Chapter 2467: Chapter 2443: Various Artifacts
The convoy has set out, and for maximum confidentiality, all lights must be kept off during the journey.
Satan’s night vision devices are plentiful, as long as there are enough batteries, the light control won’t cause too much inconvenience. It can maximize the success rate of the operation because there are quite a few people in Yemen providing intelligence to Saudi Arabia.
Satan has fully deployed, along with Tarta, Vasily, and Hammer, the three belligerent members of the Black Demon.
Shedding the burden of the Dagger Assault Team, even though missing the firepower provided by two hundred people, will only enhance Satan’s combat effectiveness, because Satan is meant to pierce the enemy’s heart like a dagger, not as a battering ram. Streamlining personnel is purely beneficial.
The roads in the mountains are difficult to traverse, and once out of the mountains, there is simply no road. However, in the desert, driving can happen everywhere. After taking two and a half hours to navigate the rugged mountain paths, the convoy’s speed drastically increased as they drove through the desert.
The plan was to reach the combat zone in three hours, but it actually took three hours and twenty minutes. The convoy stopped five kilometers away from Ohalaham Village.
We can’t get any closer; the desert provides no cover, and being too close makes it easy for the enemy to spot us, especially if using large thermal imaging systems for surveillance, like the one on the Apache Helicopters, they have already detected Satan’s convoy at this distance.
Gao Yang believes that under the premise of the enemy being far from their logistical base, they are unlikely to use helicopter-mounted thermal imaging systems solely for surveillance at night. Therefore, Satan has a complete opportunity to approach Ohalaham Village.
The Dagger Assault Team is indeed a burden in special operations, but they are also helpful, like assisting in transporting heavy equipment.
Without the Dagger Assault Team, Satan members have to carry items themselves, such as anti-tank missiles and man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).
A set of anti-tank missiles is very heavy, and while the Crown Forces do not have tanks or armored vehicles, using anti-tank missiles to hit grounded helicopters is much more effective than using anti-aircraft missiles, it’s more accurate and more powerful.
"Radio sound check, complete."
Everyone disembarked from the vehicles, but hadn’t yet gathered together. Gao Yang lowered his voice and gave the command through the walkie-talkie to conduct the radio sound check.
"Everything is normal, complete."
"Check equipment, complete."
"Equipment is all normal, complete."
With the radio sound check and the individual combat equipment inspection complete, Gao Yang raised his hand and whispered into the walkie-talkie, "Ram, Rabbit, Crow, advance 500 meters as spearhead, all others advance with maximum load, complete."
With a single order, Gao Yang and Cui Bo and Phoenix immediately moved forward, while the rest began nervously loading the necessary heavy equipment either on their backs or onto foldable trailers.
The AT-14 Short-Ranged Anti-tank Missile Launcher weighs 19 kilograms, a cased missile weighs 27 kilograms, meaning a fully prepared anti-tank missile system weighs a total of 46 kilograms.
A set of Igla-S MANPADS also weighs nearly twenty kilograms, not to mention Satan needs to carry a lot of rocket launchers, as well as a larger-than-usual amount of ammunition.
There are many enemy helicopters, a full twelve, so at least ten anti-tank missiles and three launchers are needed, and at least ten MANPADS.
In actual combat, the enemy will definitely counterattack, and there might be misses during launch, so ten of each type of missile is the minimal number to ensure a portion of the enemy’s helicopters can be destroyed while grounded, with almost no margin prepared.
Additionally, rocket launchers are indispensable in combat, and carrying these excessive weights compared to usual is absolutely impossible with just manpower.
Fortunately, Satan has a special device, foldable small trailers with broad tires that can drive through the desert without sinking into the sand.
Satan faces similar problems to many countries’ Special Forces during actual combat, so specialized desert terrain trailers aren’t particularly rare. Such small trailers don’t require high technology; they simply need to be portable, light enough, and equipped with wide enough wheels to avoid sinking into the sand.
Using a small cart to push dozens of kilograms of heavy equipment is definitely much easier than carrying them, it’s common sense, so with nearly everyone having a portable desert trailer, Satan can transport enough heavy equipment to the combat zone.
Gao Yang is already at the front, estimating a 500 meter distance, he and Cui Bo, and Phoenix spread out, kneeling on one knee waiting for the bulk of the troops to catch up.
The reason why the three snipers are in front is simple, because they have the most advanced thermal imaging night vision devices with the longest detection ranges, being in front allows them to spot enemies earlier and quickly detect any enemy movement.
"Set out, complete."
Glolov softly said over the walkie-talkie, and Gao Yang immediately stood up and whispered, "Begin advancing."
Gao Yang started moving forward, with the cart-pulling team marching at a slightly slower pace than regular marching speed, so Gao Yang could proceed at a normal speed, occasionally stopping to examine with the thermal imaging device mounted on his rifle to maintain rhythm and keep a roughly 500 meter distance from the main force behind.
Advancing all the way forward, when they were three kilometers in a straight line from Ohalaham Village, Jansen softly said over the walkie-talkie, "Three kilometers distance, entering aerial reconnaissance zone, complete."
Gao Yang halted, kneeling on one knee, then softly said, "Stop advancing, conduct aerial reconnaissance, complete."
After waiting a few minutes, with complete silence, Jansen softly said, "Drone has been launched, flight posture is good, control is good, no enemy counter-reconnaissance electromagnetic interference, images have been sent to the receiving terminal, complete."
Listening to Jansen’s words, Gao Yang drew a waterproof, shockproof electronic display terminal from his left arm pocket, about the size of a five-inch smartphone.
Besides not being able to make calls and having waterproof and shockproof functions, this display is not much different from a smartphone.
With this display, Gao Yang doesn’t need to huddle with Jansen to look at the same screen every time; even spaced apart, he can still receive signals transmitted from Jansen, and similar displays are also owned by Cui Bo, Tommy, Yuri, and Phoenix besides Gao Yang.
Adjusting the screen brightness downwards to minimize the risk of being detected, Gao Yang faces away from the direction of progress. The display shows only endless yellow sand, but soon, he sees the outline of a village.
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