TRUCK ONE: “Multiple splash Medium east group. Estimate 3 of 5.”
<Truck One indicates there have been missile hits to Medium east group. Projects 3 of 5 aircraft were hit.
WACKER <AWACS command>: “Splash confirmed all hostile groups. Low group now 3 flies, climbing. Paint, Knuckles track west, 5,000 feet, engage. Medium west group, 3 flies, Bullseye 150, 70, 20,000 feet. Plaster, skip it. Truck Two engage. Plaster follow on and commit. High group, 5 flies, Bullseye 185 72, 35,000 feet in decent. Truck One engage.”
<From AWACS. AWACS confirms missile hits. Low group has 3 fighters remaining. The group is climbing in altitude, moving in a more westerly direction at 5,000 feet. Paint and Knuckles are tasked with the attack. Medium group west has 3 fighters remaining with position relative to the bullseye at 150 degrees, 70 miles, at 20,000 feet. Plaster has radioed his intent to attack. AWACS rejects his call and directs Truck Two to attack. Plaster is to follow up and attack any remaining fighters from Medium group west after Truck Two has released missiles. High group has 5 remaining fighters at a position relative to the bullseye of 185 degrees, 72 miles, at 35,000 feet and falling in altitude. Truck One is directed to attack.>
CHAMP, Bugblast One: “Fox 3 ripple from Champ.”
<Champ has fired multiple AIM 120 missiles at the two remaining enemy fighters in Medium group east that are in pursuit of the AWACS.>
CHAMP, Bugblast One: “Splash. One fly remaining Medium east. Fox 2 from Champ, second fox 2. Splash. Attack complete Medium east. Grand slam.”
<AIM 120 missiles destroyed one of the two remaining Medium east fighters. Champ is close enough to the remaining fighter to fire AIM 9X Sidewinder missiles. He fires two missiles resulting in destruction of the remaining fighter. The Medium east enemy group has been completely destroyed.>
<NOTE, Paint, Knuckles, Plaster, Truck One, and Truck Two have released missiles as well.>
WACKER <AWACS command>: “Wacker reset. Truck One and Truck Two, acknowledge Winchester. Scram. Four flies remain. Slowing. Status Bugblast?
<From AWACS. The AWACS is no longer moving away from the area of operation. Truck One and Truck Two have no more munitions. AWACS acknowledges that and directs both to leave the area of operation. There are four remaining flies. They are not formed up into a group and are still moving toward the F22s but are decreasing speed. AWACS requests tactical status of the F22 pilots.>
<NOTE TO FILE: The pilots all respond to the status request. None has any AIM 120 missiles remaining. Paint, Knuckles, and Plaster each have 4 AIM 9X Sidewinder missiles available. Champ has 2 Sidewinders remaining. Sidewinders are close range weapon systems. Each F22 also has a 20 MM auto canon with 500 rounds of ammunition.>
WACKER <AWACS command>: “New picture. Flies cold, line abreast, course to nest, low very fast, separation 20 miles.”
<From AWACS. The situation has changed. The four enemy fighters are flying away from the F22s side-by-side in a group, heading toward the nest at a speed of more than Mach 1.5, at an altitude of below 10,000 feet. The group is 20 miles from the F22s.>.
CHAMP, Bugblast One: “Roger. In pursuit.”
<Champ indicates intent to pursue enemy.>
WACKER <AWACS command>: “No go. Bugblast, buster xray alpha. Goldilocks inbound 100 miles out.”
<From AWACS. AWACS disallows pursuit of enemy fighters. Directs Bugblast team to proceed at maximum speed without use of afterburners to pre-briefed coordinates due to enemy break off and inbound B21 bomber.>
“New picture. Fly group sliding east. General direction of shooter. Cover Goldilocks. Gate to cutoff. Deploy,,, hold, there’s music, lost picture. Working on it.”
<From AWACS. There is a new situation. The fly group has changed course moving in general direction of the B21 but not on a precise intercept course. Bugblast is to provide air support to the B21 and is to increase speed in order intercept the fly group. The AWACS intended to give an optimum course but their radar is apparently being jammed by the enemy. They are working to restore the picture.>
CHAMP, Bugblast One: “Wacker, Bugblast has Judy. One o’clock in the weeds, approximately 10 miles. Closing. Intend to engage.”
<Champ indicates Bugblast has made contact with the enemy fighters and can take control of the intercept. The aircraft are at the 01:00, one o’clock, position from Bugblast at a very low altitude approximately 10 miles away. Bugblast is closing on the targets with intent to attack.>
“We are cleared to engage. Sort, enemy line abreast, flies 1 through 4. And there’s the pop. Here they come. Very fast. 1 and 4 looking to flank. Paint left; Knuckles right.
<Champ notes AWACS has cleared Bugblast to attack the enemy fighters. The fighters are flying in a line as are the F22s. The F22s are already in rough alignment with the enemy fighters. The F22 pilots have been assigned to attack the enemy fighters, matching their position in the line. The enemy fighters have suddenly started a very fast climb toward the F22s. Two of the enemy fighters are moving to outside positions of the F22s in a flanking maneuver. Paint and Knuckles have been directed to break off and engage the flanking fighters, which were assigned to them in the initial sort.>
<NOTE. The F22s were already in range to use their Sidewinder missiles. Each has called Fox 2 away indicating an AIM 9 Sidewinder has been fired. Each has fired two missiles. All pilots call out that their missiles were trashed, defeated. Champ is out of missiles but has a 20 mm canon. The other pilots have 2 remaining missiles and a 20 mm canon. After the missile volley the F22s are jinking, changing their flight path randomly, to avoid enemy fire. The enemy fighters are firing their railguns. The F22 fighter pilots are trying to maneuver to a position allowing the best shot for a missile or the canon.>
WACKER <AWACS command>: “Wacker has sunrise. Buddy spike, bullseye 130, 200 miles, angels 100. Confirmation, 100,000 feet moving very, very, fast.
