Chapter 29 Spinning and Jumping Inside the Core Air Defense Zone

The only system capable of threatening aircraft flying at this altitude is the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, which is the last line of defense in the carrier battle group's air defense perimeter.

Li Lu had already anticipated the enemy's close-in weapon systems.

Seeing flames continuously emerging from the starboard side of the Kitty Hawk, he immediately frantically maneuvered the stick to change course.

His choice was to evade the Kitty Hawk to its starboard side.

A very, very risky barrel roll maneuver was performed, after which the nose of the aircraft pointed to the starboard side of the Kitty Hawk.

At an altitude of only fifty meters, if you perform a barrel roll maneuver and make even the slightest bit too large a stick movement, the plane will crash into the sea without hesitation.

As he rolled over, headfirst, Li Lu even felt the canopy touch the waves!

At that moment, Li Lu's hair stood on end.

The barrage fired by the Phalanx CIWS became ineffective. Li Lu used an extremely risky low-altitude barrel roll maneuver to reach a distance of more than 200 meters from the starboard side of the USS Kitty Hawk, only a dozen meters above the sea surface!

This range is outside the firing arc of the Phalanx CIWS—the depression angle is insufficient.

Without hesitation, Li Lu immediately shifted the control stick to the left, bringing the aircraft close to the USS Kitty Hawk, which was maneuvering at high speed.

A low-altitude SH-60 "Seahawk" helicopter was circling overhead. It is a means of dealing with unexpected situations during takeoff and landing, such as when the pilot ejects due to a failed takeoff or landing, and this helicopter is responsible for the salvage operation.

At this moment, the crew of the helicopter clearly saw that the J-6 modified fighter jet No. 101 was flying close to the starboard side at a height lower than the flight deck of the Kitty Hawk. Judging from the position of the flaps, it was obviously controlling its speed and using the Kitty Hawk as cover.

The crew reported it immediately.

Li Lu, however, did not give them a chance.

Without the slightest pause, he immediately followed up with the next maneuver after completing one lever maneuver.

Suddenly, J-6 modified No. 101 did a pigeon somersault, flipping up from the starboard side of the USS Kitty Hawk and appearing abruptly above the flight deck runway. Its relative position was in front of the superstructure, and it appeared gracefully in front of the American soldiers.

Li Lu did not stop, but continued to roll across, from the starboard side of the Kitty Hawk to the port side. Then, he engaged afterburner and made a sharp turn. While his position remained relatively unchanged, he even freed one hand to pick up a camera and take close-up, continuous photos of the Kitty Hawk!

Close-up, front, side, multiple angles!

The Kitty Hawk and its escort ships no longer had a chance to fire, because Li Lu's current position was in the most critical area of ​​their formation. If they fired, the shells would damage friendly ships!

The Lone Ranger returned, and without waiting for instructions, he immediately descended to pursue the J-6 modified No. 101.

Li Lu completed his task, and even exceeded expectations.

He didn't engage the Lone Ranger, instead flying at high speed close to the sea, constantly changing course, and skillfully choosing blind spots in the escort ships' firepower. The Lone Ranger, receiving no orders to fire, could only spread its wings and follow closely.

The problem was that the F-14 piloted by the Maverick had been frequently using afterburner, resulting in very high fuel consumption, and he was now nearing the critical point of having enough fuel left for his return flight.

After confirming that what had just been dropped was not a bomb, the commander of the Kitty Hawk carrier strike group dared not issue the order to fire again.

Despite their immense military strength and the most advanced military technology on the planet, they no longer have the courage to start a war.

The process involves asking for instructions at each level, and by the time Washington finishes its meeting and makes a decision, it's too late.

After confirming that J-6 modified fighter jet No. 101 was flying towards the mainland, the commander of the Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group issued an order for the troops to exercise restraint.

Li Lu did not return to base along the planned route. With the remaining fuel unable to return to the airfield, he flew at extremely low altitude over the sea to escape the inner air defense zone of the Kitty Hawk carrier battle group. He immediately climbed to cruising altitude and flew at cruising speed, while simultaneously calling East Command to activate the backup plan.

On the other side, Xue Shuang, who was responsible for providing cover, received the order to return to base, and he returned to the field as planned.

Looking at the pilot in the cockpit of J-6 Modified fighter jet No. 101, Gao Wei felt an overwhelming sense of envy. He believed that among the pilots of the 7th Regiment, Xu Hailiang and Zhang Fei were the two with the best skills and the most experience.

If it weren't for communication regulations, Gao Wei would have loved to ask right now.

He could only patiently escort the J-6 modified No. 101, and then call the 7th Regiment to ask after it landed.

The Su-27 cannot make an emergency landing at Dachang Airfield because there is no relevant support equipment there. This is also why the Su-27 that made an emergency landing at Donghai Airfield has been stuck there ever since.

After entering the airspace, Gao Wei called out to J-6 Modified No. 101, "Yaodongyao, this is where we'll escort you. Have a safe journey, goodbye."

"Thank you for the escort, goodbye," Li Lu replied.

Gao Wei felt the voice was quite familiar, but couldn't quite place it for a moment.

The two Su-27s wobbled their wings and then detached themselves in a southwest direction, forming a two-aircraft formation to return to Guanqiao Airfield.

Li Lu maintained his course, altitude, and speed and continued flying. Half an hour later, he would be able to land at the Dachang Airport.

However, the East Command suddenly reported that the weather ahead had changed drastically!