Prologue: A Battlefield Trap
The South China Sea was deep, silent, and seemingly at peace. The battle had just subsided, and the J-31C “Thunderhawk” squadron was adjusting its formation, preparing to return to base.
Then, in an instant—all radar contacts vanished!
“Thunderhawk Squadron, report your signal status!”
“Thunderhawk Two here—radar completely offline, data link unresponsive!”
“Thunderhawk Three, HUD display malfunctioning! No battle data received!”
The battlefield had plunged into complete electronic darkness—they had entered a high-intensity electronic warfare zone!
U.S. F-35I Squadron Communications
80 kilometers away, cruising at high altitude, Night Owl 1, the commanding officer of the U.S. F-35I squadron, monitored his HUD display. The latest electronic warfare reconnaissance data on the J-31C squadron flickered across the screen.
“Night Owl 2, confirm the status of the Chinese fighters’ radar.”
“They’re completely jammed. Tactical data links are cut off—we’ve thrown them into total battlefield darkness.”
A cold smile crossed Night Owl 1’s face.
“Perfect. The EA-18G’s NGJ (Next-Generation Jammer) is proving highly effective. They’re completely blind.”
“E-2D Hawkeye 1, are they attempting any countermeasures?”
Aboard the U.S. E-2D early warning aircraft, the tactical officer quickly analyzed the intercepted signals.
“They’re still scanning, but no sign of target acquisition. They’re likely trying alternative detection methods.”
Night Owl 1 let out a quiet chuckle.
“Let them keep searching. They’re trapped in our electronic warfare net—they won’t realize we’re already closing in.”
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“Orders: Maintain stealth penetration tactics. Attack when they’ve completely lost situational awareness.”
“Roger, lead.”
The F-35I squadron glided through the night, silently approaching their prey.
J-31C Countermeasures: Finding Light in the Darkness
“Alright, if they won’t reveal themselves, we’ll find them.”
“Thunderhawk Two, scan for unusual electronic emissions—there must be anomalies.”
Shen Xue quickly adjusted the ESM (Electronic Support Measures) system. The screen filled with a chaotic mess of electronic noise, but one signal stood out—a strong electromagnetic source, 160 kilometers out.
“Thunderhawk One, I’ve detected a powerful signal—it might be their jammer.”
Song Xu nodded but remained cautious. Closing his eyes for a moment, he recalled the electronic warfare simulations he had studied.
“If I were an electronic warfare aircraft, where would I hide?”
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
“…They’re baiting us in the wrong direction!”
U.S. F-35I Communications
“Night Owl 1, enemy fighters are adjusting course—they may have detected something.”
Night Owl 1 narrowed his eyes at his HUD, analyzing the fluctuating signal patterns.
“They’re attempting passive detection. But that won’t save them.”
“How long can the EA-18G maintain full jamming?”
“Three more minutes—plenty of time for our ambush.”
“Good. All units, prepare to lock onto targets. Get into attack position.”
The Ambush: Missiles Incoming!
ALARMS BLARED IN THE COCKPIT!
“Thunderhawk One, radar lock warning!”
Missiles inbound!
The enemy had finally launched their attack!
U.S. F-35I Communications
“Night Owl 1, missiles launched. Estimated hit probability—78%.”
A smirk played on Night Owl 1’s lips.
“Excellent. Let’s see how they react.”
However—
An unexpected alert flashed on their HUDs!
“Warning! Targets are performing emergency evasive maneuvers! They detected us!”
Extreme Evasion and Counterattack
Song Xu’s mind raced—how to dodge a Mach 4 AIM-120D missile?
Options:
1. A straight-line escape was impossible—the AIM-120D’s terminal radar tracking would adjust its trajectory.
2. A sudden roll would put them into a high-G stall, sacrificing control.
3. Best solution—A high-speed dive combined with lateral movement to exceed the missile’s angular velocity limit!
“Thunderhawk Squadron, prepare for evasive action!”
He yanked the stick hard—his J-31C executed a brutal 9G lateral break, followed by a high-speed dive!
The AIM-120D desperately tried to adjust its trajectory, but 1.5 seconds later—it lost lock and self-destructed.
U.S. F-35I Communications
“Night Owl 1, the enemy evaded! Missile failed!”
Night Owl 1’s expression darkened.
“…They’re adapting.”
“E-2D Hawkeye 1, have our positions been compromised?”
A tense pause, then—
“Enemy fighters are shifting formation—infrared sensors may have detected us.”
Night Owl 1 clenched his jaw.
“Damn it. Abort mission. Regroup and reassess.”
Turning the Tide: Hunting the Jammer!
Shen Xue’s ESM scan finally pinpointed the true jammer source!
“Thunderhawk Three, fire!”
A PL-15 long-range missile streaked away at Mach 5, homing in on the EA-18G!
U.S. EA-18G Communications
“Lightning 1, we’re under attack! PL-15 inbound!”
The EA-18G pilot frantically maneuvered, but a jamming aircraft had no chance against a high-speed missile.
“Request support! We can’t evade!”
A cold reply from Night Owl 1:
“You’re on your own.”
BOOM!
The EA-18G exploded mid-air—the electronic warfare blackout was over!
Battlefield Reversal: The U.S. Forces Retreat
U.S. F-35I Communications
“E-2D Hawkeye 1, we’ve lost electronic warfare support! Request orders!”
The E-2D command officer remained silent for a moment before issuing the only logical command:
“Abort the mission. All units retreat.”
A New Phase of Warfare
As the remaining U.S. forces disengaged, Song Xu finally let out a slow breath.
They had survived.
But he knew this was just the beginning.
Electronic warfare had dominated this engagement—and next time, the Americans would not underestimate them.
With AI-enhanced jamming systems, next-gen autonomous fighters, and cyber warfare integration, the next battle would be even more unpredictable.
For now, however, the skies once again belonged to the Thunderhawks.