Chapter 102

3rd ACR Debarkation Area

Around the encampment orders went out to prepare for movement. As engines were turned over and systems brought on line a call went out to the Ajax. Moments later portions of the earthen protective wall vanished, leaving a clear exit path for the first maneuver group.

Fifty miles north of the 3rd ACR encampment

Ranging far ahead of ground forces scout and attack helo's had deployed to sanitize the landscape passing underneath them of any enemy troop presence that could alert the enemy of the Brave Rifles advance. Divided into three ship hunter killer elements each element was composed of two AH-64D Longbow Apache's and one RAH-66 Comanche armed scout. Longbow radar's searched for enemy ground vehicles while forward looking infrared sought out heat signatures of both man and machine. The data collected by each system was shared via data link to every regimental vehicle's IVIS Inter Vehicular Information System display. Further information from sensors on the sh.i.p.s in orbit was cross decked into the IVIS display for a more complete view of the battlespace. Never before had a ground unit gone into combat with such information at its fingertips, and that information would prove vital in the fight to come.

Receiving a radar return one Longbow Apache requested scout support to verify if the return was a valid target or simple ground clutter. Altering course the Comanche quickly covered the distance.

"I'm getting sporadic return on the radar. If vehicles are down there I can't say for certain" called out the Comanche gunner.

"Switch to FLIR" ordered the pilot.

The optical ball housing the Comanche's FLIR sensors scanned the woods below. In seconds the FLIR's display screen blossomed as heat sources were detected.

"Buffalo four and five this is Mustang two. Confirm presence of two halftrack's in the wood line. Dismounted infantry are also present. Illuminating targets with millimeter wave radar now" called out the Comanche gunner to the Apache's in the distance.

"Mustang two this is Buffalo four. Copy target is illuminated. Commencing pop up in one zero seconds. Dismounts are yours Mustang" responded the Apache flight leader over his encrypted radio.

Ten seconds later the two Apache's performed their pop up maneuver. Rising from behind a rolling hill the two deadly war machines climbed to one hundred feet of altitude before firing off one Hellfire missile apiece. Once the firing sequence was complete both Apache's quickly returned to their masked positions behind the hill. The two Hellfire missiles rapidly climbed to eight thousand feet before diving towards the two targets below. Seeker heads on both missiles noted the millimeter wave illumination and homed in. Seconds later the two targeted halftrack's were reduced to shredded husks.

All around the two burning vehicles dismounted infantrymen ran for cover. Automatic weapons fire erupted, aimed at targets unseen and until seconds before unknown. It never occurred to the men firing to look for a threat in the skies above them. Without fear the Comanche's two man crew watched the shocked troop's violent reaction.

"Let them get that out of their system" said the pilot in reference to the gunfire below.

"Deploying the Gatling" commented the gunner.

On the nose of the aircraft two panels opened and the M301 three barreled twenty millimeter weapon dropped down to firing position. The sighting system for the weapon was slaved to the gunner's helmet, meaning that wherever the gunner looked the gun aimed at that point much like the system used for the Apache's cannon. With a firing rate of fifteen hundred rounds per minute the 301 could deliver amazing amounts of highly accurate fire at a distance. Using high explosive shells the weapon was meant for defeating light armor, but in the instance would be used for other purposes.

"Going into medium orbit" called out the pilot.

Immediately fell to nine hundred feet of altitude. On the nose the 301 moved left and right before settling on a fixed position.

"Targets locked" replied the gunner.

"Light them up" suggested the pilot.

On command the three barreled 301 Gatling gun opened up. Twenty millimeter rounds moving at three thousand three hundred and eighty feet per second closed the gap quickly. High explosive shells ripped into men, soil, and trees. Seeing the carnage before them men tried to run in all directions only to be cut down into nothing recognizable. In less than ten seconds every life on the forest floor below was extinguished not with not a whimper but a bang.

"Buffalo four, this is Mustang two. All targets are down. Resuming flight plan now" called out the Comanche pilot