The Chinese army in front of Colonel Martin suddenly opened fire. Someone higher up must have made the decision to attack. No way would a lowly colonel jeopardize the lives of two prominent diplomats unless the orders came from their top general. Negotiations were over. It would be a fight to the finish.
The ground in front of Luis shook from all the artillery fire. He did not have to give any orders for his troops to fire back. All hell erupted from the powerful weapons mounted on the MRAPs and heavy machine gun fire from armored Humvees. Fortunately, most shells missed their targets at first, but Luis knew everyone’s aim would get dramatically better as soon as the automatic targeting systems latched onto their targets. Not even the black smoke and haze from the heavy smog-filled air would stop the laser guided or heat seeking missiles and anti-tank rounds from finding and hitting their acquired targets.
“Alpha Two, where are those main battle tanks?” Luis yelled over his headset to Captain Hood, referring to the five Chinese ZTZ-110 MBTs that were trailing the PLA force on the expressway earlier.
“The drones are following them, sir! They’re five miles out. They’ll be in range to hit us soon.”
This was a big problem. Luis knew his troops could hold out against the two companies of PLA until help arrived, but once those MBTs got within range and started firing 125 mm missiles at them it would soon be over. Those tanks can fire APFSDS (Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot) kinetic energy penetrator ammunition which could penetrate the MRAP and Humvee easily making any escape impossible.
The two armies were within two hundred meters of each other now. Luis could see the PLA forces and vehicles through the smoke and haze. The Chinese shelling died down for reasons known full well to Luis’s battle-hardened soldiers. It had happened many times during the recent fighting in the north with the Pakistani Army and then the PLA. It meant the enemy was sending their infantry to attack.
Luis called out over his headset, “All units prepare for infantry assault!”
A moment later, the air filled with hundreds of Chinese voices yelling at the top of their lungs. Luis was crouched behind his Humvee with two other soldiers beside him. The two diplomats, Steven and George, had been moved to safety in one of the MRAPs holding in the rear to try and escape into the foothills north of them if his troop were overrun.
Less than one hundred meters in front of him, the Chinese ZBD-110 IFVs appeared through the heavy smoke firing their mounted 30 mm cannons and 7.62 mm machine guns directly at Luis’s troops. Behind and alongside each IFV were several PLA soldiers equipped with standard Type 85 AKs firing the same 7.62 mm caliber rounds as the IFV machine guns. Luis estimated from the drone video images that at least ten IFVs with around one hundred soldiers were making the initial ground assault. Under normal circumstances, this attack would prove unsurmountable, but not today.
The CROWS remote weapon system on each of the front positioned MRAPs opened fire with their anti-tank guided kinetic energy missile launchers, MK 19 grenade launchers, M2 50 caliber and M240B automatic machine guns. The CROWS used laser guided range finders with thermal video cameras remotely controlled by operators from any location with 95% accuracy rate up to 1500 meters. No way was this assault going to be successful.
The unmistakable sounds of bullets passing over and beside Luis’ helmet and impacting his Humvee made him duck even lower behind his vehicle followed by the roar of multiple MRAP CROWS weapon stations fired all at once. Luis watched the destruction of the enemy’s IFVs one by one as each vehicle seemed to disintegrate in a fiery explosion killing enemy troops that were using them for protection. Those that didn’t die from the explosions were instantly exposed in the open to the unrelenting firepower of the CROWS stations. The annihilation of the PLA soldiers reminded Luis of images he had seen from old civil war movies where soldiers marched standing up into withering enemy fire. It was suicidal.
The Chinese Soldiers and vehicles left intact after the first few minutes of battle, decided to retreat to fight another day. As they ran ahead of the few IFVs still operating, a loud cheer rose up all along Luis’s battle line. Luis finally called over his headset, “Hold your fire!” He knew they needed to reserve their ammunition for the next attack to surely follow. The Chinese usually only attacked their enemy with overwhelming strength. They misjudged the first attack. The next attack would follow as soon as those five enemy ZTZ-110 MBTs reached target range.
Luis looked around him at the damage. He opened his headset, “All commanders—casualties and damage reports!”
One by one his five platoon lieutenants report their Sitrep. Five soldiers killed and ten more wounded. Four MRAPs and two Humvees had been hit by enemy fire; the Humvees were no longer serviceable. It was better than Luis expected, but the worse may yet follow soon.
