the target.

However, the enemy didn’t take the bait, so Vorvitsky’s expectations naturally fell through.

Vorvitsky thought for a moment, then said into the intercom, "Turtle, we’ll continue to lure the helicopter into launching precision strikes on you, you need to find a way to increase the threat level to the enemy, so the helicopter feels it’s not wasting missiles on precise strikes against you."

"Turtle understands."

Vorvitsky hesitated for a moment, then finally whispered, "My angle is better, so I must let you take on the role of decoy. Unless I see an opportunity, I will never fire anti-aircraft missiles from here. I have to tell you this."

Peter chuckled into the intercom, then said in a deep voice, "Kid, how many days have you been on the battlefield? Do you think it’s necessary to explain these things to me?"