Under the Calm, a Gathering Storm

The South China Sea lay silent beneath the heavy night sky, the sea breeze whispering across its surface, carrying the echoes of the battle that had just ended.

In tight formation, the J-31C “Thunderhawk” squadron cruised steadily back toward their carrier battle group.

The encounter had ended with the U.S. F-35I squadron retreating, yet to Song Xu, this was far from a victory.

“Thunderhawk Squadron, check fuel and ammunition levels.”

Shen Xue was the first to respond.

“Thunderhawk Two, fuel at 43%, missiles at 50%.”

“Thunderhawk Three, fuel at 39%, only two missiles remaining.”

“Thunderhawk Four, fuel at 45%, all weapon systems operational.”

Listening to his squadron’s reports, Song Xu quickly calculated their combat endurance.

If another engagement were to happen now, their options would be severely limited.

They had survived this time—but what about next time?

Battlefield Debrief: Did We Really Win?

“Thunderhawk One, do you feel like… something isn’t right about this battle?”

Shen Xue’s voice crackled through the comms, tinged with uncertainty.

“Yes.” Song Xu responded flatly.

“What’s wrong?” Thunderhawk Three asked.

After a moment’s thought, Song Xu spoke.

“On the surface, we won. But in reality, this battle exposed several major weaknesses.”

1. Our Electronic Warfare Defenses Are Still Weak.

• The EA-18G’s NGJ (Next-Generation Jammer) almost completely shut down our radar.

• If their jamming had been stronger, we might not have recovered battlefield awareness in time.

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• We need faster and more reliable countermeasures—or next time, we’ll be completely blind.

2. We Underestimated the F-35I’s Retreat Tactics.

• Instead of engaging in prolonged combat, they used electronic deception to create a false retreat.

• If we had pursued them blindly, we could have walked into an ambush.

• We saw through the trick this time—but what if next time, they lead us into a long-range firepower kill zone?

Shen Xue was silent for a moment, then said in a serious tone, “So you’re saying… they were testing us?”

“Highly likely.” Song Xu nodded.

“They wanted to know how we react under electronic warfare conditions. They were studying our infrared search tactics and our ability to detect battlefield deception.”

“This time, they withdrew. Next time?”

Thunderhawk Three murmured, “…Next time, they might not retreat at all. They might break through our defenses entirely.”

Song Xu exhaled slowly.

“That’s why this war isn’t over. In fact… it’s just beginning.”

On the USS Washington: The U.S. Debrief

Meanwhile, 300 kilometers away aboard the USS Washington, the U.S. command team was reviewing the battle.

Night Owl 1 stood at the strategy table, his expression calm—but his clenched jaw hinted at frustration.

They had successfully withdrawn and avoided unnecessary losses, but this was not a victory.

“EA-18G was shot down. E-2D was forced to retreat. We lost our battlefield data link… Without electronic warfare support, our F-35Is lost control of the engagement.”

Across the table, Colonel John Graham, the U.S. carrier group’s air combat commander, studied the battle footage with sharp, calculating eyes.

“So you’re telling me… the Chinese fighters were actually able to counter our electronic warfare tactics?”

Night Owl 1 hesitated, then nodded.

“At the very least, they reacted much faster than we expected.”

Graham exhaled slowly, his gaze darkening.

“It looks like we underestimated them.”

U.S. Tactical Upgrades: A New Threat Emerges

This failure made one thing clear to the U.S. forces: they needed to evolve.

Graham’s eyes narrowed as he issued his new battle strategy.

“Next time, we won’t retreat. We’ll destroy their entire tactical structure.”

He gestured at the updated battle plan on the display.

“We’re shifting to a ‘Distributed Electronic Warfare + Baited Ambush’ strategy.”

1. Multi-Layered Electronic Warfare

• In addition to EA-18G, we will deploy MQ-25 electronic warfare drones to distribute jamming across multiple platforms.

• ‘Decoy Jamming’ tactics will create multiple false signals, making it impossible for the Chinese forces to identify the true source of interference.

2. Baited Ambush Tactics

• F-35Is will no longer operate alone—they will now be paired with MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ drones, which will act as bait to lure enemy fighters into engagement zones.

• B-21 ‘Raider’ stealth bombers will be stationed 200 kilometers away, prepared for long-range precision strikes against the Chinese carrier group.

Graham’s expression was icy cold.

“We’re not just looking for another skirmish. We’re going to tear apart their strategy. We’ll leave them defenseless.”

“Next time, there won’t be a retreat.”

A New Challenge on the Horizon

Meanwhile, Song Xu’s fighter finally entered landing formation.

Below, the carrier deck was illuminated, with deck crew hurrying to prepare for their return.

But Song Xu’s thoughts were heavy.

The enemy’s retreat didn’t mean victory—it meant they would return stronger, better prepared, and armed with new tactics.

“Thunderhawk Squadron, prepare for landing.”

Shen Xue’s voice hesitated for a moment, then she asked, “Song Xu, do you think the Americans will accept this defeat?”

A small, knowing smile crossed Song Xu’s face.

“They won’t accept defeat.”

Then, his eyes hardened.

“But neither will we.”

He knew the U.S. was already adjusting their strategies.

And so must they.

Because next time, it wouldn’t be a test.

It would be a fight to the death.