The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 502 Death Line

Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Sidra.

The sky was cloudless and the sea was pure blue.

With such good weather, it should have been a good time to enjoy the scenery, but this peaceful bay was filled with the roar of fighter planes, and three aircraft carrier battle groups of the US Navy were conducting military exercises in this largest bay in the southern Mediterranean.

The Gulf of Sidra is the largest bay in the southern Mediterranean. It is located in the north of Libya, stretching from Benghazi in the east to the port of Misrata in the west. It is about 300 nautical miles wide and has a maximum depth of about 100 nautical miles.

Since August 1981, the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean has held annual routine exercises here.

This is also a demonstration against Libya and Gaddafi.

Although Gaddafi had previously declared the Gulf of Sidra as Libya's territorial waters, the United States and its allies did not recognize it, and only recognized its internationally recognized 12 nautical miles of territorial waters.

Gaddafi is no pushover either. He has a very tough attitude and recently reiterated that the entire Gulf of Sidra is part of his sacred and inviolable territorial waters. Gaddafi even brought in the Soviet Union, allowing Soviet naval warships to enter and exit the Gulf of Sidra freely.

This undoubtedly made the United States jealous and furious.

What made the United States even more angry was that Gaddafi was very arrogant and drew a "death line" in the Gulf of Sidra.

The so-called "death line" is that Gaddafi announced that the 200-meter sea area along the coast of the Gulf of Sidra is Libya's territorial waters, and the area south of 32 degrees 30 minutes north latitude is the "death line". If any US military aircraft or ships cross this line and enter the Gulf of Sidra, Libya will "fight back" mercilessly.

At this time, on the surface of the Gulf of Sidra, the USS Coral Sea, an aircraft carrier of the US Sixth Fleet, was sailing in the Gulf, breaking through the waves. Under the protection of the escort fleet, this powerful aircraft carrier unscrupulously sailed into the Gulf of Sidra to show its force to Libya.

This time, the United States mobilized three aircraft carrier battle groups to the Mediterranean, but it was not for vacation.

On the USS Coral Sea, with a sharp whistle, the catapult emitted a large cloud of white steam, and the yellow cedar guide on the deck was immediately covered by the white cloud. The 25-ton F-14 Bearcat fighter jet vibrated violently and flew high along the catapult track towards the blue sky and the boundless sea.

The yellow-shirted guide reappeared, looking like a magician in a puff of smoke. He gave the following aircraft a wingspan signal, and then made a large gesture. He waved his hand downward vigorously, and the pilots felt their blood boiling, just waiting to fly into the sky again and become the invincible king of the sky.

Now the United States' RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft is conducting uninterrupted patrols over Libya, and has also dispatched SR-71 high-altitude supersonic reconnaissance aircraft to conduct night reconnaissance, with the intention of finding out the deployment of Libya's air defense firepower, terrain, and the location of Libya's command agencies, in order to plan air strike routes.

In addition, the U.S. military has also arranged a large number of auxiliary combat aircraft, including more than 30 KC-10, KC-135 tankers, and EF-111 electronic jammers. In addition, the U.S. Navy has also provided sufficient auxiliary assistance. The three aircraft carrier battle groups composed of the USS America, USS Coral, and USS Saratoga, the E-2 early warning aircraft and EA-6B electronic jammers carried on the aircraft carriers perform auxiliary work, and the F/A-18 carrier-based fighters that have just been put into service, cooperate with the F-14 carrier-based aircraft, A-7, and A-6 attack aircraft to implement fire suppression missions.

It can be said that the United States was very well prepared for this "Prairie Fire" operation plan.

"What's the situation now?" Anderson, commander of the Coral Carrier Strike Group, turned to the combat staff beside him and asked.

"Libyan fighter planes dared not take off. Our Panda fighters and Prowlers crossed the so-called death line, but the Libyans did not react at all. They just protested to us using the radio!" replied the operations staff.

"This won't work. We have to force them, force them to fight us!" Anderson said in a deep voice.

F-14‘熊猫’战斗机最大航程是2570公里，但是作战半径却是只有700~900公里！F/A-18战斗机最大航程3700公里，对地攻击作战半径1060公里，空战作战半径740公里。

The maximum range is the maximum range, and the combat radius is the combat radius!
When an aircraft takes off to fight, it is not to never return, but to return to the aircraft carrier. The deepest point in Libya is about 900 kilometers. If the aircraft carrier can stay at the coastline, it can naturally return after the battle.

However, for safety reasons, the aircraft carrier fleet was 100 nautical miles, or 185.2 kilometers, away from the coastline.

The navy is very wary of the "Eagle Strike" anti-ship missiles equipped by Libya.

If Libyan aircraft can be forced to fight along the coastline or over the sea, then all the advantages will be on the side of the US military.

毕竟利比亚大量装备的是米格-23、米格-25战斗机，并没有装备苏联最先进的苏-27、苏-29战斗机，米格-23、米格-25战斗机可不是F-14‘熊猫’战斗机、F/A-18战斗机的对手。

"Also, monitor the enemy at all times. Once you find the target, intercept it immediately!" Anderson said.

In order to effectively protect the aircraft carrier strike group, the US military has established an anti-ship defense network 120 kilometers away from the aircraft carrier, consisting of 8 destroyers and frigates equipped with the "Aegis" ship-to-air missile system. The ships maneuver under the cover of the carrier-based aviation, and the intelligence reconnaissance support work is completed by 4 E-2C "Hawkeye" early warning aircraft operating over the patrol area.

Although the US military is very confident in its own strength, it also appears to be very cautious.

After all, the 'Eagle Strike' anti-ship missile is like a sword of Damocles hanging over its head, forcing the US military to take it seriously.

After all, an "Eagle Strike" anti-ship missile is enough to sink a destroyer!
Except for aircraft carriers, no frigate or destroyer can withstand an Eagle Strike anti-ship missile.

As long as it is hit by an "Eagle Strike" anti-ship missile, even if it is not sunk, it will be severely damaged and lose its combat effectiveness, which is a huge loss.

Even if it is an aircraft carrier, if it is hit by an "Eagle Strike" anti-ship missile, it will be damaged even if it is not sunk.

The US military attaches great importance to protective forces this time, which can be said to be the most important thing in history.

There are early warning aircraft and carrier-based aircraft for protection in the sky, and frigates and destroyers on the sea provide a protective net with the help of the "Aegis" to intercept the "Eagle Strike" anti-ship missiles that may attack Libya.

Britain’s previous experience in the Falklands War was not so long ago, so the US military naturally had to learn from it.

The radars of each warship are constantly searching to ensure the safety of the aircraft carrier formation.

Even electronic jammers are flying in the sky, conducting electronic jamming on incoming aerial targets.

There are nuclear submarines lurking in the sea, ready to show their fangs at any time and deal a devastating blow to the enemy.

The U.S. Navy demonstrates amazing professionalism. Compared to the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy is much more powerful and more feared.

What the U.S. Navy displayed at this time did not in the least undermine its reputation as the overlord of the oceans.

(End of this chapter)