Karachi close to fallen. But the UCC, despite generally conceding air superiority to the Allies, are not going down without a fierce fight. In fact they are counter-attacking from Iran. How they will prevail?

The picture above is roughly how the aircraft carrier Majapahit looks like, basically a Queen Elizabeth class/cancelled French PA2 class with nuclear propulsion and CATOBAR design but with larger displacement to allow four electromagnetic catapults to be installed similar to it's American equivalent.

---

. Majapahit -

The Majapahit carrier strike group, on its way back to its homeport, Tanjung Api-Api Naval Base in South Sumatera State, nicknamed "Indonesian Norfolk" after the largest naval base in the US, were still doing sorties mainly into Pakistan.

Inside the briefing room, Colonel Edi explained what's our mission this night especially for the newer faces, as some of the more familiar aces, like Fransiska and Bala has been transferred back to the Motherland to help in training new pilots.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we just receive information that the UCC has committed their mobile reserves from Iran with their main axis appeared to be preparing towards an attack on the city of Haiderabad, obviously to reinforce both the 25th and 30th Army, now combined as the 78th Army, in order to cut off our forces which already have Karachi within striking range and due to the development, has been forced to assume a defensive position."

"The GA forces in the area are primarily the Indian 2nd Army, the former Western Command, along with the Indonesian 45th Army."

The 45th Army is our main force in the theater, reorganized from the Indonesian Expeditionary Force in India due to expansion especially with the inclusion of Singaporean 6th Division and Malaysian 4th Division into the field army. For morale reason the Independence year is used as its number. Currently we and the 2nd are part of PPDU higher formation called the 1st Army Group, commanded by Indian General Benegal Nan.

Three divisions from the pro-Shah Free Imperial Iranian Army in the East (FIIAE), two mechanized and one armored, one of the former is the 2nd Imperial Guards Mechanized Infantry Division, mostly equipped with Korean and Indian arms, are also part of the Indian 2nd Army.

"Additionally, here we have the Japanese 5th Army and First United Korea Army"

Many members of the two formations were veterans of the Reunification War in 2028 (1) and part of the 2nd PPDU Army Group and commanded by Korean General Kwang Dae-ho, nicknamed Liberator of Pyongyang or Butcher of Pyongyang, as during the war, his then-21st Armored Division Mount Baekdu was the first to enter Pyongyang, and together with other formations including allied US and Japanese forces completedly wiped out the Korean People's Army Pyongyang Defense Corps to the last man, in just a week after the start of the battle, in February 15th, 2028.

The 2nd Army Group also has two Taiwanese brigades attached into it, to the chagrin of Presidium China; the 333rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the 584th Armored Brigade, equipped with indigenous equipments like the CM-40 Black Dragon wheeled AFV but also some American equipment, notably the latest M6A1 Scott main battle tanks (named after General Winfield Scott).

Western NATO ground forces in the Indian Ocean Theater of Operations are gathered into the US VII Corps, with its core are the US 3rd Armored Division, along with French Division Caracal, considered as armored, along with three mechanized Commonwealth divisions; 3rd (United Kingdom) Division, 2nd (ANZAC) Division, and 1st Canadian Division, led by American General Francis Robinson, and was hold in reserve along with Indian X Corps, which also had three more Iranian divisions attached to it.

"This defense operation will be conducted under the name Porus" (an ancient Indian king who fought Alexander the Great in the Battle of Hydaspes on 326 BC)

If anybody ask how on earth the UCC can transport a large amount of armor from Iran from land, in light of the mountainous terrain in Balochistan, a region shared by Pakistan and Iran prior to the war, which not lend itself well for a massed tank operation?

We can give thanks to China for that.

As part of the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the 2010-2020s, part of the larger Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Chinese, with some backing from Russia had constructed a series of rail and road tunnels in the area up to the border with Iran.

Prior to the economic crisis and subsequent Saudi-Iranian War the Iranians, isolated due to the reinstatements of sanctions by the US, had strengthened its cooperation with China and Russia and one of the result are the upgrade of the country's infrastructure including roads, rails, and pipeline route to Pakistan, also sanctioned in 2020 by the US and removed from the list of Major-Non NATO Ally due to murder of a Christian pastor.

