Chapter 472 Reinforcements Arrival

The first confrontation between the Red Navy and the US Navy in the ocean has come to an end. No one expected that the United States, which has more than a dozen aircraft carriers and has maritime hegemony over the entire world, would lose its due confidence in the first confrontation. They were actually defeated by themselves!

There are many reasons, but underestimating the enemy is definitely the first one. For the US Navy, they over-trusted their Tomcat carrier-based aircraft, thinking that apart from the MiG-25 that could pose a threat to them, no other fighter jets would have an overwhelming advantage over them. The Soviet aircraft carriers were absolutely incapable of taking off and landing the MiG-25. It was once discovered that the MiG-25 on the Kiev-class aircraft carrier was just a decoy tactic!

The MiG-23, a fighter jet that the Soviet Union had put into service in large numbers in the early 1970s, has been in service for ten years now! On the battlefields in the Middle East, the Israeli Air Force has long proven that the MiG-23 is too fragile to compete with the third-generation aircraft of the United States.

But now, after the magic modification, the MiG-23 has a combat capability that is no less than that of the Tomcat! In terms of close combat, the MiG-23 with its fly-by-wire system and high-thrust twin turbofan engine is enough to make up for the defects of its aerodynamic layout and fight on par with the Tomcat!

At long distances, although the Tomcat fighter has the Phoenix missile, this missile was originally designed to intercept bombers and has limited overload. Unless it is a sneak attack, it is difficult to hit a highly maneuverable fighter!

And, most importantly, the Soviet pilots were simply madmen! Yes, there is only a fine line between genius and madness! When Colonel Hilton heard Powell's account of how the Soviet pilots actually flew upside down on Powell's head in the air and followed him all the way down, his anger slowly turned into admiration.

The Soviet carrier-based fixed-wing aviation force had just started, but it already possessed such terrifying combat power and style. By the time the Soviet aircraft carriers were launched one after another and equipped their troops, how much maritime hegemony would the US Navy have left?

When the Independence's deck was damaged and it had to withdraw from the battle, only the Kitty Hawk was left, and it was impossible for it to have a close confrontation with the Soviet aircraft carrier formation! And the Nimitz would need two more days to arrive! Could the battle on land last another two days?

Of course not!

Just like the United States was racing across Iran’s territory back then, the Soviet army is now advancing rapidly across Iran’s desert areas!

And at the forefront of the entire army is the reorganized 149th Infantry Division!

The T-72 tanks in front are majestic and powerful, with their gun barrels held high, advancing rapidly in the desert. Behind them are large groups of BTR infantry fighting vehicles moving like ants moving house.

The all-wheel drive BTR infantry fighting vehicles have strong adaptability and are fully capable of keeping up with the speed of tanks. Moreover, they have another advantage, which is that their fuel consumption is very low!

Since crossing the border, they have only refueled once and were able to run to Zahedan! In this way, their dependence on logistical supplies has been greatly reduced. Although they do not have the powerful firepower of the previous heavy troops, they still have the umbrella of protection above their heads!

The Mi-24 attack helicopter was flying ahead of the entire force at a distance of fifty kilometers. The racks on both sides of the helicopter were full of weapons, ready to blow up any obstacles on the way forward at any time!

The fact that armed helicopters and ground armored forces can advance rapidly and unhindered is based on a big premise, which is that Iran has lost its air power!

The once extremely powerful Iranian Air Force is now completely a spent force. Its Tomcat fighters have become scrap metal, and the only few J-7s that can fly are trembling under the powerful Soviet air pressure.

Colonel Choibalsan showed his head on a command vehicle. All around him was an endless desert. After passing this place, they would reach their target destination!

In this operation, the reorganized 149th Infantry Division showed great adaptability. For example, when it comes to charge, no other unit can match it. It is well aware that it has already pushed its logistics supply convoy nearly 200 kilometers away. This speed can only be described as crazy!

"105th Airborne Division, 105th Airborne Division, please reply." In the command vehicle, a radio operator kept calling. After running for a few dozen kilometers, they would meet up with the Airborne Division. Now, their own radio station should be able to contact them.

"345th Regiment of the 105th Airborne Division received, welcome you." Later, a clear voice came from the headset.

The 345th Regiment was deployed in the northernmost part of the border, so it was the first to contact the 149th Division.

"The 345th Regiment has been spotted." At this moment, the armed helicopter leading the ground forces had already flown to the position of the 345th Regiment. From the air, one could see how fierce a battle the 345th Regiment had experienced!

"Comrade Molenko, my division was ordered to provide reinforcements and finally arrived on time." Choibalsan came out of the command vehicle and said to Molenko who was stationed here.

The two sides saluted each other, and Choibalsan's eyes were full of shock.

Those paratroopers who were staggering around were already in a disarray. When their side arrived, many of them had fallen asleep. Their clothes were tattered, and not far behind them were corpses covered with white cloth.

The airborne division that first landed here experienced such a brutal battle!

"We fought several battles with the enemy." Seeing the surprise in Choibalsan's eyes, Molenko said, "At the beginning, there were some local Iranian fanatics, but then things got weird. Among the enemies we fought against, there were more and more Westerners, and their weapons became more and more advanced. They even used cannons to bombard us. If it weren't for the support of our navy brothers, and even our marine brothers who started to fight side by side with us, we really couldn't hold on. Even so, we also suffered more than half of our casualties. Now, even the comrades with minor injuries have to continue fighting."

Western faces! We will talk about this later. In order to prevent the Soviet Union from occupying the passage to the south, the Americans could not wait any longer and sent out their own troops in groups. They thought that they would not recognize them after changing their clothes? In order to avoid more international disturbances, they just did not make a statement!

This is also the reason why our strategic bombers were dispatched to bomb the border thoroughly!

Airborne troops are born to be surrounded. The more enemies they have, the more tenacious they will fight! Generally speaking, if a unit loses a quarter of its troops, it will lose its combat effectiveness. However, airborne troops will not lose their fighting spirit even if they fight to the last man!