“Alpha Two, do we still have drone eyes on those MBT’s?”
Captain Hood quickly responded, “The MBTs have joined up with the PLA. They are now in range to fire. Any word from Jaipur? Over.”
“Still waiting for word. Should be soon. Over and Out.”
Luis looked at his wristcom for the time. He had called Jaipur thirty minutes ago. His troops were running out of time. He looked back over his shoulder. He could try to retreat into the hills a few miles north of this current position, but he knew the Chinese Army invading from Kashmir was probably within striking distance as they moved closer to New Delhi. He couldn’t go west or south without support from Jaipur. Before he could make a decision, he heard jet fighter engines approaching fast from the south. He knew that sound. They were made from F-25 Raptors; old American jet fighters sold to the Indian Air Force when the Plague Wars started. They were excellent tactical stealth fighter aircraft in their time, but they also possessed air-to-surface weapons with laser guided anti-tank missiles that could easily destroy those Chinese MBTs.
Luis looked for the jets. The dirty gray clouds limited visibility to less than a mile in distance and below one thousand feet elevation. Suddenly two Raptors exploded into sight at 500 feet level below the clouds headed straight for the Chinese line. Two Raptors fired two missiles each at targets on the ground. Luis knew they were trying to knock out the MBTs. The Chinese forces were slow to fire back at the fighter jets and missed as the jets screamed past their line right over the heads of the UAC troops. Three massive explosions filled the sky behind the Chinese line.
“Alpha Two, do we have images?” Luis called over his headset to Captain Hood.
“Drone images online. It looks like three ZTZs are destroyed. Two left!” Hood replied.
The troops were cheering all along Luis’s line. Within minutes the two jets reappeared coming in low from the west. Four more air-to-ground missiles using laser guided targeting systems hit the two remaining ZTZ-110 tanks before they could swivel their guns to fire at the jets. It was over within minutes. Luis wondered where they came from when he heard a voice over his headset. “Compliments of Air Force General Parth Dara. Safe journey!” The two jets flew up into the clouds heading back south.
Luis instinctively replied, “Give my thanks to the general!” He was wondering how this happened when George and Steven appeared at his side. “I see my call to General Dara did some good, Colonel,” George remarked.
Luis turned around concerned. “Indeed, thanks. You two should get back to the MRAP for your safety. The fight is not over.”
Luis looked at the Chinese troops in the distance. Instead of preparing to attack them again, they seemed to be turning their vehicles around and trying to retreat.
“Alpha One, this is Alpha Two. The PLA is retreating!” Captain Hood reaffirmed over the radio.
“Copy, Alpha two. Over.” Luis replied. This made no sense. The jets left. The Chinese had no reason why they would not attack them again—unless…”
“Commander, this is General Clark. Do you hear me?”
“General, this is Alpha One. Go ahead.”
“We’re approaching your position on Highway 26 North. Will engage the PLA from our position in five. What is your Sitrep?”
“General, We are firm. PLA is attempting to retreat south on Western Peripheral Expressway. Troop strength under two companies. They must know you’re coming!”
“Copy that. We will not engage. Meet you here on Highway 26 in ten. We’ll head to Jaipur togeather. Over and out.”
“What is happening?” Steven asked Luis first.
“It appears General Clark was in the area on his way to Jaipur, probably just ahead of us on NH 48. He backtracked when I sent Jaipur a request for help. We’re safe now. Let’s get ready to leave.”
Luis opened a channel on his headset, “All commanders, pack everything up. We’re moving out in ten. We’re joining up with General Clark on Highway 26 just west of here.”
As Luis was walking around inspecting the damage to his convoy and making sure the wounded soldiers and the five killed were taken care of, Captain Hood appeared.
“We’ll be ready to leave in five minutes, sir.”
“Fine, Captain. General Clark is waiting for us. How many vehicles were damaged?”
“Two Humvees and one MRAP will have to be left behind, sir. My team is rigging them with explosives now.”
“Do we have room for everyone?”
“Yes, sir, not a problem.”
“Okay. When you’re ready to leave, move out. We’ll follow.”
Before Luis returned to his Humvee, he looked around the place he had just fought another battle and lost good men and women. It was so pointless, he thought. It would be good to go home. He hoped the situation in the UAC was better than when he left it two years ago, but he had his doubts. He would find out soon enough.