Their persistency, despite air and missile attacks, as well as using sea route from Saudi Arabia and Iran via not-yet occupied Gwadar Port, allowed them to assemble one corps worth of infantry and tanks in in the south to reinforce and replace units in the 25th Army, responsible for the defense of the South Pakistan, already combined with the remnants of the 30th Army which had been committed before as reinforcements, especially to the 10th Army which has been effectively ceased to exist by the combined Chinese-Russian forces from the north and Indians from the west.

"Their forces are now concentrating in a town called Dadu, here, both threatening our forces and those Chinese and Russians up north. You also can count aircrafts from the newly arrived American carrier USS Lexington and USS George H.W. Bush, along with Japanese Taihou, Korean Joseon, and Indian INS Viraat along with those from Indian airfields and the seabase USS Dewey. In addition, the Air Force had some tankers ready to support organic assets from Sriwijaya, now positioned south of Sri Lanka. We will be a part of a strike package with the objective, destroy as many enemy vehicles as you can, Priority target is their tanks, artillery pieces, and AA systems."

"How about the Pact, sir?" One of the newer pilot, 1st Lt. Aris Mulyana, callsign "Maverick" asked. I can see his face indicated eagerness for combat, which in some cases could indicate recklessness.

"As I already said to you they already know those enemies are threatening theirs too, and so check your IFFs regularly, as their aircrafts are expected to doing strikes in your sector, mostly from the northern part of Pakistan and airbases in China." Edi pinpointed several airbases in Northern Pakistan and China under control by the Russo-Chinese alliance.

"Any more question? If not, squadrons, do your briefings about your roles, as your assignment is already been uploaded to your personal tablet systems. Get ready as soon as you can!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The battlespace is heavily defended and strike aircrafts were taking a beating, just as the UCC 88th Army began their advance towards Haiderabad.

Initially, the first wave of simultaneous attack from the Air Force and Navy caught the remaining UCC pilots stationed in the area by surprise. But they rebounded from their losses and currently the balance in the air is slightly in the UCC favor.

Despite that, the 120 never quits.

My element will do their attack run against enemy tanks while the leader cover us from the air, already expended their air to ground payloads.

"Sea Eagle 2-3, starting our run now"

"Pickle, pickle!" With my wingman, Capt. Nicholas "Wolf" Purnama, the flight joined one of the attack waves consist of Indonesian, American, and Japanese carrier fighters, alongside a smaller number of land-based aircraft against the UCC tank formation by the virtue of our guided bombs

Jammers went into overdrive and countermeasures deployed in the process. But two Allied fighters come out damaged and one lost by a Caliphate anti-aircraft gun.

I can see the display indicating two short range missiles, from MANPADS mounted on the turret of several Al-Khalids are heading straight at me. After the bomb was released me and my wingman soon break into the missile, pumping flares.

Glide bombs and missiles from allied fighters wiped out two battalions of M1A2 Abrams and Al-Khalid II tanks along with support vehicles, further helped by opening attack with long-range cruise missiles carrying anti-armor submunitions. But more tanks and AFVs are behind it.

"Good hit, good hit, enemy formation is toast" said one of the AWACS involved, callsign, "Eulji" from Korea.

"Sea Eagle 2, you're cleared to return to the carrier"

.................................

Minutes later.

"Fishnet and Wolf, you are being reassigned to Sea Eagle 1 and your mission will be escort and top cover for allied second strike package." Said the air boss seconds after I landed.

Rearming and refuelling done, its time for another cat shot. "Sea Eagle 080 and 081, cleared to take off"

Simultaneously the first element went airborne.

I took off from the Catapult No #3 seconds before Nicholas was cleared for launch from the Number 2 cat. This time, Alan took responsibility to be the flight leader himself.

Before entering Pakistani airspace a pair of Cakalang tanker drone awaiting us for refuelling, as dark clouds are forming up.

"Sea Eagle 083, you are cleared to rejoin the flight. Good luck!" said the controller, somewhere inside Majapahit, upon I finished with "milking" or "menyusu" in Bahasa, which is our own slang for refuelling.

We passed Kirthar National Park and then...

"This is AWACS Thor, we have, holy shit, 72 plus contacts heading 050, Angels 15, Confirmed hostile, F-16s and Bayraktars." An American E-12 Constellation AEW contacted our flight.

Those bastards are zerg-rushing us, or more accurately, the strike package. Luckily we're not alone as we are accompanied by four American Hellcats from the Saratoga and Lexington, along with eight Japanese F-4s from Taihou and eight Indian Abhaya N (Naval) from the Viraat (3), not without their unmanned accompaniments.

Two F/A-40s and four Abhayas keep covering the strike package below as they approaching Pakistan, while the rest - including the majority of allied drones - turned and dived as fast as they can towards the threat.

"Datalink setting complete" the voice inside my cockpit called.

"Solid lock on the enemy fighter" my wingman called.

A resulting barrage of radar-guided missile opened up their formation with fifteen F-16 and six Bayraktars went down.

Fifty something left and closing.

Most of them soon tried their luck to engage us in a "fair fight" while the rest ready to pounce us in unexpected directions, just as some of us leveled up with the bandits.

"Check six!" Alan barked. Before a Falcon behind me obtained lock for a sneak attack I rolled, turned right, and climbed. Soon, he unable to keep up with my more agile Flying Fish, and dived to regain airspeed. Big mistake, as I am behind him and soon, the F-16 burst to flames after a short burst of 25mm.

"Fox two!" My wingman, sweeping the lower altitude destroyed two more F-16s before rejoining me.

"Damn you, 1-4, where have you been?" I asked, clearly concerned as he decided to separate his jet from my radar view for some time.

"Hard contact, but luckily I kill 'em. I have no choice, sir." He said.

"Alright but next time call me before."

Then I saw on the radar two Falcons and two Bayraktars formed up below me and I know they might heading for me and Nicholas.

"I'll take out the leader" I said.

Upon positioned ourselves in a perched up position, we dived together with Nicholas behind me. The ensuing attack destroyed enemy drones and rendered the disoriented F-16 pilots somewhat easy picking for our AIM-10s.

"Duck!" I ordered Nicholas to dive as our display indicate a laser weapon activation near us and soon to be fired. Two calls of Fox 4 went inside the radio, and up to seven hostile contacts vanished.

"Fox three!" My wingman and I soon acquired four more F-16s, disoriented from the laser attacks, and the Buzzards destroyed three out of four. What was left of their drones were being taken care by our Japanese and Indian friends. Then, the final F-16 pilot decided to do something different by luring me into the canyons west relative of our position. I still have enough fuel, so I decided to chase the crazy Falcon.

In the meantime Nicholas watched my top, so I can concentrate in killing the F-16 below me.

"This guy is good. Perhaps one of the last Pakis who received Western training..." I said to myself as the F-16 skillfully turning his jet left and right and readjust just meters before he hit the canyon wall. Immediately I switched to AIM-10, and after two more minutes of maneuvering inside the confines of the canyon I obtained lock and fires, but the Diamondback's rocket motor failed to ignite. Or so it seems.

"What the fuck?" After seconds of delay that seems to be forever, the AIM-10 went to live, surprised the F-16 and directly hit its red hot tailpipe.

The world slowed down as the doomed F-16 banked left as its remains are dropping to the ground, and the Pakistani pilot inside managed to eject, only to crash into the canyon's wall before he even cleared the jet.

This furball was over.

"1-3 to Sea Eagle 1, I'm bingo, returning to the carrier."

"Understood 1-3, RTB."

Nicholas also reported bingo, along with Sea Eagle 2-1 and 2-2.

But this engagement not without cost. Sea Eagle 2-3 was shot down by two F-16s but managed to eject and SAR is looking for him, as far as I heard.

I badly missed the motherland...

The particular engagement which the 120 Squadron and its allies was involved was later called the Massacre over Kirthar, due to the lopsided Allied victory against the swarm of UCC fighters and drones over the area. 45 enemy fighters and up to 35 drones was destroyed in return of one single IF-34 and as many drones as theirs in our side went down.

In the meantime, Battle of Haiderabad continues...

(1). Reunification War, last 2027-2028, when the desperate North Korea which has been abandoned by the Chinese, invaded the South. The South and US forces (supported by Canada, Japan, India, and Australia, along with South East Asian volunteers) captured Pyongyang and Kim Jong-un immediately executed, and after diplomatic maneuver with the Chinese that also invaded NK from the northern border, the latter permitted South Korea to annex the northern part to form an United Korean Republic, in return of a demilitarized zone in the 40th Parallel north, as a buffer zone for the two states, and immediate withdrawal of US forces from Korea.

(2). INS Viraat (R67), second ship of the Vishal class aircraft carrier (IAC-II) with catapults, nuclear powered, and displaced 65.000 tonnes, commissioned in 2038.

(3). Hope you enjoy this action!